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OCALA NATIONAL FOREST, Fla. - Erika Faulk and her cousin, Gale Robinson, could have met up for a weekend spa retreat or planned a shopping excursion, but the two middle-aged, suburban moms opted for weekend learning to shoot guns, build campfires and track deer deep in the Ocala National Forest.
Faulk, Robinson and about 100 other women were taking part in a three-day workshop called "Becoming an Outdoors-Woman." The program began two decades ago in Wisconsin and has spread to 40 states and Canada as a way to teach women the skills needed to enjoy outdoor activities. In Florida, three workshops are held in different parts of the state throughout the year. Organizers say the sessions are so popular they usually fill up just days after they are announced.
Faulk's 18-year-old-son laughed at her when she told him she was planning a weekend of camping in the woods.
"He said, 'You are paying money to do this, go outside? You don't want to go to a Ritz Carlton?'" Faulk said.
Faulk, who is from the Tampa area, took classes in archery, boating and firearms. Robinson's schedule included a class in outdoor cooking. Robinson, who lives in the Atlanta area, had not been camping since she was child. But the two cousins, both in their 50s and in the pharmaceutical sales business, said they had a blast sleeping in bunk beds in a cabin shared with other women, hiking in the woods and experiencing the great outdoors.
The program began in 1991 in Wisconsin after researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point studied why women were less likely than men to participate in some outdoor activities, said Lynne Hawk, an education specialist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and director of the Florida program.
"The women didn't feel like they had the skills to be confident and comfortable to be outdoors doing these activities," Hawk said.
The Wisconsin program was an enormous success and spread from there, she said. States tailor their workshops to outdoor activities common in their areas and teach whatever survival skills are needed in the region.
Florida joined the program in 1995. The state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission usually holds workshops every year near Tallahassee, Ocala and West Palm Beach.
The Florida program includes courses in boating, kayaking, whitetail deer, fishing, knot tying and outdoor photography.
Instructors even teach students how to back a boat trailer into the water and how to tie a boat up to a dock.
"We think part of the whole boating safety program is learning to control the boat, control the trailer and to know the knots necessary to secure the boat to the dock," said Dot Goodwin, a boating safety instructor. "The husband might want to be in the boat and then the wife would have to put the boat in the water with the trailer and then bring the trailer away so she needs to know how to operate it also."
Debbie Hanson had a tough time manoeuvring a trailer hitched to the back of a truck through a series of traffic cones and into the lake. "What can I say other than it took me five hours," the Estero woman said to roars of laughter from her companions when finally she completed the task in about 20 minutes with Goodwin's careful coaching.
Julia Beasley, from Altha, met her sister Dottie Love, who lives in North Carolina, for the weekend. The sisters joked that they are wilderness opposites — Julie has spent little time in the great outdoors and Dottie loves to camp, fish and hunt.
"She's 100 per cent and I'm like five," Beasley said, comparing their enthusiasm for the outdoors.
Love has gone to Becoming an Outdoors-Woman events in North Carolina for more than 10 years. The Ocala program was Beasley's first.
The sisters' class choices reflected their differences. Beasley learned about bird watching, cooking outdoors, and making ornaments from plant leaves. Love got tips on deer hunting.
Despite their different tastes, the sisters shared a cabin in the national park and ate together at communal meals. "It was a good time for us to get together as sisters, which we've never really done before, and I think it's great. It's a good thing for all women to get out and do their own thing," Beasley said.
Florida's next Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program is offered in November in the West Palm Beach area.
Programs are offered in most states at various times throughout the year.
If You Go...
BECOMING AN OUTDOORS-WOMAN: Programs offered around the country; http://www4.uwsp.edu/cnr/bow/map.aspx


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Notes from Game 18
lt was suggested last week — in a feature one paper ran about Lyle Overbay — that the Blue Jays first baseman might find himself in a platoon situation this season.
While there is always the chance that Overbay may indeed wind up in a platoon at first at some point this year, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston told me on Thursday afternoon that Overbay will be in there every day to begin the coming season.
"Overbay will be out there full-time," Gaston said.
What does that mean? Well, it could mean Randy Ruiz finds himself searching for at-bats in a hurry. Right now, third baseman Edwin Encarnacion appears to be on pace to be ready in time for Opening Day, which would create a domino effect for the starting lineup.
With Encarnacion on the DL: Jose Bautista moves from right field to third, Travis Snider likely moves from left to right field, Adam Lind likely moves from DH to left and Ruiz winds up as the everday DH to open the year. This is assuming Snider makes the team, of course, and it appears as though he will.
With Encarnacion in the mix: Bautista stays in right, Snider likely opens as the left fielder, Lind resumes his role as the everyday designated hitter and Ruiz winds up on the bench. The Jays have already said they don't want Snider in a platoon, Lind definitely won't be in a platoon and now Gaston said Overbay will also play against both right-handed and left-handed pitchers.
Gaston has said repeatedly that he believes Ruiz — a career Minor Leaguer who is finally getting a chance to open a year in the big leagues — has the potential to hit around .280 with 20-25 homers and around 75-80 RBIs with regular playing time. The way the roster is shaping up, though, there might not be an excess of at-bats for Ruiz.
Now, there is another element to this that could make it a tempory situation. Overbay is a free agent after this season and he is not a part of the Jays' long-term plans (especially with prospect Brett Wallace now in the farm system). If the Jays can find a taker for Overbay, and the return is decent enough, the club would likely move him.
There is a good chance that Overbay is not with the Blue Jays for the entire 2010 season. Wallace might force the Jays' hand at some point, or Overbay might be dealt. In the latter scenario, that could create an opportunity for Ruiz to man first base more often until Wallace is deemed ready.
But, for now…
"Lyle's really swinging the bat good," Gaston said. "I hope he takes it into the season and has one heck of a season and — whether he is back here or somwhere else — get a great contract for him and his family. Either way it goes, if he's here, great. If he's not back here, we're going to miss him, because even if he doesn't hit anything he plays great defense for you."
OVERDRIVE: That's what Marc Rzepczynski said his mind was running on during Thursday's five-inning outing against the Tigers. The young lefty allowed three runs on four hits with four walks, one hit batsmen and two strikeouts in an 80-plus pitch performance. What was the problem?
"I was getting into my own head too much today," Rzepczynski said. "I was getting into my own head about trying to fix my mechanics."
In the first inning, Rzepczynski "flew open" in his delivery and sent a fastball bouncing off the right shoulder blade of Tigers leadoff man Clete Thomas. Then, Zep walked Ryan Raburn. Two batters later, Miguel Cabrera sent a pitch to the right-center field gap for a two-run double. Rzepczynski said the problem early was with his fastball command.
"I was struggling with the fastball early, as you could tell by the first inning," Rzepczynski said. "We decided to go with the breaking ball, which I don't like doing in the spring, but I was able to go to my breaking ball and throw that for strikes, which enabled us to establish the fastball later.
"I was able kind of find a little bit of a groove back to where I should be — except for walking Cabrera on four straight pitches with two outs [in the fifth]. The walks got to me today. It was just one of those games where I just fell too much out of mechanics and was thinking too much about it.
"Basically, to make a really long story short, I was thinking too much."
Fortunately, it's only Spring Training. Rzepczynski knows mechanical flaws will pop up during his starts. What is important is making the proper in-game adjustments and to not get caught up in what is going wrong. Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston agreed.
"That goes through a lot of guys' heads sometimes, even hitters," Gaston said. "You start thinking about your mechanics and not thinking about what you're doing out there. You can't do both. As I say to hitters, if you're thinking about mechanics, the next thing you know the catcher is throwing the ball back to the pitcher. You can't go out there an think about mechanics. Just think about pitching."
USE YOUR GLOVE: The third hitter for Detroit in the first inning, Carlos Guillen, chopped a pitch back up the middle — right at Rzepczynski. As the ball bounced high above the pitcher's head, he reached up with his left hand and was struck by the baseball. Rzepczynski was fine, escaping what could have been a regrettable play.
"Sometimes I just get reactionary," Rzepczynski said. "I just stuck my bare hand in there. I've done it before. I try not to, but it's the first ball I've had hit back at me this spring. I was trying to react and trying to get it. It's fine. I've got a little rugburn, I want to say, just friction from the ball. It caught the tip [of my fingers]. I didn't feel it the rest of the game."
BIRD FEED: Gaston said the Blue Jays' regular starting lineup will be used every game, beginning on Saturday and through the rest of the Florida portion of Spring Training. "It's getting time to get them ready for the season," Gaston said. "They might get somewhat of a break down in Houston, but before then they'll probably run out there every day." … Encarnacion went 1-for-2 with a walk, strikeout and stolen base in his first Grapefruit League game of the spring for the Jays. Gaston said Encarnacion will now be a regular part of the lineup, though he might not play full games until next week. Edwin missed the bulk of the spring slate while resting a weak left wrist. Encarnacion is feeling good and Cito believes he'll be ready in time for Opening Day. "Right now, I think he's got a chance to be in there," Gaston said." … UTIL Mike McCoy, who is a leading contender for a bench role, also played on Thursday, his first Grapefruit League game since March 13. McCoy (right shoulder) went 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. "I'm happy to be back in there," McCoy said. "It felt good to play again. I played a couple Minor League games and I felt pretty good. I felt like my timing was a little bit off, but I felt better today." Cito indicated before the game that McCoy "certainly has a great chance" of making the team. … LHP Jesse Carlson (left knee) is scheduled to pitch in a Minor League game on Friday. … RHP Brandon Morrow (right shoulder) is scheduled to throw off a mound on Friday and is slated to start on Monday, barring any setbacks. If Morrow needs to open on the DL, Cito has said he will decided between LHP Brett Cecil and LHP Dana Eveland for the vacated rotation spot. … Pitchers for Friday's split squad games: In Fort Myers vs. Red Sox – Cecil, Marty McCleary, Zach Jackson, Dan DeLucia, Jonah Bayliss; In Dunedin vs. Rays – Shaun Marcum, Kevin Gregg, David Purcey, Merkin Valdez. … Thursday marked the first time this spring that closer candidates Scott Downs, Jason Frasor and Gregg did not pitch on the same day. Downs allowed two runs on three hits in one inning, while Frasor logged one shutout frame against the Tigers. … Roenicke, who is on the bubble for a spot in the bullpen, worked one shutout inning in relief on Thursday.
O-FER: Talk about a rough day in the batter's box for the Blue Jays. Vernon Wells, Jeremy Reed, Jose Molina, Snider, Lind and Ruiz combined to go 0-for-17 at the plate in Thursday's 5-1 loss to Detroit. After a first-inning sac fly from Wells, the Jays were blanked for the next eight innings.
DETROIT (3-3) vs. TORONTO (3-3)
GAME ONE: Tigers 7, Blue Jays 6 (March 3)
GAME TWO: Blue Jays 9, Tigers 7 (March 4
GAME THREE: Blue Jays 4, Tigers 1 (March 7)
GAME FOUR: Tigers 10, Blue Jays 7 (March 15)
GAME FIVE: Blue Jays 9, Tigers 7 (March 22)
GAME SIX: Tigers 5, Blue Jays 1 (March 25)
GAME SEVEN: Monday at Dunedin Stadium
Keep the champagne on ice…
QUOTABLE: "I'm good at redirecting the ball off all of my body parts. I've gotten a few outs off my butt, off my hand, off my shin, a couple things." — Rzepczynski
For complete Blue Jays coverage this spring, make sure you're reading bluejays.com and following me on Twitter at @MLBastian. You can also find spring photos on TwitPic.com.
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3 Comments
What are the chance that Ruiz platoons with Bautista? I know Bau has had a great spring, but he has never really been an everyday guy.
When Bautista is on the bench, Lind could move to LF, Snider to RF and Ruiz in the DH spot.
The biggest downside to this is having Lind in LF….scary
Not to beat up on Lyle Overbay but I have a real problem with this statement from Cito to justify why he is going to play Overbay full time.: "and — whether he is back here or somewhere else — get a great contract for him and his family.
The last time I checked Cito's job is to manage this team and improve it for next year-not manage it to get Lyle Overbay a great contract for next year-who the hell is paying Cito's salary, the Jays or Overbay????????????
Now I do realize that Ruiz isn't a long term guy for us since he's already 32 years old, but I also do realize that Overbay stinks against left handers and has for the last two years (190/.256/.278 (.534 OPS) and .215/.285/.255 (.540 OPS).
So why isn't Cito going to platoon Ruiz for Overbay when a left hander's on the mound? It isn't going to increase Overbay's trade or contract value to put him out there against left handers, Ruiz has proven he can hit both left and right handers for power and by the way some at bats might just increase Ruiz's trade value as well as winning some games this year.
This smells like the Millar situation last year where Cito kept playing Millar to try help him get a contract for this year. The funny thing is Millar stunk up the place, but Cito kept running him out there for 40-50 games and now when he does have a serious platoon partner for Overbay he isn't considering it??? What's wrong with that picture?
Someone needs to sit Cito down and make sure he understands he works for the Toronto Blue Jays, not Lyle Overbay-this is pure crap as far as I'm concerned.
I cannot understand the Jays' consistent refusal to find ABs for Ruiz. It's stupidity pure and simple.
Just over 100 ABs last year, Ruiz had 10 HRs and an OPS above 1.00. He's had a torrid spring. I tihnk Cito's off on his assessment. Give this guy 500-600 ABs and he'll probably hit 40+ homers and knock in 100+ RBIs.
EVERYONE seems to be able to see this except Cito. No offense to Gaston, because I love the guy, but regarding Ruiz he's either senile or just insanely stubborn.
Adam Lind is going to hit 25-30 HRs whether he's a fielder or a DH. Encarnacion is a sub-par 3B option. Bautista at 3B, Lind in the outfield, and Ruiz as the everyday DH. THis is the optimal situation.
This club NEEDS offense, and keeping Ruiz off the everyday roster is unbelievably stupid on the part of Jays' management.

subset: commoncrawl


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Technology–Enforced Law
I've been puzzling over a phenomenon lately that I'd like to talk a bit about. I want to put this out into the ether and get feedback from all of you. Because I can't make sense of this—and perhaps your superior brains can.
With the rise in digital content, we've seen more and more examples of technology being created to enforce the law and/or a company's terms of service for their product. And just because technology can do this, does it mean that we as a society should allow it?
In the past, here's how the law was enforced:
- the law exists
- as a member of a society, you are expected to know about the law
- if you violate the law, in theory someone punishes you
And here's how the law is enforced now in some cases:
- the law exists
- technology is created to make it difficult or impossible for you to break the law
- if you somehow manage to break through the technology and break the law, you are punished for breaching the system as well as breaking the law itself
Here's a real-world example of technology-enforced laws to start the discussion. The Saudi Arabian government developed an RFID chip with a cyanide implant. These chips were implanted in known criminals (supposedly terrorists) and if their handlers or probation officers or whoever was watching them suspected that they were violating the law again, BOOM – cyanide in the blood…instant death. No trial, no due process, just a remotely activated death penalty.
In the world of digital content we see this same practice but in a non-lethal incarnation.
The utilization of internet filters in schools and libraries (and on school-issued computers in kids' homes) is intended as a way to mandatorily enforce laws against child pornography and the display of harmful and obscene materials in public. Advocates for this technology sell it as a way to enforce these laws without human intervention. Unfortunately, the technology doesn't actually work very well, and about 30% of sites that should be blocked aren't and 30% of sites that should be allowed get blocked erroneously. The intention is good, but the side effects are not worth the trade off—both access to legitimate information and the false sense of security the technology creates. Some schools and libraries realize the inherent flaws in the technology and choose, instead, to do what we as a society have been doing for generations—trusting people to follow the law, and when they don't we have policies in place for reprimands or punishments (e.g. calling the cops on their asses).
Another key example is the technology used in digital rights management, called "digital restrictions management" by its detractors, including yours truly. Once again, the technology was created to enforce the applicable copyright law as well as the company-created terms of service for their products and content. And once again, the technology doesn't actually work. Why?
Digital Rights Management technology doesn't work because it doesn't do what the companies tell you it does: stop piracy. If copyrighted content was easy to get legally at a fair price in an easy to access format (read: one not locked down with layers of DRM software), then more people would be willing to pay for it. Why? Convenience and safety. It's why the music industry is selling DRM-free MP3s and still making money. I'd rather give $7.99 to a band and get a full, DRM-free, legal copy of their album than try to find a complete, high quality, virus-free version on a torrent site. Ultimately, these failed attempts to decrease piracy and (in theory) increase sales not only fail, but they drive even more users away. I strongly believe it is the current state of DRM that drives people into the arms of the pirates—not greed, a lack of ethics, or pure evil. Unless you count DRM as pure evil, which I do.
So…if the idea of the cyanide-laden RFID chip disturbs you, then (following my logic, anyway) the idea of internet filters and digital rights management should equally perturb you. And if you're a librarian, then dammit—both internet filters and digital rights management should perturb you as a professional and you should do everything in your power to fight them both—in your own library and in the profession as a whole. Fight, librarians! Fight!


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All Excel/VBA questions - formulas, macros, pivot tables, general help, etc. Please post to this forum in English only.
Advanced Filter query - What...
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text: Nope, don't get any funny ideas. I'm not in the market for a baby chair or baby anything for that matter. But saw this beauty while browsing the net and thought it deserved to be featured here today. It looks very futuristic, but believe it or not the Baby Chair 616 was designed back in 1965 by Ben af Schultén for Finnish company Artek. Hmmm, don't you wish you were a baby again to enjoy this fine piece of furniture?


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Post-2009 Report Search
To view scanned copies of filed reports from July 2009–present, select a filing date and an entity type, or choose "View all" to see all reports filed on a given deadline. To search among results (e.g. for the name of a specific candidate, PAC, or party) use the search box at the right.
If you do not find a report you are looking for here, please also check our new online campaign finance filing system, which is voluntary for candidates to use through the end of this cycle.


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China on Thursday urged the Philippines to ensure the safety of its citizens ahead of planned anti-Chinese protests, as tensions mount over a territorial standoff in the resource-rich South China Sea.
A protest of about 1,000 people, organised for Friday in Manila by Philippine civil society and political groups, risks worsening strains over the disputed waters, thought to posses abundant oil and gas reserves and fishing stocks.
The two countries are engaged in a more than month-long confrontation that began when Manila sent a warship to check on Chinese fishing boats in the region, and escalated to involve four Chinese maritime surveillance ships.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the protest plans have "aroused the concern and strong reaction of the Chinese public at home and abroad."
"China is paying close attention to the safety of the Chinese people and institutions in the Philippines, and demands that the Philippines provide effective assurances for theirsafety," Hong told reporters at a regular press briefing.
Chinese travel agencies have suspended tourist packages to the Philippines and promised refunds to customers who have booked trips, Chinese state media reported Thursday, as tensions over disputed islands in the South China Sea escalated.
On Tuesday, China's embassy in Manila posted an advisory on its website asking its citizens to stay indoors, avoid demonstrations and refrain from confrontations with locals.
The protest organisers plan similar actions at China's embassies and consulates in the United States, Canada, Australia, Italy, and other Asian capitals. Beijing has accused Manila of using the standoff to incite domestic opinion that hasdamaged Sino-Philippine relations.
Hong said Beijing would closely follow indications from the Philippine foreign minister that Manila would put forward a new proposal to ease friction over the disputed area, known as the Scarborough Shoal in English and Huangyan island in Chinese.
The dispute is one of myriad of conflicting claims overislands, reefs and shoals in the South China Sea that pit China against the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan.
Tension has risen in the past two years over worries that China, in its economic and military expansion, is becoming moreassertive in its claims.
On Thursday, China's state-run media continued an onslaught of angry commentary about the dispute, reflecting nationalist ire among many Chinese people who believe their country has exercised great restraint.
The Liberation Army Daily hinted that Beijing would not flinch from a military response if the conflict escalates.
"What we want to say is that anyone who tries in vain toseize sovereignty of Huangyan Island will be rebuffed by the Chinese government, Chinese people, and even more the Chinese military," a commentary in the military paper said.
The row threatens to disrupt trade and tourism between Beijing and Manila, with Chinese media reporting that companies, including Ctrip.com and Beijing International TravelService, have halted tours to the Philippines and will not accept bookings until the tensions ease.
Chinese travellers are the fourth largest inbound tourism market for the Philippines, behind South Korea, the United States, and Japan.
"The numbers are quite alarming because it [China] is a very important tourism market for the Philippines," said Philippine tourism undersecretary Victoria Jasmin.


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Whole Foods vows to label genetically modified food
NEW YORK Whole Foods (WFM) says all products in its North American stores will have labels disclosing whether they contain genetically modified ingredients by 2018.
The company says it's the first national grocery chain to set such a deadline for labeling foods that contain genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.
Whole Foods Market notes that it has been working with suppliers for years to source products that don't have GMO ingredients. It says it currently sells more than 3,000 GMO-free products, more than any other retailer in North America.
The use of GMOs has been a growing issue, with health advocates pushing to require labels on GMO products.


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Lorde Jokes That Ghosts Are Trying to Prevent Her From Recording New Albumby Michelle McGahan | PopCrush
We're no strangers to a good celebrity ghost story, but Lorde's ghosts seem to want to keep her from working on a new record.
The 'Royals' singer took to Twitter yesterday, June 29, to let fans in on the haunting — we mean, recording — process, writing:
ghosts in the studio don't want us to record tonight, they leaving their ghost hum on everything. buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
— Lorde (@lordemusic) June 30, 2014
Yikes! While we're not exactly sure what a "ghostly hum" is, we're guessing Lorde and her team heard some kind of strange white noise over the sound system. Super creepy!
And speaking of her new album, the Kiwi songstress recently revealed that it is going to be "totally different" from her first record, 'Pure Heroine.'
"I wrote the last album about that world which was the suburb where I grew up and populated by my friends and people who were really familiar to me," she told the BBC. "Now I'm in a different place every day and I'm with new people every day and it's a different vibe."


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MATRIX Using Motor Servo Controller
The MATRIX Controller
|The MATRIX Controller is very similar in operation to the HiTechnic Controllers used in the TETRIX system, but there are some key differences between the two. The biggest difference is that the MATRIX Controller cannot be daisy chained to other controllers as the HiTechnic Controllers can. As a result, the MATRIX controller is a combination motor/servo controller. It can handle up to four DC motors and four servos at one time.
Because the MATRIX Controller cannot be daisy-chained , setting up ROBOTC for a MATRIX controller is a fairly easy process. Simply open the Motors and Sensors Setup window under the Robot menu in ROBOTC, navigate to the External Controllers tab, and select "Standard MATRIX Configuration". This will designate Sensor Port 1 on the NXT as the port that the MATRIX Controller is attached to. There are a total of four settings in the External Controllers tab to chose from:
When the MATRIX Controller is selected in the External Controller tab, ROBOTC will automatically update the Motors, Servos, and Sensors tab with the respective changes. It will add the four supported motors in the Motors tab (Motors D, E, F, and G).


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Just hours after the arraignment of the motorist accused of mowing down four bicyclists and killing two of them, police announced the arrest of a woman they say sold Darriean Hess drugs and knowingly allowed her to operate a motor vehicle without a license.
SEABROOK — Just hours after the motorist accused of killing two bicyclists during the annual Granite State Wheelman Tri-State Seacoast Century ride was arraigned at Hampton Circuit Court, police announced the arrest of a woman they say sold Darriean Hess drugs and knowingly allowed her to operate a motor vehicle without a license.
Hampton police say Cindy Sheppard, 48, of 51 Ocean Blvd., Hampton, sold a controlled drug to Hess, 19, of Seabrook, some time after 1:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Less than an hour earlier, at 12:46 a.m., Hess had been pulled over by police and ticketed for driving without a motor vehicle license and speeding as she crossed the Neil R. Underwood Memorial Bridge. That is the same bridge where police say Hess mowed down Pamela Wells, 60, of South Hamilton, Mass., Elise Bouchard, 52, of Danvers, Mass., Uwe Uhmeyer, 60, of Essex, Mass., and Margo Heigh, 54, of Danvers, Mass., at approximately 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning.
Wells and Bouchard died as a result of the crash.
Hess faces two Class B felony counts of negligent homicide and two Class B felony counts of second-degree assault. Each of the Class B felonies is punishable by a maximum sentence of 3� to 7 years in prison and fines up to $4,000 for each offense if she is found guilty.
Sheppard is charged with one felony count for allegedly selling a controlled drug and a violation level offense for allegedly allowing an improper person to operate a motor vehicle. She allowed Hess to drive a 2002 Honda Civic, knowing Hess was not licensed to drive, according to Deputy Chief Rich Sawyer of the Hampton Police Department.
In early June, Sheppard was charged with one count of possession of heroin with the intent to distribute and one count of possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute after police searched her Ocean Boulevard home.
During the search, investigators seized a distribution quantity of heroin and cocaine along with other drugs and money. Sheppard has been the focus of an ongoing investigation by Hampton detectives into the sale of heroin in Hampton. Sheppard was considered a significant source of heroin in the beach area.
Sheppard is being held on $10,000 cash bail following her arrest Wednesday and is scheduled to be arraigned at Hampton Circuit Court today.
Earlier in the day Wednesday at Hampton Circuit Court, the courtroom was packed with media outlet representatives who came to see the arraignment of Hess. Judge Mark Weaver presided over the hearing.
Sgt. Barry Newcomb, the prosecutor for the state, started his remarks by admitting that Hess does not have any previous criminal record. However, he immediately reminded the court that approximately eight hours before the crash Hess was pulled over and issued tickets for speeding and operating a motor vehicle without a license by the Hampton Police Department.
"We're concerned that she is a risk to the public's safety. Also there is a flight risk as she does have a large amount of immediate family that resides in Alaska," Newcomb said.
He asked for $50,000 cash "and cash only" bail and a waiver of extradition.
The public defender assigned to Hess, Anthony Naro, asked Weaver to drop the bail amount to $15,000 cash or corporate surety. He said that is what Hess' family could afford. If she made bail, Naro said Hess would stay under house arrest.
"And I am not talking a curfew Judge, I am talking literally house arrest where she is not allowed to leave her home unless it is to meet with me, her attorney, and I will provide the court with a written notice of appointments," Naro said.
He continued to describe Hess' mental state saying, "She's been absolutely grief stricken, Judge. I understand that there is a lot of media in the courtroom but we need to look at the specific case we are dealing with and not the outside pressures. This is a 19-year-old girl. This is beyond tragic for all parties involved."
Naro told the court Hess did not leave her home after the accident until the day she was arrested. She had only been out once to get food with family members because she has not been able to eat.
Hess had a number of friends and family members in the courtroom, including Cassandra and Magnus Hess, her siblings. After the hearing they spoke to the press.
"We're not doing well at all. There's five of us and it's just us on the East Coast. The rest of our family is on the West Coast, not meaning that she's a flight risk by any means, my sister would never do anything like that. She can hardly walk. She just wants to be with her family, that's all," Cassandra Hess said.
"Our entire family is completely traumatized and we mourn for the people that were lost in this tragedy and we also pray for the ones who are injured," Magnus Hess said.
Cassandra Hess was clearly upset as she spoke because after hearing from Newcomb and Naro, the judge agreed to set bail at $50,000 cash or corporate surety. Naro waived extradition early on in the hearing.
"We don't really know what we're going to do right now," Cassandra Hess said.
Hess has a probable cause hearing scheduled for Oct. 8.


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If you have the time and can't decide between Peru and Brazil, then see them both – and pretty much everything in between – on this 51-day extravaganza. Trek the legendary Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, cross the Bolivian Salt Flats, sip wine in Argentina, and hit the beach in Brazil. You'll get plenty of energetic culture, the great outdoors, and the company of other young travellers to keep you moving. There's time later to slow down, take the long road, and have an adventure while you can.
Arrive at any time.
Enjoy your free time by taking an optional city tour or exploring the wonders that this city has to offer from the centrally located hostel in Copacabana.
In the morning, explore the favela with a local resident on a G Adventures-supported tour to watch a drumming demonstration, get a Capoeira lesson, and sample craft beers with a new perspective of the city. Enjoy a free afternoon to discover all that Rio has to offer.
Continue by van up the coast and take a ferry to Ilha Grande. Opt to hike the island's remote trails, pick up some snorkel gear or relax on the beach.
Head south along the Atlantic coast to the port of Angra dos Reis, and onward by ferry to Ilha Grande, with 100s of beaches for you to choose from. Known for its beauty, the island is a little piece of paradise; hiking, diving, snorkeling, sipping a fresh coconut on the beach, the choice is yours.
Free time to hike and explore the island's beaches or take an optional boat tour.
Head to colonial Paraty, explore the cobblestone streets and opt to visit a cachaça distillery.
Free day in Paraty to explore.
Skip the bus ride and hop on a flight to Iguassu falls.
In the morning, visit the Argentine side of the falls, and opt to take a boat tour to see the cascading falls from below.
Enjoy free time today, opt to visit the Brazilian side of the falls and get an incredible panoramic view. Or, opt to take a helicopter ride over the falls, or visit a bird park. Later, hop on an overnight bus to Uruguay.
Dive into Uruguayan rural life known in the region as an estancia. Get dirty at a working ranch, enjoy a walk in the countryside, and indulge in local barbecues.
Free time to explore the area or help out on the estancia.
In Uruguay's capital, opt to visit the carnival museum and grab a snack at the local Port Market.
Free day in Montevideo, opt to explore the city, hop on a bike to explore the coast, or take a day-trip to glamorous Punta del Este.
Travel to the charming colonial city of Colonia Del Sacramento. Experience the relaxed, pleasant Uruguayan culture and stroll down its cobble-stoned streets on an orientation walk.
Cross the Río Plata and explore the many attractions of Buenos Aires. Check out a football game, a tango show or the city's famous nightlife.
Buenos Aires is full of life. Be sure to check out the districts of La Boca, Recoleta and San Telmo—or catch a tango show at one of the many famous tanguerías or tango houses. When you are done exploring, have a drink in one of the many sidewalk cafés and restaurants. Buenos Aires is also your chance to try the famous bifé and parrilladas, so dig in and enjoy!
Enjoy a free day to explore the "Paris of the Americas," from the hidden patios of trendy Palermo to bohemian vibes in San Telmo this city has something for everyone.
Enjoy a free day to explore beautiful Buenos Aires.
Get out and explore. Consider visiting the districts of La Boca, Recoleta, and San Telmo or catch a tango show at one of the many famous tanguerías. Pre book an optional city bike tour, and get a local's eye view of your surroundings! Wander the pedestrian walkways and see some dancing in the streets.
Skip a long bus ride with an included flight to Salta.
Salta, situated in the Lerma Valley of northern Argentina, is home to empanadas salteñas - a delicious local specialty. No visit to the town will be complete without giving them a try. In the evening, opt to experience a local celebration at one of the "Peña" folklore shows.
Explore the city and enjoy the local cuisine. Opt to take a trip through the scenic Quebrada de las Conchas to Cafayate, or visit the High Mountain Archaeological Museum.
Enjoy free time to explore the area. The scenic Quebrada de las Conchas and Cafayate, famed for its wine and vineyards, are recommended stops. The multi-coloured valleys in the foothills region of the Andes are sure to be a highlight.
Travel over the border and into Chile.
In the morning, take a bus further north to the dry desert regions of Argentina and Chile. Stop in the little town of San Pedro de Atacama, on the edge of the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth.
Opt to try out sandboarding, go mountain biking, or visit the Valley of the Moon.
Ascend by bus into the mountains and cross into Bolivia for a three-day 4x4 excursion to the Salar de Uyuni and surrounding desert altiplano with spectacular scenery. Today you will be crossing the varied landscape of the desert, stopping off at colourful lagoons along the way.
Groups like to get creative with photography, as the endless white of the salt flats creates some great depth illusions that are fun to play with in photos.
Continue exploring the Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, on a 4x4 excursion. Admire the spectacular scenery while passing red and blue lagoons along the route. Spot wild llamas, alpacas and even flamingos deep within the desert. Last stop for the evening is a G Adventures-supported community lodge in a traditional agricultural village in the heart of a desert oasis.
Settle in to your G Adventures-supported salt-brick bungalow, complete with salt floors and furniture, after a guided walking tour up to the sacred Jukil mountaintop for sweeping valley views and a dinner of local ingredients prepared by ladies from the community.
Rise early to cover more of the unique landscape of the Salar de Uyuni. Continue to see incredible scenery, including volcanoes, and salt lakes.
Travel north to visit one of the highest cities in the world. On arrival spot the looming mountain of Cerro Rico, a working silver mine.
Get out and explore Potosí and wander through the streets of the city.
Travel north to the beautiful colonial city of Sucre.
Travel north to Sucre. Tackle the city as there is a lot to offer during our two days here. Optional activities include a visit to an old tin baron's mansion and a textile cooperative, mountain biking, and hiking.
Free time to explore the beautiful colonial city of Sucre. For more active options opt to go hiking in the surrounding area or mountain biking.
Enjoy a free day in Sucre before an overnight bus to La Paz.
Enjoy free time to explore the markets and winding streets of this high altitude city.
Wake up from the overnight bus ride, get settled, and have the day to check out the city of La Paz.
Optional activities in La Paz include a pre booked Death Road biking adventure, museum visits, a tour of the Valley of the Moon, or a visit to the world's highest ski resort, Chacaltaya (5600m/18,368 ft).
Free day in La Paz. Opt to visit Iglesia de San Francisco, the Valley of the Moon, the Witches' Market, or the nearby Tiahuanaco Ruins.
Travel by bus through the Altiplano, crossing the border to the Peruvian city of Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca.
The drive around Lake Titicaca and through the Altiplano from La Paz to Peru is impressive.
Guided tour of Lake Titicaca with a homestay in a small village.
In the morning, board a boat on Lake Titicaca. Head to Taquile Island for lunch in a local restaurant and the chance for some shopping in the local weaving cooperatives.
After, cruise to another village for an overnight homestay on the shores of the lake (the homestay location can vary based on community availability). This experience provides an opportunity to learn more about rural life in the Peruvian highlands and to participate in local traditions. Eat with the family, learn some Quecha and Spanish language skills, try on traditional costumes, and help out with daily chores around the village.
Visit the floating islands of Uros. Optional visit to the Sillustani burial site.
Leave the homestay families late morning, and visit the Uros Islands on the way back to Puno. A popular optional activity in Puno is a visit to the spectacular chullpas (funerary towers) of Sillustani, a pre-Inca archaeological site only a short drive away.
Opt to pre-book the Lake Titicaca Kayaking on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.
Travel through the high Altiplano region to Cusco.
Free time to explore Cusco. Choose to pre-book the Cusco Cooking Class. Opt for a city tour, or go whitewater rafting, horseback riding or mountain biking.
Head into the Sacred Valley, visit the G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op in the Ccaccaccollo community. Learn about weaving, meet the resident llamas, and opt to purchase a knitted item if it catches your eye. Stop to sample craft beer on the way to Ollantaytambo for free time to explore.
Depart Ollantaytambo by van to Lares town where the hike begins. Spend the first night at a G Adventures-supported campsite in Cuncani.
The Lares Trek is a scenic, less touristic route to hike through the Andes. It is one day shorter than the Inca Trail but higher in elevation. Enjoy G Adventures-supported handmade biodegradable soap products for use on the Lares Trek.
Start early to hike from the foothills of Sicllaccasa Mountain to its high pass (4,750m/15,583 ft), providing scenic views of lagoons and the snow-capped Chicon Mountain. Celebrate after reaching the highest point by making an offering of coca leaves to the Andean gods. After the morning hike, stop to rest and take in the amazing view. Continue hiking downhill to our second campsite near the stream for the night.
Enjoy the last few hours of hiking before travelling by van to Ollantaytambo and train to Aguas Calientes to enjoy a good night's rest at your hotel.
Enjoy a guided visit to Machu Picchu at sunrise. Use some free time to explore the ruins on your own. Later, travel back to Cusco.
Rise early to catch the first bus up to Machu Picchu with your guide. Enjoy a guided visit to the ruins followed by free time to explore. Opt to walk up to the Sun Gate or Inca Bridge.
When ready, head back down by bus to Aguas Calientes to meet up with the rest of the group. Take the scenic train back to Ollantaytambo to meet the van for the ride back to Cusco.
Free day to explore Cusco or relax after the trek. If you are ready for more adventure, opt to go whitewater rafting, horseback riding or mountain biking.
Opt to visit and hike the famed Rainbow Mountain, pre-book on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.
Enjoy a final free day in Cusco before an overnight bus to Arequipa.
Travel from Cusco to Arequipa. Opt to visit the Santa Catalina Convent or soak in local hot springs.
Explore Arequipa, the 'white city'. Interested in history and architecture? Opt to visit to the Santa Catalina Monastery, offering a brief respite from the outside world and a unique view into a bygone way of life. Pre-book by adding the Arequipa City Tour & Santa Catalina Monastery on the checkout page or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.
For spicy food lovers, checking out one of the "Picanterías" is a must. Arequipa has a variety of regional food: alpaca, shrimp, pork, lots of soups, and spicy sauces.
Take a full-day tour of the spectacular Colca Valley and opt for a soak in hot springs.
Enjoy an overnight excursion to the impressive Colca Canyon - one of the deepest canyons in the world. Stop in fascinating villages and at "miradors" (scenic lookouts), where, with a little luck, spot Andean condors soaring over the majestic Andes. Other unusual animals that may be spotted in the Andean landscape include three different species of camelids: alpaca, llama, and vicuña.
Continue exploring Colca Canyon with opportunities to view condors, visit local villages, and see the old terraces. Travel back to Arequipa for the evening.
Get an early start to be on the look out for the condors flying. Travel from Chivay town to a condor viewpoint to admire these magnificent birds in the air. On the way back, stop by some local villages and viewpoints to see old terraces and sections of Colca Canyon, the deepest canyon in the world.
Explore Arequipa and opt to take a city tour. Take an overnight bus to Nazca.
Nazca is famous for one of the world's greatest archaeological mysteries, the Nazca Lines. Opt to take flight in a light aircraft for the best view or climb the viewing tower to get a glimpse if that's more your style. Enjoy a Pachamanca-style dinner in the evening.
Opt to pre-book your Flight over Nazca Lines on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.
Travel further north to the oasis of Huacachina, stop at a Pisco winery on the way. Sandboard on the dunes around the oasis for an unforgettable sunset.
Travel back to Lima for a final night. Be sure to try some ceviche and a pisco sour.
Depart at any time.
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On Sunday May 19th the 2019 IRONMAN 70.3 Barcelona takes place in and around Calella-Barcelona. Because of this event there are several roads closed for the whole traffic to ensure the safety of our athletes.
From 6.30 am to 12.30 pm the following roads are closed because of the bike race:
NII Calella-Sant Pol de Mar
BV5128 i BV 5111 Sant Pol de Mar to Arenys de Munt
BV5114 Sant Celoni to Fogars de Monclús
BV5119 Fogars de Monclús to Montseny
BV5301 Montseny to Sta Maria de Palautordera
After 1 pm the roads are partly reopened.
For the half marathon the following streets will be closed:
Passeig Marítim Calella and Passeig Marítim of Pineda de Mar
We want to thank all the abutting owners in this areas for their understanding and their cooperation!
For further information contact with: [email protected]
General information:
The IRONMAN 70.3 Barcelona takes place in Calella, a seaside town located between Sant Pol de Mar and Pineda de Mar. It is a leading holiday destination on the Maresme – Barcelona Coast, aim for families, sports and culture. Another characteristic point of Calella is its lively and cosmopolitan city combine with a typical Mediterranean climate.


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Imagine stopping by my house to hand me a box wrapped in festive paper and topped with an enormous red bow on my birthday. "For you!" you announce with a big smile. "Happy birthday!" "I can't take it," I say. You're surprised. "Why not?" "I just can't," I say. "I don't deserve it."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I haven't always been a perfect friend. I don't call you often enough, and besides, I didn't give you anything for your birthday."
"Look," you might say, "this has nothing to do with your deserving it. I'm not keeping score. I'm giving you this birthday present because I like you, and I want to make this a happy day for you." You'd probably insist on leaving the gift with me in spite of my refusal. But what would you think if you stopped by a year later and found that I'd never opened it? You'd at least think of me as an ungrateful person."
Yet I've seen Christians do something similar. The Bible says that our salvation has been arranged, purchased and presented to us—a complete package. The only question is why we don't accept and open it.
The gift of God
"There's something I'm worried about," a woman once said to me. "I know that I'm nearer the end of my life than the beginning, and at times I wake up at night and wonder, If I die, will I be saved?
"Have you asked Jesus to forgive your sins?" I asked.
"Yes, of course," she said.
"Do you trust that Jesus is your Savior?"
"I've invited Him to be my Savior in my every prayer since I was a child."
"Then why are you in doubt?" I asked.
"Because I know I'm not perfect," she said. "After a whole lifetime of being a Christian, I still have thoughts I'm not proud of, and there are many good things I should do but don't. I just don't think I'm perfect enough to be accepted into heaven."
I knew this woman to be a devoted wife and mother, active in the church and kind to everyone. But this wasn't about her goodness or her failures. She was laboring under a misunderstanding about salvation. She thought salvation was something she had to deserve.
Too often we have assumed that salvation is our achievement. It is easy to see why we think that. In our everyday lives, we generally get what we've worked for. Stay long hours on the job, and you're likely to get a raise. Practice the cello several hours a day, and you'll eventually become proficient. Spend years in school with your nose buried in books, pass all the tests, and you'll earn a degree.
Furthermore, the Bible is chock full of good things that Christians should do. Thus, it's understandable that we'd think God works by the same rules we follow. That is, the better we are at doing what He asks, the greater the likelihood He will grant us salvation.
But the economy of salvation doesn't work like the economy of this earth. Paul said that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Do we deserve salvation? Absolutely not. We deserve just the opposite: "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). No one could be good enough to demand salvation. But that doesn't matter, because God is giving it to us anyway—for free! Paul also said, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). And lest someone question whether Paul really meant that our good deeds don't earn us eternal life, he added, "Not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:9).
Suppose I were to brag, "My friend gave me that birthday gift because I've given her so much that she almost had to do it!" You would correctly conclude that I don't understand the concept of friendship very well.
In Jesus' day, there were people who acted that way about God. They boasted that they had done everything they read in Scripture to absolute perfection, so God had no choice but to save them. They forgot that God is under no obligation to any human being, for in the end, no matter how perfectly we have lived, death will defeat us.
So there's only one way to receive salvation: to accept it as a gift. If you insist on paying for it, you can't have it.
Being good
"But surely," you might say, "God wants us to be good people. He's not going to save people who cheerfully do evil things." First, a caution: I've lived long enough to realize that we can't judge the sinfulness of others with any accuracy, because every human heart, including yours and mine, is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9). Nor do we have the right to say for sure whom God will save. Given the kinds of people Jesus brushed shoulders with (thieves, the demon-posessed and prostitutes), it's a safe bet that there will be people in heaven that you and I wouldn't have selected to go there.
Nevertheless, you would have a point. God does want us to be good. Determinedly wicked people aren't trusting in Jesus, or they wouldn't do the things they do. Why should they be in heaven? "Do you not know," writes Paul, "that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?" (1 Corinthians 6:9). Doesn't that mean that you have to be good to be saved?
In fact, it's rather the opposite. Striving to be good is one of the effects of knowing that you're saved. God's Spirit coming into a person's life inevitably produces the fruit of a good character. We may never become quite perfect (for temptation is always there), but our lives will trend in the direction of "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22,23). Those who are defiant of God, who neither know nor trust Him, have little interest in doing His will. But God s plan for those who do love Him is pretty clear: "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).
Certain of Salvation?
So can you go about your life on this earth with the confidence that you are saved? According to the Bible, you can. The apostle John, who'd known Jesus perhaps better than anyone, instructed the members of the early Christian church about salvation. "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God," he wrote, "that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). Please notice John didn't say that you can hope you have eternal life or wish you might find eternal life, or dream of perhaps inheriting eternal life. He said that you can know that you have eternal life. You can count on it.
That's not to say that you can't change your mind. Just because you were once saved doesn't mean you can't turn from God later, in the same way that a couple who once loved each other enough to marry later made choices that led to divorce. Jesus told a parable once in which He compared a man sowing seed to the effect that God's Word has on our hearts. He said, "The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
Because he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away" (Matthew 13:20, 21; emphasis added).
People can "fall away" from God through choice, pressure, carelessness or inattention. Though God draws us to Himself and will do everything He can to keep us close to Him, He won't force us to stay. But those who do stay close to God live happier, more confident lives than those who don't. Years ago some friends taught me to climb on a sheer rock face. They fastened me into a harness, attached a rope and said, "Start climbing!" I felt terrified at first. But they pointed out that I couldn't fall: they were holding my safety rope, and even if my feet slipped, I was supported. After that, I was less afraid to take chances.
The same is true of salvation. If you have absolute confidence that your salvation is certain, then what on earth could possibly frighten you? God's assurance of salvation is like a rope that holds you up should you lose your spiritual footing. Even in death—as unwelcome as it is—you are held in God's safety harness. So you can be certain you will awaken to eternal life.
This article originally appeared in Signs of the Times magazine, August, 2011.


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How to Set Up a New File in Quicken 2013 or 2014
As part of setting up Quicken, you create what Quicken calls a file: a place where Quicken stores all your accounts (bank accounts, credit card accounts, investment accounts, and so on). To set up a new file so that you can create accounts in it, follow these steps:
1Choose File→New on the menu bar.
Quicken displays the Create New File: Dude, Are You Sure? dialog box.
2Select the New Quicken File option button and then click OK or press Enter.
Quicken displays the Create Quicken File dialog box.
3Enter a name for the Quicken file.
Position the cursor in the File Name text box and type some meaningful combination of letters and numbers. You don't need to enter a file extension because Quicken supplies the correct file extension — QDF — for you.
Note: You can use the symbol characters on your keyboard, but doing so gets a little tricky. If you must use symbol characters in the filename, refer to the Quicken user documentation.
4Use the default file location.
Accept Quicken's suggestion to store the file in the QUICKEN directory.
6Run the Setup.
To set up the new Quicken file, click the Get Started button. You might also want to click on the Setup tab and then read through the Setup tab's information and answer its questions.


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FIVB President confident Italy will hold 'best women's World Championship' of all time
Parma, Italy, March 10, 2014 – Taking to the stage at the Drawing of Lots ceremony for the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship Italy 2014, President Dr Ary. S. Graça F° expressed his confidence in the host country's ability to put on the 'best women's World Championship' of all time.
Addressing the audience in Italian, President Graça congratulated organisers on their choice of venue for the Drawing of Lots, which he described as an "outdoor museum". "It is really an honour and a pleasure to be here with you in this marvellous city and this marvellous country that is Italy," said Dr. Graça.
Carlo Salvatori, President of the organising committee thanked the local sports authorities and the Italian authorities for their support and underscored that the "civil and social aspects of volleyball are very important." "We are going to make the best of our activities in order to record success," he said confidently.
President of the Italian Volleyball Federation and resident of Parma, Carlo Magri, expressed his delight with having the important ceremony held in his home town: "I am very happy because I am here in my city and I would like to thank the authorities who allowed us to organise this event in the venue." Magri was also pleased to see that "women's volleyball is very strong" in the country and that it is an "injection of confidence" for Italy to host the world event.
In his address, the Italian Olympic President Giovanni Malago recalled the "beautiful moment" when Italy took the title at the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship that was held in Berlin in 2002. Looking forward to this year's addition of the tournament Malago said, "I am sure that we are going to remember this edition and that it will be unparalled."
The Drawing of Lots for the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship Italy 2014 will determine the make-up of the pools in the first round of this year's tournament. There were 127 teams that played in the Women's World Championship qualification process for the 2014 edition.
The world's best 24 teams will compete in the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship Italy 2014, which will take place from September 23 to October 12.
Russia topped the podium in 2006 and 2010, while their predecessor, the Soviet Union, took the title in 1952, 1956, 1960, 1970 and 1990.
With the most number of wins in the history of the Championship, Russia is followed by Japan (1962, 1967, 1974) and Cuba (1978, 1994, 1998) with three titles each, China with two (1982, 1986) and hosts Italy with one, which they earned in 2002.


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The Allman Brothers Band
- Gregg Allman
- Duane Allman
- Dickey Betts
- Berry Oakley
- Butch Trucks
- Jaimoe (Johanson)
The Allman Brothers Band gave explosive live shows that secured their place in rock and roll history.
Brought together by a fateful jam session, the Allman Brothers Band made improvisatory magic.
As the principal architects of Southern rock, the Allman Brothers Band forged a new musical offshoot from elements of blues, jazz, soul, R&B and rock and roll.
Along with the Grateful Dead and Cream, they helped advance rock as a medium for improvisation. Their kind of jamming required a level of technical virtuosity and musical literacy that was relatively new to rock & roll, which had theretofore largely been a song-oriented medium. The original guitarists in the Allman Brothers Band—Duane Allman and Dickey Betts—broke that barrier with soaring, extended solos. Combined with organist Gregg Allman's gruff, soulful vocals and Hammond B3 organ, plus the forceful, syncopated drive of a rhythm section that included two drummers, the Allman Brothers Band were a blues-rocking powerhouse from their beginnings in 1969.
The group's marathon concerts, best captured on the classic The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East (1971), are the stuff of rock legend. Surviving ups and downs, including the deaths of several members, the Allman Brothers rank among rock's greatest performing entities. Moreover, their success paved the way for other bands from the South, including Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Marshall Tucker Band and the Charlie Daniels Band. To date, the Allman Brothers Band have had ten gold albums, four of which have been certified platinum or multiplatinum: At Fillmore East (1971), Eat a Peach (1972), Brothers and Sisters (1973) and A Decade of Hits 1969-1979 (1991).
The group formed around the nucleus of Gregg and Duane Allman. Younger brother Gregg initially taught and encouraged Duane to pick up the guitar. After Duane dropped out of school in order to master the instrument, the brothers played in bands around Daytona Beach, Florida, as far back as 1961. They formed the Allman Joys in 1965, combining the Southern blues and soul influences that they'd grown up hearing with the with rocking new sounds of the British Invasion bands (especially the Yardbirds). Evolving into the Hourglass, the brothers and their bandmates recorded a pair of albums in Los Angeles for the Liberty label, one of which, Power of Love (1968), foreshadowed the sound that would fully emerge with the Allman Brothers Band.
The Allman Brothers Band evolved out of jams in Jacksonville, Florida, involving Duane and members of the Second Coming (guitarist Dickey Betts, bassist Berry Oakley) and the 31st of February (drummer Butch Trucks). Another drummer, Jai Johanny Johanson (a.k.a. "Jaimoe"), was a veteran of the soul-music circuit, having played with Otis Redding and others. A magical five-hour jam among the musicians at Trucks' house cemented the union and prompted this remark from Duane Allman: "Anybody who doesn't want to be in my band is going to have to fight his way out the door." Gregg was summoned back from California, where he was unhappily fulfilling a contractual obligation as a solo artist. The Allman Brothers Band were officially formed in March 1969 and signed to Phil Walden's fledgling Capricorn label, which became the main driving force of the Southern-rock insurgence of the Seventies.
During the early stages of the Allman Brothers Band, Duane also worked as a session musician at Fame Recording Studios, where he acquired a reputation as the guitar player in the South. From 1968 through 1970, his blazing fretwork graced records by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, King Curtis and Clarence Carter. His contributions to the double album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1970) by Derek and the Dominos (led by Eric Clapton), cannot be overestimated. Jerry Wexler, producer and vice-president of Atlantic Records, had this to say about Duane Allman's prowess as a sideman: "He was a complete guitar player. He could do everything: play rhythm, lead, blues, slide, bossa-nova, with a jazz feeling, beautiful light acoustic – and on slide guitar he got the touch. Duane is one of the greatest guitar players I ever knew and one of the very few who could hold his own with the best of the black blues players."
Duane was also the linchpin of the Allman Brothers Band, lighting a fire under the other members. In Gregg's words, "My brother was one of the most intense people I've ever met. When he was playing, he just pulled it out of you. I don't care if you were dog-tired or half asleep, something happened. It was like he demanded it from you."
The group's first two studio albums The Allman Brothers Band (1969) and Idlewild South (1970) contained classic songs like "Dreams," "Whipping Post," "Midnight Rider" and "Revival." Both were hard-hitting announcements of the Southern-rock sound. However, it was in concert that the band burned brightest. Led by Duane Allman's searing guitar, the Allman Brothers Band's live shows left devoted fans in their wake. The March 1971 concerts recorded for At Fillmore East in New York caught them at their peak. Sadly, the Allman Brothers Band was dealt a catastrophic blow when Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle crash in Macon, Georgia, on October 29, 1971. A year later, on November 11, 1972, bassist Berry Oakley died under eerily similar circumstances only a few blocks from where Duane's accident had occurred.
Nevertheless, the group persevered. Duane was not immediately replaced; instead, a second keyboardist, Chuck Leavell, added a jazzy new dimension. Oakley was replaced by bassist Lamar Williams. As a testimony to the Allman Brothers Band's resilience, the group's most commercially successful albums came in the wake of their tragic losses. The double album Eat a Peach, which included Duane's last three studio performances, reached Number Four, and Brothers and Sisters was Number One for five weeks. Guitarist Dickey Betts moved to the forefront, opening up the band's sound with the country-rock approach of "Blue Sky" and "Ramblin' Man," and with the lengthy instrumental pieces he composed, including "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed," "Les Bres in A Minor" and "High Falls." The Allman Brothers Band's pinnacle of popularity came on July 28, 1973, when they performed on a bill with the Grateful Dead and The Band at the Grand Prix Racecourse in Watkin's Glen, New York, before 600,000 rock fans.
In the mid-Seventies, the road got rocky again for the Allman Brothers Band. Internal dissension and substance-abuse problems triggered a two-year hiatus in the mid-Seventies. However, a joint appearance between the Gregg Allman Band and the Dickey Betts Band in August 1978 led to a full-fledged reunion and the release of Enlightened Rogues in 1979. The reformed Allman Brothers Band reverted to their classic dual-guitar lineup with the addition of Dan Toler on guitar. In 1980, Dan's brother, Frankie Toler, would replace Jaimoe on drums. This lineup moved from Capricorn to Arista Records, where they released the albums Reach for the Sky (1980) and Brothers of the Road (1981).
The Allman Brothers Band disbanded again in 1982. In 1989, the box set Dreams was released, and the group reunited again for what turned out to be one of the most productive chapters in its storied history. The addition of guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody revitalized the band, leading to some of the strongest playing that had been heard since the days of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. In fact, the most stable lineup in the Allman Brothers Band's history crystallized in 1991 as a septet comprising Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Butch Trucks, Jaimoe, Warren Haynes, Allen Woody and percussionist Marc Quinones. Haynes came closer than any other player who passed through their ranks to capturing Duane Allman's passion and technique. The Allman Brothers Band released two of the most inspired studio albums of their entire career—Shades of Two Worlds (1991) and Where It All Begins (1994)—in the early Nineties. This lineup's six-year run ended with the departure of Haynes and Woody, who devoted themselves full-time to their band Gov't Mule.
In 1999, the Allman Brothers Band celebrated their 30th anniversary with an 18-night stand at New York's Beacon Theatre. To this day, they remain an incendiary performing unit for whom (to quote a line from "Midnight Rider") "the road goes on forever."
Inductees: Duane Allman (guitar; born November 20, 1946, died October 29, 1971), Gregg Allman (vocals, organ, piano; born December 8, 1947, died May 27, 2017), Dickey Betts (guitar, vocals; born December 12, 1943), Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson (drums; born July 8, 1944), Berry Oakley (bass; born April 4, 1948, died November 11, 1972), Butch Trucks (drums; born May 11, 1947, died January 24, 2017).


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Puppia Soft Harness A - Black
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Is IaaS a viable hosting option for your application?Technical fit1. Is the application compatible with server virtualization? 2. Is the application service-oriented architecture-based? 3. Can the application be run on the prescribed operating system? 4. Is the database architecture compatible? 5. Can the complexity of the application be controlled? 6. Can the number of integrated applications be controlled?
Cost efficiency7. Is avoidance of capital spending a relevant benefit to our business?8. Can billing features such as data transfers and toll charges be controlled?9. Does the application use cloud economics (e.g., temporary, periodic or unpredictable use; horizontal scaling; large change in average to peak utilization)?Quality and risk management10. Can the application be architected to the availability required? 11. Can the application be architected to the performance required?12. Can the application be architected for appropriate backup and recovery? 13. Is the application free of sensitive data, or can data be appropriately protected?14. Is the application free of audit and compliance requirements, or are steps in place to meet these requirements?RESULTS
Number of "Yes" Responses
About the Author
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For the first time, more than half of Latinos in the United States support same-sex marriage, according to a new Pew Research poll released Thursday. The poll also found that about seven in 10 registered Latino voters support President Obama, although his support is not as strong among evangelical Latinos.
Obama's support among Latinos also dropped if they attended religious services more frequently.
The nationwide survey found that 52 percent of Latinos support same-sex marriage, while 34 percent oppose it. In 2006, the poll found 31 percent support and 56 percent opposition, and in 2009, 34 percent of Latinos supported such marriages while 44 percent were opposed.
Majorities of Hispanic Catholics (54 percent) and religiously unaffiliated Latinos (71 percent) said they favor same-sex marriage, while only 25 percent of evangelical Latinos said they support it, compared with 66 percent of them who opposed it.
Latinos of different religions had varying levels of support for Obama and GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, the survey found.
Among Latino Catholics, 73 percent said they supported Obama and 19 percent Romney. Religiously unaffiliated Latinos overwhelmingly favor Obama over Romney, 82 percent to 7 percent. But only 50 percent of evangelical Latinos favor Obama, compared with 39 percent who support Romney.


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obvious ban.do inspiration here. i took this on a catalog shoot. funny how stuff gets into your brain and you don't even realize it. i'm usually too busy worrying about the stuff that goes out.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
inspiration: found
Posted by jen gotch at 8:35 AM
22 comments:
- Jojo said...
Gorgeous! How do you take such great polaroids? Any tips? I wish I knew!
- February 17, 2009 at 12:40 PM
- caitlin said...
love the colors & the light !
- February 17, 2009 at 1:54 PM
- blossom said...
lovely, lovely photograph....x
- February 17, 2009 at 3:03 PM
- chelsea said...
so fantastic!
- February 17, 2009 at 5:05 PM
- Pearls and Peonies said...
Wow, that's a very fun photo! I love the colors! :)
- February 17, 2009 at 9:03 PM
- Me in Wonderland said...
this photo is so full-of-life somehow. gorgeous!
- February 18, 2009 at 1:55 AM
- Rachel said...
This is such a cool photo! I love your work. Oh wait, I probably already said that in like 50 other comments on this blog.
- February 18, 2009 at 6:55 AM
Just found this:
Maybe you're interested?
- February 18, 2009 at 7:04 AM
- Philip said...
I love your photography, when I upload some polaroids you will have to give me some of your professional input :)
- February 18, 2009 at 9:29 AM
- Briana said...
I love it! Gorgeous colors, very whimsical. Now, if only this were in your Flickr account so I could favorite it... hehe
- February 18, 2009 at 1:11 PM
- tanya said...
Love these colors--just gorgeous!
- February 19, 2009 at 5:29 AM
- Kasey said...
- February 19, 2009 at 6:12 AM
- cantaffordanikon said...
beautiful pics!!
- February 19, 2009 at 9:06 AM
- VANESSA DATORRE AND LEIRE URZAIZ said...
soooo cuteee blog!!! love these pics!!!
- February 19, 2009 at 11:31 AM
- Storybook Bunny is America Blasco said...
i absolutely adore your blog! thank you!
- February 19, 2009 at 12:00 PM
- Lella and Zee said...
What a beautiful photo! I just love your photos!
- February 19, 2009 at 3:54 PM
- soph said...
great photo!
do you guys have these lego cameras in america yet lady? yes yes i know im a big kid! but who wouldnt want one!
- February 19, 2009 at 10:40 PM
- Zoë said...
nice picture!
- February 21, 2009 at 1:36 PM
- charles said...
effectivement, l'inspiration est "found".
- February 25, 2009 at 12:10 AM
- Joanna Goddard said...
i love this!
- February 27, 2009 at 11:25 AM
- September 15, 2009 at 9:44 PM
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- August 17, 2010 at 10:52 PM


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Auditing Performance
In the ongoing debate over which came first, government opacity or citizen apathy, there are two basic schools of thought: One side argues that citizens...
In the ongoing debate over which came first, government opacity or citizen apathy, there are two basic schools of thought: One side argues that citizens have checked out because they've been so effectively blocked by government from weighing in on issues, both large and small. The other camp argues that citizens themselves are to blame; that they're too distracted, too busy and too self-absorbed to get involved.
Whatever the case, Washington State has decided to make the first move in a one-of-a-kind experiment that seeks to bring citizens back into the decision-making fold.
The opportunity has arrived in the form of a voter initiative passed last fall that grants state auditor Brian Sonntag both sweeping new performance audit powers and a dedicated revenue stream with which to pursue those audits -- about $10 million per year from state sales taxes.
Sonntag, for his part, says he's committed to aggressively courting citizens by involving them at key junctures throughout the auditing process, whether it's choosing which entities and operations to audit, deciding specifically what to investigate in those audits or determining whether or not anything actually changed for the better in the wake of the audits.
The commitment of resources alone is astonishing, says Relmond P. Van Daniker, executive director of the Association of Government Accountants, vastly outstripping the coffers of any other state auditing operation in the country. But it's Sonntag's citizen-driven approach to the audits that will be watched most closely, Van Daniker believes. "It's an interesting project," he says. "I think the lessons that are going to be gleaned would stand a lot of other jurisdictions quite well."
A 50-Year Audit Cycle
The ballot initiative -- I 900 -- was yet another in a string of successful measures backed by renowned (and frequently reviled) radio talk show host and gadfly Tim Eyman. But unlike past Eyman-backed initiatives -- which have typically been focused on simply starving government of revenues -- this one was aimed at creating more open government, and it actually had the endorsement of key government officials, both in the executive and legislative branches.
"It's the only Eyman initiative that I've ever supported," says state Representative Mark Miloscia, an eight-year veteran of the legislature. "And it reflects what I've been telling my colleagues for years: that citizens of our state want government to improve and that the use of independent audits is a way to do that."
In fact, supporters of I 900 contend that the initiative was the direct result of what has been a relatively anemic approach to performance auditing in Washington. Sonntag -- who holds an elective office -- says he has been advocating for a more sweeping push on performance audits for more than a decade, and for most of that time, he's been roundly ignored, particularly by the state legislature, which has exerted substantial control over both his mandate and his budget.
In part, the legislature's lack of enthusiasm hinged on the fact that it has its own audit oversight function through a joint legislative audit committee (called "JLARCs" in the legislative auditing business), an institution best known statewide for its lack of effectiveness. "The joint legislative audit committee's methodology is to talk to the wrong people and ask them the wrong question," cracks one close observer of the oversight body in Olympia.
Miloscia confirms the characterization. "I used to be on the JLARC," he says, with obvious disdain. First, he notes, the choice of audit targets is always highly political, and therefore of dubious value from the outset. Second, "they're on a 50-year audit cycle." That is, the JLARC's less-than-ambitious goal is to audit all of state government every 50 years. It's not a system that exactly inspires citizen confidence, he says.
And so between an auditor without fangs and a legislative oversight committee without heart, Washington government-reform advocates argued that the state has been something less than a model of accountability. And it was clearly a place ready for an I 900-style reform.
The measure provides the state auditor with a dedicated source of funding -- 0.16 percent of state sales and use tax revenues annually. It also states that the scope of audits won't be limited, but will include investigating the following: cost savings; best practices; services that can be reduced or eliminated; services that can be transferred to the private sector; gaps or overlaps in programs and services; the feasibility of pooling information technology systems; opportunities to change or eliminate departmental roles or functions; statutory or regulatory changes that may be necessary for the department to properly carry out its function; and analyzing departmental performance data, performance measures and self-assessment systems.
Ambitious Lineup
Given that the purpose of performance audits is to build overall confidence in government operations, Sonntag argues that getting citizens more involved makes perfect sense. "Civic engagement is the biggest piece of what we're trying to accomplish," says Sonntag. "We're going out and not just communicating to citizens what we're doing but listening to them through structured mechanisms like polls, focus groups and town meetings. Government just doesn't do a very good job of listening to voters and taxpayers."
One of the first things that Sonntag did in the wake of the initiative vote was to ask citizens what areas of government and performance they were most concerned about. Health and education both surfaced as priorities. Meanwhile, apparently caught up in the performance-audit excitement (and perhaps realizing that the 57 percent vote in favor of I 900 was a clear and direct repudiation of the legislature's previously listless approach to audits), legislators weighed in with an additional $4 million for performance audits of the state transportation department.
As a result, Sonntag's audit lineup already reads as the most ambitious in the country. His shop is in the middle of audits of WSDOT inventory and project management, along with its overall administration and overhead. He's looking at the state ferry system and K-12 education, and is in the process of lining up audits in the area of economic vitality and natural resources, and overall government efficiency and effectiveness.
In addition to audits inspired by direct citizen input and legislative fiat, others have come in over the transom, such as the audit requested recently by Governor Christine Gregoire. She wanted Sonntag to take a close, hard look at the state health department's professional licensing program. Problems had come to light after numerous citizen complaints led to a Seattle Times series, "License to Harm." The series highlighted lax oversight and enforcement practices of the licensing arm of the state health department in the wake of allegations of both incompetence and criminal behavior on the part of health care professionals, including doctors and psychologists.
All audits, including the health department audit, will include structured efforts at getting direct citizen input into what ought to be investigated and toward what end, says Linda Long, director of performance auditing for the state.
Input and Influence
Of course, the whole issue of trying to involve citizens more closely in governance has a complicated and vexing history. "It certainly is a chicken-and-egg thing," says statewide pollster Stuart Elway, who is helping the state with the citizen-input side of the audits. "As people feel government drifting away, they become less motivated to participate, and it becomes sort of a downward spiral."
Bringing citizens back into the governing fold is not necessarily a popular notion, either. Elway notes that the fact that he pays citizens to participate in some of his town meetings "rubs some politicians the wrong way. They wonder why we should be paying citizens to participate." Others argue that whenever a small group of citizens is convened to scrutinize government, the problem of self-selection rears its head: Is the group really a representative cross-section of citizens or just a gaggle of activists who come with predisposed points of view?
Moreover, the process of pulling citizens together to participate in any sort of structured overview of government can be very expensive, Elway acknowledges. (He currently is working on a town meeting template that local governments can implement at a lower cost than those he has been doing so far for the state.)
But Sonntag says he is convinced that the key to breaking the cycle of mutual cynicism and mistrust between government and constituents is for government to make the first move, even at the risk of inviting in some citizens who might not be completely objective. "The more open and accessible government is, the more the barriers start to break down," he says, "and then citizens will be more comfortable about becoming involved and not start off with a chip on their shoulder thinking that everything we do is a secret."
All the audits that have been launched in the wake of I 900 are currently either ongoing or still being negotiated (the auditor's office is contracting out a good deal of the audit work), so the proposition that citizen input is a key component to effective performance audits has yet to be proven.
But once audit reports start flowing out of her office, Long says, the influence of citizens ought to be easy to assess. Each audit report will include a description of the methodology used to get citizen input and how it shaped the audit report's recommendations. Long's office also plans to reconvene citizens after audit findings have been drafted to see whether citizens think the audits hit the mark.
One thing is for certain, though: With the largest budget of any state auditor and a clear mandate for action, the expectations being placed on Sonntag's office are at an all-time high.
As audit findings start to hit the streets, citizens, politicians and talk-show hosts (certainly one in particular) are going to be watching to see whether the new style of audit lives up to its promise, whether that promise is as sweeping and noble as bolstering citizen confidence in government, or as ambitious and challenging as improving K-12 education, or as specific and delicate as removing incompetent physicians who are practicing in the state.
When asked how he'll know if I 900 is working or not, Representative Miloscia says, "That's an interesting question. If the state auditor comes up with sound recommendations and the reports are fair and balanced and the governor ignores them, then we're back to where we started. But the signs so far are that the auditor and governor are working well together."
Meanwhile, Miloscia acknowledges that some recommendations coming out of Sonntag's shop may drop into the legislature's lap, too. And he is eloquent on the subject of Olympia as a potential sinkhole for positive initiatives, even ones that are bolstered by a performance audit report. Which is where the citizen-input piece of the equation might prove to be especially helpful. "I know how the legislature tends to respond," Miloscia says, "and that's why we need that constituency for change that Brian is trying to build up."
These articles are part of a continuing series on public performance measurement focusing on citizen involvement. Support has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Although the foundation may assist some of the programs described in these articles, it had no control or influence over the editorial content, and no one at Sloan read the material prior to publication. All reporting and editing was done independently by Governing staff.


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Parthenon (pär´thənŏn) [Gr.,=the virgin's place], temple sacred to Athena, on the acropolis at Athens. Built under Pericles between 447 BC and 432 BC, it is the culminating masterpiece of Greek architecture. Ictinus and Callicrates were the architects and Phidias supervised the sculpture. The temple is peripteral, with eight Doric columns at each end and 17 on the flanks (46 in all); it stands upon a stylobate three steps high. The body of the building comprised a cella and behind it an inner chamber (the Parthenon proper), which gave the temple its name. At front and rear, within the outer colonnade, were two porticoes, the pronaos and opisthodomos, respectively, with six columns each.
Within the cella a Doric colonnade two tiers high supported the roof timbers and divided the space into a lofty central nave bounded by an aisle on three sides. Toward the west end of this nave stood the Athena Parthenos, the colossal gold and ivory statue by Phidias dedicated c.438 and destroyed in antiquity. The inner chamber, to the west, apparently served as treasury and was entered through a large western doorway. The pediments terminating the roof at each end of the building were ornamented with sculptured groups depicting the birth of Athena on the eastern end and the contest between Athena and Poseidon on the western end. The upper part of the cella walls and the friezes above the porticoes formed a continuous band of sculpture around the building. The friezes traditionally have been said to represent the Panathenaic procession held every fourth year in homage to Athena, but this interpretation of them only dates to the late 1700s; no ancient description of the subject of the friezes survives. Of the 525 ft (160 m) of this sculptured frieze, 335 ft (102 m) still exists. The western portion is now in the Acropolis Museum; the greater part of the remainder, removed by Lord Elgin, is in the British Museum (see Elgin Marbles). Fragments also are in museums in six other countries.
In the 6th cent. the Parthenon became a Christian church, with the addition of an apse at the east end. It next served as a mosque, and a minaret was added to it. In 1687, in the Venetian attack on Athens, it was used as a powder magazine by the Turks and the entire center portion was destroyed by an explosion. The beauty of the Parthenon began to be appreciated in the 18th cent., and in 1762 measured drawings by James Stuart and Nicholas Revett gave strong impetus to the classic revival. After the end of Turkish control (1830), intensive archaeological study of the Parthenon commenced. Numerous attempts have since been made to establish the mathematical or geometrical basis supposedly employed in producing the design's high perfection. Restoration work is still being done.
See studies by P. E. Corbett (1959), R. Carpenter (1970), M. Beard (2003), and J. B. Connelly (2014).
M. Beard (2002);
Chrisp (1997);
Dinsmoor (1950);
Korres (2000)
http://www.culture.gr; http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk