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Original URL: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/25/narnia_name/
Dead author's estate snatches child's domain
Posted in Policy, 25th July 2008 07:02 GMT
A British couple has lost the battle to keep the narnia.mobi domain name which they claimed was only registered so that their son could have a Narnia-related email address. The address will transfer to a company representing CS Lewis's estate.
Richard and Fiona Saville-Smith failed to convince an arbitration panel of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) that they registered and used the domain name in good faith. Fiona Saville-Smith told OUT-LAW that they will not appeal.
Baaaaaaad faith
"The ruling was absolutely unfair. Although I'm a lay person the rules seem pretty simple, that they had to prove that we had a bad faith registration," she said. "Their grounds for that was that we used it to make money. We have provided extremely clear evidence that that was not the case."
Saville-Smith, who also writes poetry under the name Gillian Ferguson, said that she and her husband had found the whole experience "dispiriting" and that they were extremely unlikely to appeal.
The WIPO arbitration process will only transfer a name if the person who requests it has rights in the name, such as a trade mark, and the person holding the name has none, and if the person holding the domain name has registered or is using it in bad faith.
It was uncontested that the estate of Lewis had rights in the word Narnia. The WIPO rules state that someone can have rights in a term if it is making "a legitimate non-commercial or fair use of the domain name, without intent for commercial gain to misleadingly divert consumers or to tarnish the trademark or service mark at issue".
Saville-Smith argued that the planned use of the domain name as the basis for an email address for her son was a legitimate non-commercial use, but the WIPO ruling said that the only precedent for an email address counting as fair use was when the person for whom the address was intended shared a name with the domain name in contest.
Had Saville-Smith created a fan site or a criticism site related to CS Lewis's works then that could well have been a legitimate use, but the WIPO ruling said that such a site would have to exist just now rather than simply be planned.
"The language of…the Policy is couched in the present tense and unambiguously requires a respondent to be 'making a legitimate non-commercial or fair use of the domain name.'," said the ruling. "The Policy only concerns active websites that practice genuine, non-commercial criticism, and only deals with fan sites that are clearly active and non-commercial."
Saville-Smith said that on the question of the registration or use of the domain name in bad faith she and her husband felt that the ruling was unfair.
"As I understand it they had to prove that it is a bad faith registration and as far as we are concerned there is no evidence that it was a bad faith registration," she said. "We didn't sell it, we didn't try to make any money, we didn't pass ourselves off as anything to do with Narnia."
The panel's justification for concluding that the registration was in bad faith was that "as prior panels have observed, when a domain name is so obviously connected with a complainant and its products or services, its very use by a registrant with no connection to the Complainant suggests 'opportunistic bad faith'," said the ruling.
The WIPO panel also said that the fact that two further Narnia-related domain names were registered by the Saville-Smiths after the Lewis estate complaint was suggestive of bad faith use.
Saville-Smith, though, told OUT-LAW that the registration of freenarnia.mobi was part of an aborted attempt to begin an online petition drawing attention to their case.
Copyright © 2008, OUT-LAW.com
OUT-LAW.COM is part of international law firm Pinsent Masons.


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Steers use bye week to work on fundamentals
The Big Spring Steers have gone back to basics on their off week. No preparation for Snyder, no injuries to worry about, no pondering on the loss at Abilene Wylie, just the basics.It's worked out well for head coach Phillip Ritchey and the Steers, too.Ritchey said this week has given the Steers a chance to bring players from the freshman and junior varsity teams into practice, with the goal being to expose the younger players to what goes on in a varsity practice. It's somewhat new for the Steers, Ritchey said, but something coaches want to be able to do often."We worked everybody out together," he said. "Just kind of going through some two-a-day-type workouts, just fundamentals. Working the freshmen with the JV, with the varsity and everybody doing the same things. Worked out pretty good for us."

subset: commoncrawl


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STERLING – David A. Hoefke, 62, of Sterling, died Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012, at Rockford Memorial Hospital.
He was born March 24, 1950, in La Crosse, Wis., the son of Donald and Verne (Grodevent) Hoefke. He married Caroline M. Kline on Oct. 14, 1977, in Sterling.
Survivors include his wife; four sons, Dave (Kris) Hoefke Jr. of LaSalle, Darrell Hoefke of Sterling, Donald Hoefke of Canton and Dean (Kim) Hoefke of Lyndon; one daughter, Joann Hobbs of Mississippi; five sisters, Donna Payne, Judy Campbell and Alice Zieman, all of Wisconsin, Edith Snow of Minnesota and Mary Cacari of Illinois; two brothers, Donald Hoefke of Illinois and Ben Hoefke of Minnesota; 24 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will be from 9 to 10 a.m., followed by the funeral at 10 a.m., Friday at McDonald Funeral Home, 505 First Ave., Sterling, with Lt. Cindy Marquis of The Salvation Army officiating. Burial will be at Oak Knoll Memorial Park in Sterling.


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Yellowstone Country Motors
Auto Experts
Yellowstone Country Motors was established in 1997 as a no haggle dealership. Manny Goetz, who came out of the building industry, noticed that customers did not like to go to a dealership and argue over the price of a vehicle. So he set out to create a dealership with an atmosphere where customers could have fun buying a car and know that they got a great deal without the high pressure. They found giving great service and selling volume at low profit works. After 15 years in the business we own our buildings and property and because of that we have very low monthly expenses. This allows us to pass the savings on to our customers.
Mon – Fri 7am – 6pm and Sat 8 am – 4pm
Meet the Experts
Hear What Our Customers Have to Say
"Manny, we had some time so we figured we would challenge your "lowest price guarantee". We went to Bozeman, Billings, and called Butte and everybody wanted us to give them your price so they could beat it. We kept telling them we wanted their best price.Two of them finally gave us a price and they were both higher then your original price.We thought it would be good for you to know your salesman is doing a good job"
R. Simmons,Big Timber Mt
"Your salespeople had a high level of integrity and honesty. We will buy there again."
S. Ashburn,Butte, MT
"We Checked your prices on the internet; they were exactly what we were quoted. It's good to know that there is still a dealer we can trust."
S. Connors,Bozeman, MT
"We have bought two used vehicles from you since 1999 and never had any major problems. We will buy from you again."
The Armstrong's,Gardiner, MT
Listen to the following audio tips from Yellowstone Country Motors!
Wondering how often you should be changing your windshield wipers? Listen here:
It is important to have a clean engine! More in this clip:
Keep a close eye on your engine's air filter:


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Got it? Okay great, because you're going to need more than a grain for this one: HD versions of Shenmue 1 and 2 have been completed for more than a year and are pending release on XBLA and PSN, according to an anonymous source reporting to Gamerzines. The source goes on to say that Sega has been sitting on the remakes while it decides the fate of a potential Shenmue 3, though the source did not specify what that fate is.
Look, we're not saying that it isn't true, or that we don't want HD remakes of two of our favorite games ever, because of course we do. We just want you to be careful and not get your precious little hopes up, only to have them dashed to pieces -- your broken, mangled hearts never able to trust or love again.


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previous version leaves lots of blank lines
Case Insensitive! and Works even if the "<title>...</title>" spans over multiple line. Simple! :-) Show Sample Output
the last person who posted used the most roundabout way to concatinate files, there's a reason there's a "conCATinate" command... Using this method, you also get to choose the order of the files, below another person just did *.txt > combined.txt which is fine but the order depends on the implementation of "cat" which is probably alphabetical order of filenames. Show Sample Output
extension to tali713's random fact generator. It takes the output & sends it to notify-osd. Display time is proportional to the lengh of the fact.
Though without infinite time and knowledge of how the site will be designed in the future this may stop working, it still will serve as a simple straight forward starting point.
This uses the observation that the only item marked as strong on the page is the single logical line that includes the italicized fact.
If future revisions of the page show failure, or intermittent failure, one may simply alter the above to read.
wget randomfunfacts.com -O - 2>/dev/null | tee lastfact | grep \<strong\> | sed "s;^.*<i>\(.*\)</i>.*$;\1;"
The file lastfact, can then be examined whenever the command fails.
Will edit *.db files in the same directory with todays date. Useful for doing a mass update to domains on a nameserver, adding spf records, etc.
Looks for a string starting with 200 or 201 followed by 7 numbers, and replaces with todays date. This won't overwrite Ip's but i would still do some double checking after running this.
Make sure your server's date is correct, otherwise insert your own serial number.
rndc reload
should usually follow this command.
Bash scrip to test if a server is up, you can use this before wget'ing a file to make sure a blank one isn't downloaded.
Just after you type enter, you have 3 seconds to switch window, then "texthere" will be "typed" in the X11 application that has focus. Very useful to beat your score at games such as "How fast can you type A-Z".
The `export` is unnecessary if it's only applicable to the one command.
Like the given command, but combines _DISPLAY=":0.0"_ with _export DISPLAY_ to get _export DISPLAY=":0.0"_ and only imports if DISPLAY is set successfully.
This command will transcode a MythTV recording. The target device is a Google Nexus One mobile phone. My recordings are from a HDHomerun with Over The Air content. Plays back nicely on the N1.
Col 1 is swapped sum in kb Col 2 is pid of process Col 3 is command that was issued Show Sample Output
This is a handy way to circumvent the "Maximum line length of 2048 exceeded" grep error.
Once you have run the above command (or put it in your .bashrc), files can be searched using:
lgrep search-string /file/to/search
Shows how many Windows and Linux devices are on your network. May add support for others, but that's all that are on my network right now. Show Sample Output
Remove security from PDF document using this very simple command on Linux and OSX. You need ghostscript for this baby to work.
A shell function using perl to easily convert Unix-time to text. Put in in your ~/.bashrc or equivalent. Tested on Linux / Solaris Bourne, bash and zsh. using perl 5.6 and higher. (Does not require GNU date like some other commands) Show Sample Output
We can list the new disk with
fdisk -l
The empty file /forcefsck causes the file system check fsck to be run next time you boot up, after which it will be removed.
This works too:
sudo >/forcefsck
Produces secure passwords that satisfy most rules for secure passwords and can be customized for correct output as needed. See "man pwgen" for details. Show Sample Output
This is a bit hacky, but if you're setting up a bunch of new LUNs, it can save a bunch of time. Also check out sfdisk. The fdisk will fail if, for example, a partition table already exists.
commandlinefu.com is the place to record those command-line gems that you return to again and again. That way others can gain from your CLI wisdom and you from theirs too. All commands can be commented on, discussed and voted up or down.
rapidshare download script in 200 characters
fel1x 5
Check the age of the filesystem
Kaio 9
Convert a Python interactive session to a python script
miniker84 1
1+2-3+4-5+6-7 Series
rubenmoran 2
Which processes are listening on a specific port (e.g. port 80)
indexsmithy 1
Play random music from blip.fm
torrid 4
Show permissions of current directory and all directories upwards to /
bazzargh 16
MSDOS command to check existance of command and exit batch if failed
Marco 2
Every new command is wrapped in a tweet and posted to Twitter. Following the stream is a great way of staying abreast of the latest commands. For the more discerning, there are Twitter accounts for commands that get a minimum of 3 and 10 votes - that way only the great commands get tweeted.
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu3
» http://twitter.com/commandlinefu10
Use your favourite RSS aggregator to stay in touch with the latest commands. There are feeds mirroring the 3 Twitter streams as well as for virtually every other subset (users, tags, functions,…):
Subscribe to the feed for:


text:
Yankee Group Research Inc., the Boston mobile strategy firm, has been acquired by a New York technology research company, 451 Group, the companies said Thursday. Terms of the deal with Yankee Group's prior owner, Boston private equity firm Alta Communications, were not disclosed.
Yankee Group, Boston's oldest technology forecasting firm, analyzes mobile communications trends and advises business about how to capitalize on them.
"Mobility is a huge driver of innovation in business and technology markets globally," said 451 Group's chief executive, Martin V. McCarthy. "With Yankee Group, we see an exciting opportunity to significantly extend the 451 Group's focus on the evolution of digital infrastructure."
Yankee Group will operate as an independent division of 451 Group, which has a Boston office, with Yankee's chief executive, Terry Waters, continuing in that role.
Yankee Group becomes 451 Group's third division. One division, 451 Research, advises businesses about information technology trends, such as cloud computing and Internet infrastructure.
A second division, the Uptime Institute, focuses on the global data center and emerging digital infrastructure industry.
Callum Borchers


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Unitec campuses to go smokefree in 2013
Press Release – Unitec
According to Quitline, up to 5,000 New Zealanders die from smoking related illness each year, while a packet-a-day smoker spends around $4,500 a year. With this in mind, and after a full consultation process involving staff, students and other organisations located on its campuses, Auckland's Unitec Institute of Technology is set to go smokefree next year.
The institute's Smokefree/Auahi Kore Policy will come into effect on World Smokefree Day, or Thursday 31 May in 2013. From this date Unitec will join a number of its peers in the tertiary education sector with smokefree campuses.
The policy supports the wellbeing of all people connected to or visiting any of Unitec's three campuses located in Mt Albert, Henderson (Waitakere campus), and Albany (Northern campus).
The policy will apply to all staff, students, and visitors to each of its three campuses, and cover all carparks and vehicles while on Unitec grounds.
A number of support measures will be put in place to help ease the transition toward becoming an 100% smokefree organisation.
"We are committed to providing a healthy working and learning environment for our students, our staff, and communities," says Chief Executive Rick Ede.
"Smoking is a major cause of sickness and death, and we hope our decision to go smokefree might motivate our Unitec community to consider a healthier lifestyle, free of smoking.
"We know that managing or quitting smoking can be a real challenge, so we'll make a range of support options available to those who may choose it."
These support options will include:
'Quit smoking' workshops for staff and students who wish to quit smoking
Access to subsidised Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) for those who want help to manage their addiction
Promotion of the free Quitline service, available 24-hours a day
Unitec's Health, Safety and Environment team will also train additional staff and students to support its 'quit smoking' and NRT education programme, which will be rolled out from early next year.
Content Sourced from scoop.co.nz
Original url


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DETROIT � Joel Hanrahan is still working his way back from elbow surgery for a team eagerly awaiting his return.
Hanrahan agreed to a $1 million, one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers, who are hopeful the right-hander can bolster a shaky bullpen when he's ready to pitch again in the majors. Hanrahan had Tommy John surgery last May after nine appearances for the Boston Red Sox in 2013. He saved 76 games over the previous two seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
"The one area we wanted to address the most with our ballclub has been our bullpen," general manager Dave Dombrowski said after announcing the deal Friday.
The Tigers put Hanrahan on the 15-day disabled list, saying they will not rush him back to the majors. Hanrahan is expected to throw to hitters next week.
"Right now I feel good. My arm feels good, my body feels good," Hanrahan said. "I'm able to throw a slider again, which I haven't been able to do for a while."
Hanrahan will earn $819,672 of his base salary, or 150-183rds given that he wasn't on the roster until Friday. He can make $2.17 million in bonuses based on time on the active major league roster: $310,000 each for 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 and 105 days.
The 32-year-old said Tigers outfielder Torii Hunter � a friend of his � helped recruit him to Detroit.
Detroit signed veteran Joe Nathan to be the closer in the offseason, but the bullpen was hurt by a season-ending injury to Bruce Rondon. Tigers relievers had a 5.37 ERA entering Friday night's game at Kansas City.
The 6-foot-4 Hanrahan is hesitant to put any timetable on his return.
"I don't think anybody's really saying like, 'You've got to be back on June 1,'" Hanrahan said. "It's kind of a situation where I haven't faced a hitter yet, I haven't bounced back from throwing in a game. It's a situation that, it'll come day by day."
If Hanrahan is healthy and effective, he could end up being one of the team's top right-handed options in the bullpen, along with Nathan. Al Alburquerque and Joba Chamberlain have shown the ability to strike hitters out, but they had ERAs of 4.50 and 4.35 entering Friday.
Hanrahan was an All-Star in 2011 and 2012, and in 2010 he struck out 100 hitters in 69 2-3 innings for the Pirates.
"When anybody comes back from injury that's got an established big league history, we try to watch all of those guys throw whenever we can," Dombrowski said. "We're always looking to upgrade."
Hanrahan agrees on 1-year deal with Tigers
DETROIT � Joel Hanrahan is still working his way back from elbow surgery for a team eagerly awaiting his return.


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RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - A liberal-leaning advocacy group wants legislative leaders to formally scrutinize pay raises of some young staffers in Gov. Pat McCrory's administration.
Progress NC Action sought the investigation Wednesday after delivering what it called a petition with 19,000 names to the office of Health and Human Services Secretary Aldona Wos. The group wants Wos to rescind $20,000-plus raises to two department workers in April. Spokesman Ricky Diaz and policy adviser Matt McKillip make more than $80,000. Both worked on McCrory's campaign last year.
Progress NC Action leader Gerrick Brenner says the raises are wrong when teachers didn't get pay increases this year and Medicaid has cost overruns.
McCrory has defended the raises. Wos told media her agency's payroll is $21 million less than a year ago.
Previous Story
The big salary North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory's administration is paying one of the young Republicans who worked on his election campaign last year outpaces what private employers pay for similar work.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reports (http://bit.ly/1f0bckV) that the $85,000 paid to top state Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Ricky Diaz exceeds the $56,000 salary a PR Week survey this year found as the industry average for professionals with less than five years of experience.
The CEO of the Raleigh-based public relations firm French West Vaughan said the 24-year-old Diaz is making about twice what someone with his experience would earn at a private company.
McCrorys spokeswoman Kim Genardo said Diaz does more than PR for the health agency, including managing a staff.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Previous Story
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory is defending the big government salaries and raises granted to two young Republicans who worked on his 2012 campaign.
McCrory told WNCN in Raleigh a pair of 24-year olds recently promoted to key senior positions at the Department of Health and Human Services are well qualified, despite having worked in state government only a few months. McCrory said both beat out older job candidates for their positions, adding that it would be wrong to discriminate against someone on the basis of age.
Matthew McKillip is paid $87,500 annually as the chief policy adviser to DHHS Secretary Aldona Wos. DHHS Communications Director Ricky Diaz is paid $85,000. Both are recent college graduates who worked on McCrory's 2012 campaign and transition team.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Young Republicans who helped elect North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory have been rewarded with big salaries in his new administration.
Matthew McKillip was named this week as chief policy adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Aldona Wos. Records show the 24-year-old received a $22,500 raise in April, bringing his salary to $87,500.
Before joining state government in January, McKillip worked for McCrory's 2012 campaign and spent 11 months as a research assistant at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank.
Records show 24-year-old DHHS Communications Director Ricky Diaz got an even bigger raise in April, boosting his state salary to $85,000. Diaz campaigned for McCrory after working for one year in the office of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
McCrory didn't respond to requests Thursday seeking comment.


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Items where Author is "Ferris, W.F"
|Up a level
Group by: Item Type | No Grouping
Jump to: Journal article
Number of items: 1.
Journal article
Ferris, W.F, van der Merwe, L, Campbell, S.C and Macfarlane, W.M (2005) Glucocorticoid administration and brief occlusion of the main pancreatic duct are likely to increase islet mass by a similar mechanism Pancreas, 31 (2). pp. 132-137. ISSN 0885-3177


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Security Threat
Between Iran's pursuit of the Bomb, and missiles from Hezbollah and Hamas, I fear that Israel is facing a Holocaust. Should we start running away from there? Or are we going to forget the mistakes of 1939 and wait until it's too late?
The Aish Rabbi Replies:
Not being a prophet, I cannot say with certainty what the future holds for us in Israel. But there are two basic factors at work here:
First of all, Israel is home. We've been running for two millennia and we simply have nowhere else to run!
Secondly, we must trust that God did not bring millions of Jews here to simply be snuffed out. That element of trust and belief is part and parcel of the challenge – and the spiritual growth – inherent in living in Israel. If we are going by regular sociological norms, the Jewish people would have disappeared long ago. And we certainly would never have returned to the Land of Israel, surrounded by 300 million Arabs. As David Ben Gurion, not known to be a big theologian, said: "In Israel, to be a realist is to believe in miracles."


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Sharks use balanced attack to beat Canucks againby Kevin Woodley / NHL.com
VANCOUVER -- With all the focus on rookie scoring sensation Tomas Hertl coming in, the San Jose Sharks showed that the real strength behind their perfect start runs a lot deeper.
San Jose got goals from all four lines and 24 saves from Antti Niemi to extend its win streak against the Vancouver Canucks to nine games with a 4-1 victory Thursday night.
Defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, fourth-line wing Matt Pelech, left wing Patrick Marleau and right wing Brent Burns all scored for the Sharks, who haven't lost to the Canucks since January 2012. Logan Couture and captain Joe Thornton each had two assists for San Jose, which improved to 4-0-0, including two wins against Vancouver, while outscoring opponents 21-5.
"We're just deep -- really, really deep -- and we want to come at you every night, and we have been doing that early," Thornton said. "That's how our offense has been this year, all four lines have been going good, and I don't think [coach Todd McLellan] is afraid to put anybody on the ice right now. It's nice seeing everyone can score."
For a change, Hertl wasn't among those scorers.
The Czech rookie stole the show with four goals in a 9-2 win against the New York Rangers on Tuesday and started the day atop the NHL scoring race with six goals and seven points. His biggest moment against the Canucks, though, was having his helmet popped off by a questionable hit from Alexander Edler late in the second period. The 19-year-old was back to start the third period, when he was twice denied by Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo while all alone in tight.
McLellan expects the NHL to take a look at Edler's hit.
"No doubt there is contact to the head," McLellan said. "That is obvious. It's how it will be interpreted."
The Sharks are no strangers to hot starts. They won their first seven games last season before losing the next seven. But that fast start was keyed by a potent power play.
"We relied on our power play a lot," Thornton said. "This year, it is five-on-five, it is four lines, it is six D. We're winning by community right now."
The Canucks had been doing the same since losing the opener in San Jose. But trailing by two in the third period against the Sharks on Thursday, they only managed two shots the first 10 minutes, six shots overall and few real scoring chances.
"We certainly didn't have enough players going to make a difference," said coach John Tortorella. "Every 50-50 puck, they stick-checked us and were going the other way."
Mike Santorelli scored his fourth goal in three games for the Canucks, who were swept by the Sharks in the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs and lost to them 4-1 in the season opener on Oct. 3.
Luongo finished with 25 saves for Vancouver, which celebrated 25 million fans attending events at Rogers Arena but didn't give the home crowd much to celebrate after the opening faceoff.
"The first period, we were a little tentative and against a team like that you have to play 60 minutes to give yourself a chance," Luongo said.
Vlasic opened the scoring 12:16 into the first period, taking a cross-ice feed from Burns atop the left circle and quickly firing a shot past Luongo low on the blocker side.
Pelech, called up from the Worcester Sharks of the American Hockey League on Thursday, doubled the lead in the final minute of the period with his first NHL goal. Pelech, whose uncle is Canucks general manager Mike Gillis, took a pass from James Sheppard behind the net and quickly lifted the puck up and over Luongo's glove from the top of the crease.
"It felt awesome. It was a really good feeling to see that go in," said Pelech, noting it might have been a little harder for his uncle to celebrate. "But hopefully he's happy for me, too."
Canucks fans finally had a reason to cheer when Santorelli, who scored the overtime winner in each of the past two games, cut into the lead midway through the second period. But the celebration was brief; Marleau restored the Sharks' two-goal cushion just 95 seconds later, one-timing another pass from behind the net over the blocker of Luongo.
"We need to at least play with that for a little bit and not get scored on so quickly," Tortorella said. "Really, that was a gimme. We were just too slow. We turn it over when we don't need to and then we don't react defensively. We had time to save that play after we turn it over and we just didn't react. Our reactions were slow tonight."
Vancouver managed only two shots in the first half of the third period and four before pulling Luongo with 3:08 left, allowing Burns to round out the scoring with an empty-net goal.
"We know what to do with leads now," Thornton said.
The Canucks' new coach was impressed.
"We had some forechecking, but give them some credit … they locked it down pretty well," Tortorella said. "It's not like we're playing against no one out there, but we need to have more people going to play against a balanced team like that, and we didn't tonight."


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2004 Volleyball
Bluffton University 3, Oberlin College 0
By Ben Risinger, Sports Information Director
September 7, 2004
BLUFFTON, OHIO - The Bluffton University volleyball team (2-4) easily defeated Oberlin
College (1-4) in their 2004 home opener at Founders Hall on Tuesday night. The Beavers
won in three matches 30-24, 30-21 and 30-22.
Leading the Beavers was senior Erin Kreim (New Washington/Buckeye Central) with 28 attacks, 21 digs and 14 kills on the evening. Senior Courtney Tisher (Rittman/Rittman) followed closely behind with 25 attacks and led the team with two service aces. Senior Kelly Kettinger (Oregon/Clay) led the Beavers again in service receptions with 18 for the game.
The Beavers will be back in action this weekend when they travel to Wooster College for the Wooster Invitational. Bluffton will play Urbana and West Virginia State on Friday and Marietta on Saturday.


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HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- When Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon made contact in the closing laps at Phoenix, Gordon was overcome by a grudge he'd been carrying at least seven months.
The four-time NASCAR champion retaliated by intentionally wrecking Bowyer, triggering a garage-area melee.
Gordon's reputation took a hit among his peers and he was fined $100,000 by NASCAR. But he avoided suspension and will race Sunday in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he'll celebrate his 20th anniversary with sponsor DuPont and Hendrick Motorsports.
He admitted Friday that DuPont had initial concerns NASCAR would park him this weekend for his actions Sunday at Phoenix, but he never worried he wouldn't race at Homestead and he's not sorry for wrecking Bowyer.
"The thing that I regret and the thing that I messed up on is that I allowed my anger and my emotions to put me in a position to make a bad choice," Gordon said. "I felt like Clint needed to be dealt with, but that wasn't the right way to go about it, certainly not the right time. And what I hate most about it is that other guys were involved with it and it affected their day."
The wreck collected Joey Logano and Aric Almirola, and championship points leader Brad Keselowski had to dodge his way around the accident scene. It also triggered a brawl in the garage between Gordon's crew and Bowyer's crew that has received as much attention as the championship race between Keselowski and five-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.
It has also thrust the 41-year-old Gordon into the headlines at the end of yet another disappointing season.
He was docked 25 points for Sunday's bad behavior, which dropped him to 11th in the Sprint Cup Series standings in this one-win season. He hasn't won a championship since 2001, and teammate Johnson, who came on board in 2002, will race for his sixth title Sunday.
So his actions on Sunday were certainly that of a frustrated driver, and he admitted wrecking Bowyer sent a message to the garage.
"I don't think they're going to be messing with me for a little while. I think they realize that that message was sent pretty clear," Gordon said. "Throughout the last couple years, I feel like one thing that maybe I haven't done enough of is show the fire inside me that I have to want to win and want to win championships. And I think that while I would have liked to have gone about it differently on Sunday, I think it did show that that fire and passion is inside of me in a big way."
So big that he'd been angry with Bowyer since Martinsville in April, when Bowyer played a role in costing Hendrick Motorsports its 200th victory.
The race had been dominated that day by Gordon and Johnson, and a late caution had set up a restart with the teammates lined up side-by-side at the front. Bowyer re-started in the second row, on new tires, and got a shove from behind from Ryan Newman. He dove to the inside of Gordon and Johnson, made contact, and all three wrecked.
Bowyer and Gordon spoke at the track that day, and Bowyer texted Hendrick after the race. The two drivers have had other on-track incidents between them this season, including another run-in at Martinsville last month, but they had a conversation after that, too.
But something made Gordon snap late in Sunday at Phoenix, when enough was finally enough when he and Bowyer got together. When Gordon retaliated, it mathematically eliminated Bowyer from championship contention, but Gordon said Bowyer has to accept responsibility for putting himself in that position.
"If you're contending for tAs for what's next, Gordon doesn't know. But he understands the attention on the incident with Bowyer, and the effect it might have on the season finale.


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Below is a mom's question sent in to New Beginnings Magazine. Have you experienced this? Were you able to do something that helped ease any separation anxiety? Replies may be published in an upcoming issue. You can reply here or in a private message. Replies may also be sent to email@example.com. If you send a private message in either space, we'd love to know your name and location for the magazine, if you feel comfortable. Thanks, in advance, for all you do for other moms!
Winema Lanoue
LLL Leader and Contributing Editor
New Beginnings Magazine
Mother's Question:
"My seven-month-old son is in daycare while I work during the week. On the weekends, he does not want anyone else to hold him or help care for him, including my husband. I assume this is because he misses me when I am at work. Is this normal? How have other mothers helped their babies get through this kind of separation?"


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CALVARY — Jesus Christ, 33, of Nazareth, died Friday on Mount Calvary, also known as Golgotha, the place of the skull.
Betrayed by the apostle Judas, Jesus was crucified by the Romans, by order of the ruler Pontius Pilate. The causes of death were crucifixion, extreme exhaustion, severe torture, and loss of blood.
Jesus Christ, a descendent of Abraham, was a member of the house of David. He was a son of the late Joseph, a carpenter of Nazareth, and Mary, His devoted Mother.
Jesus was born in a stable in the city of Bethlehem, Judea. He is survived by His mother, Mary; His faithful Apostles; numerous disciples; and many other followers.
Jesus was self-educated and spent most of His adult life working as a teacher. Jesus also occasionally worked as a medical doctor and it is reported that He healed many patients. Up until the time of His death, Jesus was teaching and sharing the Good News, healing the sick, touching the lonely, feeding the hungry, and helping the poor.
Jesus was most noted for telling parables about His Father's Kingdom and performing miracles, such as feeding over 5,000 people with only five loaves of bread and two fish, and healing a man who was born blind. On the day before His death, He held a Last Supper celebrating the Passover Feast, at which He foretold His death.
The body was quickly buried in a stone grave, which was donated by Joseph of Arimathea, a loyal friend of the family. By order of Pontius Pilate, a boulder was rolled in front of the tomb. Roman soldiers were put on guard.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that everyone try to live as Jesus did. Donations may be sent to anyone in need.
A Celebration Worship Service will be held at 10:45 a.m. Sunday at Living Water Church of the Nazarene, 508 West Illinois Ave., Morris. The Rev. Steven Cook will officiate this Worship experience.
Many churches in Morris and surrounding communities will host similar Celebration Services. Attend the church of your choice this Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013.
John 20:1 — Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
Mark 16:19 — So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1982


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I had my (1400s sq ft; 2 floor) house reviewed for energy efficiency recently. The guy stuck a probe in the flue of my oil boiler and gas water heater. He showed me Carbon Monoxide levels from the water heater was reading 10ppm and the boiler was 340ppm. He said the boiler was way over the acceptable level (100ppm) and I should call someone for a tune up. I have a service contract with my oil supplier and they come every year for "tune up". So I called them and that guy checked the flue venting with a meter and looked at the flame in the boiler. He told me that there was nothing wrong with the boiler and if there was too much CO I would see it as soot or black flakes in and around the boiler. He told me there's nothing wrong, not to worry, and left.
I don't know what to think now. The boiler is a Williams Oil-O-Matic and by it's name I'm guessing it's at least 30 years old. Is 340ppm an unreasonable amount of CO for a boiler of this age? Is there something wrong that needs fixing?


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Edinson Cavani has been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea in recent weeks, and it's easy to see why the Uruguayan international appeals to the Blues.
The 25-year-old has hit double figures in the last four Serie 'A' seasons – two with Palermo and now two with Napoli – and offers much more than just goals.
His improved form at the Stadio Renzo Barbera led to a move to Naples in the summer of 2010, and he has since flourished under Walter Mazzarri, helping the club reach the Champions League last season and win the Coppa Italia a couple of months back.
Having put himself in the shop window with his performances – notably against Chelsea in the first leg of their European Cup last 16 clash – it now appears that the former Danubio starlet is ready to move on from Italy.
With so many big names leaving, Serie 'A' is no longer the league it once was. Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be the latest to hit the exit door – as is expected tomorrow – and there are question marks over just how big the Italian top flight really is now.
That could give Chelsea the chance to pounce, and providing they can make the player one of the highest-paid in west London, the Daily Mail claims Cavani is ready to call Stamford Bridge home.
Excellent in the air, Cavani has power and strength to hold off defenders, as well as a decent turn of pace to get past a man if the opportunity arises. He's also more than capable of finding the back of the net, as the stats show.
Roberto Di Matteo might need to work on a few issues mind you, with Cavani a modern-day striker who likes to drop deep to get involved in the play as often as possible. His passing can be wasteful, so it isn't always ideal to get him working backwards.
The positives far outweigh the negatives, however, and if a deal can be agreed between the two parties, it could also have a huge impact on Fernando Torres.
After arriving from Liverpool for a club-record £50 million, the Spaniard struggled for form in his first 12 months with the Blues, but started to show glimpses of old towards the back-end of last season.
With Didier Drogba now gone and the Euro 2012 Golden Boot wrapped up, the striker's confidence should be at an all-time high.
Cavani has shown alongside Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi that he's more than capable of getting other top players involved, and unlike Drogba would be a much more comfortable foil for the former Atletico Madrid star.
Together, the pair would be recognised as one of the most dangerous striker-forces in the top flight, and would spearhead the Blues' challenge for European glory once again.
With Drogba gone, owner Roman Abramovich knows a replacement is needed. Romelu Lukaku is for the future, whilst new signings Eden Hazard and Marvin Martin will play in either an attacking midfield or wide position.
Cavani would be a logical replacement up-front, and Torres should be hoping and praying that a deal can be done sooner rather than later.
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


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Original URL: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/10/ninja_roo/
Oz bloke in underpants wrestles 'lunatic ninja' roo
When Skippys attack
Posted in Bootnotes, 10th March 2009 09:34 GMT
An Australian man's missus has branded him a "hero" after he tackled a "lunatic ninja" kangaroo which rampaged through their home on the outskirts of Canberra, the BBC reports.
Beat Ettlin, 42, intially sought refuge under the bedcovers with wife Verity Beman and their daughter after the roo crashed through their bedroom window. A shaken Beman recounted: "I just kept holding the covers over my head and felt the kangaroo jumping on top of us."
However, as soon as the crazed Skippy entered his terrified son's bedroom, Ettlin exited the marital bed, wrestled the animal into a headlock and ejected it through the front door - in the process suffering "scratched buttocks and shredded underpants".
The kamikaze marsupial, estimated by Ettlin at around 5 ft 9 in tall, had "gouged holes in the furniture and smeared blood over the walls" during its unwelcome visit. Ettlin said: "My initial thought when I was half awake was, 'it's a lunatic ninja coming through the window'."
Beman praised her hubby as "a hero: a hero in Bonds undies", making reference to an underwear brand popular downunder. Indeed, Ettlin's heroic status is further enhanced by the fact that he's originally from Switzerland; a country not noted for its roo-wrestling tradition.
The offending kangaroo, although wounded, hoppled off into a nearby reserve. Experts say that while common around Canberra, the creatures rarely jump through bedroom windows and trample families. ®


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|Lake Oswego, Ore.
|High School:
|Lake Oswego
|Back, IM
|Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
2011-12: Won the 100 back at the New England Invitational (11/5) … third in the 100 back vs. Amherst (1/28) … won the 200 back in the same meet … also won the event against Colby (1/14) and at Bowdoin (11/19) … captured the 200 IM at the Wheaton Invitational (2/5) … took eighth in the 200 IM at the NEWMAC Championships … fourth in the 100 back … sixth in the 200 back.
2010-11: Swam in seven different events during the season … most action came in the backstroke … prior to the conference championships swam in six 200 back events, winning four and taking second in the other two … finished sixth in the 100 back at the NEWMAC Championships with his season best of 52.46 … also sixth in the 200 back in another season best of 1:53.63 … also took ninth in the 200 IM in 1:56.67.
Out of the Pool at MIT: Majoring in electrical engineering and computer science … research with Lancer Lab … ABSK president.
High School: A 2009 graduate of Lake Oswego High School … state champion … three-time scholastic All-American … Junior National qualifier … MVP … Valedictorian … National Honor Society … Spanish Honor Society.
Personal: Son of Fengyu and Sue-chin Liu


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While the athletes have been competing for medals in London, their countries have been duking it out in a different type of games. Think of it as the Branding Olympics, with the competitors being more than 40 national hospitality houses set up across London to host VIPs and medalists, welcome visitors and showcase what the countries have to offer.
In what's becoming a growing Olympic tradition, the houses, mostly financed by national Olympic committees and corporate sponsors, have attracted tens of thousands of visitors and are as varied as the countries themselves, ranging from the posh to the whimsical and the just plain weird.
Russia took over part of genteel Kensington Gardens, set up a faux ice rink and blared Russian pop music on an endless loop. To advertise the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, there was a play area where kids could try their hand at the arcane sport of curling.
On the other end of the gardens, African nations displayed an unusual cohesiveness, forming an outdoor village and selling food and handmade goods from across the continent.
The Irish, perhaps owing to their financial crisis, were more restrained but still hewed to their national identity, taking over a three-story pub and serving all manner of drinks mixed with Jameson whiskey. The United States occupied the prestigious Royal College of Art and filled it with a Budweiser bar, a McDonald's cafe and a Team USA gift shop that sprawled over two floors.
"We're just trying to show a little bit of our country, a little bit of our culture," said Angelines Sami, who was working one recent afternoon at the Equatorial Guinea booth in Africa Village, across the road from Royal Albert Hall.
It was the first time that the tiny West African nation, whose Olympic team consisted of two athletes, had set up a hospitality venue at any Olympics. It was a simple affair, consisting of a few tables and chairs and, naturally, a large framed portrait of the country's president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who's ruled since 1979.
"People have a lot of questions about Equatorial Guinea," said Sami, who works at the country's embassy in London. "For example, they are surprised that we speak Spanish. The most they know about us is that about 10 years ago, we started producing oil." As a helpful reminder, the booth also featured a photo of a giant oil rig.
Nearby, at the Libya display, 25-year-old Akram Shalabi pointed to the portraits of ordinary people that covered the walls and noted that someone was missing: Moammar Gadhafi.
When Shalabi attended the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, the Libya booth featured only pictures of Gadhafi. A year after Gadhafi's death, a giant photo depicting the revolution that deposed him replaced his portrait here.
"That's the biggest difference," said Shalabi, who's a medical student. "We're no longer showing just one man. People are coming around and seeing what the new Libya has to offer."
Twenty years ago at the Barcelona games, hospitality houses were rare and selective, open just to athletes, dignitaries and sponsors. In a sign of how they've grown, the United States, France, Germany and some other countries began planning their presence here four years ago, right around the end of the Beijing Olympics, said Zanine Adams, the head of major events for London and Partners, the city's promotional organization.
"They were the ones that were most organized, and they were looking for the perfect venue," Adams said. She estimated that the roughly 20 venues that her organization helped secure generated about $140 million in economic benefits for the city.
Some houses, such as USA House and Japan's venue, still allow only sponsors, team members and invited guests. Others are more welcoming. If you weren't among the lucky 80,000 with tickets to see Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake run the 200-meter dash Thursday night, the next best place to be was Jamaica House at the North Greenwich Arena, which hosted a massive viewing party for its two biggest Olympians.
The biggest party? No doubt Heineken House, the Netherlands' official venue, which filled a palace in north London with orange-clad Dutch fans and a DJ spinning dance music for up to 6,500 ticket-holders every night.
The strangest display may belong to the Czechs, whose $4 million house features a sculpture by the artist David Cerny of a double-decker bus doing push-ups.
One of the most elaborate venues is Bayt Qatar, or Qatar House, established inside an elegant conference hall along the River Thames. Visitors are treated to Middle Eastern sweets and fresh juices in a dim, well-appointed sitting room before entering a maze-like hall filled with bright displays that tout the oil-rich Persian Gulf nation's advances in science, technology, athletics and women's rights.
If it feels like a massive advertisement, that's because it is: Qatar, which won hosting rights for the 2022 soccer World Cup, is planning to bid for the 2024 Olympic Summer Games.


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Avoiding the Seven Deadly Sins of Social Collaboration
Employees and customers are always on the go and many may even work remotely these days. For this reason, it is not more important than ever to establish strong social collaboration between all of your employees and business operations.
Watch this webcast to learn the seven don'ts of social collaboration in your organization. Discover how to choose and deploy a collaboration platform, as well as the benefits you'll realize. Topics include:
- Not having a strategy for engagement
- Not including everyone in the company
- Thinking mobile doesn't matter
- E-mail is dead
- Sharepoint and done
- Not going SaaS
- People AND documents


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Switch to Forum Live View Interested in Islam :)
|9 years ago :: Dec 20, 2008 - 5:58PM #1
Asalamu Alaykum!
I'm a former christian-turned-pagan-turned-agnostic-turned-slightly-christian again who is once again very annoyed with Catholicism and the Church in general. I don't really know how I ended up starting to research Islam a few days ago, but I did.
Here I am. What do you feel are the most important aspects of Islam? Besides Loving and Obeying Allah (swt) and believing that Muhammad (pbuh) is his final messenger.
*if I made any mistakes above please feel free to correct me*
Quick Reply
|9 years ago :: Dec 21, 2008 - 9:25PM #2
I'm really excited, I've bought a few books, and found tons of websites about Islam and being Muslim.
That is so amazing. I mean just being surrounded by religion 100% of the time, like going thru the day and knowing, "ok, its 45 minutes until my next prayer!" That must be an amazing feeling.
I'm really getting a feel for this deen, and it is so interesting, and makes a lot more sense than anything else I've ever tried.
Thanks so much for being so welcoming, I will definitely keep your email handy incase I have any more questions!
Quick Reply
|9 years ago :: Jun 02, 2009 - 1:23PM #3
Hi there,
I'm interesed in your experiance about Islam, how did you converted to Islam and how old are you? where are from? all the story plz
Many Thanks
Quick Reply
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Mill Neck copes with West Shore Road detour traffic
Mill Neck village officials have installed stop signs at two locations on Cleft Road to better cope with heavy traffic and speeding on the unofficial detour to closed West Shore Road.
West Shore Road, one of two access roads to and from Bayville and Centre Island, has been shut down for reconstruction since it was undermined by superstorm Sandy in October.
Initially the entire road was closed and traffic had to loop around through Mill Neck and Lattingtown. But since Nassau County reopened the southern third of the road south of Cleft Road in January, many drivers are using that portion of the road and Cleft Road as a shorter alternative to the official detour.
Mill Neck Mayor Peter Quick said the village board on Feb. 13 approved placement of stop signs at the Cleft Road intersections with Frost Mill Road and Horseshoe Road. The village spent $576 for the signs that were installed April 10.
"There's probably a tenfold increase in traffic" on Cleft, Frost Mill and Factory Pond roads since Sandy, Quick said.
"It's rather congested," Quick said. "There's been a lot of complaints from residents and unfortunately a higher police presence doesn't seem to slow people down," he said. He said the Old Brookville Police Department has increased patrols and at one point had an electronic speed readout sign on Factory Pond Road.
But, he said, the problems continue.
Quick added that "we're seeing increased wear on village roads" so the village has asked its engineering consultant for an assessment.
Meanwhile, on West Shore Road, the $5 million project to do emergency repairs and reconstruct the center section is under way. County Executive Edward Mangano said the new seawall along West Shore Road is more than halfway completed.
When that's completed, the road will be rebuilt. He said he remained optimistic that paving will begin by the end of May.
"The project remains on schedule to be completed by the July Fourth weekend," Mangano said. But county officials said the road or at least one lane could be open at certain times before that.
The current work is the first of three phases of a road reconstruction planned before Sandy.
The county has also been repairing flood damage to the Bayville Bridge, the drawbridge connecting Bayville and Mill Neck. It resumed operation Wednesday.


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i have a few ppl looking for razors in 2 tone (sap/hartwood) amboyna stablized
you got any in the works (6 inch long blocks?)
also i been working on a few blocks of the last order and its great and i might need to order more of the spalted (sycamore? as it looks alot liek bone )


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Carissa will embark on a once-in-a-lifetime journey Dec. 26 with about 500 other high school cheerleaders and dancers from across the U.S. who will be performing in the world famous London New Year's Day Parade on Jan. 1.
The CCHS Tigers Dance Team attended the annual camp at UNC Greeley in July, where Carissa was selected as an All American.
"The leaders watch and look for leadership and technique to nominate girls for the National Dance Association," she said. "You have to be nominated for the team and then you have to try out."
Out of about 300 participants, 60 were nominated and only about 20 made the team. Carissa had the option of performing at Disney World or in London.
"London is the best choice, I think," she said.
The dancers will get in lots of practice on their seven-day adventure while also touring the city and checking out the sites.
"I am so excited to be perform with other people who enjoy it as much as I do and just to see London," Carissa said.
She began taking dance lessons at Anita McCoy Dance Studio when she was in eighth grade.
"It was just something I wanted to do, and I was really awful," she said. "This is one of the things I worked toward because this is something I really, really wanted."
While at the dance camp, Carissa began to take more difficult classes and show more leadership initiative.
"The last day we performed a pom routine that we had learned, and I messed up a ton, but I got the pink All-American nomination ribbon and I just freaked out," she said. "I was so excited."
This is Carissa's second year on the CCHS Tigers Dance Team, and she is co-captain with junior Danielle Trujillo who participated in London's New Year's Day Parade in January 2012 and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in November.
Carissa is the daughter of Curtis and Valerie Harlow, and the sister of Kyle Harlow. Her next goal is to earn a spot on the CCHS Vocal/Music Department's Encore!


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The Iconic Ghetto: The New American Color Line
The black ghetto has become a major icon in American society and culture, and as such, it serves as an important source of stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination. From the days of slavery through the Civil Rights period, black people have occupied a caste-like status. Today, despite the progressive changes wrought by the racial incorporation process of the 1960s and 1970s, the color line persists—albeit in a new, emergent form—in everyday life. Many blacks now work in a wider range of occupations than ever—not simply in menial jobs, but in professional positions in which they have rarely appeared before, including as doctors, lawyers, professors, corporate executives, and major elected officials. Many of them also reside in exclusive neighborhoods formerly off-limits to them, and their children attend formerly white schools. But as black people have become increasingly more visible throughout society, dilemmas and contradictions of status have also become more common. The physical black ghetto persists, and its iconography conditions many Americans to think that the black person's "place" is usually in the ghetto, not in middle-class society. Thus, whites and others often associate black individuals with the iconic ghetto, burdening them with a deficit of credibility that on occasion manifests in acts of acute disrespect reminiscent of America's racial past. Among themselves black people call such incidents "nigger moments," and generally interpret them as deeply racist attempts to put them back in their place. These incidents, and the conflict they cause—based on the black ghetto as a concrete point of reference—constitute the present-day American color line.
Elijah Anderson the William K. Lanman Professor of Sociology at Yale University. One of the leading urban ethnographers in the United States, his publications include Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City (1999), winner of the Komarovsky Award from the Eastern Sociological Society; Streetwise: Race, Class, and Change in an Urban Community (1990), winner of the American Sociological Association's Robert E. Park Award for the best published book in the area of Urban Sociology; and the classic sociological work, A Place on the Corner (1978; 2nd ed., 2003). He is the 2013 recipient of the American Sociological Association's Cox-Johnson-Frazier Award.
Date: March 7, 2013
Time: 6pm
Location: 6 East 16th Street, Room 1102


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Columbus, Ohio (PRWEB) May 03, 2013
Seva Call (Save-A-Call) has launched in Columbus, Ohio. The free service finds and connects consumers to local service professionals within minutes. A keyword search for a plumber in the fifth largest city in the U.S. recently returned 236,000 search results and provided no way of confirming which listed company was available and which listings were completely outdated. Searching the world wide web for the right service pro is like finding a needle in a haystack.
Now, Columbus residents will be able to hear from an available service professional in 90 second by visiting http://www.sevacall.com, entering their location, availability, and description of the problem at hand. In minutes, Seva Call's algorithm matches the consumer with three preferred service professionals and connects them by phone to top-rated area professionals who are ready to help.
Seva Call is the best way to get real-time quality connections to businesses in over 50 service categories. The service filters through the city's more than 8,000 businesses, including dentists, lawyers, and roofers, and chooses the best based on proximity, availability, the job needed and even quality control measures like online consumer ratings and reviews, social reputation and interactions, call analytics, and other forms of consumer and business feedback.
By using Seva Call, consumers save time and energy while finding the skilled professionals who match their schedules, needs and can answer their questions right away. Of course, not only consumers, but businesses also will benefit from using Seva Call. When Seva Call receives a request from a consumer, the request will be relayed to the appropriate businesses by email, phone call, or text message. Once the business receives that request, they will have the opportunity to accept/reject the client based on details provided, saving valuable company time.
"Offering Columbus, Ohio residents Seva Call is like handing Christopher Columbus a GPS system. Why blindly navigate the web?" - joked Seva Call cofounder Aman Bakshi
In the near future, the Seva Call team will launch its iPhone and Android app so that customers can enjoy the same instant responsiveness to their service needs even when they are far from home. This will certainly help even more busy Columbus residents.
Seva Call raised $1.3 million in Series-A funding last fall and has launched in 31 cities across the United States including Miami, Atlanta, Birmingham, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Boston. Connect on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/5/prweb10698338.htm.
|Source: PRWeb
Copyright©2012 Vocus, Inc.
All rights reserved


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What happens when Renee is leaving Charlie.
1. Leaving
Rating 0/5 Word Count 529 Review this Chapter
I can't take it anymore! I hate Forks! It's boring and no one we really know lives here anymore. I need sun. Being stuck in a house all the time because of rain gets very irritating after awhile. Bella is six months old and can go out now. I can see if she was one month or younger , but she is not. She deserves sun. Something I was robbed of in my childhood. To top it off Charlie and I have been having fights. He is never home. When he is he is watching T.V. He's usually working or out fishing with Billy. He argues back saying he does it because he needs to support us. Yes, I understand, but I need time to do stuff also. All I do is go to the store every two weeks and take care of Bella. "Oh! Bella!" I screamed out loud remembering she was still in her highchair. I ran to the kitchen in a panic. Thank god, Bella was fine entertaining herself with her small hands. At that point Charlie walked in to the house.
"Hey honey! How's Isabella?" he asked uninterested.
"Bella is fine." I answered angrily.
"I'm going out with Billy tonight." Charlie spat back.
"No your not. I said sourly.
"Yes I am. You are not my mother Renee. You are Isabella's!" he said acidly. I couldn't believe it. He called her Isabella again. When I was pregnant with her we discussed how we were going to nickname her Bella. That we were going to only call her that. When he brought Bella into it that's when I lost it.
"I never go out! I never see you. I am here with your six month old daughter whom you seem very uninterested in. Oh, and her nickname from us is Bella. Did you know she said daddy two days ago? No, you didn't because when I told you....you were watching the television!" I yelled meanly. He just stared in shock.
"You know what Renee? I can't stand to be around you anymore. You complain to much!" he said evilly.
"Divorce me and marry the god damn television! I'm leaving! I can't take this town anymore!" I said while the tears rolled down my pale cheeks. I ran back into the kitchen and got Bella. Once I grabbed her I went up the stairs.
"Renee I didn't mean what I said. Please don't stay here." Charlie said sad.
"To late" I said crying a river. Charlie ran after me up the stairs pleading. All I did was move faster.
I got my suitcase, money, Bella, and Bella's suitcase. I ran down the stairs going towards the door. Right when I reached the door Charlie tugged on me and I turned around to face him.
"I love- " Charlie began to say when I cut him off.
" Me and Bella or this town?" I asked sniffling. He stood there not moving. He had to stop and think? I gave him two minutes then I opened the door and went out. I never looked back.
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The southbound lanes of the Interstate 85 bridge over the Yadkin River will officially open this weekend.
SPENCER | The southbound lanes of the Interstate 85 bridge over the Yadkin River will officially open this weekend.
"I'm glad to be here to share the exciting news of this great project," said N.C. Department of Transportation Secretary Tony Tata. "We knew the citizens wanted it, they needed it and deserve it. That's why we worked so hard."
The opening of the bridge will begin late Friday night and be complete by Saturday morning.
As Tata stood on the new portion of the bridge he made reference to the old bridge behind him that has been torn down as he shared history that it was constructed in 1955. He said it was not built to handle the 60,000 vehicles that travel across it each day.
He also mentioned the old bridge was narrow and did not have any shoulders. This past year the old bridge was closed due to safety concerns and came down a little over a month ago.
With the interstate being the most heavily used route in the state, Tate said, it was critical to upgrade the bridge. That portion of the highway links Davidson and Rowan counties.
Tate noted with the completed projects, it will be easier for companies to be able to transport their goods to market and employees to reach their jobs on time. He said it will also help entice businesses that are already located in the region to expand their facilities while encouraging new corporations to call North Carolina home.
"We know this is a main artery all the way to Atlanta," Tata said. "The new bridge allows businesses to transport goods all the way to Charlotte, the Triad area and beyond. It makes it easier for customers to get to (local) businesses."
The new northbound bridge was completed in May of last year and has been carrying two lanes of traffic flowing north and the other two lanes traveling south.
Tata said the new bridge is twice as wide as the old one and has four lanes in both the north and southbound portions. He also noted that there was extra room for people to pull over if they needed to. Compared to the old bridge, the new bridges come with wider lanes and shoulder areas on each side.
He's hoping for positive results on the southbound lanes that have occurred on the northbound lanes. For example, there have been reports of fewer crashes, and emergency personnel can reach accidents quicker, Tata said.
"We're already seeing positive responses. We expect this positive trend to continue," he said.
Tata said the opening was historic, and there were many people to thank for making the project successful. He also thanked the residents of Davidson and Rowan counties for wanting the bridge to pay homage to veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice by pushing for the name to be the Yadkin River Veterans Memorial Bridge. The designation honors the men and women from North Carolina who have served courageously in the nation's armed forces.
"May the Yadkin Valley Veterans Memorial Bridge be a lasting tribute to their sacrifice and our freedom," Tata said. "(The bridge) is a significant example of the governor's (Pat McCrory) vision. It's an example of teamwork. It takes teamwork to build projects like this. It will help maintain attractions of North Carolina. It will reduce congestion and increase safety."
Pat Ivey, N.C. Department of Transportation Division 9 engineer, said the bridge was one of his first projects he worked on when he joined the division in 2000. He said they tried to look at many different aspects to make the new bridge a reality.
Ivey said a big factor in the project was trying to figure out how it was going to be funded. He didn't know where it was coming from, however he knew they had to find a way. He noted the federal government supported the project with stimulus money, and state money was also used. The cost was $136 million.
"It just all came together. There was a lot of hard work behind the scenes. It feels awesome," he said about the completed project.
The new I-85 South bridge is 0.55 miles long and 72 feet wide. Crews with contractor Flatiron-Lane, a Joint Venture built it in nine months, used 38,000 tons of concrete and 1,800 tons of reinforced steel, according to a press release from DOT.
The construction of the new I-85 bridges is part of the I-85 Corridor Improvement Project. Phase one of the project was the widening of I-85 from just north of Long Ferry Road (Exit 81) to just north of N.C. 150, reconstructing the N.C. 150 interchange and replacing eight bridges, including the Yadkin River Bridge. Substantial completion is set for April 15.
Ivey also made reference to the compliments road officials have heard since the opening of the northbound bridge of I-85.
"We knew when we completed the project it would make a tremendous change," he said.
He noted to drivers passing through the area late Friday night to pay attention to detours and shifts that will likely occur after 10 p.m. By 6 a.m. Saturday, all four lanes of the bridge will be open.
"Be careful. By Saturday morning, it's a go," Ivey said.
Deneesha Edwards can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 213, or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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At the end of a week dominated by Sir Alex Ferguson's shock retirement as Manchester United manager, Manchester City will seek to drag the spotlight back to the blue half of the city by beating Wigan Athletic in today's FA Cup final.
Victory over Wigan would give City a third major title in three seasons and salve some of the pain inflicted by United's uncontested romp to this season's Premier League title and their own abject group-stage exit in the UEFA Champions League.
City's fans would dearly love to interrupt the Ferguson swansong by repeating their 2011 FA Cup success and they will have been heartened by midfielder Yaya Toure's claim that the Scot's departure could spark a power shift in the city.
"It will make a big difference," Toure said at City's pre-final media day. "He is a great guy, a great manager, and I hope he stays in football. He has done something unbelievable for that club."
However, the Ivorian added with a wry smile: "For us, I think it is going to be very important. It is looking like Manchester City will start to dominate the Premier League. I hope."
City will spend the summer plotting how to sabotage David Moyes' first season in the Old Trafford dugout, but midfielder James Milner said there would be no time for thoughts of their local rivals when his side take to the field at Wembley Stadium.
"I don't think that affects us, really," Milner said. "We concentrate on our business over here and it's obviously big news, but all we are concentrating on is the FA Cup final."
While today's game represents an opportunity for City to salvage a disappointing season, for Wigan it falls at an unfortunate juncture in their bid to avoid relegation.
Tuesday's agonizing 3-2 defeat at home to Swansea City left Wigan three points adrift of safety at the foot of the table and with only two games of the season remaining, their seven-year sojourn among the English elite is in serious jeopardy.
Manager Roberto Martinez refuses to view the FA Cup final as a distraction, though, and with the Latics appearing in the tournament finale for the very first time, he has urged his players to seize a rare opportunity to make history.
"I think in football, when you play with a fear of something to lose, which can happen when you're in a battle to avoid relegation, sometimes you can make cagey decisions because you are playing with that fear," the Spaniard said. "I think when you play in an FA Cup final, you haven't got that feeling. You are playing to have something to win and that freedom allows you to enjoy your football a little bit more. This group of players is ready. They are ready to face the occasion on Saturday. We know that we are underdogs and we play one of the biggest teams in European football, and that's what the FA Cup is all about."
Wigan's hopes of pulling off an upset have been compromised by injuries to key defender Maynor Figueroa, Chilean winger Jean Beausejour and utility man Ronnie Stam, but Martinez has given centerback Antolin Alcaraz a "50-50" chance of recovering from a hamstring injury.
City received some good news on Thursday when Toure declared himself fit to play after shrugging off a calf complaint.
Manager Roberto Mancini has already confirmed that Costel Pantilimon will continue in goal at the expense of first-choice goalkeeper Joe Hart, having played in last month's 2-1 defeat of Chelsea in the semi-finals.
"I know he [Hart] wants to play, but we decided at the start of the season it was important for Pantilimon to play in the two cups," Mancini said.
City will start as strong favorites, but Wigan proved their worth by stunning Everton 3-0 in the quarter-finals, before sinking Millwall in the semis, and City captain Vincent Kompany has warned his side: "We have to be careful."


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I read Andy's post with a knowing smile on my face. After all, I am no stranger to the publicly expressing the frustrations of dealing with the downside of this industry as I wrote about in 2006 when I was an entrepreneur.
But VC is like congress. It's easy to hate it en masse yet many people love their local congressman.
Because they know him or her. They see how hard she does her job. They know her personally and know she cares about her constituencies even if she has to make tough trade-offs from time-to-time.
In the original version of his post, Andy writes
"This essay is dedicated to the great VC's on my board who I am lucky to work with: Sameer Gandhi from Accel, Jeremy Liew from Lightspeed, and Kirsten Green from Forerunner.
I rest my case. "Hate the industry, Love my local guy."
But many of the assertions in his post – while populist – aren't exactly how things are in reality. So I thought I'd have my hand at a friendly counter point.
After all, I understand's Andy's frustrations with the industry.
And yours as well. I have felt them myself.
I wrote Andy first to be sure he wouldn't be offended if I did. Luckily Andy is good natured
So let's look at the main assertions
1. The industry is dying, except for the top 2%
"I don't know the exact math, but I hear it again and again: the top 2% of firms generate 98% of the returns in venture capital."
Unfortunately the first part of that statement is true. The second is not.
The top 2% do not drive 98% of the returns.
I have seen many slices of the data. The quickest I could find was from PitchBook. As you can see from the chart their data suggests there are about $25 billion of VC distributions per year in the US.
According to FLAG Capital there are 100 active VCs (as defined by making at least $1 million in VC per quarter for 4 consecutive quarters).
Their data looks at tech VCs. So for argument's sake let's triple the number of active VCs and call it 300.
That would mean 6 firms drive $24.5 billion in returns.
Not even close to the case.
Most top tier VCs return about 3x invested capital and outlier funds (the best of a vintage) might return 6-8x. It's true this was much bigger in the dot com era but I've studied the data and know that over the past decade these numbers are right.
So if you take 6 very strong performing firms of $250 million and assume they do 5x each that is $1.25 billion each, $7.5 billion in total or 30% of the industry returns.
But Mark, many of the great firms are $500 million and up! If you double your number that would mean 60% of industry returns. Not too shabby!
Yeah, true. But the larger funds usually have lower returns because they are often investing bigger dollars at later stages with less risk and therefore lower returns.
As you can see in this Cambridge Associates data, early-stage investing beat later stage investing in returns in 70% of the past 30 years.
It is true that every few years a fund exits that delivers smashing results because it has Facebook, Google or Twitter in it. But as an LP you can't count on that any more than VCs can. You invest across many funds just as VCs invest across many companies.
The better way to think about VC returns is, do the firms consistently beat alternative asset clases on an IRR basis to adjust for the increased risk and lack of liquidity?
Here the data is not always kind to VCs.
But the top 25% do consistently beat the alternatives. The problem is the illiquidity because investors are often locked in for 7-10 years. The goal of an LP is to get into the top decile. But picking today's top 10 does not pick the next year's 10.
Take for example Accel. When it went to raise its fund 10 years ago the rumor was that many LPs were disappointed with recent returns and did not re-up. Yet their next fund had Facebook in it. Doh.
And I believe that Accel has consistently shown its ability to be in the top decile in the last decade.
But the funds that every LP wishes they were in – USV & First Round Capital – not to mention Foundry Group, Spark Capital, Floodgate, True Ventures and others either didn't exist 10 years ago or were just sprouting. Neither did Andreessen Horowitz.
So the reality is that yesterday's winners are no guarantee of tomorrow's success and today's emerging managers might just be tomorrow's best investors.
The industry isn't dying. It is changing. And reinventing itself. And some firms will go under. And others will emerge. That's normal. It's a market, after all.
In 2000 our industry had more than $100 billion in LP money. By 2009 had reduced to around $15 billion in capital from LPs. In 2013 it is expected to be around $35 billion.
Not. Dying.
Compare the state of play in 2013 versus 15 years ago. 33% of the world is on the Internet on average of 3.1 hours / day. There are 138 million smart phones in the US alone and … wait … 99 million tablets. Insane.
2008 App ecosystem on iOS = $0. 2013 = $25 billion of which Apples stage is more than $8 billion at > 90% gross margin. Credit cards = less friction = more purchases = cha ching.
2. The best VCs don't try to help entrepreneurs
I'll admit that I do know one VC firm who's strategy is not to call their entrepreneurs and not to be involved in operations. But I seriously only know one. They believe that stock picking is the most important function they can play. They are also less than 10 years old.
But the people whom I consider best in this industry are quite helpful indeed.
Let's look at some great companies.
Facebook. Is it right that VCs had no involvement in persuading Sheryl Sandberg to join the fledgling company? Not according to my sources.
Google. If you read Ken Auletta's piece it makes it clear there was active VCs involvement in the early days. It led to hiring Eric Schmidt. And Coach Campbell. And to finally admitting that ads weren't evil so that Google could copy the model of the fast growing Overture.
Twitter. There have been a lot of management shuffles at Twitter. But in my mind there is no doubt that placing Dick Costolo at Twitter was the most positive thing Twitter has done to become a long-term success. Hard to imagine that Dick joined "organically" or that his becoming CEO also was organic. My guess is both had heavy VC involvement.
Amazon. I've heard directly from top executives that Jeff Bezos (in my opinion the most talented person in the tech industry) has received his fair share of VC coaching in the early years
Tumblr. Nothing was more heart warming than the photo of David Karp hugging Bijan Sabet after the sale to Yahoo! And hard for me to imagine the Fred Wilson and Albert Wenger weren't instrumental mentors to David.
After all, many people love their VCs but hate the industry.
According to Andy
Dear Dumb VC, it's so painful to sit in meetings with you and hear your vision for what the company should do and what's going to happen in the industry.
Just so you know, Dumb VC, the top 2% never do this.
They're too busy using their superb judgment getting into great deals and bowing out graciously from the ones they don't want to back.
Not in my experience, Andy.
The best VCs I know take 11pm conference calls. Meet with their teams on weekends. Broker critical introductions since entrepreneurs are often younger & newer to industry whereas the best VCs often have great contacts across decades and many deals.
In my mind, the best VCs actually deliver outsized returns by "leaning on the scale" not by "deal sourcing."
I had dinner last week with somebody you would consider one of the best known names in our industry. I asked him what he's learned as a VC. He said,
"I prefer to do Enterprise A rounds and Consumer B rounds.
On the enterprise side, I know every buyer of technology in this industry. So I can make a huge difference in the company's trajectory. And I'll know in 18 months whether we have product / market fit. But we can have a huge impact on that.
With consumer deals you can't manufacture consumption. So I prefer to watch what works first and pay a higher price to get in when it's proven."
This wrung true with me. Great VCs create the fabric of their success by backing the best entrepreneurs they have access to and then helping them to lean on the scales.
This happens at acquisition time, too. The best VCs know the buyers and can help guide and manage the process.
3. VCs Spend Too Much Time Deciding
Yes. This one is probably true. And for a good reason. Even though I know this sucks when you're an entrepreneur and just want the money deposited tomorrow so you can get back to running your businesses.
Many entrepreneurs come by with great pitches and say, "I'm hoping to have term sheets in the next 30 days."
If this happens to you as a VC – you're too late to the deal. Shame on you. Get to the entrepreneurs earlier next time.
If you don't really know the entrepreneur through many meetings, debates and encounters – it's really a crap shoot the fund them.
Per Andy,
"I should be building the company, you should be deciding quickly whether to invest or not."
If anything a "Dumb VC" would decide quickly without knowing the entrepreneur. In my opinion Dumb VCs are too worried about being in "hot" deals so they chase the hottest new trend, the fanciest, best known entrepreneur or the party round that has so many other great names attached to it that they feel they can't miss this one.
The unfortunate reality is the most partners at VCs firms see hundres of deals every year and invest in 1-2 of them. After 6-7 years they therefore have 7-10 board seats, which is about all most VCs can effectively manage.
A priori many deals look attractive.
Post hoc it's obvious who the winners were.
Ask any VC who's been in the industry 10-20 years and they'll tell you that often those that looked the best when they wrote the check didn't turn out to be the best. And vice versa.
So caveat emptor to those that feel rushed into deals.
Some of the most bizarre sounding deals end up being huge winners. Some of the most obvious companies and talented entrepreneurs end up not working or burning through too much capital.
VCs are wise to go slowly.
Even though that may not be what entrepreneurs want.
4. VCs shouldn't call their entrepreneurs once they invest
"Dear Dumb VC, now that you've invested, leave me alone! Did you know that the 2% never call their entrepreneurs?"
I'll just leave it to entrepreneurs to decide on their own on this one.
I call often. So I must be dumb, I guess.
My view … it is my job to be a sparring partner. I want to challenge the founders view.
Because being an entrepreneur is a lonely job. You have to make tough decisions with few inputs and little history from which to base your decisions. CEOs can rarely express their uncertainty and doubt to others.
So the VC's job is to challenge. Cajole. Debate. Offer contrasting views. Play Devil's Advocate.
And then step back.
And let the entrepreneur decide the course of action. Even if it is different than what you would have decided.
Fred Wilson talks about this in his post about Tumblr.
I seriously know exactly one VC whose policy is not to call their entrepreneurs. One.
5. VCs often don't use the products of the companies in which they invest
Agree whole heartedly. I never understood investing in companies in which you didn't really understand their products.
I blog. I create videos. I use analytics. I use social media. I IM and DM and SMS. I Instagram, Cinemagram and Path. I Quora. I Trello and Salesforce and DropBox and 500px.
I try to live a "day in the life of" the users.
It's hard for me to imagine investing in companies in which you don't use and understand the products and markets.
6. VCs should never be late
Hard to argue with this. Nobody should really ever be late to meetings because it's disrespectful of other people's times.
But I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't habitually late. But I have been since I was a kid. No excuse, but it turns out to be one of the most common traits of people with ADD as I found out when I read Delivered from Distraction.
I wish I were better. I struggle. I try to make it up with humor, kindness, apologies and by giving more time at the end of the meeting.
Many VCs are in fact late. Many entrepreneurs are, too. So are corporate executives.
I have found that being on time versus being late is a personality trait more than a power play.
What I hate more than anything is when people are late and then cut meetings off early. If an entrepreneur was told they have 45 minutes they should get 45 minutes.
In a perfect world everybody would be on time. In reality, that is seldom the case.
The best entrepreneurs don't get too worked up about this. They understand that it just is. It's hard for me to imagine that an entrepreneur who was waiting to see the CEO of their largest potential customer would leave if that customer were 20 minutes late. You might be bummed, but you'd bite your lip.
So what I'm really hearing is, "VCs piss me off. So when they're late the piss me off even more."
Fair enough.
I pitch a lot of LPs. I have to raise money, too. Many are late. Many don't return my emails on time. Many don't commit when I want them to.
I have walked a mile in their shoes so I'm a lot more tolerant about it these days than I used to be.
7. You suck if you don't have 2+ $1 billion exits.
Ergo I suck.
I work with partners who have seen 15 such exits. My partner Yves will have 3 in our last fund alone and possibly 4.
But I became a VC in 2007 and wrote my first check in 2009 – 4.5 years ago.
So $1 billion exit is unrealistic for me.
And as John Doerr has noted, "your lemons ripen early" so I like to say that if I had a ton of exits it would be because I haven't done my job as well as I would have liked.
Most great companies start to really shine in years 7-10.
I believe I have some great investments. And some that are proving more challenging. And if you call any founder I've backed – good and bad – they'll tell you I don't quit easily. I'm on their side good times and bad.
I am seeing some companies like Maker Studios and DataSift where the growth has been faster and more impressive than any companies I ran. And while all companies have challenges – I am inspired by their progress to date.
In Summary
I was an entrepreneur previously. I know the frustrations.
I am now a VC. Not yet for as long as I was an entrepreneur.
I spend significant amounts of time with VCs now that I have gone to the Dark Side. I have more empathy than I once did.
I see the hours and hard work put in by my peers. I see how much time they spend on the road away from their families. I see them on conf calls at any hour – even from vacation.
It's hard being an entrepreneur and making money.
It's hard being a VC and making money.
In reality neither side is evil.
It always reminds me of my time as a CEO. Everybody always thinks they can do your job because they're doing the hard work while you get to fly off to conference, speak with the press, go to fancy board meetings & dinners. They think it's easy – until they have to do it.
VC is a bit like that, too.
From one of you. Now on the other side of the table.
I think a more humorous attack our industry's behavior was done by this hilarious video done by my friend Dorrian on YouTube recently
Dunce photo by PaperDoll Dreams on DeviantArt
(Cross-posted @ Both Sides of the Table)


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WOODRIDGE – Registration is still open for Woodridge's 14th annual mini triathlon in August.
Hosted by the Rotary Club, the race will be at Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park, at 8301 S. Janes Ave., on Aug. 18.
The mini triathlon has two races, the main event, which is a 250 yard swim, a 10k bike ride and a two mile run and the kid's event, which is a 100 yard swim, 5k bike ride and a one mile run.
To register, contact Mike Adams at 630-353-3329 or visit: woodridgerotary.org


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Redfield® Rampage™ 20-60x80mm Spotting Scope Offers Extreme Magnification and Angled-Eyepiece Comfort
BEAVERTON, Ore. – Redfield® has added a 20-60x80mm model with angled eyepiece to its Rampage™ spotting scope line for hunters and wildlife observers seeking powerful optical performance at affordable prices. The 80mm objective lens delivers a quality image in a wide range of light conditions, especially at higher magnifications. With its 45-degree angle, the eyepiece provides enhanced comfort and ease of use.
"We introduced the Rampage series in 2010 when we revived the Redfield brand," said Pat Mundy, communications manager for Leupold & Stevens, Inc. "The new 20-60x80mm model is a very affordable spotting scope that offers extreme magnification with the user-friendly benefits of an angled eyepiece." The 20-60x range allows for an optimum balance of magnification and linear field of view, which is 105 feet (at 20x) to 52 feet (at 60x) at 1,000 yards.
Other Rampage spotting scope features include fully multicoated lenses and a premium BAK4 prism for outstanding image brightness, resolution and edge clarity. A retractable lens shade helps reduce glare. The tough polycarbonate body reduces weight to 43 ounces, and is nitrogen filled to make the spotter waterproof and fog proof in all field conditions. A twist-up/down eyecup comfortably accommodates users with or without eyeglasses. The standard 1/4-20 threaded tripod adapter allows for easy installation on any standard tripod or window mount.
Measuring 15 inches in length, the spotting scope has an exit pupil of 4.0 mm – 1.33 mm, and a close focus distance of 14.3 feet.
The Rampage 20-60x80mm comes in a kit that includes a compact tripod, view-through soft case, neoprene neck strap, soft storage case, and eyepiece and objective lens covers.
Rampage spotting scopes are covered by the Redfield Limited Lifetime Warranty. For more information, go to www.redfield.com.
Acquired by Leupold & Stevens, Inc. in 2008, Redfield is now a brand of the Oregon-based company. In addition to the Rampage spotting scope kits, the Redfield line includes Revolution™ and Revenge™ riflescopes, Rebel™ roof prism and Renegade™ Porro prism binoculars, and Raider™ rangefinders. The Redfield Gun Sight Company was founded in 1909 by John Hill Redfield. Over the years, Redfield became one of the leading American manufacturers of sports optics, known for the performance, ruggedness and reliability of its products. The new Redfield line upholds that tradition and is sold worldwide to hunters, shooters, wildlife observers and other outdoor enthusiasts.


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While watching the Mexican National Team cruise to a 5-1 victory over plucky New Zealand in the first leg of their World Cup qualifying intercontinental playoff series, I got thinking about the American team's journey to Brazil up until this point.
While it had been a much longer road then most realise, what really sticks in the mind is the USMNT's run of form through CONCACAF's "hexagonal" final qualifying round.
From 10 games, the US ended up with a record of 7-2-1, the two losses being to Honduras at the beginning of the hexagonal, and to Costa Rica towards the end, when qualification was all but assured.
While qualification from CONCACAF is not a given, as is presently being demonstrated by Mexico's trudge through the play-off mire, it is evidently not as difficult a process as top teams from most other continents have to go through. What exactly then, can one then take from the American's progression to the finals in Brazil?
Jurgen Klinsmann's impact on the squad cannot be understated. Under previous regimes, the tactic always seemed to be to grind out a goal, then sit back and soak up pressure and potentially grab another on the break. That style doesn't suit this manager and it's been made evident, particularly in recent results such as the 2-0 defeat of Mexico at home in Columbus Crew Stadium.
Other than the introduction of a more attack-based mentality, I believe that Klinsmann has instilled a bond and togetherness throughout the player-pool that other USMNT managers may have been just slightly lacking in. My case in point for this argument is the famous, or should I say infamous, "Snow Game" versus Costa Rica back in March. Prior to the game, rumours had it that players were not all too happy with coach Klinsmann, particularly his tactics and team selection coming off an opening round 2-1 defeat to Honduras.
Then came the snow; the US defeated Costa Rica 1-0, the squad appeared unified, an identity started to develop, and the team then went on an unprecedented run of 15 wins from their preceding 18 games, the only losses coming in the form of a 4-2 defeat to high-flying Belgium and the 3-1 "Revenge For The Snow" loss to Costa Rica.
In terms of the player pool it appears as though, for the most part but with a few exceptions, Klinsmann has his squad. This is particularly true in deep lying pivot with the deployment of Bradley and Jones, goalkeeper Tim Howard, the attacking midfield of Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, and the all-important central striker position being stake-claimed by the newly effervescent Jozy Altidore.
While his current club campaign would be defined as anything but a glittering success, he is still the man to lead the line for the Americans in Brazil. At 24 years of age, Altidore is already the holder of several American scoring records, including the "consecutive games with a goal" streak that he broke in style with a hat-trick in the 4-3 comeback victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in August.
While all this team development and growth is great for the players and their footballing abilities, what I have really found most fascinating about the qualification process has little to do with the team itself. What has been most enjoyable, for me, is that the American fans are actually behind this team.
Believe it or not I do believe football in America may be taking off, honestly this time I think it may be happening. I realised this during the 2-0 win over Panama in Seattle. I have never seen anything like it from football fans in America. We are talking about proper support here; raucous backing, well organised singing and chanting, and knowledge of the game being demonstrated by a vast majority of those in attendance.
While I don't expect the USMNT to make a massive splash in Brazil next summer, this squad has the look of a team that could push for a quarter-final birth, and I would love to see how this group of American players and fans would handle that sort of development.
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