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A cat burglar is living at High Rock Lake.
A cat burglar is living at High Rock Lake.
Jewels, valuables and money have no attraction for this burglar; it is the usual vacation staples such as hats, beach towels and flip-flops, which warrant an early morning snatching.
Dharma the cat began life as a stray but is greatly loved by his adopted owner, Debbie Longo, now, and he shows his love by bringing her presents — one of which includes a day-old The Dispatch newspaper.
Longo was sitting on a lower porch at her home on High Rock Lake one morning when she looked down and there were two newborn kittens. After a small scream of surprise, she leapt into action, grabbing a can of tuna fish to feed her little guests. By the time her husband was made aware of the kittens, it was too late for the statement "don't feed them." Debbie and Robert Longo compromised, letting the kittens stay but agreeing they would remain outside cats. Robert dubbed the kittens Dharma and Karma and added the kittens to the household's existing two pets, Zach and Zoe, a Yorkie mix and full-blooded Yorkie.
That "outside only" deal lasted for about six months. When October rolled around and the temperature began to dip, announcing the coming winter, Debbie Longo argued that it wasn't fair to make the kittens stay outside.
The kittens became inside-outside animals and while Karma enjoys staying curled up most of the day, Dharma is a bit more active.
"(Dharma) was about a year old when things started showing up," Longo said, noting that the cats are about 4 years old now. "At first it was dead things — squirrels and birds, but then one day a fisherman's hat showed up. I said, 'OK, it just blew over from somewhere.'"
Then The Dispatch was delivered to her door. Longo doesn't subscribe, and she knew something had to be up. Neighbors and friends saw Dharma on occasion carrying The Dispatch in his mouth down to Longo's residence. A small hole in the paper marks where Dharma bit the paper to carry it.
"Dharma was waiting on the paper man at 6 a.m. and would take the paper before the customer could get it in the morning. That neighbor had a box installed to keep Dharma from stealing it," Longo said.
Once the box was installed, there was a slight break in the appearance of the paper before it began arriving again. Longo said she believes that it comes from six houses down where the owners of the property only use the residence on the weekends — because she never receives a paper when they are in town.
But The Dispatch isn't all this burglar will pilfer. In the midst of the vacation essentials, Dharma has presented Debbie with TV dinners, fishing buckets, a Ping-Pong paddle, oil cans, cornhole bean bags and an L.L. Bean shirt.
"I try to find the owner, but no one has ever complained about stolen items," Longo said as she held up part of Dharma's plunder, a Tommy Hilfiger beach towel.
The next item displayed was a sandal. A pink and white shoe came one morning; the next morning Dharma brought the matching shoe. Another unusual item dropped on the pavement outside Longo's front door was a brown bag full of empty mini liquor bottles.
As much as Dharma is thankful for his owner, Longo is just as thankful and couldn't imagine life without Dharma, and Karma, Zach and Zoe.
But her love didn't begin with just these four. When she was 18, Debbie and her boyfriend worked in the dead of night to release all the dogs from the pound in Wilson. Almost arrested at the time of the incident, Debbie's efforts have since been a little more kosher, opening her home to Dharma and Karma. And when the next dropped-off kitten arrived at her door, she found an adopted home so he would not have to go to a shelter to be euthanized.
"I've always been a big animal lover,'' Longo said.
Dharma continues to strike, working under the cover of darkness. High Rock Lake's residents have to keep odds and ends under lock and key, or it might not be there the next morning.
"Dharma can open doors here at the house to get out, and he meows at the door when he wants back in. He has no idea he is a cat," Longo said.
Rebekah Cansler McGee can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 228, or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Forbes: Silva loss would be good for UFC
There is a widespread belief that a loss for Anderson Silva, the best fighter in the UFC, and the world, would be a loss for the UFC. However, Chris Smith from Forbes magazine argues that precisely the opposite is true.
Many are predicting that the Spider will lose the strap tomorrow night, and there couldn't be a better outcome for the UFC.
Silva has held the middleweight belt for nearly seven years. While legacies are great for business – hello, New York Yankees – a new champ would inject some life into a weight class that's become a bit stale. Moreover, a Weidman win would immediately set up a rematch between the two fighters.
Rematches are incredibly popular. Silva's rematch against Chael Sonnen last year drew a staggering one million PPV buys, and that was without the storyline of Silva as comeback contender. Should Silva take the title back in a rematch, the potential rubber match would likely be the most anticipated fight in MMA history.
The one downside of a Silva loss is that it would erase much of the excitement surrounding a potential superfight with Georges St. Pierre. However, like Pacquiao-Mayweather, the Silva-GSP superfight doesn't seem to be in the cards, regardless of what happens this weekend.
Underdog upsets are some of the most exciting moments in sports, and the first UFC loss of the all-time greatest would be headline news. But more importantly for UFC and its fans, a Silva loss would create an incredible rivalry and set up a rematch that could challenge UFC 100 for the sport's biggest pay-per-view draw. That's the sort of victory UFC, a quickly growing but still niche promotion, really needs, and Weidman has the best chance yet of delivering it.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fantastic news. I just hope Congress here in the US will take note and do the same. But given that most of them are owned by Big Corporate, I doubt it. Sad how Senators and some House members aren't MEN at all - just puppets.
Congratulations to the EU on another fine consumer protection law. Well done!
So do I, but considering that we don't even have decent data protection laws like a lot of European countries yet I don't see it happening for a long time.
All of the EU has decent data protection laws, as it's required by an EU directive.
Neither you nor the GP are wrong.
"European" =/= "EU".
Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, the various former Yugoslavs are "European" (well, culturally for Iceland ; for geologically/ geographically, you buy the beers and I'll set out the arguments), but not EU. Parts of former "European Russia" (west of the Urals) are also separate countries that are not EU (though they want to be) but are arguably also "European" in a cultural a
Sometimes I think the only rules that really need to be reformed in the US are those surrounding lobbyists, campaign contributions, and campaign funding.
I like the wording of that directive: "If telecom operators want to use base station data in order to supply a value-added service to a customer, according to the revised e-privacy directive they must obtain his or her prior consent. They must also make sure the customer is informed about the terms of such processing."
Not simply consent, but informed consent. Nice... it's going to be fun to see Google, Apple et.al. trying to explain to users with no grip on the technical side of things the how and why of geo-location. Still, I'm sure most of them will happily sign up for targeted advertisements if it means their favorite app still work...
Also I note that "Company Devices" can no longer be used for anything but tracking. This will mean that companies can no longer check if truck drivers follows the rules about rest periods, nor can they check to see if they are speeding... which might (probably will) lead to more tired truckers driving way to fast to meet deadlines. Unintended consequence, I hope.
i can put your mind at rest concerning the truck drivers: trip recorders are mandatory for trucks and have been for decades (at least in Germany, but i'm pretty sure that this is an EU directive). police are allowed to check these anytime. these recorders do not store any geo data, but speed and driver working hours.
Well, in Germany geo data is collected from trucks for street tolls.
Also I note that "Company Devices" can no longer be used for anything but tracking. This will mean that companies can no longer check if truck drivers follows the rules about rest periods, nor can they check to see if they are speeding... which might (probably will) lead to more tired truckers driving way to fast to meet deadlines. Unintended consequence, I hope.
I think that still comes under the heading of tracking. It is, after all, just a matter of referencing the positions to timestamps to get the speed. Plus, this area is already covered by tachographs for professional trucking, and the new digital ones cannot be tampered with easily.
Having an extra layer of certainty always helps, though...
Also I note that "Company Devices" can no longer be used for anything but tracking. This will mean that companies can no longer check if truck drivers follows the rules about rest periods, nor can they check to see if they are speeding... which might (probably will) lead to more tired truckers driving way to fast to meet deadlines. Unintended consequence, I hope.
For a company to track theri own truck you dont use the employers mobile device but a device built into the truck.
For checking the sleeping times a
Any argument that this stifles innovation is invalid, if the product is good enough people will gladly share their geo location.
I for one will share my location with Google, as long as it promises to not share it with 3th parties.
Disclosure: I am dutch.
That's already included in the Directive on privacy and electronic communications of 2002:
Where the data may be transmitted to one or more third parties, the subscriber should be informed of this possibility and of the recipient or the categories of possible recipients. Any transmission should be subject to the condition that the data may not be used for other purposes than those for which they were collected. If the party collecting the data from the subscriber or any third party to whom the data have been transmitted wishes to use the data for an additional purpose, the renewed consent of the subscriber is to be obtained either by the initial party collecting the data or by the third party to whom the data have been transmitted.
You don't shit in the morning. You take your shit at approximately 4:46pm every day after getting home for work. You spend 20 minutes shitting while reading your latest Kindle novel. You flush twice. Once at about 4:51pm and the other after the 20 minutes has passed. Your toilet's flush isn't full optimized suggesting that there may be a leak with your plumbing. We have sent a plumber to fix the problem. Enjoy his ass crack.
And as someone who looks up the traffic data on Google maps I thank you. I too share my location data with Google, and I remember many Slashdot readers being wooed by this when they first started.
"already contravening"? Does judgecorp work for a tabloid like the Sun? Try "The EU in creating new rules to cover a domain it had ignored up to now, has devised rules stricter than the current implementations in iPhones and Android". TFA Gives no information whether it is the on-device caching of geo-location information that is the problem or whether WinPhone7's PhoneHome behavior of the same info is also covered in the new rules.
When you install an Android app it asks for permission if it wants to use your location data. Isn't that exactly what they are asking for?
Android itself asks for permission the first time you use the phone.
Many apps on the iPhone do so as well. The phone itself, no.
Many apps on the iPhone do so as well. The phone itself, no.
Apps on an iPhone _cannot_ find out your location without asking you for permission and getting that permission. _Your_ phone is allowed to track your location, but if it does, then nobody except you is allowed to access that information without your permission.
Thinking about it a bit more Android asks more than once, and app permissions differentiate between knowing approximate location (via mobile masts) and exact location via GPS.
The following all have their own opt-in for using location data:
- Google search via the on-phone app
- Google's search website via in-browser location sharing
- Google Maps/Navigation app
- Anonymous wifi location reporting (to update their database of hotspots)
There are always companies that are one step ahead of regulations. For example companies that are cleaner than strictly necessary.
Still, it's a good idea to have the regulations to protect citizens / consumers.
The fact that some companies already ask for consent now shows that this new regulations are totally reasonable.
When you install an Android app it asks for permission if it wants to use your location data. Isn't that exactly what they are asking for?
It's something, but it's not enough merely to say that it needs to access item X. The legislation requires that it also say what item X will be used for, and in an informative way. The consent given must be "specific and informed" in each case. Moreover, it was stated that "consent cannot be obtained freely through mandatory acceptance of general terms and conditions, nor through opt-out possibilities" which blows a hole in many of the current slimy practices involving EULAs and suchlike, or defaulting to opt-in.
Producing weasel words which look just enough like informing the customer, but without really doing so (or preferably cunningly misinforming or misleading the customer into complacency), is a skill which will likely be in greater demand.
No. What happens if the carrier bundles an app? The app is already there, you never got to see if it has access to your location data unless you start digging through settings. Worse, what happens if some one that wants to spy on you manages to get his hands on your phone for 5 minutes? He has enough time to download and install tracking software that you may never know off (unless you are an above-average user.)
What is being requested here seems to be that every time the app starts asking for tracking pe
The app is already there, you never got to see if it has access to your location data unless you start digging through settings.
Tells you the permissions of all apps including bundled ones. Best thing to do is not buy a carrier branded phone anyway.
Worse, what happens if some one that wants to spy on you manages to get his hands on your phone for 5 minutes?
He can't get past the lock code you put on it.
What is being requested here seems to be that every time the app starts asking for tracking permission every time tracking is initiated.
No, what seems to be being requested is that apps are up front about what they do with your location data.
I'm sure this was meant as a joke, but obviously you would pre-approve the "phone finder app" to always allow location requests. It's not like a GPS navigation app would ask to use your location every time it did a calculation to find out where you are.
The GP might have a point: The permission is based on the user, not on the device. A thief might *conceivably* have a case on the privacy issue.
Whether that would interfere with his arraignment on theft is another matter, though.
So I can withhold right for the government or CCTV operators to infringe my privacy? No? Well what's the point then? Concentrate on the big privacy infringements first. If targeting ads based on position without consent is unacceptable, then gathering personal data by the government, or videoing individuals without their knowledge is unacceptable. Ban these before your worry about ephemera.
The same can't be said for the data collected by private entities: even if they do their best, as a corporation, to honour the privacy of user data, the risk of single malevolent employees abusing their position to access the data needs to be taken into account.
About surveillance filming: at least in my co
I don't really see how CCTV infringes my privacy. If I'm in a public space, I don't really have any expectation of privacy, do I? At the moment there's a CCTV camera pointed at the area I'm working in (a quiet, low-traffic part of a very large industrial site). If the security guy wants to sit and watch me eat my lunch, that's fine with me. If I have an accident then they'll be able to send a first-aider round hopefully before I lose all eight pints...
Would you feel the same if the person at the next table stared at you the whole time you were eating your meal?
Wouldn't bother me particularly. As long as they weren't chewing with their mouth half-open or making disgusting slurping noises with their tea, they can stare at whatever the hell they want. It's a free country, over here at least.
Good move, EU. Now you just gotta repeal the data retention directive, and then you'll regain some credibility on privacy matters!
I think this is going to get even more important with HMTL5 geolocation APIs. Have you ever tried them? They can give
I like very common sense approaches to consumer protection, this seems like a good move. I am pro business (have MBA), but also recognize that part of governments job is to protect consumers from all out ruthlessness. How long before we can get this in the US?
This really is a bigger blow to Google than Apple. Apple is a hardware company, making software to complete the experience (and tidy profit). Google is in the business of selling information, and this hits them where it hurts. Google has been coll
The user is giving permission to iOS built-in apps when they look at the terms and conditions of every iOS upgrade and when they turn location services on. You need location services on in order to use Google maps if you want to find your location on the map and you need it turned on in order for "Find my iPhone" service to work.
If you don't want location services, you can turn it off in the preferences but then you also lose the ability to find your device through the "Find my iPhone" service.
I've got a mu
The next person to mention spaghetti stacks to me is going to have his head knocked off. -- Bill Conrad


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I found this JQuery script http://jsbin.com/ireqix/91 and it's exactly what I was looking for, but for some reason it is not working well in IEv9 (in other versions possibly neither). Everything is fine, but when you click set button and image apears instead of gray field, functionality gets crazy. Defining of area is not working well. Some ideas how to fix it?
Thank you very much. Tad


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The countywide school board should have a budget proposal ready for the Shelby County Commission by the end of this week. And as it stands now, it would require just under $36 million in new funding.
The budget will be for the first fiscal year of the merger of Shelby County Schools and Memphis City Schools.
School board members are scheduled to get a budget draft proposal presentation from interim schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson and his cabinet Tuesday, May 14, at a 5:30 p.m. budget information session. The session will also include time for public comments.
The budget proposal school board members were looking over Monday totals $1.18 billion with a $35.7 million gap between revenue from all sources and expenses. That means if the budget proposal presented is the one the board approves, the school system would be seeking $35.7 million in new funding from Shelby County government for the first fiscal year of the schools merger, which begins July 1.
The board meets Wednesday, May 15, from noon to 5 p.m. for a question-and-answer session on the presentation.
And the school board will then meet Thursday, May 16, at 5:30 p.m. to discuss and vote on a budget proposal. All of the meetings are at the Teaching and Learning Academy, 2485 Union Ave.
The schools budget proposal is due at the County Commission's budget committee on May 22.
With the new fiscal year, the commission becomes the sole local funder of the consolidated school system. It has been the only local funder of Shelby County Schools and provided most of the local funding to Memphis City Schools pre-merger.
County Commission Chairman Mike Ritz has said the commission probably has only a simple majority of votes for a property tax hike to provide extra local funding for the consolidated school district. That means a 9.9 percent property tax hike, because a tax hike of 10 percent or above requires a nine-vote two-thirds majority.
A 9.9 percent tax hike would provide the schools with an estimated $9 million in new funding, under Ritz's plan.
Hopson has said the amount of new funding the school system is likely to seek from the County Commission could be as much as $40 million. But Hopson said he and his cabinet will also be prepared with other budget plans that include no new funding.
The initial budget plan presented to the commission will depend on what the school board approves Thursday.
The board sent a tentative budget proposal seeking $145 million in new funding in February to the commission at the commission's budget retreat.
The commission was never expected to vote on any amount. The preliminary "ask" by the school board was an estimate to test the waters on both sides of the political equation.
But commissioners at the retreat expressed opinions that overwhelmingly indicated the body would not approve new funding anywhere near that level.
The total included funding to apply the richer Shelby County Schools staffing formula to the larger Memphis City Schools operation.
Since then, Hopson and his cabinet have tried several staffing scenarios, including slimming the staffing formula in county schools to the city schools model. Hopson rejected that, and the current model is somewhere between the two existing school system models.
The school board has also, since February, acted on the major and most controversial merger recommendations made by the consolidation planning commission.
That includes a board vote to outsource custodial services and the awarding of a $21.9 million contract to GCA of Knoxville to do the work.
The board, in April, also approved a plan for the hybrid outsourcing of some transportation services but not all.
And after voting earlier this year to close four Memphis schools, the board is now considering a list of 12 additional schools Hopson has proposed for closure in the 2014-2015 school year, the second year of the merger.
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University of Vermont
Be Careful Seeking News of the Waco Explosion andBoston Marathon Bombings
- 04-15-2013
- By Dean Jay Williams
When tragedy strikes, so do scammers and other malicious actors. While searching for news and when looking for ways to help, please keep these cautions in mind.
- Expect to receive email soliciting donations to aid the victims, or perhaps first responders. Even if you're familiar with the charity, don't contribute by clicking on links in emails; go directly to the charity's web site.
- Avoid text-message scams in which texting to a certain number contributes to a charity. Again, go to the charity's web site to confirm the campaign.
- When searching for news, go directly to sites such as www.nytimes.com, or use familiar, reputable search sites like news.google.com. Even reputable search services can offer links to malicious web sites, so as you consider your search results, click only on familiar sites.
- Don't click links in email messages that claim to offer news, photos, or video (see the example below).
If you do receive scam emails, you can protect others by forwarding the messages, as attachments if possible, to email@example.com.
Here is an example of a scam received April 17:
From: "Donald Ames"
Subject: Video of Explosion at the Boston Marathon 2013
Date: April 17, 2013 5:05:31 AM EDT
Update, April 17: A scam email campaign is using a variety of email Subject lines, including the following:
o "2 Explosions at Boston Marathon"
o "Aftermath to explosion at Boston Marathon"
o "Boston Explosion Caught on Video"
o "BREAKING - Boston Marathon Explosion"
o "Video of Explosion at the Boston Marathon 2013"
o "Runner captures. Marathon Explosion"
o 2 Explosions at Boston Marathon
o Aftermath to explosion at Boston Marathon
o Arbitron. Dial Global. Boston Bombings
o Boston Explosion Caught on Video
o BREAKING - Boston Marathon Explosion
o Explosion at Boston Marathon
o Explosion at the Boston Marathon
o Explosions at Boston Marathon
o Explosions at the Boston Marathon
o Opinion: Boston Marathon Explosions made by radical Gays? Really? - CNN.com
o Opinion: Boston Marathon Explosions - Romney Benefits? - CNN.com
o Opinion: Boston Marathon Worse Sensation - Osama bin Laden still alive!? - CNN.com
o Opinion: FBI knew about bombs 3 days before Boston Marathon - Why and Who Benefits? - CNN.com
o Opinion: Osama Bin Laden video about Boston Marathon Explosions - bad news for all the world. - CNN.com
If you receive email with one of these Subject lines, or similar, do not click on any links contained in the message. Clicking on the links in these messages infects your computer with malicious software by exploiting a Java vulnerability.
Update, April 19: A similar spam campaign is expoiting the Waco, TX fertilizer plant explosion.


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Jason Marquis remained stuck at 99 while Matt Stairs reached 100.
Marquis got roughed up in his first try for his 100th win, Stairs singled for his 100th career pinch hit and the Washington Nationals lost 7-4 to the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night.
Danny Espinosa hit a three-run shot off Danys Baez with two outs in the ninth, one of the few bright spots for the Nationals. Stairs provided the other when he lined a single off Baez to become the 19th player with 100 pinch hits.
"A couple of good things happened at the end of the game," Nats manager Jim Riggleman said, hopeful the team could carry the momentum into Thursday night's game.
Vance Worley (2-0) threw six sharp innings and Raul Ibanez homered and had three hits for the NL East-leading Phillies, who have won 10 of 13.
Worley allowed one run and four hits, striking out a career-high seven batters in his fourth start in the majors. Worley is filling in for the injured Joe Blanton.
Marquis (3-1) gave up 10 hits and six earned runs in five-plus innings in his worst start of the season. His ERA rose from 2.62 to 3.66. Marquis was trying to go 4-0 for the first time.
"I was leaving balls up," Marquis said. "If I got it down, I got the contact I wanted."
Ibanez snapped an 0 for 35 slump with a pair of doubles on Tuesday, and is now 5 for 7 since the skid.
Ibanez gave Philadelphia a 1-0 lead when he connected on the first pitch from Marquis in the fifth. Ibanez hit a high drive deep into the seats in right-center.
The Phillies added two more runs in the inning on Shane Victorino's RBI single and Placido Polanco's sacrifice fly.
Adam LaRoche hit an RBI double to cut Washington's deficit to 3-1 in the sixth, but Philadelphia chased Marquis with four in the sixth.
Wilson Valdez and Jimmy Rollins hit RBI singles in the inning. Victorino drove in a run on a fielder's choice grounder and another scored on shortstop Ian Desmond's throwing error.
Worley has allowed just one run and six hits in 12 innings in his two starts since coming up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He already has as many wins as Cliff Lee, one of Philadelphia's four aces.
On a chilly night at the ballpark, a crowd of 44,123 made it 152 straight sellouts in Philadelphia, including postseason play.
Riggleman was ejected in the fourth when he came out after LaRoche was upset with a called third strike. LaRoche dropped his bat at the plate and had a few words for umpire Alfonso Marquez, so Riggleman left the dugout and got the quick ejection.
"Adam doesn't say anything. He's quiet," Riggleman said. "So if he complained, I felt I had to."
NOTES: The Nationals said Michael Jacob Allen, the stepson of Davey Johnson and son of Susan Johnson, died Tuesday at 34 from infection and pneumonia in Orlando, Fla. Davey Johnson is the senior adviser to general manager Mike Rizzo. ... Nationals OF Jayson Werth went 1 for 4 against his former team. ... Nats LF Michael Morse was a late scratch because of right knee soreness. Laynce Nix took his place in the lineup. ... Marquis had thrown 15 scoreless innings before Ibanez homered. ... Espinosa leads all NL rookies with 18 RBIs.


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The vote was 58-41, with four Republicans joining the Democrats in backing the contentious choice. Hagel's only GOP support came from former colleagues Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Dick Shelby of Alabama and Mike Johanns of Nebraska -- all three had announced their support earlier -- and Rand Paul of Kentucky.
The vote came just hours after Republicans dropped their unprecedented delay of a Pentagon choice and allowed the nomination to move forward on a 71-27 vote.
Hagel, 66, a former two-term Nebraska senator and twice-wounded Vietnam combat veteran, succeeds Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Hagel is expected to be sworn in at the Pentagon today.
Obama welcomed the bipartisan Senate vote, although 41 Republicans opposed his nominee, and said in a statement that, "We will have the defense secretary our nation needs and the leader our troops deserve."
The looked past the divisions and said he was grateful to Hagel "for reminding us that when it comes to our national defense, we are not Democrats or Republicans, we are Americans, and our greatest responsibility is the security of the American people."
Republicans had opposed their onetime colleague, casting him as unqualified for the job, hostile toward Israel and soft on Iran.
"I continue to have serious questions about whether Chuck Hagel is up to the job of being our secretary of defense," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in a statement. "I hope, for the sake of our own national security, he exceeds expectations."
Hagel joins Obama's retooled second-term, national security team of Secretary of State John Kerry and CIA Director-designate John Brennan at a time of uncertainty for a military emerging from two wars and fighting worldwide terrorism with smaller, deficit-driven budgets.
Among his daunting challenges are deciding on troop levels in Afghanistan as the United States winds down its combat presence and dealing with $46 billion in budget cuts set to kick in on Friday. He also will have to work with lawmakers who spent weeks vilifying him.
Republicans insisted that Hagel was battered and bloodied after their repeated attacks during the protracted political fight.
"He will take office with the weakest support of any defense secretary in modern history, which will make him less effective on his job," said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the Senate GOP's No. 2 Republican.
Not so, said Democratic Sen. Jack Reed, who pointed out that Hagel now has the title and the fight is history.
"All have to work together for the interest of the country," said Reed, D-R.I.
The vote ended one of the most bitter fights over a Cabinet choice and former senator since 1989 when the Democratic-led Senate defeated newly elected President George H.W. Bush's nomination of Republican John Tower to be defense secretary.
In the course of the rancorous, seven-week nomination fight, Republicans, led by freshman Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, insinuated that Hagel has a cozy relationship with Iran and received payments for speeches from extreme or radical groups. Those comments drew a rebuke from Democrats and some Republicans.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., questioned how the confirmation process devolved into a character assassination.
In an echo of the 2012 presidential campaign, Hagel faced an onslaught of criticism by well-funded, Republican-leaning outside groups that labeled the former senator "anti-Israel" and pressured senators to oppose the nomination. The groups ran television and print ads criticizing Hagel.
Hagel's nomination also became entangled in Republican demands for more information about the deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, last September. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed in that attack.


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Neil Young Unveils Shepard Fairey Artwork for 'Americana'
From his impressionistic lyrics to his ability to use his guitar effects to add color and nuance, there has always been a visual element to Neil Young's music. However, for his new album, 'Americana,' which is being released Tuesday (June 5), Young has brought in acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey to provide artwork for each of the album's 11 songs.
"I'm just really excited I got to do this because I love Neil's music and I love the way that music affects people viscerally and inspires them to look deeper into the meaning of the songs," Fairey told Rolling Stone.
According to Young, the artwork reflected Fairey's understanding of Young's interpretation of the folk standards that make up 'Americana,' which didn't always come immediately. "We talked about them,' Young said. "If he didn't have an idea or he was wondering, we talked and between the two of us we came up with concepts for them, Some of them he knew exactly what he wanted to do and they were great and I just kept saying yes."
The two men have worked together frequently in recent years, including the packaging for the 25th anniversary of Young's annual Bridge School benefit shows. Young and Fairey also collaborated on a 41-minute film inspired by the 'Americana' project.
Fairey's artwork opened at the Perry Rubenstein Gallery in Los Angeles on Saturday (June 2), where they will reside through July 14. After that, they will become integrated into the stage set-up for the handful of dates Young will be performing in support of 'Americana.'


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Update the look of your bathroom without undergoing a major renovation by hanging up a new shower curtain. Choose a bold style with stripes or rich color to make the curtain the focal point in the room, or opt for a softer design that blends in well with your current decor. Available styles include solid colors, intriguing geometric patterns, and pretty floral designs. Enjoy the more elegant style of a cotton or linen curtain, or go with a vinyl curtain for simpler care and cleaning. Create a more festive look in your bathroom during the drab winter season with a holiday-themed curtain. Whether you prefer a traditional look or modern flair, Overstock.com offers a wide selection of curtains to provide you with plenty of options.
If you need further help or information please visit our Online Help Center


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Campus Happenings
NDSU faculty members receive funding for community health projects
Posted on 8/13/2013
Two NDSU faculty members were recent recipients of nearly $100,000 in grant funding to implement projects aimed at improving community health.
Julie Garden-Robinson, professor and Extension food and nutrition specialist, and Jenny Linker, assistant professor in the School of Education, lead two of the nine projects receiving funding through the Dakota Medical Foundation's Breakthrough Idea Challenge program, which was launched in January 2012 to inspire nonprofits and people in the region to spark bold, innovative and original solutions to tough health problems.
A total of $50,000 was awarded to the NDSU Extension Service to implement the FaithCommunitiesAlive! program to create healthy eating and active living for area faith communities.
North Dakota has the second-highest rate of religious adherence in the United States, suggesting faith-based wellness initiatives can make a powerful connection with a large portion of the community, Garden-Robinson said.
She said the Cass County Extension Office and Fargo Cass Public Health have been engaging the faith community for several years to raise interest in the program. "We're excited for this opportunity," Garden-Robinson said. "We have partners from many different churches and from within the community. The goal is to create sustainable changes on policy and environmental levels."
The program will reach out to churches and parish nurses in Cass and Clay counties to enlist them in inspiring healthy eating and active living by creating faith settings supportive of healthy choices. The program will teach, build a peer network of healthy parishes, and give prototype policies and practices to spark healthful eating and physical activity for the well-being of people within the faith community.
A training session with area faith leaders has been scheduled to begin implementing the program, Garden-Robinson said.
Linker and Kristen Hetland, chair and assistant professor of physical education and health pedagogy at Concordia College, Moorhead, received $45,000 for the SchoolsAlive! program, which is aimed at creating a wide-reaching physical activity program for elementary students, teachers and mentors before, during and after school to prevent childhood obesity.
The faculty members are working with faculty and staff at West Fargo elementary schools to give them different strategies to help youth reach the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity. They began laying the groundwork for the program last year and the grant will expand their efforts. "This year we're really taking a holistic approach and implementing the entire program," Linker said.
Recess supervisors will gain skills to proactively manage playgrounds and reinforce positive behaviors. Local youth organization staff will be taught how to implement appropriate activities and effective routines to improve before- and -after-school programs. "We also are providing professional development for classroom teachers to facilitate use of a variety of tools in their curriculum to promote activity," Linker said.
Undergraduate physical education students will help put the Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs in action via a service-learning course.
A total of $350,000 in funding was distributed through the Breakthrough Idea Challenge program. A review committee of physicians, nurses and community leaders evaluated ideas brought forth by 76 prospective projects. They gave select finalists assistance to shape their ideas and steer them toward collaborative partners who might reinforce their work.
For more information on the Breakthrough Idea Challenge program, visit www.dakmed.org/news/detail.asp?newsID=67.
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The Mesa County Sheriff's Office says the warm weather may be to blame for a spike in criminal mischief and vandalism.
Pastor Dennis West of Life Academy off of 29 Road and Patterson couldn't believe his eyes when he found graffiti all over the school's playground.
West says he was able to clean off the obscene words on the slides and other parts of the equipment. He says it may have to be replaced, which would cost thousands of dollars.
A normally quiet street in the Midlands Village off of 32 Road in Clifton wasn't so quiet when someone smashed a 275 pound ceramic deer in an elederly couple's yard.
The couple said they were "just sick" that someone would break the sculpture.
It wasn't a sculpture at Record Management System's warehouse, but a broken window and graffiti that is frustrating the owner.
The Mesa County Sheriff's Office says there are two reason why crime tends to spike around Spring and Summer every year. One--the warmer weather brings more people outside, and two--teens are out of school.
Spokesperson Heather Benjamin says it's a similar pattern every year but overall, she says crime has fallen in Mesa County.
She says a majority of vandalism cases go unsolved because there are usually no eyewitnesses. Benjamin says the best things you can do to protect yourself are to bring in your belongings or tie them down in the yard so they can't be stolen or tipped over, or start a neighborhood watch program.
The sheriff's office doesn't believe the cases are connected because of the distance between the incidents. If you have any information about these cases call Crimestoppers at 241–STOP.
If you would like to donate to Life Academy to help replace the equipment, call 242–9431.


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To Miss Flavia L. Stern From Miss Cora Hornadue Sep 5 - 1928.Written on the front endpaper of "Maria Chapdelaine" by Louis Hemon. Published by Grossett and Dunlap, 1927.
This book was brought to me by Miss Hornadue when she and Carl came up after he was in the hospital for the removal of his tonsills.
They and Pop and I went up to Saratoga Springs on the Sat after Sep 8 - 1928, and Sun we went down to Hilda, I stayed till the following Friday, when I came to Rockland spent the weekend at B.J. Fullers and attended the Seventh Fuller reunion at the home of Joseph Westfall at Shandalee Lake, also a business meeting at Cooks Falls Sep 16 - 1928
Stream of Consciousness and Tonsils
at 8/11/2009
Labels: Inscriptions
3 comments:
- Linda said...
I just found your site and I love it.
I'm a library book borrower and reader. Also, I create beaded bookmarks.
Everyone defines treasures differently.
- August 11, 2009 at 10:36 PM
- Aunt Sue said...
Was just wondering if you ever posted inscriptions! Here's one that goes along with your most recent give-away!
- August 11, 2009 at 10:37 PM
- Sedona said...
Wow thats an amazing job you have.
I love finding things in books
I recive sometimes. But I have never found any old things like that yet.
- August 22, 2009 at 2:59 PM
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I got the husband flowers and chocolate. I defy society's gender stereotypes, raar!And what did I get? I got a bouquet of PLUSH UNICORNS. :D:DI took most of them in to work and now it looks like a box of unicorns exploded all over my cube.
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Having led Miami to two consecutive Mid-American Conference Championships, head coach Iñako Puzo returns for his fourth year in charge of the RedHawk field hockey program.
Last season the RedHawks went 7-12 overall and finished third in the MAC with a 4-2 record. The team lost in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament to end a two-year run of winning the conference. During the season Miami played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country playing a school-record seven ranked teams in the non-conference. On Sept. 20 against Appalachian State Puzo's RedHawks rewrote the school record book posting 10 goals, a nine-point winning margin and 34 shots in the 10-1 rout of the Mountaineers.
In 2013, Miami was 12-10 overall and 3-2 in the MAC. For the second straight season, the RedHawks went on to win the MAC Tournament Championship, taking a 2-0 victory over Central Michigan in the championship game. The win gave the Red and White its first berth in the NCAA Tournament in school history. Miami traveled to Michigan State for the play-in round, where it fell, 3-0.
At the conclusion of the 2013 season, Puzo was rewarded for his success with a five-year extension that takes him through the 2018-19 season.
"I am pleased to announce an extension for Coach Puzo," said Miami Athletic Director David Sayler. "We have had a lot of success with the program the past two years in winning our first two MAC Tournament Championships and going to the our first NCAA Tournament. Going forward we believe Coach Puzo can take the Miami field hockey team to unprecedented heights."
In 2012, the RedHawks finished 12-10 overall and tied for the MAC regular season title with a 4-1 record. Hosting the conference tournament, Miami defeated Kent State, 2-1, in the championship game winning the MAC Tournament title for the first time in school history. The RedHawks advanced to take on No. 12 Stanford in an NCAA Play-In game, taking an early lead before falling, 4-1.
For his efforts, Puzo was named the MAC Coach of the Year, while he saw senior Olivia Miller win MAC Player of the Year and freshman Bea Dechant win MAC Freshman of the Year. In his three seasons at Miami, 10 different players have won a total of 14 All-MAC awards. That includes tying a record with six All-MAC selections during the 2013 season. The team has also seen significant success in the classroom, as the RedHawks have won a total of three team and 34 individual academic honors from the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association.
"I have enjoyed my time here at Miami," said Puzo. "It is great to be associated with such a prosperous academic institution. This is a great place for my family and I am looking forward to many more successful years in Oxford."
Prior to his time at Miami, Puzo spent the previous two seasons as the associate head coach at Virginia, where he helped lead the Cavaliers to the NCAA Semifinals in 2009 and 2010. Virginia had an overall record of 28-8 and was ranked in the top-10 nationally every week during his time there.
Prior to his time at Virginia, Puzo was the head coach of CD Terrassa, which plays in the Honor Spanish Division, the top division in Spain and one of the top men's field hockey leagues in the world. He also was an assistant coach at Ohio State from 2001-07, helping lead the Buckeyes to two Big Ten Championships (2001 and 2006) and three appearances in the NCAA Tournament (2001, 2005 and 2006). He began his collegiate coaching career at American University, where he was an assistant from 1997-99.
Outside of the college game, Puzo was involved with the United States Field Hockey Association's High-Performance Developmental Program for the past three years. He coordinated the Mid-Atlantic Junior High-Performance team in 2010 and 2011. He led the team to a Futures Elite Championship in 2012.
Puzo was a 21-year member of the Venezuelan National Team (1988-2008). He earned over 150 caps for playing in international competition and served as the team's captain during the 1992 Junior Pan-Am Games, the 2000 World Cup Qualifier and the 2006 Central American Games. He served as the Venezuelan National Federation's technical director of both the men's and women's teams from 1996-97 and again from 1999-01.
Puzo earned his bachelor's degree in international relations from the University Central de Venezuela in 1992. He earned his master's degree in human resources from ESERP in Barcelona, Spain in 2009. Puzo and his wife, Keli, a two-time United States Field Hockey Olympian (2008 and 2012), have two sons, Xavi and Ian.


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Erika Van Pelt Reaches for 'Heaven' on 'American Idol'
Born in 1985, Erika Van Pelt had a lot of great songs to choose from for this week's 'American Idol' performance. Ultimately, she made a great choice with 'Heaven' by Bryan Adams. Jimmy Iovine and will.i.am agreed, but in the end, did she do too much with the classic?
'Heaven' showcased Erika's full voice well, and she started off strong. Looking great in black and flowing through a misty stage, she was able to follow through on some of the song's long notes. The full body of her voice was sustained throughout the song, but she faltered a bit on the rhythm toward the end. It seemed like she wanted to add some vocal gymnastics to the performance, but it ended up throwing her off a bit.
Steven Tyler caught on to this, saying that she was "too busy all over it." He ultimately gave her the approval, telling her "I still like your voice," but he wasn't entirely supportive of the direction she took. Jennifer Lopez was a little more forgiving, calling Erika "this year's Janis Joplin," but echoing Steven in saying that she didn't like the arrangement. She added that Erika "looked amazing," and that she's "coming together in the best way." Randy Jackson gave the performance "a nice eight out of 10." He agreed with the other judges that when you have a classic song like that, you should let it speak for itself.
Were the judges too hard on Erika? Was she too ambitious with the song? It seems like her ambition can't count too hard against her, and if her biggest problem is in knowing when to scale it back, she'll go a long way.
Watch Erika Van Pelt Perform 'Heaven' on 'American Idol'


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LEOMINSTER -- Police are investigating an armed robbery early Tuesday morning at the Tedeschi's on North Main Street in which two suspects fled with an undetermined amount of cash and Newport cigarettes.
Sgt. Mark Amico said the call came in just after 5 a.m. The clerk reported two Hispanic men entered the store wearing black hooded sweatshirts pulled over their faces.
Amico said the two men, described as between 5 feet 7 inches and 6 feet tall, jumped over the counter and demanded money.
The clerk believes the two suspects pulled out a knife and a pellet gun. The clerk punched one of the suspects in the face "as an act of self-defense," Amico said.
The two suspects took off on foot up Holman Avenue. The state police K-9 unit was on scene but did not find either suspect.
"As far as who they are, we have some pretty good surveillance and some great photos, but it's still being investigated," Amico said.
Tuesday morning's incident is similar to an armed robbery at Cumberland Farms in Ashburnham late Sunday night. The four suspects in that robbery allegedly jumped over the counter and showed weapons. They demanded cash, lottery tickets and Newport cigarettes, then fled on foot.
All four suspects were described as masked and hooded, with medium builds, brown facial hair, in their 20s and believed to be white.
Amico said he had heard about the Ashburnham incident but had no idea if the two cases are related.


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Good morning sweet stampers and welcome to the mid month posting for our February challenge.
So our challenge this month is "Tropical Christmas".....check out the main post and please enter the challenge here!!
For February we are sponsored by the delightful Hobby House
Who are offering a fabulous £10 voucher so thank you very much Hobby House!
So here's some gorgeous mid month inspiration for you all from the team:


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Difference between revisions of "Miyazu"
Revision as of 00:47, 25 April 2013
Amanohashidate (天橋立), the meaning of which is roughly bridge in heaven, is a 3.6 kilometer long, pine tree covered sand bar. It spans across Miyazu Bay on the Tango Peninsula, northern Kyoto Prefecture. It is ranked as one of Japan's three most scenic views.
Tourist information
Amanohashidate Tourist Information Centre,314-2 Monju, Miyazu,Kyoto 626-0001(Inside of Amanohashidate train station). Open daily 09:00-18:00. The official tourist information centre has an information in English and helpful staff. FREE WiFi available.Offcial English website of Amanohashidate Tourist Information Centre
Get in
By train
Direct Hashidate (はしだて) limited expresses run four times a day and connect Kyoto Station to Amanohashidate in 106 minutes (¥ 4,310). Alternatively, connect at Fukuchiyama (福知山) or Nishi-Maizuru (西舞鶴) to the Kita-Kinki Tango Miyafuku Line (北近畿タンゴ宮福線); you can manage the trip with local trains for as little as ¥ 2,200, but this will take over three hours and require several transfers.
The Amanohashidate station is on a spur line off of the main line to Miyazu. Don't be surprised as the train stops completely in Miyazu, changes direction, and then turns onto a separate line toward Amanohashidate. NOTE: Japan Rail Pass holders must pay additional surcharges to visit Amanohashidate.
By bus
From Osaka (Hankyu Sanbangai bus terminal 阪急三番街高速バスターミナル):
run by Tankai bus company(丹海バス). It takes about 2.5 hours. Price: 2600 yen (one way, per person),runs 3times in a day. You can also catch this buses from Shin-Osaka (Shin-Osaka bus terminal 新大阪駅バスターミナル), price is the same. There are also two of the buses will depart and drop you off at Osaka・Itami airport(大阪・伊丹空港) which is domestic airport.
From Kyoto (JR Kyoto station bus terminal, platform C2):
run by Tankai bus company(丹海バス). It takes about 2 hours. Price: 2700 yen(one way, per person), runs twice in a day. (Until 31st May 2013, runs 3 times per day.)
Get around
The small villages on both the north and south sides of the land bridge are easily walkable by foot, as distances are short. In the village of Monju (文珠) on the south side of the land bridge, the train station is only a few hundred feet from numerous ryokan, noodle shops, dried fish shops, and tourist shops.
One can rent a bicycle at one of the many bicycle rental shops around Amanohashidate to ride across the land bridge and bike to surrounding local tourist spots.
If you prefer motorized transport, small motorboats transport passengers between the north and south sides of Amanohashidate. The boats are inexpensive and take 5-10 minutes to travel the length of the land bridge. On the south side of Amanohashidate, the boats dock near the Shinto shrine.
About the only thing to see in Amanohashidate is, well, Amanohashidate itself. The land bridge is best viewed from the hillside on either the south or north side of it. On the south side, there is a chair lift and cog wheel-type train that one can ride up to a viewing area, where there is a small amusement park. On the north side, there is a chair lift and an electric train/trolley that take visitors up to a viewing area, where there is a small coffee and snack shop. Purchase tickets at the bottom of the lifts. They are well-marked and easy to locate.
The canonical way to view Amanohashidate is to turn your back to it, then bend over and look at it upside down from between your legs — this is supposed to make the bridge appear as if it floats to heaven, and bring good luck.
The rotating bridge on the south side of Amanohashidate is unique, although it is by no means a must-see. Rather than raising like a traditional drawbridge, the middle section of this bridge rotates 90 degrees to allow boats to pass through. The bridge is located near the Shinto shrine and boats that transport visitors to the north side of Amanohashidate
Swim on the sandbar in the summertime while eating dried squid.
Stay overnight so you can get up early (6am in Oct) and watch the cormorants & mist lift with the sunrise to reveal the pristine sandy bar that is the Bridge / Passage to Heaven.
Plus if you're quite lucky - you might meet a sumo wrestler! Be judicious about your hotel or ryokan, there are some with outdoor tubs on a second floor balcony and some with no view at all.
Chie-no-yu (知恵の湯): This is a small hot spring spot located just next to the Amanohashidate train station. No mixed bath. 700yen/person. Open: 14:00-22:00 (weekdays), 12:00-21:00 (weekends&public holidays).Last admission time is always 21:00. Closed: every Wed(except Public Holidays). If you want to just try a bit of Japanese Onsen, you can try Ashiyu (足湯), a hot spring you can just soak your feet in, which is located outside of this place and is free to try! You can hire a towel from them with a little cost.
Amanohashidate-winery (天橋立ワイナリー):This is a young winery since 1999, 10:00-17:00(winery&shop), 11:30-14:00(restaurant),closed on WED. FREE entrance and tasting!! Direction:20mins ride by bus(towards Ine,伊根方面行)from Amanohashidate train station bus stop and get off at "Amanohashidate wainari-mae"(天橋立ワイナリー前).
Uocchikan (魚っ知館): Auarium which has about 300species and 6000 sea creatures you can see. There are also penguin and harbor seal. Feeding time(about 10mins): 11:00/13:15/16:00 Open 9:00-17:00,closed on WED&Thursday(except public holiday). Admission 300yen/person.
Dried seafood, chirimen fabric, sake flasks made from a dried squid.
Oil sardine from Takenaka kanzume(竹中罐詰) High quality and beautifully packed sardin in a tin. You can eat it simply without adding anything or even you can use for pasta, salad as well. The oil sardine is also well-known as nibbles when people drink alcohol in Japan. [[File:http://www.amanohashidate.jp/mise/takenaka0.jpg]
Crab(Matsuba-gani松葉がに): One of the most popular cuisine from this area in winter season between beginning of Nov to end of March. Many Japanese people travel to eat this crab. Expensive but tasty!
Japanese amberjack(Kanburi寒ブリ): Many different way to eat this fish, but in this area especially eat as Shabu-shabu(しゃぶしゃぶ)is popular. Only in winter.
In the summer, don't miss the melon ice from the little snack shop on the northern slope's viewing area.
(Chie no mochi)智恵の餅/Sweets: It is a sweets, rice cake with red bean paste. By eating this sweets, believed to give wisdom to people.
There are some local wineries.
Abundant ryokan serving local seafood. Ask at the Amanohashidate train station's tourist information stand for information or to make a reservation. Prices range between 10,000 and 25,000 yen per person per night.
Amanohashidate Youth Hostel Non-member of youth hostel:2950yen/night(over 16 years) in dormitory (4-8beds dorm, no mixed dorm room). If you want to hire entire room for your group, it costs extra 2000yen per night per room. You can also take breakfast(600yen) and dinner(950yen)(reservation required). Rental bicycle is available at the hostel. You can contact them in English.


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Dear Editor:
Effective job by city and county workers during storms and emergencies, we mostly yell at or praise the administration for the results that occur. I wanted to take a brief moment to thank all of the city and county workers for all of their tireless work during the first snowstorm of 2014. I cannot speak for the results of the entire city but they did great work in the sections of the Heights where I traveled.
In previous years, the side streets at the end of the Heights would be ignored, the snow would pile up blocking parking spots for residents, and the line of vision of drivers would be blocked at dangerous intersections by mountains of snow. This year, workers cleaned in our area multiple times, organized the snow in piles that did not block pedestrian or vehicular traffic, and there seemed to be coordination between city and county departments. The efforts were obvious in our area with many residents giving thanks and praise for the efforts of the folks working the plows and salt trucks. With that in mind, thank you to all of the city and county workers who did their part to keep residents safe before, during, and after this recent storm. Hopefully, this proactive approach continues throughout this year and into the future.
Joel Torres


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Full Episode
Richard Linklater is a much-admired Academy Award-nominated independent filmmaker whose credits over more than two decades include Slacker, Dazed and Confused, Waking Life, A Scanner Darkly and Fast Food Nation. His latest film, Bernie, has just been released.
Visit the Website: http://www.klru.org/overheard
Episode #224 / Length: 26 minutes


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News Release: AAA
Updated: May 13, 2014
TAMPA, Fla. (May 13, 2014) — "AAA is extremely pleased with the Governor's decision to veto Senate Bill 392 which would have allowed higher speed limits on Florida roadways," said Kevin Bakewell, Senior Vice President and Chief Public Affairs Officer, AAA - The Auto Club Group. "Speed-related crashes are a major contributing factor in traffic crashes including 30 percent of traffic fatalities. Maintaining Florida's current speed limits will undoubtedly prevent injuries and save lives on our roadways. For citizens and our nearly 100 million annual visitors, the Governor's action should send a message that safety in Florida is a top priority."
News Release: Capitol News Service
Updated: May 13, 2014
On the heels of a state Trooper killed on Interstate 75, Governor Rick Scott said today he will veto legislation that would allow some interstate speed limits to increase to 75 miles per hour. Scott made the announcement when asked by a reporter. Scott is usually very coy about future vetos, and in this case, he has yet to even receive the bill from lawmakers. Scott says he was influenced by law enforcement.
"I've heard from sheriffs around the state and other law enforcement asking me to veto the bill. I'm gonna stand with law enforcement and I want everybody to stay safe. I don't want anybody to be injured so I'm going to veto that bill," said Gov. Scott.
AAA Motor Clubs has also been calling on Scott to veto higher speeds.
News Release: Associated Press News
April 30, 2014
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Speed limits on Florida highways could be raised to 75 miles per hour under a bill that's going to Gov. Rick Scott.
The Florida House voted 58-56 on Wednesday to pass the bill, despite several lawmakers who said it would cause more deaths. That includes Democratic Rep. Irv Slosberg, whose daughter was killed in a car accident where speed was a factor.
The measure would allow the Department of Transportation to raise the speed limit on interstate and limited access highways from 70 to 75 miles per hour, from 65 to 70 miles per hour on rural, four-lane divided highways and up to 65 miles per hour on other roads. It does not automatically raise the speed limits.
News Release: Florida Senate
Tallahassee, FL- Today the Senate passed Senate Bill 392 State Speed Zones with strong bipartisan support. The bill, jointly introduced by Senators Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) and Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth), will allow the Florida Department of Transportation to raise speed limits on certain roadways by 5 miles per hour, raising the maximum allowable speed on interstate highways to 75 miles per hour.
"Florida will now join over a dozen other states that have granted their traffic engineers additional flexibility in adjusting speed limits to better reflect actual driving behavior," stated Senator Brandes. "I am proud to have worked across the aisle on this bipartisan proposal and I look forward to working with our colleagues in the House to ensure final passage."
"This bill replaces myth and politics with facts and science," Senator Clemens said. "Speed limits should be set by sound engineering practices not by the whims of politicians."
"The National Motorists Association supports the efforts of Senators Brandes and Clemens to ensure that Florida's interstate highways are as safe as possible," stated John Bowman, Communications Director for the National Motorists Association. "Senate Bill 392 represents sound public policy for Florida's 15.4 million drivers. The proper setting of speed limits facilitated by the bill will even out traffic flow, reduce conflicts among vehicles and reduce accidents on Florida's highways."
State law establishes varying speed limits on different types of roadways. The current limits are 70 miles per hour for interstates, 65 miles per hour for highways with a divided median, and 60 miles per hour for other roadways that the Florida Department of Transportation oversee. The Brandes-Clemens bill proposes to increase these limits by 5 miles per hour. The highest speed limits in the nation are currently in Texas, which allows up to 85 miles per hour on certain roads, and Utah's 80 mile per hour speed limit.
For more information on SB 392 please visit www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2014/0392


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In this effect, the packaging is as important as the effect itself. The magician displays a beautiful wand case, which he opens.
A medieval style magic wand begins to rise out of the case as the magician coaxes it with motions from his hands.
Do you own this product? Write a review.


text: Submitted by casey.snider on Fri, 2013-09-13 14:01 Conservation West of The Rockies Renewable Energy Vote Up Down +1318 + DSC_1204.jpg I am an optimist, maybe even to a fault, and its an attribute I share with many of you who love to hunt and fish. It is that mindset that allows us to conjure up visions of trout at every bend in the river, causes us to endure all kinds of weather waiting for the next hatch, or that tells us that if we cast but one more time surely a fish will rise. That's why over the last couple of weeks, in spite of some pretty unfavorable odds, I and my fellow Utah TU members have remained positive. Just a few weeks ago, unbeknownst to anyone here in Utah the Book Cliffs Roadless Area was leased for oil and gas by the state agency that owns it (SITLA). From a fisheries perspective that could be a negative, as a truly remarkable trout stream (West Willow Creek) runs through the heart of that country. From a public relations perspective it was even worse, as barely a month ago we had staff from Governor Gary Herbert's Office, Congressman Rob Bishop's Office, environmental groups, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources employees, and SITLA staff all miles back in the backcountry looking at wildlife and working together. Two weeks later we felt betrayed, our chances appeared hopeless, and we were pretty worried about a pretty special place. But as anglers, we know the key to catching fish is to keep fishing. Using that as our mantra we kept trying and slowly the tide began to turn. Other sportsmen's groups joined us, Congressman Rob Bishop stepped in and said the Book Cliffs have "tremendous values beyond traditional energy resources," and Anadarko (the energy company at the heart of the lease) promised to work closely with sportsmen. Soon thereafter Utah's Governor spoke up asking SITLA to reconsider the entire deal. Finally after three weeks of political back and forth I am excited to say the Book Cliffs got a last minute pardon. Today a deal was reached that would spare the Book Cliffs from development for at least 3 years. It's a deal all of us Trout Unlimited, sportsmen's groups, Governor Gary Herbert, Congressman Rob Bishop, Anadarko, and SITLA can be proud of. Does it mean permanent protection for the Book Cliffs, no. But it gives us a chance, a 3 year window, to find a way to do so. And as for our those odds of success, the ones that mean that we ultimately find a way to keep the Book Cliffs the same today for our kids tomorrow, well I'm pretty optimistic.


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Quick Details
- Product Type: Rhinestones
- Material: Crystal
- Shape: Round
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Relations among L1 Reading, L2 Knowledge, and L2 Reading: Revisiting the Threshold Hypothesis
This study attempted to test the threshold hypothesis in second/foreign language (L2) reading by investigating the relations among first language (L1) reading, L2 knowledge, and L2 reading comprehension in a sample of 2666 (1333 males and 1333 females) Korean EFL high school students. Three different methods of data analysis were utilized after closely looking into the methods of data analysis of the current literature on a language threshold. Statistical analysis revealed that the contribution of L1 reading and L2 knowledge to L2 reading was significant and substantial in the main and interaction effects, accounting for 54 percent of variance of L2 reading comprehension in tandem. However, the correlation of L1 reading to L2 reading showed, in general, a decreasing trend in accordance with the improvement of L2 knowledge, which is in contrast with the notion of a threshold level. This result of a language threshold was discussed in terms of a broad construct of language transfer and the interactive approach to reading in an L2.
Full Text:PDF
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v6n12p38
Copyright (c) 2013 Gi-Pyo Park
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
English Language Teaching ISSN 1916-4742 (Print) ISSN 1916-4750 (Online)
Copyright © Canadian Center of Science and Education
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text:
GARY, Ind. (AP) — For as long as Friday night's 21-inning marathon between Kent State and Kentucky lasted at the NCAA Gary Regional, the game still fell four innings short of the Texas-Boston College affair in 2009.
Alex Miklos hit a go-ahead RBI triple in the 21st inning as the Golden Flashes outlasted Kentucky 7-6 in the second-longest game in NCAA tournament history.
"That might not have been the longest game in college baseball history, but it was certainly the best baseball game in college baseball history," Kent State coach Scott Stricklin said. "There were so many twists and turns. The game was just unbelievable."
The Golden Flashes (42-17) held the lead in the ninth and 18th innings, but the Wildcats (43-17) answered both times to extend it. Kentucky had numerous chances to end the game in extra innings, including having the bases loaded with one out in the 20th, but Kent State relief pitcher Michael Clark was able to get J.T. Riddle to bounce into an inning-ending double play.
"I got the one play that could get us out of that inning," Clark said. "We would throw a punch and then they would throw a punch. It was a great game to be a part of."
Each team used four pitchers that threw at least 60 pitches in the game. Kentucky reliever A.J. Reed started the game as the designated hitter and pitched the final nine innings of the game for the Wildcats. Clark threw the final three and two-thirds innings for Kent State and got the win while recording four strikeouts.
"This type of game is going to help us down the line," Clark said. "We're riding on adrenaline right now, but once we get a meal, if anything is still open, we'll start to get focused on tomorrow's game."
The Golden Flashes were two outs away from the victory in the ninth inning when Kentucky first baseman Luke Maile tied the game 5-5 with an RBI single that scored Austin Cousino. The teams played eight innings of scoreless baseball before Joe Koch gave Kent State a 6-5 lead with an RBI single. Kentucky catcher Michael Williams answered with a run-scoring double in the bottom of the 18th and the teams continued playing.
"It was a great game for the fans, two tremendous efforts out of the bullpen," Kentucky coach Gary Henderson said. "Both sides pitched extremely well after the fourth inning. Forty-runners left on base, it was a very unique game."
Miklos was an unlikely hero for the Golden Flashes as the freshman left fielder entered with the least amount of hits (35) in the starting lineup and with just a .271 batting average. Miklos came to the plate in the 21st inning having gone 1 for 7 and striking out three times. He hit a shot to the center-field wall that drove in Koch with the go-ahead run.
"I was just looking for something to work with," Miklos said. "I'd say it's definitely the biggest hit of my career."


text:
By Avi Salzman
Republicans in the House of Representatives are "willing to accept new revenue" as part of a deal to rein in the nation's debt, Speaker of the House John Boehner said in a speech today, the Washington Post reported after receiving an advance copy of the speech.
Of course, the Speaker will only make that deal "under the right conditions," but it's certainly a first step toward finding a way to avert the looming fiscal cliff that has investors running for cover today.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has quite a penchant for the filibuster, doesn't sound ready to move in the president's direction.
"The voters have not endorsed the failures or excesses of the President's first term, they have simply given him more time to finish the job they asked him to do together with a Congress that restored balance to Washington after two years of one-party control."


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The Dolphins have announced on their twitter feed they have signed running back Larry Johnson. So much for those tentative first-and-goal runs.
Johnson, 31 years old, hasn't had a productive season since 2008 when he gained 874 yards. That was also the same year the stuff hit the fan for him. He was suspended by the Chiefs for violating unspecified team rules. He was also suspended by commissioner Roger Goodell for one game that season. Hmmm.
The next year Johnson was critical of Chiefs coach Todd Haley, which as you might guess, led to his suspension for conduct detrimental to the club. The Chiefs cut Johnson when his suspension ended.
Johnson bounced to the Bengals in 2009 in late November and then went to the Redskins in March of 2010 as a free agent. That didn't last. He was cut in September and was out of work the rest of the season.
Johnson has been arrested four times since 2003 on various assault charges against women. In 2003, he was arrested for assault and domestic battery for brandishin a gun at his then-girlfriend, during an argument at his home. The charges were dropped when Johnson agreed to participate in a domestic violence diversion program. In 2005, he was again arrested for assault when a woman accused Johnson of pushing her to the ground, but the case was dropped after the alleged victim failed to appear in court for three different hearing.
His third arrest for assault came on February 24, 2008, after allegedly pushing a woman's head at a nightclub that night. On October 10, 2008, Johnson was arrested for the fourth time and charged with one count of non-aggravated assault for allegedly spitting a drink in a woman's face at a Kansas City nightclub on October 11. Johnson tried to flee the scene but police officers tackled him.
The Dolphins have been in the market for a running back for some time. Today they worked out Clinton Portis. They also worked out Tiki Barber three weeks ago, around the time they worked out Johnson.
They are obviously:
Not comfortable with their current RB situation, which has rookie Daniel Thomas behind Reggie Bush. A couple of weeks ago, coach Tony Sparano admitted in a column I wrote that he was "nervous" about the running back situation.
Miami's running back corps delivered an unspectacular performance around the goal line on four first-and-goal runs against the Panthers, probably pushed the team over the edge.
Is Johnson going to be the guy who gained over 1,700 yards in both 2005 and 2006? No.
But I guess checking him out for the next couple of weeks cannot hurt a team looking to upgrade in the backfield.


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Kevin de Bruyne is unhappy with Jose Mourinho and will likely go on loan in January after being dropped from Chelsea's Champions League squad to face Steaua Bucharest and being made to train with the U21's, according to the Daily Mail.
The young Belgian was expected to be more involved in the Chelsea first team this season after Jose Mourinho reportedly refused to let him leave the club in the summer, with Borussia Dortmund believed to have been keen on securing his services.
De Bruyne, who spent last season on loan with Werder Bremen, started Chelsea's opening game of the season against Hull but has since made just one more Premier League start.
Mourinho was unhappy with the 22-year-old's performance in Chelsea's League Cup win over Swindon in mid-week, and now according to the Daily Mail the Special One has acted decisively by axing him from his squad to face Steaua Bucharest in Romania.
The paper adds that De Bruyne is upset having been told he must train with the U21's for the next three days, and also claim it is likely that the former Genk star will leave Chelsea on loan during the winter window in order to ensure his World Cup place next summer.
Chelsea take on Steaua Bucharest in their must-win Champions League Group E clash tomorrow.
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The part about filtering P2P is disturbing but there's are plenty of good legal alternatives to RIAA crap [archive.org]. I'd love to see every university mirror the Internet Archive, Creative Commons and promote work from people in their community. Let's take that part of this stupid law and make something cool that will continue to bleed the RIAA out of existence.
So, we should just accept the fact that Congress is passing a bill for funding higher education that includes big financial bonuses for the entertainment industry? Lord knows, the record labels have done so much to help the intellectual enrichment of our nation's young people, right?Let's take that part of this stupid law and make something cool that will continue to bleed the RIAA out of existence.
good legal alternatives to RIAA crap
I know you're going for something different in your comment then what I'm about to reply with but...
There are alternatives to RIAA members. I am a big fan Epitaph/Hellcat records, and it seems really up in the air as to whether or not they are an RIAA member. Lord knows they don't exactly have bands signed that would put up with this nonsense. Anyways from Wikipeida:
In mid-2005 Epitaph was added to the official list of RIAA members along with several other high-profile independent labels. The reason for the listing is not clear, but one source points to an agreement for internet P2P distribution ("Independent Labels Sign Deal With Snocap"). Another source claims label management joined RIAA in order to get certified sales awards (ie, official "Gold" or "Platinum" record status) for releases. This sparked some controversy as some feel they should no longer be labeled independent if they are a member of the RIAA.
However, the only source that has actually been used for these claims of membership is the official RIAA membership list, which has been disputed. As of this writing, not only is Epitaph listed as an official member, but Lookout! Records are once again listed, even though they were already falsely listed before.
Sorry that quote was a little long in the tooth, just wanted to clarify my point. And my point is, there are some pretty excellent alternat
Have you read the FAQ on archive.org's hardware setup [archive.org]? Their goal, just for a start, is "one system administrator per petabyte". That amount of storage is not trivial, and suggesting one copy per university is a little overzealous. The Archive has three petabytes online; that's thirty racks the way they do it.
We need to find a way to make P2P distribution models legitimately profitable for the corporations that lobby in Washington for these asinine laws. I was under the impression that the Warcraft folks already had some kind of a P2P model going for distributing their patches and suchlike--perhaps other companies could be induced to do the same?
Excuse me?
Which version of the GPL requires anybody to work to ensure corporate profits? If RIAA wants to make P2P distribution networks profitable, let them do thei
which is a patch to this [cornell.edu].(a) DISCLOSURE OF POLICIES AND SANCTIONS RE-
LATED TO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT.--Section
485(a)(1) (20 U.S.C. 1092(a)(1)) is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subpara-
graph (N);
(2) by striking the period at the end of sub-
paragraph (O) and inserting ``: and'' ; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
``(P) institutional policies and sanctions re-
lated to copyright infringement, including--
``(i) an annual disclosure that explic-
itly informs students that unauthorized
distribution of copyrighted material, in-
cluding unauthorized peer-to-peer file shar-
ing, may subject the students to civil and
criminal liabilities;
``(ii) a summary of the penalties for
violation of Federal copyright laws;
``(iii) a description of the institution's
policies with respect to unauthorized peer-
to-peer file sharing, including disciplinary
actions that are taken against students
who engage in unauthorized distribution of
copyrighted materials using the institu-
tion's information technology system; and
``(iv) a description of actions that the
institution takes to prevent and detect un-
authorized distribution of copyrighted ma-
terial on the institution's information tech-
nology system.''.
So they could simply say "we're doing nothing" and comply with the law.
They could indeed, but this would provide precisely the leverage that the RIAA is looking for to "clarify and existing provision of law" at a later date with new teeth while at the same time dodging more stringent review processes for making new laws vs amending existing laws. This is an incremental step in the wrong direction and a prelude to the real law which come after the RIAA points to your existing policy of "doing nothing" as the reason why an existing law "needs to be strengthened with teeth." The
That provision would require universities to filter P2P and to offer legal alternatives.
Most universities provide internet access without charging the students anything additional.
I don't know if it's an actual itemized charge like it was when I was in school (it's been a while - think "gopher"), but I'm sure the students' tuition is paying for the campus network and internet access.
And as the discussion proves, students are cheap and if something is free they will take it over something that isn't.
Are you suggesting that the rest of us prefer to pass up free stuff?
I wonder if the idiots that thought they could effectively block P2P have a brain?
If you block it, it will find a way around you one way or another. You could run P2P over DNS if you wanted to. Once that happens, 2 choices, break the law or cut the universities off the internet.
Can the universities send the RIAA the bill?
Anyone else besides me think the SCOTUS would wipe that particular provision off the books the moment that Harvard, Yale, et. al go to war with the RIAA? Hint: those two schools alone have more legal ability backing them and all the financial resources required to go to legally go to war, and in fact, more than all the RIAA companies combined. Not to mention that the RIAA really really really doesn't want to piss of Stanford, because the majority of the RIAA companies are in California, and it's not that far a drive from Stanford to any State court where they would choose to go to war themselves.
My question is, why aren't our congressmen and women smart enough to vote that particular piece of junk OUT of the bill?
So, now the Federal government is supposed to require institutions to deny my free speech rights, by setting up filtering regimes that may or may not allow me to share copyrighted materials peer to peer-- even if I own the copyright on the stuff I am sharing.
But how do you plan to prove that you own a valid copyright? If you write a song, can you prove that you didn't accidentally copy something you had heard a decade ago on the radio [wikipedia.org]?
Anyone else besides me think the SCOTUS would wipe that particular provision off the books the moment that Harvard, Yale, et. al go to war with the RIAA? Hint: those two schools alone have more legal ability backing them and all the financial resources required to go to legally go to war
But do Harvard and Yale receive a lot of federal funds, compared to state universities?
...is that the schools would be required to promote "legal alternatives" for music to students, i.e. iTunes, Napster and the like. Most universities already monitor their network to curb file sharing. But the university being forced to push commercial services on students is way over the line.
Who said they have to be commercial services? The plan could start with Michael Crawford's list [goingware.com].
That provision would require universities to filter P2P and to offer legal alternatives.
Remember this, the next time you advocate government "helping" things by funding them. If a special interest has an axe to grind, a congressman or senator who is not accountable to you (best case: accountable to citizes in another state, worst case: accountable to the industries who fund him) will impose weird conditions for the money, and it will effect your life. You can violate the conditions and opt-out of the money, but the people of your state don't have the option of opting out of the federal taxes whence the funding came. Still want public education? You can still have it: you just have to pay for it twice.
Biotech? Sorry, only if nobody at the institution uses embryonic stem cells. Astronomy? Only if you don't publish anything that mentions Earth's weather. Education? Don't get me started. Oh, I guess this story is one of the numerous examples.
You'll know a true "science president" or "education president" when you see him. He'll be the one running on the platform of slashing all the funding, and vetoing the seemingly-pro-education bills. He'll say, "I will protect your education budget from those who aren't accountable to you." Let the state taxpayers keep that money in their state, and decide for themselves how they'll use it. That way, if industry buys some people in the next state over, at least you will still have a chance to get what you want.
Move the power to as close to home as possible, and it gets that much harder to pull bullshit like this.
In less than a century, computers will be making substantial progress on ... the overriding problem of war and peace. -- James Slagle


text:
To many people it is obvious that keeping an elephant in a small enclosure is unkind. Zoos assert claims of conservation, research, and education, and most visitors buy it. They believe that keeping polar bears locked up in "sanctuaries" with fake ice is better than to have them out in the wild. This is understandable, since the polar ice is melting. However, both problems are caused by humans: global warming contributes to the ice melting, and the need for constant entertainment creates zoos. A survey taken by the World Society for the Protection of Animals found that 80 percent of people believed animals were not receiving proper treatment.
Zoos claim to educate visitors. Yet we've all seen the one-sentence signs that describe monkeys. What can be learned from this? Certainly not enough to justify inhumane captivity.
These animals are simply meant to entertain. For example, look at the red pandas at the Bronx Zoo. Are they treated with respect? No: these pandas are a few feet from hundreds of cars zooming by on the expressway, with only a fence to separate them. Are these fit conditions for an almost-extinct animal?
Zoo animals endure inadequate living conditions with no space. Captive populations are not large enough to provide a good gene pool to preserve their species, and they have too much interaction with humans. Yet people will still come to see these rare animals that belong thousands of miles away. It just shows how desperate we've become for entertainment. This is the ultimate disrespect to a species.
The claim that most zoos make to justify the captivity of animals is increasing destruction of natural habitat. The rainforests are being destroyed at the rate of thousands of acres a day. Animals have been breeding and migrating for a long time. And they've done it well. The destruction of the environment is a valid reason for helping them. But a line must be drawn between help and destruction.
Many zoos have the problem of surplus animals due to excessive breeding. What do you think the zoos do with them? Mostly they destroy them. Normally animals leave their parents and venture into the wild when they come of age, but zoo captivity does not allow for this. Woburn Safari Park recently admitted that they kill surplus monkeys. Sometimes the animals are packed like trash and shipped off to other zoos. Or they are what zoos call "recycled" (fed to other species in the zoo). Other surplus animals are given to laboratories for experiments.
By 2010 the world will have almost seven billion people. Thus the need for more zoos arises. Where will these animals come from? Certainly many will be bred in captivity, yet the majority are caught in the wild. About 35 species of animals go extinct every day in the rainforest. Perhaps taking these animals to zoos is better than allowing them to die in the diminishing wild, but clearly the conditions in zoos must be improved.
Is the power and beauty of nature apparent in zoos? This is what they claim to give you for your money. A zoo cage typically consists of a few animals sitting in confinement with nothing but plastic trees and brick walls. Their eyes hold a lifetime of sadness and emptiness. Can you blame them? Every day people stare at them, tap on the glass, and make faces to scare them or get them to move. Signs prohibit photography, yet tourists still take pictures. They don't understand or care how much the flash terrifies the animals. A recent study found that, on average, visitors spent less than three minutes looking at each exhibit – some even as little as nine seconds. It is true that we get to see animals we otherwise wouldn't. Without zoos we'd have to see them on TV or read about them. But is a minute of pleasure enough to justify a life sentence of confinement in a tiny cage?
Animals are tortured by zoos. Many lions will walk around in circles all day. This kind of behavior is especially apparent in tall animals like elephants and giraffes, which might chew the plastic foliage or bang on the bars of their cages. Some monkeys turn to self-mutilation after they have expended all the amusement provided in their cages. Birds are not able to fly in their mesh enclosures. Some stop trying. After a few years, most can no longer fly.
The night quarters are the worst. We do not see the tiny cages behind the chimpanzee enclosure where they are locked up with hardly enough room to move. But most animals just hide and sleep, like a never-ending hibernation.
More zoos will be created in the next 25 years. In captivity the once-proud creatures of the wild exhibit only shame. Shame on the human race for doing this to these animals. Perhaps the future of these animals does rest in zoos, but we can make zoos more humane. By doing simple things such as donating $5 to a project designed to stop zoo cruelty or increase the cage size, you can make a difference.
This piece has been published in Teen Ink's monthly print magazine.


text:
can't remember the amount but i know it was 3 year deal just saw it on bottom line of espn
can't remember the amount but i know it was 3 year deal just saw it on bottom line of espn
just heard 3 years 14 mil on the radio
Back to following MiLB; there's always hope for tomorrow!
three-year, $14 million deal
at least we didn't trade for one. safe to say the chance of RA coming back is nil.
What are you, people? On dope? - Mr Hand
Looks like we got our guy. Now where does wayne K go? trade dunn? or do we sign one of the overpriced 2nd tier pitchers ? None of those guys are Ground ball pitchers are they?
I think this is a great signing.
I'm your Huckleberry." - Doc Holliday
now they need to address CF
What are you, people? On dope? - Mr Hand
This organization just continues to get dumber and dumber. Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, it does. .299 OBP last year for Gonzalez. Awful. And you just know Narron will bat him second.
Wayne Krivsky has managed to turn this team from a offensive juggernaut to one of the worst hitting teams in baseball in less than a year. Impressive.
There is no such thing as a pitching prospect.
Bring in a big bat for RF and/or CF (depending on what the team wants to do with Griffey) and you still have a good potential for a lineup... maybe not the offensive juggernaut we are use to but few teams are able to match what the reds have had the last few years.
I really like this move, very solid. Good first step to this offseason. Can't wait to see where we go next
this signing sures up are defense in the infield gonzalez has good range good arm and is a web gem waiting to happen
This is a nice move, gonzalez really helps the defense. We need one more SP, and OF I think bray can be our closer. So the question is do we sign free agents or can we fill both those holes by trading dunn.
According to ESPN.com Vincente Padilla has a career GB/FB ratio of 1.45. Last 5 years look like this:
(yr: Team GB/FB ERA Rec.
2006: Texas 1.17 4.50 15-10 33GS 200 IP
2005: Philadelphia 1.25 4.71 9-12 27GS 147 IP
2004: Philadelphia 1.25 4.53 7-7 20GS 115.1 IP (I think he might have been injured a large portion of the year and tried to pitch through it early)
2003: Philadelphia 1.32 3.62 14-12 32GS 208.2 IP
2002: Philadelphia 1.98 3.28 14-11 32GS 206.0 IP
Has experience playing in band boxes, seems to do a good job of making people hit it on the ground. With our defense as its shaping up its worth the risk.
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