text:
Swimming Pool Blog
by Rob Cox, March 19, 2009
We spend a lot of time talking about pool safety around here at POOLCENTER.com ~ and this article deals with safety measures for small and large above ground pools. Pools that may be only 24" deep - could this be dangerous? More and more localities and states think so. New legislation, most recently passed in New York state, requires that any body of water with a depth of 24" or more to have a pool alarm.
At issue are the inexpensive above ground pools such as the Intex Easy Set pools, which have an inflatable top ring. If you have $99 and 100 sq. ft. behind your townhouse, you can be a pool owner! In many cases, these pools are placed in an area that is not especially secure or monitored. Using Easy Set pool covers can help keep the pool clean, reduce chemical demand, and provide a small element of safety.
The Soft Sided pool means a limited number of pool alarms will adapt to the soft top edge. One that does work with easy set style pools, is the Pool Patrol pool alarm. This alarm floats on the surface and has kind of a "Tilt" mechanism, like a Pinball machine. The Pool Patrol is available with or without the in-house remote shown.
Another type of alarm that may meet local requirements is the PoolEye PE-23 Universal pool alarms. These alarms sit on the edge of the pool and can be used on both inground and above ground pools. These models are both designed for in ground pools, but if you are looking for the sometimes more reliable sub-surface detection, these may be your best bet.
Pooleye alarms are made by Smartpool company, the manufacturer that brought us the Perimeter Laser Alarm. PE-41 (nla) shoots and reflects an invisible beam between 4 posts. Very cool, 007 James Bond stuff - but possibly a bit of overkill to protect your above ground pool? Possibly Not! We have to think in terms of Layers of Protection.
A pool fence is usually the outermost of the Layers of Protection around a pool. Door and Gate Alarms provide a second Layer of Protection. Natural barriers around the pool, such as hedges, short decks, or retaining walls, can limit access. At the pool itself, a pool alarm in the water, or a safety pool cover, can provide a final Layer of Protection, at the pool itself. And don't forget education - of children and adults. It also is good practice to remove any visual barriers from the house, to the pool. Good design will have the pool area in full view by many areas of the house.
Say that you have a permanent aboveground pool, the rigid walled pools, with a hard top rail - More alarm options are available for these pools. If your pool has a complete surround pool deck of wood or aluminum, you can install a custom mesh or solid safety cover. Most effective, once again, would be a complete surround fence, made especially for permanent above ground pools. These pool fence sections are easily bolted to the uprights of your pool, and joined to each other. Nothing beats a good fence for pool safety.
And, speaking of access - consider your aboveground pool ladder for a moment. Safe versions of the A-frame type ladder, flip up and lock in an upright position, when not in use. A new style spins the steps toward the pool, making it impossible to climb the ladder, in this locked, backwards facing position. Pool entrance systems, with steps in and out of the pool usually have gates that can be locked. Double check your gate to ensure the gate is self-closing and self-latching - and locked.
If you are unsure of the local requirements - bring your pool up to code by contacting your local building codes or building permit offices, or check the city web documents. Above ground pools can be just as much an "attractive nuisance" as an in ground pool. Be sure to give your pool a safety check this spring and ensure that your above ground pool does not become a summer tragedy and another statistic.
For more information on pool safety ~ please Google Pool Safety or contact us here at POOLCENTER.com


text:
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be one of many blockbuster genre properties occupying the fall 2013 calendar, and like its predecessor, the marketing campaign for the movie has been a slow and methodical crescendo. Whether the marketing campaign for Catching Fire has been as effective as its predecessor... that's another debate entirely.
Now however, we come to the point in cycle where it's time for Lionsgate to show more of the cards in hand - i.e., leaving behind the dystopian revolution subplot, or the highlighting of new characters, and really getting down to the meat of what fans and general audiences want to see: the new vision of the deadly Hunger Games arena. And they got... fog and monkeys.
For those who don't know (and couldn't tell from the rapid montage of footage in that final trailer), the story of Catching Fire involves the Capitol - led by despot President Snow (Donald Sutherland) - cracking down on the poor districts of Panem, which have emboldened to revolution by the victorious stand of Katniss and Peeta in the 74th Hunger Games. In "honor" of the games' 75th anniversary, President Snow institutes a "Quarter Quell," in which Hunger Games survivors are thrown back into the ring to face-off against one another, seasoned killer vs. seasoned killer.
As seen in the trailer, the new games arena is more of a tropical setting - as opposed to the woodland forest seen in the first film; there's also a new director involved, as Francis Lawrence (Constantine) takes over the helm from Hunger Games director Gary Ross. But honestly, this particular trailer doesn't really reveal whether or not some of the chief criticisms fans had with the first film got worked out under Lawrence's supervision. The action still looks budgeted, and the CGI monkeys alone are bound to invite comparisons to Indiana Jones 4 - never a good thing.
In short: while not at all bad, this new trailer still isn't great, and Catching Fire doesn't look like anything clearly better or more improved than The Hunger Games. It'll probably appease die-hard fans and will turn a fair profit - so if that's the only standard to judge by...
With the two-part adaptation of Mockingjay already rolling along and adding cast members by the day, it's clear that Lionsgate is going to push this Hunger Games franchise to the very end (and probably beyond); one only hopes that the ride is actually worthwhile.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be in theaters on November 22, 2013.
Source: Lionsgate

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Doc is in Los Angeles, and Clippers feeling good
As Doc Rivers watched the introductory press conference of his new-look Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, his role as the team's chemistry teacher had already begun.
He was worried that newly re-signed point guard Chris Paul would field all the questions from the news media, and that new additions J.J. Redick, Jared Dudley and Darren Collison wouldn't feel like they belonged or that returnees Matt Barnes and Ryan Hollins would be ignored.
FREE AGENCY:Winners and losers
This is what Rivers did so well during his time with the Boston Celtics — managing the team dynamic, juggling egos and building a unified spirit during those nine seasons that came to an end last month. And the media, strangely enough, set the tone on this day for a team that expects to be a force.
"Everybody got interviewed at the same time," Rivers told USA TODAY Sports by phone afterward. "And you know what's funny is that the questions were about even. I thought that was great, but it surprised me. I was concerned going into it that every question would go to Chris. Shoot, everybody was asked about an even amount of questions.
"Having all those guys on the stage, and understanding that Chris is the key guy on stage today but they're all key to us winning, I thought that was very important. None of them are going to do it alone, and doing it as a group is what we have to do to be good."
So how good can these Clippers be? "I know what I think we can be, and I think that we have a realistic chance of being the winner at the end of the year," Rivers said.
If the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs reminded their contemporaries of anything during their respective runs to the NBA Finals, it's that reaching that stage is never as simple as collecting stars and watching talent win out. Togetherness and a singular focus are paramount, and so it was that the Clippers did the most unorthodox of deals (Rivers for a 2015 first-round pick) to bring a coach into their program who understands that as well as anyone.
While this entire plan goes nowhere without Paul being in the fold, Rivers is right there with him when it comes to key offseason additions.
The Clippers wanted to become more than a passing fancy in the loaded Western Conference, more than the team that set a franchise record by winning 56 games but regressed when it mattered most by falling to the Memphis Grizzlies in six games in the first round.
They wanted to be more than the best team in Los Angeles, a goal that was already accomplished last season, and it appears to divide between the teams is only widening with Dwight Howard bolting the Lakers for Houston. And in this era where the Big Three model that Rivers' Celtics started is so trendy, the Clippers want to do it differently.
Paul and forward Blake Griffin are stars, but this goes way beyond them now. Natural scorer Jamal Crawford remains, as does tantalizing big man DeAndre Jordan. They are deep and talented and dangerous. And with Paul eschewing boundless opportunities elsewhere to sign the five-year, $107 million to return, they are as intriguing as they come.
"You know, I was already pretty much leaning to come back here anyway, but (getting) Doc definitely secured that decision," Paul told USA TODAY Sports by phone. "I'll say this about Doc — having Doc as the coach doesn't automatically translate to wins, but what I think it does is it gives you an opportunity to win, and so I'm just excited about his basketball knowledge and how passionate he is about the game.
"I think we brought in a little bit more shooting. We've got a lot of grinders. We have guys who have been in this league just grinding it out, hard-nosed, guys that also are hungry and excited to be here."
Redick, who came to the Clippers via a sign-and-trade deal from Milwaukee and was given a four-year, $27 million deal in the process, is right there with him.
When he sat down with Rivers for a sushi dinner in Los Angeles on the first night of free agency, he didn't have to be sold as much as he felt obligated to sell himself. Redick was desperate to get back to a contender, having been a key member of the Howard-led Orlando Magic teams that made the Finals in 2009 and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010.
"Because I knew it was a complicated situation to trade (Eric) Bledsoe and do the sign-and-trade, I felt like I had to sell myself a little bit," Redick told USA TODAY Sports. "One of the things I said to (Rivers) was, 'I want to get back to being on a team that wins and wins big.'
"He sold me when he said that he was going to run some (offensive) stuff for me that they used to run for Ray Allen. I mean I remember for five years chasing Ray around in Boston, and I think that's what we're both about — the winning aspect, the competitiveness complements each other and the offensive system that he will have along with (associate head) coach (Alvin) Gentry, is going to be great for me and for Jared (Dudley). It's going to be nice."
For his fellow shooter, Dudley, this was a chance to revisit his best of days with the Phoenix Suns while playing near his hometown in San Diego. With Gentry the head coach at the time, he was part of the Steve Nash-led group that fell in the Western Conference Finals in 2010 but had since entered a rebuilding stage.
"An opportunity like this doesn't happen, and when you get it you've got to grab it," Dudley told USA TODAY Sports. "To play on this team with Chris Paul, who — like Steve — is one of the best point guards around. Blake is similar to Amar'e (Stoudemire), where his pick and roll is a threat so it opens up shooting and space. Then you add Doc Rivers, and that's just icing on the cake.
"I think the chemistry and how quickly we can all come together is going to be key. Obviously the top two teams (Miami and San Antonio), the reason they're so good is they have star power and they've played awhile together. We have star power, but we haven't played (together) a while. But Doc will help with that transition."
From the looks of it on Day One, he already has.


text: Credit to Dan Rosenberg for his work on this exploit. Link is here - Security Research by Dan Rosenberg It has been reported to successfully work on the Droid Razr running the .173 build...this should work for those of you who want root after the update or if VooDoo didn't protect / restore root. Standard Disclaimer - DroidForums.net, Dan Rosenberg or anyone else is responsible if this does not root your device or bricks your device. You are proceeding at your own risk.


text:
Stephen King's epic novel series The Dark Tower is practically begging to be adapted into either a movie or a TV series. Early in 2009 it was reported that J.J. Abrams and his Bad Robot production company were going to be bringing the book series to the big-screen. However, late last year Abrams revealed he wouldn't be adapting the books after all.
But fear not Dark Tower fans as Deadline is reporting that Universal Pictures and NBC Universal have landed a deal to bring King's epic to life. If it wasn't exciting enough that King's "magnum opus" is finally being adapted (for real this time), the adaptation will come to us in the form of not only a whole trilogy of movies but also a coinciding TV series.
How exactly can a TV series coincide with a trilogy of movies? Well, the details are quite complicated when you first look at them but they break down fairly simply if you really study them:
Things will start off with the first in the movie trilogy and then that will be bridged onto the first season of the TV series which will follow fairly quickly thereafter. Then the second movie in the trilogy will follow on from where the first season of the series leaves off. After that second movie is done things will be bridged back to the series for the second season and then once that's done the story will continue on and conclude with the third part of the movie trilogy.
That's quite a plan that's been put together: They're counting on audiences being willing to go and see the first Dark Tower movie and then jump over to TV to find out what happens next (then doing the same thing again when it comes to the movie sequel and the second season), all the while committing more time and effort to follow the storyline (hour-long episodes week-on-week as opposed to a single 2-3 hour movie). While it may be somewhat risky it nonetheless shows that the people behind the adaptation have commitment and belief in their vision.
As for who's behind The Dark Tower adaptations on the creative side, Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind) will direct the first feature film and the entire first season of the TV series and Akiva Goldsman (I Am Legend) while write the first movie and the first season of the series. Both will produce the adaptations along with Howard's Imagine Entertainment partner, Brian Grazer and Stephen King himself (I guess the author wants to have a hand in seeing this get done right).
Howard and Goldsman first revealed they would be working with Universal to try and adapt The Dark Tower back in April but at the time the studio was battling it out with Warner Bros. for the rights. Evidently Universal has won out but it is said that the deal was so comprehensive that it's literally taken months to lock it down.
This strategy of taking the much-wanted Dark Tower adaptation completely head-on is being compared to what Peter Jackson did with his Lord of the Rings trilogy, where all three films were shot back-to-back so that they could be released within three years of one another. Because The Dark Tower trilogy of movies will coincide with the TV series (it sounds like you won't be able to watch one without tuning in for the other), that means the same actors that portray the characters on the big-screen will also have to be there for the small-screen version.
Does this mean we won't be seeing big name stars (Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Will Smith, etc.) but rather lesser known names that would - most likely - be made into stars as a result of their participation in the Dark Tower franchise? For a story like this I would prefer less famous actors simply because it's such an immersive and expansive world King has created that I would rather not be distracted by A-listers filling up all the roles.
Crossing platforms like this also means the filmmakers will benefit from using the same crew and sets. This sounds like not only a highly ambitious undertaking (which hasn't really been done before) but also a very expensive one, so being able to keep the same sets and the talents of the same team throughout both the movies and the TV series will certainly save money where it counts.
It's certainly encouraging to see the sort of commitment that's been injected in this gargantuan adaptation. I think most of us can join together in hoping that all this is a success and that it does proper justice to King's much-loved series of Dark Tower books.
If you want to know more head on over to Deadline to read the thoughts of the people involved.
As always, check back at Screen Rant for more on The Dark Tower adaptation(s). Share your thoughts and comments on this story in the comments below as well as on Twitter @screenrant and @rosstmiller.
Source: Deadline


text:
Each piece in this inviting woodworking gallery is designed and made by an individual artist. Your senses will be delighted in the graceful lines of a rocking chair, the smoothness of a chair arm, the tones of a wooden ukulele, or the scent of an aromatic cedar box.
The work of Artwood's 7 active woodworking members and about 80 other artists and crafts people are represented here, fine woodworking complemented by items in a variety of other media.


text:
BlackBerry Storm Application Compatibility List
I'll update this post with more results from applications I try. Please add your own experiences below so we can give a good picture of the BlackBerry Storm's third-party app support.
Opera Mini. Works like a charm.
Facebook. Works fine.
Viigo. Redirects to a WAP page.
Yahoo! Go. Redirects to a WAP page.
TwitterBerry. Works clumsily, only in portrait mode.
Twibble. Doesn't work; loads tweets, but navigation is screwed up.
Google Maps. Works somewhat; street view and GPS don't work.
Beyond411. Doesn't work; can't save initial settings.
Slifter. Doesn't work; interface buttons aren't clickable.
Worldmate Live. Crashes.
MySpace. Works perfectly.
BBWeather. Works somewhat - only in portrait mode, you can't dismiss the keyboard, and navigation is odd; you can glide, but not click.
FlipSide - Tries valiantly, but fails; the bottom half of the screen image is cut off. NewsGator Go! - Like BBWeather. Portrait mode only, gliding not clicking, uses the
top half of the screen only, but works (barely.)
HandMark Pocket Express - No, and it tells you outright that the Storm is not compatible.
WeatherEye - refuses to download, claiming that my OS is below 4.1.
Vlingo - Says it doesn't support this version of the OS.
Followup! and Peekawho - No.


text:
MONDAY, Dec. 15, 2008 (HealthDay News) -- While a colonoscopy is a very effective procedure for combating colorectal cancer, it may not be quite as good as previously thought, a new study suggests.
The procedure does a good job of detecting early signs of disease on the left side of the colon, or large intestine, but is not as effective at spotting potential problems of the right side of the organ. This means a colonoscopy's success at preventing colorectal cancer deaths seems to lie with its ability to uncover so-called "left-sided" problems.
"We did find that colonoscopies are effective -- that's the good news. It's still one of the best screening tests for any cancer that we have," said study author Dr. Nancy Baxter, a colorectal surgeon with St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.
"But it's not perfect," she added. "And it does not appear to be as effective in picking up growths on the right side of the colon as it is in detecting them on the left side."
The findings are published online Dec. 16 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The American Cancer Society says colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer found in men and women in the United States. There will be about 108,070 new cases of colon cancer this year; combined will rectal cancer, there will be nearly 50,000 deaths.
To gauge the effectiveness of colonoscopies at reducing colorectal cancer death, the researchers analyzed Ontario provincial health records for more than 10,000 colorectal cancer patients between the ages of 52 and 90. All the patients had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 1996 and 2001, and all had eventually died from the disease by 2003.
Slightly more than 700 of the cancer patients -- or 7 percent -- had undergone a colonoscopy. This pool was compared with just over 5,000 healthy people who also had undergone a colonoscopy.
The researchers found that having a complete colonoscopy was strongly linked to a lower death rate related specifically to colon cancer on the left side of the organ. But, the screening process showed virtually no death-prevention benefit with right-sided colon cancer.
Both findings applied equally across gender and age.
In an accompanying editorial in the journal, Dr. David F. Ransohoff, a professor of cancer epidemiology at the University of North Carolina, suggested that the mortality risk reduction offered by colonoscopies is probably closer to 60 percent to 70 percent, rather than the 90 percent figure typically cited.
Baxter said there are probably several factors that contribute to the left side/right side discrepancy.
"For example, there are differences in how polyps grow," Baxter said. "They tend to be flatter on the right side, which is harder to pick up and harder to take out when you find them."
"But the overall quality of colonoscopies is improving," she added. "And, meanwhile, there are some things that patients can do to improve pick up on the right side, such as complying well with their preparations. Many do already, but many kind of give up after part of the preparation is done. So, there are a lot of people who don't get through 100 percent of the prep. And I think it's important that they do so."
Dr. Judith Collins, section chief of gastroenterology at the VA Medical Center in Portland, Ore., said that despite the apparent limitations highlighted in the new study, colonoscopies are still the gold standard for detection of colorectal cancer.
"This is a totally preventable cancer," she said. "So whether screening for it results in a 60 percent reduction in death or 90 percent reduction, there's just no other cancer that we can see this well, and colonoscopy certainly reduces mortality. And that's the bottom line. There are a lot of variables that show that it is not a perfect test, but it's still a very good test."
More information
To learn more about colonoscopy, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.


text:
City of Lincoln
Mayor's Office
2004 Media Releases
Mayor Coleen Seng, along with representatives of the Lincoln-Lancaster County United Way and the Community Services Initiative (CSI), today announced the awarding of the "Success by 6" license from United Way of America. This certification will advance and enhance early care and education for young children in Lincoln and Lancaster County.
This effort, endorsed by both Lancaster County and the City of Lincoln, as well as the Early Childhood Coalition of Community Services Initiative, ensures a coordinated effort to improve the quality of life for young children.
"I want to thank the United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County and everyone involved with the Early Childhood Coalition of Community Services Initiative for all of their diligence and hard work that went in to our city and county receiving this distinction, " said Mayor Seng. "Our children are our future and with the help of the United Way, we are doing everything in our power to give them the tools necessary and the system of advocacy they need to be successful in their early years. 'Success by 6®' will create effective solutions that will help all children succeed in our community. "
United Way "Success by 6" is a national, community-based movement of public and private partners that work together to deliver proven solutions that ensure all children, ages zero to six, are healthy, nurtured and ready to succeed.
"This is United Way at its best, " said Sandy Rupp, Executive Director for the Lincoln and Lancaster County United Way. "Finding solutions to problems by working with other quality organizations in a collaborative effort is what the United Way is all about. "
The Early Childhood Coalition has an action plan that the "Success by 6" designation will help bring to fruition. Steps of that action plan include:
By attaining the license, the Early Care and Education Coalition of CSI will become "Success by 6", providing an umbrella for its strategic plan and providing a platform for impacting the public and private environment for leveraged resources and maximum results.
Information on CSI and the Early Care group may be found at www.csip.nebraska.unl or by calling 402-472-2747.


text:
Our patients always come first and are at the center of everything that we do. This is why our patient satisfaction ratings exceed the national averages. How do we calculate patient satisfaction? We use Press Ganey, the industry's recognized leader in health care performance improvement, to gather feedback from all of our patients so we can continue to always excel in providing you the highest quality of care.
"Very good experience. 1 of the best I've had with a healthcare facility."
"I have had more than 10 surgery's and this was the best experience, nicest facility, and Dr. Rogers even called later to assure I was fine. Thanks for taking care of me!"
"Rt. Shoulder reverse procedure done by Dr. Z. Mahmood , would recommend him to everyone . Excellent surgeon and made me feel very comfortable , love him ! All staff members from front door to back door were above excellent. Took very good care of me and informing my Daughter in waiting room. Cuddos to all!"
Press Ganey is one of the tools we voluntarily participate with in order to help us measure how well we are doing according to the people who matter most—you. They administer a specific kind of survey to our patients, the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Survey (OAS CAHPS). The Press Ganey CAHPS database is more than four times larger than any other competitor in the industry. We are not required to participate in this type of survey, but in order to gain valuable insights and experience, we do. Survey results are not required to be published, but in order to be transparent and provide the best representation of our center we choose to make those results available to our new and current patients.
Press Ganey partners with over 55% of all the healthcare systems in the United States, they support over 190,000 Medical Practice Providers in over 70 medical specialties, and administer over 95 million mail, phone and eSurveys a year.
When you receive a survey you can trust your feedback will be used to improve all aspects of your clinical experience. Please take the time to complete the survey and return it. Your opinions about your care are important to us.
*National Benchmark for Patient Satisfaction and Likelihood to Recommend are 86% and 84% respectively.


text:
Santa Rosa is Flavortown, USA, you guys.
Guy Fieri, the king of bold taste and the host of a new Food Network show, has shifted production of "Guy's Grocery Games" to his hometown of Santa Rosa, according to the North Bay Business Journal.
The set is a warehouse converted to resemble a grocery store -- specifically, Fieri's "Flavor Town" grocery store, the newspaper reported.
In the show, chefs compete to pull off the finest dish using items found in a grocery store. The show used a real store for its first season before seguing to the warehouse in Industry Commerce Center in the Sonoma County seat, the newspaper reported.
There's only one thing wrong.
Fieri, who catapulted onto the national food scene after winning a Food Network competition following the opening of Johnny Garlic's in Santa Rosa, wishes it was a real store.


text:
SUZUKI GT550 Bolt Kit
Bullit Custom Cycles unpolished stainless fastener kits for your vintage motorcycle are available! The kits are sorted, labeled and include instructions. They're not just a random assortment of bolts! These are perfect for your basket case, restoration or what have you. These kits are all Allen socket for ease of use and specifically designed to fit the models listed below! *Product not exactly as shown GT550 a:clutch cover 11 pieces b:generator cover 4 pieces c:points cover 3 pieces d:sprocket cover 8 pieces e:oil pump cover 5 pieces f:sump/lower crank cover 4 pieces 35 pieces total
Manufacturer : Stainless
Category :
Stainless Bolt Kits & Hardware
Engine Parts
MC Parts


text:
The Tafco Glass Block Window is a pre-fabricated glass block window that is ready to install in your opening. Tafco glass block windows are fabricated with a siliconized adhesive applied by an automated robot system, to insure consistent quality. The crystal clear adhesive is better than mortar or conventional silicone.
- Ice pattern feature
- Blocks are made of real glass
- Solid, glass-block replacement window with a white vinyl-frame for installation in a wood or a masonry or brick opening
- Can be installed from inside or outside with nailing flanges, or with mortar or silicone
- May be installed at any temperature with nailing flanges and silicone sealer
- Nailing flange kit included


text:
Join us here at the Valley Community Center to educate your child on the importance of physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. During homeschool PE, kids will learn to maintain a healthy lifestyle, form new game skills, build relationships, learn sportsmanship and teamwork. Starting in September, we will offer four different sessions for homeschool families around the community. Each 8-week session will include skill development in basketball, soccer, volleyball, and other popular sports. Students will also play gym games, group games, and enjoy the benefits of exercise.
Class Information:
Session 1: Grades K-12
Start date: 9/9/14 End date: 10/28/14
Session 2: Grades K-12
Start date: 11/4/14 End date: 12/23/14
Session 3: Grades K-12
Start date: 1/6/15 End date: 2/24/15
Session 4: Grades K-12
Start date: 3/3/15 End date: 4/28/15 (No class March 17th)
Who: Boys and girls grades K-12
When: 11:00am-12:00pm Tuesdays
Cost: $50.00 / student per 8-week session. Family Discount: $5 discount for each additional child in the same family
Where: Valley Community Center
4444 Fuller Rd., WDM
Contact: Gabe Carlson- 515.327.6000
To register: Register online at www.vccsports.com. Or download and mail in or bring form and payment to the Valley Community Center, Monday through Friday, 8:30am-4:00pm.


text:
RALEIGH, N.C.—A rainy Wednesday is not the mid-week action a tennis player looks for when looking for a big win. As the skies opened up, NC State snapped VCU's three game win streak when they defeated the Rams 6-0.
In doubles action, the Rams fought hard, but the Wolfpack took the point as they won the first two matches. The duo of Filip Svensson and Max Wennakoski, however, finished up doubles play with an 8-5 win over their opponents Dominic Hodgson and Matt Thomson, hoping to give their squad a boost going into the singles matches.
Singles play fared no better for VCU as they fell in all five played matches. The Rams saw three matches go to a third set, however, showing their heart and determination. After going down in their first sets, both Svensson and Antoine Baroz battled back to take the second sets in each of their matches. Both would eventually fall in a third set.
VCU falls to 12-3 on the season. They return to Richmond on Saturday, March 3 to take on 5th-ranked Duke, a rematch from earlier this season. Match play is set to begin at 11 a.m.
NC State 6, VCU 0
1. Julian Sullivan/Sean Weber (NC State) def. Alexis Heugas/Antoine Baroz (VCU), 8-5
2. Filip Svensson/Max Wennakoski (VCU) def. Dominic Hodgson/Matt Thomson, 8-5
3. Robbie Mudge/Jaime Pulgar def. Jaime Vazquez/Alejandro Argente (VCU), 8-4
1. No. 86 Jaime Pulgar (NCSU) def. Alexis Heugas (VCU), 6-2, 6-4
2. Dominic Hodgson (NCSU) def. No. 89 Max Wennakoski (VCU), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
3. Robbie Mudge (NCSU) def. Filip Svensson (VCU), 7-5 (5), 4-6, 6-3
4. Austin Powell (NCSU) def. Antoine Baroz (VCU), 6-4, 5-7, 6-5
5. Julian Sullivan (NCSU) def. Jaime Vazquez (VCU), 6-3, 6-3
6. Beck Bond (NCSU) vs. Alejandro Argente (VCU), DNP


text:
No. 98,989
1. When a party has had a full opportunity to present evidence in a case tried to the court, the other party may move for judgment as a matter of law under K.S.A. 60-252(c). When considering that motion, the judge may weigh and evaluate the evidence as if the judge were making findings of fact at the conclusion of the entire case; the judge is not required to grant any inferences from the evidence in favor of the nonmoving party.
2. When a real-estate sales contract contains a forfeiture clause under which the seller may declare the contract void if the buyer fails to pay, the seller is entitled under the terms of the parties' contract to declare the contract void when the buyer has failed to pay as required by the contract.
3. The real-estate sales contract in this case contained a buy-back provision under which the seller could buy back the property, before full payment had been made, by returning any sums paid toward the purchase to the buyer. The district court properly held on the facts of this case that the seller was entitled to reclaim the property without payment because the buyer had made no payment to the seller.
4. As a general rule, the buyer in a contract-for-deed sale of real estate gains an equitable ownership interest that must be foreclosed upon. But when the buyer makes no payment on the contract, has made no substantial contribution to the real estate, and has entered into a contract that has forfeiture and buy-back provisions that have been utilized by the seller, the seller is not required to bring a foreclosure action against the buyer.
Appeal from Gove District Court; BRUCE T. GATTERMAN, judge. Opinion filed April 3, 2009. Affirmed.
Charles T. Engel and Jason E. Geier, of Engel & Geier, P.A., of Topeka, for appellants.
Donald F. Hoffman, of Dreiling, Bieker & Hoffman, L.L.P., of Hays, for appellees.
Before CAPLINGER, P.J., MALONE and LEBEN, JJ.
LEBEN, J.: This dispute over farm ground arrives at our court on appeal in an unusual procedural state--the trial was abbreviated when the district court granted judgment on a key issue in favor of the defendants after only the plaintiffs had presented evidence. On appeal, both sides have cited an incorrect legal standard that suggests we must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the plaintiffs because the trial wasn't finished. But K.S.A. 60-252(c) allows the district court to make factual findings against a party once that party has been fully heard on an issue, and the plaintiffs had fully presented their case before the district court ruled against them. Accordingly, we review the case on appeal to determine whether the district court's factual findings were supported by substantial evidence and whether those findings supported the district court's legal rulings. See Lyons v. Holder, 38 Kan. App. 2d 131, 135, 163 P.3d 343 (2007).
The plaintiffs, Larri and Teresa Lewis, agreed to buy 316.64 acres of farm ground from R & K Ranch; the Lewises agreed to pay $90,000 in installments of $9,000 due each year. But the district court concluded--contrary to the testimony of Larri Lewis--that the Lewises never made even a partial payment. Because the contract allowed R & K Ranch to declare the contract null and void if the Lewises failed to make any scheduled payment on time, R & K Ranch was well within its rights under the contract to declare that contract void for nonpayment, as the district court concluded. Under the proper standard as set forth in K.S.A. 60-252(c) and Lyons, we affirm the district court's judgment because its findings were supported by the evidence and were sufficient to support its legal rulings.
Factual Background
In 2001, the Lewises signed a 5-year lease with R & K Ranch for about 1,100 acres. Under that lease, the Lewises paid $9,525 twice per year, on May 1 and October 1, for use of the land.
In 2004, R & K Ranch offered the Lewises the chance to buy part of the leased ground. The parties reached an oral agreement, and eventually they entered into a written contract for the Lewises to buy 316.64 acres. At the same time, a new lease was prepared since the acreage under lease was reduced because of the purchase arrangement.
The real-estate contract, signed in June 2004, called for the Lewises to make 10 annual installments of $9,000, "with the first annual payment due on the 10th day of June 2004 and each annual installment due on the 1st day of June of each year thereafter until paid in full." The contract contained two other provisions of note: a forfeiture clause and a buy-back provision. Under the forfeiture clause, if the Lewises failed to "keep, observe and perform any of the covenants" made by them, including payment, R & K Ranch had the option to "declare the contract null and void." Under the buy-back provision, R & K Ranch had "the option at any time until the completion of the contract to purchase back the above described real estate at the amount equal to the amount PURCHASER has paid on the contract to that date . . . ."
The new lease agreement, also signed in June 2004, was for a 12-year term. The lease called for the Lewises to make lease payments of $7,275 twice each year, except that the first payment would be $5,025 due October 1, 2004.
Rent was due under the 2001 ground lease in May 2004, before the contract for purchase of part of the leased ground was signed in June. The Lewises paid $9,525 on May 1, 2004, which was the amount of their preexisting rental obligation. That payment was $2,250 more than the rent agreed upon in the June 2004 lease for future annual lease payments for the remaining ground, but the new lease's first payment due in October was $2,250 less than the annual lease payment due in later years ($7,275 $2,250 = $5,025).
There was some time delay in getting an escrow account set up to receive the Lewises' $9,000 payment on the land purchase due June 10, 2004. In addition, a check of title to the land showed that the First National Bank of Quinter, Kansas, had a mortgage interest. So the parties entered into an addendum to the purchase contract providing that the Lewises' payments be made jointly to R & K Ranch and First National Bank of Quinter. The Lewises signed the addendum on August 14, 2004.
But the Lewises never made the initial payment for $9,000, as required by the contract. In fact, the district court concluded that the Lewises never made any payment toward the land purchase.
In September 2004, Dennis Roemer, a principal with R & K Ranch, sought a new buyer. R & K Ranch then entered into a sales contract with K & K Farms for the same acreage that the Lewises had agreed to buy. Because the Lewises had made no payment toward the purchase, the district court concluded that R & K Ranch was entitled to proceed to void the sale to the Lewises and sell the land to another party. The district court noted that R & K Ranch was not required to make any payment to the Lewises because the Lewises had not made any payment toward the purchase. Thus, the contract's buy-back provision allowed R & K Ranch to take the property back without making any payment to the Lewises.
Procedural Background
Before moving on to the legal issues on appeal, we must address a procedural issue. After the Lewises rested at trial, the defendants R & K Ranch and Roemer as its general manager moved for what they called a directed verdict. Before the 1997 amendments to the Kansas Rules of Civil Procedure, a motion for directed verdict was made under K.S.A. 60-250 when a party had finished its presentation in a jury trial. Now the motion is called one for judgment as a matter of law, and it's still available under K.S.A. 60-250(a) in a jury trial. When made, the motion may be granted when the evidence--taken in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party--leaves no basis for a verdict in favor of that party. See Smith v. Kansas Gas Service Co., 285 Kan. 33, 40, 169 P.3d 1052 (2007). Many lawyers still refer to such motions as ones for a directed verdict, even though K.S.A. 60-250 has referred to them as ones for judgment as a matter of law since 1997. See L. 1997, ch. 173, sec. 26.
But whatever that motion may be called, it applies under K.S.A. 60-250 only in jury trials. This case was tried to the district judge, not a jury, so K.S.A. 60-252(c) applies, not K.S.A. 60-250. Under K.S.A. 60-252(c), once a party has had a full opportunity to present its evidence, "the court may enter judgment as a matter of law against that party with respect to a claim . . . that cannot under the controlling law be maintained . . . without a favorable finding on that issue." When considering a motion for judgment as a matter of law in a judge-tried case, "the district judge has the power to weigh and evaluate the evidence in the same manner as if he or she were adjudicating the case on the merits and making findings of fact at the conclusion of the entire case." Lyons, 38 Kan. App. 2d at 135. Accord 9C Wright & Miller, Federal Practice & Procedure: Civil 3d § 2573.1 (2008).
When the attorney for R & K Ranch and Roemer made his "directed verdict" motion, he cited the standard applicable to the old directed-verdict motion in a jury trial: that the judge must grant all inferences in favor of the nonmoving party. No one suggested any other standard, and the district court said it had reviewed the evidence in the light most favorable to the Lewises. Even under that more favorable standard for the Lewises, the district court found their evidence insufficient to support their claim.
On appeal, however, we must apply the law correctly: "It is the substance of the motion that controls, not the form." Jackson v. State, 1 Kan. App. 2d 744, 745-46, 573 P.2d 637 (1977) rev. denied 225 Kan. 844 (1978) (citing Ten Eyck v. Harp, 197 Kan. 529, 533, 419 P.2d 922 [1966]). Under K.S.A. 60-252(c), which applies here, the district court was free to make credibility determinations and to weigh the evidence. To the extent that it believed itself bound by a more stringent rule, that belief would favor the Lewises, not R & K Ranch or Roemer. On appellate review, we look to see whether the district court's findings are supported by substantial evidence and whether those findings are sufficient to support its legal ruling. Lyons, 38 Kan. App. 2d at 135.
With those standards in mind, we turn to the issues that the Lewises raised on appeal. First, they argue that the district court should not have granted judgment as a matter of law that R & K Ranch had properly declared the real-estate contract null and void. Second, they argue that the district court should not have granted judgment as a matter of law quieting title to the 316-acre tract to K & K Farms, the second party R & K Ranch sold it to. Third, they argue that the district court should not have awarded $4,500 that the Lewises had paid into court to R & K Ranch. We will address each issue separately, but none of them are difficult given the appropriate standard of review, which allowed the district court to judge credibility and to determine disputed facts.
I. The District Court Did Not Err in Concluding that R & K Ranch Lawfully Declared the Sales Contract to the Lewises Null and Void for Nonpayment.
The district court made several factual findings that are important to its decision that R & K Ranch properly declared the sales contract to the Lewises null and void for nonpayment. Most important among those is the finding that R & K Ranch "had not received any payment," full or partial, toward the purchase from the Lewises. The Lewises contest this on appeal, noting the testimony of Larri Lewis that $2,250 of the payment made in May 2005 was intended to go toward the ground purchase. But the Lewises have argued the wrong standard of review on appeal, and the district court was not required to accept Larri Lewis' testimony if other testimony led the court to a different conclusion. The district court specifically noted that the Lewises received full credit for that $2,250 by reducing the lease payment due October 1, 2004. The district court also noted that the real-estate contract had no provision suggesting the possibility of a partial payment, which is an especially significant omission since the parties drafted and signed that contract after the May 2005 lease payment from which Larri Lewis testified that $2,250 was intended to go toward the land purchase.
As we have already noted, we must accept the district court's factual findings if substantial evidence supports them. The district court's finding that no payments toward the land purchase were made by the Lewises meets that test.
So if no payments were made, was R & K Ranch then entitled to cancel the contract? Yes. The contract's forfeiture clause made that explicit: if the Lewises failed to "keep, observe and perform any of the covenants" made by them, including payment, R & K Ranch had the option to "declare the contract null and void." The district court also found that R & K Ranch did declare the contract void.
In addition to the forfeiture provision, we have noted that the contract contained a buy-back provision that allowed R & K Ranch to buy back the ground merely by reimbursing the Lewises for any payments made. The district court also found this provision gave R & K Ranch the authority to take the property back without payment to the Lewises in September 2004: "under the terms of the contract the sellers were permitted to do so and had no requirement to reimburse the Lewis[es] because no payment to that date had been made in September of 2004. That is exactly what happened when R & K Ranch sold the property to K & K Farms."
In sum, the district court found as a factual matter that the Lewises never made any payment toward the ground purchase. The Lewises' failure to meet their payment obligations gave R & K Ranch the option to declare the contract void, and the district court found that R & K Ranch did so. The Lewises' failure to meet their payment obligations also gave R & K Ranch the ability to use the buy-back provision of the contract without having to make any out-of-pocket payment to the Lewises. The district court also found that R & K Ranch properly relied upon that provision. The district court properly found that the Lewises had no further rights under the purchase contract.
II. The District Court Properly Quieted Title to the Disputed Real Estate to K & K Farms.
The Lewises separately claim that K & K Farms did not obtain clear title to the disputed ground because the Lewises had gained equitable title to it. According to the Lewises, this equitable title could only be eliminated in a foreclosure lawsuit.
In support of their claim, the Lewises cite Lumber Co. v. Arnold, 88 Kan. 465, 129 P. 178 (1913). In that case, a party agreed to purchase real estate under an oral contract that gave the buyer the ability to take possession of the real estate and build houses on it before making any payments. After the buyer hired suppliers when building the houses and those suppliers filed a mechanic's lien, the Kansas Supreme Court held that the buyer was estopped to deny ownership even though payment had not yet been made.
In addition to the Lumber Co. case, we acknowledge the general rule that in a contract-for-deed sale of real estate, a deed granting ownership to the buyer isn't recorded until all payments have been made, but the buyer has an equitable ownership interest that must be foreclosed to eliminate it. See Graham v. Claypool, 26 Kan. App. 2d 94, Syl. ¶ 3, 978 P.2d 298 (1999). But the Lewises read too much into the Lumber Co. case. They contend that under it every party who purchases real estate on a contract basis immediately becomes the equitable owner, even without payment. They argue that under it their equitable ownership remains unless a foreclosure proceeding is instituted, no matter what the terms of their purchase contract may say.
But there are also a number of important differences between the Lumber Co. case and our case. In Lumber Co., the buyer had no preexisting right of possession to the real estate, and the contract expressly provided that the buyer could take possession and build houses on the ground before making payment. Here, of course, the Lewises were already occupying the pasture ground by lease. In addition, the evidence suggested that they retained occupancy via lease after the sale to K & K Farms; the base amount that the Lewises actually paid after the sale to K & K Farms changed to a total payment of $9,525 twice yearly, the same rental they had paid for the full leased acreage before contracting to buy part of the ground. In addition to these factual distinctions, the legal setting of the Lumber Co. case is far different than our case as well: it involved whether a party was an owner for the purpose of allowing another to file a mechanic's lien against the property. The Kansas Supreme Court later noted that just because a party was considered an equitable owner for the purpose of filing a mechanic's lien, the factual scenario in Lumber Co., did not mean that the party was actually the owner of the real estate. Kennedy v. Atchison, 162 Kan. 694, 698-99, 178 P.2d 987 (1947).
The district court in our case noted that the purchase contract between the Lewises and R & K Ranch didn't provide any provision for the Lewises to have equitable title and that the Lewises made no "substantial contribution" either to the title or to payment on the purchase price.
In these circumstances, we conclude that a foreclosure suit was not required to eliminate the possibility of an equitable title interest by the Lewises. The Lewises signed the purchase contract with the forfeiture and buy-back provisions that we have already noted, and the Lewises made no payment toward the purchase. The Lewises already occupied the land under lease before signing the purchase contract, and the Lewises effectively paid rent in exchange for their continued possession of the property. The district court did not err in granting judgment as a matter of law quieting title to the disputed farm ground to K & K Farms.
III. The District Court Did Not Err in Awarding the Money Paid into Court to R & K Ranch.
The last issue involves what to do with $4,500 that the Lewises paid into court while the lawsuit was pending. The parties agree--and so do we--that the district court's decision on this issue should be reviewed for abuse of discretion, which means that we should uphold that decision unless no reasonable person would agree with it. See In re Estate of Lane, 39 Kan. App. 2d 1062, 1070, 188 P.3d 23 (2008).
The Lewises made two payments into court in the amount of $9,525. But the 2004 ground lease didn't cover the purchased ground and called for a payment of only $7,275. Thus, an extra $2,250 was included in each payment, for a total of $4,500.
The Lewises contended that these represented additional partial payments toward the land purchase, but we have already affirmed the district court's conclusion that R & K Ranch properly declared that contract void and sold the ground to K & K Farms before these payments were made. In the event we affirmed the district court's judgment on that issue, the Lewises argue on appeal that the money should be refunded to the Lewises.
In support of this argument, the Lewises note that the district court upheld the sale of the ground to K & K Ranch in 2004. Because the payments were made after that date, the Lewises argue that they should not go to R & K Ranch, which no longer owned the property.
The district court found that as a matter of equity, the Lewises had occupied the disputed ground pending resolution of the lawsuit and that they should have to pay something in rent. The court found that it was equitable to order the $4,500 charged as rent and paid out to R & K Ranch. The court separately found that the 2004 lease to the nondisputed ground remained in effect, a ruling not appealed to us.
The Lewises chose to pay the sum of $9,525 into court, even though the 2004 lease called for a payment of only $7,275. The Lewises also chose to continue occupancy of the disputed ground. The district court heard testimony that indicated K & K Farms had tried to place cattle on that ground in 2006, but the Lewises turned those cattle out. When the Lewises paid the money now at issue into the court while occupying ground no longer covered under a written lease, those actions gave the court equitable power to determine how to allocate those sums. The court was well within its equitable authority to order that the money be treated as rent.
The Lewises' separate argument that the money shouldn't be paid to R & K Ranch, since it no longer owned the property, might have merit if it were supported by K & K Farms. But K & K Farms told the district court to pay the money out to R & K Ranch. The Lewises occupied the disputed ground and do not claim that the $4,500 was an unfair rental rate for the time they occupied it. To whom the money should be paid is a matter between R & K Ranch and K & K Farms. Since K & K Farms told the court to disburse the funds to R & K Ranch, the district court did not err in making that its order.
The judgment of the district court is affirmed.


text:
This question already has an answer here:
In some places, the Bible uses wording like "children of God" or "sons of God". One example of this use is Genesis 6:2, and another is Galatians 3:26:
26 For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.
26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, [alternate translation]
I understand that many of these uses might be symbolic. Does the Bible clarify?
According to the Bible and Christian teaching, was Jesus the only Son of God?


text:
Session #2
In these classes, we will learn how to draw key parts of the fashion body by breaking the figure down into basic shapes. We will also learn about proportions and how they help make our drawings look more realistic. Students will learn the difference between sketching and drawing details, and how both are important to create a finished drawing.
We will work only in pencil to focus on learning shapes, and understanding light and shadow, before introducing color. I have found students rushing to finish drawing so they can color it. A separate Color Theory class is coming next month.
We will also practice sharing our work in a group, giving and accepting feedback, which is an important part of being an artist. We will use these constructive comments to get new ideas and find ways to improve our art.
Final product - Students will learn to draw a face, 3 hand positions, 3 feet positions, and a 9-head figure, and be able to use the skills they learned to draw these things on their own.
All materials provided


text:
Norris twirls gem as Orioles blank Red Sox
BALTIMORE -- Bud Norris is tired of trying to figure out his best start this season. He hasn't always been brilliant, but the Orioles starter has posted enough strong ones that there's at least a conversation to be had.
BALTIMORE -- Bud Norris is tired of trying to figure out his best start this season. He hasn't always been brilliant, but the Orioles starter has posted enough strong ones that there's at least a conversation to be had.
He tossed seven scoreless in his first outing of the year. In mid-May, he pitched into the eighth inning in back-to-back starts. On Monday night, he was asked to figure it out again. He didn't come up with an answer, but eight innings of three-hit ball to beat the Red Sox, 4-0, ranks at the top statistically.
Norris (5-5) struck out six against the defending World Series champs in the opener of a three-game series at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. He left the game after eight innings having thrown just 98 pitches. Were it not for a blister on his hand, he could have come back out for the ninth and tried to notch his first career shutout in front of 19,729 in the stadium to watch the rivals battle.
"We needed a well-pitched game," O's manager Buck Showalter said. "We had bullets down in the 'pen, but Bud was really good. I probably would have given him a chance to finish that game."
It wasn't until the fifth that Norris faced a semblance of adversity. Through four innings, he had faced the minimum. The only baserunner came when Brock Holt led off the game with a single, but catcher Caleb Joseph erased him trying to steal second. After that, Norris cruised.
When Daniel Nava dropped a two-out single into right field in the fifth, Norris induced the next batter to ground out softly. After he walked two batters in the sixth, he got Xander Bogaerts to fly out and ended the inning with a fielder's choice by Dustin Pedroia.
"We're always focused on getting ahead in counts and fastball command," Norris said. "Caleb called a great game and the guys made great plays behind me."
Opposite Norris, Jake Peavy (1-4) held his own. Boston's starter lasted seven innings and struck out seven, but his mistakes were more costly.
With two outs in the first, Adam Jones belted a home run to center field. It was his fourth home run in seven games as his torrid start to June continues.
The All-Star is batting .455 with a 1.306 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in the first eight games of the month.
"I'm trying to use the whole field," he said. "I'm not trying to limit myself to just pulling the ball. That's how I get in trouble. Just trying to use the whole field. If it's in, try to pull it. If it's away, try to stay on it.
"It's not rocket science, but some sort of science."
Peavy stayed out of trouble for the next three innings before outfielder Nick Markakis tacked on two more runs with a two-RBI bomb to right field. He finished with two hits to run his hitting streak to 13 games.
Two innings later, Ryan Flaherty hit Baltimore's third home run, and with the way Norris was dealing, the homer put the game well out of reach.
"We ran into a good pitcher," Boston manager John Farrell said.
Showalter invoked Orel Hershiser when trying to explain why Norris was as good as he was Monday. The former NL Cy Young Award winner said a pitcher needs one pitch to compete, two to win and three to dominate.
Norris wasn't dominant, Showalter said, but he threw two pitches well. His fastball was strong and he used his changeup, his third pitch, effectively enough to put together the best start of the season and give the O's a sixth win in nine games.
"That third pitch kind of put his game at a different level," Showalter said. "Got some early outs, didn't really get a lot of deep counts. I thought that was fun to watch. He was a lot more entertaining, I can tell you that."
David Wilson is an associate reporter for MLB.com.


text:
Oct. 28, 2008
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara men's and women's soccer programs will join forces this winter to host co-ed Christmas Camp for age 6-12. Two super skills camp sessions will be offered along with a goalkeeper camp from Dec. 22-30.
The Mission of the Santa Clara Soccer Camps is to develop the American youth soccer player through the SCU Soccer Philosophy. The philosophy of positive teaching by role-models provides a nurturing environment for each player to gain self confidence, self-motivation, and self-discipline. All players are challenged and supported by the curriculum while forming friendships with the coaching staff and fellow players.
The camps will be instructed by associate head women's soccer coach Gregg Murphy, associate head men's soccer coach Eric Yamamoto, women's assistant coach Curtis McAlister and men's assistant coach Rusty Johnson.
Super Skills Day Camp Curriculum
Dates: Dec. 22-23 or Dec. 29-30, 2008
Time: 9 a.m. - Noon
Location: The Santa Clara Soccer Park
Ages: 6-12
Price: $99
Description: Skill-teaching rotation system designed to introduce and improve technical skills of the game. Each sector of the rotation will focus on a different technical skill and will be reinforced and expanded upon each day. Emphasis will be placed upon improving the overall skill of each player.
Goalkeeper Day Camp Curriculum
Date: Dec. 22-23, 2008 ONLY
Time: 9 a.m. - Noon
Location: The Santa Clara Soccer Park
Ages: 8-12
Price: $125
Description: The focus of the goalkeeping camp will be to develop the technical skills of the young goalkeeper. The basic fundamentals of footwork, catching, and diving, will be emphasized in a small group atmosphere. Groupings will be determined by ability.
For more information, please contact Rusty Johnson at (408) 554-4003 or via e-mail at email@example.com.


text:
About the Community & Neighborhood Development Program ||| Currently Funded Activities ||| Results ||| Proposal Qualifications and Process ||| Materials Available from Us ||| How To Contact Us
Revitalization of Concentration Neighborhoods
Conditions ||| Activities
These activities support coordinated planning and implementation of revitalization projects within target neighborhoods in ways which strengthen the neighborhood environment and organizations. They include support for the planning process for the development of neighborhood plans in selected areas and the initial two-year funding of activities selected by those neighborhood steering committees involved in the development of such plans. These activities include the completion of neighborhood plans in the greater South Madison / Bay Creek area (and the funding of projects which will be developed from those plans), as well as the completion of activities approved through prior neighborhood planning processes.
These activities address Objective L in the Five-Year Plan and generally serve all residents of the targeted neighborhoods, although activities are generally directed toward resident households or business owners whose incomes are at 80% or less of the area median. The objective is to promote revitalization activities which support coordinated efforts within key neighborhoods to increase resident involvement in planning and other civic activities, improve housing management, and foster comprehensive local social and physical efforts to enhance the quality of life for residents within target neighborhoods.
The Commission will reserve funds solely for use within a CDBG designated neighborhood or census tract. The Commission will target planning funds for up to a one-year period for each designated neighborhood or census tract, to include appropriate technical assistance for increasing the capacity of the neighborhood, and planning assistance for preparation of an updated neighborhood plan followed by a period of activity funding.
The Commission shall make available activity funds only for proposals submitted by a qualified non-profit entity and sponsored by a City designated steering committee or a consortium of neighborhood associations in the designated census tract(s) with a Council-approved updated plan. Activity funds for 2007 and 2008 will be targeted to the Hiestand neighborhood (Census Tract 30.02) with a second and third neighborhood to be designated by the CDBG Commission for planning assistance in 2007 and 2008.
The 2007 objectives include the completion of a neighborhood plan in a new planning area, and implementation of activities in Census Tracts 14.01, 24.01, and 4.01. (Benchmarks include such measures as the stability of residency and the participation of residents in civic events.)
For information on how to submit a proposal in this category, click here.
The Commission will provide funds to capitalized activities which are either one-time or will demonstrate self-sufficiency after the period of CDBG assistance. Activities categorized by HUD as planning/administrative or "public service" are not eligible.
Capital and infrastructure activities normally funded by the City as part of the capital budget process are not eligible, except for activities addressing accessibility or providing the neighborhood share of CitiARTS projects or neighborhood park improvements.
Activities must be consistent with the neighborhood plan developed by the neighborhood. Neighborhoods will be encouraged to recommend activities which address inter-related issues within a comprehensive strategy and which generate a long-term positive impact on the neighborhood.
Ongoing / currently funded activities in this category include:
City Planning Unit: Neighborhood Planning
South Madison: (activities to be determined)
Southwest Madison: (activities to be determined)
Continuing activities to be completed in 2007 include the improvement of neighborhood parks in the Hiestand and Mayfair neighborhood areas.


text:
can i get aids H.i.v from having sex with male dog?
Nope, but having sex with a dog can cause lots of other problems. One of the things you could get is arrested. See below.
Dr. Bob
can dogs contract hiv from humans (DOGS AND HIV, 2008) May 13, 2008
I recently had to get a iv drip due to dehydration. I noticed the dog chewed a hole in the towel where there was dried blood..can she get the virus from me? as I am positive
Response from Dr. Frascino
Nope! The "H" in HIV stands for human, remember?
I'll repost below some other doggy-related HIV questions to not only show you that you are not the first or only person to have this concern, but also to provide some entertainment relief while you're rehydrating on your I.V. drip.
Give Toto an extra dog-cookie from me, OK?
Dr. Bob
Can you get HIV throguh humping your dog. Sep 26, 2007
Can you get HIV throguh humping your dog. That is a sick question, every one knows you just don't hump dog's!I prefer rats then you can get off and control the rodent population (I am kidding I do not hump rats just in case you did not hear the sarcasm) I just thought I would thank you for trying to help me overcome my fear of being positive I have written you before. I was the one WW with all the symptoms (figure that out) still have no answers and reoccurring oral thrush, but just got my 22 month elisa and it is still negative (as you predicted)so it is time to move on and look at other causes THANK YOU MUCH and 50 cool points to ya (redeemable at all 420 locations)
Response from Dr. Frascino
You're welcome and thank you for the cool points. I plan to redeem them for a plush toy for my pooch Presto in the image of that clueless crackpot who wrote in about humping his canine.
Stay well.
Dr. Bob
Can you get HIV throguh humping your dog. Sep 21, 2007
I sometimes hump my dog with my clothes off, and I hump him with lubricants on my penis and on his stomeach and penis, I do it because his penis is hard and his skin is hot. Can I get HIV doing this.
Response from Dr. Frascino
HIV? No. But you can get alot of other things...included arrested. In fact, is that the SPCA knocking at your door? If not. I'm sure they soon will be. I'm forwarding your e-mail to them.
Dr. Bob
HIV Dog Scratch (DOGS, HIV TRANSMISSION) Jul 22, 2007
my nieghbor has hiv and for a while ive been letting him see my dog/ play with her. My dog is friendly and scratches my nieghbors legs to get his attention. The problem is when he doesnt pay attention to her, she runs right over to me and scratches my legs. Can hiv be transmitted this way? Im just worried that blood gets on my dogs nails when she scratches him then its goes into my system when she scratches me. Ive donated to you foundation before when i learned about it when I was in San Fran, and Ill do so again.
Response from Dr. Frascino
HIV via canine scratch? Nope. HIV is not transmitted this way. So let Toto play with your neighbor (and vice versa), OK?
Thanks for your donation (www.concertedeffort.org) and for letting your pooch cheer up a poz neighbor (and visa versa)!
I'll reprint some other dog posts below.
Stay well. Give the pooch a pet from me.
Dr. Bob
can dogs transmit HIV? Aug 18, 2005
this might seem awkward, but i am really serious. here is the situation:
- my roommate is gay 2) i am not sure if he is HIV +ve or not 3) i have doubts that he has sex with his dog (i am not kidding) 4) his dog bit me 5) is it possible that i contracted AIDS?
Thank you.
Response from Dr. Frascino
Have you been listening to those rightwing wing-nuts who claim being gay is a slippery slope to bestiality, pedophilia and devil worship? I think the dog may have bit you because it wanted you to turn off the Fox News Channel.
Relax, Dude, you can't get HIV from TOTO. O.K.? Now tell us, is it really true what they say about straight guys and gerbils?
Dr. Bob
Oral sex with family dog Mar 8, 2007
I enjoy having oral sex with our family dog (sucking his penis) until he ejaculates in my mouth while my husband films it. Is there any physical danger to this type of oral sex?
Response from Dr. Frascino
You give Cujo a hummer until you get a mouth full of canine cum while your hubby films the festivities??? Hmmm . . . there is just so much wrong with that picture I hardly know where to begin. I'll bet you'll be quite famous once your video hits Doggie YouTube.
Dr. Bob
dogs and HIV and whipped cream May 9, 2007
i have hiv and i sometime let him lick whipped cream off my penis. can the dog catch it?
Response from Dr. Frascino
No, Toto is not at risk. HIV stands for "Human" Immunodeficiency Virus. That said, I don't approve of your latest pet "trick" (so to speak). Even if you can convince Toto to give you a whipped cream hummer without worries of his becoming HIV infected, you have other worries to consider:
You could contract a canine disease if he's carrying something. After all, dogs can lick their own dick and balls, not to mention all sorts of other stuff.
You might turn your dog gay. This may be OK if he's a poodle or Chihuahua or something like that, but if he's a German shepherd or Great Dane, he could have troubles if word gets out at the dog park.
Finally, if you are resorting to canine tongue for your sexual gratification, you definitely need to get out more. Sure, dogs are wonderful and all, but boyfriends are oh so much better when it comes to getting the whipped cream off your joystick.
Dr. Bob
is my dog hiv positive???made donation already Jul 9, 2007
hi there iam very concerned as iam positive and was playing with my dog and bit her(tiny chihuahua)She now has been coughing and is showing signs of malaise as sshe is not eating.Do you think I MAY HAVE INFECTED HER WITH HIV BY BITING HER.Please help me as she is my baby and I PROMISE I will never bite her when we cuddle in bed.thank you.
Response from Dr. Frascino
You bit your Chihuahua? Now there's a twist on a familiar theme. Relax sweetie, your little schnookerdoodle has not been harmed. Humans cannot transmit HIV to their pets. Remember, the "H" in HIV stands for Human, not "Henrietta the Chihuahua!" If your little schnookums is coughing and "showing signs of malaise," I suggest you take her to the vet. One thing that's for certain: the cause of her problem is not HIV, OK?
Now remember, no more biting! And no peeing on the carpet either!
Dr. Bob
dog licking your vagina Jun 10, 2007
Is it Ok if a dog licks your vagina?
Response from Dr. Frascino
Believe it or not, you are not the first person to ask me this question. My response remains unchanged. See below.
Dr. Bob
dog sex? Jan 26, 2006
What happend if your dog licked your vagina
Response from Dr. Frascino
Licked my vagina? But I don't have a vagina!
Dr. Bob
DUDE- ANIMALS??? Jun 27, 2003
can animals transmit the hiv or aids to human? "What is the scientific explanation for why animals LIKE DOGS can or cannot get HIV?"
Response from Dr. Frascino
Hey Raul,
Well it has to do with the "H" in HIV. It stands for HUMAN, as in Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Dogs cant get it, because they are not human, although my pooch thinks he is.
Basically, many diseases are species-specific. In other words, dogs dont have to worry about HIV and you dont have to worry about getting Tasmanian Devil Crotchrot Fever. OK?
Dr. Bob


text:
With the PlayStation Network back on its feet, Sony released a firmware update to force gamers to change their password. Later, Sony's official PlayStation headset accidentally announced Firmware update 3.70, but before we get to the big .70, we'll first have to download version 3.66.
Over on the PS Blog, Eric Lempel, Vice President of Sony Network Entertainment, announced the mandatory update, but unfortunately it doesn't look like it will be anything special:
A new PS3 system software update, v3.66, will be released soon. With this minor update, system stability during use of PS3 format software and network services has been improved.
We'll be sure to update you when it is live, and whether it has any new special features, so stay tuned to PlayStation LifeStyle.


text:
Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Prices for the two biggest U.S. crops will fall this year on record corn and soybean production, easing food inflation while providing less cash for growers recovering from drought, the government said.
Corn will plunge 33 percent and soybeans will drop 27 percent, Joe Glauber, the chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said yesterday at the agency's annual outlook forum. Corn inventories before the 2014 harvest will triple from this year's projected figure, the department said today. The increased supplies mean receipts for the major crops will fall 1.5 percent to $216.3 billion, the USDA said.
The lower prices, which are below a separate USDA 10-year forecast made earlier this month, are a classic supply response to the worst drought since the 1930s, Glauber said. After the dry conditions pushed corn to a record $8.49 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade in August, growers are planning to produce more, driving prices lower as inventories rebuild, he said. Farmer profit will still reach a record $128.2 billion this year as supplies are replenished, the USDA said.
"High prices ahead of planting should encourage large corn and soybean acreages, and, assuming normal yields, stock levels should rebuild and prices should moderate," Glauber said.
Planted Acreage
Farmers will plant 96.5 million acres of corn, for a crop of 14.53 billion bushels, the USDA said. About 77.5 million acres of soybeans will be sown, for projected output of 3.405 billion bushels; wheat acres will total 56 million, with production at 2.1 billion bushels, the department said.
Corn inventories will reach 2.177 billion bushels by Aug. 31, 2014, the most since 1988, the USDA said, while soybean supplies will total 250 million bushels, double a year earlier. Wheat reserves on May 31, 2014, will be 639 million bushels, down 7.5 percent.
Which crops farmers plant are crucial for seed-and- pesticide sellers including Monsanto Co. and DuPont Co., food- makers such as General Mills Co., and ethanol producers like Archer-Daniels-Midland Co., all of which have their profits affected by the availability of farm products.
Prices for wheat, the fourth-biggest U.S. crop, after hay, will drop 11 percent in the year starting June 1, the USDA said, even as production falls because of lingering drought in the western and southern Great Plains. Cotton prices will rise 2.8 percent while the area planted with the fiber falls to 10 million acres, the department said today.
Wheat Seedings
Wheat acreage will rise 0.5 percent. Combined with corn and soybeans, plantings of the three crops may be the most since 1982, Glauber said.
"The record crop forecasts were sobering news and will cast a negative bias to the corn and soybean markets," Richard Feltes, the vice president of research at R.J. O'Brien & Associates in Chicago, said in an interview at the conference.
Farmers deciding what to plant are guided by concerns ranging from the prices they expect at harvest and the cost of fertilizer and other inputs to what the weather is likely to allow. Corn yields on average about four times as much grain per acre as wheat, for example, yet wheat needs much less water than corn.
"You're balancing soil conditions with what the likely market is going to be," Andy Novakovic, a professor of agricultural economics at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, said in an interview. "In some places, the drought isn't something farmers have to worry about anymore," while in others, growers aren't even sure their seeds will germinate, he said.
Adapted Seeds
Outside Mohall, North Dakota, Jeff Oberholtzer is planning to double the land he sows with corn this year, to about 600 acres, as seed varieties better adapted to northern conditions are boosting his yields. With an ethanol plant nearby that will buy the grain, it's a sensible crop to grow, even at a lower price, he said.
"It seems to be a better fit for us, and the soil looks good," said Oberholtzer, 29.
Corn prices paid to farmers this year are projected to average $4.80 a bushel, down from $7.20; soybeans will average $10.50, down from $14.30, while wheat will fall to $7 a bushel from $7.90, the USDA said yesterday. Cotton prices are projected to rise to 73 cents a pound from 71 cents.
Food Prices
The lower prices will be a boon to the livestock industry, where the cattle herd has dropped to the smallest since 1952 after ranchers sold animals for slaughter to avoid high feed costs last year, Bob Young, chief economist of the American Farm Bureau Federation, the largest U.S. farmer group, said in a recent interview. Consumers may also be helped later in the year, as replenished inventories will ease pressure on food costs, USDA food economist Richard Volpe said yesterday.
All projections of lower prices and higher supplies are based on assumptions of normal weather, Glauber and Volpe said. For many farmers, last year's drought damage isn't affecting this year's hopes. Jack McCormick's parched Illinois soil last year yielded about a quarter of the corn it normally does. This year, he's making no changes to his planting.
"If I knew we'd have a drought this year I'd plant less corn, and if I knew it would be wet I'd plant more, but I don't know that," said McCormick, who will split almost 1,200 acres near Ellis Grove equally among corn, wheat and soybeans, just as he did last year, before similar forecasts of a record harvest were dashed by dryness.
"We have a good rotation," he said. "We are not going to change our cropping patterns just because of one year of drought."
To contact the reporter on this story: Alan Bjerga in Washington at [email protected]
Profit Briefing: Soybeans Rally on Shipping Delays in Brazil
Snowstorm Doesn't Dampen Wheat College


text:
BLOOD DRIVES ALBANY -- The American Red Cross will hold blood drives at the following locations during July. Call 1-800-RED CROSS for information and appointments. July 15, 1-6 p.m. Cohoes-Waterford Elks, Banquet Room, 45 North Mohawk St., Cohoes; 1-6 p.m. Northway Toyota Bloodmobile, 727 New Loudon Road, Latham; 1-5 p.m. The Record, Meeting Room, 501 Broadway, Troy. July 18, 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Auditorium, 113 Holland Ave., Albany; 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Hedley Park Place Bloodmobile, 433 River St., Troy. July 19, 1-6 p.m. Midway Fire Department, Community Room, 1956 Central Ave., Colonie; 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Rensselaer County Building, DOH Clinical Offices, 1600 Seventh Ave., Troy. July 20, 8 a.m.-noon Parish of Mater Christi Parish Center, Multi Purpose Room A, 40 Hopewell St., Albany. July 22, 2-6 p.m. Jewish Community Center Bloodmobile, 340 Whitehall Road, Albany; 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Albany International Airport, Observation Room 737 Albany Shaker Road, Albany; 1-6 p.m. United Methodist Church, Fellowship Hall, 17 South Main St., Berlin; noon-6 p.m. Troy Masonic Temple, Dining Room, 39 Brunswick Road, Troy. July 23, 1-5 p.m. RPI Academy Hall, Auditorium, 15th Street, Troy. July 24, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Catholic Diocese Pastoral Center, Training Rooms 1 & 2, 40 North Main Ave., Albany; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. One Commerce Plaza, Insurance Dept. Break Room, 99 Washington Ave., Albany; noon-6 p.m. St. Mary's Church Bloodmobile, 23 Church St., Nassau; 1-6 p.m. Colonie Memorial Town Hall, Courtroom, 534 Loudon Road, Newtonville. July 29, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. New York State Homes & Community Renewal, Hampton Plaza Ballroom, 38-40 State St., Albany; 1-6 p.m. Evangelical Lutheran Church, Church Hall, 772 Route 351, Poestenkill. July 30, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. St. Peter's Hospital, Mercy Rooms 2-3-4 First Floor, 315 South Manning Blvd., Albany. DRUM CIRCLE NEW LEBANON -- Musician and educator Allen Livermore leads a Community Drum Circle at 6 p.m. July 15 at the New Lebanon Library, 550 Route 20. The free program, which offers participants the opportunity to play as part of drum circle, improvise and have fun, is open to all ages and all levels of prior experience. Participants can bring their own drums, shakers, cowbells and other percussion instruments or borrow ours. BREAKFAST LATHAM -- The Colonie Elks will serve breakfast 8:30-11:30 a.m. Aug. 4 at the lodge, 11 Elks Lane. The menu includes scrambled eggs, pancakes, home fries, sausage, juice and coffee. The cost is $6.
Most Popular
- Accelerate ABA set to open next month in Halfmoon
- Saratoga Springs Police Department names new school resource officer
- Saratoga Springs Police advisory: Shot fired at Putnam Place
- Greenfield Center woman charged with DWI, resisting arrest
- Snapshot: Sensory Six opens new studio In Saratoga Springs
- Ballston Spa man killed in fatal crash involving motor vehicle and train
- Palette Upstairs open for business in Saratoga Springs
- Saratoga Springs Police Department report: Nov. 10, 2019
- Clifton Park man charged for indecent texts with minor
- Saratoga Fair Trade Market Expo to return to Saratoga Springs City Center


text:
Thrombolytics are used to treat some people who are having a heart attack. They are typically given in a vein (intravenously, or IV). These drugs dissolve or break up blood
clots that are blocking blood flow through a coronary artery. Clots cause most
heart attacks.
Thrombolytics are used in the hospital as soon as possible after a heart attack. They work best if they are given within 3 hours of a
heart attack.1
Thrombolytics are not an option for everyone.
They are not used if you have a high risk of having serious problems, such as severe bleeding.
After a heart attack, thrombolytic medicines help to get blood flowing back to the heart.1
Thrombolytics are given in the hospital. So a person is watched closely for any side effects.
The most common side effect is bleeding inside the body.
Other side effects may include:
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug
Reference is not available in all systems.)
Thrombolytics are also used to treat blood clots that cause
Complete the new medication information form (PDF)(What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.
CitationsHass EE, et al. (2011). ST-segmented elevation myocardial infarction. In V Fuster et al., eds., Hurst's the Heart, 13th ed., vol. 2, pp. 1354–1385. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Last Revised:
April 29, 2011
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


text:
Market Insights: Sold in 67 days: Take the market by storm
Special to the Daily
Editor's note: This is a series of articles about how to get your property sold in 67 days. To read the previous articles and review all 12 steps in the process, go to http://www.summitdaily.com and search for "market insights."
Here is a summary of the steps to selling in 67 days: 1) Plan ahead. 2) Know the market. 3) Make the commitment to sell. 4) Select your Realtor. 5) Work as a team and prepare your property. 6) Explode onto the market. 7) Listen, listen, listen. 8) Take action. 9) Don't worry, be happy. 10) Snag the right buyer. 11) Keep every commitment. 12) Sign on the dotted line. This week we are covering steps six, seven and eight.
Here we are at the sixth step, and you are finally ready to place your property on the market. By now upgrades have been made, the property is sparkling, staged beautifully, looks the best it is ever going to look and has been professionally photographed. In addition, your Realtor has prepared all the steps in the marketing plan you agreed upon.
With the property and the marketing all ready to go, all it will take your Realtor to do is the push of a few buttons to explode onto the market. This is far and away the most effective aspect of the marketing that will get a property sold quickly. I can assure you, if the property is priced correctly, making a big splash has an enormous impact on prospective buyers.
Please keep in mind the only way you will be able to explode onto the market is if you have followed the first five steps and you are extremely well prepared which, of course, takes time.
I often have sellers ask me, "Listen to whom and how?" Great questions. Listen to the response of the marketplace and use a variety of techniques to do so.
The first two things we listen to are the number of showings and the feedback Realtors provide us by email.
In the busy sales seasons in Summit County, I aim to have two showings per week per property. Having a consistent number of showings tells you the marketplace is interested in your property. If you hear silence, i.e., no showings at all, that tells you something as well.
As for the feedback Realtors provide by email, my most important piece of advice is to encourage you to look for trends.
Conducting open houses is another tool for listening to the marketplace. If a prospective buyer provides feedback, make sure you know if that that buyer is familiar with the Summit County market or not. And if you obtain lots of feedback at open houses from Summit County Realtors, make sure that feedback is received in a way that one Realtor's comments do not influence another Realtor's comments.
f you are genuine in your desire to have your property sold in 67 days, you will want to move forward with changes, corrections and improvements rapidly. At this stage of the process, you will either be making changes to the property and/or to the marketing.
For an example, the sellers of the property in these photos, which sold this summer in 67 days, took the actions outlined below shortly after being on the market.
• After an open house specifically for Realtors, they lowered the price based on recommendations received at the open house.
• Based on feedback from showings, they rearranged furniture to make the home feel larger.
• During the busiest time of the summer, when showings were not averaging two a week, they lowered the price.
• As their Realtor, I took a number of steps, including rewriting descriptions of the property, rearranging photos of the property and adding additional marketing into the plan.
See you next Saturday, when we talk about snagging the right buyer. Love life, DWJ.
Daniel Webster Johnson is a very active, full-time Realtor in Breckenridge, who has earned the national Quality Service Certified Platinum award, recognition of 100 percent client satisfaction. He is one of the team at Resort Brokers Real Estate. He loves feedback, so call him at (970) 393-3300 or drop him a line at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.


text:
Solar power produced by SCHURTER GmbH exceeds the two million mark
The 2,000,000 kWh current that is produced, corresponds to the consumption of 444 four-person households.
Furthermore, the operation of the photovoltaic system is an essential contribution to both environmental and climate protection. This leads to a permanent reduction of CO2 emissions; therefore currently the environment has been polluted with 1406 tons less of CO2.


text:
Get DVD Talk Feeds
The story is less than a clothesline -- it's hardly even a string. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is back on Earth with a plot to steal the Tesseract (from Captain America) and use it to open a dimensional hole, through which an army's worth of aliens can pour and claim the planet in Loki's name. A few further wisps of material exist for each character: the question of how much control Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) has over his rage, the presence of mysterious backstory between Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) arguing with a small board of shadowy government officials whether a team of superheroes is a good idea, but 90% of the movie is devoted to stopping Loki.
Whedon's strength has always been snappy dialogue, and this is no different. His accuracy in replicating the characters as defined by the other movies is as much about proper sequelization as it is perfecting the banter -- knowing Captain America (Chris Evans) inside and out allows him to sling a better barb at Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.). Then again, Whedon also has the opportunity to define a few characters himself: the Bruce Banner character shown here is leagues above and beyond the character presented in either Hulk film, inverting the forumla that flopped twice before. Whedon also shows a remarkable skill in directing action. Although he has plenty of television and the feature film Serenity under his belt, all of that material might as well have been two people sitting in an empty room compared to the chaos he has to manage here. He starts slowly, pairing characters off for miniature get-to-know-you fights before launching into the film's two big action sequences, one inside the Avengers' mobile headquarters, and the other in the streets of NYC. The first one lacks a strong sense of geography and strands many characters (Cap and Iron Man) with mundane tasks, but the NYC action is smooth and spectacular, if awkwardly PC (not one visible civilian death!), perhaps to mute any residual discomfort at seeing New York full of explosions and smoke.
At the same time, The Avengers is much of a muchness: it's all so big and so amped up that it practically becomes monotonous. No one expects a summer movie to be heavy on story and light on action, but it's surprising how little dramatic meat there is on the bones of this two-and-a-half-hour movie. The "get the MacGuffin" nature of Loki's plot might be more forgivable if Whedon either had a self-contained story to tell about The Avengers as a team, or did a better job of handling the threads left open by the previous films, but the film is one big action beat from beginning to end. The Avengers are separated and divided for most of the runtime in order to make the finale more exciting, but the lack of a group dynamic, even a dysfunctional one, is frustrating, and new characters get the short end of the stick (I don't know more about Hawkeye now than I did before, and I'll be surprised if the average viewer realizes Cobie Smulders' Agent Hill is more than a glorified extra). Yeah, some of the quippy dialogue is meant to serve as character development, but it's brief at best (Bruce Banner's big transformation is practically done inside a sentence), and it begins to build up with the same tone until the viewer can hardly distinguish one cutting one-liner from another.
The original Iron Man was fast and fun, unburdened by the desire to leave the Marvel imprint on the movie industry. The success of that film opened the door to bigger and better things, but the films themselves are still scrambling to return to that watermark, to find freedom within the creative constraints of a bigger picture. The Avengers is meant to be the payoff to all the hard work, but it's basically just a big cotton candy ball of wish fulfillment. Although it's everything the other movies have told you to expect in the codas, tags, and epilogues (and although an Avengers film would always be a form of wish fulfillment), I wish in retrospect that Marvel's goal had been more specific than "everyone in the same movie," that their grand scheme was about a story and not an idea. As summer spectacle goes, The Avengers hits a high note; I'm just not sure the highness of that one note makes the tune any prettier.
Note: The post-conversion of the film is decent but unimportant. See it in 2D.


text:
Corner cube prisms are designed to reflect any ray or beam entering the prism face, regardless of the orientation of the prism, back onto itself. A mirror will only do that at the normal angle of incidence. Corner cubes are ideal where precision alignment is difficult or time-consuming. Corner cubes will function even at very large angles of incidence. There are three total internal reflections within the corner cube.
Commercial Grade Corner Cubes offer commercial quality, at an affordable price. Commercial grade optics have standard designs and are available on an ongoing basis. They are recommended for volume buyers or OEMs.


text:
Azan was a Wysanti and one of the four Borg children rescued by the USS Voyager in 2376. He and his twin brother, Rebi, had been assimilated by the Borg several years previously. After the Borg cube he was on was disabled by a pathogen, he and the other children were taken on board Voyager where former Borg drone Seven of Nine helped him to regain his individuality. (VOY: "Collective")
While on Voyager, Azan and Rebi worked together on a project for the 1st Annual Voyager Science Fair. Their original idea was to clone Naomi Wildman. However, on recommendation from Seven of Nine, they chose to clone a potato instead. (VOY: "Child's Play")
Azan usually wore a blue shirt and brown overalls.
Azan and the other former-Borg children were in Cargo Bay 2 regenerating when main power was shut down in 2376. When their regeneration alcoves shut off, Neelix entertained them for the duration of the blackout by telling a story of a electromagnetic lifeform. (VOY: "The Haunting of Deck Twelve")
Azan and Rebi left Voyager when the starship encountered their people, the Wysanti. Mezoti also left the ship, to live with the twins. (VOY: "Imperfection")


text:
" Great class! I enjoyed it immensely! It was well structured and offered everything you need to start your own business on the internet. I don't think I could have found a better course anywhere else. Thanks! "
" I enjoyed the class materials and discussion areas. I found the information very helpful to my work responsibilities. "
" I enjoyed the course a lot since I was just putting together a web site for my company and found it really helpful by explaining the process and options. The course should be marketed to Chambers of Commerce as a good resource for their members. "
" I enjoyed this class greatly and looked forward to each lesson. It has given me so much information in all aspects of internet marketing; I know my website will succeed. This class will prove invaluable to anyone looking to create a website for any purpose. "
" Pat is a great instructor!!! She provides clear, detailed, useful information as well as the opportunity to put it into practice. She also provides lots of helpful links to sites to build on that knowledge. She's very helpful in the discussion area too! Couldn't ask for a better instructor! "
" Thanks for the great course. I really put to use a lot of the information. I have no doubt that I will refer to it again and again. "
" The instructor was very encouraging and her assignments were applicable to real-time efforts. I have had an online storefront for four years, and the Instructor's knowledge of current applications of Internet marketing was quite helpful. "
" This course is excellent. I got more information than I ever imagined. The instructor's writing style enabled me to absorb lots of material because I understood it and enjoyed it. Useful course, great instructor. "
" This course offered good basic information to get me started with an online marketing plan. Just what I needed! "
" This course was amazing in how all this information was compiled into one place. I got way more than I expected out of this course and I am off and running to execute things I didn't know existed related to Internet Marketing. I can't wait to execute my plan, step by step. "