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Roland Garros II - Boys' Singles
GRAND SLAM - Wednesday (Day Eleven) - Paris, France - Clay (Red)
- Unseeded Westerner Morgan Burridge is into the quarter finals of the juniors in Paris after a straightforward win over Sebastian Gasgoine. Gasgoine had impressed this week with a couple of fine wins, but that form was nowhere to be seen as Burridge proved too good in a 6-0, 6-2 win. The youngster has produced some good tennis this week, but today was the first time he didn't rely on chasing down balls and mistakes from his opponents. He'll put that form to the test in the quarters against thirteenth seed Dominic Viens who beat West CWLand's Koal Kao in three sets 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-1.
- There was no winning feeling for fifteenth seed Jay Ono as he fell to third seed Stepan Ivanov. The East CWLander was always going to struggle against the Bulgarian who grew up on clay and has been touted as a future start on the PTA tour. The first set was close until Ivanov earned a decisive late break of service, and continued on into the last eight with a 6-4, 6-2 win.
- Finally top seed Marcuss Deane will compete in tomorrow's quarter finals after ousting sixteenth seed Tom Eiffel in straight sets. The German was unable to recover from a tough second round clash yesterday, and was no match whatsoever for Deane's power as the highest ranked junior notched up a 6-2, 6-4 win. His ominous form will be tested tomorrow, though, as he plays fifth seeded Swede Marcus Lindberg - the player he beat in the final of the junior draw in Australia earlier in the year. Lindberg ousted unseeded Fin Pontus Heiskanen 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.
- Seeded players out: Tom Eiffel; Jay Ono.Roland Garros II - Boys' Doubles
GRAND SLAM - Wednesday (Day Eleven) - Paris, France - Clay (Red)
- While it was a good day in the singles for Morgan Burridge, he and Swiss partner Cedric Petite were beaten in straight sets by seventh seeds Stepan Ivanov and Yuri Shankov of Bulgaria. In an entertaining contest as far as junior doubles competition goes, Burridge and Petite started well to take an early break but dropped the first set 5-7. The second set was one-sided as the seventh seeds advanced to the quarters 7-5, 6-1.
- The last CWLand team was also beaten in second round action as fifth seeds Marcuss Deane and Koal Kao fell to unseeded locals Christian Richard and Marcelo Rojelli. In an odd encounter, Deane and Kao were very average in all but the second set and ate a 1-6, 6-4, 2-6 defeat.
- Seeded players out: Marcuss Deane & Koal Kao.


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AS A JUNIOR IN 2010: Competed as UCSD's No. 1 singles player during his junior campaign, tallying a 9-6 record... finished the spring season at No. 31 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II singles rankings... earned selection as ITA D-II West Region Player to Watch... he helped the Tritons to a strong start in 2010 by knocking off two nationally-ranked opponents in a span of
24 hours at the Paseo Tournament held in Phoenix... on Feb. 12, he defeated No. 10 Rong Ma of BYU-Hawaii, 6-4, 2-6, 11-9 and then left the
same courts victorious the next day with a 6-4, 6-4 win against No. 24
Yair Banuelos of Western New Mexico... also posted a team-high 13 doubles wins while being paired with Jake Fellow earlier in the year and Chapman Chan toward the second half of the season... ended the school year on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll at the Gold Level (includes GPAs above 3.500)... named the team's "Most Valuable Player" at the conclusion of the 2010 season.
AS A SOPHOMORE IN 2009: Played entirely doubles in his sophomore season, going 15-5... started season undefeated in 10 doubles matches... went 5-0 at the No. 2 position and 10-5 at the No. 1 position, all while playing with teammate Kazumi Negishi... concluded his sophomore year on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll at the Gold Level.
AS A FRESHMAN IN 2008: In his first year donning a Triton uniform he compiled a 1-1 singles and 10-2 doubles record... individually posted a 1-0 record at No. 5 and 0-1 at No. 6... with partner Bijan Moallemi, posted a record of 10-2 at No. 2 on the doubles ladder... earned a spot on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll at the Gold Level.
HIGH SCHOOL: A 2007 graduate of Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, Calif... played tennis for coach Dana Boseman... member of 2006 CIF Championship tennis team.
PERSONAL: Born March 13, 1989... parents are John and Cynthia Elliott... both parents attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where John was a Division I Alpine Skiing NCAA National Champion... has an older brother named Sean... a Mechanical Engineering major in Warren College... interests include cars, surfing and sailing... favorite athlete is Marat Safin.

subset: commoncrawl


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I went to McDonald's this morning to get my sugar-free caffeine with bubbles and a fruit and yogurt parfait. When I pulled up to pay, the cashier said to me:
"Hello sweetie!"
"Hi," I said, waiting for my total.
"Hello sweetie!" he said again in his south of the border accent.
"Hi. How are you?" I said, thinking "just give me the total already."
Finally, he looked at me quizzically and said again
"Hello sweetie."
Only this time he said it slower and I realized that he was not being fresh or flirtatious with me. He was asking me if I had ordered "a large sweet tea?"
And right there in the McDonald's drive-thru my brief fantasy of being propositioned by a Latin lover was crushed.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Not as fresh as I thought
Posted by Amy at 9:02 AM
Labels: Diet Coke, fantasy, McDonald's
8 comments:
- Lynette said...
That was great! Thanks for the good laugh!
- January 8, 2009 at 9:10 AM
- Liz said...
THAT is HILARIOUS!
- January 8, 2009 at 10:19 AM
- January 8, 2009 at 11:05 AM
- Shannon @ Gabi's World said...
Hey look at what news I found online while searching for the TV listing dates of BL http://www.wxyz.com/news/story/Biggest-Loser-Arrested-For-Flour-Throwing/3nm0s9_LKUepqjDHXfTbCw.cspx
- January 8, 2009 at 11:56 AM
- Lori said...
too funny!
- January 8, 2009 at 3:00 PM
That is funny...however you sharing your fantasies is a little disturbing, sis!
- January 8, 2009 at 4:50 PM
- Joanie said...
LOL!!! OMG that is so funny!!!
- January 8, 2009 at 5:45 PM
- ~ April ~ said...
Catching up on your blog...
This is SO funny. I can't stop laughing, but only because it sounds like something I would think. At least you didn't say anything. LOL
- January 18, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Hi everyone! Today I have the second half of the new Nicole by OPI Kardashian Kolor Minis:
First up is My Empire ... My Rules. Okay, this is a supremely dynamic polish! It's a high shine and highly reflective deep greyish taupe creme. I really did not think I was going to love it when I saw it in the packaging ... but, oh my gosh! I love it!!!
This is two easy coats of My Empire ... My Rules. The formula is awesome! It went on so smoothly and perfectly!
Next up is Follow Me on Glitter. It is a mass of black and silver micro glitter, with multicolored mini glitters in a grey jelly base.
Okay, can you say GLITTER BOMB?! Follow Me on Glitter is completely opaque in just two coats! It is so eye catching, and went on effortlessly!
Third we have Hard-Kourt Fashionista, a deep burgundy brown creme. This is another that I thought I wouldn't care for ... and I was wrong again!! It's beautiful!
This is two easy coats of Hard-Kourt Fashionista. I am always on the lookout for a perfect deep brown for fall, and I have definitely found this year's winner! The hints of burgundy really make this one pop!
Finally we have Khloe had a Little Lam-Lam, a deep teal creme.
This is yet another mega shine polish from this collection. In certain lighting, Khloe had a Little Lam-Lam has some very strong green undertones that really give it a whole new look! This is two coats, and of course went on brilliantly!
If you haven't picked up any of the Kardashian Kolors yet, I highly recommend grabbing them. They are all must have additions for your stash. I hope you enjoy!
Happy Painting!
*** These items were sent for the purpose of review ***


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Not just one.. but four!
Remember this?
Hand quilted and bound!
This one waited for two years to be machine quilted..
And finally, K's quilt is also machine quilted and on her bed.
I sat on my machine (on my chair) last week and kept repeating like that little engine that could.
I think, I can! I think, I can!
I was quite apprehensive about quilting these big quilts myself on the machine.


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Marion "Suge" Knight, who was arrested last week for allegedly pointing a gun at someone, was ordered by a judge to stay away from a man who claims the rap mogul threatened to kill him, according to court papers obtained Tuesday.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carol Boas Goodson, in an order handed down Monday, directed that Knight stay at least 100 yards from Elwood E. Chatman, his wife, Kitty Chatman, and the man's 12-year-old son.
Chatman wrote in his court papers that Knight told him Friday "he was out now and (was) going to take my life."
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Knight, 45, was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon and on a warrant for driving on a suspended license, according to Los Angeles police. He posted $65,000 bail and was released at 12:01 p.m., according to county inmate records.


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Adorable Houseboat in Paris
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Visit Original Photo
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Kaching Karen
There was fresh snow in them-there hills outside of Seattle, so Jon and I decided that it would be a great day to go get the APE cache. I already have the smiley so was just joining him for the fun. Oh my gosh... 18 inches of snow and we had to break trail almost the whole way! We were leaning on our poles and resting quite often. It was tough, but wow, was it ever worth the trip. The snow covered mountains were beautiful! We were in a hurry because we had to get down the mountain and back to our visit with Headquarters by 2:00. By gosh, we did it! We commented several times about how so many of you would have enjoyed the trip!


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I have been tagged twice recently. First by Jason and now by James. I suppose I need to be a good citizen and play along. :)
I am not really sure what the rules are here. I know that I am supposed to list several things that you probably don't know about me. I don't know if these things are supposed to be funny, embarrassing, personal, impressive, inspiring or what. I don't know if knowing the rules would help me figure out what to write anyway so I am just going to jot out some facts and hope that I don't suffer some sort of penalty for any violation I might commit. :)
I am a member of The American Go Association. I love playing Go, although I am not able to make as much time for it as I might like. My commitment to Go seems to come and go with periods when I will play a lot and periods when I don't play much at all. My friend Lianzhou Yu moved out of state a couple of years ago and that has affected my playing time. Lianzhou is one of the top players in The United States and was a great mentor to have access to. A few years ago my friend Brian Gilstrap and I got together in his wood shop (which I am envious of) to build a couple of Go boards. I am pretty happy with the way my board turned out. I wish I played on it more often. As it is, most games I play these days are played on my laptop against GNU Go.
I won the first large poker tournament I ever played in. The tournament was a charity event to benefit The National Alliance For Autism Research (now Autism Speaks). Having an autistic son, I was happy to contribute and participate in the tournament. There were about 130 entrants. When I heard about this event I gathered up the group of guys that I played cards with regularly and we ended up with 11 of us in the tournament. The final table at the tournament (final 10 players) included 4 guys from our group. In one of the final hands I made a mistake and then ended up getting pretty lucky to beat my friend Paul Jensen out of a big pot and that piece of luck put me in a position to win the tournament.
My name is Jeff, and I am a metal head. There, I said it. I am a fan of heavy metal music. Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Sepultura, Opeth, Lamb Of God... all guilty pleasures.
I enjoy fly fishing. I tie all of my own flies. I fish mostly for trout in the cold water streams and rivers in Missouri. My late father-in-law introduced me to fly fishing more than 10 years ago. I find less time for fly fishing these days but I really enjoy myself when I do make time to get out in the water.
There was a time long ago when I really, really, really needed a haircut. Why didn't anyone approach me and say something like "friends don't let friends have mullets"?
Now I am going to throw to Dean, Lance, Brian, Eric and Nate.
I Have Been Tagged (Twice) Friday, April 06, 2007
I have been tagged twice recently. First by Jason and now by James. I suppose I need to be a good citizen and play along. :)
Posted by Jeff Brown at 11:33 AM 4 comments


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Hi Stig,Time to revive this thread and answer your question... they in fact work great! I added a set of LED Denali D2 lights from Twisted Throttle using the RT-P brackets. I am pleased with the amount of light that they put out for both conspicuity and night driving. I have found that they basically wash out the standard H7 low beams and produce light that is just slightly blue... I think they're rated at about 5000k which makes sense. They don't quite have the throw of the H7 high beam, but definitely make a big difference at night. I've had a few cars flash their lights at me, but hey, that means they saw me, right? I try to run them on secondary roadways and will shut them off when in traffic to be courteous to the cars that I am behind.
If you want to do this type of install, here is what you will need:
Lights - again, these are Denali D2 LEDs, but you could use anything that is compatible with the U-shaped bracket of the RT-P mounts. You can see in the photo looking down from behind the light that I used the supplied U mount as a spacer inside the RT-P bracket. As it worked out, using the bracket as a spacer also prevents the lights from ever pointing up past the horizontal position (you can still tip them down a bit).
RT-P Upper Light Brackets - 51 16 7 693 207 & 208
M5x16 Screws & M5 Washers - 07 12 9 905 120 and 46 63 7 658 638 (4x each)
Mirror Housings - The light bracket pops up through the outer mirror housing. You can solve this by using your existing housings and using a Dremel tool to open up a hole for each mount, or you can replace your standard housings with RT-P housings, which come from Das Motherland with the holes already cut I wanted my set-up to look factory so I used the RT-P housings:
46 63 7 714 537 for the left, 51 16 7 714 538 for the right. All you need is a Phillips head screwdriver to make the swap and a little hand strength to separate the housing from the rest of the mirror.
Wiring the lights is very easy. Follow the plastic removal and nacelle removal in the Hexhead Tech Subforum. I ended up taking off all of the plastic which makes running the wires easy.
The Denali lights come with a push button switch that I mounted on the audio control blank just above the 12V power outlet on the clutch side. It's easy to drop your left hand from the left grip to hit the switch when needed in this position. Here's the final product:
Oh yeah, they're kinda bright My three 100W garage lights are on and the parking lights are on just for reference.
In a local school parking lot during their maiden voyage. My cell phone camera doesn't do them justice.
Hope this helps anyone who has been following this thread since it's beginning.
Thanks for going the extra mile to add your 2cw to this thread. I'm very impressed with your work and the lights look factory installed! Would it be possible to take a pic or two from the cockpit instead of looking into the lights? I'd like to see how those D2's light up the raod ahead.


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The 3.2 MW wind park is located in Mihai Viteazu in Constanta county and represents the first portion of a total 28 MW project in the Romanian county expected to be completed in 2010.
The initial four turbines, which became operational in December, as well as those to be used on the remainder of the project are 800 kW, E-53 machines from German manufacturer Enercon.
Andreas Blutke, chief executive of Constanta-based Clean Energy Development and president of Stream Invest Holding says that an additional 16 units will become operational at sites in Mihai Viteazu, Pantelimon, Ciocarlia and Birunita in the first half of 2010.
The remaining 15 units will go on line in the second half of the year and will be spread out across Mihai Viteazu, Ciocarlia and Biruinta. Blutke says the investment for the 28 MW wind project is in excess of EUR 50 million.
Romania is considered to be one of Stream Invest's focus countries for developing wind energy projects. While Romania's wind energy market is in its beginnings, the Romanian Wind Energy Association forecasts that 1300 MW will be installed by 2012.


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Spoiled Beef: The Walking Dead 4×5 "Internment"
Hershel is an all American hero: his story is a life's work spent saving animals followed by a retirement spent, not in some old folks' home, but out on the fields tending to a farm with his daughters. When his quiet, peaceful life is cancelled thanks to the apocalypse, does he take the easy way out? Or does he throw on his slacks and keep doing whatever he can to be a good Christian? In Season 4′s fifth episode, "Internment," the limits of what Hershel can accomplish for the good of everyone are put to the test. Not only does he survive, but unlike Shane and Carol, he does so without compromising his values as a Christian, a father and a guiding figure for the rest of his community.


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ABC Devotes 15 Minutes to Softball Obama Profile, Highlights Questions from Drew Brees, D-Wade
Good Morning America's Robin Roberts on Friday conducted a softball, light-hearted interview with Barack Obama, devoting 15 minutes to the President. She even included questions from sports celebrities such as Drew Brees.
During the two part segment, which was billed as a look at Obama on Father's Day, Roberts only bothered with four policy questions, instead choosing to highlight the queries from NFL quarterback Brees and NBA star Dwyane Wade.
Relaying audience questions, she investigated, "...Many of you wanted to know how the President would handle a big birthday next month, his daughter Malia is turning 13. You are about to hit the teenage years." [ MP3 audio here.]
The Anthony Weiner scandal warranted only two questions, the same number given to requests of advice from celebrities. At one point, Roberts introduced, "Quarterback for the New Orleans Saints and he had a very good question and it's one that all parents deal with and that's about balance, Drew Brees."
The GMA anchor followed up with Wade of the Miami Heat. The multi-millionaire needed help with this parental question: "Hello, Mr. President. I recently received full custody of my two sons. What is the best advice you can give to a single dad?"
What political/policy questions Roberts did pose were relatively mild. Of Weiner, she wondered, "There are many people that are asking why is it that some men in positions of power and authority are engaging in such reckless behavior?"
The anchor didn't ask if the controversy harms the Democratic Party. She also labeled the story a "distraction" and insisted "people want to talk about other topics."
One of the very few tough questions came when Roberts speculate, "The thought [from Republican presidential candidates] was that you made a bad situation worse. How do you respond to that?"
By this time four years ago, during the 2008 presidential campaign, GMA had given Democratic candidates (Hillary Clinton and John Edwards) 64 minutes in special town hall shows. They offered none for Republicans. Now, four years later, no Republicans have received a town hall and Barack Obama is the subject of a lengthy, fawning Father's Day interview.
A transcript of the first segment, which aired at 7:07am on June 17, follows:
ABC GRAPHIC: President Obama One-on-One: Taking on the Republicans
ROBIN ROBERTS: A short time after that announcement [that Anthony Weiner was resigning], I had a chance to sit down with our exclusive interview with President Obama. We were there to talk about fatherhood, his own experience and his hopes for America's dads and he made some news of his own. But before we got to that, of course, I got his thoughts on the Anthony Weiner scandal and his response to Republican attacks on his handling of the economy. There are many people that are asking why is it that some men in positions of power and authority are engaging in such reckless behavior?
OBAMA: Well, you know, keep in mind that obviously the vast majority of folks are, you know, doing the right thing and focused on their work. And I wish Representative Weiner and his lovely wife well. Obviously it's been a tough incident for him, but I'm confident that they'll refocus and he'll refocus, and they'll end up being able to bounce back.
ROBERTS: This is something that you were hoping to see, that he would step aside.
OBAMA: Well, I think it was just important for him to be able to focus on his family and what's most important I think for all of us and that is how do the people we love, you know, how do we interacting with them and this gives him some time to do that.
ROBERTS: It became a distraction and people want to talk about other topics such as the economy, the struggling economy, which was a hot button topic at the Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire earlier this week, and you were a top target.
TIM PAWLENTY: This president is a declinist.
NEWT GINGRICH: We need a new president in the Obama depression.
ROBERTS: The thought was that you made a bad situation worse. How do you respond to that?
OBAMA: You know, there will be time for campaigning. I'll let those guys sort out what they want to say. What I know is that an economy that was shrinking is now growing but we've got to grow it faster and, so, the steps we've already taken in terms of payroll tax cut, making sure that we provide tax incentives to businesses to build plants and put people to work, that those steps we've got to sustain.
ROBERTS: The payroll tax cut, will we have that again next year?
OBAMA: Whatever incentives we can provide to businesses to hire more people, the better off we're going to be. And so I'll be working with leaders in both parties hopefully to make the right decisions for the American people.
ROBERTS: Political battles ahead. But just before Father's Day we also came to the White House to talk about fatherhood, with a dad who grew up barely knowing his own father. We ask you to weigh in with questions, both on Twitter and video and many of you wanted to know how the President would handle a big birthday next month, his daughter Malia is turning 13. You are about to hit the teenage years.
OBAMA: Oh, yeah.
ROBERTS: And there were a lot of questions from viewers saying, are you prepared for what's about to come?
OBAMA: Malia and Sasha, for whatever reasons, and I think Michelle gets the lion's share of the credit. They're smart. They're funny, but most importantly they're kind. They're respectful. They're responsible. They're well behaved. I could not ask for better kids. I'm not anticipating complete mayhem for the next four or five year, but I understand teenage-hood is complicated. I should also point out that I have men with guns that surround them often and a great incentive for running for re-election is that it means they never get in the car with a boy who had a beer and that's a pretty good thing.
ROBERTS: Still that young man, knock, knock, knock, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
OBAMA: It's a little intimidating.
ROBERTS: Just a wee bit.
OBAMA: I might invite over to the Oval Office, ask him for his GPA, find out what his intentions are in terms of career.
ROBERTS: Very important. Very important. I know.
OBAMA: Malia, Sasha, if you're watching this, I'm just joking.
ROBERTS: Sure you are. Another question, what if the President had a son? I know you and Reggie have coached a little basketball. But this is a little league dad who has a very interesting question for you.
SANFORD BROWN: Hello, Mr. President. This is Sanford Brown and I'm the proud father of two boys. I was wondering if you could tell me how fatherhood would be different if you had two sons versus two girls.
OBAMA: Yeah, that is a good question. I've got friends with boys. It is absolutely true boys are different from girls. Not all of them, but generally speaking girls are just much more social whereas my friends with boy suddenly they're fighting for a second, then next thing you know they're laughing, they're out playing and, you know they're like tiger cubs or something. I'm sure there are pleasures for parents of either. I don't mind having girls, though.
ROBERTS: Have you thought about having a son?
OBAMA: You know, you act as if this is a decision of mine. This really isn't. I mean as Michelle points out, I did not carry ten pounds in my belly. You know, I think that Michelle's general view is we're done.
ROBERTS: And in our next half hour, our eight o'clock half hour, he talks a little bit more about when he was a father for the first time almost 13 years ago and if one of them will follow in his political footsteps.
STEPHANOPOULOS: It's so nice to hear him just talk, be sort of relaxed about that.
ROBERTS: He lights up about that.
STEPHANOPOULOS: He does.
— Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.


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During SIGGRAPH 2014, we talked to a lot of attendees and exhibitors. One of the CG software developers we spent time with was MAXON, whose flagship product line is CINEMA 4D. Admittedly, this software product is targeted primarily to the media/entertainment market, but also has a place in the MCAD world as well, just as Autodesk's Maya and 3ds Max have. Certainly not a huge market, but one that has a place for these specialized applications.
CINEMA 4D is a 3D modeling, animation and rendering application developed by MAXON Computer GmbH (Friedrichsdorf, Germany). It is capable of procedural and polygonal/surface modeling, animating, lighting, texturing, rendering, and common features found in 3D modeling applications.
We spoke with Paul Babb, President and CEO of MAXON for the Americas. He said that CINEMA 4D is an animation product used for motion graphics for broadcast television, visual effects, scientific/medical animation, video game graphics, and architectural and engineering visualization.
At their SIGGRAPH 2014 exhibit, MAXON employed a wide range of artists at the booth showing what CINEMA 4D can do, such as game developers, visual effects artists, and motion graphics experts. Also exhibited at the booth were demonstrations showing integration with the Arnold renderer and the Houdini graphics engine.
What is CINEMA 4D?


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For decades, the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant relished its nickname, "the Fort Knox of Uranium."
For decades, the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant relished its nickname, "the Fort Knox of Uranium." The self-applied moniker helped define the type of work that takes place here and underscored the government facility's top-security image.
On July 28, 2012, however, three intruders cut through fences, avoided detection and managed to reach the plant's Protected Area, where nuclear warhead parts are manufactured and where the nation's stockpile of bomb-grade uranium is stored.
The intruders weren't terrorists or armed adversaries. They were Bible-quoting pacifists, including an 82-year-old Catholic nun, who walked unimpeded into the plant's inner sanctum. And that made the security failures seem all the worse.
A year later, Y-12 is still making amends and searching for its lost reputation. Then-Secretary of Energy Steven Chu called the breach "unacceptable," Congress held hearings to demand an explanation, and Inspector General Greg Friedman said his team found "troubling displays of ineptitude."
Within a matter of weeks, the number of investigations reached double digits, and yet there are still open questions about whether the security problems have been fixed — or even properly identified.
Within the past month, DOE launched yet another review of security issues, not just at Y-12 but at agency sites around the nation.
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said the security breach at Y-12 "revealed a management problem" that hasn't been addressed.
"The department's response was to change the contract for who managed the security force," Alexander said, referring to the firing of WSI-Oak Ridge. "But simply changing the contract is not real reform."
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker visited the plant immediately after the security breach and received a classified briefing. According to Laura Herzog, the senator's communications director, Corker was told Y-12 officials understood the seriousness of the matter and were taking appropriate corrective actions.
"Since then, another incident has occurred, suggesting that the Department of Energy still doesn't have proper security measures in place at our nuclear weapons facilities," Herzog said.
She was making reference to a June 6 security breakdown in which a lost and apparently confused driver was waved into the plant at the main entrance, even though she had no security credentials and no business at the weapons plant. Two months before that, a bike rider was arrested on a Y-12 patrol road — not far from where the "Plowshares protesters" initially broke into the plant — after traversing most of the plant's northside boundary.
Despite these lapses, Y-12 supporters cite the many improvements made and claim the Oak Ridge plant is more secure now than it was a year ago, perhaps more secure than it's ever been. That statement isn't convincing because security relies on bluster, as well as barricades, and Y-12 appears to have lost its swagger.
"The aura of impregnability is gone. Probably forever," said Howard Hall, director of the University of Tennessee's Institute for Nuclear Security. "This might encourage others to think that similar acts of 'aggressive dissent' might succeed, and so we may see more of these intrusions in the future.
"The recent Greenpeace break-ins at nuclear plants in France might be indirectly a result of the greater daring of the perpetrators, encouraged in some part by the Y-12 'success.' Likewise, if there is a violent adversary planning something, this has given them some potentially useful insights."
Sister Megan Rice, now 83, Greg Boertje-Obed, 58, and Michael Walli, 64, are incarcerated at the Irwin County Detention Facility in Ocilla, Ga., though Rice got a special five-day release from custody over the weekend to attend the funeral of her brother-in-law.
The three apparently will remain at the Georgia facility until sentencing hearings, which were recently rescheduled for Sept. 30 in the U.S. District Court in Knoxville.
The "activists," known collectively as the Transform Now Plowshares, were convicted in May on two felony counts for breaking into Y-12 and damaging government property. The most serious charge was attempting to injure or interfere with the national defense. That conviction legally categorized them as terrorists and made them ineligible for pre-sentencing release.
They face up to 30 years in prison, which could — given their ages — effectively become a life sentence.
In a steady stream of letters in recent weeks to U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar, Plowshares supporters have asked the judge to be lenient in his September sentencing. They cited the advanced age of the protesters and their peaceful nature and intent.
As might be expected, the jailed activists don't get a lot of sympathy at Y-12.
Patsy Ruppe, a plant worker who lives in Kingston, wrote a June 10 letter to Thapar asking him to punish the three "to the highest degree of the law."
"As a loyal American and employee with a company dedicated to protecting and preserving our country, I ask you to show no leniency toward the guilty Plowshares defendants," Ruppe wrote. "These people continue to disrupt our facility; break the law by trespassing … and encourage others to do the same.
"They are habitual offenders and domestic terrorists."
It seems surprising now, but in the months before the break-in, Y-12 was developing plans to scale down its security force. The National Nuclear Security Administration had ordered its security contractor, WSI-Oak Ridge, to cut costs to help address tight budgets — and layoffs were in the offing.
A spokeswoman for WSI said early last year, "This will not have an impact on the level of security at the Oak Ridge facilities as dramatic improvements in physical security have been completed in recent years, thus allowing us to achieve the same high level of security with a smaller workforce."
The layoffs were scrapped, of course, after the older trio infiltrated the national security site, tossed blood against the walls of a $549 million storage bunker holding the nation's primary supply of bomb-grade uranium, and made a mockery of the plant's protection.
The government acknowledged spending about $15 million to repair damages and to shore up or replace the sensors, cameras and other security equipment found to be faulty. That dollar figure doesn't come close to the total amount of money the government spent as a result of the incident, including personnel costs, investigations and training.
Though the government hasn't given an official price tag, a couple of observers with detailed knowledge of the situation said the overall tab from the break-in will probably exceed $100 million.
Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan said his first thought when he heard about the break-in at Y-12 was the safety of the city. As time moved on, Beehan started to worry about the economic impact of the break-in.
Y-12 shut down all nuclear operations for two weeks so that the entire workforce — not just the security personnel — could undergo refresher training on all things security. But the disruption at Y-12 went far beyond a pause in production.
Both the managing contractor, Babcock & Wilcox Y-12, and the protective force contractor, WSI, were given "show cause" notices from the government. Corporate entities were ordered to explain why they shouldn't lose their contracts. Meanwhile, a number of top executives at the contractors lost their jobs, and eventually WSI lost its Y-12 contract entirely.
Mayor Beehan said that was a blow to the community. WSI, he said, was a major corporate presence in Oak Ridge, providing leadership and giving freely to community events and charitable causes.
"I understand what happened and why," Beehan said, "but still …"
Moreover, the security shakedown threw a kink into the NNSA's plans to award a new contract for the combined management of Y-12 and Pantex, a sister nuclear weapons facility in Texas. Bids on the $22 billion contract, one of the largest offerings in recent vintage, had been submitted in March 2012 and federal officials were in the process of evaluating those proposals when the Oak Ridge security incident changed the game plan. Instead of seeking a separate contractor for security at the two weapons installations, the NNSA asked the bidding teams on the management contract to resubmit their proposals and incorporate protective services at the sites.
The giant contract, nearly four years in the making, was finally awarded in January to Consolidated Nuclear Security — a team headed by Bechtel National and Lockheed Martin. The transition of contractors, however, was stalled because the losing bidders protested the award, and the government hasn't revealed when it plans to make a final determination. The uncertainty about the contract has been a source of frustration for thousands of Y-12 employees, as well as for the community at large. Mayor Beehan said the security incident is at least partly to blame.
"You feel like you're in limbo," Beehan said.
Others wonder whether fallout from the security mess could impact the Uranium Processing Facility, billed as the biggest construction project in Tennessee history. While supporters say the multibillion-dollar project enjoys bipartisan support in Congress, others suggest UPF could be vulnerable and maybe more so because of the security problems.
Stephen Young, a senior analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, D.C., said there already is "exasperation" with the National Nuclear Security Administration's governance and cost controls.
"Depending on how the deck plays out, change is in the cards for the NNSA — and the break-in plays a substantial role in how likely and how significant that change will be," Young said. "It may be that the break-in was the straw that broke the camel's back."


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Wednesday November 20, 2019; 12:18 pm EST
Ghosts and baseball lovers unite
If you see a ghost at Anne Arundel County's newest ball field, don't shriek and run away. Instead, ask the ghost about his story, because it's sure to be a great one.
The county has just bought Wilson Park, the home of Hot Sox Field, from a family who inherited the Galesville farm of a freed slave ancestor, Henry Wilson.
In 1928, the farm added a baseball field, where South County baseball lovers traveled on Sundays to cheer the Galesville Hot Sox, one of the semi-pro black baseball teams in the local Chesapeake Independent League.
The league was so good that white players aspired to play in it. The team integrated in 1967 and continued to play ball until 1997.
House speaker Michael Busch, a multi-sport athlete, threw the first pitch at the field's dedication on Sunday, May 19. The county wants to restore the field to its glory days of the early 20th century.
Who knows what history is still to be made at the Galesville Hot Sox Field?
Have a picture from past years at the field? Send to [email protected].


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Mary Emma Doyle was the daughter of John William Doyle and probably Rebecca Elizabeth Johnson Doyle. Mary Emma was born in December 1853 in Ohio County, Virginia. This area is in the state of West Virginia.
After Mary's mother died in 1858, her father moved the family to Kansas where the Doyle family and the Bryan family were neighbors. Mary Emma Doyle and Olive Bryan married in Rawlins County, Kansas in 1880. Oliver and Mary Emma had six children. Myrtle died as an infant and Oliver Herman died when he was about 17. These children were born in Kansas.
John Albert Bryan (1882-1975)
Myrtle Bryan (1884-1884)
Sylvia Augusta Bryan (1885-1973)
Alma Viola Bryan (1888-1974)
These two children were born in Iowa, so obviously the family moved.
Bertha Jane Bryan (1890-1943)
Oliver Herman Bryan (1893-1910)
The family were members of the Methodist church according to the 1895 Iowa State Census. By 1900 the family is back in Kansas, again in Rawlins County. By 1910 they were living in Delta County, Colorado. Another move, before 1920, was to Southern California. Mary Emma died in 1933 in Pomona. I do not know where she was buried.


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With 200 long-distance cycle routes spanning a wide range of regions, you're spoilt for choice. Cycling is tough but rewarding in the Alps, or for more leisurely tours take your bike through the vineyards. Ideal for families are the many riverside routes which offer plenty of wayside distraction. Or perhaps you'd prefer to cycle from museum to mueum? What ever you decide, Germany has a range of cyclist-friendly accommodation – from farmstays to castle hotels.
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Reef Road Surfing
In many ways South Florida serves as a sort of makeshift mecca for seemingly any population: bikers, models, pro athletes, retirees, whoever, they all flock here for their own reasons. For surfers, it's in large part due to a heralded break in West Palm Beach called Reef Road. With medium-sized left-breaking waves that produce long barrels, this zen spot – the more humble neighbor to ritzy Palm Beach proper – is worth the pilgrimage. Thanks to northeast swells, the waves are fickle, which makes them immense fun for accomplished surfers and a nice challenge for intermediates. The rides aren't speedy but they can last the length of a football field, and you experience some big gut-wrenching drops near the jetty. You'll also paddle through some of America's clearest, balmiest water, the intricacies of which you can learn more about from the proprietors at Ground Swell surf shop.
It's tough to find nearby parking at Reef Road, and the community of weathered locals who hold sway over this spot can get a little ornery – especially when the lineup gets busy on big wave days. But if you leave the attitude and pricey new gear at home and show a little deference – maybe even give up a set to the others – you'll be treated to a cool community vibe in warm tides at one of the best surf spots on the East Coast.
For lodging, the tony waterfront Four Seasons Palm Beach is a no-brainer. It sits on seven acres of tropical gardens and boasts private balconies, Frette linens, tennis courts, and luxury resort staples. If you're up for fine dining, our favorite is Charley's Crab for freshly caught stone crab and equally delectable ocean views. Our go-to joint, though, is the storied Cuban food at Havana, in the up-and-coming nabe the locals call SoSo (short for South of Southern Blvd.).
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be relevant
21 Major Job Interview Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs
There are certain people who seem to get every job they interview for and others who seem to lose the job in the interview. Interviewing has its own set of rules and is something that everyone needs to understand. Here are the major mistakes that people...Filed under Employment Do's and Don'ts, Featured, The Role of Jobs in Today's World 15 Comments
21 Pieces of Career Advice No One Ever Gives You
1. Your Attitude Is Just as Important as the Quality of Your Work In most organizations, there are various people who have a negative impression of the organization or, for whatever reason, do not like the management. There are also people who may have...Filed under Employment Do's and Don'ts, Featured, The Role of Jobs in Today's World 10 Comments
You Need to Be Relevant to Your Employer
In the mortgage industry, many jobs have disappeared. This has put tens of thousands of people out of work. People who lose their jobs in the mortgage industry generally have a couple of options. Frequently, they look for a new job in the same industry,...Filed under Employment Do's and Don'ts, Featured 1 Comment
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Job Market
Why Aren't There More American Day Laborers, Doctors, Engineers and Textile Workers?By Harrison Barnes on Oct 19,2019
recent posts
Building an "unassailable network" is the key to business success; seek out companies are either building such networks or already have them in place. Such networks help establish businesses, and make it more difficult for competitors to overtake them. If you are in a business that is unassailable by its competitors, then both you and the business can look forward to a positive long-term future.
In this article Harrison discusses that in order to experience the greatest level of success in your career and life, you don't necessarily have to look for answers outside; you just need to rely on yourself. Most people put their hopes and dreams for happiness on people, religions and things that are outside of themselves. In order to do your best work it is important that you always keep your mind focused. You need to focus on the here and now, and to believe that you can achieve the things you set out to do. You need to believe you are already complete. You need to realize that you can accomplish things on your own, and that you do not necessarily need to rely on other people, or some big change within yourself. You should accept things the way they are. You do not necessarily need a new reality
People owe their success to concentrating their energies and taking prompt action; they understand the importance of maintaining a positive attitude. People notice and gravitate towards those with a positive approach to their work, just as they notice – and do not respect – indifference and half-hearted work. A positive attitude, therefore, is your greatest asset.
If you are unhappy in your current job, you need to step back and take a break in order to determine your true calling. Separate yourself from the world's influence to make a truly meaningful difference. Discover what energizes you and your spirit, and identify the best use of your natural gifts and abilities. Whether or not you believe in religion, you can learn much from the lessons of great religious figures, as they went through the same changes that you yourself must undertake.
You must plant seeds in the minds of others, so that they will be more likely than otherwise to think of you when a future need arises. In planting seeds, you are making people aware of what you have to offer; you must make sure that you are ever present in the minds of your potential employers. Planting seeds is the most effective way to generate top-of-mind awareness, and ensure that the right people remember you at the appropriate time.
Protect your reputation at all costs, and do not let false rumors or information about you to stand uncorrected. You do not want people to spread negative information about you in the workplace; not only can such rumors impact your current job, but also your future employment prospects. Negative rumors must be stopped as soon as you become aware of them.
When you buy something cheap, it is often likely to be expensive in the long-term; things that seem too good to be true usually are. When you are approached with an attractive deal, remember that nothing comes for free and there aren't any no-strings-attached deals.
If you wait for the right market conditions to begin your job search you will face more options, which in turn will help you make better decisions. When the market for your product is strong, you have much more negotiation leverage and are much better positioned to get what you want. Market conditions, therefore, give you a compelling advantage. When do you begin your job search, make effective self-promotion a top priority and draw as much interest as possible to yourself; surprisingly few people do this, and dong so will vastly increase the number of offers you receive.
Most people are afraid of exposing themselves to failure, and therefore settle for less than what they want or are capable of achieving. Failure to take action due to your fear is itself the biggest failure of all; few people ever reach any degree of success without consistent failure. You must use failure as an inspiration to try harder in the future, and manage your emotions so as not to fear failure and let that fear preclude action.
Nothing good ever happens and nothing good will ever come to you when you are doing tasks and jobs that do not interest you. There are people out there who really dislike their jobs. Often times, these people can con their way into a job by saying the right things in an interview. Most of these people are not too happy doing what they are doing and it shows up in the results of their careers and lives. You need to go where you feel welcome and among people who are like you. When you do this, your life will begin to change.
If you are not functioning at your highest level in your job search, then you are immobilized; you must get out to look for the circumstances that you want, and create them if you cannot find them. You need to make your job search your all-consuming priority, and proactively do everything in your power to keep moving toward your goals.
See yourself as you actually are, then confront this self so that you can grow and evolve. When you see yourself as you truly are, you will probably find that you are standing in the way of your own success. Once you identify them, confront the parts of yourself that are limiting your success. Once you accomplish this you will no longer stand in the way of your own progress, but rather stand to achieve your goals.
It is importantly that you be totally and completely involved in your work. When you do this, you establish a flow where time and problems disappear, and you will find yourself completing tasks with very little effort. Upon entering a state of flow, you can do your work unconcerned with power, competition, or recognition, vastly improving your chances of success. Satisfaction and rewards come when you are one with your work.
Embrace your individuality, and fight the human instinct for consistency and sameness in your self-image. Appreciate all of your personality's many facets, as they make you unique and desirable; see your individuality for the strength that it is, and embrace it.
In this article, Harrison explains the importance of following the correct procedures in order to ensure success in your career and in your life. Rules, regulations, and procedures are numerous and your progress undoubtedly depends upon the path you choose to follow. Not abiding by the correct rules and procedures can be dangerous and have caused immense disorder in society. In every step you take, you need to analyze the procedure you are following, know its advantages and disadvantages, and then proceed to either make changes in the procedures or create new ones to suit your needs. This Harrison believes as one of the prime methods to accomplish your goals.
Your career is a business, and you yourself are a product that you are selling to potential employers. Your goal is to survive and sell your product for as much money as possible. Use simple business principles to market yourself, such as identifying markets for your product and recognizing the importance of your brand. Good basic business skills can take you and your career far.
You must come out of your comfort zone, and realize that success and growth comes from change. Break through your self-imposed limits, and reset your internal thermostat to improve your life and career; this is the first step towards conditioning yourself for success and reaching your potential. Rethink what you consider to be possible.
In this article Harrison explains the economic rule which says – your rewards will be in direct proportion to the value you provide. In your career if you are not providing enough value, the rule will catch up with you sooner or later. In contrast, if you are providing more value than you receive you will probably have a very good career. Companies that provide more value than they receive for their products generally end up flourishing. Companies that provide very little value generally end up going out of business. The law of economics that is always operating in the background is that you always need to give more than you take and be prepared to give.
Come to terms with how you feel and be open about it, and you will be much less likely to be affected by your dark side. Acknowledge your deepest and most profound feelings in order to improve your career and life. Your career will never reach its full potential unless you gain control of the personal matters that are negatively affecting your life. Allow your unconscious to be conscious and face what you are avoiding deep down to achieve your potential.
You are in your most productive state when you are "awakened" and driven towards your goal. Once you experience this kind of awakening and tap into your inner drive, all aspects of your life can profoundly change; people with such drive attain incredible levels of achievement in virtually every discipline. The most successful people throughout history tap into this higher form of energy to achieve their goals, and you can too.
Crisis is among the most challenging things that anyone can face, and many people cannot cope and fail in the face of it. To survive in the midst of a crisis, look to the future. Doing so will make you feel more confident about your current situation. Crises can force you to reexamine your life, and make you seek out potential opportunities. The future can always be better than the present or past, and focusing on the future can be incredibly positive and guide you out of what may have been a rut.
Your life's ultimate goal is happiness; your drive for happiness guides the course of your life, and you need to be happy regardless of the external circumstances in your life. The happier you are, the better jobs you will get and the more successful you will be in your career. In order to achieve happiness, turn away from externalities and instead focus on the happiness that is already inside of you. Your life is too important to be unhappy.
Obvious solutions always get overlooked. Simple problems get overanalyzed, and the simple solution gets ignored. Look out for the solutions that are right in front of you, and do not create mountains out of molehills for nonsensical reasons.
Your greatest successes will come from some of the smallest actions in terms of meeting people. You will cause a "stacking effect" the more you meet and connect with people; conversely, people cannot connect with you when you are withdrawn and nothing will happen. You must do everything in your power to connect with as many people as possible.
Rules are the most important aspect of any business or profession. You must understand the unique rules in any situation in which you are a part if you are ever going to succeed. People instinctively understand the rules for certain professions, but there are others whose rules are opaque. You will achieve your greatest success by placing yourself in a situation where the rules are intuitive to you; doing so will make everything easier, because at that point you will merely be following your own nature.
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COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Tom Glavine, that rare athlete drafted by two professional leagues in different sports, has been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The Billerica native was enshrined Sunday at the Hall in Cooperstown.
Glavine won 305 games and two Cy Young Awards, and posted five seasons with 20 or more victories. Only three left-handers have more wins — Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton and Eddie Plank.
Drafted by the Braves in 1984, Glavine also was taken by the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL draft that year but chose to focus on baseball.
Glavine was on the mound when the Braves won Game 6 to clinch the 1995 World Series and give the city of Atlanta its lone major sports title.
Glavine grew up in Billerica and starred in baseball and hockey at Billerica Memorial High School. He led his team to the Division I North title and the Eastern Massachusetts championship in 1984. He was elected to the Billerica Memorial/Howe High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.


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Lights Over Paris (Feat. Game) - Im Not A Gangsta
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Latest News
Stevens asks judge to vacate verdict, move trial to Alaska
Defense lawyers cited 17 reasons that U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens' monthlong trial was unfair, flawed or prejudiced against him and asked that he be tried anew, this time in Alaska, in motions filed Friday.
The motion for a new trial, filed Friday in Washington, D.C., was accompanied by a separate motion asking the judge in the case to overrule the jury and direct an acquittal, voiding the verdict in which Stevens was convicted Oct. 27 of seven counts of failure to disclose gifts and other benefits.
Stevens' lawyers also renewed a pretrial motion to dismiss six of the seven counts as duplications of the first. They also asked the judge to allow them to file some exhibits under seal because the exhibits refer to personal information about jurors and the ongoing investigation by the government into political corruption Alaska.
Under an earlier schedule set by U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan, the government has until Jan. 9 to respond to post-trial motions. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 25.
Read the full story at adn.com.


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Credit-Land.com is an independent, advertising-supported web site. Credit-Land.com receives compensation from most credit card issuers whose offers appear on our site. Compensation from our advertising partners impacts how and where their products appear on our site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within review lists. Credit-Land.com has not reviewed all available credit card offers in the marketplace.
Posted: July 24, 2013
Rosemarie Clancy, Editor-in-chief of Credit-Land, asked Zillow's Director of Mortgage Business, Erin Lantz, about mortgages and credit scores. Here's the scoop. – When was Zillow launched, and what was the vision for the site? Zillow launched in beta in early 2006 with a vision of… Continue reading
Posted: December 13, 2012
We asked the folks at FatWallet how the site began and where it is headed. Here is the scoop on the popular web site, and some tips on getting the best local deals and cash back to boot. Continue reading
Posted: December 5, 2012
People going through difficult financial times due to unemployment, divorce, or a death in the family often find themselves struggling to keep up with credit card payments. When the going gets tough, even the tough may want to bury their heads in the sand and ignore those payment due dates – but most credit… Continue reading
Posted: December 3, 2012
An accountant turned blogger tells us about getting herself out of debt, and how she shared her struggles and tips with readers along the way to help them do the same. Continue reading
Posted: November 1, 2012
Who wants a pair of tickets to the Super Bowl? How about having your favorite team mascot at one of your football parties? Continue reading
Posted: October 30, 2012
Sometimes a little debt can be a good thing. The Project on Student Debt recently reported that the typical college graduate last year had acquired $26,500 in debt over four years, a 5% increase from 2010. But Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, author of "Zero Debt: The Ultimate Guide to Financial Freedom" and "Perfect… Continue reading
Posted: October 23, 2012
Ryan Paredez, a blogger with Planwise, a San-Francisco-based tech startup that provides people with the tools they need to create their own financial success, talks about how the company began, why it is important for young people to plan their financial future, and what Planwise is planning for its future. Continue reading
Posted: October 3, 2012
Eric Bell, a financial guru from YoBucko.com, sat down with Michael Germanovsky to discuss Generation Y finances. Continue reading
Posted: September 27, 2012
Chances are whether you know it or not that you've seen Ashley Stetts on the cover of some of your favorite magazines, including Women's Health, and Pilates Style. However, if you've visited her blog The Frugal Model you know that there is another financially savvy side to her – providing her readers with… Continue reading
Posted: September 21, 2012
Personal finance blogger Andrew Schrage of MoneyCrashers.com sat down with Michael Germanovsky to discuss his blog, and ways to stay in control of credit cards. Continue reading
Choices for Bad Credit: Prepaid, Secured and Unsecured Cards
February 28, 2015
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Lindsay Lohan's much-hyped return to "Saturday Night Live" opened with a razor-sharp monologue that did not shy away from the embattled actress' legal troubles.
Lohan — who last hosted "SNL" in 2006, shortly before she became a tabloid fixture for her substance abuse battles and erratic public behavior — began with a self-deprecating ice-breaker:
"I'm Lindsay Lohan, and I'm hosting 'Saturday Night Live'—I know, right?"
The "Mean Girls" star, who reportedly begged producer Lorne Michaels for the hosting gig, tipped her hat to the "SNL" cast and crew for giving her a shot at comedic redemption.
"I feel really lucky and grateful to be here tonight, and that's why I want to thank all of my friends at 'SNL,' who trusted me enough to have me back," Lohan said.
Moments later, a security alarm blared when Lohan moved off the stage — a nod to her history of arrests.
"Wait, so the alarm goes off if I leave the stage? I thought it was only if I leave the studio!"
Within no time, Lohan's good-natured self-mockery got an able assist from cast members Kenan Thompson and Kristen Wiig.
Thompson — who appeared with Lohan in promotional videos leading up to Saturday's appearance — administered a pupil test, while Wiig gave Lohan a pat-down in the guise of a supportive hug.
"Are you searching me?" Lohan asked with mock idignation.
"No ... I'm a lesbian now," Wiig replied — a wink at Lohan's ambiguous sexual orientation.
"Been there, done that," Lohan dead-panned.
When Wiig left for the wings, late-night host (and former "SNL'" cast member) Jimmy Fallon took the stage to announce the triumphant return of the "new old Lindsay Lohan" and praise her work in the Oscar-nominated "The Help."
"I wasn't in that," Lohan said.
Fallon was thinking of Lohan-lookalike Emma Stone, whose recent film roles may have once gone to Lohan before her career took a tumble — and who spoofed Lohan in a 2010 "SNL" sketch, ironically enough.
Fallon then offered perhaps the most overt acknowledgment of Lohan's ongoing rehabilitation campaign, which has raised a few eyebrows among the media commentariat.
"Everybody makes mistakes, but that doesn't mean you can't shake them off. You can do this—and if for any reason you can't, Jon Hamm is on standby as back-up host."
Cut to the "Mad Men" star sitting in the front-row of the audience, putting up his hands up in protest. (Hamm's recent "SNL" appearances, like those of Justin Timberlake, have made him a fan favorite).
Outside of the monologue, Lohan had the chance to flex some comedic muscles as Rapunzel in the parody "Real Housewives of Disney" and as a floozy psychic's assistant in an awards show sketch.
But for the most part, Lohan's infamous public persona was the episode's most prominent recurring theme.
As part of a bit set at a police station, Lohan played a tough-as-nails ex-con named Lindsay Lohan who intersperses her "scared straight" speech with references to her real-life film roles in "Herbie Fully Loaded," "Freaky Friday," "Mean Girls," and "The Parent Trap."
Lohan's alternate-reality criminal's nickname: Tweety Bird. Why, you ask?


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TROY -- The City Council tabled a newly proposed local law which would establish a parolee registry during Thursday's Finance Committee Meeting as council members said they wanted to give the public more information about what the law would do. Councilwoman Nina Nichols, D-At Large, said they wanted District Attorney Rich McNally, Police Chief John Tedesco and members of the Russell Sage Colleges, which plan to hold a forum on recidivism, to be present at the meeting to answer questions. "We want people to feel good the council is passing this legislation and the police having it," Nichols said. "So, we're willing to wait a month to pass it." Councilman Mark McGrath, R-District 2, claimed the reason the proposed law was tabled was because Mayor Lou Rosamilia, Deputy Mayor Pete Ryan and the administrative staff of the police department, were unaware of the details of the law. He also claimed it was PBA President Bob Fitzgerald who was running the show on the legislation. "When did Fitzgerald become the policy maker?" McGrath asked. Council President Lynn Kopka denied those mentioned by McGrath weren't in the know and said discussions about the legislation have been ongoing with Police administrative staff as well as the mayor's office. The registry would require anyone newly released from prison and moving into the city to register with Tedesco and be issued an identification card. Those who violate the law will be charged with a misdemeanor, according to the legislation. Council members said it will provide police another tool in fighting crime in the city. Nichols assured the registry would not work retroactively. Also at the meeting, the City Council was given an update on the reassessment, which will be the first one completed in nearly 40 years. Cindy Baire, vice president of GAR Associates, Inc., the company assisting the city with the reassessment, stressed the importance of residents setting up an informal review after receiving the newly assessed value of their homes on March 1. Baire said the sessions will allow for residents to follow up on information and contest their assessment. She said there is a chance many people will request an interior inspection if inspectors were not able to get inside their homes during the reassessment process, adding only 30 percent of those residing in the city had an interior inspection completed. Baire added residents can request an interior inspection during their review. Those looking to participate in workshops regarding the reassessment were urged by Baire to make a reservation by contacting the toll free number provided in the assessment notices given to residents. Baire also said the theory that a third of residents will see their assessments go up, a third will see their assessments go down and a third will see theirs stay relatively the same does hold true in most cases. The issue of whether there are some building not yet on the tax rolls was also discussed as City Assessor Sharon Martin said there were some issues regarding properties falling on boundary lines for both Troy and other municipalities. "There are some houses being assessed in Brunswick that are full in the City of Troy," Martin said. "We have them all pinpointed." Martin said they will be looking at several factors as to what would determine which side of the boundary the property falls on such as which municipality provides water to it. Baire said tentative tax rolls will be established on May 1. Andrew Beam may also be reached at 270-1294.
Troy City Council Finance Committee tables vote on proposed parolee registry
- Andrew Beam
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If the election results are pretty clear next week, expect to hear two things: the sounds of snoring from an exhausted Washington political class and the first tentative mentions of the shape of a solution to the dire fiscal cliff our country may fall off of in January. Given the enormity of the repercussions facing the country, I asked Mackenzie Eaglen at the American Enterprise Institute to spell out the larger national security implications at stake. Tea Party devotees should read this dedicated Republican's analysis closely. The Editor.
The session of Congress after next week's elections has been dubbed "the mother of all lame ducks." Given how lame Congress has been so far this year, what will be different after the election?
Congress must tackle a complex array of major issues — what Beltway wallahs are calling the "fiscal cliff" — all at the same time. The cliff is the net effect of sequestration spending cuts when combined with massive tax increases scheduled to go into effect at the start of 2013. Together, they would reduce the federal budget deficit by close to $500 billion in 2013 alone and threaten to push the economy into a recession. Can Congress cope with such fundamental issues in a speedy and effective manner?
One senior Pentagon official, in discussing sequestration, recently said that "in the absence of certainty, people will tend to gravitate to the most negative behaviors." This seems to reflect market behavior across the economy right now.
While President Obama said during the third debate that sequestration would not happen, there's not much evidence to back up his claim. And some effects are already being felt, even though the Budget Control Act goes into effect on Jan. 2.
The aerospace, shipbuilding and defense industries have largely stopped hiring new employees as sequestration's shadow looms larger. Industry investment in infrastructure is frozen. Research and development is slowing. Mergers and acquisitions are being sidelined as investors wait for a signal.
The overhang of uncertainty is growing and overtaking concerns of a possible worsening Eurozone crisis across many sectors of America's economy, not just aerospace and defense. A recent Bank of America Merrill Lynch survey found that nearly one in five U.S. fund managers see the "fiscal cliff" as a greater concern than the Eurozone crisis. Morgan Stanley issued a report last month that stated, "While our analysts are somewhat less worried about the impact of European bank strains, the negative impact of fiscal cliff uncertainty is becoming more widespread."
Small businesses are greatly concerned by the situation. A recent survey by the National Federation of Independent Businesses found that uncertainty over economic conditions and government action (or inaction) was the second and fourth most pressing concerns for small business owners across the country, respectively. Over one-third of respondents reported that the looming economic and political uncertainty was a "critical" problem for their business. This figure will only rise in the coming months as markets react more to budget contraction and businesses start to see their profits fall in advance of January.
The nation's leading financial officials agree. Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke has argued that the economic recovering is being "held back" by the ongoing fiscal uncertainty, and that the country faces a "shallow recession" that could cost over one million jobs in 2013 if "unsustainable" fiscal policies are not reversed. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner agreed, stating that the fiscal cliff would lead "at least" to a recession next year.
Wider Impact of the Fiscal Cliff
Yet sequestration is only part of the problem. The fiscal cliff as a whole is clearly about a larger and more fundamental debate in Washington. It is no coincidence all of these events are set to happen at once after the presidential elections. In its most recent report, CBO lays out three alternatives for Congress to deal with the fiscal cliff. Each carries risks and advantages, but one path forward seems most reasonable: resolve the fiscal cliff now while coming to a broader agreement about long-term debt reduction.
The first option, according to CBO, is to — gulp — go over the fiscal cliff. Some have called this option a deliberate cliff dive. For some, the idea behind the jump is that while the country would suffer short-term economic pain, it would achieve some medium-term deficit reduction. It would reduce federal debt held by the public from 73 percent in 2012 to 58 percent in 2022. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington has indicated some willingness to go this route: "[I]f we can't get a good deal…that calls on the wealthy to pay their fair share…then I will absolutely continue this debate into 2013."
A quick look at the numbers, however, reveals that a cliff dive would be damaging and irresponsible. The effects of sequestration on the military and our national security are well documented by this point. The other domestic and economic effects of sequestration have gotten less attention.
A recent study by Regional Economic Models, Inc., demonstrates some of the harmful effects of non-defense sequestration on our economy. If sequestration goes into effect then professional and technical services would lose $600 billion in sales, the manufacturing sector would lose $400 billion, and finance and insurance services would lose close to $400 billion over the next 10 years. In 2013 alone, every American worker would lose up to $750 in income and a family of four would see its income reduced as much as $1,800. This would translate to roughly three million jobs lost during that period, on top of a reduction in GDP of some $300 billion a year. The unemployment rate could go up by about 2 percentage points.
According to testimony by Acting OMB Director Jeffrey Zients, sequestration would starve many domestic programs of needed funds. They would leave 16,000 teachers out of jobs, 700,000 women and children out of nutrition assistance, and 100,000 children out of the Head Start program. The National Education Association estimates much steeper job loss for teachers and educators, predicted 80,000 education jobs would be lost due to sequestration. Additionally, the National Institute of Health would be forced halt or curtail vital research, and the FAA would have to curtail operations at America's airports. One report by the Aerospace Industries Associationand Econsult Corp. predicted the potential closure of 246 airport control towers, 1,500 fewer air traffic controllers and the loss of 9,000 security screeners and 1,600 customs officers.
The Department of Health and Human Services has painted a similarly stark picture of how automatic spending cuts would impact daily operations. Under sequestration, the National Institute of Health might be forced to eliminate 2,300 new and competing research project grants, 80,000 fewer children would receive child care assistance, 12,150 fewer individuals would receive benefits through the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, 169,000 fewer individuals would be admitted to substance abuse treatment program, 14,200 fewer homeless individuals would receive assistance, and the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control program would be disrupted, which saves $1.50 for every $1.00 spent therein. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather satellite program would also see funding reductions, putting at risk life-saving warnings of severe weather.
All of this would cause real economic output in 2013 to contract by half a percent of GDP, and negative growth of 2.9 percent over the first half of 2013 would be officially termed a recession. This is not a realistic path forward, and moreover, it would not address the root problem of runaway spending. Because sequestration does little to curtail growing entitlement spending, letting it take effect keeps intact the major drivers or America's debt.
The second option available to Congress is to simply cancel sequestration without a long-term framework for debt reduction. However, this ignores our growing debt challenge and increases the likelihood of another sovereign debt downgrade, which could bring additional economic and market complications. Under CBO's alternative fiscal scenario — which reverses most of the fiscal cliff policies — real GDP growth would be roughly 1.7 percent in 2013, and the unemployment rate would be a full percentage point lower than under the fiscal cliff scenario.
However, this short-term growth would come with a cost. Debt held by the public would rise to 90 percent of GDP by 2022. This kick-the-can "solution" could wind up being as detrimental as careening off the fiscal cliff.
The only realistic option outlined by CBO is to moderate spending cuts in the short-term while crafting a long-term vision for comprehensive debt relief. As Chairman Bernanke has said:
The most effective way that the Congress could help to support the economy right now would be to work to address the nation's fiscal challenges in a way that takes into account both the need for long-run sustainability and the fragility of the recovery. Doing so earlier rather than later would help reduce uncertainty and boost household and business confidence.
What Will Congress Do?
Of course, just because there is one seemingly obvious answer to the problem does not mean that Congress will arrive at the right conclusion. A number of shorter term solutions are gaining steam on Capitol Hill as the prospects for a long-term deal look increasingly bleak.
Speaker of the House John Boehner gave perhaps the strongest indication yet that a lame duck Grand Bargain is highly unlikely. A grand bargain would be "difficult to do," and more importantly, Boehner said he's "not sure it's the right thing to do" with so many retiring members potentially playing pivotal roles in any long-term deal.
Chris Van Hollen, ranking member of the House Budget Committee, has endorsed a three- to six-month delay that would give the new Congress and whoever is president the ability to start afresh in crafting a comprehensive package. Even Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, originally skeptical of an outright punt past January, has thrown his hands up in the air, saying, "I'll take whatever the hell deal they can make right now."
Support for a compromise appears slightly stronger in the Senate. Sen. Lindsey Graham has alluded to a "mini Simpson-Bowles deal," that would include a small package of spending cuts and revenues as part of a push to buy down a small segment of sequestration for now in the hopes of coming to a longer-term agreement in the future.
Given signaling from many prominent Republicans that they would be willing to accept increased revenues in exchange for reduced defense cuts, Senator Graham's options may have some legitimate traction in the Senate. The real question is whether the House could get on board.
Despite this momentum, a mini-deal is still only a mini-deal. And Congress may yet elect to punt entirely. If both chambers do not tackle the larger problems relating to the fiscal cliff before January, it is unclear how small cuts or a few more months will change much in the big picture. Putting off a larger deficit reduction package only leaves a future Congress to deal with the same set of issues-and the looming economic consequences.
Sequestration Should Not Wait For December's Lame Ducks
Reasonable people can differ as to the best path towards a long-term solution, but it is clear the status quo is unacceptable. While the fiscal cliff is about a larger ideological battle between the two parties, the front lines of our economy are hurting all the same. Politicians threatening to take our nation over the "fiscal cliff" in order to score political points need to understand that main street businesses will be hurt first. This poses a real threat to our national security and economy.
As policymakers focus on strengthening the economy, they would do well to consider how sequestration's defense and other budget cuts — often portrayed as necessary sacrifices to get federal spending in line — can hurt the very economy they are supposedly designed to bolster. Simultaneously weakening the military and the economy is not the answer.
Mackenzie Eaglen, a member of the Breaking Defense Board of Contributors, is a defense analyst at the conservative American Enterprise Institute.