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In this 2D Platformer game you are a Cube. Collecting Cubes. In a world made up of Cubes. ( Yes, I am a bad Graphics Artist, but hey, I'm alone here. ) Well, pretty simple, right? Well, not really. It's a bit different. The cube which you control cannot jump; you may only control it left and right. How to get above obstacles, you may ask? The cube bounces. For every time it hits the ground, it will bounce less and less meaning you will have to strategically plan out your moves in some levels in order to pass them. So, one simple mechanic...Well, once again, not really. As you pass through the game you unlock a Power which let's you change Gravity. Quite literally. You will have to use the power to change Gravity upwards, downwards, left and right to complete some stages. So yes, my first game, I'm self-taught in Development, hopefully it'll turn out well.
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Judge Wayne Saitta of Kings County Supreme Court has been hearing the PPR case since June, when residents took property owner Haysha Deitsch and the Department of Health (DOH) to court seeking a preliminary injunction that would require PPR to maintain all of its services for residents.
Last Wednesday, Judge Saitta listened as the counsel for the PPR residents complained that empty apartment units were being rented out to non-residents, the quality of meals had seriously diminished, air conditioning in the hallways had been shut off, some elevator services had been shut down, certain common areas had been closed off, access to transportation had been limited, there was no longer an activities director, cleaning and recycling services had been cut back and furniture had been removed from common areas.
The counsel for PPR consented to return all of these services.
PPR refused, however, one request in the residents' motion. In the past, residents ate in a dining area. Since they had been abruptly told to move and the court case was opened, residents had been crammed to a much smaller room, further from the kitchen and without appropriate air conditioning, according to a supporter of the PPR residents.
The defendants' counsel denied the accusation of an inadequate eating area, at which point Judge Saitta scheduled a visit to PPR the following Friday, August 8, to examine the dining area himself.
After the visit, during which he asked some of the residents questions regarding their living conditions, Judge Saitta determined that meals had to be moved back to being served in the main dining area.
Councilman Brad Lander, who has supported PPR residents throughout their battle, said that he will continue to fight with the residents as the case continues in September.
"We will continue to stand by our neighbors as long as a single resident remains in the building," Lander wrote in a statement.
Sandy Reiburn, daughter of a former resident of PPR, said that she respected and appreciated Judge Saitta taking matters into his own hands, instead of depending on word of mouth.
"It was very heartening to see the judge there [at PPR]," Reiburn said. "He took the initiative to find out for himself, and he saw that the dining area was isolated and crowded and he said open it up."
Now that the judge has ordered for services to be restored, the residents will wait until September to continue the proceedings on the future of PPR.

subset: commoncrawl


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Chef Joe ventures out of the kitchen, even leaves New York and heads to Texas to see how BBQ is done in the Lone Star State. He finishes his round trip with some New York style pizza and some Long Island Apple Picking! What a way to spend the day!
Visit the Website: http://www.tastethistv.com
Episode #1613 / Length: 29 minutes


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Hello everyone!
OK, so hopefully someone can help me. I have a vertical scroll setup for a div with a fixed width and height. Obviously, works great in browsers. However, it seems not to much for Androids (so far I've only tried the Samsung Galaxy (1), so I'm not to sure how it looks on other devices).
Anyway, I was wondering if their is a way to create an CSS/Javascript scroll option to ensure that the scroll is visible and usable. I've tried JQuery on several different levels, but to me that's very confusing and I'm still learning it. So any "simple" help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
maybe this helps:
maybe this helps to find something to preview your mobiel site:


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Saturday, March 6 – Park and Recreation Commission Retreat
The Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission will hold a retreat from 8 a.m. to noon in the Community Room at the Station at Potomac Yard, 650 Maskell St. At the retreat, the Commission will discuss and determine priority actions for the next 12 to 24 months. The retreat is open to the public. For more information, call 703.746.5501.
Saturday, March 6 – Fort Ward Park History Group Meeting
Interested participants are invited to the Fort Ward Park History Group meeting at Oakland Baptist Church, 3408 King St., from 10 a.m. to noon. Workgroup members are recording family history, identifying features such as graves, documenting historical photographs including family and landscape images, and helping with other projects related to the history of the site and in particular, to the African-American community that existed at Fort Ward. Meeting attendees should park at T.C. Williams High School, 3330 King St. For more information, visit www.fortward.org or call 703.746.4554.
Wednesday, March 10 – Potomac Yard Design Advisory Committee Meeting
The Potomac Yard Design Advisory Committee will meet from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at City Hall, 301 King St., in the Sister Cities Conference Room #1101. The Committee's role is to review preliminary development plan approvals for compliance with the Potomac Yard Urban Design Guidelines and to send its recommendations to the Planning Commission and City Council for their consideration. For more information, call Gwen Wright at 703.746.3811.
Wednesday, March 10 – Fiscal Year 2011 Budget Public Hearing
The City of Alexandria will hold a public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2011 budget at 4 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, City Hall, 301 King St. Individuals wishing to speak on the proposed budget may sign up prior to the public hearing by calling the Office of the City Clerk and Clerk of Council at 703.746.4550. Presenters are requested to provide a copy of their text to the City Clerk and Clerk of Council.
Thursday, March 11 – Ad Hoc Fort Ward Park and Museum Area Stakeholder Advisory Group Meeting
The City of Alexandria's Ad Hoc Fort Ward Park and Museum Area Stakeholder Advisory Group will meet at 7 p.m. at the Fort Ward Museum, 4301 W. Braddock Rd. Established by City Council resolution in June 2009, the Advisory Group advises City staff on Fort Ward Park and Museum use and management. For more information, call Laura Durham at 703.746.5493.
Thursday, March 11 – Alexandria Waterfront Committee Marina Meeting
The City of Alexandria's Waterfront Committee Marina Subcommittee will meet at 6 p.m. in Conference Room 2 at the Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St. Established by the Waterfront Committee, the subcommittee studies issues related to the City Marina and makes recommendations to the Waterfront Committee. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/recreation or call Laura Seidler at 703.746.5494.
Thursday, March 11 – Contrabands & Freedmen's Memorial
The City of Alexandria invites residents, stakeholders, and members of the public to attend the Contrabands & Freedmen's Cemetery Memorial information meeting from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe St. This meeting will be an opportunity to residents to provide feedback and input regarding the proposed design. For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Freedmens or contact Emily Baker, firstname.lastname@example.com or 703.746.4054.
Coming Soon!
Tuesday, March 16 – Census Complete Count Committee Meeting
The Census Complete Count Committee will meet at 7 p.m. at the Durant Center, 1605 Cameron St. The committee was established to help develop a strategy to ensure an accurate census count in 2010 and promote participation by all residents. For more information, call Ralph Rosenbaum at 703.746.3859.
Tuesday, March 16 – Potomac Waterfront Flood Mitigation Study
The City of Alexandria invites residents to attend a public information meeting on the Potomac Waterfront Flood Mitigation Study from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson St. This is an opportunity for residents to get more information about the study, which is currently in the final stages of production. For more information, e-mail Craig Perl at firstname.lastname@example.com, call 703.746.4057, or visit alexandriava.gov/waterfront.
Wednesday, March 17 – BRAC-133 Advisory Group Meeting
The BRAC-133 Advisory Group will meet at 7 p.m. at the Beatley Central Library, 5005 Duke St. The City Council established the BRAC-133 Advisory group to serve as a forum for developing ideas and recommendations related to transportation improvements and other issues associated with the BRAC relocation at the Mark Center. For more information, call Pat Escher at 703.746.3812.
Thursday, March 18 – Carlyle Design Review Board
The Carlyle Design Review Board will meet at 7 p.m. in Room 2000, City Hall, 301 King St. The Design Review Board is a five-member board established by City Council to review concept and final design proposals for development site plans and development site plans. The Board also reviews requests for signs and additions/alterations to building exteriors visible from publicly accessible areas surrounding the building. For more information, call Katye Parker at 703.746.3819.
Saturday, March 20 – Mayor's State of the City Address
Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille delivers his annual State of the City Address at 9 a.m. at the Station at Potomac Yard, 650 Maskell St. Mayor Euille will outline the City's accomplishments and future challenges during his address. After the State of the City address, residents are invited to tour The Station at Potomac Yard, an award-winning development that combines a fire station, 64 units of affordable and workforce rental housing, and retail space. For more information, call 703.746.3969.
2010 Applications Now Available for Elderly and Disabled Tax Relief
The City of Alexandria has mailed applications for the City's Tax Relief Programs for the Elderly or totally and permanently disabled to all previous participants and those who have requested applications. If you are at least 65 years of age or permanently and totally disabled by November 15, 2010, you may qualify for a full or partial exemption and/or deferral for your 2010 real estate taxes and/or an exemption from your 2010 personal property taxes on one vehicle. For more information or to obtain an application, visit alexandriava.gov/TaxRelief, e-mail Tax Services at firstname.lastname@example.com, or call 703.746.3901, Option 6.
Ellen Pickering Environmental Excellence Award - Call for Entries
Do you know someone in the City of Alexandria that should be nominated for their efforts to create an environmentally sustainable Alexandria? The City of Alexandria, the Alexandria Sanitation Authority, and the Environmental Policy Commission announce the City's second annual award program to select to formally recognize outstanding residents who have demonstrated their commitment to protecting the natural environment and promoting environmental sustainability. Nomination criteria and guidelines are available at www.alexearthday.org. Nominations should be submitted to the Office of Environmental Quality, 301 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314 by Friday, April 3. The award will be presented at Alexandria Earth Day on April 24 at Ben Brenman Park.
Free Tax Preparation Assistance for Low-Income Residents
The City of Alexandria is offering free tax preparation assistance to low-income residents during the 2010 tax season. Tax preparation sessions begin at 9 a.m. on Saturdays, and at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, through April 13. Sessions are held in the lobby of the Alexandria Department of Human Services, 2525 Mount Vernon Ave. For more information, call Suzanne Kratzok, Coordinator of Community Resources, at 703.746.5663.


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Welcome to
The Sister Mary Ludgera Pieperbeck Learning Resource Center (CON Library), located on the second floor of Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing, provides students, faculty, and staff with access to a wide variety of research materials... Read more
Academic Development Center
The College of Nursing is dedicated to helping its students succeed. The Academic Development Center was created to to assist students in achieving academic success. The Center provides an individual assessment of learning needs.
Mission and Philosophy
The Library provides instruction for information literacy and information management as a means of facilitating learning. To the extent possible, the Library provides resources and services to those not affiliated with Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing.
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Feb 3, 201409:28 AM
New Orleans Voices
Our City Talks Back
Podcast: Preserving New Orleans Tombs – A Science or An Art?
Michelle Stanard Duhon has an interesting job.
Michelle Stanard Duhon
Michelle Stanard Duhon is the owner of a unique company: Bayou Preservation. Most of Duhon's work involves repairing old tombs in New Orleans. While the majority of the tombs Duhon works on date back to the early 1800s, she has also repaired tombs that were built as early as the late 1700s. As locals know, New Orleanians take the city's cemeteries and tombs very seriously because they reflect and preserve an important facet of New Orleans' rich history. In this podcast, Duhon explains that repairing old tombs involves a great many dos and don'ts. For example, mortar that is too hard can damage old soft bricks. She also describes the various types of plaster mixes she uses and explains the differences among the three types of plaster commonly found in many of New Orleans' old houses. Duhon also tells us why painting an old tomb with latex paint is not the best way to protect old plaster.


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Justin Tucker tied the game on the final play of regulation, then kicked the game-winning field goal with 1:07 to play in overtime as Baltimore took a 16-13 win over San Diego.
The rookie kicker hit three field goals and Joe Flacco threw for 355 yards and a score on 30-of-51 passing for the Ravens (9-2), who have won four straight and now hold a three-game lead over both Cincinnati and Pittsburgh for first place in the AFC North.
"When it comes down to it, this is a job and you just got to do it," Tucker said.
Ray Rice carried the ball 22 times for 97 yards and caught eight passes for 67 yards, including a 29-yard catch that converted a 4th-and-29 in regulation which led to the game-tying field goal.
Philip Rivers went 23-for-36 with 228 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers (4-7), who have dropped their past three games. Malcom Floyd caught four passes for 65 yards and a score, while Ryan Mathews had 19 carries for 72 yards in the loss.
"What we're trying to do is find a way to win a game, and that's obviously the frustrating part," Chargers coach Norv Turner said. "We were able to make a couple plays in the first half and we didn't make the same plays in the second half."
San Diego started overtime with the ball, but had to punt after reaching midfield. Baltimore, though, also had to punt on its first touch after getting close to midfield.
The Chargers then went three-and-out, but a 63-yard punt from Mike Scifres pinned the Ravens back at their own 11.
A defensive pass interference penalty on the next play moved the ball 11 yards and Flacco converted a 3rd-and-4 with an 11-yard pass to Dennis Pitta. The Ravens later faced a 3rd-and-10 at the San Diego 47, but Torrey Smith made a leaping 31-yard catch down to the 16.
Following three kneels by Flacco to get the ball between the middle of the hash marks, Tucker drilled the winner from 38-yards out for the win.
The Ravens trailed by 10 points with 7:51 to play, but started their first touchdown drive of the game at their own 20, with Jacoby Jones getting things started with a 12-yard catch. Facing a 3rd-and-6, Flacco and Jones got together again on a 24-yard catch to move the ball past midfield.
Smith later caught a 22-yard pass and followed that with a 14-yard grab down to the San Diego 9. Two plays later, Flacco found Pitta in the back of the end zone from four yards out for a 13-10 game with 4:19 to play.
San Diego had a quick three-and-out and the Ravens got the ball back at their own 40, with the second play going for 16 yards on a catch by Pitta.
However, a holding call followed by two incompletions and a fumble that saw the team lose another nine yards faced Baltimore with a 4th-and-29.
Flacco dumped the ball off to Rice, who caught it at the right side, raced over to the left and just stretched over the first-down marker.
There was a lengthy review to determine whether the spot of the ball was correct, and eventually it was moved back about a half-yard. After resetting the chains to their original position, the spot still left plenty of room for a first down at the San Diego 34.
"I don't think it was a good shot, but I thought it might of been our best option at the time just to give it to Ray," Flacco said about the play. "Ray made a great run and we got a little lucky. It worked out perfectly."
The Ravens would get down to the Chargers' 20 before Tucker kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired to send the game to overtime.
Baltimore got across midfield on its second possession of the game and was in field goal range, but Flacco got sacked for a 9-yard loss by Corey Liuget to force a punt.
Following a three-and-out from the Ravens to begin the second quarter, the Chargers got the ball back at their 22 and went to work.
Rivers hooked up with Danario Alexander on a 26-yard play, then a 16-yard catch by Floyd got the ball across midfield before Jackie Battle later converted a 4th-and-1 with a 2-yard run.
From the 21-yard line, Rivers hit Floyd over the middle near the 10, with the wideout taking it in for a 7-0 lead with 9:43 to play in the half.
After holding Baltimore to another three-and-out, San Diego put more points on the board with an 11-play, 53-yard march that was finished with a 47-yard field goal from Nick Novak for a 10-0 lead with 3:04 remaining before intermission.
Baltimore had two more possessions in the first half, but were unable to move the ball both times and started the third quarter with the ball, when the team was finally able to put something together.
On 3rd-and-7 at his own 19, Flacco found Smith for a 54-yard play down to the San Diego 27. The Ravens moved just two more yards, but Tucker got them on the board with a 43-yard field goal to make it a 10-3 game less than three minutes into the period.
Later in the third, Baltimore went on an extended drive that got into the San Diego red zone. Facing a 4th-and-1 at the Chargers' 14, the team opted to go for it. Bernard Pierce, though, was stopped for a 2-yard loss and the Ravens came away empty-handed to give San Diego the ball back with 30 seconds left in the quarter.
San Diego then went on an extended drive that ate up over 7 1/2 minutes of the clock over 13 plays and was finished with Novak hitting a 30-yard field goal for a 13-3 lead with 7:51 to play. The big play of the drive was a 13- yard run by Ronnie Brown on a 3rd-and-7 that got the ball into the red zone.
Game Notes
Smith finished the game with seven catches for 144 yards ... The Ravens totaled 443 yards and held the ball for 39:02, while San Diego managed just 280 yards ... San Diego hosts Cincinnati next Sunday ... Baltimore hosts Pittsburgh next Sunday ... The Ravens have won 10 of their last 11 regular- season games against AFC opponents ... Baltimore now leads the series with San Diego, 5-4 ... Baltimore had six sacks in the game, while San Diego had five.


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by Matt Dalby, sports information graduate assistant
AIKEN, S.C. – The Georgia College women's basketball team (1-1) dropped their first regular-season contest of the season Tuesday night, falling to fellow Peach Belt Conference (PBC) member USC Aiken (1-0), 55-32 in a non-conference matchup at the Convocation Center.
GC hung tough through the first phases of the game, even jumping out to a 10-9 lead at the 12:11 mark, but a steady Pacer effort would eventually prove too much as the Bobcats headed to the locker room trailing 32-20.
Neither team shot well in the second half and the Pacers held on to their lead. GC finished at just 25 percent (14-57) for the game, with USCA at 40 percent (23-58).
Freshman Shanteona Keys (Roswell, Ga.) enjoyed another solid game, picking up 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field. Keys has now reached double-figures in each of her first two games as a Bobcat.
Sophomore Abby Slocumb (Suwannee, Ga.) and freshman Belinda Schaafsma (Momence, Ill.) put together six points apiece, with Schaafsma adding a team-high five rebounds.
USC Aiken held a large advantage on the glass, out-rebounding Georgia College 50-33, including 17-11 on the offensive boards.
Senior Myeshia Simms (Macon, Ga.) showed some solid vision and playmaking ability, dishing out seven assists to just two turnovers. As a whole, the Bobcats committed 14 turnovers which equaled that of the Pacers.
Because this was a non-conference matchup, the Bobcats will still hold a clean PBC record. GC gets another crack at USC Aiken when the Pacers visit Milledgeville Saturday, Jan. 14 in an official PBC contest.
Georgia College will need to rebound quickly, as they head to Dahlonega, Ga. to compete in the Chick-Fil-A Classic this weekend.
They will face-off against the University of North Alabama (1-1) Friday, Nov. 18 at 5 p.m., followed by a meeting with Trevecca Nazarene University (1-3) Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
The Georgia College Department of Athletics, two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at www.twitter.com/BobcatSports and www.facebook.com/gcbobcats for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit www.GCBobcats.com for more information, and to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GC Athletics Hall of Fame.


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Breaking: The Wall Street bailout measure appears at this point to be headed to passage in the Senate tonight. Word is that the House will follow due to a bit of sweetening:
- Raising the FDIC insurance cap for savings accounts from $100,000 to $250,000 (Interesting aside: France and Ireland guarantee an unlimited amount)
- Easing rules about how companies count devalued (read: mortgage-backed) assets on their balance sheets
- An extension of some GOP-friendly tax relief
Also breaking (literally): YouTube is getting absolutely hammered right now, so the above video barely plays in the air-conditioned splendor of Daily News HQ in lovely Woodland Hills, Calif.
And now we begin this Friendly Fire rant:
Republicans contend that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's baldly partisan floor speech before the White House's Wall Street bailout bill came up for a vote blew a big hole in whatever was keeping restless Republicans on board the measure sent to them by their own president.
I won't point out the president's popularity ratings, if only because those for Congress are as low, if not lower.
The fact that Speaker Pelosi was supposed to carry water for President Bush aside, remember triangulation as practiced by President Clinton? Before Monica (should we call it "BM"?), President Clinton was the master of working with a Congress from the opposing party. Now we have a president, albeit the most lame of ducks, not able to get his own party in line behind a measure he says is critical to the economic life of the country.
Yeah, I know that the Democrats have the slimmest of slim majorities in the House. Maybe its too slim. It sure isn't enough to get much done. If the Dems had their own brand of triangulation in place, there might be more happening on the House floor, but Rep. Pelosi and company seem to be waiting for the November election to sweep in enough new members from their party to allow them to not just control the agenda but marginalize the GOP in the process. (Hint: Don't count on it).
Ever since Social Security reform (remember that?) failed, we haven't heard much from President Bush either in terms of game-changing legislation about … anything. "Surge is working" … that's about it, right?
From the way the lending industry has conducted itself over the past five or more years to the dependence of the entire financial sector on mortgage-backed securities and other doomed financial instruments that depended on the continued, unabated rise of real-estate values, even as the rest of the economy remained stagnant, there have been plenty of signs that the country was headed for an economic thumping.
Who knew that the thumping would be this hard — and felt worldwide.
We weren't the only ones throwing the old lending rules out and turning the land under our feet into a continually barfing money machine.
Bottom line: Housing prices didn't shoot as high as they did because the properties got more valuable; banks made the money needed to move into them way, way less valuable by giving more and more of it to people with less and less ability to pay.
Endlessly increasing "flip this house" equity was supposed to cure all ills.
It was a pyramid scheme, pure and simple, and those who got in too late and didn't get out are now holding the bag. If prices were such that the traditional 30-year-fixed, 20-percent-down loan would work, most would choose that. But the no-money-down, equity-in-5-years-or-bust loans flooding the market kept pushing up prices for no reason other than that banks made money — lots of it — with every new loan, every refinance job.
Too bad America's banks and investment houses set themselves — and the rest of us — up.
Here's the scorecard:
- President Bush would get a pass … if he weren't in the eighth year of his eight-year presidency
- The Democratically controlled Congress would get a pass if it had sent any legislation at all on mortgage reform to the president's desk
- Wall Street? Sure, they didn't have regulation stopping them, but it's pure, unadulterated greed: No pass for them.
Bush, Congress and the financial industry: Get a crow-filled feedbag and start eating.


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Parent says child's homework is racist | News
ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. -- Violent, racist images in a local second grade lesson plan have sparked an investigation at Atlantic Beach Elementary.
"One of them in particular, an image of a murder scene we thought was highly inappropriate," said James Hill, an Atlantic Beach Elementary parent.
Hill said the black and white cartoon image of a lynching and a group of people watching were all part of a Black History coloring packet passed out in his son's second grade class. An education piece that he believes is teaching intolerance and generalizations.
"I'm just trying to figure out what they were thinking when they made it," said Hill.
The packet was created by www.edhelper.com, which states that the material is suitable for eighth and ninth grade students. Yet the handouts feature cartoon characters and a simple writing style.
Take for example the section on voting rights. A portion of it reads: "The 15th Amendment was passed giving black men the right to vote. White people came up with more Jim Crow laws to keep them from voting."
"White people do not like black people and I think it was interesting since there was a huge war fought, where white people died to abolish slavery."
Hill took his concerns to the principal of the school, which sparked an investigation on Tuesday.
We asked Superintendent Nikolai Vitti for an update on the investigation, but he said he couldn't comment because it was ongoing.
As for the teacher, school officials said she has not been placed on leave.
Hill wants one of two things to happen: exclude www.edhelper.com documents as a source for teachers or review the content before passing it out.


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1920s Feather Headband
Added May 2, 2011
This is a one off headband inspired by the 1920s flapper times.
The headband itself is made from a poka dot fine black fabric, and gathers at the middle of the band (like a turban style).
The brooch features black feathers on each side, and has a circle felt with acrylic silver/clear gemstones stitched on to it.
Wear the brooch on the headband,wear the headband without it, or jazz up a dress with the brooch on a strap.
Only 1 Made – gorgeous, feel instantly transported to 1920s glamour days.
The band is approx 59cms, or 23inches, it slips on top of the head.
This product is for sale
By amandaloschiavo at www.alofashion.bigcartel.com
Material Notes
stretchy lace/tulle, felt, gemstones and feathers
- For
- Women
- Garment Type
- Accessories
0 Comments
Add to Favorites 3 people added it


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In today's On the News segment: More than 300,000 West Virginia residents are facing their fifth day of dealing with a massive chemical spill; in 2012, the total cost of all college tuition was about $62 billion dollars; the "Moral Mondays" movement is spreading throughout the South; and more.
Thom Hartmann here – on the news...
You need to know this. More than 300,000 West Virginia residents are facing their fifth day of dealing with a massive chemical spill, and FEMA is helping state and local agencies ensure that residents have access to safe drinking water. That means tax payers are already covering the cost of the spill, and they could also be on the hook for clean up expenses. To make matters worse, state environmental officials are now saying that the chemical leak could be substantially worse than first believed. Earlier reports estimated between two and five thousand gallons of a dangerous coal-processing chemical leaked into the Elk River, but now residents are learning that as many as 7,500 gallons could have contaminated their drinking water. The West Virginian American Water Company says it will likely be "several days" before residents can use their tap water for anything other than flushing toilets. Many schools and businesses remain closed because of the dangerous spill, and stores can't keep up with the demand for bottled water. The West Virginia chemical spill is a perfect example of why corporations aren't more responsible when dealing with dangerous substances – they keep all the profits, and the public is forced to cover the cost of their mistakes. Just like those responsible for oil spills, these companies are never forced to pay the true cost of their reckless behavior. Patricia Mason, a 54-year old retired West Virginia resident, said, "It seems like no one watches these companies. They get away with this all the time, and we're the ones who pay for it. We're the ones who are suffering. It's just wrong." Our nation must enact stricter regulations to govern these toxic chemicals, and we need to start holding corporations responsible for the real cost of the damage they do to our environment and our lives.
In screwed news... In 2012, the total cost of all college tuition was about $62 billion dollars. Yet, our government spent three times that amount to subsidize universities, and profit on student loans. The money we're spending on tax breaks, grants, and loan processing could pay for every student to get a free college education. Rather than helping our young people, we're spending more than $180 billion dollars a year to maintain a shoddy patchwork of attempts to make college affordable – and we're allowing for-profit universities and lenders to make billions in the process. Providing a free college education would actually save money for taxpayers, and it would allow young Americans to compete with their global counterparts. It would also avoid crippling them with massive debt, which puts a serious drain on national economy for decades to come. Instead of lining the pockets of universities and lenders, we should be providing every student a free college education.
In the best of the rest of the news...
The "Moral Mondays" movement is spreading throughout the South. This week, progressives in Georgia will hold their first Moral Monday protest, and South Carolina will be putting their own twist on the event the very next day. Progressive activists will gather in Columbia, South Carolina for their "Truthful Tuesday" event, which is being organized by a wide range of labor groups and progressive organizations. Just like the protests in North Carolina and Georgia, organizers in South Carolina are calling for the protection of voting rights, and better funding for public schools. In addition, they're asking protesters to wear black to symbolize the 1,300 people who will likely die in their state because Republicans refuse to expand Medicaid. The protests in all of these states show that Americans are sick and tired of these right-wing policies, and no longer will they sit quietly while Republican lawmakers destroy their states.
According to RadCast.org, radiation levels are calmer around our nation today, now that the weather has settled down. Durham, North Carolina is averaging 32 counts per minute, with spikes of 46, and Chicopee, Massachusetts is sitting at 43, with highs of 65 counts per minute. Frederick, Wisconsin is hovering at 48 counts per minute, with spikes of 73, and Craig, Montana is averaging 40, with highs of 68 counts per minute. Phoenix, Arizona is sitting at 43 counts per minute, with spikes of 63, Chico, California is averaging 30, with highs of 68 counts per minute, and Vancouver, Washington is hovering at 37 counts per minute, with spikes of 55. RadCast.org's alert level is 100 counts per minute, but they remind us that there is no safe level of radiation.
Maryland is doing something about the rising cost of healthcare. That state will be the testing ground for some strict regulations on medical prices, and they're aimed at reducing overall healthcare spending. These new rules will build on Maryland's previous success at reigning in costs, which has already led to medical prices in that state being three percent lower than the national average. Governor Martin O'Malley said, "We need to shift away from our near exclusive focus on treating illness, and move to a balanced approach that encourages prevention and wellness." The old saying goes, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," and Maryland may soon prove that it's also worth some huge cost savings.
And finally... If you rode the subway this weekend in Los Angeles, Washington, or New York, you may have seen much more than you bargained for. That's because Sunday was the official "No Pants Subway Ride", which has been happening in many major cities since 2002. This year's event in Washington started at 2pm near the National Mall, and those who joined in were asked to maintain a calm demeanor, and "act like riding the subway in your underwear [was] the most normal thing in the world." People were asked to bring pants with them, in case they were ordered by an official to put them back on. No news yet on whether there was a large turnout for the No Pants Subway Ride, or if riders in New York simply viewed people in their underwear as just a typical Sunday.
And that's the way it is today – Monday, January 13, 2014. I'm Thom Hartmann – on the news.


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After pocketing its first win last week in dramatic fashion, the Bethany College football team will aim for its second straight win Saturday when it welcomes PAC leader and undefeated Waynesburg to Bison Stadium Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
The Bison (1-4, 1-2) looked like they would beat Geneva in regulation when junior QB Matt Grimard scampered for a five-yard touchdown run with 18 seconds to play. But the Golden Tornadoes forced overtime with a 41-yard TD pass on a Hail Mary on the last play of regulation. Bethany regrouped to pick off a Geneva pass on their first possession and then won the game in front of a frenzied Homecoming crowd on a 24-yard scoring pass from Grimard to senior WR Ed Holmes.
Grimard had a huge day in the victory, throwing for a career-best 343 yards, which put him over 5,000 career passing yards, and four touchdowns while rushing for another and would earn PAC and ECAC South Region Offensive Player of the Week. Sophomore running back Phil Acrie also set a career-high with 146 rushing yards and one TD, while the defense was led by senior linebacker Kyle Arrington with a career-best 17 tackles, the most by a Bison since 1996. Head coach Tim Weaver was obviously pleased with the result, but there were still things he'd like to see cleaned up from the Bison.
"It was good to get a win because we obviously needed one badly," said Weaver, who won his fourth Homecoming game with the Bison program. "After a couple tough losses, we got to break someone else's heart. But there is an old saying in coaching. Don't let losing magnify your problems and don't let winning disguise your problems. Even after a great team win like Saturday, there are still areas we need to address.
"We missed two kicks, we had the ball in plus territory four times and didn't score, fumbled a perfect punt snap to give them the ball at our 14 and the big one was giving up the Hail Mary," said Weaver. "All of that and we managed to win the game. To do that, you have to be a good football team and a resilient football team."
Looking ahead to the second half of the schedule, Weaver says the miscues made in the Geneva game have to be corrected, but he also says the team still has to show the type of football it can play.
"To continue to have success in the second half of the season, we have to eliminate those mistakes," said Weaver. "In evaluating the offense, we gained over 500 yards and scored 42 points, but how many points did we leave on the field? The defense did a solid job most of the day, but they gained 106 yards and scored two touchdowns on two plays, so we have to eliminate those big plays. We were very pleased with the effort and the majority of the execution last week and thrilled with the result. But we also know we haven't played anywhere close to our best football yet."
The other star of the Bison defense Saturday was sophomore cornerback Wyssmy Despagne. He was matched up with Geneva's Corey O'Patchen, who entered the game averaging six catches for 97 yards per game and held the top wideout to two receptions for 30 yards. Despagne finished the day with five tackles, two pass break-ups and the interception in the end zone on Geneva's first possession of OT to set up the final dramatic touchdown, which just continued to cement his stock as one of the top corners in the league.
"Wys is the best corner we've had here and one of the two or three best in the PAC since we've been here," said Weaver. "A big part of our game plan is done in about a minute now because we know we can put him on their go-to guy. We knew he was going to travel with O'Patchen Saturday and the numbers show the job he did. They threw to him seven or eight times and he caught two for 30. They took three deep shots and every one was well defended and Wys probably could have picked another.
"He is competitive, athletic and has good ball skills," said Weaver. "He wants to get in everyone's face, jam him and challenge him. He has no problem being put on an island by himself. He wants it and that's what you want to see from your best corner."
Also emerging with big games Saturday were a pair of wide receivers in freshman Eric Blinn and junior Chris Collins. Blinn, who is averaging 18.6 yards in his 18 catches and has 334 receiving yards, caught seven balls Saturday for 121 yards and a 60-yard TD. Collins, who missed all of last year because of a knee injury, caught a 29-yard scoring pass among his seven receptions for 81 yards. Those two, coupled with Acrie in the backfield, give the Bison a bright future at the skill positions.
"We knew Eric was a good player when we recruited him, we just weren't sure whether we'd play him at receiver or at DB," said Weaver. "But we knew from practice two that he had to play. He is well ahead of where all our other guys were at this stage in terms of knowing the offense and making adjustments. He has good speed, is a good practice player and is a great addition to an already deep and talented group.
"We were really excited to get Chris back after his ACL last year," said Weaver. "But what people don't know is he tore the other ACL in camp and is playing on it with a brace. In terms of sheer ability, he may be better than all our other guys. He worked very hard in rehab to get back, and while we're happy to have him to throw to, we're also happy for him as a person to see his hard work pay off.
"We really like what Eric and Chris bring to us and we feel they are two guys we can build around for next year," said Weaver. "Throw in Phil at tailback and we have our next generation of good skill players on offense."
The high-flying Bison offense, which ranks first in the conference with 32.4 points per game, faces a big challenge Saturday against a Waynesburg (6-0, 4-0) defense that ranks first in the PAC in total yards allowed (248.8) and rushing defense (82.8) and ranks second in passing defense (166.0) and scoring (14.5). In last week's 21-14 victory over Grove City, the Yellow Jackets allowed just 210 total yards, including only 83 on the ground. Junior safety Bryan Gary picked off a pass and had a team-high 11 stops to give him 55 for the season, while junior defensive lineman Brandon Fedorka totaled eight tackles and three sacks. That tandem will warrant a lot of attention from Bethany Saturday, but Weaver said the unit is strong from front to back.
"They have experience and talent with a lot of the same faces we've seen over the last couple years," said Weaver. "Everyone knows about guys like Gary and Fedorka, but the new guys they have are playing at a high level too. We really think that Fedorka has brought his play to the level of the elite edge defensive players we've seen in this conference like (Jacob) Bloomhuff from W&J and Tim Taylor from Thiel. At this level, you don't see a lot of defensive ends you need to game plan for, but you need to with him.
"Overall, they are multiple enough to keep you guessing, but good enough to get pressure when they only bring three or four guys," said Weaver. "They play very hard, are good tacklers and do all the fundamental things that make you good."
The Yellow Jacket offense doesn't put up eye-popping numbers, but is averaging 24.2 points per game. Waynesburg has proven to have a top ground game, leading the conference with 179.3 rushing yards per game. The two-pronged attack is led by junior Dominic Moore with 381 rushing yards and three scores, while Bertrand Ngampa has 304 yards and two scores. Tyler Fatigante was the team's starter at quarterback through the first five games and threw for 442 yards and six TDs, but missed last week's Grove City win due to injury. The top pass catchers include tight end Adam Moses with 23 receptions and wideout Christian Jackson, who in addition to catching 16 passes is the league's top punt (9.8 yards per return) and kick returner (36.5).
"One thing I like that they do on offense is play a bunch of people and get everyone involved," said Weaver. "They are committed to the run and you have to stop it. The last time we faced a challenge that definitive was at Randolph-Macon and we did not do it. Their main two backs present different challenges. Ngampa scares you because if he gets in space, he can go the distance, and Moore pounds in between the tackles.
"They also do a good job of breaking formation tendencies and lining up people where you don't expect," said Weaver. "We saw on film they used four tight ends on a play before. They do a lot of that in the red zone, which makes you go pretty simple defensively down there. But their line can be very physical and the quarterbacks understand what they have to do, so they present some different challenges."
Special teams may very well decide the game Saturday. This contest will feature the top two punters in the league in Waynesburg's Zack Rogers (40.6 avg.) and Bison sophomore Stephen Amic, who was last week's PAC and Special Teams Player of the Week as well as the punter on the D3Football.com National Team of the Week and is second with 37.7 yards per punt. But Weaver says in addition to not allowing big plays from the special teams, controlling the run game and holding onto the football will be keys for Saturday.
"One factor Saturday is to not give up big special teams plays," said Weaver. "They feast on blocked punts and big returns. Jackson is a dangerous return guy and their specialists are good. But we also need to hold them to less than four yards a carry and repeat last week's zero-turnover performance on offense."


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'Essential questions' are all too often lower order. And not that essential.
When we're working with schools on our Design Thinking School programme, one of the easiest ways to explain what we're looking for in the way a project is set, is whether the statement or questions being asked can be Googled easily: is this a Googleable or Not Googleable topic?
Via Dennis T OConnor


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Ashley Davis ('07) In Tuesday's Golf Channel Reality Show Highway 18 Finale
By ODU Athletics
Sept. 28, 2008
NORFOLK, VA-- Former Old Dominion University golf standout Ashley Davis ('07) will be in the Golf Channel reality show finale, Highway 18 Tuesday night at 10 p.m. Davis and her TV show teammate Ashleigh Korzack will battle Rob Campbell and his sister Charlotte Campbell. The golf channel is 223 on Cox in Hampton Roads.
The season started in August with five twosomes who each week race for clues and special challenges on a different golf course.
Davis, a native of Ontario Canada starred for the Lady Monarch's golf program from 2003-07.
Davis still owns a number of school records such as the lowest fall stroke average at 75.86 in 2006, the lowest overall career stroke average at 79.09. She also has three of the teams top five individual tournament finishes, the best at 147 at Spring Lake in 2005.


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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Dozens of experts and activists have lined up to testify before the State Board of Education as it mulls approval of new science textbooks for classrooms around Texas.
Tuesday's packed public hearing allows the board to hear from Texans on 15 high school biology textbooks that have been submitted for board approval.
Its members, however, won't vote on the proposed books until their November meeting.
Under a law approved in 2011, school districts can now choose books, electronic readers and other materials without board approval. Still, most districts have continued using books sanctioned by the board.
The process already has sparked an outcry from some conservatives who would like to see evolution and climate change deemphasized in science lessons.
But experts say doing so would let ideology trump academic standards.
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Siamese Kittens for Sale in Tennessee
There are some Siamese breeders available who may be willing to ship. If you decide that shipping is an option, please contact the breeder and make sure that the breeder follows safe, humane, and ethical procedures for shipping a pet.
Blue Isles
Fort Myers, FL
Lee County
Evening Mist
New York, NY
New York County
Saint Petersburg, FL
Pinellas County


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"Shocking" That Kate Gosselin Hit Kids? Unfortunately, Not Really.
If this week's cover of Star Magazine is any indication, Robert Hoffman is depending on the world being shocked by his claims that Kate Gosselin abused her children so that he can sell copies of his book. My bet is that this "shocking" revelation will blow over by next week and, as usual, nothing will have happened to help the kids. Why? Because those of us who've followed this story for years know these allegations are not shocking at all. In fact, the abuse and neglect of the eight kids over the years is well documented and the authorities and their relatives, including, it pains me to say, in my opinion their father, have consistently neglected to step in and help them.
My blog has provided many examples of child abuse and neglect over the past three years, and I went viral when I interviewed Eric Roberts after he called Kate Gosselin a "child abuser" almost two years ago. And that nasty wooden spoon? It might be news to the general public but it's been the subject of many online comments, jabs and jokes over the years. In my book, Jon & Kate Plus Eight: The Selling of the Gosselins, my interview with Becky Dilley (mother of sextuplets who were not exploited, sold or made famous without their permission) highlighted the fact that the Gosselin kids could only have been put into the positions they were because their parents signed them up for it. It only makes sense that a parent who has the potential to be abusive, or at the very least neglectful, is much more likely to subject their child(ren) to something traumatic like reality TV than a parent who does not.
Hoffman's "shocking" disclosure meriting space in Star Magazine highlights how seriously we, as a society, tend to take physical abuse compared to other forms of abuse. We enjoyed watching these kids being neglected, bullied, paraded before pedophiles, and having their most private moments splayed out for public consumption and amusement for years, and it's all available at any time online and on DVDs so that they will never be able to escape it, but now they're suddenly being called abused children. Please, if a mother does the many things to her children that have long been documented on my blog and elsewhere, why are we shocked that their mother also hits them, and why do we only recognize that these children have been abused when hitting is disclosed?
I haven't heard about anything in Hoffman's book that hasn't already been covered in Al Walentis's or mine. It does sadden me though that he is only working hard to get the issue of the children being abused out to the public now that he has a book to sell. Hoffman was supposedly friends with Jon for some time, but if he really cared about the kids and had concrete evidence that they'd been physically abused, why didn't he do something to actually help the eight instead of now subjecting them to the additional trauma that will likely result from his selling his story to the tabloids ?
Article first published as "Shocking" That Kate Gosselin Hit Kids? Unfortunately, Not Really. on Technorati.


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Curbell Plastics Introduces New LogoCurbell Plastics, Inc. has introduced its new company logo.
The new logo, designed in-house, represents a brand that
for 70 years has served customers ranging from small
local businesses to large Fortune 500 companies.
The 2012 launch of the new company identity also
aligns with the companyŐs 70th year in business.
Company was
founded in
1942 as a
small machine shop in the heart of Buffalo, New YorkŐs
industrial district. Originally an in-house machine shop for
a local pasta manufacturer, the company discovered a new
niche when approached by a local aircraft company to fabricate
components from a relatively new material called
Ňplastic.Ó As the machine shopŐs expertise in plastic fabrication
grew, the company began focusing exclusively on
the custom fabrication of plastic components. The new
company took the name ŇCurbellÓ from two of their early
customers, Curtiss-Wright and Bell Aircraft.
After World War II, the US chemical
industry started introducing
numerous polymer materials into
the market place. These manufacturers
approached Curbell Machine
Company to become a distributor for
their new materials.
With the success of CurbellŐs distribution
efforts, they quickly spread
across the state. Curbell continued
to expand, and by the late 1970s,
the company embarked on a program
to create a national distribution
Today, Curbell Plastics, Inc. (a subsidiary
of Curbell, Inc.) is a privately
held company headquartered in
Orchard Park, New York. With multiple
sales and warehouse locations
throughout the United States, Curbell
is one of the nationŐs premier suppliers
of plastic sheet, rod, tube, film,
adhesives, and prototyping materials.
For more information, contact
Tracy Schiedel, Curbell Plastics, Inc.,
7 Cobham Drive, Orchard Park, NY
14127, 888-287-2355/716-667-
3377, Fax: 716-667-3432, E-mail:
email@example.com, Web:
Copyright © 2018
Plastics Distributor® & Fabricator Magazine
P.O. Box 669
LaGrange, Illinois 60525-0669
All Rights Reserved.
Header Image courtesy of Nylatech, Inc.
Phone: (708) 588-1845
Fax: (708) 588-1846
Email Us


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The email below was recently received. I thought you'd get a kick out of it. Good thing I didn't take him seriously. I don't even have an Alfred Poole in my tree!
Dear Barbara,
"I am Elton Lee, Head of Trade and Supply chain HSBC, Asia. A transfer of $24.5 million was deposited by our Late customers who died without declaring any next of kin before his death in 2003.My suggestion to you is to stand as the next of kin to Alfred Poole, since you bear the same surname.We shall share in the ratio of 50% for me, 50% for you."
Elton Lee.
My blog has been changed to make it more appealing for those who have New England ancestors and want to see the area through photos. Things I'll include are typical white New England churches, libraries showing their genealogical collection, historical societies, cemeteries, war memorials, in general, anything to do with history.
For four years I've blogged mostly about my personal genealogy in New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire), New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada. I still will, can't forget my own roots.
Please check out the labels on the right side for articles. The header tabs at the top are a work in progress.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
I could get Half of 24.5 Million!!!
6 comments:
- Wendy said...
Oh my goodness, will these phishing scams never cease?! They get more and more creative.
- May 25, 2011 at 4:06 PM
- Susan Petersen said...
And how much did he want you to send him to gain access to your share? LOL.
- May 25, 2011 at 9:20 PM
- Barbara Poole said...
That was his entire message. I imagine he would get to that, if I responded. Wendy, you should see all the google hits I got with his name and the first few words of my email from him.
- May 25, 2011 at 9:23 PM
- Greta Koehl said...
"We shall share" - oh, too rich!
- May 25, 2011 at 9:49 PM
- Carol said...
So so so love this part,
"since you bear the same surname"
OHHH MY!! If I change my surname will you share Barbara??
- May 28, 2011 at 10:22 AM
- Barbara Poole said...
Share, of course, as long as I can have Ancestry for life!
- May 28, 2011 at 8:33 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Republicans urge Obama against Hagel pick
WASHINGTON: Fifteen US Senate Republicans have urged President Barack Obama to withdraw his controversial choice of defence secretary, even as others in the party concede the nominee will be confirmed next week.
Obama's nominee, Republican former senator Chuck Hagel, has faced intense opposition by current lawmakers and was grilled by the likes of Senator John McCain during a testy hearing in which critics questioned Hagel's positions on Iran, nuclear weapons, Israel and the US troop surge in Iraq.
"Senator Hagel's performance at his confirmation hearing was deeply concerning, leading to serious doubts about his basic competence to meet the substantial demands of the office," the senators, led by number two Republican John Cornyn, said in a letter to Obama.
"While Senator Hagel's erratic record and myriad conversions on key national security issues are troubling enough, his statements regarding Iran were disconcerting."
Senator Hagel stumbled at times during his lengthy testimony late last month, mistakenly saying he favoured "containment" of Iran instead of Obama's policy of preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons. He corrected himself later after being handed a note.
"If Senator Hagel becomes secretary of defence, the military option (against Iran) will have zero credibility," the senators wrote, adding that Senator Hagel lacked the "broad-based bipartisan support" enjoyed by outgoing chief Leon Panetta, which they said was critical to the success of the next Pentagon head.
Republicans managed to force a delay on Senator Hagel's confirmation vote last week, saying some colleagues need more time to study his finances and speech transcripts.
White House spokesman Jay Carney insisted Senator Hagel would "absolutely not" withdraw his name.
Delaying the confirmation, Carney said, would hobble the Defence Department's readiness during a period of rising Middle East tensions, and amid the challenges of winding down the war in Afghanistan and the continuing nuclear threat from North Korea.
"We need our new secretary of defence on the job to be part of the significant decisions that have to be made as we bring that war (in Afghanistan) to a responsible end," he said.
A vote is expected on Tuesday in the Democratic-held Senate, and some Republicans foresee Senator Hagel's confirmation.
Senator McCain said on Sunday that he was "confident" Senator Hagel would have the necessary votes, although he does not support him.
Senator Hagel got a boost on Thursday when a spokesman for Senator Richard Shelby said that "barring any unforeseen surprises" the Alabama Republican would support Senator Hagel's nomination.
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Lessons from Scotland and Samoa losses give Wallaby hopefuls a short time to make big strides
The tussle between the provinces and the Australian Rugby Union over the player release plans for the British and Irish Lions series should not disguise what it means for Wallabies candidates: the first selection cull of the year is not as distant as it seems.
If ARU boss Bill Pulver's 'Wallabies first' doctrine holds sway and the plan is implemented, it is understood a group of 25 protected players (although the final number might be subject to negotiations) will be chosen in the second half of May, and the Super franchises told. They will be available for up to two further rounds of Super Rugby before preparations for the Lions begin in earnest and they convene as national group in the first week of June.
Consequently, there are only two-and-a-half months of of regular-season Super Rugby – a step below the intensity of Tests - to convince the selectors. Those with incumbency status and involvement in that significant defeat of England at Twickenham in November might be hard to shift.
By definition, 16 Wallabies from last year's list of 41 will be not be part of that initial gathering. Add in those who have worn Test jerseys before 2012 but found last year ruined by injury - and the sizeable group of uncapped players such as Jesse Mogg and Christian Lealiifano who are knocking on the door – and that is a significant number for whom May will bring gloomy news.
For those on the outer, they will be allowed to suit up for Super Rugby duty in round 17 on the weekend of June 7-9, or - in the case of the Reds players - take on the Lions in Brisbane.
Despite Queensland letting their objections be known to the plan, the condensed nature of that first Wallabies list means they could still have a number of their big names players available for the Lions. The likes of Anthony and Saia Faingaa would be no means guaranteed to make the 25, while Rob Simmons, Radike Samo, Dom Shipperley, Mike Harris and potentially even Quade Cooper would be feeling a lot safer if they produce irresistible form in coming months. The Reds might yet field a strong side against the visitors.
In the case of the Waratahs, Lachie Turner, Rob Horne and Israel Folau spring to mind as those who could be heading to Perth for a Super Rugby game against the Force while provincial teammates are quarantined. For the Force, Hugh McMeniman, Ben McCalman and Salesi Ma'afu no doubt dream of a return to the Test arena. On June 7, the Brumbies v Rebels game will contain more than its fair share of hopefuls.
That weekend's three games games could also double as last auditions: the final six names to complete the official Wallabies squad for the opening Lions Test will be added at the conclusion of the weekend.
The Force v Waratahs game in Perth – on a Sunday night - adds credence to the rationale behind the player release plan. Should it not be in place, the Wallabies in the Waratahs squad - and there were 10 in the 23-man squad that beat England - would face a return trip across the continent less than a fortnight before the first Lions Test. Media, sponsorship and commercial duties also chew up time.
There are legitimate concerns about a lack of rugby in the build up to that June 22 match in Brisbane, although these are neatly answered by the fact the players will have 16 rounds under their belts by early June. Some rest, rather than another round of rugby, might be the most appropriate route at that stage, although, in truth, there are probably more imperfect than perfect solutions to these logistical challenges.
Still, the lessons of the Scotland and Samoan Tests in recent years should still be fresh. It will be too too late for Australian rugby to express regrets about inadequate preparation if the cheery Lions are photographed nursing celebratory beers in the Sydney Airport departure lounge come July.
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IBM closed out 2012 with essentially flat sales from one year earlier, but with a solid boost to the company's fourth-quarter bottom line.
The company's revenue from services and hardware both declined in the quarter -- the latter despite a huge increase in mainframe system sales -- while software sales grew modestly.
IBM reported total revenue of $29.3 billion for the fourth fiscal quarter ended Dec. 31, 2012, down less than 1 percent from $29.5 billion in the same period in fiscal 2011. Net income was $5.83 billion, up more than 6 percent from $5.49 billion one year earlier.
[Related: IBM Signs Tech Data, Ingram Micro For Power-Based Servers]
For all of fiscal 2012, IBM reported total revenue of $104.5 billion, down 2 percent from $106.9 billion in fiscal 2011. Net income for the entire year was 16.6 billion, up nearly 5 percent from $15.9 billion in fiscal 2011.
The results reflect IBM's increased emphasis in recent years on boosting gross margins and profitability rather than on revenue growth.
"While our overall revenue performance was modest, we had 8 percent growth in our operating net income and expanded net income margins by 1.6 points, well above our model level," said CFO Mark Loughridge, in a conference call with financial analysts Tuesday.
"We had strong performance in our growth initiatives," he said. "We expanded our margins and had excellent profit growth, which drove our tenth consecutive year of double-digit [earnings per share] growth."
IBM's software business generated $7.9 billion in sales in the fourth quarter, up nearly 3 percent from the same period one year earlier. Sales of some key products grew substantially including Rational development tools, up 12 percent year-over-year, WebSphere software, up 11 percent, and Lotus products, up 9 percent.
"We had another good quarter in software. Performance was broad-based, driven by business analytics, smarter commerce and cloud," Loughridge said.
IBM spent $4 billion to acquire 11 companies in 2012, bringing the total spending for acquisitions -- most of them software companies -- in the last three years to $11.5 billion.
NEXT: Slower Sales In IBM's Hardware And Services Businesses


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BOSTON (AP) — Hundreds of immigrants and their supporters have rallied in Boston to pile up pressure on the U.S. Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reforms that include a path to citizenship for the 11 million foreign-born citizens living illegally in the country.
Organizers say about 800 immigrants, community activists, representative of workers' groups and political leaders rallied at Faneuil Hall on Saturday morning. They then marched to the nearby federal building that houses the U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services and the local immigration court.
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III addressed the crowd in Boston.
The rally is one of the first events of the ''Power Up for Citizenship'' initiative being launched nationwide.
In New England, a similar rally is scheduled for Nashua, N.H., on Saturday and in Providence, R.I., on Sunday.


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Atelier Hawaii Exhibition
September 11 - October 2, 2009 at Gallery IolaniWindward Community College
Marketing Director, Chancellor's Office
Gallery hours: Mon.– Fri. and Sun., 1 – 5 p.m.;
Mon., Tues. and Wed. evenings, 6 – 8 p.m.
Gallery Web site: www.gallery.wcc.hawaii.edu Phone: 236-9155
Location: Gallery 'Iolani is located adjacent to Palikū Theatre at Windward Community College
KĀNE'OHE –Gallery 'Iolani presents Atelier Hawai'i, an exhibition showcasing the work of students from the Atelier Hawai'i summer program at Windward Community College over the past eight years since its inception. A special artist reception will be held on September 11 from 4–7 p.m. The exhibit will run until October 2. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.
Atelier Hawai'i is the only workshop of its kind in the state that provides six weeks of intensive training in the same classical techniques of drawing and painting inspired by the traditional Italian atelier, or studio, approach to art education that developed in Europe during the 19th century. Portraiture and the human figure are the focus of instruction. Under the direction of Snowden Hodges and Norman Graffam, and guest artist Jonathan Busse, participants develop skills in sight-size/observational drawing and learn oil painting techniques used by the great European Masters.
For more information, contact Gallery Director Toni Martin at 236-9150.


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Thanks to all that posted their advice, the furnace is now working.
The solution included:
1) Beefing up the grounding on the control module by adding a star washer and additional torque on the ground screw.
2) The ignitor was of the type that doubled as the flame sensor and it was moved into the second position putting it further into the flame.
Steps that one of the 3 professional techs should have done considering the 7 service visits and $$ spent:
1) Knowing that the dual purpose ignitor was of poor design, a control module with remote senor kit should have been installed, instead of the two OEM modules.
2) A positive ground should have been added to the furnace and/or control module.
3) Documentation of the tests completed if any, done during the 7 service visits.
What the HVAC trade needs in Canada.
1) Professionals of the standard that seem to be present on this forum.
2) Trainers like NormChris and others on this forum.
3) NATE certification and referral service.
I never set out to hire substandard HVAC techs but with no certification or referral network it is difficult for a homeowner to know. I now know to ask what type of tests a tech intends to perform and what type of testing equipment will be used.
Thanks again to all who gave of the time and advice.


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I thought he was supposed to lead the new Renaissance of Ohio's linebackers. It is my understanding that Fickell will still call plays for the D. The loss of four years of continuity under Taver Johnson will hurt but not enough to make a huge difference.
Know thine enemy: a preliminary look at Meyer's staff
I spent the afternoon reading about the careers of Ohio's staff, on the theory that coaching college football is a group endeavor, so Meyer is only as good as they are. This isn't a study of their tendencies or preferences as coaches, just a simple look at their résumés. I also wanted to compare Meyer's staff to Michigan's in terms of how it came to be -- unlike Hoke, Meyer has an extensive coaching tree to draw upon. Did he do so?
Let's begin with Hoke's staff at Michigan. Five coaches came with him from SDSU (Borges, Ferrigno, Hecklinski, Funk, Smith), three of whom have been with him since Ball State. Mattison and Jackson have relationships with him from his time at Michigan. So that's seven of the nine hires with previous experience working with Hoke. Of the remaining two, Mallory is a Bo/Mo Michigan alumni who coached at Ball State (Hoke's alma mater) while Hoke was at Michigan, so I'm going to guess they were not strangers prior to 2011. So that just leaves Montgomery, the youngest and least-experienced member of the staff, as a total newcomer to Hoke's world.
The same cannot be said of Urban Meyer's new staff. There are two carryovers from Florida, one of whom was already in Columbus. The other was a graduate/quality-control assistant at Florida and has never been an actual coach under Meyer, with precious little experience beyond that. None of the rest has any history with Meyer, except for one year in 1986 (more on that later).
Another thing worth pointing out is there are four coordinators, two for defense and two for offense. Maybe this is a way to justify higher salaries, but if not it seems like a recipe for confusion. In both cases, you have a full "coordinator" and then a "co-coordinator." On offense the duties are apparently split between the passing game and the running game. Meyer has brought in two coaches with recent success as offensive coordinators to fill these two positions. On defense, I'm not sure what the split means.
Anyhow, here's the rundown on offense (with links to their official bios):
- Tom Herman. Coordinator/Quarterbacks. 11 years experience. Hired because of Iowa State 2011 and Rice 2008. No history with Meyer.
- Ed Warinner. Co-coordinator/Line. 29 years experience. Hired because of Kansas 2007 (the year they were 12-1). No history with Meyer.
- Tim Hinton. Tight ends/Fullbacks. 31 years experience. Knows Meyer from 1986 Ohio staff (both were graduate assistants) under Earle Bruce. No history with Meyer since then. Has link to Dantonio at Cincinnati.
- Stan Drayton. Running backs. 20 years experience. Running backs coach at Florida (2005-2007, 2010). Drayton was already at Ohio (wide receivers) in 2011.
- Zach Smith. Receivers. 3 years experience. Spent five years as a graduate assistant and quality-control dude at Florida under Meyer. Did a lot of work with the special teams at Florida, so may also have that role here. [Note: He is Earle Bruce's grandson. h/t to elaydin in the comments.]
- Luke Fickell. Coordinator/Linebackers. 14 years experience. No history with Meyer.
- Everett Withers. Co-coordinator/Safeties. Also Assistant head coach. 24 years experience. Comes to Ohio after four years at North Carolina. No history with Meyer.
- Bill Sheridan. Cornerbacks? 31 years experience. Hired later, when Taver Johnson (Cornerbacks) left to follow Paul Haynes to Arkansas. Sheridan has Michigan ties, a graduate assistant 1985-86, linebackers coach 2002, and defensive line coach 2003-2004. He is also Nick Sheridan's father. Knows Warriner from six years together at Army (linebackers and defensive line). His only experience in the secondary seems to be 2001 at Notre Dame, where he coached safeties and special teams. No history with Meyer.
- Mike Vrabel. Line. 1 year experience. 14 years as an NFL player. No history with Meyer. [Note: Vrabel had the linebackers in 2011. Now he moves to the defensive line, replacing Jim Heacock, the defensive line coach since 1996 (also coordinator since 2005). For those keeping score at home, that's fifteen years of continuity up in smoke. h/t to BlueDragon in the comments.]
A few thoughts. One is that it could take a while for this group of coaches to gel. There are not a lot of existing relationships here. There could even be some turnover as things shake out over the next few years. Second, I guess Meyer is in control, so maybe it doesn't matter who his coordinators are, or how many there are. Nonetheless, he seems to have emphasized hiring coaches with significant experience as coordinators, which could cause friction. Third, for what it's worth, there is a stark difference between this situation and Michigan's last year. One of the principal reasons Michigan's 2011 season went so smoothly was because the new staff was able to work together immediately and without rancor. The players pick up on this.
Fourth, you have to wonder about the offense -- you've got three coaches with past ties to Meyer working under the two new offensive co-coordinators, neither of whom has ever worked with Meyer. Here's Meyer on Zach Smith: "He knows my system inside and out and he teaches the system the way I want it to be taught." How will Herman and Warriner, both of whom have had significant success coordinating their own offenses, function in the face of that? It's not quite the same situation, but I can't help thinking of Scott Shafer's year at Michigan.
On defense, it's clear Meyer tried to keep most of the existing staff together, but the loss of Taver Johnson undercuts that plan (especially with regard to Cleveland-area recruiting, or so I hear, not that it matters -- Ohio is Ohio). Now he's just got Fickell and Vrabel from the old staff, both alumni whose only real coaching experience is in Columbus -- what will the dynamic be like between these two hothouse flowers and the other two defensive coaches, both veteran teachers with many stops on their résumés?
Finally, I have to bring up the fact Meyer hired Tim Hinton. Both men were graduate assistants under Earle Bruce at Ohio in 1986. Bruce was fired the next year, before the end of the season in 1987. You have to wonder about that. Do they share some sort of long-simmering sense of injustice? If so, what sort of effect could that have if everything doesn't go perfectly?
According to the official site, yes -- Vrabel has the defensive line now. Jim Heacock (the coordinator since 2005 and the line coach since 1996) had it before this.
Actually, this is a good point -- Ohio is going from fifteen years of continuity in its coaching on the defensive line to someone whose effectiveness teaching that position is unproven.
Finally, I have to bring up the fact Meyer hired Tim Hinton. Both men were graduate assistants under Earle Bruce at Ohio in 1986. Bruce was fired the next year, before the end of the season in 1987. You have to wonder about that. Do they share some sort of long-simmering sense of injustice? If so, what sort of effect could that have if everything doesn't go perfectly?
Isn't this a bit of a reach? What's the hypothesis here? Hinton and Meyer have bee working for 25 years so they could get back to OSU to avenge the firing of their mentor Earl Bruce? To help with their master plan, Meyer also brought back Zach Smith, who happens to be Bruce's grandson.
He is in good standing with the athletic department and the fraternity of players/coaches. There would be nothing to avenge.
The coach who used to take Art Schlichter to the racetrack? Somehow, I'm not surprised that he is in "good standing" with the Ohio athletic department.
Finding out that Bruce and Schilchter were seen at the racetrack together on numerous occasions has always made me wonder whether Schlichter would have been a productive citizen after graduation with a different role model for a coach.
Sadly, Bruce's "good standing" with Ohio says more about the school and its culture than a thousand smarmy comments could.
Schlichter hated Bruce because Bruce ran a 3-yards and a cloud of dust offense and Schlichter felt it was hurting Schlichter's career. Also, Schlichter's dad felt that Bruce wasn't living up to promises Woody had made when he recruited Art, which fed into Schlichter's unhappiness.
See: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19840109&id=2P8sAAAAIBAJ&...
chances to affect the line.
It was an afterthought, but the idea is that Meyer and Hinton would both want to return the program to their shared experience under Bruce -- thus rejecting the Tressel years. I didn't know Smith is Bruce's grandson, but that just reinforces the distinction.
He's not the same coach Florida had in 2007 and 2009!!! Gee-wilikers and Smitty hired him as a knee jerk reaction, because they knew the "fanbase" was going to be looking for blood after a season with Fickell at the helm. Yeah he's got the big name appeal, but what I think he doesn't have anymore is the desire to compete. The press conference to announce UM would now be called that school up North, shows that he's just phoning it in. Brady Hoke calls Ohio, Ohio because he believes in what he's saying. Meyer did that to appease the lcd in buckeye fandom.
To work things out. No bowl, no B1G championship game, so less pressure in 2012....except for the Michigan game. Howeva, the co-coordinator thing can be dicey. Mallory got stuck in that at Illinois and it did not go well. Then again, if Urbie rules with an iron fist that will cut down on the disconnects. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out next season. The offensive scheme will be new and I assume the D will be, too, because Urbie will need to put his stamp on it. Has to prove that those SEC genes produce superior results.
May be answered by Orson's recent recruiting article: http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2012/1/13/2702332/college-football-recruiting-2012-national-signing-day
9. THIS IS ABOUT ASSISTANTS. Head coaches do close the deal in some cases, but for the most part assistants are doing the leg work of signing day, traveling, calling, visiting, and completing the final panicked texts to recruits before waiting by the fax machine and hoping for no surprises. Do you have a coach on your team who is charismatic, back-slapping, and you suspect knows very little about coaching football, and yet pulls down a huge paycheck? This person is your recruiting coordinator, and he is worth every dollar thanks to mysterious power he has over high-schoolers who can run a 4.4 and squat 500 pounds.
Bill Sheridan is a secondary coach now? He was always a LB or DL coach previously, I believe.
You're right, pretty much entirely linebackers and defensive line, although he coached the safeties (and special teams) at Notre Dame in 2001. Thanks -- I updated the entry to reflect this, and also to note he is Nick Sheridan's dad.
No doubt Sheridan will be a big help to Vrabel as he shifts from linebackers to defensive line.
Given the bowl and b1g championship game ban, any winning record will look good coming off a .500 season. I hope the staff implodes but given talented recruiting classes ohio will probably win their fair share of games.
2013 will be key. If hoke can win this season and than defeat Urban at home in 2013, the pressure will increase on Urban. The stress may be overwhelming from the fan base and Urban may have a tough time in Columbus!
to share information. Duh.
urban will be fine, only wish uk had their talent. UM better hope urban doesnt lock down the talent in ohio, what would UM do for a football team. he has a good staff to work with and the big 10 will need to step up, or he will dominate. and crybaby bret, wonder if he needs a new hankie.
you all worry too much about osu. the talent is there, and the team will be fine. kind of wish uk had osu problem. hey would UM even have a football team if it wasnt for "the state of ohio"? good luck if urban locks up the talent in ohio.
Probably more work than a simple afternoon's perusal, but I would be curious to know how Meyer's current staff stacks up against his staffs at Florida. You pose that he hired a bunch of 'coordinator' types that could lend itself to friction, but was he doing the same stuff during his success at Florida?
bring his most favorite Co-Ed from florida or will he find a "new" one at ohio?
and i believe you went on to say, ¨Meyer is in full control.¨ Nothing further need be said. I am saying this only as a coach, at a much lower lever, but with complete understanding of what needs to constitute an efficient coaching staff.
please believe me, if at only at face value, the above quote is paramount in surrounding yourself with what will make the¨world go round.¨ The HC, in this case, UM, [initials are mere coincidence,] is not worried about what positions others held before their hire at osu or if it will cause friction thereto. It will not. Believe me please, he has hired football coaches: those that know the game, and above all else, those he will be comfortable dealing with on a daiily basis.
Not unlike UM, he and his most trustworthy assts., only the most fully vetted of those of will surround him, have collateral impact on Ws and Ls and those of which have been placed on staff because, for no other reason, they complete the circle.
UM-got to love those initials, if for no other reason that the implied 180 implied therein, will have a staff that, no matter previous titles will fill the role he envisioned upon their respective hirings´.
Urban knows exactly what he is going to run on both sides of the los and he will grant them freedom only to the power to which is will not impact his overall control. His assistants will be granted the opportunity to faiil when it is of no importance to the outcome of the game and if they provide the input he is seeking, i.e., ¨why this failed at this particular time, etc.,¨then and only then will they become a tenured coach under Mr. Meyer. If they experienced a setback in a meanlingless contest, but it is one that will provide security in the future, they will be retained. If not, they will seek employment next fall.
As an example, I will relay this quick lesson. I allowed my ¨DC¨ to move our ss to outside containment instead of our ss corner to see if he would realize the error of his ways. The contest was decided prior to stepping on the field. My hope and wish was that I chose correctly. After the game, he stated to me, after my allowance to change my defensive positioning, that when the corner took the outside man they ran freely on what amounted to a given 7 yards per pitch toss. Further, he went on to state, ¨I corrected this by placing the corner in run support, as designed and returned to defensive positioning as designed originally. I was elated and told him as much. Exact words were, ¨I knew you would realize importance of corner inside, safety out as main restrictition to arterial flow.¨
By doing so in a game already decided, not unlike pre-season ooc scheduing, I knew he would relieve me of worrying about in-game, clock importartant meaningful games, once actual brutal combat commenced. This is what Urban, and all other proven coaches do well.
It is not the title they once owned. It is their actual football knowledge, ability to adapt under pressure,thereby allowing the head man to concentrate on the most significant of all, that being the call that will decide the game, whether it be in the first qtr or fourth. If all quantittive measureas are accounted for by someone equal to task, thereby offsetting the pawn and bishop rotation of your opponent, the king is allocated the freedom of the pretense of placing the queen in a position of annhihilation, with an iintricate, predetermined sense of timing of when the opposing king will call exacly what you have anticipated: thereby granting the allowance of checkmate, that would not have been allowed had you not surrounded yourself with the rooks and bishops that you knew would respond exactly as determined by the movement of stated oppostion.
Notwithstanding the multitude of violations Mr. Tressell, either voluntarilly or discovered in the most clumsy manner imaginable, he was vastly superior to Mr. Carr in this respect, and over the course of a decade, we painfully realized his ¨appearance of settling for a non -descript¨ filed goal early in the contest ultimately decided those games decide by two points or less. As we know, it grew worse once the master realized he was playing against a grand master.
So think what you will about who will be designated as such. UM, and it is my guess BH is equal to the challenge, no matter the tille eacch assistant brngs with them, it will be decided by a full understanding of the enemy, their prowess and, most importantly, their weakenesses, as demonstrated best in 2011 by General Mattiston. Therein lies my brief, but I believe, important input into the overall strategic impact upon, not the battalions they commanded, but their overalll knowledge of the entire components necessary to bring about victory upon any given battlefiled, notwithstanding the seemingly[import not to be underestimated] greater firepower of the enemy.
but wtf was that? Besides being tl;dr, what I did read sounded like you were actually Urban himself the way you were tooting his horn. BY that I mean from what I understood of your post. Honestly, and I hate to be offensive, that is one of the owrst posts I have ever (partially) read. It was painful to read.
but i don't agree with it. You are underestimating the importance of chemistry. What about egos? Any coach worth his salt is a workaholic, type A and while they may not butt heads with Meyer, they may butt heads with each other. Part of the reason for the success Michigan had this year was the chemistry between coaches. Think it's a lot harder than just finding people who know football...every coach at that level KNOWS the game better than 99% of fans, so it's gotta be more than just knowledge.
I have to say, I'm not really afraid of his staff at all. His Florida teams were significantly worse after Strong and Mullen left. And then he goes out and hires some no-name OC. One reason that Hoke was so successful here is that he brought in established coaches who had worked together for the most part. Meyer simply doesn't have that same staff. I mean just look at his offense when Addazio was the coordinator, and it was the same players more or less as the year before under Mullen. The stats tell the story there.
That said, that doesn't mean he won't be successful. But I doubt he's as successful as people think he will be (i.e., multiple national titles). There is also no way that he stays there more than 5 years. And OSU will be depleted when he leaves; again, just look at Florida.


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DETROIT — The Tigers wouldn't even admit they were in the market for a shortstop, at least not until the offseason.
They weren't even sure themselves.
Now they are getting one — and a good one — for insurance in case they lose the one they already have.
Late Tuesday, the Tigers found themselves part of a three-way trade with the Red Sox and White Sox, sending Avisail Garcia and Brayan Villarreal to Boston and bringing shortstop Jose Iglesias back in return.
Veteran pitcher Jake Peavy headed from Chicago to Boston, in return for Garcia and some minor leaguers, as the final piece of the puzzle.
"We look at him as being our shortstop of the future. ... This guy is special, defensively," Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said of Iglesias, when announcing the deal in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. "We traded a real good young player for another real good young player, at a position we need right now — or potentially could need. That I know we'll need next year."
It finally gives the Tigers protection for the possibility that Jhonny Peralta will get suspended when the Biogenesis penalties are announced later this week. Even if he doesn't, he's a free agent at the end of the year. So is his running mate, second baseman Omar Infante.
"When there's enough smoke, you get to be concerned," said Dombrowski, admitting that he was in the dark about what might be coming, in terms of penalties. "I'm not at great liberty to talk about that. That's a Commissioner's office decision. And I don't really know what's going to happen, 100 percent. But I read the same names that you read. And I got concerned."
Depending on which reports you read, Peralta could be one of the 20-odd players suspended later this week, and miss anywhere from 50 games to the remainder of the regular season and beyond. No one knows how much it will cost the Tigers, who really don't have the luxury of waiting to let it play out.
"Peralta's our shortstop, unless he is ruled NOT our shortstop," Dombrowski said, mentioning that Iglesias can play second or third until needed at shortstop.
That ruling could come down any time, though. And Dombrowski didn't want to be caught in the lurch.
"It's a situation where there's a lot of uncertainty facing (us), which concerned me, especially with our situation, and trying to win a championship. I don't really know what's going to happen, as far as timing is concerned, but I also think that when there's enough things being discussed, you get a little concerned about those things," Dombrowski said.
"My problem ends up being that after 4 p.m. (Wednesday), I cannot aggressively try to do anything that's assured. Because after 4 p.m. — again IF anything happens — and people know we're looking for a shortstop, their shortstops aren't going to make it through waivers."
People knew that already, though. Boston GM Ben Cherington put the seed of the trade in the mind of Dombrowski a few weeks ago.
"They reached out to me a few weeks ago, when they saw the reports. And I said, really not doing anything at the time. We were set at shortstop, so don't really need to do anything at the time," the Tigers GM said.
But the Red Sox were already on the list of teams the Tigers had assembled to make contact with, when the season was over, in hopes that they could fix a more long-term problem at shortstop.
"For us, as you're looking forward, you're looking at where you have holes, and potential free agents, and where you can cover yourself. Well ... we know we have a free agent at second base, a free agent at shortstop, some free agents in the bullpen, and all of a sudden, where I wasn't so sure where we'd be going with that, I think we're in a spot where our goal is not only to be good this year, and the last couple of years, but to be good for years to come. I think that's what you're always looking to do, if you can," Dombrowski said.
"And I think this is a situation where all of a sudden, if you do lose some players, you say, 'Hey, we've got some good, young guys that can help us at those spots, and are ready to play right now.'
"Just like (Nick) Castellanos. I think he'll be ready to play right now. But will he play? I don't know, because it depends how the club comes together, but all of a sudden, you start talking about (Hernan) Perez, and Iglesias, and Castellanos and (Bruce) Rondon — that's a pretty good group of young guys that you can complement to some of the veterans, that we know will be with us, that are in the prime of their careers."
It's nice to plan for the future, but in Detroit, the future is now.
This is a World Series-or-bust type of team, at this point, and the likelihood of being able to live with a second-tier, replacement-level player at shortstop didn't sit well with the team's front office.
"The way I look at it — there's two different ways to look at it, and unfortunately I don't know the total answer here. But if you're talking about 15 days disablement, we're prepared for that. I mean, (Argenis) Diaz, (Danny) Worth, (Ramon) Santiago. They'd prepare you for 15 days," Dombrowski said. "Fifty days, if it comes to that, and a postseason run, not saying you may not win with that, but you'd like to be stronger. And this puts us in a stronger position."
It certainly helps that Iglesias is a defensive whiz.
He's currently hitting .330 — after his average was as high as .451 in mid-June — with limited power, but his forte is with the glove.
"Our scouting reports have him as an All-Star shortstop. I don't know if he'll be that, or not, but some of our scouting reports do. Somebody that has seen him play just sent me a note and said 'In all my years in the game, the only two defensive shortstops I've seen that are better are Ozzie and Vizquel,' " Dombrowski said. "It's the whole package. ... When I just talked to Ben Cherington, he said 'I know you have seen a lot of players play shortstop in your career, but you will see this guy make plays you've never seen before.'
"Now, I don't want to put that on his back, but he's a real good shortstop."
The Tigers had to give up a real good outfielder to get him, though.
Garcia has spent time with the Tigers each of the last two seasons, and is considered a five-tool player. Villarreal was an oft-asked-after prospect in the offseason, who's appeared in 73 games with the Tigers over the last three seasons.
"I've never been hesitant with that (trading in-division). That doesn't faze me. And I fully expect Garcia to be a real good player. And I don't really want to watch him play 18 times a year. I'm sure he's going to beat us at some times during that time period. And there will be times where people say, 'That Dombrowski wasn't very smart' when he does that," the GM said.
"But I think it's more important about the player we got in return."
Matthew B. Mowery covers the Tigers for Digital First Media. Read his "Out of Left Field" blog at opoutofleftfield.blogspot.com.


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User:Pranav Rathi/Notebook/OT/2012/11/13/Optical Tweezers Calibration
To perform accurate measurements with optical tweezers, it is necessary to calibrate some experimental parameters and even before that study the active components of the optical tweezers setup. The parameters I want to calibrate: Stiffness; which measures the force that is exerts on the trapped bead, and Sensitivity; which measures the relative position of bead within the trap. The components I want to study: Laser, AOM (acoustooptic module), microscope objective, z and x piezo, lens and mirrors, QPD (quadrant photo diode), and electronic filters. It is necessary to characterize these components first because not only they affect the experimental parameters but also reduce the chances to see something unexpected in data later on.
I characterized most of the active components time to time in the setup. The characterization also helped me in designing this tweezers.
I use two laser: 1064nm 2W ND:YAG crystalaser for tweezing ans 633nm 2mW He-Ne for surface detection and alignment purposes. It was important to know some facts about IR laser. I did not do a rigorous study (because it was not necessary), just specified few parameters like power output, beam waist and its location, polarization, beam mode profile and beam propagation factor. I used this information to design the tweezers expansion optics. The laser specification are given in the following link:
Acoustooptic modulator is used to modulate the laser intensity in the trap. So it is second most important component of the tweezers. AOM has two components: AOM driver and AOM module, I characterized both of them. The specifaction are given in the link:
- AOM driver
- AOM module
I use 1st order diffraction beam from AOM to feed the tweezers. NI-DAQ controlled by feedback main96 labview v7.1 program controls the AOM through analog input voltage to AOM driver. So there is a relationship between the analog input voltage and output laser power in 1st order diffraction beam. Unfortunately this relationship is not linear, it is some odd function (characteristic curve; see the second link). Once i know the curve i can calculate the laser power in the trap at particular input voltage. This information is very useful while calculating the stiffness from the cutoff frequency.
It is absolutely unpractical to measure the laser power in the trap before every power-spectrum data is acquired to calculate the stiffness (for stiffness I need cutoff frequency from power-spectrum and laser power in the trap at which the spectrum is acquired) . So, it is done in advance: I record the laser power after the water-immersion objective for RF-input voltage of 1.3 to 4.9 in .2 volts increments. I put a water droplet on the objective and record the power with a power meter directly. Reflection loss at water-air interface is still less then 2%.
The characteristic curve; aom RF-input voltage Vs laser power after objective looks like this:
Microscope objective
Objective is another very important part of the tweezers. I am using Olympus UPLANSAPO (UIS 2) water immersion IR objective. The objective gives a maximum spot size of 760nm with a Rayleigh range of 567nm. The objective has 55% transmittance (55% of the input laser power makes through) and it has a collar for cover glass correction (spherical aberration gets worse with the depth in the sample, but i do not have to worry about it while doing power spectrum or DOG). The full details of the objective are available here:
X & Z-piezo
We use "Mad city lab" nano position systems; Nano-OP30 for x-piezo and Nano-F25HS for z-piezo. None of the stages required any calibration
Lens and mirrors
All the optics is rated for 1064nm.