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Customer Support Far superior to slave wage 3rd world call center or minimum wage uneducated moron with 8 hours of training
Try following Google support forms. Very often you have a serious problem like all your Google sites determinedly dumping you onto the wrong language and will simply find months of customer discussions of "it's still not fixed". It's even funnier when it turns out that there is a work around but it's in a different thread started some time after the first but with completely unassociated keywords and an explanation which, while correct is clearly incomprehensible to most of their customers.
And don't get me on to Microsoft's "if you aren't a corporate we don't give a shit" support. Or for that matter (though it's the best of the bunch so far) Ubuntu's "there is an answer but it's two versions old and nobody bothers to link to the new one" forums.
community support can be great; look at StackExchange and ServerFault or Linux Questions; but you need someone professional to put the effort into curating it.
And don't get me on to Microsoft's "if you aren't a corporate we don't give a shit" support.
Clearly you never tried submitting a ticket in Office365. Within minutes someone is calling or writing back. Obviously at first it's junior helpdesk people but they actually try to solve the problem and if they can't they escalate themselves.
And that's not only for Fortune 500 companies. You get that same service with a $5/month account. They figured out that a lot of people will turn to Office365 to replace their IT team so they do a good job with support for every customer. Unfortunately this is not the c
You're just noticing this? A successful business model these days includes limiting how much you actually have to deal with your customers. It's not just tech. Forums, voice menus and FAQs are the order of the day for problem solving.
Support costs money. The goal of the business is to make money. If businesses can reduce a cost without losing profit, it would be irrational for them not to.
Realize that businesses are doing this in response to demand. People are not flocking to a competitor's product simply because that competitor provides better support. If people did this, you bet the businesses would give you the support you want. But people don't. So, without that reward, the businesses have no incentive to provide the support.
People flock to a product for brand name and features. So, that is what businesses provide.
And, as willing as you might be to vote with your wallet as an individual, unless the same vote is a trend, it will not be effective. As always, your destiny is in the hands of all your peers.
it is interesting. some people might even prefer a product with a supportive community but slightly more 'bugs'/tricks to one which is more reliable and/or over-rigidly documented.
"Realize that businesses are doing this in response to demand."
There is no negative demand. In other words, people are not demanding no service. What's really going on here is that businesses are seeing how little they can get away with as far as customer support and still sell a product.
This isn't consumer grade, but at work we still have a number of Solaris machines in use. One of the reasons in the past that we stayed with Solaris was their outstanding support. That support has become a joke in the p
This has been happening forever. Did the OP just get online recently? What planet is the OP from?
One of the easy ways to reduce needed support is to produce software with fewer bugs.
Too often im forced to fill out forms and am directed to the forums instead of a CS rep.
Even that would not be so bad IF THEY ORGANIZED THEIR FORUMS AND FIXED THE SEARCH FUNCTION.
If I have version X of product Y then I should be able to search on product Y with a sub-search on version X.
I should NOT be getting results that apply to product A, B or C. UNLESS the company tech support people have specifically gone through and WRITTEN an answer and specifically labelled it as applying to A, B, C and X (version 1, 2, 3 and 4).
It cannot be that difficult to build a flow chart for the most common searches / problems that are appearing in your forums.
Even that would not be so bad IF THEY ORGANIZED THEIR FORUMS AND FIXED THE SEARCH FUNCTION.
Most forum software search functionality sucks burro balls. This isn't just an issue for support forums for a product, but web forums in general. In most cases, though, you can use Google (or whoever) to search the forum and get the results you need.
then there's the cases where the customer service will outright lie and mislead you and the community can give you a fix for your problem.
like getting to use "unsupported" dispensables for example... or just getting the device fixed with a new design for some part because the company just shipped a shit design(makerbot - they later started shipping with a similar part but that was almost a year too late and up until that the customer service would try you to get to use something that was just a ba
You need to put this into perspective. It is unreasonable to expect a company to provide significant human support for a product you spent $30 on at a retail store. The company has probably only made $1-2 profit from the sale, if they provide easy to access support they will lose money on every sale. If you want lots of free support go buy a $3,000 Macbook.
Personally, I don't even bother trying to return or get support on anything under $100 any more. It just goes into the trash and I buy something similar from a different manufacturer and hope it works.
An even more efficient form of this is buying stuff from Aliexpress/DX/etc. Prices there can be as low as 20% of US retail for similar products. Sure I occasionally get junk or the wrong product, but just throw it in the trash and try a different vendor. The overall savings is worth eating the occasional fraud or hassling with Ali's escrow to stop payment. I fully expect little to no support on these purchases and I know returns are almost impossible.
you might be surprised. when my ~$50 sennheiser in-ear headphones broke, i sent them in under the 2-year warranty and got a free replacement. they probably cost ~$5 to manufacture, so they have plenty of margin for support; they just make more money if fewer people use what they are entitled to.
I don't think your example really proves much?
Sennheiser is a fairly large company that sells a lot of higher-end audio gear. It's quite possible they take a loss supporting the cheaper products in their line-up, but consider that an overall acceptable expense if it makes happy customers who eventually step up to their higher-end products.
The real problems with support come in with the companies who really only specialize in the cheaper items. Say you primarily sell 4-port USB hubs and generic 3-button mi
yeah, subsidized. or maybe those $50 headphones didn't really cost $40 (lol) in shipping and retail markup, and they make plenty of profit but would prefer to keep as much as possible while not losing the business of people who have higher quality standards and not enough money to burn. yes, those people might buy sennheiser's more expensive stuff later, but that doesn't necessarily mean the return is taking a net loss.
but, yeah, pursuing a return on a noname $3 mouse seems pointless. i guess everyone draws
Yeah, no doubt the earbuds don't cost nearly as much to manufacture as the sale price on them. There's just not THAT much to a pair of them, no matter who sells them. But to be fair, the big difference in sound quality of the more expensive ones comes largely due to money invested up-front in R&Ding a specific pair. (You can bet companies like Skullcandy don't get sound engineers as deeply involved with the production process as Sennheiser does.) They have to roll the development costs into the produ
They're very happy to see that your $100 is disposable. Now instead of building products that work as expected and actually last longer than a few years, they can count on you coming back for more, $100 bill in hand. Sucker.
It is not worth my time to fight with them. Declare it a loss, move onto the next vendor and don't buy from the previous vendor again. I used to fight with them, now I understand the rewards from the fight are not worth the cost on low priced products. Just blacklist the vendor and move on. Of course there are probably a few vendors that are exceptions to this rule but it is not worth my time to locate them.
The company will lose even more money if rather than obtaining support the consumer returns the product for a refund.
No, often they won't. Often the cost of reboxing hits the retailer not the company.
I expect to be able to get a PERSON on the phone when it comes to technical problems or warranty issues.
As someone that actually did tech support, I hate this attitude. I can't count the number of hours I spent reading the manual and phonetically dictating keystrokes to some idiot that was too lazy to read it himself. Email, or even an online chat session, is infinitely superior to a phone call when dealing with software issues.
I love on-line support chats. HP is really good at this (okay, I'm a business customer with a few hundred desktops and a rack of servers, YMMV.) Chat allows me to cut-n-paste serial numbers or diag info directly to them. It allows me to get other work done while support is processing the request, and I'm sure it allows support to work other cases when I have to dig for info.
The main thing is that I don't have to work through understanding the accent of a non-native speaker. The support folks are often bright and knowledgeable but my internal wiring doesn't always make the translation the first try. This gets old quickly for both ends of the conversation.
Going to a forum is actually good. I've already talked to tons of programmers who will never answer privately an email, but will gladly do so publicly in a forum. Why? Because they can do it once and never repeat themselves again. It's the most optimal way to optimise support.
Could it be that maybe your expectation to have a PERSON on the phone (no less!) is what is outdated and narrow minded? Why not also expect them to give you a massage and send you free food as well? I mean, they are companies, they are
Customer support forums are great, no matter WHO provides the solutions, as long as solutions come in a timely manner.
I think that's where each company needs to look at what it's doing for support, and using whichever method suits it best.
For example, I've been on a few forums for specialized music hardware or software where it was highly structured. You weren't really allowed to post messages helping out the next user. Rather, you had to post specific questions and wait for one of their support people to r
The problem is they are taking it WAY to far. I expect to be able to get a PERSON on the phone when it comes to technical problems or warranty issues.
Then when you buy make sure to pick vendors with excellent customer support. They exist and they are almost always an option.
There have been User Groups providing customer-to-customer support almost as long as there have been computers.
Most of the time, the answers I receive from the community forum are received more quickly and are of better quality than those I receive from first tier support in the more formal support channels.
On the other hand, there are some companies that use the community support as the sole means to provide support, and the community has little or no employee involvement. Those companies, the ones that use the community to hide from their customers, I do not like. And I avoid their products.
Like Microsoft and Google. Thread after thread after thread about the same problems and none of them get solved because the company (apparently) doens't bother to read them.
Merely supplying some kind of forum site centered on the product where users can gather has value. It's a bonus when they don't sanitize the content to bury problems and hide discontent; I've found that quite often if the product isn't complete crap, they're sort of self-regulating and total whiners get ignored by normal participants even.
Maybe it is a way to cut corners on support, but what kind of support were you really expecting -- a product development engineer dropping everything to figure out your issue? That doesn't exist except at the highest priced support levels for the largest enterprises and products, and even then you are just as likely to get steered into a hall of mirrors of consultants and local partners who just want to bill more. In almost all cases the alternative to Forum-centric support is bad telephone support and a weak knowledge base, at least from the vendor. If you're lucky there may be a third party site that helps, but often this just fragments knowledge across zillions of similar sites.
And it's not like supplying a reasonable forum is free, either. It takes software, hardware, hosting, administration and those cost money. I'll take the hive mind of other users over what the alternative is for the same money, which is like one one additional FTE -- an overworked, underpaid, clueless phone support drone.
In the end this reduces the cost of software to the customer.
Customer benefits by having ready access to a database of information produced by other users (more expert than any front line help desk).
Vendor benefits by not having cost overhead of front line support infrastructure.
Everyone benefits by having honest information exchange.
Vendor developers/consulting team provide secondary support and expert knowledge as appropriate.
This is a win/win for all involved.
Is this akin to the "To help the environment, please reuse your towels" sign in hotel bathrooms? Sure, we know this is really to increase the profits of the hotel. But in a free market with open competition, these figures ultimately produce a cheaper product for the consumer.
The big problem is that it doesn't reduce the cost of the software, it increases the profit of the software provider
If it was that simple they would just increase the price. Keeping costs down so they can avoid a price increase is the goal.
Except it's practically never reduced the cost of software to the customer. It just, as sibling post points out, reduces the cost of the software to the publisher: the customer pays the same, and the publisher pockets the difference.
What's reduced for the customer is the *value* of the software, especially if it's something brand-spanking-new and you know there aren't legions of other users out there who have figured out its "eccentricities" already.
Not really "win-win" in any sense of the idiom...
But Adobe promised me if I upgraded on a special price from CS5 to CC, I'ld be able to use CC anytime and only be required to check in once-in-awhile and have lots of time after my subscription ran out to pay up or get all my files converted and back, etc. etc.
Are you telling me Adobe lies?
You've identified a hole in the market.
Although most of us only have experience with open source and consumer products, and the support forums that come with them, the OP is most annoyed with niche proprietary software tool vendors:
it's completely unacceptable when dealing with proprietary design tool vendors that are charging several thousand dollars for software licenses for tools that are the only option if a customer doesn't want to drop an order of magnitude more money to go with 3rd party tools (e.g., Synopsys)
For these tools, your employer usually pays tens of thousands of dollars for support contracts, which are meant to include direct support from engineers. It's unlikely that any third party will have the ability to provide support for such products, because:
1. You need access to source code and the ability to make chan
It's more than just some brilliant VP deciding to reduce the cost of support by basically saying, "let's let the users tell each other how to fix our product."
The really nasty part of this, and you'll see this on any "community forum" for any product of any complexity, is the amount of BS and crap information being repeated as gospel, without correction or clarification from the vendor. One guy who has a flukey problem posts a sketchy "solution," other people extrapolate from it, n00bz try to apply it to completely unrelated issues and fail, they complain about not getting "support," whine when the board veterans and few people who DO know something don't immediately reply to their vague posts, the n00bz leave, the veterans fall away, and "community support" rapidly becomes "no support."
Oh, unless you buy a support agreement, but then, since their few remaining support techs don't hear about some or many of these bizarre problems, they don't fix them, meaning paid support is worse than nothing.
I've seen this occur over and over in situations where "community support" isn't accompanied by skilled, consistent moderation AND intercession by the paid support techs and the developers. If you completely leave the users to try to "support" themselves, you end up with no users to support.
I've seen this happen with some of the Oracle support forums, and I really hate it.
What Oracle are doing now is that when you log a support request for some products, they first direct you to the customer forums to find an answer before you can complete entering the support request - and you have to acknowledge in the support request that you are aware of the customer forums.
The problem is that unless your problem is really simple, the forums are a waste of time, and when I have to log a support request, i
The quality of support you get from forums. mailing lists, and IRC channels is almost always far better than that directly provided by the company. Support teams that are competent enough to not just be warm bodies reading from a script simply don't scale well, because support employees at that level of competency expect (and deserve) to be paid as much as developers.
The vast majority of support queries on the other hand are repeats of the same questions, over and over again from customers who can't be bothered to use Google to search for their problem which means companies have to have a filter in place. That filter can be a forum, a web form that forces you to view every single article in the knowledge base, or a team of barely trained monkeys who are underpaid, and will burn out within 3-6 months from being asked the same questions over again by customers who are, on average, so dense that they don't mention the device in question isn't even turned on until they have already nodded along and gone through 30 minutes of "troubleshooting".
The use of community based support shouldn't itself be a concern, but how that support is implemented, how it's managed, and how the company uses that community based support to triage and escalate issues should be. In the most effective, and customer friendly cases, community support basically is used to to weed out the people who can't bother to help themselves from the people who have real problems, and the latter will get real support from "power users" or even actual developers.
The key to making that work in favor of the customers that actually need help is good moderators. They need to be jaded, vicious bastards who will stamp out any hint of noise amidst the signal, who aren't afraid to humiliate someone who posts the exact same question without reading the post directly below it where someone else asked the same thing.
All of this, should of course be accompanied by the best paid support you can find, at whatever rate allows you to pay your support staff a good (at least $25 USD/HR) wage plus medical, mental health, sick days, vacation and other benefits, and generally keep them happy. This should be a "tierless" support team if at all possible - the people you put there should be able to handle anything that comes their way, or act as a liason between customer and developer when necessary. The rate for this level of support should be high enough that your support team shrugs off people asking "dunb" questions as suckers who wasted their money rather than banging their head in frustration.
Chances are, the same support people can be providing paid phone support and "escalating" cases from the forums for free support when it's needed & deserved. Everybody wins in this case - lazy people can pay to be lazy, people with no time to wait for a solution can pay for one, and people who are willing to work to find a solution can get the help they need free of charge.
That filter can be a forum, a web form that forces you to view every single article in the knowledge base, or a team of barely trained monkeys who are underpaid, and will burn out within 3-6 months from being asked the same questions over again by customers who are, on average, so dense that they don't mention the device in question isn't even turned on until they have already nodded along and gone through 30 minutes of "troubleshooting".
Or a decent FAQ or knowledge base.
I work for a company that does this for one of our products (not our main product, but a mobile app) simply because the app would otherwise be unprofitable. We typically sell the app or $3, and this app is to control an external device (not ours), so can require some configuration of the customer's environment. It's not something simple like a game, but it actually interacts with other things on the customer's network.
It's not a great situation, but there's just no way to support the users that need help setting up port forwarding on their router, re-configuring AV software, etc, on a $3 app. If we provided regular 1:1 support on a $3 app, it wouldn't make business sense for us to sell the app. If we raised the price to something like $20, I'd bet no one would buy it and we would STILL have many customers that want their hand held through everything.
Real support costs money. Most people aren't willing to pay the proper cost for it.
The next best example of something we all own and often need troubleshooting is a car.
Routine car things are costly enough (oil change...). But that's the equivalent of running a virus scan or defrag.
If you ever have a real problem where something isn't working, it is costly. Diagnostic work? Even costlier and no guarantee it will work.
And the PC is ever more complex as you mod it will all kinds of stuff. Custom hardware. Custom software installed on it. Custom configuration.
Now, how much do you think it will cost you to fix a problem with your car that had it's engine replaced with a more powerful model, software modded... and all the other fancy things car modders do? Yeop... it's going to cost you a hell of a lot more.
And with cars, the normal answer is to just replace parts as a whole.
If you have a problem with some application crashing. Would you consider it valid support if they just said, let's try replacing your ram or upgrading your video card. Cost $500. And no guarantee of working.
And yes, car manufacturers do offer warranties. But they're typically void if you do anything to mod the car.
You'd no doubt not find that acceptable. You want them to fix the software.
Computers are just that complex. And for the rest of the industry, it is heavily cost driven.
People have no idea how much tech support costs. I used to run a tech support department in the 90s (on the technical side, not a manager) and it was always funny when customer would claim to have been "Ripped off" because they waited on hold for 10min.
How much did you pay for the device?
Take that, the figure out how much profit the manufacture is getting. 1/3 of the sale price would be very generous.
Figure out how long you were on the phone with support.
Assume the support worker is making minimum wage: $7.25 (they made more but lets just assume)
multiply... subtract...
The manufacture pretty much loses all profit as soon as you call them.
They first tried putting support on-line. But the people who needed support were usually so un-tech savvy they couldn't even open a browser. (this was the 90s)
So then they tried IVR (phone tree support) but people were too impatient and just skipped it.
They tried raising the price of the product but people wouldn't pay.
Then they tried charging for support. People flipped out and every call turned into an hour long bitch session.
Then they moved support out of the country so they could hire bellow minimum wage. But then the customers started screaming because people "Didn't speak English" That kind of bugged me because I trained staff from Jamaica and India, and they were all very intelligent people. Far more skilled than the people calling in and complaining.
Finally they just put up forums and said "screw it" and shut down support all together. I got laid off, got a hell of a lot better job and the general public just ended up forgetting that there was ever such a thing as phone support.
Finally they just put up forums and said "screw it" and shut down support all together.
Or, management and the bean counters figured out that forum support costs less then offshore support which costs less than onshore support. So it's business as usual, cutting costs while keeping the product retail price the same or increasing it.
I think part of the problem is, people simply have no idea how many other people are calling in with issues on the same product!
At one of my old jobs, I remember constantly getting called on by the boss to help with his HP printer issues -- both in the office and sometimes at home. He'd volunteer to drive me out to his place over lunch (and usually buy me lunch as compensation) to take a look at it for him.
Truthfully, most of his issues were bugs that MANY, MANY people using multiple HP wireless printers w
"Has anyone else noticed the trend towards 'community forums' where customers are basically being recruited to solve the issues of other customers while the companies selling the products causing the issues sit back and take a passive role in the process?"
Like the forums that existed on CompuServe over 20 years ago, and probably elsewhere before that? No, never noticed them.
Most customers at the retail or just above level are not willing to pay what good support costs. There are exceptions and there are companies that make money on support. But in the end Word (a low support product) beating Word Perfect (a high support product) because people valued price and some slight additional features over support is the general case. People in general are only willing to pay for light support for most of their products.
I think the current model where people buy light support with a
Their tech support is the WORST. so the only way I ever find answers is via forums. Sadly they make the best Bluetooth components for motorcycle helmets in the world, but they piss on their customers badly because they have no real competition, everyone else is in the dark ages technology wise.
I had (still have) problems with Dazzler video-to-usb. After long campaign to get video to work but never can get audio feed. Customer support is useless so that leaves the forums, which most are bankrupt. Most of posts are people with same problems, most solutions are copy/paste from same post from whereever (which does not address problem). But all these forums you gotta register with account name and password.
There used to be usenet where anyone can post and read, and since it was not technically sophisticated, you can't really copy/paste same crap over and over (you had to type your writings like a typewriter). This was also before the marketeers and spammers overran everything. sob!
There used to be usenet where anyone can post and read, and since it was not technically sophisticated, you can't really copy/paste same crap over and over (you had to type your writings like a typewriter). This was also before the marketeers and spammers overran everything. sob!
The Newsgroup 24hoursupport.helpdesk was my hang out, any question was a good one and someone would usually be able to answer it. It's gone political now from what I see and of little use.
On subject the Newsgroup 24hoursupport.helpdesk was created by a company to provide support for their product, and taken over when they abandoned it many many years ago.
"Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats." -- Howard Aiken


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Cookbook author and chef, John Vollertsen (more commonly known as Chef Johnny Vee) will compare the different brands of knives available in stores today and explain the parts of the knife, proper holding and cutting skills. He also owns and operates Las Cosas Cooking School. Designer, Laura Bray is going to show how to make a cute birthday decoration that can be used year after year. She's going to create candles with Velcro brand fasteners on them so you can add to it each year. She represents Velcro USA, Inc. Designer and digitizer, Laura Waterfield is the owner of Laura's Sewing Studio, and she's going to demonstrate insertion lace machine embroidery, which creates an heirloom design that can be done on most fabrics. The secret to this technique is to use a wing needle, which she'll show.
Visit the Website: http://www.kenw.org/programs/creative-living
Episode #6501 / Length: 26 minutes

subset: commoncrawl


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Aliens: Colonial Marines, sees the February 12 release of the game on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC is only the beginning!
Four downloadable add-ons are currently in development, spanning new campaign and multiplayer content.
The first add-on, Bug Hunt, is a new cooperative multiplayer mode in which players take on waves of increasingly difficult enemies across three brand new maps based on environments from the ALIENS film. Bug Hunt is currently planned to arrive in March, with the remaining three add-ons scheduled to be available by the end of August 2013.
These four add-ons will be available for individual purchase or as part of the Aliens: Colonial Marines Season Pass, a $29.99 / 2400 Microsoft Point bundle that offers a savings of almost 40% over buying the content individually*. The Aliens: Colonial Marines Season Pass is currently available for purchase on Steam and will soon be available on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.
Bug Hunt is currently planned to arrive in March, with the remaining three add-ons scheduled to be available by the end of August 2013.
* Based on Season Pass suggested retail price of $29.99/2400 Microsoft Points and combined suggested retail price of individual downloadable content packs of $49.96/4000 Microsoft Points (Retail purchase of the Season Pass for Xbox 360 is for Microsoft Points equivalent to the suggested retail price, as noted here). Aliens: Colonial Marines required to access Season Pass content, sold separately. Internet connection necessary to download Season Pass content.


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|8 years ago :: Apr 01, 2010 - 7:47PM #1
Ok So I have sometime I would like to ask. People so far have been open about this subject but I want.......well need help. I belive in god but i want a more spiritual......life... I want to be able to woriship how i want but I want to do it im my own way. I have joined groups that have to do with pagans and wicca. Some have been ok with how I choice to worship and other's have criticised me. Claiming I can't change wicca into a god instead of a goddess. I don't see what the problem is. If there is anybody that can give me advise I have been told that where are people out there who are the same as me but that they don't come out all the time. I would love to meet and talk to people who believe in the same things I do I don't mind praying to a goddess as long as I honor god first. Please I need some help and guidance from somebody who has been or is where im at. I would love to talk to somebody email or heck by phone even.
Quick Reply
|8 years ago :: Apr 02, 2010 - 10:26PM #2
Most Wiccans recognize both a God and Goddess, and many of them see the God and Goddess as manifestations of a higher Being that is transcendent un-knowable. I've heard of some focusing only on the Goddess, but I've never heard of any focusing only on the God. Honoring the feminine aspect of the Divine is a very important aspect of neo-pagan spiritual paths like Wicca because many of the other spiritual traditions in the world tend to ignore the divine feminine altogether.
You might like to try a Center for Spiritual Living or a Unitarian Universalist church. I go to a Center for Spiritual Living and I like it a lot.
Here are some websites that might help you find a Center for Spiritual Living near you:
And here is the website for Unitarian Universalism:
All of these organizations are very open-minded and they make you feel free to do things your own way. You might also like to try another Wiccan or Pagan group or do a lot of reading and research on your own and by a solitary. Like for example, I go to the Center for Spiritual Living on Sundays but on my own I read about Theosophy, Vedanta, neo-Pagan religions, Buddhism, Taoism, and various New Thought writings because I've found that many of these spiritual traditions have valuable information that can be helpful in my spiritual path.
You might also like to join a Yoga, Qi-gong, or Tai-chi group. Those are great holistic practices. And you often meet people there who know about other groups and activities in the area. Hope that helps.
- Steven
Quick Reply


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Honolulu Community College Debate TournamentNovember 16, 8:30am - 12:00pm
Honolulu Campus, 874 Dillingham Blvd., Building 7, Room 520
Honolulu Community College is seeking law students to serve as judges at the HCC Debate Tournament on Friday, November 16. Judges are needed from 8:30am to noon. You do not need to have any previous debate experience to be a great judge. The HCC students will sincerely appreciate your feedback as they work on developing their critical thinking and oral advocacy skills. The debate format will be a modified parliamentary style. There will be free food and easy parking!!! HCC is located near the Iwilei Costco off of Dillingham Blvd. Please contact 3L Doug Raphael at firstname.lastname@example.com for more information or if you are interested in helping out.
Event Sponsor
Speech Department, Honolulu Campus
More Information
Doug Raphael, (808) 927-0633, firstname.lastname@example.com


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GAINESVILLE – A 20-year-old Miami man orchestrated a plan to drug and strangle a University of Florida student because of an obsession with an ex-girlfriend who had dumped him for the victim, a prosecutor said during opening statements in a murder trial today.
Pedro Bravo researched "how do sleeping pills kill you?" and bought a shovel to hide the body before slaying Christian Aguilar in September 2012, said prosecutor Brian Kramer. Kramer told jurors that the two men, who attended the same Miami-area high school, were hanging out in Bravo's car at a Gainesville Wal-Mart when the Aguilar was killed.
His face ashen with dark circles around his eyes, Bravo showed little emotion as Kramer walked jurors through a grisly murder timeline. Bravo faces seven charges including first-degree murder, poisoning and mishandling human remains.
Kramer said Bravo had become obsessed with winning back his ex-girlfriend, Erika Firman, and was jealous of Aguilar.
Jurors were shown images from Bravo's journal.
"No one will stop me. I will get out of Miami and into Gainesville ... and I will get her back!" Bravo wrote after choosing to move to Gainesville instead of attending Florida International University.
On the stand, Firman said she was "in shock" when Bravo sent her a text message saying he had moved to town and wanted to get back together. She said she wasn't comfortable seeing him.
"I didn't think someone would pack up their bags and move that far for a girl," she said. "I was just a little surprised by everything."
Bravo's attorney, Michael Ruppert, said his client did not kill Aguilar. He told the jury that Bravo and Aguilar got into a fistfight the day the UF student disappeared, but that Bravo had let an injured and angry Aguilar out of his car that day.
"He punches his friend Christian, pulls over and there's a fight," Ruppert said. "When he left Christian Aguilar was breathing and alive."
However, the prosecution said Bravo had spent days planning the murder. Kramer showed jurors photographs of Bravo buying duct tape and a shovel from Lowe's - the same duct tape prosecutors say was found on Aguilar's bones.
Kramer said a search of Bravo's car unearthed a plastic drink bottle with sleeping pill residue, suggesting that Aguilar was drugged before he was strangled. Empty sleeping pill capsules were found at Bravo's house.
Bravo got a mutual friend to set up a meeting, and the two hung out for hours before Bravo drove to the Wal-Mart parking lot and strangled Aguilar, prosecutors said.
"It took Chris 13 minutes to die," Kramer said, describing how Bravo slid into his SUV's backseat as the two were sitting in the parking lot.
"He throws the strap or whatever it is over the seat. Chris is looking forward, listening to music. (Bravo) leans back against the seat, braces himself against the seat ... cuts off (Aguilar's) airway and cuts off blood flow to the brain."
After the strangling, Kramer said Bravo drove Aguilar's body to a wooded area and buried it before getting his car washed.
Still, Aguilar's blood and DNA were found in Bravo's SUV -- and prosecutors say Bravo tried to cover the stains up by spilling paint over them.
Bravo's attorney Ruppert said Aguilar's blood was spilled during their fight.
Carlos Aguilar, Christian's father, said his son was fulfilling a dream to attend UF and was extremely happy at the time.
Aguilar said his son was not a fighter, and would have fled Bravo before things got physical.
"My son was not a fighting person, he'd rather go away than fight," Aguilar said.


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Tue, 14 Jul 2009
The world is facing a serious food crisis, according to IUCN's Scientific Advisor Jeff Sayer. He speaks to Wild Talk about the need to find a balance in agriculture between producing enough crops to feed the world, but at the same time conserving the natural infrastructure on which we all depend. He explains how some eminent scientists believe that the world population will not reach its projected nine billion by 2050 - but adds most people refuse to contemplate this scenario.


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Caleb Moore Suffers Brain Complication After Crash
Caleb Moore's condition has worsened after a crash on Thursday at the X Games.
According to a report on ESPN.com, Moore was knocked unconscious in the crash and was evaluated for a concussion and other injuries. While he was being evaluated, it was discovered that he was bleeding around the heart and was airlifted to Grand Junction, Colo. for emergency heart surgery. Unfortunately, doctors discovered another issue on Sunday.
"Caleb continues to be monitored in ICU. His cardiac injury has led to a secondary complication involving his brain" the Moore family says in a statement. "The Moore family thanks all of Caleb's fans and friends for their support and for respecting their privacy."
On Monday the Denver Post reported that Moore was in desperate condition at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Colo.
"Caleb is not doing good at all," Caleb's grandfather Charles Moore told The Denver Post. "The prognosis is not good at all. It's almost certain he's not going to make it."


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TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - The impending weather brought a big change for Tuesday's primary elections in Topeka - and a flood of voters to the Shawnee County Elections Office Monday.
Advance voting was to end at noon Monday, but, with statewide weather problems and no provision in law to postpone an election, Secretary of State Kris Kobach extended that to 7 pm Monday.
The Shawnee County Elections Office saw 752 people vote in advance Monday alone.
Tuesday, Elections Commissioner Andrew Howell announced all voting will be held at the Expocenter's Heritage Hall, SW 17th and Topeka Blvd. Polls will be open from 7 am to 7 pm. No other precinct polling places will be open.
Howell says it's the best option for ensuring the primary runs smoothly.
"We are doing the best we can to get a place that needs to function as a voting center and that the machines are ready to go," Howell said. "I cannot do that across 70 polling places with this weather condition."
But Larry Wolgast, who's running for mayor against Michael Ogle and Randal Trackwell, said he's concerned by the change. He says a single location might make it impossible for some voters to get to the polls.
In addition to Topeka Mayor, City Council Districts 2 and 5 also have primaries.
For additional information, contact the Shawnee County Election Office at 785-266-0285.


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5 Ways to Trust the Universe. by Josh Langley
"Trusting that the universe is on our side is sometimes difficult to do. Here are five tips to help you out."
From Gabriel Sanders: Beautifully written. Great reminders on how to love to live and live to love, how to be happy, and be open to the wonderment of life.
Josh Langley is the author of Frog and the Well; Unconventional Happiness, a quirky, inspirational cartoon book about the search for happiness. Josh turned to writing and illustrating, while on a search to find personal evidence of the afterlife where he discovered that by investigating death, he learned how to enjoy life. He lives in South West of Western Australia, on 7 Acres, with his partner along with a few chooks, veggie garden and a myriad of native birds and snake called Bernard.
"come on a journey with the frog!"
Website: frogandthewell.com
Facebook: frogandthewell


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Members of Southern Oregon's theater community are mourning the loss of mentor, director, teacher, fellow dancer and friend, Jim Giancarlo, who died unexpectedly early Wednesday at the age of 66.
Giancarlo was born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y., earned a visual arts degree from SUNY College at Buffalo and, at the age of 25, moved to San Francisco where he founded Trenchmouth Musical Productions.
His dance and theater pursuits later took him to Ashland, then to Seattle and then back to Ashland.
In 1986, Giancarlo, together with Craig Hudson, founded Oregon Cabaret Theatre, where he worked as artistic director for the last 27 years. He also worked for Oregon Shakespeare Festival as an actor, dancer and choreographer for six seasons.
"Today, I've been fielding calls from people up and down the West Coast — actors, singers, dancers, gypsies, students and others whose lives he touched," said local actor and singer John Stadelman. "They all loved him. It's an incredible legacy he's left."
Stadelman, who met Giancarlo nearly 30 years ago, and Giancarlo co-wrote "The Holiday Broadcast of 1943," "Fascinating Rhythm" and "Kickin' the Clouds Away." Stadelman also performed in several of the shows Giancarlo choreographed and directed for OCT.
"Jimmy did what he loved — theater and dance," Stadelman said. "But what was unique to Jimmy was that he ran a business like (the Oregon Cabaret Theatre) with such an understated charm. People who are theatrical tend to be big. Big energy. Big personality. But Jimmy was as smooth as the surface of a pond. He was gracious, and he managed everything without flurry or drama. It was how he danced too. Smooth."
Giancarlo started teaching musical theater at Southern Oregon University in 1990 and also established the school's musical theater minor. (The minor was one of those recently eliminated as part of SOU's retrenchment plan.)
Suzanne Seiber also taught musical theater at SOU and was Giancarlo's "lifelong dance partner." At one point, they were even roommates.
"We met dancing for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in 1976," Seiber said. "We did dance concerts together. We taught tap classes together. We both taught dance, musical theater and tap at SOU. And then, when he started at the Cabaret, he hired me, and I got to be directed by him a lot. ... We've spent years on the boards together."
In addition to dancing, Seiber said Giancarlo was an excellent cook, enjoyed collage and drawing, loved traveling, and had an eye for color and a "wicked sense of humor."
"He also showed me that tofu can be good," she cracked.
Seiber said her favorite dance with Giancarlo was a Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire number, featured in "Fascinating Rhythm." "I really loved that," she said. "I'm disappointed that we won't get to dance together anymore."
In 1991, Giancarlo asked Livia Genise to codirect "The Mystery of Irma Vep." Genise, who is now the artistic director for Camelot Theatre Company, said it was her first directing job.
Since then, Giancarlo and Genise were friends and colleagues, but although they worked for different theaters, they were never competitors.
"He always said the theater community was one community and we were in it together," Genise said. "Oh God, he'll be missed."
Ashland singer and actress Priscilla Quinby described Giancarlo's passing as "the end of an era."
"He was a great dancer and a great choreographer and an all-around great person with a very relaxed manner and a great sense of humor," she said, laughing as she recalled Giancarlo and Richard Jessup chanting Hayes Code (also known as Motion Picture Production Code) as they rehearsed a tap number from "A day in Hollywood, a day in the Ukraine."
Quinby said she said studied jazz dance under Giancarlo in the late '70s.
"When he danced, it was as if the music was pulling him into different shapes and pulling him across the stage," she said. "And that's the way his choreography was."
Genise said Giancarlo would often cast his productions at Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts in Santa Maria, Calif.
"He found a lot of his actors in that program and would give them their first professional gigs," she said.
Quinby said Giancarlo kept a list of people who couldn't afford to attend shows. When there was a dress rehearsal or show with minimal attendance, he would contact them and give them free admission.
"He was the most gentle, kindest person I've ever worked with," said OCT General Manager Julie Gurwell. "He was truly a remarkable colleague. He listened to everybody and valued us as human beings."
OCT is now in its 29th season and currently staging its 138th production, "Ain't Misbehavin'." Two more shows — "Backwards In High Heels" and "It's A Wonderful Life — A Live Radio Play" — are scheduled for later this season.
"The show will go on," Gurwell said. "That's what he would have wanted."
Reach Mail Tribune reporter Teresa Thomas at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Ashland theater giant dies
Members of Southern Oregon's theater community are mourning the loss of mentor, director, teacher, fellow dancer and friend, Jim Giancarlo, who died unexpectedly early Wednesday at the age of 66.


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Mobi Music - Music Creation - This is a free promo version. Look out for the full LIte and Pro versions coming soon!!
Mobi Music (AKA Smart Sounds) is a cool new way to make music using your smart phone!
Load in your sounds, or use the default sounds. Calibrate the app. Then tilt the smart phone in different directions to play different sounds. 4 samples are playable using forward, left, right and backward tilt.
Load sounds from the included samples, load from your phone or SD card and also search from the thousands of free samples on freesounds.org!
We also give you 4 extra sound pads which are touch only, to help create better beats.
Got friends?
Get your friends to download the app, give them different samples and you can have a little band going and create some good music, its real fun trust us!
Record and playback your creations.
Have fun!
"Its like a baby's rattle but for adults, lol!"
"I been using it for about 10 minutes and got a good beat going"
"Mates an MC, I did a freestyle beat with the app and he did a freestyle rap, worked real good"


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Want to remind yourself or a friend about this program? Fill out this simple form and klru will email you a reminder on the day that it will air.
Episode #111
series: Arab American Stories
air date: 5/08/13 4:00 PM
Talented and artistic Arab Americans are charting their own course in very competitive fields. Opera star Hanan Alattar's passion keeps her going as she pursues an international stage career. Najla Said is an actress, playwright and author exploring her identity as a Palestinian-American and a quintessential Manhattanite. Fashion designer Ramy Kashou charmed America as a finalist on Project Runway. His designs continue to wow the fashion world.
WARNING: Email reminders for this program have already been sent out. Your reminder may not reach the intended address in time for this program's airing.
Back to TV Schedule


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Historical Society
New Baltimore Historical Society program on "The Rise and Fall of the Bank of Lake St. Clair – An 1830s Bank," 7 p.m. Jan. 17, at First Congregational Church Youth Building, 36223 Alfred, New Baltimore. Admission $1. Call 586-725-2770.
Capuchin benefit
"Bocce with the Capuchin Brothers" benefit for the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, 6 p.m. Jan. 25, at Villa Penna, 43985 Hayes, Sterling Heights. Tickets, $40, include unlimited bocce ball, buffet and cash bar. Call 313-579-2100 ext. 153 or 170.
Speech contest
Sterling Speakers Toastmasters international speech contest, 7 p.m. Jan. 22, at Bethesda Christian Church, 14000 Metropolitan Parkway, Sterling Heights. Open to the public. Call 586-264-2300 ext. 119.
Dance lessons
Beginner line dance and couples dancing lessons Tuesdays at Roseville Recreation Center, 18185 Sycamore, east of Gratiot, 6-6:50 p.m. basic line dancing, 8-8:50 p.m. couples, $30 for six weeks. Also, line dance classes 12:30-1:30 p.m. beginners, and 1-2:30 p.m. intermediate, Thursdays, $4 per lesson, at Warren Community Center, 5460 Arden off Mound Road. For details on any of the lessons, 586-777-7242 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
For singles
Valentine Dance hosted by Higher Faith Singles, 7 p.m.-midnight Feb. 16, at Sterling Lanes banquet room, Schoenherr and 14 Mile roads, Sterling Heights. Admission $7, includes deejay music, soft drinks and snacks. For more information, 586-212-7930.
Events ahead for Somerset Social Ski and Golf Club monthly dance 7-11 p.m. Feb. 12, at Elks Lodge 2292, 25950 Schoenherr, Warren, call 586-781-4056; cross-country skiing, noon second and fourth Saturday starting Jan. 26, at Stony Creek Metropark, call 58-420-0748.
Bethany of Rochester/Shelby hosts "The Snowflake Dance," 8 p.m.-midnight Jan. 19 at River Crest Banquet Hall, 900 W. Avon Road, Rochester. Admission $12, includes pizza, snacks, DJ music and dancing; cash bar.
On stage
Avon Players present Agatha Christie's murder mystery "And Then There Were None," weekends Jan. 18-Feb. 2, at the theater, 1185 Washington road, Rochester. Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays; tickets $13-$15, available at box office, by phone 248-608-9077 or online www.avonplayers.org.
St. Clair Shores Players auditions of "Glorious!", 7-9 p.m. Jan. 28-29 at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 31601 Harper.
"You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up" comedy about love and marriage on stage at 8 p.m. Jan. 19, at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, Garfield and Hall roads, Clinton Township. Tickets, $45 gold circle, $40 house, discounts for seniors and military, available at www.MacombCenter.com, 586-286-2222 or at the box office 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Thursday and noon-6 p.m. Friday.
Broadway Onstage presents "Trent's Last Case," weekends through Feb. 9, at the theater, 21517 Kelly Road at Toepfer, Eastpointe. Tickets $16; call 586-771-6333.
Grosse Pointe Theatre stages "Big River," a tale of Huckleberry Finn and friends, 2 p.m. Jan. 20, 27 and 31, and 8 p.m. Jan. 24-26, Jan. 31, Feb. 1-2, at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, 32 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Farms. Tickets $24; call 313-881-4004 or go to www.gt.org.
"Lame Duck Soup" on stage 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays through Feb. 28, at Go Comedy! Improv Theater, 261 E. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale. Tickets $10-$15. For details, 248-327-0575 or www.gocomedy.net.
Rosedale Community Players group performs "God of Carnage," Jan. 18-20, 25-27, Feb. 1-2, 8-9; at Peace Lutheran Church, 17029 W. 13 Mile Road, Southfield, www.rosedalecommunityplayers.com or 248-252-7982. Also, auditions for "A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody," 6:30 p.m. Jan. 29-30 at same location.
Ridgedale Players "One Acts Fundraiser," 7 p.m. Jan. 26, at the theater, 205 W. Long Lake Road, Troy. Includes one-act plays, scenes from plays and preview of upcoming musical "Drowsy Chaperone." Admission free, donatons accepted.
"When the Rain Stops Falling," Fridays-Mondays, through Jan. 28, at The Ringwald Theatre, 22742 Woodward, Ferndale. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, and 3 p.m. Sundays; tickets range from $10 to $20. Visit www.TheRingwald.com.
Farmington Players auditions for "Legally Blonde The Musical," Jan. 20, at the group's Barn Theatre, 32332 W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills; 1:30 p.m. registration, 2 p.m. auditions. Callbacks 7 p.m. Jan. 21. For details, email@example.com or 734-765-4535. Show dates April 26-May 18.
Sitcom pilot "Mackinac Black," filmed in Detroit by Mike Targus, debuts 8 p.m. Jan. 25, at The Elizabeth Theater above the Park Bar and Bucharest Grill in Detroit. Free admission. For details, 313-444-2294.
Matrix Theatre Company presents its first Detroit Dreaming Film Festival, Jan. 25-27, featuring films focusing on Detroit. Opening reception 7-8 p.m. Jan. 25 at the theater, 2730 Bagley, Detroit. For schedule information, 313-967-0599.
Rackham Choir
"A Night of Red Hot Jazz" fundraiser by and for the Rackham Choir starts 6:30 p.m. Feb. 9, at Joe Vicari's Andiamo Italian Steakhouse, 7096 14 Mile Road, Warren. Evening includes silent auction, dancing, music, sit-down dinner, beverages, hors d'oeuvres. Tickets $65 per person by Jan. 31, $75 after, reservation deadline Feb. 4. Call 313-404-0222.
Upcoming events at Lake St. Clair Metropark in Harrison Township include: Preschool Nature Club: Groundhog's Day, 1 p.m. Feb. 2; Search for Winter Insects, 1 p.m. Feb. 16; Birds and Breakfast for Adults, 9 a.m. Feb. 17. For fee and reservation information, 586-463-4332.
At Stony Creek Metropark Nature Center, Pancake Walk, Feb. 3; Webelos: Scientist Activity, Feb. 9-10; Science Olympiad: Don't Bug Me, Feb. 23-24. For schedule, fee and registration information, 586-781-9113.
Shelby dance
Daddy & Daughter Dance presented by Shelby Parks & Recreation Department, 6 p.m. Feb. 14, at Cherry Creek Banquet Center, 52000 Cherry Creek Drive, south of 24 Mile Road and east of Van Dyke. Buffet dinner 6:30 followed by dancing to DJ to 8:30 p.m. Tickets $40 per couple for residents, $14 each additional daughter; non-residents add $10 per family. For reservations, 586-731-0300 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Town Hall
Macomb Town Hall series continues April 16, with The Michael Davis Show presenting "Music for the Ages." Lecture-luncheon begins 11 a.m. (seating 10:15) at Ukrainian Cultural Center, 26601 Ryan Road, Warren. Proceeds benefit Macomb County students attending Oakland University. For ticket information, 586-779-3603 or 586-254-4493.
Auxiliary benefit
St. Clair Shores Eagles Auxiliary 3619 hosts benefit for Children With Hair Loss of Michigan, noon-4 p.m. Feb. 2, at the hall, 23631 Greater Mack. Free haircuts for those who donate 8 inches or more of hair, $10 for others. Appointments required by calling 586-775-4665; event also includes Party-Lite vendor and bake sales.
Detroit Zoo
Wild winter weekends at the Detroit Zoo include: Wild Winter Arctic Adventure, Feb. 9-10, and Wild Winter Safari Social, March 9-10, both 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Zoo admission $14 adults, $12 ages 62 and older, $9 ages 2-14. For details, 248-541-5717 or www.detroitzoo.org.
Genealogy group
St. Clair Shores Genealogy Group meets 7 p.m. Jan. 24, at the St. Clair Shores Public Library, 22500 11 Mile Road. Free; call 586-771-9020 or visit www.scslibrary.org.
Dance theater
Luna Negra Dance Theater performs 8 p.m. Jan. 25, at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, Garfield and Hall roads, Clinton Township. The dancers celebrate and explore Latino tradition. Tickets, $45 gold circle, $40 house, $20 students, discounts for seniors and military, available at www.MacombCenter.com, at 586-286-2222, or at the box office 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Thursday and noon-6 p.m. Fridays.
Ice festival
The 31st Plymouth Ice Festival takes place Jan. 18-20 in downtown Plymouth, with such activities as ice skating, ice sculptures, a pub crawl, family fun zone, live entertainment, snowboarding and more. Hours 3-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday; free admission. For complete schedule information, www.plymouthicefestival.com.
Burns Supper
Scottish American Society of Michigan hosts 4th Robert Burns Supper, 7 p.m. Jan. 20, at the Commonwealth Club, 30088 Dequindre, Warren. Event includes traditional Scotch pie and bridie dinner, pipe band and Highland dancers, Celtic fiddler, and toasts. For tickets, $25, $15 ages 10 and younger, visit www.scotsofmichigan.com.
Rosa Parks
The Henry Ford honors the 100th birthday of Rosa Parks with National Day of Courage program, 9:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Feb. 4, at the Dearborn site. Events include such speakers as Julian Bond and Parks' biographers Douglas Brinkley and Jeanne Theoharis. Museum admission free that day courtesy of Target. Visit www.thehenryford.org.
The Solanus Casey Center, a Capuchin ministry, holds its ninth wine, dinner and auction event, 6 p.m. Feb. 9, at the Met Hotel, 5500 Crooks Road, Troy. Admission, $75 per person, include cocktail hour, appetizers, dinner, wines, music, auctions. For tickets, call 313-579-2100 ext. 153, or go to www.SolanusCenter.org.
Sweetheart Ball
Macomb/St. Clair Autism Society Sweetheart Ball, 6:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Feb. 9, at The Mirage in Clinton Township. Tickets, $70 per person, include dinner, entertainment, open bar, prizes, dancing, auction and raffle. Call 586-264-9086.
Sock Hop
Older Persons Commission holds sock hop, 6-9 p.m. Feb. 8, at the OPC, 650 Letica, Rochester. Tickets, $16, deadline for purchase is Feb. 1. Call 248-608-0251 or 248-659-1029.
Chorus auditions
Farmington Community Chorus holds auditions for 33rd Annual Spring Concert, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 22, at the Costick Center, 28600 W. 11 Mile Road, east of Middlebelt, Farmington Hills. Open to ages 18 and older. Call 248-250-1447 or go to www.farmingtonchorus.oom.
Dance Ensemble
Eisenhower Dance Ensemble performs "Red, Hot and Blue" 7:30 p.m. Jan. 19, at the Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway. Free conversation with artists begins one hour before performance. For tickets, $15 to $60, visit www.MichiganOpera.org or call 313-237-SING.
Shores Library
St. Clair Shores Cultural Committee and the city's Public Library present "Film Movement" featuring a recently released independent or foreign film, 6:30 p.m. third Thursday monthly at the library, 22500 11 Mile Road. At 1:30 p.m. Fridays, classic movies are shown in the library's William R. Gilstorf Meeting room. New release Thursdays feature recently released movies on DVD, 6:30 p.m. first Thursday monthly. For details call 586-771-9020 or visit www.scslibrary.org.
Cranbrook Music
Cranbrook Music Guild Chamber Series continues 3 p.m. Feb. 17 with The Adaskin Trio and Ensemble Schumann, at Christ Church Cranbrook, 470 Church Road, Bloomfield Hills. Free parking. Reception with artists follows. For tickets information, www.cranbrookmusicguild.org or 248-645-0256.
LEGO® exhibit
"LEGO® Architecture: Towering Ambition," through Feb. 24, large-scale models of world-famous buildings, at The Henry Ford, Dearborn. Museum admission $17, $15 ages 62 and older and 5 to 12, free 4 and younger and members, www.thehenryford.org or 313-982-6001.
Chorale rehearsals
Symphonia Chorale rehearsals for 19th season 7 p.m. Tuesdays at St. John Lutheran Church, 246 Benjamin St., Romeo. The season includes four concerts. Call 586-336-9816.
Toastmasters' Clubs
Confident CommunicatorsToastmasters Club in Washington Township meets 7:45 a.m. first and third Wednesdays at Washington Township offices, 57900 Van Dyke, between 26 Mile and West roads. For details, www.confidentcommunicatorsclub.com.
Toastmasters Speak Easy Club of Shelby meets 10-11:30 a.m. second and fourth Saturdays monthly at Shelby Community Center, 51670 Van Dyke, north of 23 Mile Road. Call 586-623-9987 or 586-531-1289.
Toastmasters meets 6:30-8 p.m. second and fourth Tuesdays monthly at Bethesda Christian Church, 14000 Metropolitan Parkway, Sterling Heights. Open to visitors. Call 586-264-2300 ext. 119.
St. Clair River Toastmasters meets 6:30-8 p.m. second and fourth Mondays at MacDonald Public Library in New Baltimore. Call 586-913-7868 or contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
Northern Toastmasters meets 6:30 p.m. second and fourth Mondays at Olga's Kitchen, 34180 Van Dyke, south of 15 Mile Road, Sterling Heights. Call 248-828-7481 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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CloudPlay is a menu-bar music player that plays local music in iTunes and also searches for music on YouTube, SoundCloud, exfm, Jamendo, and other sites. Make playlists by combining music from different sources. It's like Spotlight for music.
What's New
Version 1.5:
- Break free from the menu bar! Click anywhere on the background and drag to make CloudPlay appear in its own window. Want to move it back to the menu bar? Just drag it back to the top of your screen.
- Reminder: To search for SoundCloud or YouTube users or artists, select the Channels drop down in the search field.
- Improved streaming performance when playing in "repeat
- OS X 10.7 or later
Similar Software
Suggest other similar software


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Get Michelle Williams' Ethereally Lovely Red Carpet Look for Less
Michelle Williams glowed in a white couture gown, we found a kissing cousin for you.
-PJ Gach
Michelle Williams is in Japan promoting her movie, My Week with Marilyn. On the red carpet Tuesday at Roppongi Hills in Tokyo, Japan, she wore a stunning Alexander McQueen gown, Valentino shoes and Forevermark jewels.
Here's how you can get the look for less:
1.Dalia Macphee 9169-V gown ($298, call 1-888-726-2480 for a store near you)
Read The Curvy Girl's Guide to Spring's Best Trends
2. Nude satin strappy rhinestone center open toe heels ($40.99, amiclubwear.com)
3. Trudy earrings-style 20336- glass pearls and topaz crystals ($17, guyandeva.com)


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A 47-year-old man was shot dead on Green Street on the Far South Side and nine others were wounded across the city Wednesday night.
The man, whose identity has not yet been released, was killed about 8:30 p.m., apparently while he rode his bicycle.
His family mourned quietly at the scene, in the 10200 block of South Green Street in the Washington Heights neighborhood.
A forensic investigator wheeled the man's bike to a nearby van, along with other evidence from the scene.
Two men, 31 and 20, were shot in the 7000 block of South Talman Avenue in the Marquette Park about 6:05 p.m. The 31-year-old man was shot in the forearm, police said. He was taken to Holy Cross Hospital, about three blocks from where he was shot, and then to Mount Sinai Hospital. The other man was dropped at Advocate Christ Medical Center by a friend, police said.
Just minutes earlier, two men were shot in the 7200 block of South Artesian Avenue in the same neighborhood. A 19-year-old and a 22-year-old were wounded in that attack. The pair was playing basketball when someone opened fire from a passing car, police said.
A 25-year-old man was shot in the mouth in the 3900 block of West Flournoy Street in the Lawndale neighborhood. He's in critical condition at Mount Sinai Hospital. Details about the shooting, which happened about 8:35 p.m., weren't immediately available.
About 9:30, a 16-year-old was shot a number of times in the 1600 block of South Millard Avenue in the Lawndale neighborhood. He was on foot when another person on foot approached and opened fire, police said. At least one suspect is being questioned by detectives.
A 27-year-old man was shot about the same time in the 4600 block of South Cicero Avenue, though he walked into MacNeal Hospital with a wound to his thigh. He had been shot during a robbery at a gas station after pulling out a wad of cash to get change for an air machine. His attacker noticed, followed him out and the two struggled after the robber pointed the gun at him and asked, "Do you think I'm playing?" The gun, described by police as a small-caliber semi-automatic handgun, went off during the struggle and the 27-year-old's money was taken.
A man whose age wasn't available was shot about 10:30 p.m. in the Logan Square neighborhood, police said. He was in the 2900 block of North Wisner Avenue and taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in good condition with a wound to his shoulder.
He apparently tried to flee and pulled up next to a cop car in the 4000 block of West Belmont Avenue. He told the officer he had been shot.
A 19-year-old woman was shot just after midnight in the 300 block of West 124th Street, police said. She sustained a graze wound and was treated at Advocate Christ Medical Center.
Check back for more information.


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Accessibility Navigation:
Welcome Class of 2018 and new Davidson families! New Student and Parent Orientation for the 2014–15 school year will officially begin on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 8:30 a.m. Optional move-in for new students is Wednesday, Aug. 20 from 6-9 p.m. Orientation is required for all new students.
Visit the Orientation website for more information and schedules.
On-Campus Multiple Locations
Information Session
Miller, Diana B


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ADDED: From WaPo's Robert Barnes:
For years, legal scholars, historians and grammarians have debated the meaning of the amendment because of its enigmatic wording and odd punctuation:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Gun rights proponents say the words guarantee the right of an individual to possess firearms. Gun-control supporters say it conveys only a civic or "collective" right to own guns as part of service in an organized military organization....
The court rewrote the question to say it would decide whether the relevant provisions of the city's law "violate the Second Amendment rights of individuals who are not affiliated with any state-regulated militia, but who wish to keep handguns and other firearms for private use in their homes."


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The Civil Wars
series: Bluegrass Underground
air date: 2/16/13 2:30 AM
BLUEGRASS UNDERGROUND is a concert series shot 333 ft. underground in the Volcano Room of Tennessee's 32-mile long Cumberland Caverns. The subterranean descent passes a waterfall and pool, leading to a musical venue unlike any other. This episode showcases the Civil Wars for whom 2012 is a breakout year that includes multiple Grammy wins (Best Folk and Best Country Albums) and The Hunger Games soundtrack. Their meteoric rise is no surprise to those who have witnessed Joy Williams" and John Paul White's artful performances. Intricately woven phrasing and airtight harmonies mark the minimalist duo's powerfully rendered murder ballads and astonishingly frank songs on the paradoxical nature of love.
WARNING: Email reminders for this program have already been sent out. Your reminder may not reach the intended address in time for this program's airing.
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Conference on Disaster Preparedness and Addressing Vulnerable PopulationsUniversity of Hawaiʻi
Continuing Education Specialist
This unique train-the-trainer conference aims to help reduce risks during disasters with a special focus on addressing vulnerable populations and promoting collaborative efforts to improve preparedness and response in the Pacific region. The focus of the conference is capacity building and many sessions involve hands-on exercises, such as learning how to use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), identifying medical needs of victims, and triaging.
Conference attendees can select from among a diverse set of one- and two-day conference tracks based on their professional roles and interests: · PREPARE: Elderly and Disasters· Psychological First Aid in Practice: Helping People Cope During Disasters and Public Health Emergencies · Cultural Competencies / Limited English Proficient Populations · Disabilities / Shelter in Place for Special Needs Populations· Basic Disaster Life Support · Emergency Response Functional Role Skills Training· Serving People with Disabilities After a Disaster
The keynote speaker will be Amanda Ripley, award-winning TIME Magazine senior writer, journalist and author. Ms. Ripley has traveled the world studying disasters, natural and manmade. Her book, "The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why," is the first mass-market book to explain how the brain works in disasters - and how we can learn to do better. The New York Times describes it as a "fascinating and useful new book." It is being published in 15 countries.
The conference will close with a capstone tabletop exercise that encourages information-sharing among attendees as they apply what they've learned to a specific disaster scenario.
For registration information, go to http://www.emprints.hawaii.edu/conference2009.html or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
For more information, visit: http://www.emprints.hawaii.edu/conference2009.html


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DeKALB – Fire caused about $25,000 to a garage and multiple cars at 1129 S. Sixth St. in DeKalb on Saturday afternoon.
DeKalb firefighters found the garage engulfed in flame when they arrived about 12:45 p.m. Saturday, according to a news release. They spent about 30 minutes getting the fire under control and another 90 minutes overhauling and investigating the fire.
Authorities determined the accidental fire started in a fuel tank of a car that was inside the garage, the release states. No one was injured.
DeKalb firefighters were assisted by DeKalb code enforcement officers, ComEd officials, Sycamore firefighters and DeKalb police.


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 18th Aug 2008 23:33 UTC, submitted by Charles Wilson
GoboLinux is a distribution which sports a different file system structure than 'ordinary' Linux distributions. In order to remain compatible with the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard, symbolic links are used to map the GoboLinux tree to standard UNIX directories. A post in the GoboLinux forums suggested that it might be better to turn the concept around: retain the FHS, and then use symbolic links to map the GoboLinux tree on top of it. This sparked some interesting discussion. Read on for more details.
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RE[3]: Do we care? Really?
by Decius on Tue 19th Aug 2008 23:48 UTC in reply to "RE[2]: Do we care? Really?"
If your problem is finding things, you probably don't know how to fix any significant problems
Rather than respond to your specious reasoning as a personal attack I'll simply point out that you may have missed the point of my comment, and possibly the whole article. The problem lies in consistency of experience. When the system that is supposed to result in a consistent ability to find files across all platforms using that system becomes an impediment, it needs fixing. You may have noticed that I support and use multiple OSes. When I have to go looking for other likely places that a file may be, due to the FSH being layed out or used slightly differently in a different distribution, and then find that file in an unexpected place, that means that there are fundamental issues and inefficiencies with the system. Not everyone is on the same page, possibly because the system is no longer truly standardized, it leaves room for ambiguity. Ambiguity is not a good thing. All this makes supporting my clients a slower process than necessary, because I constantly am having to verify whether things are where they are supposed to be.


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Somehow, Donald Sterling was even more combative on Wednesday than he was on Tuesday.
In the third day of a trial in Los Angeles Superior Court that could determine whether he remains owner of the Clippers, Sterling railed against the NBA, his wife Shelly and her lawyers. He slammed his fist on the stand during examination and raised his voice when agitated, which was often.
It got to the point that when Shelly approached him after her testimony, Donald yelled at her to "get away from me, you pig." On the stand two hours earlier, he had said that she was beautiful, talented and that he was still in love with her.
Sterling's testimony started when Shelly's lawyer, Bert Fields, asked if he was retired. Sterling smirked and said, "I run five major corporations. You know I'm not retired."
Judge Michael Levanas, commenting on Sterling's demeanor, said, "That's not too bad. Better than yesterday. Let's try and remember you're here to answer the questions."
On the stand Tuesday, Sterling had approached Fields in a similar way. He insulted the 85-year-old attorney throughout, calling him names and accusing him of possibly being guilty of fraud.
In between the barbs, much of Tuesday was about the bigger picture as it appears in the eyes of Sterling -- winning a $9-billion antitrust case against the NBA and selling the Clippers for as much as $5 billion.
Wednesday, many of those bold claims remained. Sterling accused former NBA commissioner David Stern of hoarding $150 million after retirement, and said that the NBA was a "terrible institution" and "the worst corporation in America."
Regarding the team he has owned since 1981, Sterling said that he would have sold the team to the NBA if they had withdrawn all of the punishments against him stemming from an audio recording of Sterling making racially charged comments.
The NBA banned him for life and fined him $2.5 million. "Make no mistake today, I will never, ever, sell this team. Until I die, I will be suing the NBA to try and make them pay for the terrible violations of antitrust they have imposed on me and my family."
He also rejected the claims that he is intolerant.
"I'm not a racist," he said. "I love all people. But I was the poster boy, and that's OK. We'll see what happens."
During a recess after Sterling testified, Shelly walked over to her husband. They seemed civil, talking and smiling.
That was before Shelly testified, though. On the stand, she said that she loves and cares about Donald, but said that "he's been getting more forgetful. He's slurring his words. He's agitated a lot. He gets mad for no particular reason. He's just not the same person that he used to be."
Donald Sterling's day in court started with aggression and ended with him calling his wife a pig. Court, and the theatrics, resume Thursday at 1:30 pm.
Follow Everett Cook on Twitter @everettcook


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Upstairs at Nopi
More formal and perfect for any occasionBook Now
Downstairs at Nopi
Communal dining overlooking the NOPI kitchenBook Now
NOPI's menu changes according to the seasons but signature dishes by Ramael Scully include courgette and manouri fritters, coriander seed-crusted burrata with slices of blood orange and Valdeon cheescake. NOPI serves breakfast, lunch, pre-theatre and dinner menus.
Ranging from the unusual to the classic, our wine list is full of rare but affordable wines. The selection is eclectic – dynamic and diverse wines sit alongside organic and bio-dynamic wines which sit alongside rustic varieties from the Mediterranean – but they are all made by true artisans dedicated to producing some of the most exciting wines around.
Based in London's West End, NOPI is the ideal destination for your pre-theatre supper. Light and fresh, the pre-theatre menu is designed for early dining, offering a range of NOPI's signature dishes at a fixed price. Download our pre-theatre menu to see what's on offer. Available Monday to Friday, 5.30 to 6.30pm.
For groups of up to 28, the two large tables in NOPI's basement are available to hire for your private event. Looking on to the action of the open kitchen, the atmosphere is less formal than the ground floor, which paves the way for a relaxed meal. Please email email@example.com for more details.
NOPI has a different feel and flavour to Yotam's previous books, former head chef Ramael Scully's Asian-inspired pantry meets the more traditional Ottolenghi staples and will allow the home cook to recreate the restaurants often complex dishes at home.Order your signed copy here.


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Summer garden parties are amazing. We all know that. So, when you combine a summer garden party with a sweet pair of nuptials? Pure and absolute heaven. Which is exactly how I would describe this darling affair from Stephen Pappas Photography with its DIY details (I am looking at you, beautiful blooms), vintage meets eclectic stylings and downright gorgeous Maravilla Gardens setting. Oh, and a dessert table covered in French pastries? Yes, please. Click here for all of the pretty.
Need more of these two cuties? Lay your eyes on this fab film from Floataway Studios. It's amazing.
From the Bride… Every detail was a symbol of our love, from the venue, a "secret garden" located in the town where Mades grew up, to the church where Vince's family attends. Everything was personalized, from the hair accessories, belts, decorations, desserts, graphics, flowers, Eiffel Tower gourmet chocolate guest favors to the special songs sung by the people we love and have supported us throughout our lives.
We had a growing love for collecting antiques, which started a few months after our engagement. We also had an adventure through summer car shows searching for the perfect vintage car for our wedding day. With our mothers' help, we found charming items at flea markets, vintage stores, garage sales, and thrift stores that symbolized our relationship. All were carefully chosen to illustrate our memories when we were dating and both of our creative personalities.
Our ceremony was officiated by our family priest, Father Anthony, who touched everyone's hearts with his warm and inspirational words and by sharing a box of our very own memorabilia that contained Vince's first gift, our betrothal letter, and a candle we lit during our engagement retreat.
For our reception, we just wanted to have a relaxing "Great Gatsby-esque" summer garden party. We combined our "Great Gatsby" theme with "A Midnight in Paris" motif to celebrate our love for Paris and take the City of Lights to a quiet quaint town. To accompany the Parisian theme, our dessert table served an array of decadent French pastries.
As the night proceeded, the dance floor was packed with all of our guests that even my 87-year-old grandfather boogied on down. For our last dance, our DJ played the original Barry White song, "You Are My First, My Last, My Everything."
Our wedding was a day full of creativity that brought our families and friends together to celebrate our love. At the end the night, sparklers were lit and held by our guests to make a pathway that led us to a prayer of thanksgiving guided by Father Anthony to rejoice the beginning of our life together, as husband and wife. The day exceeded our imaginations, and it was a beautiful day that we will always remember. Our special thanks to Stephen Pappas and Floataway Studios for capturing our "perfect" moment.
Wedding Photography: Stephen Pappas Photography | Ceremony Venue: St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Simi Valley, California | Reception Venue: Maravilla Gardens, Camarillo, California | Cinematography: Floataway Studios | Event Stylist: Luella Bee Decor (firstname.lastname@example.com) | Floral Design: Bride, Family + Friends | Wedding Cake: Breadbasket Bakery | Favors: Chocolati Handmade Chocolate | Desserts: Groom's Mother | Cake Toppers: Nina Tran | Music: EAE Entertainment | Graphics: Nick Agunos from Nik Cards Couture | Wedding Montage: Voltaire Vindua + Benedict Garma from B&V Squared Productions | Vintage Car: 1948 Buick owned by Mr. Phil Severance | Wedding Dress: Watters Too | Bride's Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaid's Attire: H&M + Ruche | Hairpieces: Bride's Mother + Bridal Party | Groom's Attire: Hugo Boss | Hair + Makeup: Brianne Dodd
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The Daadab refugee camp in northeastern Kenya is home to half a million Somalis who have fled the chaos and bloodshed of their homeland. Some are recent arrivals. But many have lived there for decades, including musicians. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton met up with some who have put their hopes and dreams into song.
Somalian Refugees Sing For Home
By editor • Jan 15, 2012


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OpenXL is a multiple purpose C open engine. It is a proceduralization library. It can be seen as the artist, the designer, or even the programmer of your project. It is designed so that it has some function power that could turn into any task (performing a texture, a pixel art image, a mesh, a model, a level, a song, etc.). The idea is to play the part of the missing components on your team.
An interactive Web spreadsheet allowing concurrent table editing.
A word processing component for .NET applications.


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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio said Friday it was denying a condemned child killer's request to donate organs to his family members, saying he didn't have enough time to undergo the surgery and recuperate for his summer execution.
Organ donation surgery would have to have been completed by this coming Sunday to give the death row inmate, Ronald Phillips, enough time to recover before the July 2 execution, but Phillips had not shown he was anywhere close to that happening, according to letters from state prison officials to Phillips' attorney.
The state "fully intends" to carry out Phillips' execution, Stephen Gray, the prison system's chief counsel, wrote to defense attorney Timothy Sweeney.
Sweeney declined to comment.
The state said Phillips is no different than any other inmate, meaning the state has an obligation to make sure he is healthy, despite the fact he will then be put to death.
"Anyone who's undergone surgery, it's humane to have time to heal," said Ricky Seyfang, a spokeswoman for the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
The Department of Rehabilitation and Correction warned Phillips about the Sunday deadline in a letter two months ago, according to documents released by the state.
"Only a little progress has been made by your client and his mother to move forward with this process," Gray wrote. He said Phillips' mother was to have attended a transplant educational session at Ohio State University's medical center Jan. 21.
Even if she were placed on an approved waiting list, the process could take months, after which Phillips would need two to three months to recover, Gray said in a Jan. 24 letter.
Phillips, 40, was out of appeals in November when he made a last-minute request to donate the organs, including a kidney to his mother, who is on dialysis, and possibly his heart to his sister. The prison system rejected his request, but Gov. John Kasich delayed the execution until July 2 to give the state time to see whether it was possible to comply.
"I realize this is a bit of uncharted territory for Ohio, but if another life can be saved by his willingness to donate his organs and tissues, then we should allow for that to happen," Kasich said in a statement at the time.
Phillips was sentenced to die for the rape and death of Sheila Marie Evans, his girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter, in Akron in 1993.
In January, Kasich denied a similar organ donation request by condemned inmate Dennis McGuire, saying McGuire couldn't identify a family member who would receive his organs, as required under prison policy.
McGuire was put to death Jan. 16 during an execution that made international headlines after he made repeated snorting-like gasps during the 26 minutes it took him to die.
In 2010, Ohio death row inmate Lawrence Reynolds tried to commit suicide two days before his scheduled execution with an overdose of antidepressant drugs he had secretly stockpiled. He was executed by injection after a seven-day delay.
At the time, the state said it had a legal obligation to provide health care for Reynolds until the execution.
In 1995, Delaware death row inmate Steven Shelton was allowed to donate a kidney to his mother while in prison, though he was not facing imminent execution. Following successful appeals, his death sentence was reversed and he was resentenced to prison time in 2011.


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Apr 23, 2012
VAAS, N.C. – Coker's Krista Thorpe is tied for 15th place overall after carding an opening round 85 at the 2012 Conference Carolinas Women's Golf Tournament on Monday. As a team the Cobras are in ninth place.
Queens University of Charlotte leads the field, followed by Mount Olive College in second and Pfeiffer University in third.
Caroline Dula shot a 95, while Sara Allen and Jessi McKenzie carded scores of 97 and 98 respectively for the Cobras.
The women will complete the final 18 holes of the tournament on Tuesday starting at 8:30 a.m.


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To the editor:
When I began my law enforcement career at the Marshall County Sheriff's Office several years ago I remember the first time I met Steve Hoffman. I was in the Administrative Office completing final employment forms when I notice what I thought was a building and grounds worker due to the worn and stained clothing. Little did I know at the time this was my first lesson of many from one of my Field Training Officers that was currently assigned to the Mid Iowa Drug Task Force.
Several weeks later, I was formally introduced to my Field Training Officer, Deputy Sheriff Steve Hoffman. I couldn't have been more wrong with my first impression of Steve who was now in a freshly pressed Deputy Sheriff's uniform.
I had the opportunity to continue working with Steve in the Patrol Division for several years as our shifts would overlap. At times I almost thought we worked the same shift as Steve was not an officer that would end his shift in his driveway or go off duty at the exact minute. Steve is an officer that would stay beyond his shift to complete assignments, investigations, assist fellow officers, a stranded motorist, or to have a cup of coffee just to stay in touch with not only officers but area business.
Steve has also volunteered for Marshall County Sheriff's Office Senior Citizens program where Steve would meet with participating senior citizens in various rural communities to listen to their concerns and check on their well-being. This pro-active approach was a way for Steve to ensure needs of citizens were met.
Over the years I have learned several professional and personal lessons from Steve that have helped me advance my own law enforcement career. Steve has taught me public service is not just a job, it is truly a privilege. Steve's integrity is what law enforcement stands for as he treats everyone in a fair manner with common sense principles.
Steve has devoted much of his life to public service; he has continued to advance his career through leadership skills as an administrator and education to ensure he can provide the best service to citizens that he possibly can.
I ask that the citizens of Jasper County not to judge Steve Hoffman before allowing him the opportunity to share his ideas and values to lead an agency that serves and represents the citizens of your County. A Sheriff must have the ability to lead with integrity, make sound decisions, and be fiscally responsible through prosperous and lean times.
I thank you for your time and wish all citizens well. Nov. 6, vote Steve Hoffman as Sheriff of Jasper County.
Joel Phillips
Detective Sergeant
Marshall County Sheriff's Office


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OAKLAND (CBS/AP) — Yoenis Cespedes hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning to move Oakland a win closer to the club's first playoff berth in six years, and the Athletics beat the Seattle Mariners 5-2 on Sunday to stay right on the heels of Texas in the AL West race.
Cespedes also hit an RBI triple and Brandon Moss had a sacrifice fly in the first inning for the A's, who pulled within 1 1/2 games of Texas. The Rangers were playing Game 2 of a doubleheader at home Sunday night against the Angels.
The two-time reigning AL champion Rangers come to the Coliseum for the final three games starting Monday with the division crown still up for grabs.
Oakland (91-68) leads Los Angeles by 2 1/2 games for the second AL wild card.
Cespedes sent a 1-2 pitch from Shawn Kelley (2-4) towering into the left-field seats for his 23rd homer. He keyed another dramatic victory for the A's a day after Moss hit a three-run drive in the 10th inning of Oakland's 14th walkoff win.
Josh Reddick connected with a two-run shot for his team-leading 32nd homer two batters later as the A's made it a sweep.
Surprising Oakland, with its energetic roster of rookies, has hit 20 home runs in its last nine games and has a majors-best 110 since the All-Star break.
But the A's will have to wait at least one more day to secure a playoff berth. The Angels kept their hopes alive by rallying in the ninth to win the opener of the doubleheader at Texas.
Oakland dropped its magic number to two for clinching the club's first playoff berth since 2006. The A's were swept that year by the Tigers in four games of the AL championship series.
Sean Doolittle (2-1) pitched a perfect eighth for the win. Grant Balfour finished for his 22nd save.
Kyle Seager and Justin Smoak each hit RBI singles in the third as Seattle tied it. The Mariners were 0 for 17 with runners in scoring position this series before Carlos Triunfel's second-inning single. But Smoak was thrown out at home as the A's saved a run.
Milone gave way to Pat Neshek with two outs in the fifth and Casper Wells on third with a triple. But Neshek was done after walking Jesus Montero on four pitches.
Jerry Blevins relieved and retired Smoak on a grounder in which third baseman Josh Donaldson made a lunging, run-saving stop.
All-Star Ryan Cook allowed Trayvon Robinson's leadoff single in the seventh, then struck out the side.
Charlie Furbush relieved Seattle starter Erasmo Ramirez after a one-out single to Seth Smith in the seventh. After pinch-hitter Derek Norris struck out, Cliff Pennington walked and Jemile Weeks entered to pinch run for Smith at second.
But Coco Crisp hit a high fly ball to right on the first pitch to end the inning.
Then, Cespedes delivered.
A's starter Tommy Milone allowed a leadoff double to Franklin Gutierrez to start the game but got out of it unscathed. The left-hander, whose 13 wins are already an Oakland rookie record, allowed two runs and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings. He struck out three and didn't surrender a walk.
Gutierrez, the Seattle center fielder, left the game before the bottom of the third with tightness in his left groin after batting in the top half. Gutierrez, who missed Friday's series opener after crashing into the wall a day earlier at Anaheim, hit a pair of doubles and scored a run following an 0-for-5 day Saturday.
When Crisp drew a leadoff walk in the third, it ended a 16-inning streak without a free pass for Ramirez. The right-hander walked four to double his total in eight major league starts.
NOTES: Cespedes hit his fifth homer vs. the Mariners in the seventh inning or later. And Oakland won the season series 12-7. … Mariners manager Eric Wedge rested 2B Dustin Ackley for most of the day and got a second straight look at Triunfel, who played SS on Saturday. … RHP Jarrod Parker (12-8) pitches for the A's in Monday night's series opener against LHP Martin Perez (1-3) and the Rangers. A's manager Bob Melvin said struggling LHP Travis Blackley — with two wins in his last seven starts — is still down to start Tuesday night against Texas. "I don't know that we have any other options, to tell you the truth," Melvin said. … LHP Brett Anderson, who is nursing a strained right oblique but could return to pitch a one-game wild card playoff, played light catch and is set to throw off a mound Monday.


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MIAMI – Luis Valbuena hit a tie-breaking solo home run in the ninth inning to lift the Chicago Cubs to a 4-3 win over the Miami Marlins on Thursday night.
The Marlins fell to 5-17 which matches the worst start in franchise history through 22 games according to STATS. Miami had the same record in 1995.
Shawn Camp (1-1) pitched the eighth and Carlos Marmol got the final three outs for his second save in four opportunities.
Nate Schierholtz doubled and homered for the Cubs, which scored the final three runs of the game.
Valbuena put the first pitch he saw from Steve Cishek (1-3) into the Marlins bullpen in right-center field with two outs in the ninth breaking a 3-all tie.
Marmol walked Donovan Solano to begin the bottom of the ninth and Austin Kearns lined a single to left to put Solano in scoring position with no outs. Juan Pierre's bunt was fielded cleanly by catcher Welington Castillo, who threw to third for the force out. Placido Polanco lined out to center.
Giancarlo Stanton struck out to end the game handing the Marlins their fourth loss in the last five games.
Schierholtz tied the game 3-3 in the sixth with a solo home run down off Kevin Slowey the right-field line hitting the foul pole just over the fence. It was his third home run of the season.
Slowey allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out six as he threw 76 of 114 pitches for strikes.
Cubs starter Edwin Jackson also allowed three runs and five hits in six innings while striking out four and walking four.
Both teams scored a run in the first inning as Starlin Castro had an RBI single for the Cubs and Rob Brantley drew a bases loaded walk for Miami.
Pierre drove in the Marlins second run with a single to center, then stole second and third, and scored on a groundout by Giancarlo Stanton for a 3-1 lead.
Back-to-back doubles by Schierholtz and Castillo pulled the visitors within 3-2.
NOTES: Jackson is 1-6 with a 6.39 ERA in nine games against Miami. ... A pair of Marlins are getting closer to making their return from shoulder injuries as SS Adeiny Hechavarria is expected to have a rehab assignment next week with Single-A Jupiter before rejoining the big league club when he is eligible to come off the disabled list on May 2 and RHP Henderson Alvarez will have a 45-pitch simulated game on Saturday and will make a rehab start with Jupiter on May 2. ... The Cubs will send RHP Scott Feldman (0-3, 4.50 ERA) to the mound Friday to oppose Marlins LHP Wade LeBlanc (0-3, 6.27 ERA).


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Dec. 3, 2012
Complete Track & Field News Rankings
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 2012 Nittany Lion men's track and field recruiting class has been ranked No. 5, nationally, according to the latest edition of Track & Field News. Penn State welcomes a bevy of talent to the 2012-13 roster, including middle distance standouts Brannon Kidder (Lancaster, Ohio), and Za'Von Watkins (Liverpool, N.Y.), as well as highly touted javelin specialist Michael Shuey (Johnsonburg, Pa.). The Nittany Lions also welcome All-American Ricky West (Toronto, Ontario), who is attending graduate school at Penn State following a decorated career at the University of Missouri.
"It's an honor to receive a national ranking like this," said Director and Head Coach of Track and Field/Cross Country Beth Alford-Sullivan. "I applaud the great efforts from my coaching staff in recruiting, and we are excited at each of what these young men bring to the table. We recognize how competitive our men's conference and national championships have become, so this ranking certainly says a lot of our program. We look forward to seeing these guys in a uniform in January."
Kidder, who was named to Track and Field News' "Prep All-America Team" last month, comes to Happy Valley with an impressive PR of 4:03.12 for a full mile - the fifth-fastest performance in the high school ranks last year. Kidder - the OHSAA State Champion in the 800, 1600, and 4x800 in 2012 - also owns a lifetime best of 1:51.09 in the 800 meters. Kidder has also fared well in national-class events, taking fourth in the high-powered Adidas Dream Mile as a senior, which featured nine preps under 4:05, and also placed fourth in the mile at the Brooks PR Invitational.
Watkins will also be a welcome addition to the Nittany Lions already outstanding middle distance contingent, boasting personal bests of 1:19.20 in the 600 meters, 1:49.70 for 800, and 4:07.24 in the 1600 meters. Watkins impressed throughout his prep career, turning in a PR 2:26.13 for the 1,000 meters as a junior - the fastest effort by a high schooler in 2011. As a senior, Watkins placed second in the 800 at New Balance Indoor Nationals running 1:50.11 - the third-fastest time ever run by a prep indoors. Watkins - the 2012 Millrose Games Champion in the 1500 - was also a two-time runner up in the 800 at the prestigious New Balance Outdoor National Championships, as well as the NYSPHSAA State 800 Champion during his junior and senior seasons.
West earned a pair of All-America finishes for the Tigers in 2012, finishing sixth in the hotly contest 800 final at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, where he clocked a PR of 1:46.41. West was just as impressive indoors, finishing eighth in the NCAA 800 final, to go along with a gold-medal finish in the event at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. The fifth-year senior also owns a personal-indoor best of 1:47.81.
Shuey came on strong in the throws last spring, ending the outdoor season as the third-ranked javelin thrower in the high school ranks at 212-2. Shuey, who was also a PIAA state qualifier in the high jump, claimed the PIAA javelin title in 2012, and went on to a gold-medal finish in the event at New Balance Outdoor Nationals.
The Nittany Lions will also add instate stars Patrick Anderson (Kane, Pa.), Robby Cardina (Lancaster, Pa.), Jarred Posey (York, Pa.) and Alex Shisler (State College, Pa.). Both Anderson and Posey come in with Pennsylvania state titles to their credit, as Anderson won PIAA outdoor titles in the pole vault as a junior and again as a senior, while Posey took top honors in the triple jump at the PTFCA Indoor Championships in 2012. Anderson's lifetime-best clearance of 16-4.75 was ranked second in Pennsylvania a year ago. Posey ranked second in the state indoors at 48-2.75.
Cardina earned All-State honors in both the 300-meter hurdles and the high jump as a senior at Conestoga High School, while local product Shisler, who has run 48.49 in the 400, placed fourth at the PIAA Outdoor Championships in the 400 meters.
The Nittany Lions stand fifth in the Track and Field News rankings behind conference foe Ohio State, Alabama, and Texas A&M. Arkansas, Florida, Stanford, UCLA, and Baylor round out the Top 10.
The Nittany Lions open up the 2012-13 campaign with the Blue-White Instrasquad Meet on December 15, at Ashenfelter III Indoor Track. The regular season is slated to begin with the Penn State Relays, on Saturday, January 5.