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Flawed Health Care System Causes Doctors to "Bend" Ethical Norms to Best Serve Their Patients
Article ID: 609338
Released: 23-Oct-2013 2:30 PM EDT
Source Newsroom: Hospital for Special Surgery
Available for logged-in reporters only
ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, Oct. 26 - 30 2013; Arthritis and Rheumatism
Newswise — A survey among rheumatologists finds many face moral dilemmas when trying to do what's best for their patients in the current health care environment.
The study, titled "Bending' Ethical Norms to Serve Patients' Interests: Tensions in Medical Professionalism," will be presented at the American College of Rheumatology/ Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals Annual Meeting on October 28 in San Diego.
The complete study was published in the October issue of the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.
Rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, are a common cause of disability. Affecting all sectors of the population, they diminish quality of life and have a significant social impact.
Despite the benefits of early treatment and effective therapies, access to rheumatologic services may be difficult, involving long wait times, even difficulties finding providers, according to C. Ronald MacKenzie, MD, a rheumatologist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and lead author of the study.
"When people receive a diagnosis, the cost of effective treatment may render it unaffordable for many," says Dr. MacKenzie, who is also chair of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Ethics and Conflicts of Interest Committee. "While an optimal or fair system would mitigate these impediments to care, our survey of ACR members suggests that this is often not the case. In fact, physicians report they frequently find themselves in situations of ethical conflict in an effort to best serve their patients."
To conduct the survey, 14 closed-ended and two open-ended questions were sent electronically to 5,500 members of the American College of Rheumatology in the United States.
"We found that a pressing ethical issue for many rheumatologists is their perceived need to 'bend' ethical norms and compromise ethical principles in order to provide the care their patients need," Dr. MacKenzie noted.
In the survey, physicians reported ways in which they see themselves as 'bending' ethical standards and presented justifications for doing so. Examples included 'embellishment' of symptoms to help patients obtain prior authorization from insurance companies; stretching the truth to obtain needed drugs and testing for patients; and providing patients with certain diagnoses to obtain coverage for needed medications or physical therapy.
"The delivery of medical care takes place in a particular social context, and when this context includes conditions that are unfair, healthcare practitioners may be forced to struggle with ethical conflicts, making trade-offs that may go unrecognized or are not adequately discussed,"
Dr. MacKenzie said. "An awareness of this problem and its consequences is the first step in finding solutions to the challenges that physicians face."
About Hospital for Special SurgeryFounded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a world leader in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. HSS is nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics, No. 4 in rheumatology, and No. 5 in geriatrics by U.S.News & World Report (2013-14), and is the first hospital in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center three consecutive times. HSS has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. From 2007 to 2012, HSS has been a recipient of the HealthGrades Joint Replacement Excellence Award. HSS is a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College and as such all Hospital for Special Surgery medical staff are faculty of Weill Cornell. The hospital's research division is internationally recognized as a leader in the investigation of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. Hospital for Special Surgery is located in New York City and online at www.hss.edu.


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San Francisco plane crash victim could have been run over by fire truck
A US coroner is working to determine whether one of the victims of the San Francisco plane crash was run over and killed by an emergency vehicle.
Two Chinese teenagers - Ye Mengyuan, 16, and Wang Linjia, 17 - were killed after the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 crash landed and burst into flames at the weekend.
More than 30 people remain in hospital, with injuries including paralysis, fractures and internal bleeding.
San Francisco fire chief Joanne Hayes-White says one of the girls may have been run over by an airport fire engine rushing to the scene.
"As you can imagine it was a very dynamic environment dealing with an active aircraft fire and trying to rescue somewhere in the realm of 300 victims," she told the San Francisco Chronicle.
"Based on the injuries sustained, it could have been one of our vehicles that added to the injuries, or another vehicle."
The head of the airport's fire team, Dale Carnes, says his squad is assisting officials investigating the incident.
"We are also conducting an internal investigation of our own trying to clearly establish the facts of what happened," he said.
It is not known which girl may have been hit by the vehicle.
Officials say the other girl appeared to have died from injuries suffered as she was hurled out of the plane when its tail broke off in the crash.
The two best friends were coming to visit Stanford University, just south of San Francisco, and to attend a summer camp at a local Christian school, the Chronicle reported.
Rescuers describe chaos of crash aftermath
The rescuers who were first on the scene say they had to deal with chaotic scenes, including choking black smoke, gushing fuel and problems communicating with passengers.
Fire officer Chrissy Emmons says she knew the communication from the tower was real when she heard the tone of the woman who sent out the alert message.
"The communication from the tower was, 'Alert three, alert three, plane crash, plane crash'," she told AM.
She says crews were on the scene in less than a minute. She says she saw another fire officer run up the chute on the second left side door and realised it was the only way into the plane.
"I said, 'if he can do it, I can do it'," she said.
Ms Emmons says when she pushed towards the back of the plane, that was filling with thick black smoke, she saw a handful of trapped passengers.
Officer Dave Monteverdi says crews worked until there was just one passenger left on board.
"He was groaning," he said.
"We were running out of time. The smoke was just started getting thicker and thicker.
"So we had no choice - we just stood him up and amazingly he started shuffling his feet."
With the plane close to exploding, his own life at risk, officer James Cunningham stopped to pick up discarded mobile phones.
He says one had a picture of a mother and daughter on the cover.
"I looked at it. I go, 'somebody's going to want this ... this is important for somebody to get hold of; it might be the last memories they have of somebody'."
He says his heart "just dropped" when he was told another 40 people were still missing.
"I knew I looked, and I thought I made a mistake and I wanted to go back in and look through the rubble," he said.
"By then, it was burning the middle, and I almost start crying because I thought I'd screwed up and some people got killed."
However It was a miscommunication - all the passengers were out.
Hunt for clues as to why plane crashed
Transport safety officials say the plane was travelling well below the recommended speed as it attempted to land.
The flight data recorder shows that as the Boeing 777 approached the runway its pilots were warned four seconds before the crash that the aircraft was likely to stall and asked to abort the landing.
The request to abort was captured on the cockpit voice recorder 1.5 seconds before the plane crashed.
Asiana has confirmed the pilot was in training, but the airline's chief has rejected speculation that pilot inexperience was to blame for the crash.
He had earlier said the plane had no known mechanical problems.
The pilots will be interviewed in the coming days.
The National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Deborah Hersman says the board will know more about the cause of the crash when it finishes interviews with the crew.
"In our investigations, we're often looking for things that might affect human performance like fatigue, like illnesses or medication," she said.
The Boeing 777, a family of twin-engined long-haul aircraft, is rated as one of the safest aircraft in the world and has been since it started flying in 1995.
There are more than 1,100 in service, with a rate of one accident for every 18 million hours of flying time. This is the first fatal accident involving the aircraft.

subset: commoncrawl


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In the tax office sights
The department has sophisticated tools at its disposal to track down tax cheats.
The department has sophisticated tools at its disposal to track down tax cheats. More than 1500 people have been prosecuted by the Tax Office in the past year as it steps up its efforts to track down tax cheats.More than 1100 individuals and 400 companies were prosecuted for tax and superannuation offences such as failing to lodge a tax return, making false or misleading statements, and illegal early access of super."We have a range of measures in place to ensure we detect and deal with those who evade their obligations," the tax commissioner, Michael D'Ascenzo, says. "This includes information sharing and working with other government agencies, and also with overseas counterparts and AUSTRAC."A tax partner at HLB Mann Judd Sydney, Peter Bembrick, says one area that the Tax Office has "a big push on" is assets held overseas."The Tax Office has increased its data matching with overseas tax authorities and getting data from overseas financial institutions," he says. "We're seeing it ask questions about what sort of funds people hold overseas and whether they earn any income from them."Bembrick says another area in the regulator's sights is contractors, and whether they are genuine contractors or should be regarded as employees.The Tax Office says it has gathered evidence of sham arrangements, where individuals are incorrectly set up as contractors and may not report all of their income or may unfairly access welfare benefits. On the other side of the coin, they may be missing out on entitlements such as workers' compensation and compulsory super.Bembrick says split loans are another focus. These involve loan arrangements where interest on an investment loan (which is tax deductible) is capitalised while loan repayments are used to pay off a non-deductible personal loan such as a mortgage. Despite long-standing rulings, Bembrick says the fact that they are still on the Tax Office's radar suggests products that don't satisfy its requirements are being marketed.The Tax Office also provides a guide to its targets in its annual compliance plan. Work-related expenses are a perennial on the list. The Tax Office says such claims have increased about 16 per cent since 2007 and are one of the largest categories of claims made in tax returns.Occupations selected for close attention this year include real-estate employees, carpenters and joiners, earthmoving plant operators and flight attendants - though investigations are not just limited to these areas.The Tax Office says the most common ways in which people get their expenses wrong include having insufficient documentation to support motor vehicle and travel expenses, and incorrectly claiming home office, mobile phone and internet expenses.One of the main tools used by the Tax Office is data matching or cross-referencing information in tax returns against at least 500 million transactions reported by other parties.This includes information on employment, welfare and investment income, property and share dividends and disposals, employee share schemes, super and health insurance policies.If your income is more than $1 million you're also likely to be singled out for closer scrutiny. More than 2000 high earners have had their returns reviewed in the past four years and about 60 per cent had them corrected.The Tax Office says it is paying particular attention to their use of closely held entities, such as charitable trusts and self-managed super funds.Other items selected for closer scrutiny include calculations of net capital gains and losses, deductions for contributions to self-managed super funds, claims for large revenue losses, non-disclosure of partnership and trust distributions, alienation of personal services income, non-commercial loans with related entities, and under-reporting of employment benefits, including participation in employee share schemes.
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AL Capsules
AL Capsules
The Associated Press
Jul. 22, 2013
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Bartolo Colon pitched a four-hitter for his third shutout this season and center fielder Coco Crisp robbed Albert Pujols of a home run to help the Oakland Athletics beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-0 on Sunday.
Eric Sogard hit a two-run homer to back Colon (13-3), who struck out five and walked one. The 40-year-old right-hander, making his first start since returning from his third All-Star game, tied Max Scherzer and Adam Wainwright for the major league lead in wins while reducing his ERA to 2.52. Colon is 10-1 with a 1.46 ERA over his last 12 outings.
The 116-pitch complete game was Colon's 35th in 395 big league starts, and the shutout was the 12th of his career. Crisp preserved Oakland's ninth shutout of the year when he pulled back Pujols' bid for his 492nd homer leading off the seventh.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Chris Tillman pitched into the ninth inning in his return from the All-Star game, and Baltimore beat Texas to sweep a three-game series between 2012 playoff teams.
Matt Wieters had two hits and scored twice to help the Orioles (56-43) move a season-high 13 games over .500 with their seventh victory in eight games. They sure seem comfortable in Texas, where Baltimore won last year's AL wild-card game.
Tillman (12-3) gave up two runs and six hits while striking out seven, making Baltimore starters 7-1 in the last eight games. The 25-year-old righty was three outs from his first career complete game when Adrian Beltre chased him with a leadoff homer in the ninth.
Darren O'Day got two outs to earn his second save.
Martin Perez (3-3) pitched 6 1-3 innings for the Rangers, giving up four runs and nine hits. He didn't get much help from his defense.
Texas has dropped four straight and seven of eight.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Miguel Cabrera and Andy Dirks homered as the Tigers beat the Royals to avoid being swept.
Doug Fister (8-5) picked up the victory with six strong innings, yielding a run, while allowing six hits and striking out five and walking one.
Cabrera, who is second in the league with 31 home runs to Chris Davis of the Baltimore Orioles, drove a 1-1 pitch out to left in the first inning.
Miguel Tejada tied it in the second with his third home run of the season and the 307th of his career. Tejada took an 0-1 Fister pitch out to left.
Dirks broke the tie with a home run with one out in the fifth to straightaway center, just eluding Jarrod Dyson's leap at the wall.
James Shields (4-7), who has won only one of 10 home starts, took the loss.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Justin Masterson took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning, Michael Brantley hit a bases-loaded triple and the Indians beat the Twins to avoid a three-game sweep.
Masterson (11-7) had faced the minimum through six, allowing only a hit batter, when Brian Dozier led off the seventh with a broken-bat blooper to center field that dunked in under the glove of a sliding Drew Stubbs for a double.
The Indians led 3-0 on Mike Aviles' sacrifice fly and two-run homer by Jason Kipnis when they loaded the bases with one out in the fifth on a walk to Kipnis and consecutive singles by Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana off starter Scott Diamond (5-9).
TORONTO (AP) — Luke Scott and Kelly Johnson hit back-to-back home runs, Evan Longoria also went deep and the Rays survived a late scare to beat the Blue Jays, completing a three-game sweep.
The surging Rays have won 13 of their past 14 games and 20 of their past 24. After starting the season 14-18, Tampa Bay is a major league-best 44-23 since May 8.
Rays right-hander Chris Archer pitched seven innings to win his fourth straight decision, improving to 4-0 with an 1.62 ERA in his past six starts, including his first career shutout against Houston on July 14.
Archer (5-3) allowed five hits, walked four and struck out one.
R.A. Dickey (8-11) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings, walked one and struck out eight. He gave up three home runs for the third time this season.
HOUSTON (AP) — Nick Franklin hit his first career grand slam in Seattle's big second inning to back up a scoreless start by Felix Hernandez, and the Mariners rolled past the Astros for their season-best sixth straight victory.
Franklin's slam, Seattle's fifth this season, came off Jordan Lyles (4-4) in a seven-run second.
Hernandez (11-4) scattered four hits with seven strikeouts over six innings to lower his AL-leading ERA to 2.43. He is 6-0 in his last 10 starts and hasn't lost since May 25.
Brad Miller, Dustin Ackley and Michael Saunders drove in two runs each to help the Mariners wrap up a three-game sweep.
Lyles yielded eight hits and 10 runs, with a career-high nine earned, in four-plus innings to lose his third straight decision.
CHICAGO (AP) — Left fielder Casper Wells robbed Reed Johnson of a home run in the eighth inning to help the White Sox beat the Braves.
With the White Sox leading 3-1, Wells leaped up against the left-field wall to make a spectacular catch and rob Johnson of the game-tying homer. It was one of several great defensive plays by the White Sox.
Alex Rios added two hits and an RBI for Chicago and Jose Quintana scattered nine hits in 5 2-3 innings for the win.
up against the left-field wall to make a spectacular catch.
White Sox relievers Ramon Troncoso and Donnie Veal each retired the two batter they faced and Nate Jones pitched a scoreless eighth. Closer Addison Reed pitched scoreless ninth for his 25th save in 29 chances.
Braves starter Mike Minor (9-5) pitched his first career complete game in the loss.


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After losing 54 percent of its value in the Great Recession of 2007-2009, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has come roaring back. The Dow bottomed out at 6,547 in March 2009 before roaring back in the five-year-old bull market to close Thursday at 17,068.26 -- a 160 percent gain for savvy investors who got in at the bottom.
8/17/07: Federal Reserve cuts discount rate half a point to help ease subprime lending crisis
8/23/07: Bank of America invests $2 billion in Countrywide Financial to help shore up the nation's largest mortgage lender
11/1/07: Federal Reserves injects $41 billion into US money markets after cutting interest rates further
11/12/07: Big banks pledge a $75 billion superfund to restore confidence in credit markets
12/12/07: Federal Reserve injects $40 billion into money supply in coordination with other central banks
2/19/08: Crude oil prices top $100 a barrel
6/26/08: Crude oil hits new high of $140 a barrel, gas prices at record highs
9/7/08: Federal government takes over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
9/14/08: Merrill Lynch sold to Bank of America
9/15/08: Lehman Brothers files for bankruptcy protetion
9/17/08: Federal Reserve loans $85 billion to American International Group
10/6/08: Federal Reserve makes emergency move to lend $1.3 trillion directly to companies
12/16/08: Federal Reserve cuts federal funds rate to between 0 and 0.25 percent
12/19/08: US auto industry bailout approved
1/20/09: Barack Obama inaugurated as president
2/17/09: President Obama signs $787 billion economic stimulus package
2/27/09: Fourth quarter GDP decreased at an annual rate of 6.2 percent
4/30/09: Chrysler files for bankruptcy; one month later, General Motors files for bankruptcy
1/28/10: US Senate confirms Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke for a second term.
3/23/10: President Obama signs Affordable Care Act
4/2/10: Massive oil spill in Gulf of Mexico
7/21/10: President Obama signs the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
3/11/11: Powerful earthquake and tsunami jolt Japan
5/1/11: Osama bin Laden killed
7/11/11: Debt woes in Europe depress US stocks.
12/15/11: US marks the end of the Iraq war
5/18/12: Facebook has its IPO
6/28/12: US Supreme Court upholds the Affordable Care Act
10/28/12: Superstorm Sandy hits New York/New Jersey area
3/13/13: Cardinals elect Pope Francis to lead the Roman Catholic Church
4/15/13: Bombs set off at Boston Marathon kill 3, injure hundreds
6/26/13: US Supreme Court strikes down parts of the Defense of Marriage Act, allowing states to decide who can marry
10/1/13: Congress shuts down US government for 16 days
11/7/13: Twitter debuts as a public stock, raising $2.1 billion
11/19/13: J.P. Morgan Chase and Co. agrees to a record $13 billion penalty for its role in mortgage crisis.


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- 2004 Saint-Cosme Côtes du Rhône Blanc - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Côtes du Rhône (7/14/2006)
Very pale golden yellow in color; the nose is a light mix of citrus and tropical fruits with green herbs and a hint of vasoline. Medium bodied on the slightly oily palate, with again a melange of citrus and (mainly) tropical fruits (no one fruit stands out) and a hit of alcohol at the end, although this dissapated a bit on the second day. The bottle claims 13.5%, but I suspect that's a conservative estimate. But certainly not OTT, a tad heavy as many Rhone whites can be, but certainly good quality for a Cotes du Rhone blanc. Drink over the next 2 years, I would think. (B+)


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- Premier League
Police drop 'racist gesture' case from Chelsea-Utd game
The Metropolitan Police has said it will take no further action against a man who was arrested after he was pictured making an alleged racist gesture during the Capital One Cup tie between Chelsea and Manchester United.
The 28-year-old man, sitting amongst Chelsea supporters, was pictured making a monkey gesture during match, which the London club won 5-4 after extra time.
Chelsea had banned him from Stamford Bridge pending the outcome of the investigation.
On Thursday, the Metropolitan Police said it and the Crown Prosecution Service had decided not to take any further action ''following an investigation which included taking witness statements from those around him in the crowd and viewing CCTV footage''.


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1002 Sherbrooke St.W.
Suite 2100
Montréal (Québec),
Managing significant wealth demands an extremely high level of sophistication and dedication. Everyone knows that, a lot of firms and investment groups preach it, but very few actually deliver it.
At the Larente Baksh Group of ScotiaMcLeod, our professional team of private wealth advisors has distinguished itself through a well earned reputation for expertise in strategic wealth management.
The results are telling: Fast approaching $1 billion under management, the Larente Baksh Group emphasizes conservatism, blue-chip investments, capital preservation and tax-efficient cash strategies for high and ultra-high net worth clients. Marc Larente started in the industry approximately 18 years ago and partnered up with Idrees Baksh in 2005, attracting a large and exclusive clientele. The team's phenomenal growth prompted a new trajectory, stewarded by sophisticated and diverse investment strategies that have formed the makeup of the Larente Baksh Group.
Nurtured by a culture of excellence where high standards underscore every facet of their 10-person team, the Larente Baksh Group is comprised of professionals who serve affluent families, institutions and foundations seeking a wealth management firm with a conservative investment culture."We have a close, long-standing friendship and that has helped contribute to the success of the firm, and our ability to be of one mind: focused entirely on our clients' best interests," Larente said.
Sitting on Scotia McLeod's prestigious President's and Chairman's Councils, Larente and Baksh have elevated the Group to attain the most elite industry benchmarks, receiving acclaim reserved for the top ranked within the firm and in the country's community of private wealth advisors, including the prestigious Austin Taylor Award. The level of trust achieved within the industry and among Canada's investors has helped build the prestigious Larente Baksh Group name.
There's no magic formula at the heart of the spectacular success of the Larente Baksh Group, which has at its core two dedicated and senior wealth advisors: Marc Larente, who was appointed Director of Wealth Management in 2004 and who uses sophisticated money management concepts and a thorough understanding of macroeconomics to optimize the fixed-income portion of the portfolios; and Idrees Baksh, a Senior Wealth Advisor, appointed derivatives market specialist in 2006, whose primary focus is on the equity portion of the portfolios while simultaneously enhancing the cash flow and tax-efficient yields with creative and conservative investment instruments.
The combination of the two is a powerful and solid team strategy, yet the entire team at the Larente Baksh Group is dedicated to every client account. "There is no one person in charge of any account," Larente said. "It's a total team service. There's no one-man show here." The sterling reputation and success of the Larente Baksh Group is solidly anchored in commitment, he added. "We have our own long-term vision and are committed to remain here and stay focused on the long-term objectives, assets and needs of our clients." That's a shared philosophy, Baksh said. "Establishing a trusted, genuine and lasting partnership with each of our clients—as we have with each other—is key to our success."
That's how the Group ensures that every task associated with helping a family manage its wealth is handled with precision, discretion and the utmost professionalism while applying an integrated approach. Providing tailored, prudent stewardship for a family legacy, the Larente Baksh Group model crafts unique integrated solutions across tax efficiency, estate planning, insurance, private banking and more. That approach ensures that the best team of professionals is working in concert to meet the needs of your family. "That's how we manage to attract a high net worth clientele," Baksh said. "Our experience, credentials and knowledge have earned our Group a reputation as one of Canada's distinguished private-wealth management groups." The Group's reputation sets it at the summit of wealth management groups in the country. "Our clients are among an exclusive group who have heard of us and are attracted to our different investment style."
Mindful of that solemn and profound trust, Larente and Baksh are active in the community. "It's all really done with a focus on the community," Baksh explained. Active philanthropy through enormous involvement in charities, foundations, on boards and at events is a crucial and founding pillar of the Group. Beyond good corporate citizenship, Larente Baksh is truly founded on a credo of quiet and generous giving, intrinsic to its model and, therefore, its success. Both Larente and Baksh share the view that the best way to celebrate their good fortune is to help others and to give back.


text: Sijun Forums :: View topic - Icewind Dale Painting Tutorial Log in to check your private messages Goto page Previous 1, 2 Sijun Forums Forum Index >> Work in Progress View previous topic :: View next topic Author Topic : "Icewind Dale Painting Tutorial" LightmemberMember #Joined: 01 Dec 2000Posts: 528Location: NC, USA Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2001 10:32 pm Thats a good tutorial. I'd like it if you want more into the actual process you use to shade and refine it. Maybe you could make one just on shading. =) Keep me posted!! If anyone wants to email me when a new one is ready would appreciate it. Back to top shardikmemberMember #Joined: 09 Apr 2000Posts: 494Location: Buffalo, NY Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2001 12:40 am very nice job savior... i mean jason ------------------ -matt Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Sijun Forums Forum Index -> Work in Progress All times are GMT - 8 HoursGoto page Previous 1, 2 Page 2 of 2 Jump to: Select a forum Digital Art----------------Digital Art DiscussionWork in ProgressGallery/Finished Work Miscellaneous----------------Random MusingsArchive : Sep99 - Dec00 You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Powered by phpBB © 2005 phpBB Group


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Hooked on discounts
Hooked on discounts
Online commerce led the charge during holiday 2010, as both e-tailers and traditional retail merchants laid on the offers. Online sales growth had been outpacing those of most retail categories throughout the year, as the sector continued to grow its share of the retail marketplace, and e-commerce clearly influenced both marketing efforts and shopper behavior during the year-end selling season.
There were still plenty of shoppers shivering in the pre-dawn cold at mall parking lots, waiting for the early-morning sales on the day after Thanksgiving, but this past Black Friday, many also checked their smartphones and iPads, looking for a better deal online — if they hadn't done it already the day before.
"It's kind of escalating warfare, if you think about it," says Sherif Mityas, a partner of retail consulting firm A.T. Kearney. "Good news for the consumer, because online retailers are really driving very aggressive promotions and activity. That's causing all retailers to have to up their game."
The barrage of offers — sent by e-mail, newspaper circular and direct mail — was constant during this holiday sales season. Retailers pulled out all the stops to coax still recession-wary consumers to spend on gifts.
E-commerce jewelry site Blue Nile offered "Holiday Exclusives" up to 44% off every day from the Monday after Thanksgiving until the day before Christmas Eve. At the other end of the price spectrum, Toys "R" Us provided deals online and in store every day from the release of its annual "The Great Big Christmas Book" on October 31 (also produced in an iPad version for the first time last year) until the week before Christmas, says Greg Ahearn, SVP of marketing and e-commerce at Toys "R" Us, Inc.
The toy retailer added several new digital capabilities to its holiday marketing plan including coupon barcode scanning, a mobile messaging program and social media efforts, he says.
Discount mastery
Despite a seemingly nonstop deal-of-the-day bonanza this past holiday season, retailers remained careful in determining how to position price cuts. Click to read more.
Retailers' marketing strategies worked. Holiday shoppers broke their two-year frugality streak and spent $584 billion on gifts in November through Christmas Eve — 5.5% more than the same time the year before, according to MasterCard SpendingPulse.
"2009 was a year of gaining some stability; 2010 is really a step towards growth again," says Michael McNamara, VP of MasterCard SpendingPulse, which tallies sales by credit cards and other payment forms.
But the retailers' intensive online marketing and shoppers' new frugality have changed the environment since the start of the recession. Shoppers have become savvier about sifting through offers — thanks to online comparison shopping and research, even on offline purchases — and have been trained by the constant flow of sales to wait until the last minute to get the best deal on gifts, knowing retailers will oblige.
Merchants say they won't give up those habits even as the recession eases, while analysts caution that this tactic is blunting the effect of discounts to motivate shoppers and increasing the pressure on merchants to find other ways to goose sales beyond price cuts. They argue that this past holiday season could mark the peak of one-day sales and doorbusters as holiday marketing tools.
"The question is whether Black Friday and Cyber Monday become a dead issue after this year," says Bradley Honan, SVP of StrategyOne, an Edelman unit that carries out strategic research and polling.
Season of discounts
It was a heavily promotional holiday, indeed, led by the online and multichannel retailers. After years in which Black Friday was the alpha and omega of holiday promotions, merchants inundated consumers with one-day sales and other enticements in 2010.
Cyber Monday, the online sales promotion on the Monday after Thanksgiving, begat Free Shipping Day, a promotion on December 17 where hundreds of retailers offered free shipping on items ordered online, guaranteed to arrive in time for Christmas.
This year, CashStar, an online gift card platform, declared "Click it to Gift It Day" on December 23, the zero barrier for ordering electronic gift cards online in time for the Christmas holiday. Nearly 50 retailers including Gap Inc., The Home Depot and Williams-Sonoma participated in the promotion, offering deals such as discounts, charity drives and other perks.
In many instances, online retailers and the websites of multichannel retailers were steering the overall pace and shape of holiday promotions. Witness the wealth of early Black Friday deals on Thanksgiving Day, and the number of merchants such as Macy's, Wal-Mart and Sears that chose to open all or some stores on that day, after seeing the sales totals their websites racked up last year by offering early doorbusters on the holiday.
"Online [commerce] — because it's open 24 hours a day, seven days a week — really gives you a signal as to what your customer wants to do and is doing," says David Friedman, president of marketing at Sears Holdings Corp. "When you see people shopping online on Thanksgiving Day, that tells us that they'll be interested in shopping in stores as well."


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 3rd May 2013 20:10 UTC
"Internet giant Google has changed the tagline on the homepage of its Palestinian edition from 'Palestinian Territories' to 'Palestine'. The change, introduced on 1 May, means google.ps now displays 'Palestine' in Arabic and English under Google's logo. Using the word Palestine is controversial for some. Israeli policy is that the borders of a Palestinian state are yet to be agreed." Good but daring move.
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by oskeladden on Mon 6th May 2013 00:06 UTC
This is a non-story. As far as I'm aware, where Google have a site specific to a TLD, they use the local name of the territory covered by that TLD. Google.mk goes by 'Google Macedonia', for example, rather than 'Google FYROM', as it's known to all international organisations. The authority that governs the territories to which the .ps domain has been allocated has recently restyled itself 'State of Palestine' from 'Palestinian Territories'. The change to the caption at google.ps very likely just reflects that, and nothing more.


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Montville takes step toward police K-9
Montville - The town has made revisions to a policy that could pave the way for the police department to acquire its first police dog.
Sgt. Martin Martinez, the town's resident state trooper who reworked the policy, on Monday made his pitch to the Public Safety Commission, which approved the policy and sent it on to the Town Council for review.
Martinez said the department hopes to obtain a Labrador retriever that would be trained as a food reward dog. For instance, when it assists in helping to sniff out narcotics or track a suspect, it would receive a treat or food.
Town police have long believed a police dog would be an asset to the 23-person department. Previous discussions centered on the prospect of the department starting its own K-9 unit with multiple dogs, but for now it has interest only in one dog.
"It's baby steps, as far as I'm concerned," Martinez told the Public Safety Commission. "Right now, I would like to get one dog. In the future, if we decide to go with more dogs, that's up to the mayor."
Martinez said his department has seized about $5,000 and a car in recent criminal cases and that money could be put toward the police dog and its care. The department would need to make some adjustments to a police cruiser for the dog to ride in, and there would be annual veterinary and food costs.
The dog would be purchased by the state at a cost of $2,300 to the town, Martinez said. Training for the dog and the police officer chosen as its handler is 11 weeks and is provided by the state for free. The dog is trained alone for the first six weeks and then with its handler for the remainder of the training.
Martinez said there will be an interview process for officers who wish to become the dog handler. Interested officers who live within 10 miles of the center of town will have an advantage in the process, according to the policy. The chosen officer will also be required to have the dog live in his or her home.
The policy also outlines instances in which it is acceptable for the dog to bite a suspect. The policy states there must be probable cause to believe a person has committed a felony or is a danger to officers or other persons in the area.
Police Officer Robin Salvatore, who is president of the police union, said she is a big supporter of the department getting a police dog.
"This is K-9 policy that was tabled a long, long time ago," Salvatore said. "We have needed a dog in this town for years."
Report recommends Montville hire police chief, merge fire companies
Three decades later, Desiree Michaud's friends and family still seek closure
Vice President Mike Pence's 2018 Commencement Address to the United States Coast Guard Academy


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This resource is no longer available
E-Guide: The birth of Tape NAS
Tape may have been first utilized for storage and data backup long ago, but today's tape technology has grown in capabilities and reliability, and has proved that it can keep up with the data surge barraging our infrastructures. One inefficiency that did remain through the years, however, was the issue of accessing stored data - tape has never had file-based access. Now, though, that problem has been resolved.
An emerging capability of tape, termed tape NAS, allows for access to files as if they were on disk. This new technology, utilizing LTFS and network-attached storage (NAS), writes data to tape in a persistent format, which ensures data access from any platform from that point on. Check out this expert resource to explore the specs of this emerging technology and learn what companies can benefit most from this storage solution.


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Please join KLRU's Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with Eugene Robinson
Date: October 9
Time: 9:15 am (Doors open at 8:45am)
Location: in KLRU's Studio 6A (map). Please see note about construction
RSVP: The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP now
Eugene Robinson is a Pulitzer-Prize winning columnist at The Washington Post. He won the Pulitzer in 2009 for Commentary for his writing about the 2008 campaign and the historical significance of the election of the first African-American president. Robinson is also an author. His books are Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America (2010), Last Dance in Havana (2004), and Coal to Cream: A Black Man's Journey Beyond Color to an Affirmation of Race (1999). He often joins the roundtable of NBC's Meet the Press and is an MSNBC Political Analyst. Robinson is in Austin to deliver the Mary Alice Davis Distinguished Lecture at the University of Texas School of Journalism. That event is free and open to the public.
We hope you'll be there as Overheard with Evan Smith begins a fourth season of great conversation with fascinating people, always on the news and always with a sense of humor. The show features in-depth interviews with a mix of guests from politics, the arts, literature, journalism, business, sports and more, and reaches PBS viewers from California to Florida. We'd love to see you in the studio for the interview, and for a chance to join the audience Q&A after the interview. Watch past episodes and Q&A videos at klru.org/overheard
PLEASE NOTE: The KLRU lobby on the 3rd floor of the University of Texas CMB building will be closed due to construction. Please enter the building through the ground level alley and take elevator to 6th floor. Those with accessibility needs — including people with difficulty walking down steep inclines — should call 512-471-4811 for additional information. Please leave a message if no one answers so KLRU can call you back.


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OH man...hampur has gone full nerd.
And +1 to SS's rec for the SSD. Best money spent by far. If HDD vs SSD was a NASCAR race then SSD would win by 3 laps. Boot time with SSD is about 8 seconds from power on to ready....aannd it's completely silent..if that matters to you.
JW that's awesome. Guessing that huge thing in the middle "CNPS 10X?" is a CPU cooler? Is that a button and blue LED on it?
Only regret was not going with a modular PS. Made cable mgmt ugly.
Yes, that is a CPU cooler. The button controls speed.
Tell me when and I will hook you up.
I'm really shocked we don't have a 'You've Reached Hampur Tech Support, Please Hold Or GFY' Thread yet. Maybe we could use this for that. With all the gadgetry out now we could prolly use one. Mods?
Nice rig, Jetworks. Thought about doing that once, but decided not to since I'm the only one who sees it.
Fish - check to make sure what open slots you have (which version of PCi Express), and whether the card you want takes up 1 or 2 slots; power consumption (for on-board fans); and OS compatibility. Looks like you already tripped over the Windows XP RAM limit.
In any event I have used the original Antec 900 twice before and my current gaming rig (RFactor2 and IRacing) is an Antec 1100
Typically as Jetworks indicates there is only a need for a super super cooling solution if you intend to run your computer faster than the speed it is rated for (overclocking). Overclocked CPUs can run very hot and can also lead to somewhat unstable systems (depends on the CPU mostly). Different CPUs in the same batch can have very different overclocking profiles. Given the right CPU, motherboard and cooling configuration however overclocking is one way to get a pretty impressive boost in system overall performance for little to no additional cost.
There is a whole branch of the system building family that is dedicated to these kinds of pursuits.
Yes I tried a self contained supposedly idiot proof solution. This one actually and it was still problematic to find a spot to mount it inside even the largest of cases. (outside the case = colostomy bag from my POV). Maybe I got a dodgy unit but the fans, even custom purchased super quiet ones were very noisy in my Antec 1100.
This woman would not date a PC Nerd.
There's something about those nostrils...


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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas officials announced Monday that sites in Saline County and West Memphis are ready to develop factories but are still waiting for automobile plants and other big employers to come calling.
Gov. Mike Beebe announced "Advance Arkansas Sites" effort as a way to quickly show industry that sites are ready to go for companies that need more than 1,000 acres and millions of square feet of manufacturing space.
Economic development organizations in Saline County and West Memphis paid for engineering studies and secured options on the land to eliminate two key steps companies would have to take to open shop. The engineering work on natural gas, electric, and water and sewer utilities is already done.
"These sites are ready to go," said Grant Tennille, director of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
The Saline County site has 2,045 acres, and the West Memphis site is 1,420 acres. The state listing for them includes details on available workforce, training opportunities, cost of living statistics and other information.
The sites are similar in the scale of employers they can accommodate but there are differences. The West Memphis site has access to the Mississippi River and major highways – Interstates 40 and 55. The Saline County site doesn't have the river access but it is near Interstates 30 and 40.
Tennille said having the sites ready can bring "rapid industrial development in order for Arkansas to stay competitive (and) market to companies around the world."
He noted that major employers insist on being near primary rail lines and highways but said less well-situated counties still need to do similar work to prepare sites for smaller operations that can still bring good jobs.
Tennille acknowledged that Arkansas is catching up to competing states in listing the sites and said more communities are exploring whether they have parcels that can be similarly prepared.
The AEDC has an Internet listing of about 250 industrial sites across the state. Tennille said the agency can tell where people browsing the site are and said it get hits from around the world.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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EVERGREEN PARK – Negotiations to resolve a teachers' strike in Evergreen Park are expected to continue.
Talks over the weekend didn't produce an agreement in the strike, which has left about 1,800 students out of class for a week. District 124 includes four elementary schools and one junior high school.
About 150 teachers and 60 support staff walked off the job after negotiators couldn't reach agreement on pay and benefits.
After more than five hours of talks Sunday, Superintendent Robert Machak said he'd seen little progress.


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Anne Hathaway Is All Smiles In Her Harper's Bazaar Editorial
Remember when Anne Hathaway revealed her weight loss regimen for her role as Catwoman in Christopher Nolan's upcoming Dark Knight sequal? Yes? Good. Anyway, she revealed that information to Harper's Bazaar for her August cover issue. Here's the accompanying editorial, in which she wears Prada, McQueen and Givenchy, shot by Alexi Lubomirski (who also shot Emma Watson for August's Harper Bazaar UK cover). Enjoy.
(Photos via Fashion Gone Rogue)


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Happy Birthday To Michael Richards; Feel Free To Celebrate With These Classic Seinfeld Bits.
Kramer cracks me up with his views on marriage. Is it really a "man-made" prison and married couples are doing time? Oh, and do you remember the classic episode where Kramer bought those skinny jeans and his whole world turned upside down? Tight pants are the worst!
If you're ever had to peel off your jeans, you'll relate.
Michael Richards turns 65 today, can you believe it?


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Thoughts Just Kids by Patti Smith, Ecco (imprint of HarperCollins ) 2010, 306 pages
Interviewer: Care, how did you hear about this book?
Care: I think I first learned of it from Amazon; in one of those emails they regularly send to tempt me to purchase books.
Interviewer: And then you researched it or did you instantly know you wanted to read it?
Care: I saw that it was Rock Star Patti Smith's memoir about her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, the famous photographer. It's a National Book Award winner.
Interviewer: Are you a Patti Smith fan or a Mapplethorpe fan, or both?
Care: Actually, all I knew about Mapplethorpe was when his controversial photographs of nude males caused such a hullabaloo a few years ago. I'm dating myself, because the controversary about whether or not his work was pornography or 'art' had to have been before he died in 1989 which seems a very long time ago already, but I don't really recall when I first heard about the artist. What I admit now, is that I had no idea that he was friends with Patti Smith. Honestly, I couldn't tell you much about Ms. Smith except that she was grunge rock & roll. I'm still not sure if that description is accurate. To me, the image of Patti Smith that popped into my head was the parody of her on SNL by Gilda Radner! That was hardly flattering. I think… I THINK, I was both shocked that Patti Smith would write a book AND that she knew Robert Mapplethorpe AND that I was obviously ignorant about a whole slice of cutting edge culture that I now want to know more about.
Interviewer: So you bought the book.
Care: Not at that time. I bought it at one of the GOOB sales at Borders.
Interviewer: And now, you have added 'Attend a Patti Smith concert" to your Bucket List on Pinterest.
Care: Yes. I'm fascinated by her. I admire her. I think she is incredible. She has endeared herself to me and I think experiencing her art would be a tremendous thrill. I will probably buy her Horses CD and give it to myself for Christmas.
Interviewer: So why did you give this book only 3 stars?
Care: Oh. You saw that, did you? Yes, well, I don't really recall exactly and I was hoping you wouldn't bring that up. Let me please reiterate that a three star rating is GOOD. That I liked it. A three star rating is not something to be sorry for. Why do I have to justify this? OK, I'll try anyway. If I had a rating scale for various categories of things I like/love/hate etc about a book, then this book hits many HIGHs and a few lows and so in average, three stars. I liked it. (My ratings are for me.)
What I liked most was how it was a glimpse into a life I will never see. How courageous and independent and soulful Patti is. How she had fears and doubts but living true to her ideals was her utmost priority.
Current photo of Patti Smith found here on her website.
What I liked least was the 'lack'. And even in that, I have to admire it as artistic story telling. Most of the lacks I cite are mine which made me frustrated with myself, I suppose, but also good in that I now have lots more things to learn. A lack of knowing a ton of names! A lack of going in a direction I wanted to know more about. A lack of my knowledge of New York City. A lack of photos online when I googled 'how did such&such hotel look then and now', etc.
Interviewer: and did you run to google a lot to look up stuff you didn't know?
Care: Yes. A LOT. I was very fascinated. I spent almost as much time online looking stuff up than I did reading this book! And so this book could deserve 5 stars for provoking intense curiosity. Crazy things; she had an affair with Sam Shepard! the actor guy who plays admirable men in movies and is married to Jessica Lange?! WHAT?! and she bumped into Jimi Hendrix – HUH?!?! and Grace Slick! just amazing. The whole Warhol thing. That she bought and sold rare editions of classic books and sometimes it was lucky she found such so she could buy food to eat.
Interviewer: But what about Mapplethorpe?
Care: A beautiful tragic love story? They were friends — true friends and that is quite beautiful. I can't say I am any more interested in him than I was before. I was much more enthralled with the Patti Smith personality.
Interviewer: Who would you recommend this book to?
Care: Anyone who loves art and poetry. Anyone who appreciates true love stories and realizes that life sometimes sucks. Anyone who has interest in the history of rock and roll music. Anyone who enjoys memoirs/biographies of extraordinary people. And NewYorkCity-ophiles.
Interviewer: In five words, describe this book.
Care: Fascinating, passionate, endearing, heavy, surprising.
Interviewer: Do you have any reviews elsewhere in blogland to point to?
Care: Yes, I recommend a wonderful review by Beth Fish Reads as well as Books are My Boyfriends' enthusiastic take on it. And there's always Fyrefly's awesome search engine for book bloggers reviews.
Interviewer: Anything else you want to share?
Care: Nope. Thank you for helping me with this post. Oh! I am counting this for a challenge; it fits the LIFE STAGE category for What's in a Name 4.
Interviewer: You're most welcome. Have a nice day.


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ABAC Softball Tryouts November 9th
Coach Donna Campbell will be conducting tryouts for high school Seniors (only) on Sat., Nov. 9, 2013 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at Fillie Field on the ABAC Campus.
Check in time will begin at 12:30 p. m. and tryout participants must bring a copy of their current high school physical along with the General Release and Waiver of Liability form. Participants who plan on trying out on the 9th should pre register by sending an email to Coach Campbell at email@example.com.


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I was doing some research for another topic and came across these stats:
Here are the stats of another Reds OF who was revered during his time with the Reds. He also played for a 2nd place Reds team. I wonder what type of criticism he would have received? (If any)
Dave Parker:
Age 36 153 G 589 AB 77 R 149 H 28 2B 0 3B 26 HR 97 RBI .253 Avg .433 Slg
Ken Griffey Jr: to date 9/9
Age 36 107 G 426 AB 61 R 107H 19 2B 0 3B 26 HR 69 RBI .251 Avg .479 Slg
Dave Parker the next season (88) in the AL: Only 34 g in OF
Age 37 101 G 377 AB 43 R 97 H 18 2B 1 3B 12 HR 55 RBI .275 Avg .406 Slg
His next season in '89 he hit for more power 22HR & 97 RBI with a lower .264 Avg.
What I remember most is the 1990 Season when Parker had the "resurgence" in Milwaukee. His statistics were not dramatically better but I do remember him being in the top 10 of the batting race until Sept at the age of 39. He started off that season poorly but believes he turned his season around in 1 AB against a hard throwing LHP. He turned on an Inside Fastball and regained his confidence. He played in 157 Games, the most he had played in since 1986 plaing in all 162. In '90 Parker hit 21 HR his 2nd lowest total in the last 6 seasons. (Parker's lowest being 12 in 88 while battling knee problems). Parker batted .289 with 92 RBI in 1990. The only real surprise was the batting average as Parker had been averaging 97.3 RBI in the previous 6 seasons which inlcudes his partial '88 Season of 55.
I bring all of this up because I am not so sure that a return to the AL will show "immedaite" production increase for Junior. I used Parker because 1) I came across his name while doing other research and 2) Because at this stage in Jr's career they are practically the same hitter and have similar leg ailments and finally 3) as the poll suggests fans think Jr. would be well served in the AL in 2007. JR would be the same age as Parker when making that transition.
Maybe I am way off. Maybe I am dead on. Wondering what your thoughts are....


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The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and I'll bet at least one small-business owner is on your gift list.
But what is your favorite entrepreneur likely to appreciate receiving? What gift will knock the socks off a risk-taking, hard-working, self-starting, enterprising small-business owner?
— Cufflinks with flash drives hidden inside their stylish interior.
These will make every debonair male entrepreneur who wears French cuffs feel like James Bond. One pair even can be used as a Wi-Fi hot spot so other devices can access the Internet. How cool is that?
Deborah in our office immediately bought a pair for her tech-y husband for the holidays. (But don't tell him. You can find them at www.Cufflinks.com.
— Glow-in-the-dark bicycle, perfect for the entrepreneur who commutes by bike or who would like to.
By the time most business owners leaves their offices, it's probably after dark. They need to be seen to be safe.
So if you know one who wants to reduce his carbon footprint, consider splurging on a glowing bike from PureFixCycles, www.purefixcycles.com.
— Stainless-steel food containers, another good choice for the environmentally and health conscious entrepreneur.
These reusable, nonplastic, stainless steel food containers come from a small (and in my case, local) company, LunchBots, www.lunchbots.com. Anne Marie in our loves bringing her lunch in these.
— Knowledge. Many entrepreneurs want anything that will help them improve their business or themselves.
So give them the gift of added learning, an enrollment in a seminar or training program. Better yet, get them a couple of hours with a business consultant.
— Time. More time is just what every small business owner needs.
You can't actually give them more hours, but you can take some items off their to-do list with the gift of a personal errand-runner. Search for a "concierge" in your area or find a member of the International Concierge and Lifestyle Management Association, www.iclma.org.
Other good options are to give them the services of a personal organizer, house cleaner, cook, babysitter, dog-walker, or any other kind of help that frees up their time.
— Food. Everyone eats, and most people love getting something yummy as a gift.
One unusual choice is ice cream. Reed's Dairy is a small family farm in Idaho, and you can send four pints of hand-made ice cream, packaged with a personalized label. You can even put the recipient's picture on it, www.reedsicecream.com).
— For the small-business traveler. I love my noise-canceling headphones.
Ones from Bose are terrific but pricey, www.bose.com. Mine are from Sony, www.sony.com, and were only $49.
And since hotel rooms have so few electrical outlets and traveling business owners have so many electronic devices, they'll thank you for giving them a multiple outlet travel charger, like the Chargepod, www.chargepod.com, that enables you to charge up to six devices with one outlet.
— A donation to a nonprofit group or charity in their name. Many entrepreneurs care deeply about their communities and the broader world around them.
— Better health. How about a gift of a session or two with a personal trainer or a few months of gym membership?
If your entrepreneur travels a lot, she might want to take the Fitkit, www.fitkit.com, with her to work out on the road.
— Relaxation. Owning a business can be stressful, so entrepreneurs need a little relief.
A few options: A massage, with a gift certificate to a local spa or from Spafinder.com; a gift card for a gourmet dinner out; tickets to a concert, play, museum or sporting event; or even a weekend away.
Most important, first look for something made by or sold by a small business.
After all, we small-business owners should support one another. If your friend would appreciate something handmade, try Etsy, www.etsy.com.
And everyone should be certain to shop at small, local businesses during the holidays. Remember Saturday is Small Business Saturday.
Finally, Sara Sutton Fell, chief executive and founder of the job listing site FlexJobs.com suggests giving your favorite entrepreneur a visit to a psychic.
After all, it sure would improve the chance for success if the entrepreneur knew what was going to happen in the future — at least it might be fun.
Rhonda Abrams is president of The Planning Shop and publisher of books for entrepreneurs. Her most recent book is "Entrepreneurship: A Real-World Approach." Register for Rhonda's free newsletter at PlanningShop.com. Twitter: @RhondaAbrams. Facebook: facebook.com/RhondaAbramsSmallBusiness.
Some gifts suited for entrepreneurs
The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and I'll bet at least one small-business owner is on your gift list.


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not not sick, does that mean he's actually sick?
The Blockhams in "SIGNING DAY, 2013"
(Click the Image to See Full Size Version)
Yeah, I'll post this now, even though I know everyone's reading the Live Blog before Coach Hoke's press conference begins. Good day, no surprises...
I also used to do a post on this day every year cautioning all of us to remember not to rain on any young man's dreams today, this is their moment to shine. etc. But as far as I can see there's no rain on the forecast. Great class, great day, Great To Be, etc.
Friday Fun will discuss this thing called basketball, and how exciting it was last night.
Some new formatting news for the New Year:
THE BLOCKHAMS™ runs (typically) every Wednesday here at MGoBlog and on its official home page. Also, don't forget to check out the Friday Fun, my weekly single panel comic based on trending Michigan events, available on Twitter and the home page every Friday.
Follow THE BLOCKHAMS™ on Twitter at @theblockhams, and don't forget to
LIKE THE BLOCKHAMS™ on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theblockhams.
Sorry... Last year I read a great article about how some of the industry pro's of the past write the script to fill the balloon-- meaning, they put the balloon into the artwork and then tried to choose just the right words to get their point across AND fill up the balloon in a visually pleasing manner at the same time.
It's harder than it sounds... and I was also multi-tasking at the same time. Sorry, and thanks for the catch.
I hope Mrs. Blockham has divorce papers in her right hand.


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"Hare" Becomes A Late-Night Casualty In 24
Editor's Note: RacinToday has two reporters – Mike Harris and Jonathan Ingram, both veterans of the event – on site at the Rolex 24. They will periodically file updates, notes and features during the race and wrap the event up afterward.
By Jonathan Ingram | Senior Writer
Daytona Beach, Fla. – Establishing a pace that keeps your team in front and forces other teams into mistakes or mechanical failures is one way to win a 24-hour race. At the close of eight hours of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, pushing the pace was clearly the strategy of the No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing entry. But shortly after midnight that strategy backfired when the car's BMW V-8 blew up.
The Ganassi team's strategy was evident when NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray fell off the pace in the Ganassi Riley-BMW after spending 10 laps at the front. The team quickly put in the call to Juan Pablo Montoya as the Colombian rested in his motor home. Having just completed his first stints two hours earlier, Montoya returned to the pits to relieve McMurray shortly after the eight-hour mark.
Montoya soon had the No. 02 Riley-BMW back in the lead, pushing the pace for the all-star car of Ganassi that includes Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon and McMurray. They were running for glory and not for points, unlike the No. 01 Ganassi entry where Grand-Am regulars Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas are in the line-up.
It was a classic "hare" strategy for a two-car team: pushing the pace with one entry and saving a second entry for the long haul. So once McMurray fell off the pace, the Ganassi brain trust put a call into Montoya.
"I did well at times and I struggled at times," said McMurray, who acknowledged his teammates were better situated to push the pace. "The competition is very close," continued McMurray, who traded the lead with Michael Shank Racing's A.J. Allmendinger and Michael Valiante during his stint. "I didn't want to be the guy who runs the car off and messes it up for everybody else."
But ultimately the stategy blew up and Montoya brought the No. 02 car back to the garage after the team had led 139 laps.
Elsewhere the stategy was different. The Brumos Racing's Riley-Porsche may have been the only car to stay with the No. 02 Ganassi entry in a head-to-head duel, but the team was still emphasizing survival over the course of 24 hours for its lone entry.
"We're driving hard, but we're not pushing," said Darren Law, who started for Brumos. "When I was watching Juan and those guys, they were banging off the curbs in the corners."
The field's lone flat six Porsche-powered prototype, the Brumos car was the first to keep the No. 02 entry at bay when a duel developed between Raphael Matos and Montoya at the five-hour mark. Brazilian Matos re-started in the lead after the race's sixth caution, but Montoya quickly cut his lead from seven seconds to less than a second. But Matos continued to hold off Montoya.
"I was saving my rear tires," said Matos. "He closed the gap on me and then I was pushing again. I was just saving my tires. That was not the time to push. I'm sure Juan was pushing but not too much. I was pushing enough to stay in front of Juan, but not too hard."
Matos was following team orders from one of the Brumos team's pit strategists, Gary Nelson, the former director of competition for NASCAR who now works as a consultant at Brumos. "We told Raphael we're just trying to stay in the race," said Nelson of the radio conversation with Matos. "He said, 'I'm slowing down as much as I can.'"
Matos pitted from the lead when his pit window opened for the driver exchange, but a seat belt got hung up in the driver exchange to Butch Leitzinger and the team fell to eighth place, but was still on the lead lap.
Once the No. 02 Ganassi entry had retired, that left only six cars on the lead lap, including the Brumos entry in third place behind the leading Lola-Ford of Krohn Racing the the Riley-BMW of Level 5 Motorsports.
– Jonathan Ingram can be reached at email@example.com Comment


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The price of corn is expected to average about $5/bu. for the 2010-11 crop year, about $1.50/bu. over last year's price. Over 40 percent of the corn crop is expected to go to food and industrial uses (sweeteners and ethanol), about 15 percent will be exported and the rest (a little less than 40 percent) will be used as livestock feed. As more corn is used in ethanol, less is available for use in the livestock sector, and that has long run consequences.
Once Thanksgiving is over, families get in the holiday spirit with decorating their homes, baking special foods and joining in holiday observances.
There are many special holidays and events during December including Christmas, Hanukkah, St. Nicholas Day, Las Posadas, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Day. No matter what December holiday your family observes, there are many activities that family and friends can do together.
It is alright to go ahead and cut your roses back and cover the bud union to protect it from winter's chill. We have had enough cold weather now that roses have finally started down the road to dormancy for their annual long winter nap.
When cutting your roses back, there is one very important thing to keep in mind, such as what kind of roses do you have. There are different pruning requirements for different rose types.
Sarah Culver and Jeffery Yates of Springfield announce the birth of their daughter at 10:27 p.m. on Oct. 16, 2010 at Hardin Memorial Hospital in Elizabethtown.
Chloe Elizabeth weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces and was 19 inches in length.
Maternal grandparents are Vincent and Angela Culver of Lebanon.
Paternal grandparents are Robin Yates of Glasgow, and the late Jeffrey Darnell Yates.
Marie and John Graves of Springfield announce the birth of their daughter on Oct. 9, 2010 at Spring View Hospital in Lebanon.
Ann Preslee weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 20 inches in length.
She was welcomed home by Gracie Marie, age 9 and Jaxon Craig, age 6.
Maternal grandparents are Jerry and Lois Craig of Finley.
Paternal grandparents are George and Glenna Graves of Springfield.
Brittany Underwood and Levi Trent of Springfield announce the birth of their son at 3:55 a.m. Nov. 8, 2010 at Spring View Hospital in Lebanon.
Stephen James Trent weighed 7 pounds, 8.25 ounces and was 19.5 inches in length.
Maternal grandparents are Jackie Lark and David Thompson of Mackville, and Steven Lark of Neon, Ky.
Paternal grandparents are Janet and Marvin Trent of Springfield.
Larry and Sheila Smith announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Chasity Nicole Smith, to Johnathan Allen Renfro, son of John Renfro and Catherine Barnett.
Smith is a 2006 graduate of Washington County High School, is attending Campbellsville University and is employed at Loretto Motherhouse.
Renfro is a 2007 graduate of Washington County High School and is employed by Lebanon Machine Shop.
Lana and Ray Kelty of Springfield announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Suzanne Nicole, to D.J. Mitchell, son of Pam and Stuart Mitchell of Willisburg.
Kelty is a 2003 graduate of Washington County High School and a graduate of BCTC. She is employed at Flaget Memorial Hospital in Bardstown.
Mitchell is a 2001 graduate of Washington County High School and a graduate of BCTC. He is employed at IDT Tools in Frankfort.
Recycling is catching on in Washington County and nothing proves that more than the school recycling contest held last year. In fact, it was so popular, the county is doing it again.
Of course every coach will say that their team must "take it one game at a time." And that coach-talk is something that players may or may not buy into.
Copyright © 2018
The Springfield Sun is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Springfield, KY, and the surrounding area.


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ADRIAN — No injuries were reported Friday following a chemical spill in the 1300 block of East Maumee Street.
A barrel containing 30-35 gallons of nitric acid emitted fumes after reacting with a small amount of sodium hydroxide at the Dairy Farmers of America plant, 1336 E. Maumee St., according to information released Friday by the Adrian Police Department.
Firefighters were dispatched to the plant at 6:49 a.m., according to Lenawee County Central Dispatch records.
Residents and others in an area approximately a tenth of a mile from the intersection of Maumee and Gulf streets were asked to stay away or indoors until the chemical reaction was under control. Streets in the area remained closed until about 1 p.m.
Lenawee County Emergency Management and the Lenawee County hazardous materials team were on the scene Friday.
Dairy Farmers of America and a hazardous materials cleanup crew were working Friday afternoon to remove the contaminated chemicals from the area.
The Adrian police and fire departments worked with the city's department of public works and a state of Michigan hazardous materials team at the scene.
Chemical reaction at Adrian dairy plant shuts down nearby streets
Feb 15, 2013 at 2:04 PM Feb 15, 2013 at 2:08 PM


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BROOKS, Ky. (AP) - A passenger in a single-engine plane that crashed south of Louisville died early Monday, a coroner said.
Jeanette Watts, 76, died Monday at 4 a.m. EDT at University of Louisville hospital, Bullitt County Coroner Tommy Kappel said. She was in the front passenger seat of the plane, which went down around 4 p.m. Sunday in a cornfield about 15 miles south of Louisville, Kappel said.
Watts died of multiple blunt force injuries sustained in the plane crash, said Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Jack Arnold.
Her husband, Leonard Duane Watts, 57, of El Dorado Hills, Calif., was killed in the crash, Kappel said.
Two other people were hospitalized after the crash, Kappel said. Their names and conditions were not immediately available Monday.
Thomas Jean, owner of nearby Blue Lick Airport, said he thought there was a chance the aircraft was "probably heading" there. Jean, who said he was a member of an emergency response team that was at the scene, said the airplane had "plenty of gas and the engine was running."
Todd Gunther, an investigator in charge with the National Transportation Safety Board, said Sunday that details surrounding the crash were still uncertain. Gunther did not immediately return calls seeking comment Monday.
The plan was a Mooney, four-seat low wing aircraft, Gunther said. Officials had received conflicting reports of exactly how many people were on board, Gunther said.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)


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Wis. bill legalizing rubber duck races up for vote
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A bill legalizing rubber duck races in Wisconsin is moving closer to the finishing line. The bill, which has bipartisan support, is up for a vote Thursday in the Assembly. Non-profit organizations commonly race the little plastic ducks, with numbers on the bottom, as fundraisers. Participants usually buy a raffle ticket corresponding with a duck's number. The first to float across the finish line wins. Rubber duck races in Wisconsin include the "Ducktona 500" in Sheboygan Falls and the "Lucky Ducky Derby" in Menomonee Falls. The bill comes after the village of Mishicot was warned by the Wisconsin Department of Justice that its annual rubber duck race amounts to illegal gambling. The bill creates an exemption for duck races, similar to laws in Minnesota and Michigan.
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Nominations invited for UH Task Force in support of student veteransUniversity of Hawaiʻi
Dir of Communications, External Affairs and University Relations
Video link to Secretary Eric Shinseki/UH President David Lassner news conference: http://www.hawaii.edu/news/2013/09/24/u-s-department-of-veterans-affairs-and-uh-announce-new-services/
University of Hawai'i interim President David Lassner is looking for UH staff, faculty, community members, government officials, UH veteran students and graduates interested in working together to recommend how to improve services for the UH system's student veterans.
At a joint news conference last week, Lassner and Secretary of the U.S. Veterans Administration, General (retired) Eric Shinseki announced their plan to appoint a new UH task force to provide recommendations on how UH campuses across the state can better support veteran students.
Nominations and self-nominations for task force members should be sent by email to president@Hawaiʻi.edu.
Lassner noted that, "We owe all of our veterans a path to a high-quality degree that will help them find rewarding employment. But just as importantly, we owe it to Hawaiʻi as well. Veterans have a wealth of talent and expertise to share if we are successful in providing them with higher education experiences that enable them to obtain great jobs and thrive in our communities."
"Our talented student veterans here in Hawaiʻi will soon enter the labor force. Not only do veterans make exceptional employees, who possess character, team building skills, discipline, but they also bring with them exceptional leadership," Shinseki said.
All UH campuses already provide some level of support services for veterans. The university's ten-campus system currently enrolls more than 2,400 veterans who comprise some 4% of the UH student body.
Based on the nominations received, the task force will be appointed by the UH President.
Once appointed, the task force will be charged to develop a set of coherent recommendations on how UH campuses can learn from each other and do even more for veteran students by working together.
The task force will review and catalog current UH capabilities and programs relative to best practices; survey veteran students and graduates to understand their use and perceptions of UH veteran services; identify system wide approaches to collecting and utilizing data to inform the extent and success of veterans' participation at UH; and provide recommendations for priority actions across the UH System that will improve the educational access and success of veteran students at UH.
For the past two years UH-Mānoa has hosted and coordinated a system-wide conference each spring, on service to veterans. The task force will be asked to complete its work by Spring 2014 to present its recommendations at next year's system-wide conference.


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The following morning, under the frightened gaze of his guards, Jason tackled the underside of the baseplate.
baseplate base·plate (bās'plāt')
The portion of an artificial denture in contact with the jaw.
A temporary form representing the base of a denture and used to help establish jaw relationships and the arrangement of teeth.


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Program: Nova followed by Nova ScienceNow
Date: Tuesday, July 28
Time: Nova @ 7 p.m.; Nova ScienceNow @ 8 p.m.
While NASA astronauts were captivating the world with the Apollo lunar landings, the U.S. was engaged in a top-secret military manned space program. Now, investigative author Jim Bamford (acclaimed author of The Puzzle Palace ) probes the untold story of the elite corps of clandestine astronauts who were never told the true purpose of their training program. Bamford travels to Russia to reveal the secrets of the Soviet response — the prototypes of the "Almaz" military space stations that, if deployed, might have led to a Cold War showdown in outer space. Watch online or get web-only extras at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/astrospies/
Nova ScienceNow
A team of NASA scientists who will smash two SUV-sized rockets onto the lunar surface and unleash a debris cloud to study data that could provide the key to understanding how to build a permanent base on the moon; microbiologist Jack Griffith, who made a phenomenal discovery — the oldest known organic molecules on earth; research on an Australian songbird called the zebra finch, shedding light on the neuronal processes that lead from understanding sounds to producing them; and a profile of climate scientist Lonnie Thompson, aka Tropical Ice Core Man. Find out more about the Moon Smasher at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0405/01.html


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Appeals Court (October 14, 2010)
An abuse prevention order's supporting affidavit may be admitted as substantive evidence of a prior inconsistent statement.
A mother obtained a restrained order against the defendant (her husband) on behalf of her son. The mother's supporting affidavit and sworn testimony indicated that, while she was arguing with the defendant, he punched her son in the face, causing him to fall, bleed and become dazed. Police and EMT personnel arrived, saw the teen bleeding from his lip, and took him to the hospital where he received ten stitches.
At trial, the mother denied that the defendant punched the victim, instead stating that the defendant's elbow accidentally struck him. Despite the defense's objection, the prosecutor questioned the victim about her 209A testimony and admitted in evidence the supporting affidavit. The defendant was convicted of assault and battery, and he appealed claiming that the judge improperly admitted the 209A affidavit as substantive evidence at trial. The defendant argued that the evidence was insufficient and based on inadmissible hearsay.
The Daye Rule
In Commonwealth v. Daye, 393 Mass. 55 (1984), the SJC adopted Proposed Mass. R. Evid. 801(d)(1)(A), permitting the admission of a sworn prior inconsistent statement in grand jury testimony for its probative value when the declarant is subject to cross-examination at trial. The Daye rule has since been expanded to apply to probable cause hearing testimony and to testimony in a prior trial.
In this case, the Court determined "that the Daye rule may appropriately be expanded to apply to c. 209A affidavits that result in the issuance of an abuse protection order." The Court reasoned that 209A affidavits are reliable because they are written under the pains and penalties of perjury, and they are part of a complaint that must be brought in court before a judge.
The Court then applied the two Daye criteria for the admission of a sworn prior inconsistent statement as substantive evidence: 1) the declarant must be subject to cross-examination by the defense, and 2) the prior statement must have been in the declarant's own words. Finding that the Daye criteria were satisfied, the Court then found that the 209A affidavit was sufficiently corroborated by evidence of the victim's ten stitches and the medical records. The Court affirmed the conviction for assault and battery.


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It was a belated Father's Day dinner with DS1 (he was cooking for other dads on Sunday).Rib eye steaksFresh green beans coated in olive oil and bread crumbs, bakedHome made breadCornThe star? Home made Nutella gelato
We had some leftover roasted chicken breasts, so I sliced them, heated them in a small skillet, then put slices of cheese over to melt. We had them as sandwiches with bacon, romaine and avocado salad and macaroni and cheese.
So far, a popsicle and zucchini cakes.
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Morning Five: 07.28.11 EditionPosted by rtmsf on July 28th, 2011
- It's roughly 16 months away, but when is discussing the tropical paradise of Maui a bad thing? The Maui Invitational released its roster of invited teams for its November 2012 island tournament, and one of its attendees, Butler, is still basking in the glow of a report stating its last two NCAA Tournament championship game runs were worth over a billion dollars in media publicity. Well, the publicity train continues to roll, as Brad Stevens' Bulldogs will join North Carolina, Illinois, Marquette, Mississippi State, Southern California, Texas, and host Chaminade in what promises to be another strong field. It's difficult to project any team two seasons out these days, but you can more than likely expect that, at a minimum, UNC, Butler, Texas and Marquette will all have strong squads in 2012.
- Get ready to see a whole lot more Pac-12 hoops on your television no matter where you live. Starting about a year from now, the Pac-12 Networks will launch seven new channels for its fans, starting with a national network (presumably similar in scope to the Big Ten Network) but also with six regional networks featuring the six geographic areas where two schools are located (Washington, Oregon, NorCal, SoCal, Arizona, Mountain). The national network will be available on the digital sports tiers outside of the local markets, which means that if you get the Fox Regionals, you'll probably get the Pac-12 Network. The networks will show roughly 35 football games and 100 basketball games each season in addition to the games already picked up by ESPN as part of its new $3B, 12-year deal. Commissioner Larry Scott has crafted some innovative, forward-thinking deals to get his conference more notoriety; now he just needs to ensure that the product is something that people will want to see.
- Last season the NCAA Tournament debuted its "First Four" games, and Brad Brownell's Clemson Tigers was one of the participants. After defeating UAB in Dayton in the late game on Tuesday night, his team had to fly to St. Petersburg, Florida, to get to its Second Round game against West Virginia on Friday afternoon where they lost a close one down the stretch. His primary beef is in having to play in an early afternoon slot on Friday after traveling all night after the Tigers' first game, and it makes sense. A few extra hours to recuperate that afternoon could have gone a long way in terms of tired and travel-weary legs, and after all, what's the harm? We know that CBS/Turner has heavy involvement in the selection of game tip times, but it shouldn't be all that unreasonable to slot four teams into the sixteen late games on Thursday and Friday nights — the ratings will be fine regardless.
- We're quite certain that if UCLA head coach Ben Howland could get a do-over on his 2008 recruiting class that was rated #1 in the nation, he'd take it in a heartbeat. Jrue Holiday had one lackluster season before he was 1-and-done; Drew Gordon fell out with Howland and eventually transferred to New Mexico; J'mison Morgan never produced and landed at Baylor; Malcolm Lee played three semi-effective seasons before bailing to the NBA Draft without a guarantee. That left Jerime Anderson as the lone survivor going into his senior season in Westwood. A role player in the backcourt who similarly never lived up to his prep on-court hype, he was recently arrested on campus for stealing another student's Macbook Pro. A tracking device within the computer led police to Anderson, who was immediately suspended from the team and will miss at least the Bruins' opener against Loyola Marymount on November 11. If this allegation turns out to be true, we wouldn't be surprised if that's the final nail in the coffin of the illustrious UCLA Class of 2008. Wow.
- This is one of those things that is so disheartening that you sometimes stop to wonder why you bother even to get up in the morning. Earlier this week former Kentucky guard Desmond Allison was murdered in Columbus, Ohio, in an incident so completely senseless and illogical that it strains credulity. According to the Columbus Dispatch, friends of Allison reported that the dispute that may have led to his murder involved a baseball cap that he was wearing while talking on the phone. You read that correctly. A baseball cap. Reportedly, an ex-girlfriend of Allison's removed the cap from Allison's head which led to an argument between that woman and Allison's current girlfriend. Allison got involved in the dispute involving the cap, but soon walked away. A bit later, three men (still unidentified) approached Allison when one of them (possibly a relative of one of the two women) began arguing with him and soon thereafter, shooting. Allison died at a local hospital later that evening. It's mind-boggling, isn't it?


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So we've hit mid February (ugh), otherwise known as the season of cracked, chapped, and ice burned lips. It's a -25 degree (Celsius) lip-hell out there and our sweet puckers are begging for trustworthy protection to see them through to sunnier days. Splurging…
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February 21, 2014
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Quote from: Piratelvr1121 on May 10, 2013, 11:01:11 AMI did tell her "No" as well, eventually shutting the door on her. She hasn't come back since and I got the impression she was trying to drum up more business. Sorry, should've said 'a second no is in order.' And if you got the impression she was trying to drum up business, then you probably didn't get bad vibes from her.Still, woman's got chutzpah...
I did tell her "No" as well, eventually shutting the door on her. She hasn't come back since and I got the impression she was trying to drum up more business.
Was visiting Nanna. She asked me to go to a local farmers market type set up and get some fresh berries. She tells me how much a pint will cost. I park a distance away and walk up.Me - I'll take a pint of blackberriesFarmer - Ok that will be 2x what nanna saidMe - Oh I'll have to go back and get more money from the car Nanna said it would be x per pintFarmer - Who is NannaMe (Nanna's full Name) I'm (mom's name) daughterFarmer oh the Texas granddaugher it is X for a pint.Still not sure if it was a local vs tourist thing or if he just gave Nanna a break on the prices.
When I was in the Dominican Republic, a woman came up to me and started putting cornrows in my hair without asking. I was ready to tell her to get lost, but (a) I thought it would be fun to see what I looked like in cornrows and (b) I figured she was probably quite poor and could use some tourist dollars. Well, she ended up asking me for $50! I haggled down to $30, which was still far more than I wanted to pay. I should have done what my friend did - she tried to do the same to him (not sure why - he had very short hair), and he pulled out his pockets to indicate that he didn't have any money on him.
Regarding time share presentations, we have been to quite a few and somehow never managed to buy a timeshare. The "gifts" are pretty useless, unless you are in a casino area and they give you chips. My favorite was a promised "six piece luggage set" gift. When the spiel was over, guy came out with a box the size and shape of a TV dinner. Yep, the luggage set was made of very thin nylon. Surprisingly, I still use a few of the duffel bags.
Btw, thanks to WillyNilly's proddings, I just finished Gavin de Becker's Gift of Fear. It makes so much sense but having read it I zeroed in on this part of your exchange:
My name is Khamis Muammar al-Gaddafi, one of the youngest son of the troubled Muammar al-Gaddafi...I wonder what he could possibly want?
Interesting article about all those seemingly innocent "like this picture if you think she's a brave little girl" pictures that go around facbook. They're a very cunning way to get a marketing company's foot in the door.http://daylandoes.com/facebook-like-scams/
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Chris Nelson drove home Tyler Colvin to start a four-run rally in the 13th inning and the Colorado Rockies hung on for a 7-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
Paul Goldschmidt sent the game into extra innings when he homered off Rockies closer Rafael Betancourt with one out in the ninth to make it 3-3.
Colvin led off the 13th with a ground-rule double off Brad Bergesen (2-1) and Nelson followed with a looping single to center. Charlie Blackmon later added a bases-loaded, RBI single off Mike Zagurski, the Diamondbacks' seventh pitcher. Nelson scored on a fielder's choice and Matt McBride came home on a wild pitch to complete the rally.
Josh Outman (1-3) allowed two runs, walked two and struck out two in 2-3 of an inning for the win.


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Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most critically acclaimed shows on TV, but once again it's zero for five in Emmy consideration.
Despite a lavish Emmy campaign from the WB on behalf of star Sarah Michelle Gellar (who has a Daytime Emmy from her soap opera days) and this season's much-praised episode "The Body," in which Buffy deals with the death of her mother, the show didn't net one nomination.
The WB is particularly miffed since it's lost its chance to bask in Buffy's glory: The network's most acclaimed show was won by UPN in a high-stakes bidding war.
Also overlooked was another critical fave, Gilmore Girls, which rated better at the last Screen Actors Guild awards, where lead Lauren Graham received a nomination.
In fact, the WB didn't get a single Emmy nomination in any category for any show. Adding insult to injury is the fact that rival network UPN racked up 10 nominations, eight alone for Star Trek: Voyager.
"If Catcher in the Rye were released today, Academy members would look at the book and consider it a dime-store paperback," railed WB Entertainment President Jordan Levin to Variety about the perceived oversight. "The academy is totally out of step with the viewing public. Every report I heard this morning listed the same old boring shows."
Levin, who's an academy member, said he thinks there's a "reverse ageism" among voters, adding, "[The voters] are making the Emmy Awards irrelevant."
Although TV Academy chairwoman Meryl Marshall-Daniels concedes that "the WB has some superb programming," she tells Variety that it's hard to unseat the dramas that were nominated for best series — which are the same contenders as last year — ER, The Practice, Law & Order, The West Wing, and The Sopranos.


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So I loaded leaked os6 344 on my 9700, ever since then I haven't been able to use my browser, unless in a wifi area.
Done some reading and realize it is a service provider problem. Just wondering if there is a fix other then going back to 5.0xx. Anyone ??:hail::hail: