text:
Nancy Drew and the Case of the Never-Ending Boredom
You'd think that a show which provides so many improbable, poorly written plots would be fascinating to watch, in the train wreck sort of way. You would be wrong because General Hospital, home to a number of ludicrous plots that exceeds the population of some small nations, is sooooo boring.
Don't get me wrong; I still have a quasi-hysterical outraged reaction to something at least once per scene, but the scenes are endless. And the show goes on for so long. When Sonny started to lecture Olivia about the evils of mail tampering, I violently rolled my eyes (a la Paul Rudd in Wet Hot American Summer) and caught a glimpse of the clock and saw that it was 3:03 and then the theme started playing. It felt like the show should have been half over!
How about those scintillating Sonny and Olivia scenes, and the reminder that Olivia has a secret?!
Sonny: We all have secrets, even Jax. Even you.
Olivia: I'll never tell.
Subtle! I can't wait for all of the similarly clever anvils we will get during the months (or, god forbid, years) that the Dante secret stays hidden.
Carly and Jax renewing their vows was sweet and I am all for pretty people being married and being pretty
...but I am so over these two and their cycle of being happy before some contrived plot point comes their way and they implode, causing Jax to leave town and then come back to be happy again.
[Here is the part where I'd normally talk about Spinelli and Winifred and how awful Winifred is and how their lame storyline and steadfast refusal to speak actual human English irritates me in such a way that all I can do is screech, literally, like a CRAZY PERSON, but even remembering the lame awfulness is giving me agita, so in the interest of sparing my blood pressure a massive spike, I am going to move on]
Oh, Patrick. So hot, so freaking moronic.
Patrick: Robin gets so upset when I talk to anybody about this.
That's so weird that someone would be angry about her husband talking about her mental health to anyone physically capable of listening to him.
Elizabeth: With love and patience.
Patrick: I tried that already.
"Patience? Yeah, I tried that for like a day and it didn't work. What else?"
Patrick: You know, I got to be honest, Elizabeth. I mean, somebody's going to have to take care of Emma, and I'm pretty pissed off about all this. I mean, Robin's a mother, you know.
Hi Patrick, 1953 called and wants you to shut the fuck up.
Patrick: Until she admits she has a problem, it's up to me to take care of Emma.
NO! No, that's just unreasonable. The FATHER taking care of a BABY?! That's INSANE. We cannot let that happen! Let's go find the mentally ill mother and browbeat her into coming back to town and taking care of Emma, the way god intended!
Emma's all, "Are you kidding me with this, Dad?"
The less said about "Nancy Green" and her "adventures" in Rochester, the better. Aside from how utterly bizarre it is that the writers think that PPD includes the desire to run away and invent a new life....who picks Nancy Green as their fake name?! I often use a fake name at Starbucks (not because I am crazy, but because nobody ever gets my name right. And then the barista is calling "Melanie? Melanie?" and I don't realize that I am supposed to be Melanie. At least if I give a fake name that cannot be misheard, I will know what to expect. Okay, maybe I am crazy), but I make sure to choose something fun and exciting.
Hey, Mac! Good to see you! Can't wait to see you be all awesome and stuff.
Maxie: Hi. I got your message. Did you guys find Robin?
Mac: No, not yet. But I've got the department working on it. And until then, I'm taking Emma out of this house.
Maxie: I noticed something was up the night of the hospital crisis. Johnny and I found Robin's minivan broken down on the side of the road, and then Robin herself wandering through the snow. She had no idea where Emma was. She was acting like she didn't even know she had a baby.
Mac: Well, she did the smart thing. It was freezing out, she wrapped her up and put her in a sheltered place.
Glad I wasn't holding my breath on the whole "being awesome" thing.
"Hi, I'm Liz. I'm stunningly gorgeous, more than a little fabulous, a legacy character, the mother of the most sainted human being's child, a nurse at the General Hospital that General Hospital gets its name from, and I have ties to pretty much every person in this town. Please enjoy this glimpse of me while it lasts because you probably won't see me again until the end of the month, when I once again pop up as background scenery! "
I love Alexis, and I always get excited when I see Alexis because, hello, she rules, but it also makes me sad because Nancy Lee Grahn is amazing and gorgeous
And hilarious...
Alexis: [Spinelli] was dressed like one of the Blues Brothers, and I think he was trying to be a secret service agent.
Alexis: A mob party, cool.
Sonny: Yeah?
Alexis: RSVP or die.
Sonny: You want to keep the streets safe, right?
Alexis: I was just sort of thinking of the party games you could play -- bobbing for body parts, pin the tale on the squealer. Or you could play musical chairs. Whoever doesn't get a chair loses a limb.
(Ha, hee, and ha again!)
...and completely wasted on this show. WHY IS THIS WOMAN NOT THE SHOW'S LEADING LADY? WHY?! Is it because that would be good? And because this show has an allergic reaction to good? Is that it?!
Screencaps courtesy of LaurieLuvsLiason.


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2010 Men's Soccer
Huntington 1, Bluffton 0 (OT)
Huntington scores early in OT for 1-0 win over Beavers
September 18, 2010
By: Keisha Holtsberry, sports information assistant
BLUFFTON, Ohio - The Bluffton University men's soccer team fought hard against Huntington University on Saturday, September 18, 2010, ending regulation time with a scoreless tie, and forcing the game into overtime. A Huntington score less than a minute into extra time sent the Beavers to their third consecutive defeat.
Brandon Gamble hauled in a Kyle Geiss cross just 38 seconds into overtime and took advantage of the mass of players in front of the goalkeeper, giving the visitors a 1-0 victory over the Beavers.
Freshman Zach Sturm (Grove City) and Jacob Graham (Elida) paced Bluffton with four shots apiece, while senior Brian Good (Elida) tallied three shots. Michael Timpe (Swanton) put both of his attempts on frame.
Bluffton University fired 17 shots, while holding Huntington to just 13. The Beavers forced four corner kicks, one more than the Foresters. Junior Dan Saville (Toledo/Central Catholic) recorded six saves in the loss and thwarted numerous other Huntington chances.
The Beavers continue their 2010 season in Bluffton on September 22 against Marygrove College. The contest is slated for 4 p.m. at the Salzman Complex.

subset: commoncrawl


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Messiah Sees the Light on FSC
While the printing world gushed over FSC chain-of-custody certification a few years ago, Dwayne Magee made no secret about his skepticism.
"The issue of the environment is important, but having the certification in our shop isn't a huge issue," he told IPG in a 2009 article. He had, after all, been duped into obtaining ISO 9000 certification at a previous print shop, with the promise that it would bring new business, which never happened.
Magee, director of Messiah College Press & Postal Services, felt that FSC certification was "just extra money in the hands of someone behind a desk somewhere" for the privilege of slapping a logo on a printed piece. His Grantham, Pa., shop was already using FSC papers, he said, so he could just point to that as evidence of the in-plant's sustainability focus.
Time has a way of changing opinions, though. Last month, Messiah College Press & Postal Services passed its FSC audit with flying colors and now proudly displays the FSC logo as a sign of its devotion to sustainable practices. Why the change of heart?
"I was wrong," admits the newly converted Magee. He came to realize that by going the extra mile and getting certified, his in-plant was demonstrating much stronger support of the college's goals.
"Sustainability is really growing on our campus," he says. "They're always looking for ways to communicate how the college has made sustainability a priority. So when they see a department take something like this on, they're on our team, and they consider us on theirs."
Trying to communicate the in-plant's sustainable practices without using the FSC logo (prohibited for those that aren't certified) was proving extremely difficult, he notes.
"We were finding that it just didn't carry the weight that actually being able to use that logo carries," he points out.
In addition, he has come to see the Forest Stewardship Council more favorably; it's made up of people with a noble goal, he says, and paying to support that goal by attaining certification is commendable.
"It just conveys a very positive image about what our priorities are, and that we support this organization [FSC] and what they do," he notes.
Magee says his views started to change after getting to know the college's new sustainability director, Craig Dalen. Magee began to realize the value of making a strong statement like this, both for his in-plant and for the college.
Dalen also pointed out that attaining FSC certification would show customers that the in-plant can commit to a detailed project that requires hard work and an eye for detail.
"That communicates to your customer that they can trust you with their project as well," Magee says. Though he insists that generating business was not his goal, he notes that "just the rumor of us possibly becoming certified has generated emails and phone calls."
An added benefit of getting certified, Magee says, is that it brought his 10-person team together as they worked through the steps. The in-plant received a training and reference manual from Printers Green Resource LLC, coordinator of the InGreen group certification program for in-plants, and employees read it as a group during production meetings. The manual spelled out all the steps the shop would need to take to pass the audit.
"It just made it so easy," Magee remarks.
When the in-plant passed that audit in November, the staff felt a strong sense of accomplishment, he says.
He praises the InGreen program for simplifying the process and keeping costs down. Certification cost the in-plant $1,695, he says.
In explaining his change of opinion, Magee quotes Thomas Merton, who once said "If the you of five years ago doesn't consider the you of today a heretic, you are not growing spiritually.
Related story: FSC Certification: 'A Good Investment'
Bob has served as editor of In-plant Graphics since October of 1994. Prior to that he served for three years as managing editor of Printing Impressions, a commercial printing publication. Mr. Neubauer is very active in the U.S. in-plant industry. He attends all the major in-plant conferences and has visited more than 130 in-plant operations around the world. He has given presentations to numerous in-plant groups in the U.S., Canada and Australia, including the Association of College and University Printers and the In-plant Printing and Mailing Association. He also coordinates the annual In-Print contest, cosponsored by IPMA and In-plant Graphics.


text:
Oasis Daily Defense Moisturizer SPF 30
In stock
$42.00 / 1.7 Fl oz
Hydrates while shielding your face with broad spectrum coverage
Oasis Daily Defense Moisturizer SPF 30
Product Overview
This moisture-packed SPF offers protection from the sun's harmful rays while remaining lightweight to the touch. It's infused with Sea Grass and Water Lily extracts because you should be rewarded for being so responsible.
Ingredients & Technologies
Water Lily Extract
Helps to condition skin
Sea Grass Extract
Helps to promote skin's ability to retain moisture
Humectant Blend
Delivers immediate and long lasting hydration.
Active UV filters
Provide broad spectrum protection from sun's harmful rays
PARABENS / MINERAL OILS / PHTHALATESView all ingredients
How To Apply
Massage onto face, neck, and chest every morning, after cleansing and toning. Reapply every two hours. For best results, apply over your favorite H2O+ Beauty serum.
All Ingredients
Water/Aqua/Eau, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Benzophenone-3, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Cyclopentasiloxane,C14-22 Alcohols, Dimethicone, Trisiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Nymphaea Coerulea Flower Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Zostera Marina Extract, Diatomaceous Earth, Phospholipids, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sorbitol, Glucose, Sorbic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum/Fragrance, Linalool
Write Your Own Review


text:
MACOMB, Ill. (AP) -- Western Illinois University is receiving a grant from the Arbor Day Foundation that will allow reforestation of the Horn Field Campus.
The grant will pay for more than 16,000 saplings to plant in the 92-acres of woodlands, prairie and nature trails on the campus.
Rob Porter is assistant professor in the Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration Department, which administers Horn Field. The department's students and others who study natural-resources management will get hands-on learning when doing the reforestation work.
Horn Field program coordinator Mindy Pheiffer says the area is overgrown with invasive species which prohibit native hardwood-tree growth.
Porter says forest habitat is disappearing in Illinois. Jack-in-the-Pulpit, redheaded woodpeckers and burrowing crawfish all live in the campus.
Visit online for more information: http://www.arborday.org


text:
Note: Apparently the audio code is messed up, so please follow the link below for audio.
Georgia Rep. Paul Broun said the following on a local radio show, via the Hill:
"It only helps the Democrats if we legalize all these illegal aliens in this country who the Democrats want to put on federal welfare programs, and actually they're on federal welfare programs today. The Democrats want to make them all basically dependent on the federal government so they can continue their radical, big government agenda. They want to get people so that they're looking to for bigger and bigger government.
"The only way Georgia's going to change is if we have all these illegal aliens in here in Georgia, give them the right to vote. It would be morally wrong, it would be illegal to do so, under our current law. Actually, all these illegal aliens are getting federal largesse and taking taxpayers' dollars. And that's the only way that this state is going to become Democratic again, in the next number of decades."
One: Hey Paul Broun, they are not "illegal aliens," they are people. People who are trying to make it. People with families. People who pay taxes. People who scrub other people's toilets and take care of other people's kids. People who are kids themselves, trying to get an education so they can contribute to society responsibly, unlike yourself. People who scare the crap out of you, because without their votes, you and what's left of your party are toast.
Two: STFU.
Three: If you, Paul Broun, are fundraising off of this kind of disgraceful disparagement, then it is you who is the moocher, the taker, benefiting politically on the backs of those who are struggling to make a better life for themselves. Without them, this country's economy would sink. By the way, genius, check out the image at the top of this post.
Here are all our Paul Broun posts if you want to read more about this brainless, soulless, compassion-less, racist ignoramus.


text:
I've experienced several census releases over the years. I started my genealogy research in the 1970s, so I remember the release of the 1920 and the 1930 censuses (I was In college when the 1910 census was released and it was not a priority for me at that time!). The 1920 census was fun but by the time the 1930 census was released I was using the internet and Ancestry, which was even more fun. This time around, the fun is more immediate since the images were available on the same day as the release. Even though the images eventually ended up on line in 2002, there was no way to Tweet or post on Facebook. I read hundreds of Tweets yesterday about discoveries being made within hours of the 1940 census release online.
For most of the day of 2 April 2012 I was unable to find my ancestors on line in the 1940 census. The NARA website was giving me error messages, or I was too impatient to wait for the images to load (especially after waiting for 40 minutes at a time!). I stared at the message "Processing Image" for hours. At Ancestry.com only certain states were online, including Maine and Rhode Island. After trying and trying at NARA to look at my parents and grandparents in Beverly and Hamilton, Massachusetts, I decided to look at Maine to find some distant cousins.
Bingo! The first town I looked at was South Berwick, Maine, where my Wilkinson ancestors lived in the 1700s and 1800s. I knew there were still some Wilkinsons there in the 1920 and 1930 censuses. I found two Wilkinson households in the 1940 census, and had the great luck of finding one cousin was listed on line #29. This is genealogical gold! On each page of the census, two people were chosen to answer an additional set of questions. Hopefully I will find more of these lucky ancestors as I go along exploring the 1940 census.
And thank goodness I complained on Facebook that I couldn't get into the Massachusetts images. Fellow genealogist Michael Maglio read my complaint and sent me the entire set of images (all 36 pages) for the Massachusetts Enumeration District 5-45, which includes Dearborn Avenue in Beverly. This is the address where my Dad grew up, and this 1940 Census image would be the first time I saw Dad in a Census since he was only 6 years old. Not only that, but four generations of my family lived at 7 Dearborn Avenue, including me in the 1960s!
|click to enlarge
This image from Beverly, MA ED 5-45 includes 7 Dearborn Avenue
Massachusetts. Essex County. 1940 US census, population schedule. Digital images, Archives.gov. http://1940census.archives.gov: 2012.
Lucky me again! The very first image had Dearborn Avenue penciled in on the margin, and I had to only scroll to page 3 to find house number 7. But wait…. Look at this… the head of the household was listed as "Munroe, Donald". If I had waited to find my grandfather in the 1940 Census after indexing, I would never have found him because his name is "Donald Munroe Wilkinson". For some reason, the enumerator dropped the surname WILKINSON and gave his middle name as the surname. It's a good thing I browsed the pages instead of relying on an index!
There were no surprises under the family entry. It listed my grandparents, my Dad and his brothers. Papa listed his occupation as "shipping inspector" at "Shoe Machinery" which is the United Shoe Machinery Corporation only a few blocks away. He could walk to work, and so did my great grandfather, and my Dad who all worked there at some point in their lives. Even my grandmother worked there as a "Rosie the Riveter" a few years after this 1940 census was taken.
|1947 at 7 Dearborn Avenue
and I was lucky enough here to have
this photo labeled with names!
What was fun to me was to read all the neighbors who lived on Dearborn Avenue in 1940. Some were still there when I lived there in the 1960s. My Dad and all his brothers had dear boyhood friends listed on Dearborn Avenue and in the surrounding streets. Dick Woodbury "Woody" lived right around the corner on 6 Story Avenue, and my uncle still visits him. Charlie Bucci, age 9, lived at 10 Dearborn Avenue with his parents born in Italy. The Pooles lived at numbers 17 and 22, and Billy Poole "Poolie", aged 6, grew up and sent me some photos of the neighborhood sandlot baseball team. There were lots of memories here!
Thanks, Michael Maglio! You can read Michael's blog "Origin Hunters" at this link: http://originhunters.blogspot.com/
A blog post I wrote about Bill Poole's photo of the Dearborn Avenue baseball team at Avery Field in Beverly http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2011/11/neighborhood-baseball-1949.html
Another blog post about the United Shoe Machinery Corporation, where many members of my family worked, located within walking distance of 7 Dearborn Avenue in Beverly, Massachusetts http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/04/working-at-shoe-in-beverly.html
Another blog post about the United Shoe Machinery Corporation, where many members of my family worked, located within walking distance of 7 Dearborn Avenue in Beverly, Massachusetts http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2010/04/working-at-shoe-in-beverly.html
Copyright 2012, Heather Wilkinson Rojo


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CWXI Regular - Member of CW Black
Blacks ftw
Partially a lot of them are stupid, also because there are far more soft teams in club football and especially in respective leagues so chief can do his usual flat track bullying whatever league he ends up in. It's also possible (I don't know anything about him as a club footballer) Klose isn't a complete mercenary, which would kill his market value needless to say. Then you've also got the fact that a posing halfwit who scores the odd good goal (regardless of who it's against) is far more marketable, guys like Beckham and chief poseur will cost far more because teams will recoup their money from shirt sales and so forth.Originally Posted by FaaipDeOiad
World Scrabble Champion 2014. National Scrabble Champion 2009, 2015.
Author of Word Addict
Countdown Series 57 Champion
King of the Arcade
ECB - you are a complete ****ing disgrace, #FTECB
?Originally Posted by GeraintIsMyHero
Bolton *******
Originally Posted by Axl Rose
RIP Craigos. A true CW legend. You will be missed.
I'd heard that, but didn't Abramovic tell him he wanted him to stay and offer a new deal?Originally Posted by Craig
marc71178 - President and founding member of AAAS - we don't only appreciate when he does well, but also when he's not quite so good!
Anyone want to join the Society?
Beware the evils of Kit-Kats - they're immoral apparently.
Right, so everyone else in football is stupid and you're the only one who isn't.Originally Posted by Scaly piscine
Yet you still insist he's a better striker than Henry.Originally Posted by Scaly piscine
Literacy isn't your strong point is it dear?Originally Posted by marc71178
International football >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>more important>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> club football
Bah stupid ITV commentator 'nice to see a referee not brandish a card...' after another typical professional foul. This was just after one by Lahm when Camoranesi was just about to get into the box and Lahm made sure he was taken out before he could cut the ball back to someone. Football commentators should be sterilised as soon as they pick up a mike.
No of course that wasn't dangerous when he stamped down at the ball with all his weight going through on his one airborne foot... just the relative genius of Andy Townsend to listen to now.
Italy need to get their finger out in this second period of ET, I think we all know who're going to be overwhelming favourites if it goes to penalties...
Italy have almost as bad a record as England when it comes to penalties, so they'd better hope it doesn't go that far.
MSN - firstname.lastname@example.com
Manchester United FC: 20 Times
R.I.P. Sledger's Signature, 2004-2008
Get in there!!!!
No-one likes to see that, do they?!
Now that was a goal.
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Skip to comments.Nokia, RIM, HTC, Samsung and Motorola: Shut Up, Apple
Posted on 07/19/2010 3:39:48 PM PDT by SmokingJoe
Theres nothing wrong with the iPhone 4 that isnt wrong with its rivals. That claim, made by Steve Jobs at the special iPhone 4 press conference Apple held last Friday, drew a loud round of catcalls from the smartphone industry, which clearly didnt appreciate being tarred with the same brush that has smeared Cupertino these past few weeks. Nokia (NOK), Research in Motion (RIMM), HTC, Samsung and Motorola (MOT) have all issued statements taking issue with Apples claims and accusing it of unfairly trying to draw them into its death-grip drama. Here are their rebukes.
-snip- Research in Motion:
Apples attempt to draw RIM into Apples self-made debacle is unacceptable. Apples claims about RIM products appear to be deliberate attempts to distort the publics understanding of an antenna design issue and to deflect attention from Apples difficult situation. -snip- Apple clearly made certain design decisions and it should take responsibility for these decisions rather than trying to draw RIM and others into a situation that relates specifically to Apple.
The reception problems are certainly not common among smartphones. [Apple] apparently didnt give operators enough time to test the phone.
(Excerpt) Read more at digitaldaily.allthingsd.com ...
"HTC must have been ticked over the fact they were used as a prop to minimize Apples antenna issues yesterday. They havent come out with a statement about this (yet), but they did have something to say to Pocket Lint. If you watch the news conference video, Apple claimed to have a really low complaints rate about the whole antenna issue. Heres what HTC had to say about that:
Approximately .016% of customers, Eric Lin, global head of PR at HTC exclusively revealed to us before adding that we have had very few complaints about signal or antenna problems on the Eris.
I have the iPhone 3G, but my daughter and son in law both have the 4.
I asked them yesterday if they have had any problems, and they said "no"!
They love theirs, and I am looking forward to getting one soon. I think the whole thing is a teapot tempest.
We are in a relatively rural area, by the way, and they travel a lot, using their phones all over the place.
The problem has been well documented. It depends on where you are and how many towers you have in your area.
Its a real problem. If it wasn't I kinda doubt Jobs would have gone public.
By painting the other phones with the same brush he has caused damage to their companies. I hope he can back his claim up.
No problems with my Blackberry Storm2 I've never seen issues with how I hold the phone. I also use a Bluetooth headset when I'm driving.
IMHO, while I am an Apple Mac fan, I just wish Apple would not thread itself so thin. But that is just me.
Also I wish that there is no big deal made on the iPhone 4.
I have problems with my 9130 in my house. Only place I have any trouble. I can make calls from inside elevators but cannot make a call from inside my house.
Probably due to the rebar and other straps they put in for hurricane code now. Essentially live in a faraday cage now.
Jobs is only digging a bigger hole for himself.
It's like a husband who upon being caught cheating by his wife, turns round and whines "but, but, other husband cheat too".
Well, his wife is not married to other men. She is married to him. Even if Jobs' claims were true (and they are not. HTC has already provided figures to debunk Jobs's smears), it still wouldn't work. iPhone buyers didn't buy HTC's or RIM phones. They bought an iPhone 4. So why drag RIM and HTC into it? Of course those firms are going to hit back and hit back hard.
I wish there is an even bigger deal made of it.
Steve Jobs launched a vicious attack on the other smart phone firms. Of course they were going to hit back and hit back hard.
Well, that's the sort of thing that'll cause any RF device problems. I've encountered structures that make use of foil-backed insulation. Guess what that does to WiFi - and cell phones. Hard wired repeaters in every roon...
Yeah, they were too busy "losing" the phone in Palo Alto bars...
Well I am going to make the popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the FUN! :)=^..^=
My son and his girlfriend each got a new iphone4 together. His is fine..hers...a POS. They took hers back and so far it has been fine.
The foxconn produced iPhone4 is the only phone with an uninsulated antenna.
My Motorola from WalMart performed everywhere I went ... never had a problem with receiving or calling.
'Of course those firms are going to hit back and hit back hard. "
That was my point. When the CEO of a company says something like Jobs said it had better be accurate.
So instead of saying, "we screwed up and we'll fix it" he says "everyone has the same problem". Then he libels several other companies.
This might be fun
Jobs is lying through his teeth about this problem, it's documented and proven. Yet his Macolytes - most of them complete technologically blank slates - eat it up and parrot the line.
Jobs is hurting the industry as a whole, all to save his own ego about the problem. This from a man who said "you're holding it wrong".
Jobs is about as anti-consumer as you can get, and he's a pathological liar as well.
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text:
As the Supreme Court considers the Prop 8 case, GSA Network youth leader Anthony Barros reflects on coming out in the age of Prop 8, and its impact on his family and his activism.
I remember the night of the 2008 Election when I looked at the bottom of the news feed and saw that Proposition 8 passed. My mom and dad commented on how happy they were that it passed, and I, being in the closet, was silently hurt and in shock.
My name is Anthony Barros and I am a gay teen living in the Antelope Valley, a rural desert community. It's home to the late Senator Pete Knight who wrote Proposition 22, the precursor to Proposition 8. Needless to say, I live in one of the most LGBT-intolerant communities in California. At school, all of my teachers talked about Prop 8, voicing their support of the proposition. I remember my teacher wanting to pass out the "Yes on 8" stickers himself. As I drove around, I saw sign after sign in people's yards, businesses, and cars, all saying "Yes on Prop 8."
My life changed. I lived in a society that actually voted to classify me as a second-class citizen. The passage of Prop 8 made me feel wrong, immoral, and unsafe. It was a message from my state that I was not welcome or free to be who I was.
Now it is 4 years later, I am a senior in high school, and after coming out to my parents, friends, and community, I have educated many on what it really means to be gay. I started the Gay-Straight Alliance at my school to create a safe space for all students. My GSA had other teens like me who have been rejected, kicked out, or abused. GSA was the safe space to be without the fear of rejection, hate, or intolerance.
As I continued my work as an activist, I joined The Out Project, a youth LGBT program for the Antelope Valley. In The Out Project, I helped organize a city-wide protest against a hate crime on the busiest intersection of the Antelope Valley, gaining national attention on Fox News and ABC. I was then accepted to GSA Network's Activist Camp, where I was empowered to become a youth LGBT activist in my region and state. Following Activist Camp, I became a Youth Trainer for the GSA Network and led Leadership Trainings and Summits for youth across Southern California.
From there, I took on statewide advocacy, attending GSA Network's Leadership Academy in Sacramento where I trained for 3 days before meeting with state senators and assemblymembers. We advocated for bills that affect LGBT youth, including an anti-bullying law inspired by Seth Walsh, a gay teen who committed suicide in a community on the outskirts of the Antelope Valley. I now am now a leader on GSA Network's Statewide Advocacy Council, a group of 20 youth civil rights activists who advocate in Sacramento year-round.
As I look back, I cannot believe all the work I've done and how far I came. My mom still tells me in tears about how much of a mistake she made voting Yes on Proposition 8. She regrets it every day of her life and longs for its repeal. Now as we both watch on the news court after court rule Prop 8 unconstitutional, we have a new hope that the Supreme Court next year will stand up for everyone and strike Proposition 8 down in California. The Supreme Court's decision can change my life forever.


text:
2013-04-11 / Cultural Events
May Exhibit at Arts on the Lake
Arts on the Lake is proud to announce its May Art Exhibit. The exhibit will feature the work of local area artists representing a diverse array of art media and style, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, collage, photography, sculpture, and mixed media. Many artworks will be offered for sale in a wide range of prices.
The full version of this story is available only to subscribers. Subscribe now to access to full versions of news stories in our archive of over 12,000 stories going back to 1999.


text:
Jackson, Miss.
A battle over Common Core is brewing at the Mississippi Capitol this week.
The most vocal push-back has come from members of the Senate Conservative Coalition.
"Common Core was supposed to be one of our big issues this year. But we've been so bogged down, we're just starting to deal with it now," said Sen. Kenny Wayne Jones.
Sen. Angela Hill unsuccessfully requested an amendment during a Senate Appropriations Committee meeting. It would have removed some of the state funding for common core implementation.
"It's time that the truth be told to our taxpayers that we're wasting a lot of money on a program that's actually not going to move our kids up in the world," Hill said.
Hill says the standards aren't as rigorous as they're billed to be. She points to concerns over Common Core math not preparing students for advanced placement courses and STEM careers.
This House bill includes a line item that gives more than $6,000 for teacher training on the literacy component of Common Core. Hill wants that funding source deleted.
"I think it would slow it and I think it would send a message to the Department of Education that the legislature's catching on to this," said Hill.
Other legislators aren't convinced that the devil's in the details, as some Senate Conservative Coalition members have said.
"The jury is still somewhat out on Common Core," said Jones. "We can't get the gist really of what's going on. It started off as a Republican initiative. Now it's everybody's initiative and the Republicans are now fighting it."
Jones says he's ready to battle it out on the Senate floor if necessary.
"If we have to use scare tactics, I'm ready to scare somebody," Jones said. "Because we're going to do just what needs to be done to protect the children of Mississippi and make them competitive throughout the nation."
Hill expects the amendment to be brought up again during floor debate this week.


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Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Chatted with 2 people who met "WDYTYA" Celebrities
However, I was hoping to be able to ask somebody about Sarah Jessica Parker's visit to the Library for her segment filmed there. My friend said that Sarah greeted her and introduced herself, the impression was, Sarah was very nice and friendly. The filming was done during a normal work day, gee I wish I had known, I would have gone in...maybe.
The other person was Gary Boyd Roberts who was on this past Friday's TV show; he was at the New York Historical Society and showed Brooke Shields her tree. During our 20 minute chat, I found out that Brooke was on Broadway and that is why she didn't go to Boston for the filming. Gary mentioned how tall she was and then talked a lot about her tree and his nice treatment he received in New York, and he had no problem with going to the city. Gary gave me permission to post a page from his recent book with the genealogy of Brooke. See below.
I haven't been to this Library since January, and was surprised at the number of visitors. One was being shown how to use FamilySearch.org and there were three adults hovered around a computer looking things up on Ancestry. I was told that there were a lot of new members. The staff was very busy.
The look ups for Fenn and Bascom weren't successful. There were no Fenns in the Vermont Vital Records to 1890, there were a lot of Bascoms, but nothing that I thought was for the right family.
10 comments:
- Wendy said...
It sounds like a fun day, chatting about the WDYTYA celebs. But sorry to hear it wasn't a very productive one. Now I have to go flip to the page in "The Royal Descendants of 600 Immigrants" to see it. :)
Ah yes! (Oof, heavy book.) There it is. I never noticed before! Thank you for posting this.
- April 6, 2010 at 7:45 PM
- Elizabeth O'Neal said...
You have the most interesting life, Barbara! I live vicariously through you!
- April 6, 2010 at 7:52 PM
- Barbara said...
Wendy, I am one of the few who haven't done a piece about the program, but I thought this stuff was interesting. So you have the book, hum, Gary had to get it for me... should have said it is in So. Korea! Elizabeth, interesting life, boring person to my non-genealogy friends.
- April 6, 2010 at 8:09 PM
- Heather Rojo said...
Yes, Barbara, all my adventures are genealogy adventures, too, and my non-genealogy friends are tired of hearing about them!
- April 6, 2010 at 9:16 PM
- Wendy said...
I have many books from NEHGS and Mayflower. Whenever we have some sort of financial boon, I usually spend it on genealogy. And thank goodness that I do, because having my own traveling genealogy library (books and CDs) is VERY useful while living on the other side of the world! :-)
- April 6, 2010 at 9:27 PM
- Barbara said...
Heather and Wendy, we will meet some day and I look forward to it. Although I might be in a walker then!
- April 6, 2010 at 9:36 PM
- A rootdigger said...
Nice Post, It's the kind of thing after the show that is nice to know. jo
- April 7, 2010 at 12:54 PM
- Barbara said...
Thank you for the comment and I think we all like a little bit of true gossip. And thank you too for being a follower.
- April 8, 2010 at 7:39 AM
- Brenda said...
Barbara, I was interested in your comment about look ups for Fenn's in Vermont. I have Fenn's in my ancestry. Daniel Fenn from Shoreham, Vermont area. He is an elusive ancestor. I enjoyed reading about your WDYTYA conversation.
- April 9, 2010 at 4:09 PM
- Barbara said...
Hi Brenda, I was doing the look-up for you, thought this would be a surprise. There just wasn't anything. These were records up to 1890, are yours later, now I can't remember?
- April 9, 2010 at 4:40 PM


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As Anthony Mundine entered a makeshift boxing ring at Circular Quay for a promotional training session before a large and loud crowd, MC Ben Damon suggested that the attendance was a sign of the huge interest in Wednesday night's bout with Daniel Geale.
''Of course,'' Mundine said. ''Because I am involved.
''If Daniel Geale was fighting Sam Soliman they wouldn't be here. It is because I am fighting that they are here.''
Love him or hate him, no one can question Mundine's drawing power and there are likely to be as many people at the packed Sydney Entertainment Centre and watching on Main Event in the hope of seeing him lose as there will be true Geale supporters.
Mundine and Geale are indigenous boxers, each with three world titles, but they are contrasting personalities fighting for different reasons in the International Boxing Federation middleweight title bout.
For Geale, who has defeated German world champions Sebastian Sylvester and Felix Sturm on their home soil, the rematch with the only opponent to have beaten him in his 29-fight career is a chance to earn some overdue recognition in Australia and internationally.
Despite the public claiming they want boxers to fight overseas against the world's best, many Australians have returned home with title belts but little acknowledgement for what they have achieved.
''Daniel is what I call a blue-collar fighter,'' said US promoter Gary Shaw, who felt it necessary to intervene and talk up Geale when the quietly spoken 31-year-old was being interviewed by reporters. ''He comes to work, does his job and he doesn't have a big entourage so I have a lot of respect for Daniel.
''I call him a choirboy because he is the last guy who looks like a fighter but he is just underrated and every time he walks away with a world title.''
But to make a noise in a sport where trash-talking opponents is the norm, boxers need talent and must be prepared to be outspoken and not shy away from controversy.
In all three categories, Mundine is one of the best to have ever donned boxing gloves but he doesn't court controversy just to promote his fights as some may think.
While Geale hopes his achievements in the ring will gain the publicity he deserves, Mundine sees each fight as an opportunity to promote causes he believes in and as he nears the end of his career those who hope he will go quietly will be disappointed.
With a loss against Geale likely to spell the end of the 37-year-old former rugby league star's aspirations of a big fight in the US, Mundine may not have the same platform for much longer and he has already raised issues about Aboriginal welfare, the Australian flag and the national anthem.
While he apologised for questioning Tasmanian-born Geale's indigenous heritage at a press conference to announce the fight, Mundine views the Union Jack on the Australian flag as a symbol of invasion by Britain and considers the national anthem to have links to the White Australia Policy.
Revelations that Mundine is planning to turn his back when Advance Australia Fair is played in the ring on Wednesday night has further painted Mundine as the villain in the bout but he is unfazed. ''You know that they can't wait until I am gone, but I am still pressing the boundaries,'' he said.
''This fight is part of my legacy, and that is why it is so important.
''I think it is going to be a sellout and so it should be because I gave boxing mouth-to-mouth 13 years ago and I am still keeping it breathing.''
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The Phils rewards Blanton's good performance with a win as they defeat the Padres, 3-1.
The presently punchless Phils got enough hits to reward another recent good performance by Joe Blanton with a win, as they defeat the Padres, 3-1.
The Phils took the lead in the fifth as, with one man on, and with one man out, Shane Victorino hits an RBI single, knocking in Jayson Werth, who was earlier hit by the pitch, then moved up to second on Raul Ibanez's ground out, 4-3, giving the Phils a 1-0 lead. The Padres tied the game up at one-all in their half of the fifth as, with runners on the corners, and with two men out, Jon Garland hits an RBI single, scoring Chris Denorfia, who was safe at first on a force out, 6-4, as Chase Headley, who had earlier walked, was wiped out at second for the inning's second out, and then went to third on Nick Hundley's single, while sending Hundley, who had just singled, up to second base. The Padres then tried to take the lead as Hundley tried to score on David Eckstein's single to center, but was nailed at home, 8-2, by a strong throw by Victorino which beat Hundley to the plate, as Brian Schneider applied the tag for the final out of the inning. The Phils regain the lead in the seventh as, with a man on, and with one out, Victorino hits an RBI triple, knocking in Werth, who had earlier walked, giving the Phils a 2-1 lead. Two batters later, now with runners on the corners, as Carlos Ruiz is intentionally walked, and with still one man out, pinch hitter Mike Sweeney hits a grounder to shortstop Miguel Tejada, who threw to second to attempt a doubleplay, but Ruiz's slide into second baseman Eckstein hard enough to slow down the throw to first, allowing Sweeney to beat the throw to first, while Victorino would cross home plate, giving the Phils a 3-1 lead. That would be the final score as the Phils' bullpen would pitch three 1-2-3 innings, with Brad Lidge recording his eighteenth save, as he ended the game by getting Headley to fly out to left.
Joe Blanton gets the win as he pitches six innings, giving up a run on six hits and a walk, while he strikes out three. His record is now 6-6 with a 5.15 ERA. Jose Contreras collects his tenth hold of the year as he pitches a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Ryan Madson picks up his eighth hold of the season as he also pitches a 1-2-3 inning, striking out a batter. Brad Lidge collects his eighteenth save of the year as he pitches a 1-2-3 inning, striking out one. Jon Garland took the lost as he pitches six and a third innings, giving up three runs on three hits, three walks and a hit batter, while striking out two. His record is now 13-9 with a 3.29 ERA. Joe Thatcher, Luke Gregerson, Edward Mujica and Ernesto Frieri combine for two and two-thirds scoreless innings, giving up just one walk (Thatcher), while striking out three (Gregerson (1), Frieri (2)) between them.
The Phils had only three hits in the game, with Shane Victorino leading the team with two hits, a single and a triple, as he knocked in two runs. Jimmy Rollins had the only other Phil hit, a single. Mike Sweeney had the other Phil RBI as he hit into a force out. The Phils' bats were otherwise silent, which will have to change before things really gets bad for the team.
The Phils (72-57, 2nd East) will conclude their three-game series with the Padres (76-52, 1st West) with an afternoon game. The game will be played at PETCO Park and will start at 4:05 pm Eastern (1:05 pm Pacific). The Phils will send to the mound Cole Hamels (7-10, 3.47), who is coming off a no-decision against the Astros on August 24, as he went seven innings, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk, as he struck out eight, in the Phils' 4-2 extra-innings lost. In his last three starts, his record is 0-2 with a no-decision, as he pitched twenty innings, giving up eight runs on seventeen hits and four walks, while striking out twenty-one batters. He will be going for his first win in over two months, while hoping the bats will score more than one run for him. The Padres will counter with Clayton Richard (12-5, 3.55), as he is coming off a win against the D-backs on August 24, as he pitched six scoreless innings, giving up just three hits and five walks, while striking out eight, in the Padres' 5-0 win. In his last three starts, his record is 3-0 as he pitched eighteen and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs on sixteen hits and nine walks, while striking out eleven. Richard will try to end the Phils' present winning streak. The Phils will be trying to sweep the series before going on to Los Angeles.


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World No 6 Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek will spearhead the Czech team when they take on Davis Cup holders Spain in this month's final in Prague.
Spain will be without Rafa Nadal, who led his country to a 5-0 rout over the Czech Republic in the 2009 final when the two sides last met but has long struggled with a knee injury.
The Czech Republic are looking for their first Davis Cup title since Czechoslovakia lifted the trophy in 1980.
They are also hoping to follow up the Czech women's Fed Cup final victory last weekend to make the country the first since 1990 to sweep both team tennis titles.
Lukas Rosol and Ivo Minar will back up Berdych, 27, and Stepanek, 33. The team's two best players have teamed up for the doubles match in all of the Czech ties this year.
Team captain Jaroslav Navratil stuck with the same squad that defeated Argentina in Buenos Aires in the semi-final.
"There is not a reason to change the team, it was fantastic in Argentina," he was quoted as saying by CTK news agency.
"We are again close (to the title) but also still far away."
The November 16-18 final will be played on an indoor hardcourt, which Spain's coach said on Monday favoured the Czechs.
Right-handed Berdych lost his first match at the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday against world number three Andy Murray. He has a perfect record this year in the Davis Cup competition.
World No 5 David Ferrer will lead Spain's bid to claim their fourth Davis Cup title in five years.


text:
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text:
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHUCK HAGEL: Good afternoon. I brought one of our junior officers with me, young, handsome, vibrant. You all know the chairman, General Dempsey.
Let me begin with a couple of comments, and first is reading a statement. I'll hit a couple of points here that may be of some interest to all of you and then open it up, talk about whatever you want to talk about.
I just came from a lunch that I'm going to now hold on a monthly basis with enlisted men and women from across our services, men and women who are serving in the lower enlisted ranks, who are stationed in various locations in the continental United States, but also some who have recently come back from Afghanistan and other overseas assignments.
The reason that I've asked to meet with them -- and this was the first meeting today -- was just me and the junior enlisted talk about whatever is on their minds, ask me questions, but that's reciprocal. I get to ask them questions, what they think. What are we doing right? What are we doing wrong? What are their concerns? What about their family? Are they going to stay in the military? How'd they get here? What do they think? Is it -- is it better than they expected? What are their concerns?
It's -- it's a tremendous way to humanize a relationship, but particularly important for me, as I am new here, and I think we all understand -- certainly General Dempsey does -- you can have all the technology and the advanced weapons and plans and strategies, but if you don't have the right people, it won't work. And that's not unique to the Pentagon. People are your most important asset.
And you take care of those people, and you protect them. And you try to stay ahead of what they're thinking. And at a time that's very uncertain with budget issues and what's going on in the world, it isn't just a matter of reassuring our people -- which is one thing, and that's important, as well -- but getting their feedback. And I know Marty does this a lot, did it just recently last week when he was spending some time at different bases.
So that's -- that's what I did here for the last hour-and-a-half. And if you want to talk about any of that, I'd be glad to respond.
Prior to that, I met with the leaders of three African nations. The president is meeting with them this afternoon. I think you all know about that. That was a good opportunity certainly for me on behalf of our military institution to thank them. These are the presidents of Malawi and Sierra Leone. The president of Senegal's plane didn't get here until later, but he will be in the meeting with the president and I think Secretary Kerry this afternoon, as well as the prime minister of Cape Verde.
Those countries were picked by the president for recognition for what they're doing on their economic development, their democracy, and their leadership in a -- in a tough area, tough region, and their cooperation with the United States on the number of things that we have working together. And if you want to talk about that in any particular way, be glad to do it.
One thing -- and Marty may want to comment on here, too -- is the president is nominating Air Force General Philip Breedlove to serve as the new commander of our European Command and supreme allied commander of NATO. I met with General Breedlove on my way back from Afghanistan, spent some time with him, and, again, Marty may want to talk a little more detail about that.
But we need to get that position filled. And I would say, too, that not only is he particularly well qualified, but the job that Admiral Stavridis has done over there has been significant, and I think you've extended him a few times, so he needs a little -- little relief one of these days. And I wanted to particularly recognize him. And it will -- it will be more appropriate, and -- and we will all recognize him in more detail as -- as this unfolds.
Last night, I spent some time on the phone with the South Korean defense minister, Minister Kim, just getting connected. As you I think all know, I've been connecting with a number of ministers of defense since I've been here, and this relationship, as you all know, between the United States and South Korea is particularly important at a particularly important time. So I had known him, not well, but had a good opportunity to discuss a number of issues and go into some detail. So if you all want to talk about any of that, we can.
Last major topic I would mention before we get to your questions is the budget. I know -- I know you're not interested in that, but in particular to confirm a story that's already out there, that's been out there, that -- on the furloughs. We are going to be able to reduce and delay these furloughs, but not eliminate furloughs, and that right now looks as though we'll be able to go from an original estimate of 22 days to 14. That, we think, will save the department anywhere from -- I think the original estimates were around $4 billion, and we can probably plan on about $2.5 billion.
And these numbers are floating, as -- as you all know, but this is good news. It's good news from where we were two weeks ago. The comptroller and the chiefs and others are still working these numbers. And I understand that there's going to be a more in-depth briefing after we're finished here on that.
Let me also kind of just hit the -- hit the current budget situation in a little bit of detail. And then Marty may have thoughts on this, as well. What the continuing resolution has done for us, it did fix some of our urgent problems. In particular, it put some of the dollars back in the right accounts. We still don't have the flexibility that we had hoped to get, but having money in the right accounts is -- is particularly important.
What that does, too, is it reduces a shortfall at least in the operations budget. You also know that we came out better than we went in under the sequester, where it looks like our number is $41 billion now versus the $46 billion. It gives us program authorities to start new programs, which -- and military construction, which is significant.
Some of the things that we're still looking at and we're still working through -- and we'll continue to work through -- as I said, $41 billion is the number that we've -- that we're having to adjust to. The overseas contingency operations, the OCO budget, is -- that in itself is about $7 billion higher than we had estimated, a lot of costs in that, more expensive to bring -- start bringing troops and equipment out of Afghanistan and the -- and their other contingencies, as well.
In the operation and maintenance account, we're -- we're going to be short at least $22 billion for FY '13. We're going to have to deal with that reality, and -- and that means we're going to have to prioritize and make some cuts and do what we've got to do. Let me list some of the specific things that we're going to have to do and are in the process of doing and we anticipated we would have to do, cutting back in sharply our base operating support, reducing training for non-deployed units. I've already mentioned the furloughs. It's better news, but we're not going to be able to eliminate furloughs.
I suspect, overall, the biggest issue that we're going to be dealing with in concern is the department's people and its mission, how these numbers are going to affect all that. And that's partly why I directed the chairman and the deputy secretary of defense to begin a review on our -- our entire framework of -- first, of strategic interests using the baseline, the starting point, the president's defense strategic guidance. How do we protect that? How do we implement that? We're going to be doing that with less.
Where do we and how do we prioritize the threats and then the capabilities required to deal with threats and anticipated -- unanticipated threats? We'll continue to do everything possible. I think Deputy Secretary Carter has noted this, the chairman has, not to harm, reduce in any way our force structure, and that will be a baseline force. There will be changes, some significant changes. There's no way around it.
I would say, also, this is an imperfect process. And any decisions we make -- and we'll have to make some and will make some -- will be within the context of that imperfection, but we don't have any choices but to get through a very significant analysis back to why I ask the chairman and the deputy to lead a review -- on -- on intensifying a review on everything. I mean, what do we really need?
How do we protect those strategic interests? There are some opportunities in that, I think. I think everyone would agree we would just as soon not have to find the high ground of opportunities this way, but we are where we are, so that's what we're going to do.
I think I'd stop with that, because we could be at this all day on the budget. And I would now withhold any further comments I have until your questions. But let me ask the chairman to see whatever he wants to...
GENERAL MARTIN E. DEMPSEY: Thanks, Mr. Secretary.
First, let me -- allow me to offer my full support for the nomination of General Phil Breedlove for European Command. He is an extraordinary leader with the moral character to match. And he is worthy of the confidence that he has already earned among our allies in Europe.
Second, I would like to add my own perspective on the budget challenges that the secretary mentioned. The uncomfortable truth is that we're -- on Monday, we'll be halfway through the fiscal year, and we'll be 80 percent spent in our operating funds. We don't yet have a satisfactory solution to that shortfall, and we're doing everything we can to stretch our readiness out.
To do this, we will have to trade at some level and to some degree our future readiness for current operations. It will cost us more eventually in both money and time to recover in the years to come. We'll be trying to recover loss readiness at the time that we're trying to reshape the force.
We can do it. But that's the uncomfortable truth. We simply can't do this, though, without additional budget certainty in the out- years, time to absorb the reductions, and flexibility. And by the way, you've heard me say that before, but I want to make special mention of the word flexibility. To us, that just doesn't mean transfer authority and reprogramming. Those are necessary, but insufficient. I mean what I would describe as full flexibility. I'm talking about the unpopular, but unavoidable institutional reforms that will be necessary.
We can't afford excess equipment. We can't afford excess facilities. We have to reform how we buy weapons and services. We have to reduce redundancy. And we've got to change at some level our compensation structure. Without that kind of reform, we will lose the human capital, the important talented young men and women, and we'll lose combat capability. But with that kind of reform, we have it within us to stay strong, despite declining dollars and increasing risk. If our elected leaders can help us with full flexibility, our people will do the rest.
Last week, I met with some Marines at Parris Island and at Marine Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. And there, not to my surprise, sergeants were leading and lance corporals were teaching and privates were learning. And they're still getting it done. But dysfunction back here is a distraction to them. Nearly every question I fielded in my town hall meeting with military members and their families was about the protracted budget uncertainty.
And that's a shame. They're worried about their families and, frankly, they're concerned that they're going to be idle. They don't join the military to be idle. They're looking for us to think beyond a sufficient presence to a more sustainable future. And if we can do that, I know that we'll be okay.
I look forward to your questions.
SEC. HAGEL: Thank you. Lita?
Q: Mr. Secretary, regarding North Korea, would you say that -- is North Korea more dangerous now than you think it was six months or a year ago? And could you talk both about the decision to send the B-2s to South Korea for this exercise? Was that not more of a provocative move by the United States? Does that risk provocating North Korea to do something more so than they might have already been?
SEC. HAGEL: Well, first, we, the United States and South Korea, have not been involved in provocating anything. We, over the years, have been engaged with South Korea on joint exercises. The B-2 flight was part of that.
I made an announcement a couple of weeks ago regarding new missile defense capabilities, which cuts to your question about, is North Korea more dangerous today? I think their very provocative actions and belligerent tone, it has ratcheted up the danger, and we have to understand that reality.
We -- the United States, South Koreans, all of the nations in -- in that region of the world -- are committed to a pathway to peace. And the North Koreans seem to be headed in a different direction here. So we will unequivocally defend and we are unequivocally committed to that alliance with South Korea, as well as our other allies in that region of the world. And we will be prepared -- we have to be prepared to deal with any eventuality there.
Thank you.
Q: Mr. Secretary -- Mr. Secretary, along those lines, last week General Thurman, the commander, U.S. commander there, signed with his South Korean counterpart something called a combined counter- provocation plan. It talks about consultations with the South in light any of, you know, North Korean provocations. We've been told this is an effort to kind of put a brake on things, to prevent things from escalating, to have a calming effect. Would you agree with that? And if not, what's the point of having this plan?
GEN. DEMPSEY: I can actually help you with that, sir, because this has been about a two-year process. And I wouldn't describe it as all as trying to put a brake on our very close South Korean allies. I think...
Q: Well, a break on escalation, is what...
GEN. DEMPSEY: Well, I mean, look, you know that General Thurman wears three hats. One of them is a U.N. hat. And he's responsible for sustaining the armistice, and then he has his combined forces command hat and his U.S. Forces Korea hat. So he has to have not only visibility and transparency, but -- but he has to have influence in the process of managing the potential for conflict on the peninsula. So this is just essentially allowing him and my South Korean counterpart, General Jeong, to come to agreement about how that influence will be -- will be handled.
Q: So why now?
GEN. DEMPSEY: Well, we...
Q: ... alliance has been going on for 60 years, and presumably you've had consultations going back that far.
GEN. DEMPSEY: Sure. I think the answer to that question is -- is that this has been an ongoing effort to have a counter-provocation plan over the last two years in recognition of the stated position of the South Korean government that they no longer are willing to be provoked. And so we wanted to make sure we understood what that meant.
Q: Mr. Secretary...
SEC. HAGEL: Jim?
Q: ... when Kim Jong-un took power, he was somewhat of an unknown quantity. But with the more aggressive weapons development by North Korea over the past couple of years, missile development, another underground nuclear test, and certainly an escalation in the rhetoric, if not outright threats to attack the United States, what's the take on him now? Is -- is he -- is he attempting to bargain his way to -- to the bargaining table, to give aid and -- and money? Or is he a more serious threat than first imagined or a more serious threat than his father?
SEC. HAGEL: Well, as you note, Jim, there are a lot of unknowns here. But we have to take seriously every provocative, bellicose word and action that this new, young leader has taken so far since he's come to power. We've seen some historical trajectory here on where North Korea occasionally will go to try to get the attention of the United States, to try to maneuver us into some position favorably to them, whether it's more assistance or bilateral engagement.
But the fact is that this is the wrong way to go. The action that he's taken and the actions they've taken and the words he's used, it is not going to project a more responsible, accountable relationship.
Q: Mr. Secretary...
Q: And is it -- is it the belief that he's in charge? Or is the North Korean military leadership in charge?
SEC. HAGEL: Well, he's the leader. I mean, he's the leader of North Korea.
Q: Mr. Secretary, beyond the heightened rhetoric, have you seen any moves that suggest any kind of military steps by the North Koreans that we should be concerned about?
SEC. HAGEL: Let me ask -- I'm going to respond to...
GEN. DEMPSEY: Yeah, as you know, we're -- we're in our annual exercise cycle. So are they. And so there have been moves in the maritime domain on each coast, as well as some of the artillery units that are across the demilitarized zone from Seoul. So, yeah, there have been movements. We haven't seen anything that would cause us to believe there are movements other than consistent with historic patterns and training exercises.
Q: And no reaction, then, to the B-2s that you're aware of?
GEN. DEMPSEY: Well, the reaction to the B-2 that we're most concerned about is not necessarily the reaction it might elicit in North Korea, but rather among our Japanese and Korean allies. You know, those exercises are mostly to assure our allies that they can count on us to be prepared and to help them deter conflict.
Q: Mr. Secretary (inaudible) sequestration question -- and for General Dempsey, too. Since January, the public has been hearing the military warn of a potential readiness crisis from sequestration. Sequestration is here now. You have to live with it. Are we entering a -- a period of readiness crisis? Or is it more a period of adjustment, where you have to live within your means, basically?
SEC. HAGEL: Well, you're always adjusting. And when you are dealing with $41 billion less than what was projected in a budget, you're going to adjust. And to maintain readiness is a key part of our responsibility.
And I think, as General Dempsey has said, as I've said, all our leaders have said, we will work around that. I mean, we will make things work for that readiness. That's a priority. You have to have that. It is a balancing and a rebalancing, just as we noted in some of our comments here and in others.
So we've got no choice. It is -- it is what it is. But make no mistake, this capability of this Department of Defense to defend the interest of our country and our allies will be there.
GEN. DEMPSEY: If I could add, the answer is yes, actually. It's both. And it's both for this reason. This is not -- you know, some of you are students of history and the expansion and contraction of defense budgets over time. This is not the deepest, but it is the steepest. It's the steepest decline in our budget ever.
And so what we've got is an FY '13 problem that will affect readiness and it will affect it into '14. But what the secretary has challenged us to do is, first of all, lead our way through that. We've got to get through '13 and '14. And then as we look to the '15- '19 budget, he's asked us to do this review to look for the kind of opportunities you're talking about.
Q: So it wouldn't be inaccurate to say the United States faces a major readiness crisis because of sequestration? Well, have you got enough relief right now from the budget to somewhat mitigate a full-blown readiness crisis?
GEN. DEMPSEY: Yeah, give us about two weeks to answer that question. We're in the midst of trying to figure that out.
Q: How much did it cost to send the B-2 flight over to South Korea? And was that a change of strategy in any way? And is it appropriate given the budget crisis that you're talking about?
SEC. HAGEL: Well, I don't know the answer. Marty may know the exact cost, but I would respond this way, and then Marty may want to follow on behind what I say, is we're undergoing joint exercises with the South Koreans. And we plan through these exercises, and deterrence is part of that, as Marty just said, the commitment to our allies, the unwavering commitment on the Korean peninsula.
So we factor in all of these different tactical moves for compliance with the larger strategic interests of an exercise with allies. So I don't know the exact cost of what it was, but maybe Marty can help you.
GEN. DEMPSEY: No, I don't, either. And -- but what I will say, we budget for a certain number -- we call them blue lightning global reach exercises, B-52 and B-2. We budget for a certain number of them annually. This was within the context of the budgeted exercise program.
But even if it wasn't, Jennifer, in the -- in light of what's happened in North Korea and the provocation and the necessity of assuring our allies that we're -- we're there with them, we would have found a way to do this. You know, it's back to your point. We've a readiness challenge, but we're not going to put our security at risk in managing it.
Q: Mr. Secretary, in -- in light of the fact that U.S. officials have described North Korea's regime as irrational and the fact that so little is known about the power dynamics around Kim Jong- un, why do you think it's wise for the U.S. to respond and poke back at some of these North Korean provocations?
SEC. HAGEL: Well, I don't think we're poking back or responding. We've always had a significant presence and relationship. And I don't think that's new. But I think more to the question -- and this would be, really, my answer to your question -- is that the North Koreans have to understand that what they're doing is very dangerous.
And they have some options. They can take another approach to a better future, but what they're doing now is not the way to do that. And we have security issues here that we have to protect and commitments in our security interests.
So, no, I don't think we're doing anything extraordinary or provocative or out of the -- out of the orbit of what nations do to protect their own interests and assure, as the general said, especially, not only to our South Korean ally, but to our other allies in the region, that we must make clear that these provocations by the North are taken by us very seriously and we'll respond to that.
Q: But, I mean, do you feel like you know enough about the regime that these responses by the U.S. are taken in the way in which you intend them to be?
SEC. HAGEL: Well, you all know enough about North Korea. There is uncertainty in that government and in their leadership and intentions. But that isn't the issue. The issue is that we have to be prepared to defend our interest and the allies' interests, and we have to be prepared to defend that looking at any potential, any possibility. And, yes, we have other approaches that we would prefer, that we have engaged in. We would prefer that the North do that, as well.
Q: Mr. Secretary (inaudible) Syria (inaudible) the position of the administration when it comes to Syria. I mean, first, to change the calculation of Assad's regime and to urge both sides to find a peaceful solution for a transition.
But when it comes to imminent threat, like chemical weapons in -- in the regime, Admiral Stavridis testified last week in the Senate that he mentioned some contingency plans made by some European countries in NATO. How about U.S. position on this issue?
I mean, the -- when it comes to defend your allies that you mentioned in the North Korea crisis, when it comes to the risk of Turkey in the region, especially concerned in these chemical weapons, about the contingency plans that you're working on, and the second, the rapprochement between Israel and Turkey, how it will affect the calculation in the region that Mr. President also mentioned.
And the third very quickly. You are quite popular in Turkey because of your remarks about Ataturk, the founder of country. And since this is the first daily brief that you're conducting, if I will get some comments on this issue. I appreciate it.
SEC. HAGEL: Well, I'm glad to know my standing is significant in Turkey. But -- and I admire the Turks in the government, and Ataturk and I have over the years noted Ataturk in different speeches I've given, not just in Turkey, but the United States. He did something that was very significant that has had a very important sustaining legacy in the world. And sometimes we -- we in the West don't fully appreciate what Ataturk did.
Now, that's the depth of my scholarly knowledge of all that. But thank you.
As to some of your other points, on Syria, first, your reference to the rapprochement that President Obama was able to lead between Turkey and Israel, critically important for both Israel and Turkey, certainly for the Middle East, and certainly in our interests. That relationship over the years has been -- not the recent last couple of years, but prior to that has been building and developing and important for both countries.
So clearly, in the interest of all of us, that that relationship is being put back together. It does affect Syria. It does affect the outcome. It does affect the neighbors in developing more confidence, I would suspect, among the neighbors in that area that Turkey and Israel will once again begin working together on some of these common interests.
The chemical weapons issue -- as you know, the United Nations has just chosen a former, I think, Swedish diplomat to head up the investigation of what was used and what wasn't used over there, which is important. I don't believe we have, as of yet, confirmed an absolute use of chemical weapons by Assad. He does possess chemical weapons. It is dangerous. It is real. And we've got to deal with that eventuality and how we would respond to it.
Let me stop there and see if General Dempsey has any further comments on that, because he's, along with the chiefs, been working on some different contingencies and so on.
GEN. DEMPSEY: In particular, I think the takeaway would be that we are working this most complex challenge through our partners, so through Turkey and its NATO alliance, our NATO alliance, through Jordan, very strong regional partner, and, of course, through Israel, and have collaborative planning efforts underway with each of them, not just uniquely for the possibility of chemicals, but also for other eventualities, you know, the loss of control of heavy air defense weapons, refugee or humanitarian assistance, supportive humanitarian assistance operations, the defense of Turkey, through the ballistic missile defense shield, the defense of Jordan.
So we've got any number of contingency plans. And each of them -- each of them at some level rely upon regional partners to help us figure this out.
Q: Just (inaudible)
Q: ... two questions. One, Mr. Secretary, you come at the time of when there's a tension going on around the world, including especially in the Middle East and also in Asia. And you have vast experience, of course, in foreign policy, being so many years on the Hill dealing with the same issues. My question is, Mr. Secretary, that U.S. budget or military is going down. China is expanding its military in the area, especially in the South Asia region, and also we're now talking about North Korea now. How much do you think China is dangerous to the U.S. security and also to the regional issues and regional nations in the -- in the South Asia and also in Asia? Especially also India, even, fear of China's expansion, especially military expansion.
And, also, sir, as far as Afghanistan is concerned, Secretary Kerry just came back from Afghanistan, and you have been there, sir, and you have been in the region. What do you think now the people of Afghanistan are asking that what is their future after NATO or U.S. leaves the region? And what will be the future, also, the role of India in the region, sir?
SEC. HAGEL: Well, India is a very important country, will continue to be an important power, not just in the region, in the world, economically, diplomatically, in every way. So India will continue to play a very stabilizing role in that part of the world.
As to your question on Afghanistan, you know that it was always intended an orderly, responsible transition of the United States, ISAF forces out of Afghanistan. And that's what we are building for. That's why each of these block-by-block agreements -- the Parwan detention facility turnover -- all gets us to eventually where we all want to go, a peaceful transition, a transition that will hopefully put Afghanistan in a position to have a peaceful, prosperous future with our continued assistance, as you know, that the president has laid out his commitment for a post-2014 involvement, train, advise, assist.
And that essentially was agreed to, as you know, at the NATO meeting in Chicago last -- early summer, with our -- with our NATO partners in Afghanistan. And we're on our way to do that. It's jaggedy, raggedy, not easy, up and down, but we're on track. Our force reductions are on track. But that's just all part of it. Afghanistan's a sovereign nation. And we want them to be a strong sovereign nation with a significant future.
China -- China is a great power, will continue to be a great power. It has interests. Certainly those interests include the Pacific and Asia. We have interest, as well. I think always the key to relationships with great powers is common interest. You anchor relationships around common interests. You don't start with your differences. And that's what we'll continue to do, is build onto those common interests with China, economic, diplomatic, military to military. And that's the responsible approach.
You know, as I would make my last comment on this point, then I'm sure the chairman's got something to say about this, but the rebalancing of our strategic interests, rebalancing in the Pacific, in Asia, also assures our allies in that area -- I mean, I had 10 questions on North Korea. Well, it's not just about North Korea. It's about South Korea, Japan, all the neighbors in -- in that area.
So these are combinations that have to be factored into long-term relationships. And I don't think the way to solve that is going to war. We've got to be smart how we handle this. Its common interests, and we're on a path to do that. Marty, do you want to add anything?
GEN. DEMPSEY: No, I'd just add that, you know, the defense strategic guidance from last year actually took a longer view. And we've said all along, our rebalancing and all the things that the secretary mentioned would occur over time. And you know that one of my focus areas is building a joint force for 2020. So none of this is the flip -- the flip -- the flip of a switch.
Q: Following on North Korea, I want to go back to the decision on GBIs last week. The criticism sense, then, is that that decision is based on long-range missile threats. And if the threat concern was either the North Koreans' launch of something into orbit last year or images of possible mobile ICBMs, this was a billion-dollar response to a threat that doesn't exist yet, that this -- that kind of playing off what Lita said, this is an overreaction, and it is -- it is a -- the U.S. may have been duped here.
Can you defend exactly why such a robust response? Is there something, you know, the American people need to know more about that threat? Secondly, you both have had talks this week with the British, and I'd love to hear more about why now, what was talked about, and what's come out of these talks?
SEC. HAGEL: All that Marty handled, specifically the British question, but I'll...
GEN. DEMPSEY: That'd be great. You handle the other one.
SEC. HAGEL: Yeah -- well, no, you didn't let me finish. I know he'll want to say something about your -- about your question.
Q: (inaudible)
SEC. HAGEL: About -- about our not-well-thought-out strategy on missile defense announcement. First, we don't have any choice in defending this country but to anticipate worst-case scenarios. We do know the North Koreans have missile capability. We know that they have significant capability. And as we think through long-term threats, we have to plan, sure, for short term, but also for long term, and every decision that's made -- and the announcement that was made a couple of weeks ago wasn't some knee-jerk reaction to the young leader's threats in North Korea.
These are decision-making processes that evolve based on threats, potential threats. You only need to be wrong once. And I don't know what president or what chairman or what secretary of defense wants to be wrong once when it comes to nuclear threats.
So I would take issue with your analysis of our decision and our announcement.
Q: (inaudible)
SEC. HAGEL: Well, there was an awful lot of thought that went into this and strategic thinking and all that goes into these kinds of decisions.
Thank you.
GEN. DEMPSEY: And, you know, it was -- it was the specific North Korea threat that caused that thinking to occur. But you've heard me speak about the proliferation of technologies, whether they be ballistic missile technologies or cyber technologies.
You've also heard me say that the homeland shouldn't -- can't be considered a sanctuary as it has been for generations. So this is all about us thinking again, how do we get ready for the future? We don't want -- this is like the Gretzky thing. You know, skate to where the puck's going to be, not to where it's been.
On the Brits, in 1942, George Marshall and his British colleague called together their -- the combined chiefs, and they met over at Roosevelt Hall at Ft. McNair on the top floor. And they decided how they would make sure that their relationship would advance the cause of not only their own countries, but, truthfully, the world, out into the foreseeable future.
So my British colleague and I decided to re-create the moment, and we gathered top floor, Roosevelt Hall, Ft. McNair, re-created the picture. It did strike me how much younger we look than they did back in those years.
And -- but we had some incredible conversations about their future, our future, you know, the degree to which they intend to further integrate into Europe or remain kind of a cross-Atlantic partner. Our -- they were questioning us about our rebalancing to the Pacific. We're both facing economic challenges.
And so we kind of -- not kind of, we chartered a course to ensure that they remain our strongest partner. And it was very well-done. I haven't rendered a report yet to the secretary. So you'll excuse me if I go no further at this point.
SEC. HAGEL: I would say that he allowed me to come over, but only allowed me to spend 15 minutes.
GEORGE LITTLE: On that historical note, we'll draw to a close.
SEC. HAGEL: All right. Thank you very much. Thank you.


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By NATE SCHNEIDER / @natejschneider
Building a successful four-year college basketball program is difficult enough.
Imagine chopping that in half and trying to create a winning program when the student-athletes you recruit are only going to be there for a max of two years.
That is what Mid-Michigan Community College men's basketball coach Kaleb House is faced with as the unique characteristics of junior college basketball have provided some challenges, but nothing that cannot be handled by bringing in the right type of players that are committed to helping the program move in the right direction.
House, who will be going into his second year with the Lakers after previously coaching the Beal City High School varsity, has brought in some local talent for the 2013-14 campaign with some recognizable names including 2012-13 Morning Sun Boys Basketball Player of the Year Kyle Shomin out of Mt. Pleasant High School. Also in the recruiting class are Carson City-Crystal's Brann Schmitt, Fulton's Braeden Proctor, and McBain Northern Christian's Trevor Gernaat. Rounding out the current class are Lake Fenton's Darian Welch and Caleb Nealy, while the possibility of several other roster additions including some local talent is still on the horizon.
"It's all about bringing in guys who want to be a part of the program," House said. "So we're just trying to bring in a good chunk of talented local and non-local kids. One thing I'm learning a lot about is that if you look at any junior college program, there is a lot of turnover on the roster from year to year. I think even a lot of four-year schools are going through it. You've seen it at Central Michigan the last couple of years and I know there was a coaching change. But it's even harder at our level with two years and we're probably only going to have four or five guys back from this past year along with about 12 new faces. We're hoping to build more continuity as we build relationships with the players. Developing leadership is tough in that short amount of time. The cool thing is that we can hopefully help them get a scholarship and be a nice little stop for them for a couple years."
One of the Lakers' bigger success stories since the program was launched in 2010 is that of guard Sheldon Lowman, who played at MMCC before being part of the Central Michigan University men's basketball program last year. While he did not see any game action, Lowman was an integral part of the practice squad and could be back in the fold with the Chippewas this coming season.
"That is the hope a lot of the players that come to a junior college such as our have," said House. "That they hone their basketball skills and keep their grades up, then get noticed by another school and offered a spot."
Mid-Michigan Community College was 9-13 (including one forfeit win) in its first year under House and the hope is that this recruiting class will help push the Lakers to the next level.
Shomin, playing in the ultra-tough Saginaw Valley League, averaged a double-double of 15.5 points per game along with 10 boards. Gernaat, the best pure scorer in the class, poured in 38 points during a district final loss to Beal City and had many other games where he scored close to or over 30 points. Schmitt put up 17 points and 11 rebounds per contest for the Eagles, while Proctor put in eight points per with the Pirates. Welch scored at least 20 points in nine games for Lake Fenton last year including one 36-point outburst.
Right now, MMCC is still a program without a league due to the college not having the minimum five sports that is required to join the Michigan Community College Athletic Association that other junior colleges in the state are a part of such as Mott Community College, Lansing Community College, and Muskegon Community College. It is currenty a 14-team conference and the hope for House is that in some years down the road there will be other sports added so the Lakers can have a league they can call home.
"Last year, we took over with the new standards of taking 12 credits and passing with a 2.0 grade-point average," House said. "All the standards that everybody else is playing with. Before, it was basically a club team because if you were taking a class you could play. Last year, we faced a lot of adversity. We took the program over around the end of June and started with 15 guys, then finished the year with about six or seven. It was mostly eligibility issues, having guys drop a semester. We had guys who weren't playing the first semester, then play the second semester. It was all about trying to finish."
Mid-Michigan plays its home games at Morey Courts, not exactly the type of environment that is typical of college athletics but House likes the cozy confines with fans close to the court action. In previous years under Doug Brotherton, the Lakers played some of their home games at high schools around the area, but while House is still open to that idea in the future he enjoys the home-court advantage Morey Courts gives his team.
"We played much better at Morey Courts last year than we did on the road," House said. "We know the court and the sight lines, whereas our opponents come in here and have never seen anything like it. It really is an advantage for us and we enjoy the relationship we have with Morey Courts. It really benefits us."
While there is going to be a mostly new-look roster this winter, MMCC did manage to win four of its last six games during House's first year at the helm. Now the hope is for a winning record, which will give the Lakers a chance to compete for a bigger prize.
"The way it works is that we can play in the postseason if we have a winning record," added House. "That sounds like a lower expectation, but that is goal number one. We want to ensure that we have a winning record to play in the postseason. From there, we want to beat as many of the (Michigan Community College Athletic Association) conference schools on our schedule as we can. It looks like we'll have anywhere from eight to 12 games against those teams. We basically want to try and win the de facto league that we are in but not truly a part of. The other thing is that to get into the national tournament, we would have to play one game against a team from Ohio, which is Lorain County Community College. They are the only other one that is in NJCAA Division 3 like we are. All the other schools in Michigan are Division 2 because they give scholarships while we don't. So they are the only other school we can play. So we play them in a regional game if we are over .500. If we beat them, we go onto the district tournament. It's the opposite of high school. That includes some really good Division 3 junior colleges around the Chicago area and Wisconsin. You play three or four games there, then if you win that you go to New York for the national tournament. So we are setting our sights on New York."
The Lakers will being their regular season in November.


text:
Kangaroo Flat is aiming to bolster its mid-court to stay in the hunt for the Bendigo Netball League A-grade title next season.
The Roos will be without captain and former Betty Thompson medallist Lauren Cowling, as well as Yasmin Thomas, in 2013.
Star centre Cowling is still in rehabilitation after a knee reconstruction and has chosen to travel overseas next year.
Karly Bingham had a superb season to fill part of the hole left by Cowling's absence and took home the Betty Thompson Medal as the A-grade league best and fairest.
But she will need more support for the Roos to improve on its straight sets finals exit after it finished third on the ladder.
"I'm really on the hunt for a mid-courter at the moment," Flat coach Janelle Hobbs said.
"We're keeping everyone else. Brooke Lawry will step back up into A-grade this year, so we're looking for some new players to come in and add some depth.
"We'll bring Monica Wellington from juniors straight into A-grade, she's a defender so with her Simone (Andrews) and Alicia (McGlashan) our defence will be stronger. We've just got to get that mid-court position and we'll be up there, hopefully."
Flat has announced Bingham as its B-grade coach next season, taking over from Nina Cass, while Hobbs' assistant Sue Borserio will take charge of the B-reserve and 17-and-unders.
Hobbs will continue to coach both A-grade and A-reserve.
"We're extremely fortunate to have these ladies take charge of our coaching for season 2013," Flat's netball operations manager Catherine Wicks said.
"The amount of talent, knowledge and integrity these ladies bring would be hard to match by any other club in Victoria."
The Roos coaches will hold three try-out sessions for players beginning Thursday, November 15 at Beck Legal Oval.
The 17s will be held from 5pm to 6.30pm, followed by seniors from 6.15pm to 8pm.
The next session will be Sunday, November 18 from 3.30pm to 5pm for the 17s and 5pm to 7pm for seniors.
The final session is Thursday, November 22 with times the same as the previous week.
Interested players are asked to go to the club's website for a registration form which needs to be emailed to firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Republican Missouri congressman Todd Akin is seeking money for his Senate campaign bills while highlighting what he describes as offensive remarks by actor and comedian Jamie Foxx.
Akin distributed a fundraising email Thursday with a video clip of Foxx speaking at the Soul Train Music Awards earlier this month. Foxx urged the audience to "give an honor to God, and our lord and savior Barack Obama."
For Christians, the titles "lord" and "savior" typically are reserved for Jesus.
Akin called Foxx's comment an "appalling" example of how "Christian values are being mocked." He pledged to continue "speaking out about the problems facing our country" and asked for $10 donations to help pay his campaign bills.
Akin lost to Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in the Nov. 6 election.


text:
4/years 66 Million with vesting option for 2014 at 14 Million so 5/ years 80 mil
4/years 66 Million with vesting option for 2014 at 14 Million so 5/ years 80 mil
"I could watch video of Griffey swinging all day. It's like baseball porn." - C. Trent Rosecrans
2008 Reds Record When I Attend: 9W - 5L
2009 Reds Record When I Attend: 1W - 2L
2010 Reds Record When I Attend: 1W - 0L
2011 Reds Record When I Attend: 0W - 1L
What? What? This cannot be. That was just a PR ploy.
Can't win with 'em
Can't win without 'em
It seems like he always killed the Reds. I hate to see him back in the NL.
Championships for MY teams in my lifetime:
Cincinnati Reds - 75, 76, 90
Chicago Blackhawks - 10, 13, 15
University of Kentucky - 78, 96, 98, 12
Chicago Bulls - 91, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98
Everything that happens before Death is what counts.
― Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes
Interesting ripple effects here. The Mets were one destination for Matt Holiday. Without the Mets and the Yankees saying they weren't signing a big ticket FA this off season its the Red Sox or bust for Holiday. The Angles could be a destination but Artie Morano hates Boras which makes the signing there unlikely. It looks as if Holiday should have taken the extension Colorado offered him a few years ago.
Mets need pitching, much more than hitting.
He's not going to like hitting in that park. But I guess for 66 mill he probably doesn't care.
"Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser."
What a tremendous mistake. That can eat up so much payroll. Worried whether Mets will even be able to afford a team this year. There are AAA prospects so much cheaper. Should have just put a minor league hitter out there, anyone can play left.
Makes no sense.
Whoops, sorry, wrong team.
Dude only had one offer on the table after the Red Sox pulled their's and signed Cameron. Bay didn't want to play for the Mets but his options were limited as no other team made a serious play. Bay's agent tried desperately to get the Sox back in the mix but they wouldn't bite for the money the Mets offered. If Bay gets off to a bad start could be trouble.
If you have a losing record at Reds games, please stop going.
Bay is so bad defensively that a fair amount of his offensive pluses are negated. Plus you never know what will happen on the south side of age 30. Not a wise move by the Mets IMO. Not that he won't help in 2010. I just think by 2012 it could start to get a big ugly in NY.
As good as Bay is would he even be a big deal if he hadn't played for the Sox? it just peeves me how much attention these guys get playing in Boston or New York....can you imagine if Dunner had put up his career numbers in a Boston uni? The sportswriters would've already enshrined him by now
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text: I was given a miller xmt 304 welder that had an error code of he.lp-8. I called miller and they said it could be the HUD, Display board or Control board. I could not find any information about testing these items to figure out which ones they are. I am wonder if anybody has a photo of these items and a way to trouble shoot them without paying an arm and a leg for parts and service. I checked the owners manual but it said send to a technician. Any help would be great.