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Cubs Minor League Daily: A Second Look At Billy McKinney
To a great degree, Billy McKinney has proven to be who we thought he was. He has a very patient, polished left-handed swing that generates a lot of hard contact on balls in the zone, and a lot of walks when pitchers have trouble locating. He does not swing himself out of many at bats, and he has the inflated OBPs to prove it. He is capable defensively in the corners, but lacks the speed to likely be a truly viable option in center field or much of a threat on the bases. All of these are things we suspected before the season began.
And then we come to his power. Coming into the season, the thinking on McKinney was that he was a bit of a 'tweener outfielder: lacked the speed and glove for center, but lacked the power for the corners. Consider, then, that he slugged .544 in Myrtle Beach before being promoted to Tennessee, and in his short time with the Smokies he is currently slugging .450.
In fact, four of his five current Double A hits are doubles. Eleven of his thirty-five Myrtle Beach hits went for extra bases, including four homers. Those are not the numbers of a slugger in the Bryant / Schwarber mold, but neither are those are the numbers of a guy with too light of a bat to play regularly in an outfield corner.
The sample in Tennessee is small, though, so it is much too early to say that the power he showed on the beach will survive in the mountains, but if it does I think we can consider removing the "lacks enough power" strike from the book on McKinney. He's not a left-handed Jorge Soler, but he just might have enough slugging to be a somewhat better than league average offensive left fielder one day. Remember: McKinney is still just 20 years old.
Scores From Yesterday
Iowa – Iowa's game was postponed.
Tennessee – The Smokies won in shutout fashion, 3-0.
Myrtle Beach – The Pelicans offense faltered in the later innings as they lost 6-2.
South Bend – The Cubs allowed Lansing a big fourth inning, and that proved to be the difference. The Cubs lost 7-3.
Performances of Note
- [Tennessee] Ivan Pineyro pitched 7 strong innings (101 pitches) in which he scattered 3 walks and 4 hits while striking out 6. Carl Edwards Jr. walked and struck out 3 more in his 2 innings of hitless relief.
- [Tennessee] Elliot Soto had a great day yesterday. He tripled, walked, and finished 3 for 3.
- [Tennessee] Even though they had no hits, thanks to walks Dan Vogelbach (one walk) and Kyle Schwarber (2 walks) were still on base in this one.
- [Myrtle Beach] Victor Caratini and Chesny Young each had 2 hits (all singles) for the Pelicans. Young also stole his second base since coming to High A.
- [Myrtle Beach] Mark Zagunis was held to just one hit, but he also walked 3 times.
- [South Bend] Jesse Hodges tripled and finished 3 for 4. It was his first triple of the year.
- [South Bend] Charcer Burks stole his 12th bag for the Cubs and also picked up 2 hits. Jason Vosler collected a pair of hits as well.
Other News
- Another day, another mock draft. This one is the fourth edition from Through The Fence Baseball, and they have the Cubs taking high school outfielder Trent Clark. Clark is a left-handed hitting outfielder who put up a pile of largely meaningless numbers in high school that are sure to get fans very excited if he proves to be the pick. The scouting reports, which are what really matter when looking at high school hitters, are promising, but this is a pick that does not really excite me. I'd probably prefer one of the remaining college arms on the board in this scenario.
- That mock draft actually extends past the Cubs pick in the second round as well. We haven't talked a lot about that pick, partly because projecting a pick that far down the board is really hard to do with accuracy, but the choice here is certainly someone I can see the Cubs drafting. Peter Lambert, a right handed high school pitcher from California, is the choice. Lambert is listed as having good size, decent velocity, good command, and two pitches that may already grade out as plus. That is a good foundation for a high school pitcher to build on, and those are exactly the sorts of things I would expect the Cubs to look for in a potential second round pick.
Photo via Tennessee Smokies on Twitter.


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Some articles from the Dagestan independent newspaper "Chernovik" regarding attacks around 6 August 2009:
7 August 2009 - 6 attacks on police in last week
14 August 2009 - 8 police killed last week, 5 wounded, 8 civilians killed
Page tags
Table of Contents
Note: The source of this translation is unknown. Initially posted to uF forums by user gnosis in this thread.
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I, Rhea Aliyeva, hereby confess my guilt in cases P-78-23/05, and P-78-41/02.
I cannot justify my crimes. I only wish to tell the truth. On 6 August, 2009, Vera Gamidova detonated explosives at the checkpoint in Derbent, killing herself and two soldiers of the Russian Federation, Marat Stepanov and Oleg Kamenev. Her target was the barracks. If she had succeeded, more than 200 would have perished.
I was the matchstick.
From the beginning, we were sisters, and we swore we would always be sisters. We slept always side by side. The oldest was Vera, then
- - - - - - - - - - -
Oksana, then me. We swore we would live together always. Then we swore we would die together.
We did this because of our fathers and brothers who had been killed and left to rot in the fields.
We would join the noble resistance to strike the occupiers while they slept.
Now I see how we were used by them.
In the beginning, we were innocent. We had heard about the Emir, and we went to Vedeno to find him. We were afraid. We were three girls. We were pure, but we knew nothing. We asked everyone we met if they could help us find the Emir. No one would speak to us.
A man in the back of a teahouse pointed to the door.
- - - - - - - - - - -
"Go home," he said. "Go back to your parents. Go back to your husbands."
We told him our parents were gone, and we had no husbands. We said we wanted to meet the Emir. We knew how to help him.
He looked at us and asked us how we could help the Emir. Vera said we were ready to sacrifice.
He told us to go home.
That night as we walked back to our room, the trucks came for us. The men wore masks. They took us at gunpoint and bound our hands. They put hoods over our heads. They tried to touch us as little as possible as if our bodies were poison.
- - - - - - - - - - -
I heard a man's voice say, "You are now the property of the Liberation Army of Dagestan."
I could hear Oksana crying beside me. Vera told us to be calm. She said it was natural for them to fear us.
We drove all night until we came to a building in the woods. I felt acorns crunch under our feet. When they took off our hoods, I saw that we were in a gymnasium. There was an empty concrete pool in the center of the room and broken benches for weights. They forced us down the ladders into the pool. There were bloodstains on the ground.
They told us we were Russian spies. They said the army was so weak they were sending their whores.
Vera said we wanted to talk to the Emir.
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The Emir is dead, they said. Everyone knows.
Vera said they were lying. We would only speak to the Emir. They took her away from us then and led her up the stairs. Oksana tried to hold her back, but Vera told her not to worry. "Our brothers will know that we are pure."
We waited for hours. Oksana told me that we would die without Vera. She said they were going to rape us and then leave us for the dogs. I said, "We should trust in Vera."
When they brought Vera back her face was swollen and her shirt was torn. She started to climb down the ladder, but they wouldn't let her. They sat her down on the ground.
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The leader was a man with a shaved head, a wide face, and a thick black beard. He said everyone must be tested before God. Then he called for another prisoner to be brought in. The other prisoner was barely a man. He was a Russian soldier who they told us had been captured two weeks earlier. He walked as if he were drunk. He was missing a finger on his right hand.
They pushed him into the pool with us. The leader took a dirty knife from his belt and threw it on the rubble in front of us.
He said, we will see how strong you are.
Oksana picked it up.
The soldier got to his feet. I could see one of his eyes was infected.
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"If you can kill them both," the leader said to him, "I will let you live longer."
The leader turned to us and said, "Let's see if you can slaughter a beast. Show us what they teach the girls in Cherkessia."
They stood around us holding their rifles and laughing. We knew that they could shoot him whenever they wanted.
Oksana said they were testing us. If we failed, they would kill us too.
She walked up to the soldier slowly, holding the knife in front of her. She swung it in the air in front of her, too far away from him to do anything.
The soldier picked up a broken chunk of cement and threw it at her. It hit her in the chest and she fell to the ground wheezing.
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He put his knee on my back and pushed my face into the ground. I knew I was going to die.
Then Oksana cut his throat.
I see now that the soldier had no other choice. He was an innocent man, another victim of the terrorist's brutality. His blood sprayed over me. He was dying on top of me, but I could not get up. I was trapped under his weight. My body was covered in blood so hot I thought it would burn my skin.
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That's how it was decided that she would carry out the attack, and I would be the one to coordinate it.
The attack was not our idea, but we were proud to be called upon to sacrifice.
I was the matchstick. She was the flame.
The day after we killed the soldier, I saw the four blue marks on my arm where the soldier's hand had grabbed me. I had been held by death. And now I could not escape it.
After this, the Liberation Army allowed us to train with them. We lived among them moving from camp to camp in the mountains, sometimes staying in an abandoned apartment block from the Soviet days,
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hidden in the forest. Trees were growing out of the windows. They made us study the Koran. They said they would teach us to become mujahideen, to purify ourselves. They said that Allah had willed us to come to them and join the jihad. Our cause was their cause. We learned to shoot with their rifles. We ate their food and prayed their prayers. Our every prayer was a prayer for death to the occupiers, death to the Cossacks, death to the killers of innocence.
We believed we would purify ourselves in their blood.
The leader chose which men Oksana and I would marry. We were frightened, but then we learned that the men we would marry were already dead. They were foreign jihadis who had been killed by the Russians in an ambush. They were too young to marry when they died, so now we would be their brides. We would be dead soon too because
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we had pledged our lives to the cause. We would meet our husbands in paradise.
Vera was not getting married. Vera was not going to die. She was going to live forever.
My wedding was held at midnight in the gymnasium. There were candles and a wreath. They put me in a dress and a black veil. They stood me next to the casket and a picture of a boy with a thin beard. I was too numb to move. You look beautiful, they said. Vera rubbed rouge on my cheeks to make me look less pale. I felt like I was already dead.
It was not long until they told us our mission.
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Oksana would carry the explosives in a baby carriage.
I would hold the mobile phone. When it was time, I would call a number and detonate the bomb.
There were other bombs prepared to disable the doors of the barracks. The plan was for the soldiers to burn alive. I was the matchstick.
They used me.
On the day of the attack, a fog drifted in from the Caspian. Oksana pushed the baby carriage up the steep road to the base.
- - - - - - - - - - - They had told us to dress like whores because then the soldiers would not shoot us. They had said Allah could see through our make-up and clothes to our pure hearts.
In her high heels, she slipped and fell in the mud many times.
On the phone, she said she couldn't stop shaking. Her feet were numb.
One of the wheels of the carriage was broken, and it was difficult to steer. As she pushed the carriage up the hill, it kept sliding backwards.
A troop transport truck sped past her. The men called out to her and laughed.
- - - - - - - - - - - I watched her but I could not help her.
I had the other cell phone in my pocket, the one that would trigger the explosives.
Her job was to bring the carriage through the checkpoint. She was to tell the guards that she was going to visit her boyfriend to show him his son.
Tell them it's a boy, the leader had said. No one cares as much about a girl.
An enormous truck drove by carrying armored cars. Oksana slipped again and the carriage fell over her, rolling off the road and into the ditch. She was only 25 meters from the checkpoint.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Oksana climbed down into the ditch, but she couldn't lift the carriage back up. As strong as she was, the explosives were too heavy.
Two soldiers walked down from the guard post to investigate. Their guns were aimed at her.
There was nothing I could do.
When she saw them coming, she started to run.
Oksana was a coward.
She would have died, if not for Vera. The soldiers fired a warning shot and then another. She fell, cowering at the base of a tree. They could have killed her if they chose. They showed her more mercy than she would have shown them.
Then an old car came driving down the road speeding towards
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the soldiers. I saw Vera in the driver's seat. The soldiers turned and fired, shattering the windshield. As the car came closer, there was an explosion, and then everything was burning. The soldiers disappeared in the flames.
When I looked again for Oksana, I saw her running away.
As the soldiers came pouring out of the base, I triggered the other explosion, but only succeeded in destroying a few trees. With no other weapons, I could do nothing but return to the meeting point.
But because the attack failed to kill enough soldiers, despite Vera's sacrifice, they were finished with me. Two more dead was not enough for them. I was no longer a mujahideen.
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I was no longer Rhea. I was no longer their sister. I was a foreigner, a thing. They would not say Oksana's name. They would not acknowledge Vera's courage. The men decided to teach me a lesson. I was tied down to the bed, only a few floors from where they had trained me. The men took turns. I saw that I was never one of them. They were the butchers, the infidels, the killers of innocence. Their claims of political grievances were only the excuses they used to justify their violence.
Sometime long after they had finished with me, I dragged myself from the room and out into the courtyard. I was surrounded by children who spit on me and called me names. Their mother came and called me a whore. I recognized her from my wedding. I had seduced the men, she said,
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and I had gotten what I deserved.
They left me there. No one wanted to touch me or admit what they had done. I waited for someone to come with a rifle to end my suffering.
I was bleeding everywhere. I had been dying for months, and now it was nearly finished. I would lie down beneath a tree and close my eyes. Then Vera appeared to me, she gave me the strength to stand up again. That night, I carried my body to the woods. Stray dogs followed me.
Somehow, I found my way to a camp of Russian soldiers. I threw myself on their mercy. They were my saviors. They brought me to the hospital. I owe them everything.
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I deeply regret my crimes, but I do not ask for forgiveness. I know I deserve no leniency. I will pay for their lives of those innocent soldiers with my own. I hope no one will follow my path. It leads only to death.
I am not afraid of dying. I have been dead a long time. We have never been free.
- - - - - - - - - - -
I, the undersigned Rhea Aliyeva, confess to committing the crimes of which I have been accused.
16 September, 2009 year. Rhea Aliyeva
A second translation was done by adolgonosov on 28 August 2009, which shows the original to be accurate.
There is a QR code to the right of Rhea's signature. When scanned, it leads to http://www.obolensk.org, apparently a login page.
The link is broken, but it is speculated that a 'phantom' page is located here that may be discoverable using the Alfa Cipher software.
In Sept 2013, during the week that this confession is dated, the Alfa-Tsentr cam room feed showed Rhea writing in a journal. It is possible that she was writing this confession as we watched. Here is a video from 13 Sept 2009:
This theory is further supported by the fact that the pages of the document (in the PDF) have a shadow on the right or left margin of each page, alternating with page number. This indicates that at some point these pages were bound in some kind of notebook — maybe the one Rhea was writing in.
In the video, Rhea becomes very uncomfortable and agitated while writing, and eventually becomes completely hysterical, apparently threatening suicide with her pen. She is gassed into submission, and she and the journal are collected from the cell. This could be viewed as evidence that this confession was coerced.
Here is a full transcription of the original text:
Some articles from the Dagestan independent newspaper "Chernovik" regarding attacks around 6 August 2009:
7 August 2009 - 6 attacks on police in last week
14 August 2009 - 8 police killed last week, 5 wounded, 8 civilians killed

subset: commoncrawl


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Angullia Mosque has been an iconic landmark in the area of Serangoon Road and Little India for more than 120 years.
The Mosque was built on Wakaff land bequeathed by MSE Angullia. Still standing at its present site, the first blueprints of the Mosque was dated in 1890.
In his Last Will & Testament, MSE Angullia devised that the land including the Mosque, are to be held in Trust by the Trustees:
"It shall always remain and be a public place of worship for all Mohammedans."
— MSE Angullia
Since its initial construction somewhere in the late 1890s, several upgrading works have been undertaken to maintain its functionality and relevance to its immediate community.
Angullia Mosque currently serves a large community of Muslims within the Serangoon Road district and many of our congregants include both the local and foreign workforce within the Serangoon Road business district.
Over the years, the capacity and infrastructure of the mosque are not able to keep up with the numbers and demands of our daily congregants.


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A fire at Telstra's Chatswood exchange in New South Wales has affected fixed and mobile services.
Telstra confirmed the problem this afternoon, but has not detailed the scope of the affected services. However, the fire appears to have had an impact on some customers outside of NSW.
"A fire at the Chatswood Exchange in Sydney this afternoon has been contained, but damage has been caused to some power infrastructure," a statement from the telco said.
"As a result a number of customers' are experiencing loss of service. Our technicians are currently completing a full assessment of the impact. We will provide more information as soon as it is available."
A spokesperson for Fire and Rescue NSW said it received a call out at 11.44am as the result of an automatic fire alarm. A fuseable link had exploded and burnt out, the spokesperson said. The fire was put out with a single extinguisher.
Update 3.15pm AEDT: Telstra says that services are beginning to be restored but a related issue has affected SMS messaging.
a result of the Chatswood Exchange fire today its possible some SMS
messages have been incorrectly delivered," a spokesperson said. "As mentioned previously
customers won't be receiving SMS messages in the short term while we
resolve this issue.
Update: 4.10pm AEDT: Telstra has confirmed all voice services are restored.
Update, 4 February: A new statement from Telstra regarding mis-delivered SMS messages says: Due to an issue caused by the fire at our Chatswood Exchange on Thursday
2nd February, SMS' sent from some mobiles between
1pm AEDT and 3:20pm
AEDT may have been misdirected and not reached the intended recipient.
The messages may have been received by another number. We apologise for
this error. If anyone received a message in error please delete it.
Customers who are concerned that they did not receive an SMS or are
unsure whether their SMS was delivered to the right person can contact
Telstra on 132200 between 8:00am and 9:00pm. Further information about
the issue can be found at http://tel.st/SMS-Feb
In June last year, a Telstra exchange in Brunswick, Melbourne, suffered an electrical fire.
In November 2012 a serious blaze destroyed 60 per cent of Telstra's Warrnambool exchange, cutting off telecommunications services for 100,000 people. The fire and subsequent fallout triggered a government-commissioned inquiry by the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
Telstra also conducted its own investigation into the lessons of the fire.
Telstra last year suffered a string of high-profile outages, with the telco's CEO, Andrew Penn, subsequently pledging to invest $250 million in network resilience measures. Telstra in June 2016 said it would spend $250 million on improving its network.
The pledge came following a review commissioned by Telstra after a major mobile outage in February 2016, which the telco blamed on human error, and a number of other mobile outages.
The $250 million included $50 million for measures to specifically improve the resilience of its mobile network.
Additional reporting by George Nott.


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In historic buildings or wherever aesthetics are top priority, this is the perfect type of gate automation to choose. Protecting property from unwanted visitors, the gear motors are housed in a zinc plated steel casing below ground, so the system is invisible from the outside.
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Who we are
Tibard are a family run, international supplier of workwear uniforms, based in Manchester in the United Kingdom. Since our founding in 1979, we have grown to be one of the leading British manufacturers of chef whites and hospitality clothing however, there is much more to Tibard than meets the eye. We do not just manufacture excellent quality chef jackets and waitress aprons, we provide full uniform solutions to some of the biggest chain businesses in the UK and we do not just do this for the hospitality sector. Tibard are effectively the team behind the scenes for many UK businesses as we design bespoke uniform items, construct workwear ranges, manufacture products, manage the supply chain and keep uniforms clean. We are people people, after all we are in the business of clothing people, not just with any clothes, not just with the clothes that we can make the cheapest and sell the highest; but with clothes that keep people happy at work. Workwear that works as hard as you do.
This is why we say we understand workwear. We have over 35 years of experience in providing our products, services and help to businesses, some of whom have been with us since the very start. As a family run business, we value relationships, even in a world where profit margins are all too easily put first. Our aim is to succeed by helping businesses succeed, to provide solutions that save you money, keep your staff happily clothed and impress your customers because ultimately, your customers are our customers. They see our products, they feel the benefits of our services and when we make an impact on them, we make an impact on you.
Our website is your portal into our world and our world does not have a size restriction. We work with businesses that have 10 staff in the same way that we do with those who have 10,000 because all of our customers are important to us. This website is our realisation of this belief. A large amount of investment has gone into creating a website that makes it easy and enjoyable to buy from us while still being affordable and cost effective for you. While anyone can buy online from us, if you are a large, multisite business please do get in touch once you have read through our services, you may well be surprised at how much we could help you.


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Over the course of Fall 2016, 28 students from MDIA, JOUR, EM and other areas of concentration participated in EM 2090, a sports production class focusing on the theory, evolution and practice of sports production. The class met once a week with lab time scheduled for the broadcasts. Students gained valuable experience in remote multi-camera production televising 14 Ohio University Sports events including Women's Volleyball, Men and Women's Basketball and Men's Wrestling. Student positions included producing, on-air talent (volleyball & wrestling) technical directing, replay, graphics, audio and audio assist, cameras, utilities, stage managing, and time out coordinator.
The ESPN3 project is a collaboration between the OHIO Athletic Department, Ohio University Southern Electronic Media, the School of Media Arts & Studies and E.W. Scrips School of Journalism at Ohio University. Associate Professor Don Moore, Assistant Athletic Director for Video Productions Jason Chiappino, and visiting professor Tom Edwards an OU Alum who has 47 years working in live television and sports production spearheaded the effort.
"They did an outstanding job. Our goal was to integrate production theory into a real-world application, in doing so student's would gain valuable experience," said Moore. "The knowledge, teamwork, discipline and techniques learned with the ESPN3 project places these students in a unique position for the challenging sport and media career path."
"Considering they came into the class with little or no television experience and basically no sports experience and you would have told me 11 weeks ago these students would be producing the kind of projects that we are doing with the quality we are doing it in I just wouldn't have believed it," said Tom Edwards.
The EM 2090 Special Topics in Sports Production will be offered again during the Spring Semester, meeting 5:30PM each Monday night in the Convocation Center. Eighteen more ESPN3 productions are schedule.
About ESPN3
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices through WatchESPN. The network is currently available nationwide at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It is also available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.
Photo by Beka Moore
View More >


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Edman-Sens married Aug. 13
FAIRMONT – Theresa Jan Edman and John Cummins Sens were married Aug. 13, 2016, at Grace United Methodist Church in Des Moines, Iowa. Pastor Dave Swinton officiated the ceremony.
Parents of the couple are Paul and Mary Edman of Fairmont, and John and Rita Sens of New Folden.
Matron of honor was Renae Rimmer, friend of the bride. Bridesmaids were Courtney Swift, friend of the bride, Marie Timmerman, cousin of the bride, and Laura Desimone, sister of the groom.
Flower girls were Ingrid Edman, Gwen Edman, Solveigh Edman, Anne Moyer-Sens, and Mariana Ohmann, nieces of the couple.
Best man was Charles DeBeck, friend of the groom. Groomsmen were Michael Blomberg and Andy Duffelmeyer, friends of the groom, and Mike Edman, brother of the bride.
Guests were ushered by Greg Timmerman, cousin of the bride, and Troy Mattson, brother of the groom.
Ceremony music was provided by the Metro Bass Quintet.
A reception with music by the CJC Big Band was held at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Center in Des Moines.
The couple live in Des Moines.


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A number of different affordable plumbing services are available to help repair and maintain any of the many drain, pipe, or other issues in your home. While there are often plumbers available quite close to your home, there may also be a number of do-it-yourself options that can help with any repair or update.
Affordable Plumbing Services
Sometimes there is the need to effectively maintain a budget when it comes to home maintenance and repairs. While you may not be able to complete installation and services, you may be able to stay within budget by making affordable purchases of the parts needed, along with hiring a friend or family member to complete the work. There is no reason at all to assume that the plumbing company down the road has to be hired to complete every possible issue in your plumbing system. The simple issues are often ones that people you know are able to repair for small amounts, or on an "I scrat Continue reading "Affordable Plumbing Services and Home Maintenance That Stays Inside Your Budget"


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JKT48 5th single and Senbatsu Sousenkyo
JKT48 management have announced that JKT48 5th single will be Flying Get, it comes from AKB48 22th single which was centered by Maeda Atsuko. JKT48's Flying Get will be released on 5th March.
Tracklist and details are still not yet announced, but the 16 senbatsu members will consist of:
Team J: Melody Nurramdhani, Nabilah Ratna Ayu, Nakagawa Haruka, Jessica Veranda, shania Junianatha, Ayana Shahab, Devi Kinal Putri, Rezky Wiranti Dhike, Jessica Vania, Sendy Ariani
Team KIII: Cindy Yuvia, Shinta Naomi, Viviyona Apriani, Ratu Vienny Fitrilya, Alicia Chanzia.
This Single will be the first time for Ghaida Farisya, Sendy Ariani, Viviyona Apriani, and Alicia Chanzia to participate as single senbatsu members.
JKT48 also will run the system of Election Senbatsu (Sousenkyo Senbatsu) for their 6th single. Even though the mechanism of voting and detail ares still not yet announced, the management already hinted that the official fan club will get one extra vote in the voting.
Kenkyuusei Promotion
On Manatsu no Sounds Good handshake festival, the management announced that Jennifer Rachel Natasya & Thalia Ivanka Elizabeth from Kenkyuusei were getting promotion into Team J. Both are debuting on the day after exactly at 24th February 2014.
The rest of the kenkyuusei will remain as kenkyuusei. They are Saktia Oktapyani, Priscillia Sari Dewi, Dena Siti Rohyati, Fakhiryani Shafaryanti, and Novinta Dini.
Team KIII New Stage
Team KIII who have already finished their Boku no Taiyou stage will soon perform their new setlist. The setlist is going to be "Seishun Girls" from K2( second stage of team K). The shonichi of KIII2 will be held on 8th March 2013.
Status of Aki Takajo, Rena Nozawa, Chikano Rina.
At the same time, Chikano Rina was fully transferred to JKT48. There are still no further details about the team she will belong to in JKT48 after previously belonging to Oshima Team K.
Chikano Rina herself has made a post about the decision.
Nabilah Ratna Ayu will release a photobook.
Nabilah Ratna Ayu will release a photobook titled Otenba. It will be released on 28 February.
She becomes the third member in JKT48 who has an exclusive photobook after Melody Nurramdhani and Jessica Veranda.


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Is Your Company Export Ready?
More In Thinking About Exporting ↓
Determining whether you are ready to enter the international business arena requires both an examination of your commitment in terms of resources as well as your ability to compete with international competition.
Evaluating your Export Potential
There are a few relatively simple exercises you can take to determine if your firm is export ready. These do not require a large commitment of time or resources but are worthwhile exercises.
SWOT Analysis
The first is the SWOT Analsysi. This acronym stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.
Analysing your strengths and weaknesses requires you to have a hard look at what your company does well and what it does not do very well. This not only highlights the strengths you can use to give you a competitive advantage in the international market(s) you choose to enter, but can also highlight the changes or improvements your can make to your business to limit or eliminate your weaknesses.
Opportunities and threats are the forces external to your company that may influence it's performance or perception. For example government legislation could open potential opportunities for your business but may also be a threat if the politics in the region are unstable. Threats can also include competitors entering the same market or residents of the country mistrusting North American products.
Competitor Analysis
After determining your organizations own strengths and weaknesses, it is necessary to evaluate your future competition in the new market. Knowing your own value proposition as well as your competitors can lead to a successful market entry. Entering in a highly competitive market with seasoned competitors, who have deep pockets and high levels of customer loyalty can result in failure, even if you have a superior product. As a new entrant to an unfamiliar market, a competitor's strengths and weaknesses should be identified and understood.
Developing your competitor analysis requires a significant amount of market research, using both primary and secondary sources. When conducting your research it is important that you go beyond just strengths and weaknesses. Your research must also identify:
- How they manage/ make decisions.
- Who the key personnel are and what are their drivers.
- What the company's overall objective is for both their business and their individual products.
- How satisfied they are with their present position in the market.
- The changes in that position they are likely to take and how can you threaten their current position.
- Where they currently conduct business and any known expansion plans.
- Their investment history, both giving and receiving.
Benchmarking or competency analysis is an evaluation process designed to determine your own company's capabilities against competitors. The analysis evaluates marketing, finance, manufacturing and organizational functionalities to determine a weak or strong position against your competitors.
After completing a competitor analysis, swot analysis and benchmarking the next steps are to develop a market entry strategy and a market plan.
Helpful Links:
- The Trade Opportunity Matrix (TOM): An Overview of Canadian Export Opportunities
- EDC: Export Performance Monitor
- Mind Tools: SWOT Analysis Worksheet
- Mind Tools: Competitive Intelligence
- Recommended Trade Links
- How TRADESTART Can Help


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Managing soil fertility in Africa: Diverse settings and changing practice
Hilhorst, T.
Muchena, F.
Defoer, T.
Hassink, J.
de Jager, A.
Smaling, E.
Toulmin, C.
MetadataShow full item record
This publication is the introductory chapter of the book, Nutrients on the move: Soil fertility dynamics in African farming systems; it summarizes the main findings of soil fertility case studies in six African countries. Key biophysical and socioeconomic constraints on production by smallholder farmers and the possibilities for improving agricultural productivity in Africa are highlighted. The case studies seek to find what is actually happening at farm and field level, how soil fertility management varies between different fields, farmers and locations, and what are the implications for interventions aimed at improving soil fertility management.


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What's open on Martin Luther King Day? Federal holidays always seem to cause some confusion, prompting many people to search online to find out if Walmart is open, if banks are closed, and if there will be mail delivery on Monday, January 18, 2016.
According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, there are 10 federal holidays observed this year. MLK Day is the second holiday of the 2016, with Presidents Day (Washington's Birthday) coming up next month. The majority of federal offices are closed on these holidays, including all U.S. Post Office locations, the IRS, and Social Security.
However, just because it's a holiday that doesn't mean everything is closed, including banks, retail stores, and restaurants. Here's what you can expect to find open — or closed — on Martin Luther King Day.
Happy Birthday to Dr. Martin Luther King. Thankful for his courage and vision of love and kindness between all men. pic.twitter.com/kUxau6VDme
— Indy SportsOne™ (@IndySportsOne) January 15, 2016
Banks: The Federal Reserve Banks are closed on Monday and, for the most part, banks and credit unions across the nation will close their doors to observe MLK Day. According to Go Banking Rates there are at least 27 major banks that will not be open on Monday including Chase, CitiBank, Sovereign, Santander, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America.
There is an exception to the list of bank closures above and that's great news if you do business with T.D. Bank. This bank, with locations throughout the Northeast, stays open on four federal holidays (MLK Day, President's Day, Columbus Day and Veterans Day) and will be open regular business hours on Monday, January 18.
Post Office: There will be no mail delivery on Monday and all U.S. Post Office branches will be closed for business. If you need to ship a package, all UPS and FedEx offices will be open and their trucks will be out making deliveries on Martin Luther King Day.
Stock Market: The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) will be closed on MLK Day and eight other federal holidays.
State and Federal Offices: Most government offices will be closed on Monday including the IRS, Social Security, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and most social service offices. Closures vary by state, so call ahead to be certain.
Retail Stores: According to Saving Advice, most federal employees get Monday off, but it's a regular work day for retail employees. Shop 'til you drop at Walmart, Target, KMart, Sears, Costco, supermarkets, convenience stores and most mall stores on January 18 — most will be open normal business hours. Many stores are advertising holiday sales so head over to money-saving sites like Retail Me Not or Coupon Sherpa for the latest deals and coupons.
Restaurants: If you are out shopping on Monday, you won't have any problem finding a restaurant open if you need a bite to eat. Expect to find popular chain restaurants open on Martin Luther King Day including Applebee's, Denny's, Boston Market, Olive Garden, Cracker Barrel, Golden Corral, and TGI Fridays.
If you are fortunate enough to have the day off on Monday, don't forget the reason for the holiday is to honor the late civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr., who was born January 15, 1929.
Many people across the nation make the holiday more than just a day off by taking part in the annual MLK Day of Service, a day to give back to your community.
Dr. King once said "Everyone can be great because everyone can serve." This #MLKDay, be great & #volunteer w/@MLKDay pic.twitter.com/fWTK52VS8p
— NNSA (@NNSANews) January 14, 2016
A number of events and volunteer activities are planned for not only Monday, but throughout the entire weekend. Find a list of events by state that are happening during "King Weekend" on MLK.gov.
[Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images]


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Self advocacy creates the path to meaningful life changes. Resources are offered so people can be empowered to speak for themselves and exercise their rights to make informed decisions without unneccessary control or influence from others. Peer support is a big part of self advocacy in Morrow County. For more information contact Sandi at 419-947-9222.
- About Us
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- Whetstone Industries
- Whetstone Center
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- Contact Us


text: Name frequently mentioned in the holy books of the fall season, and lovingly renovated, vitamin-Nar, is among a source of healing plants. Several vitamins, minerals and enzymes that have a pomegranate is rich in iron and potassium in the diet is of great importance. Vitamins C and E with this fruit is a powerful antioxidant properties taşıyor.enerj donor fatigue relieving feature Pomegranates also cholesterol and blood sugar balancing functionality sahiptir.taz consumption as well as juice, syrup, fruit juice and sauce produced Pomegranate, palate easily in an indispensable aftertaste. Used in countless dishes and salads, an indispensable flavor of pomegranate kitchen is the secret.


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At first I thought I liked this record a lot, but then I read the reviews and realized I was wrong. Just kidding! Pitchfork (and the AV Club) can go jump in a lake, I dig Centipede Hz. While none of its songs are nearly as good as the standout songs on Merriweather Post Pavillion (For me: In the Flowers, My Girls, Summertime Clothes, Bluish, Brothersport) BUT Centipede Hz doesn't have any songs on it that I'd rather skip than put up with, whereas MPP does (Also Frightened, Taste, No More Runnin). So in a way, they're kind of equal for me. Merriweather Post Pavillion is for when I want to hear a few perfect songs, Centipede Hz is for when I want to listen to a whole record.
Dirty Projectors — Swing Lo Magellan
Bitte Orca, the record Swing Lo Magellan follows up on, was a hit I never could stand. On a good day I'm down with one track (Stillness is the Move, obvs) so trust me I'm surprised that I fell for Swing Lo Magellan. Big time. Took a few listens, but I kept wanting to listen, not throw it out the window. And now barely a day goes by that I don't listen to it all the way through (perk of a earphone-intensive deskjob) and, between listens, find different songs from it hanging out in my brain. Were I to recommend one record of these four the most, it would be this one.
The first xx hit me, as it did many others, like a very quiet hammer. I'd never heard anything like it and couldn't stop listening to it. Now they've got a new record and face the problem faced by bands with a super distinctive sound: Do you keep making that sound and risk people saying "This sounds just like their other record" or do you switch it up a bit and risk people saying "They went off in another direction and it just didn't work." My reactions to listening to this record, so far:
1. "Do we really need another xx record? I don't know . . ."
2. "No, actually this is pretty great. They have a sound and it works for them."
3. "Wait, no. Forget that. This is silly, this is the exact same thing. People are going to start making fun of how these guys sing, if they don't already. And what's this? Steel drums?"
4. "Actually . . . no. This might be a really good record?"
If you'd like, you're welcome to come along take this back and forth journey with me.
Grizzly Bear — Shields
I think we can always count on these dudes to release a quality product. I wouldn't have had to listen to this whole record to give you that review. But I did. And this record is dang good. Very easy to love, you will like it a lot. And that's why I made Swing Lo Magellan my recommended record. You don't need me to tell you to check Shields out. You'll hear it and like it a lot on your own. Oh, and there's this one song, "A Simple Answer"? Forget it. So good.


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Citygate Penthouse - London Serviced Apartments with Short Lettings London
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N.B. Note that the penthouse apartments occupy the top two floors of the building, and you may be allocated to either floor.
Our 1-bedroom executive apartments are a more spacious variant of the 1-bedroom premier apartments, built with freedom in mind. With all the same high-quality furnishings as our premier apartmens, the executive apartment type not only benefits from the premium city views but a complimentary late check-out perfect for leisure guests looking for luxury.
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text: So i deployed my MVC project up to an azure website, but i can't get the script bundler to work properly. At first I thought I did something wrong along the process, but rewatching the deploy and conclusion videos, it looks like nelson's code has the same issue. It can be seen by looking at "Posted:". In a localhost version, it works fine, but the deployed version has nothing. Has anyone solved this issue? I also asked on Stack overflow, i implemented the comment there, but it still does not work.


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October 7 was the 10th anniversary of the Scott Kelby World Wide Photo Walk. We had a nice time walking in Brattleboro and photographing some of the sights. We followed up with lunch at the Whetstone Station Restaurant & Brewery!
Don't forget our meeting is Monday, October 9th at 6:30pm at the Vermont Center for Photography!
Here are a few shots of the group:
Page 5 of 5


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The ISAF Class Rules Sub-Committee supports the IKA class rules and will recommend approval to the Equipment Committee meeting on Tuesday.
We are receiving a lot of support from all corners of the sailing world. Talking to Mr. Neil Pryde today during the Windsurfing Committee Meeting, he is fully behind our project as well.


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NBA playoffs 2017: Robin Lopez clears way for Bulls to go up 2-0 on Celtics
BOSTON — Robin Lopez tucked a few strands of his frizz under his well-worn Seattle Mariners cap and slapped on a stoic look, pretty much the same look he wears no matter the circumstances. He had cause for jubilation after the Bulls' 111-97 drubbing of the Celtics in Game 2 of their NBA Eastern Conference opening-round playoff series, but he was — as he so often is — less than jolly.
MORE: NBA playoffs 2017: Dwyane Wade can't believe Bulls won two in Boston
"What we did was not an easy thing, winning two games in the playoffs on the road," Lopez said. "In Boston. That's a tough thing to do. But they're still the No. 1 seed for a reason."
For the Bulls, the name players in this series against the top-seeded Celtics did their jobs at TD Garden. Again. All-Star Jimmy Butler finished Game 2 with 22 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade came through with 22 points as well, including 11 in the fourth quarter that KO'd Boston's comeback chances. Former Celtics All-Star Rajon Rondo nearly notched a triple-double, with 11 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds.
But forget the stars. It has been Lopez who has helped the Bulls shove and wrestle their way to a near-insurmountable 2-0 lead in this series. It has been Lopez who has established a presence in the paint the Celtics can't match, a presence that has cleared the way for the impressive numbers put up by his more celebrated teammates.
Lopez was expecting that, coming into Game 2, the Celtics would make an adjustment to limit his effectiveness. They didn't, and he admitted that surprised him.
"Yeah, a little," he said. "I was able to put pressure on the rim in the first game and I went out and tried to keep on doing that tonight. When I can do that, it opens things up for the other guys, my teammates. We were able to do that again tonight."
It's worth remembering that, for all the grief the Bulls' front office has taken, it did manage to wrangle Lopez from the Knicks as the principal return for Derrick Rose. Lopez signed a four-year, $55 million deal with New York in 2015, and in this series he has outplayed Boston center Al Horford, who was granted a $113 million contract by the Celtics last summer.
Lopez is a 7-footer with a two-inch advantage over Horford and a 17-pound advantage over Brad Stevens' backup of choice, Kelly Olynyk. His sheer size has been an issue for the Celtics, and the Bulls have been outrebounded, on average, 57.0 to 46.5 in the series' first two games. Lopez has accounted for 12 offensive rebounds in the two games, and the Bulls have scored 15 points off those rebounds.
Case in point: With 4:18 to play in the first half Wednesday, Butler tried a midrange jumper from the left wing. Three Celtics were under the basket — Horford, Amir Johnson and Jae Crowder, three of Boston's top five rebounders. Yet, when Butler's shot caromed off the rim, it was Lopez spreading his arms, pushing aside the Celtics' bigs and corralling the ball. That led to a Paul Zipser (16 points) layup.
Lopez has also chipped in as a scorer, left alone all too often by a Boston defense busy chasing other Bulls scorers. Lopez is an excellent midrange shooter (he made 44.9 percent of his 2-pointers from 16 feet out this year), but the Celtics have repeatedly helped off him. In two games, he has made 14 of 20 shots, averaging 16.0 points, and the Celtics have made zero adjustments.
"That shot's open," Lopez said. "I'm just going to try to shoot it with confidence. I am sure Bobby (Portis) would tell you the same thing, or Niko (Mirotic), whenever we are passed the ball, we are told, shoot it if it is open. That makes it easier to shoot the ball. Makes it easier for it to go on."
Lopez has always prided himself on being a bit quirky by pro-athlete standards — he calls himself the Screech Powers of the NBA on his Twitter page. As this Bulls season has led the league in weirdness from start to finish, it's only fitting that Lopez is shining now, just as the Bulls' fortunes have taken the weirdest turn of all: a possible spot in the East playoffs' second round.
He's not getting ahead of himself, however.
"We have been very focused so far, and that is going to be the key for us," Lopez said. "I said earlier, we have been taking it possession by possession. When we don't, they're going to make runs. But that is part of the game. The focus has been very good for us."


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Monday, 3 February 2014
Latest crazy twist in Leeds take over soap opera
Leeds fans are now pinning their hopes on a combined Pearson - Haigh bid, or to put it another way, a Together Leeds Sports Capita bid. Of course, Haigh, in his role as an employee of GFH Capital, dismissed a bid from Pearson's group as "derisory" not so long ago, so this is hardly a marriage made in heaven, but beggars can't be choosers, and what is happening at Leeds beggars belief!
One thing seems certain, if this marriage of consortiums goes ahead, there will be no massive injection of funds into the club. Sports Capita couldn't stump up the necessary funds to buy the club less than a month ago, and 75% of the entire business was being sold to Cellino on Friday for two thirds of what Moyeschester United paid for Matta. And meanwhile, Pearson was rumoured to have offered half that figure when trying to cash in on GFH Capital's financial miscalculations when they bought a financial drain thinking they were buying a gold mine.
The club is haemorrhaging cash and credibility by the day and with all the consortiums bidding so late, any expenditure in the January window has been conveniently avoided - just as I predicted one week into January when I blogged that somebody should buy Flowers a diary. Of course, Pearson and Haigh will make all the right noises about wanting what is best for the club, but if this is true, they would have got their fingers out and completed a deal before the window slammed shut. But that would have been expensive wouldn't it?
And ironically, that's where Cellino might be the better option, because should his bid succeed, Leeds might suddenly be bolstered, Watford style, by an influx of loan signings - albeit the rules on this have been tightened since the Pozzos exploited a ridiculous loop hole last season.
But let's assume for a moment that Haigh and Pearson prevail, then surely the broth will be in danger of being ruined by so many cooks as Flowers, Haigh, Pearson & his band of merry Yorkshiremen, Patel, Noruddychance et all do battle to exert ultimate control.
The plot thickens like the thighs and waistband of the average Yorkshire lass. McDermott is back in the engine room but God knows where the train is heading. Tomorrow will probably bring another twist, and should Leeds lose at Yeovil on Saturday, the wolves could turn on each other and start ripping the club apart.
And who is that smiling from ear to ear? Revenge is sweet for Master Bates who may be tempted to send pens to all the members of LUST who campaigned so hard to get him out of the club, inviting them to explain exactly how Leeds United has benefitted from the GFH Capital take over.
24 comments:
- Anonymous3 February 2014 at 22:08
Go fuck a duck you cockney puffReplyDelete
- Anonymous3 February 2014 at 22:11
Cellino's in for me.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous3 February 2014 at 22:15
Which one? Cellino? Haigh? Flowers? Pearson? Noruddychance? Patel? Or all of them?Delete
- Anonymous3 February 2014 at 23:19
I think he meant you,me old Cock ,,Delete
- Anonymous3 February 2014 at 22:22
hm hm hm ya dont say revenge his sweet never a truer word spoken see ya next season the mighty whites will be waiting for ya 3 games wid out andy carole his your season over? !!!!!! ha ha haReplyDelete
- Anonymous3 February 2014 at 22:24
Haigh is a twat nobody wants him at Leeds two faced bastardReplyDelete
- Anonymous3 February 2014 at 22:26
Another rubbish attempt at a wind-up, how many is that since Saturday? U have been so obsessed at trying to piss off all other fans of other clubs u have forgot to post about the spam dangler's since Saturday, real fan u r!! U must be feeling sorry for urself after a doctor from the hospital gave u an internal examination via the botty! Either that or ur winky is very small!!! Little big man complex! ;-)ReplyDelete
- mrbigwheels3 February 2014 at 22:29
The quiet man in the corner here is Noodlesguy, imo, I'm pinning him as the villian in all this weekends hoo haa. He's the one txting Cellino at friday lunch...''it's your club now''. The sand is definitely shifting or shafting... if you prefer.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous3 February 2014 at 22:29
- Anonymous3 February 2014 at 22:40
shut up and go away you parasite.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous3 February 2014 at 22:50
- Anonymous3 February 2014 at 22:51
i dont read your actual article anymore,but i used to mate.i just scroll down to the comments and think of a way to insult you.you talk shit nowadays pal.i remember the good old days of this blog back a few years ago.ReplyDelete
die like noncy papa did.his overgrown grave.when did u visit his grave last??? hahahahahahReplies
- Anonymous4 February 2014 at 07:22
I rarely read his shite too, infact 9 times out of 10 I reply to his headline only!Delete
Mate, there's no need for the shite you've said at the bottom of your post, its fucking low and the only thing you're acheiving is justifying the "vile animals" name that we ALL get tarred with! Give your head a shake eh?
- Anonymous4 February 2014 at 10:52
u fuck off aswell u faggotDelete
Hmmm, and McDermott reckons Leeds fans are a "class act".Delete
- Anonymous4 February 2014 at 00:06
when Cellino completes his takeover he will get AllardiciReplyDelete
- Anonymous4 February 2014 at 02:28
Throughout this whole debacle lets spare a thought for the shoddy treatment Uncle Festa has received. He only wanted to sit on the bench and chat to his friends in Italian and serve some Spaghetti at half time...Now he's being treated as a Pariah ! Shame on Leeds !ReplyDelete
- Anonymous4 February 2014 at 03:59
in the midst of all this nigel gibbs is wondering whether he'll ever be able to wear his matching macron shorts and sweatshirt ever againReplyDelete
- Anonymous4 February 2014 at 06:51
"as I predicted" OK Nostradamus, tell me- will the hammers stay up? who will end up being the owners of LUFC. One prediction on each would be ideal but I suspect you will cover all bases, throwing misguided and uneducated conclusions in all directions, only to try to smugly declare you were right when the eventual conclusions are revealed!ReplyDelete
Paying that useless, brainless Geordie all that money to be injured and then suspended is hilarious - he so obviously really cares about the club making him a multi millionaire! NOT
Yes and CellinoDelete
Although I haven't seen the news this morning, so that could change. Then again it might change again at 11am, then again at 2pm, then again...How about administration? It's not impossible!Delete
With regard to Leeds, I simply pointed out the delays in the takeover and drew a logical conclusion. How can you apply logic in the present chaos?
- whitearmy4 February 2014 at 07:57
Another worldbeater of a article.your blog stops me from phoning the samaritans.this takeover is taking my patience.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous5 February 2014 at 03:10
wheres gradel? daft ladReplyDelete


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Pure Calm™ is naturally-sourced, bioidentical GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid). It is made via a process where the amino acid glutamic acid (glutamate) is fermented using Lactobacillus hilgardii, the beneficial bacteria also used to ferment many foods including the vegetables in kimchi, the famous Korean dish. PharmaGABA™ provides 200 mg of GABA per serving (two tablets). Its chewable tablet delivery allows for rapid and efficient absorption and assimilation.* As a result, benefits are felt very quickly. GABA is a naturally occurring amino acid in the brain and is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). GABA serves as a critical calming agent for the body, helping to combat stress and anxiety.Made with non-GMO ingredients.
Pure TG1000 is a highly potent, non-GMO fish oil, containing an impressive 1,000 mg omega-3 oils per softgel, making it an ideal choice for therapeutic dosing. Each softgel contains 662mg EPA and 250mg DHA, along with other omega-3 fatty acids. As with all Designs for Health fish oil products, OmegAvail™ TG1000 contains the triglyceride (TG) form for superior absorption and bioavailability.
Made with non-GMO ingredients.
CoQ100 offers 100mg of highly bioavailable ubiquinone coenzyme (CoQ10) in easy-to-swallow softgels. It is manufactured via a new, proprietary emulsification process that uses all-natural ingredients, including vitamin E, medium chain triglycerides (MCT) and lecithin that is free of polysorbate 80. Superior bioavailability has been demonstrated in an in-house human clinical trial, showing this material to be up to eight times more bioavailable than crystalline CoQ10 powder.


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Category: Contract Awards, Department of Defense, Syndicated Industry News | RSS 2.0AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $1,837,230,500 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable-no-fee contract to provide for Country Standard Time Compliance Technical Order (CSTCTO) development, CSTCTO integration and testing, fabrication of trial kits to support validation and verification activities, procurement of 68 F-15s to F-15SA conversion kits, and the procurement and installation of four base stand-up kits. This is a Foreign Military Sales requirement for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Will advise as to the location of the performance. Work is to be completed by Dec. 31, 2013. WR-ALC/GRMK, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity (FA8505-12-C-0001). Lockheed Martin Corp., Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded a $249,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to purchase Space Vehicle 5/6 production electronic/antenna fabrication and flight materials. The location of the performance is Sunnyvale, Calif. Work is to be completed by Nov. 1, 2012. SMC/MC, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity (FA8808-12-C-0010 P00001). Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $34,064,647 cost-plus-fixed-fee with performance incentives contract to procure electronic protection improvement program. The location of the performance is Tucson, Ariz. Work is to be completed by Oct. 31, 2015. AAC/EBAD, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity (FA8675-12-C-0040). Barnes Group, Inc., Windsor, Conn., is being awarded an $18,123,126 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price, three-year contract with no options to procure aircraft turbine cases for the F-100 engine. The location of the performance is Windsor, Conn. Work is to be completed by Nov. 30, 2012. 848 SCMG/PKAA, Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity. (FA8121-12-D-0012) Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded a $16,000,000 cost-plus-award-fee contract to modify the spacecraft integration and test contract for the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. The location of the performance is Sunnyvale, Calif. Work is to be completed by October 2016. Defense Weather Systems Directorate, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity (F04701-02-C-0003, P00196).NAVY Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Tewksbury, Mass., is being awarded a $38,600,000 not-to-exceed modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-5346) for non-recurring engineering, detail design, software development, and production planning efforts required to ensure dual band radar is compatible with CVN 78-class power system interface. This contract modification dual band radar is compatible with the emergency diesel generator, the main turbine generator, and the electrical distribution system specifications of CVN 78-class power system interface. Funds in the amount of $19,300,000 are obligated at time of award. Work will be performed in Sudbury, Mass. (53 percent); Tewksbury, Mass. (29 percent); Andover, Mass. (10 percent); Dallas, Texas (6 percent); and Portsmouth, R.I. (2 percent). Work is expected to complete by April 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of this fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Motorola Solutions, Inc., Columbia, Md., is being awarded a $16,495,982 firm-fixed-price contract for commercially available infrastructure components, voice logging recorders, dispatch console systems, and subscriber units in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Patuxent River, St. Inigoes, Md., Special Communications Requirements Division. This equipment will be used to support the integration of a Project 25 public safety radio infrastructure for the United States Capitol Police areas of responsibility within the National Capital Region. Work will be performed in Columbia, Md. (80 percent); Washington, D.C. (15 percent); and St. Inigoes, Md. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in March 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, with two offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity (N68335-12-C-0342). Huntington Ingalls, Inc., Pascagoula, Miss., is being awarded a $9,298,610 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-2304) for government furnished equipment (GFE) workshare transportation efforts in support of the Zumwalt (DDG 1000) class destroyer. The modification will provide GFE workshare transportation efforts for the procurement of material required for the fabrication of cradles, fixtures, and other equipment that are necessary to safely and securely transport class products from Huntington Ingalls in Pascagoula, Miss., to Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. Work will be performed in Pascagoula, Miss. (95 percent), and Gulfport, Miss. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by June 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Team Construction, L.L.C.*, Jacksonville, N.C., is being awarded $8,298,605 for firm-fixed-price task order 0007 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N40085-09-D-9075) for improving vehicle access to Marine Corps Base, Camp Geiger. The work to be performed provides for the widening of Curtis Road and Church Street, new entrance roadways to serve Camp Geiger, three roadway extensions, horizontal alignment improvements of two roadways, demolition of existing roadways, roadway lighting, a new traffic signal, a pedestrian crossing, signs, landscaping, relocation of utilities, relocation of multi-purpose trails, and incidental related work. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, N.C., and is expected to be completed by December 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Seven proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity.DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY CFM International, Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded a firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract with a maximum $8,942,490 for turbine disk and hub. There are no other locations of performance. Using service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2012 Air Force Funds. There was one proposal with one response. The date of performance completion is May 31, 2017. The Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Tinker, Air Force Base, Okla., is the contracting activity (SPRTA1-11-G-0001-00F7). Lord Corp., Erie, Pa., was awarded a fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum $7,375,758 for bushings and bearings. Other location of performance is Ohio. Using service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2012 Defense Working Capital Funds. There were two proposals with one response. The date of performance completion is June 24, 2013. The Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Va., is the contracting activity (SPM4A6-12-D-0260).
Read the original post here.From Contract - U.S. Dept. of Defense
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Join Rolf Achilles, professor of historic preservation at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and author of Stained Glass in Houses of Worship, to explore some of Chicago's most beautiful and non traditional sacred spaces.
Tour runs 3.5 to 4 hours and meets at the Chicago History Museum.
© 2017 Chicago History Museum. All Rights Reserved.


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Aircraft Ground Handling Services at airports in India has undergone major changes and made rapid improvements in the recent past consequent to the promulgation of the Gazette Notification that came into force effective 18th October,2007. These Regulations cover the entire spectrum of Ramp & Traffic Handling that covers Marshalling, Parking, Starting, Mooring of Aircraft as well as its cleaning, loading / unloading apart from Cargo Handling, Passenger and baggage handling, Cargo etc.. As these regulations make it mandatory for the authorized service provider to use only the latest state-of-art equipment and deployment of wholetime bonafide employees, the standards of Ground Handling at Indian airports has already shown signs of great improvements and is now comparable to international standards and practices.
Amongst the latest awardees of Ground Handling Services is Bhadra International who are providing these services at Chennai, Kolkata and all other airports in Southern Region of the country. It's achievements in such a short span of time reveal that it has earned enormous praises from its client airlines. Some typical examples of its recent activities are worth noting.
As recently as the 12th October, Bhadra International commenced its quality professional Ground Handling services for Oman Air Flights at Chennai and Calicut airports. This commencement came as Bhadra International braced itself to also provide these world class professional Ground Handling services to Air Austral commencing 30th October at Chennai and the Dragon Airlines beginning November 2nd at Kolkata.
Bhadra International has also earned kudos for the successful commencement of operations for Lufthansa and Korean Air Freighter Flight, the leaders in carrying freight and freighter aircraft movements.
The company is already serving all the recent entrants at Chennai Airport, rendering total support in establishing new businesses of Air China and Hong Kong Airlines. In fact, it is also admirably meeting the requirements of Gulf Air who have doubled their number of weekly flights in the last six months.
On completion of recent Phase 1 of Haj Flights, the Management of Saudi Arabian Airlines had the following to place on record.
"Alhamdullilah! Hajj Phase I successfully and peacefully completed today 20 Oct. 12 at 1509 hours. We operated 30 Hajj charter flights and carried a total of 8835 Hajj Pilgrims from Calicut embarkation point during the period 06 Oct to 20 Oct 12.
Saudi Arabian Airlines would like to express its sincere gratitude to Bhadra and its staff for the support and cooperation extended to us during this period to ensure smooth Hajj handling. The service and assistance rendered to Hajj pilgrims by your staff were well appreciated by different agencies who were involved in this operations.
We request you to kindly convey our thanks to all your staff concerned".
Bhadra and its contributions in enhancing Ground Handling Services at Airports in India are making the Civil Aviation in India real proud.


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David Banner connects with Big K.R.I.T. for a new release off his S*x, Drugs & Video Games set to drop for free on May 22nd. Banner is asking for his fans to support "The Movement" by donating a $1 each. He is aiming to get 2 million downloads.
And what is "The Movement" you may ask? This movement is to start controlling our own music, movies and content…PERIOD! As David Banner states "We are not simply characters in a video game being controlled by the invisible hand. Once this donation goal is met, I'm going to shoot a movie that will drop 5-22-2013 and a portion of the donations are also going to charity. Big shout out to Louie C.K. for the motivation. Download this mixtape for FREE and make sure to support the movement. Hell, even if you don't like me, at least support the movement, because that's what this is all really about."


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It's taken eight years to get there, but all indications point to season 8 being the last for How I Met Your Mother. Some fans may feel that the show's central narrative has lost its way and that the series has begun to wear thin, while others are hoping that the series will continue until at least season 9.
Luckily for all HIMYM fans, however, the series is gearing up for a big season 8. The season premiere already revealed more about the fateful moment when Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) meets his future wife, and upcoming episodes are sure to see numerous twists and turns between Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) and Robin (The Avengers' Cobie Smulders. However, the latest bit of news focuses instead on Alyson Hannigan and Jason Segel, who portray new parents Lily and Marshall on the show.
Prior to HIMYM, Hannigan was, of course, best known for her role as Willow Rosenberg on Joss Whedon's beloved Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. Now, thanks to the official HIMYM Twitter account, word has arrived that Seth Green – who played Willow's boyfriend (and occasional werewolf) Oz on Buffy – is set for a guest appearance in an upcoming episode.
CASTING NEWS! Wait-for-it!
@SethGreen is guest starring on #HIMYM in Dec. playing a creep guy named Daryl. #cantwaitforit
TVLine has since confirmed details on that initial reveal. Green will appear in the December 10th episode as Daryl LaCoutre, a college classmate of Lily and Marshall's who considered himself their best friend. The couple, however, doesn't remember him, despite his obsession with being a part of their life. The role sounds like it could be a real showcase for Green's comic timing.
Besides Buffy, the actor is known for his work on Family Guy and Robot Chicken as well as a laundry list of film credits, including the Austin Powers trilogy. He and Hannigan also shared the screen all the way back in the 1988 Dan Aykroyd comedy My Stepmother Is An Alien.
However, Green is far from the first actor to have gone from a role on a Joss Whedon show to a guest appearance on HIMYM. Amy Acker, Morena Baccarin, Harry Groener, Tom Lenk, Danny Strong and Hannigan's husband, Alexis Denisof, have all popped up during the show's run.
Are you excited that Green and Hannigan will be reunited on HIMYM, Screen Rant readers? Were you a fan of their Buffy storyline? Let us know in the comments.
How I Met Your Mother airs Mondays at 8pm on CBS.


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Timeless music is defined as music that's able to be played at any time and still be relevant. Alyssa Marie was able to raise hell with her timeless hits from 2010, and now she's back with a live band to tell us those same stories that prove to be germane to today.
Since her project Louder Than Words hit the streets over a year ago, she's recollected herself with a live band to remaster her past hits on Deja Vu, transcending her music to a higher level of soul.
Story | Nico Blitz
Her first single is "Freedum," which traces back to a freestyle over Atmosphere's 'LoveLife' that she released back in 2011. As an obvious play on words, this record immediately detaches Alyssa from the heavy instrumentals produced by the DopeBoyz, enabling us to more clearly comprehend her prominent voice.
My take is that, we're living in a world where bullshit and half-assing work is acceptable; where what we have isn't enough because another person is flexing much harder. "Freedum" reveals that despite the social constructs built by the media, despite the world's seemingly confidence leaders, and despite that freedom is a human right, we tend to trap ourselves within these constructs, thus preventing us from evolving.
There's moments where I feel stagnant. Despite my liberty to truly fly into my craft, I find myself nailed to the ground at times when comparing myself to others with a similar goal to my own.
The 'freedum' we all succumb to is simply a lack of self-confidence. Not the financial, physical, or spiritual confidence, but the true confidence to be oneself while disregarding anyone's opinion, which in turn allows us to evolve.
– Related: The Lunch Table's Exclusive Interview with Alyssa Marie –
"Raise Hell" is a remastered version of its hip hop counterpart off her second album No Parades on Easy Streets. As the title of the record depicts, its Alyssa at her finest as she explains how there's no shortcuts to becoming a positive impact in the world. She doesn't crave attention or fame, and seeks only to educate and single-handedly prove that a conscious rapper will be deeply engraved in our minds.
Lyricism is unfortunately a lost craft in mainstream hip hop. It seems like the more high up an artist is in the mainstream hip hop rankings, the less down to earth the artist is. I'm not one to assume that these rappers don't have personal issues they deal with, however, I'd much rather hear a story about discomfort, depression, happiness, or enjoyment than simply fuck bitches, get money, and hoes.
I remember hip hop when artists wanted to showcase their lyrical capabilities. When artists wanted to prove a point on content that actually mattered. From my point of view, to raise hell is like reviving the true essence of rap – and Alyssa is doing just that.
So for a rapper who's able to make music that deconstructs what 'freedom' actually means for us, all while making records that allows her to flex the essence of hip hop, is there a reason to not label Alyssa Marie as timeless? For more on Alyssa and the band, stream Deja Vu below.


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Depending on the item style, you can choose two or three colors of 550 parachute cord or our 275 Tactical Cord for your item; while one color is O.K. too.
If you want to carry as much cord around a possible, hikers and survivalists will tell you every time to go with one color as that then allows you to have one full continuous string of cord available if you need it. 2 or more color items will then have separate lengths of cord.
550 Cord Colors to Choose From:
All of my products are made to order by me right here in the U.S.A. with mil-spec MIL-C-5040H type III requirement cord and have a minimum breaking strength of 550 pounds (550 cord). My 550 parachute cord comes from the same U.S. factory that is a government contractor to supply the military, so quality is assured.
We are proud to also offer items knotted up in our exclusive lower profile 275 Tactical Cord — made in the U.S.A. to our specs and only available here at Paracord PaulTM!
550 Paracord colors may vary slightly based on dye lots
and/or device resolution used to view the above.


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After a long hiatus, this is the first post in (hopefully) a new regular series: Supporting Cast. In Supporting Cast, I'll stat up some NPCs for use in various game systems and settings. Most will probably be some kind of antagonist, but I'll include a few helpful NPCs in there, too. I'll include motivations, a bit of history, a physical description, and relevant game stats. There'll also be a variety of genre – I've got NPC plans for FFG Star Wars, Fate Core/FAE, Savage Worlds, FFG Warhammer 40K, Swords & Wizardry (or other OSR games), D&D 4E, and almost certainly D&D 5E.
So, let's get started. Today's Supporting Cast is Doctor Victor Von Sturm.
|Source: Victorian Web
Name: Doctor Victor Von Sturm
Game System: Savage Worlds
Genre/Setting: Steampunk Pulp
History: Doctor Von Sturm is a biologist with a university in London. He spent his early twenties traveling the world in search of new species, hoping to make his name in the scientific world. During one of these expeditions, he lost his arm when the boiler on the airship he was a passenger on detonated, throwing shrapnel everywhere. He designed and built a new arm for himself, using his knowledge of biology and engineering together to perfect the design.
At the age of thirty, he settled down in London and promptly began making rivals in the university. He then spent years and thousands of pounds in research funding trying to outdo one in particular (left to the GM), and when that failed, to discredit them. Now in his forties, Doctor Von Sturm is regarded as a brilliant scientist, but a rather loathsome person.
Motivations: Von Sturm's primary goal is to outdo his rival. He wants nothing more than to see himself publically regarded as the better scientist. He pursues this goal with fervor, often passing off teaching duties to one of his assistants to better further his schemes. He also intends to discredit his rival, wanting to see them not merely outdone, but pushed to the lowest ranks of academia.
Personality Traits: Von Sturm is vindictive, easily angered, and impulsive. He takes plenty of risks in his wild, often dangerous schemes, but he always takes time to give a smug, gloating speech when he feels he's won. He is intelligent and feels he should always let others around him know just how smart he thinks he is. He throws himself into every project wholeheartedly, whether that project is designing some new gadget, studying a previously-undiscovered species, or ruining an academic colleague's career.
Physical Description: Doctor Von Sturm is a tall, thin man. He views sports and general athleticism as something for lesser men, leaving him in rather poor shape, physically. He has a trimmed beard, often waxed into a point, that is going gray. His hair is respectably short and still dark. Von Sturm tends to wear nice suits, though the quality has gone down lately along with his reputation in academics. He often wears glasses, though he prefers to only wear them when he's going to give a (in his mind) wise, learned speech. His left arm is a clockwork construction, made of brass and dark cherry wood and powered by a small Aether engine he keeps on his belt.
Roleplaying Suggestions: I would suggest that Von Sturm speak very precisely, with almost no slang. He is educated, intelligent, and likes to show off. He probably wouldn't use contractions all that often – Do not instead of don't, will not instead of won't, etc.
Suggested Use: Von Sturm is a perfect antagonist in a steampunk game. He has all the makings of a big bad; he is educated, intelligent, vindictive, and completely ruthless. I would suggest him as a rival of the PCs or someone the PCs are close to. After having one of his plans spoiled by the meddling PCs, that should be plenty to bring them to his attention, if they weren't already. He's not above sabotage, hiring mercenaries to rough up the PCs, or ruining their reputations. He isn't quite a murderer and he shies away from personal involvement in violence, but he won't hesitate to torment and humiliate the PCs if given the chance.
Stat Block
Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d10, Spirit d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills: Investigation d6, Knowledge (Biology) d10, Knowledge (Engineering) d10, Notice d8, Repair d6
Charisma: -
Pace: 6
Parry: 2
Toughness: 5
Hindrances: Arrogant, Anemic, Greedy
Edges: Jack of All Trades, McGyver, Scholar


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As the new chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jirí Belohlávek will play a major role at the Proms. But, he tells Geoffrey Norris, he's not yet ready to join in all the revelry
When the Proms open their doors on July 14, the BBC Symphony Orchestra will be ushering in a new era. Ever since the premature parting of the ways with Leonard Slatkin in 2004, the orchestra has been without a chief conductor. Now there is the promise of stability and vision with the appointment of the Czech maestro Jirí Belohlávek
His inaugural concert in the post is the First Night of the Proms, a programme that, with music by Mozart, Smetana, Dvorák and Shostakovich, neatly covers some of those areas for which he is going to be primarily in the public eye - "the mainstream plus Czech", as he puts it.
Belohlávek, who was the orchestra's principal guest conductor from 1995 to 2000, now heads a small team of BBC SO conductors that also includes the American David Robertson, who is known mainly for his work in contemporary music.
"There is certainly a division of interests," says Belohlávek, "but this is a division that should lead to cohesion. Of course, that doesn't mean I won't touch contemporary music."
He aims to introduce works by younger Czech composers and, at the Proms, he will also be conducting a new piece by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies to mark the Queen's 80th birthday. At the start of the orchestra's next autumn/winter season, it will perform a BBC commission from Jonathan Dove.
The overriding quality that Belohlávek brings with him to this key post is his vital experience in the Viennese classics of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, together with a command of the Bruckners and Mahlers of this world, and a probing insight into landmark 20th-century scores by the likes of Stravinsky and Janácek.
He is also known for his fusion of thorough preparation and spontaneity.
"First, I have my idea, my picture of how a piece should sound," he says. "Even if I am getting a result that is not exactly what I thought at the beginning, I can appreciate - or I try to appreciate and adjust to - the individuality of an orchestra.
"Sometimes, I get very interesting shadings of my idea. On the other hand, orchestras are very flexible nowadays. If you have enough justification why you specifically want something a certain way, and if you can persuade them to try it, then they might hear that it is also a possibility."
At the Prague Philharmonia, which he founded in 1994, Belohlávek developed a pattern of preparation that was "not perfect - it was double perfect", he says.
"In rehearsals, I was always trying to open up every possibility, every nuance I could think of. When the ensemble is on such a level of technical perfection and in such artistic and spiritual agreement with a conductor, these are the circumstances that allow you in the evening to really create - not just to repeat what you have done in the rehearsals."
But are those not luxury conditions that an orchestra such as the BBC Symphony, often working against the clock, can ill afford?
"Orchestras such as the BBC," counters Belohlávek, "have a wonderful storage of experience. That was not the case with the Prague Philharmonia, which was a young orchestra without experience. We had to create more time to be able to digest things. With the BBC, there are many things that come by themselves."
Belohlávek has relinquished his post as head of the Prague Philharmonia, but will return to conduct it once or twice a year. He will also maintain guest appearances with other major orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic.
"We had to cancel some things in favour of the BBC Symphony," he says, "but we were still able to keep my commitments in the field of opera, such as the Metropolitan in New York, the Paris Opéra and next year Washington, as well.
"I think this is not only in my own interests but also in the interests of my standing as the chief conductor of the BBC Symphony. So it is in the interests of the BBC as well. I think the balance is fine."
The really important question, though, is whether Belohlávek will submit himself to the challenges of conducting the revelries of the Last Night of the Proms.
"Not this year," he says, "because I would like to get more into the character of that concert. I've never been there for the last night. I have heard a tape and seen a video, but I need to be there, to feel it.
"The other thing is that I definitely cannot compete with an Englishman or an American in the eloquence of dealing with the audience. I have to find out how to do it and it needs a little bit more time. It's definitely planned for 2008. I'm looking forward to it, because it might be great fun."


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Elder Patriot – Moments ago President Donald Trump strode into the Rose Garden with Jean-Claude Juncker President of the European Commission where, together, they announced the elimination of tariffs on industrialized goods.
In addition to that, Trump received commitments from Junker to increase purchases of soybeans from American farms and to purchase large amount of liquified natural gas.
The purchase of LNG means that the sale of Russian gas within the E.U. will now be greatly reduced giving President Trump additional leverage in his negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Earlier this month the mainstream media went apoplectic when President Trump demanded that our NATO allies pay their fair share for their own defense and then left for a summit with Putin.
The J-school graduates, with no real world experience but with plenty of worthless opinions, lambasted our president for shunning our allies and playing cozy with Russia. Now, less than one month later, NATO is better funded than and better prepared to defend itself than ever before.
And the financial alliance with our European alliance appears to healed and stronger than ever, as well, so that our friendship with Europe will no longer threaten our prosperity.
Tired of Winning yet?


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We have already featured the disguised Hyundai Coupe that has recently been spotted in a number of locations around the world Strongly rumoured to be based on the Hyundai Genesis rear wheel drive platform it has not been confirmed that the drive was going to the rear wheelsââ¬Â¦until now.
Hyundai has just confirmed that the new coupe replacement for the current Tiburon due in 2008/2009 will be rear wheel drive in what is a sure sign that Hyundai are taking the ââ¬Ësports carââ¬â¢ title seriously.
The fact that FWD has been dropped for the next generation Tiburon leads to some interesting speculation concerning possible drivetrain options. No longer shackled by the limitations inherent with putting power to the ground through the same wheels that steer, Hyundai have the option of upping the ante a littleââ¬Â¦or a lot.
It is generally believed that a turbo-charged V6 will be on the menu, in addition to a naturally aspirated V6. However, some speculate that a V8 variant using the same V8 due to be released in the Genesis sedan could see the light of day. Hyundai have officially kyboshed the V8 claims but never say never.
Source : Autoblog