text:
from: Matthew Fuller, "Software Studies"
text mirrored from: http://dm.ncl.ac.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/softwarestudies.pdf
This term is usually identified as jargon, used in electronic industries and
services, among programmers, circuit- bending practitioners, gamers, media
artists, and designers. In electrical systems, a glitch is a short- lived error in a
system or machine. A glitch appears as a defect (a voltage- change or signal of
the wrong duration—a change of input) in an electrical circuit. Thus, a glitch
is a short- term deviation from a correct value and as such the term can also describe
hardware malfunctions. The outcome of a glitch is not predictable.
When applied to software, the meaning of glitch is slightly altered. A
glitch is an unpredictable change in the system's behavior, when something
obviously goes wrong.
Glitch is often used as a synonym for bug; but not for error. An error might
produce a glitch but might not lead to a perceivable malfunction of a system.
Errors in software are usually structured as: syntax errors (grammatical errors
in a program), logic errors (error in an algorithm), and exception errors (arising
from unexpected conditions and events).
Glitches have become an integral part of computer culture and some phenomena
are perceived as glitches although they are not glitches in technical
terms. Artifacts that look like glitches do not always result from an error. What
users might perceive as "glitchy" can arise from a normally working function of
a program. Sometimes these might originate from technical limitations, such as
low image- processing speed or low bandwidth when displaying video. For example,
the codecs of some video- conferencing software, such as CU- Seeme,1 visibly
"pixelize" the image, allowing the compression of parts of the images that
remain static over different frames when, for instance, the transfer speed drops.
To comply with the customary usage of "glitch" we propose to think of
glitches as resulting from error, though in reality it might be diffi cult or impossible
to distinguish whether the particular glitch is planned or results from
a problem. To understand the roles glitches play in culture, knowing their origin
is not of primary importance. Understanding glitches as erroneous brings
more to a comprehension of their role than trying to give a clear defi nition that
would include or subordinate encoded glitches and glitches as malfunctions.
Glitches are usually regarded as marginal. In reality, glitches can be
claimed to be a manifestation of genuine software aesthetics. Let us look at
machine aesthetics as formed by functionality and dysfunctionality, and then
proceed to the concept of glitches as computing's aesthetic core, as marks
of (dys)functions, (re)actions and (e)motions that are worked out in humancomputer
Computers do not have a recognizable or signifi cant aesthetic that possesses
some kind of authenticity and completeness. It is commonplace that the aesthetics
of software are largely adopted from other spheres, media, and conventions.
Thus, the desktop is a metaphor for a writing table, icons descend from
labels or images of objects, while the command line interface is inherited from
telegraph, teletype, and typewriter.
The aesthetics of computers that developed over a few decades from the
early 1950s to the early 1980s, when they were fi rst introduced to the public
and on to the current time (consisting of dynamic menus, mouse, pointer,
direct manipulation of objects on the screen, buttons, system sounds, human computer interaction models) are, in our opinion, not rich and self- suffi cient
enough to be called the aesthetic of the computer.
On top of that the current aesthetic of software is not complete; it does
not work very well as it does not contribute enough to the computer's userfriendliness.
Besides, it is a widely acknowledged problem that the customary
information design principles of arranging computer data, derived from earlier
conventions (such as the treelike folder structure), result in users having
problem, with data archiving and the memorization of document names and
Historically, the shape, style, and decoration of every new technology has
been introduced in a manner owing much to the aesthetics and thinking customary
of the time. Thus, when mechanism had not yet replaced naturalism as
means of framing reality, Lewis Mumford argues, mechanisms were introduced
with organic symbols. For instance, a typical eighteenth century automaton, "the
clockwork Venus," consisted of a female mannequin resting on top of a clockwork
mechanism.2 As technology developed further, some genuine machine
aesthetics were born, primarily derived from machine functionality. And it was
their functionality that some avant- garde movements of the twentieth century
admired in the machine. For instance, among the Russian avant- garde movements
of the beginning of the twentieth century (e.g., Cubo- Futurism, Abstractionism,
Rayonism, Suprematism) artists such as Mayakovsky, Gontcharova,
Kandinsky, Larionov, and Malevich poeticized new machines for their speed,
energy, and dynamics. The methods they used to depict movement, light,
power, and speed could be regarded aesthetically as grandparents of some of
today's glitches (certain correlation of color mass; unlimited diversity of colors,
lines and forms; repeating geometrical structures, fi gures, lines, dots, etc.).
Rationalism and the precision of technical creation inspired many. Thus,
Meyerhold writes: "Arts should be based on scientifi c grounds."3 Russian constructivists
such as Tatlin established a compositional organization based on
the kinetics of simple objects and complex ideas of movement—rotating inner
mechanisms and open structure, using "real" materials—all intended to
function for utilitarian use. Punin writes of Tatlin's Tower: "Beneath our eyes
there is being solved the most complex problem of culture: utilitarian form
becomes pure creative form."4
Functional machines, primarily built by engineers, established strong aesthetic
principles that have defi ned technological design for years. Functional
elements are later used as nonfunctional design elements that are appreciated as "beautiful" by users not least due to the cultural memory of their origin. For
instance, the curved part of the wing over the tire of some car models reproduces
the guards used in horse- driven vehicles and early automobiles to protect
users and vehicle from dust and to affi x lights onto. It does not carry any
advance in function, but is used in automobile design as a recognizable and
nostalgic element.
Today, the functionality of the computer is concealed inside the gray / white /
beige box that covers the cards, slots, motherboard, and wires. In modding5
these parts are reimagined as elements of visual richness that convey a symbolism.
Hardware elements are aestheticized: Users might install neon lights,
weird jumbo fans and colorful wires into a transparent computer case or even
build an entirely new one from scratch. Electronic boards jutting out at 90
degree angles and architectures of twisted wire are widely used, as in cinema
and design, to represent technical substances.
By contrast, the way data is presented on a hard drive is not human- readable.
It is stored in different segments of the disk and reassembled each time the
documents are retrieved according to a plan kept as a separate fi le. Software
functionality here is invisible and an interface is needed to use the machine.
Modern software almost always conceals its functionality behind the window.
It provides us instead with images such as a page fl ying from one folder to another,
an hourglass, or that of a gray line gradually being fi lled with color.
There are moments in the history of computer technology that are rich in
computer functionality producing distinct aesthetics. At such times, computer
functionality reveals itself through technological limitations. Bottlenecks, such
as processor speed, screen resolution, color depth, or network bandwidth—
4- bit, 8- bit music, 16- color pixelized visuals, slow rendering, compressed image
and video with artifacts—create an authentic computer aesthetics, that is,
the aesthetics of low- tech today.
There are vast contemporary 8- bit music communities (such as Micromusic
.net), based entirely on producing music on emulators or surviving models of
the early home computers of the 1980s, such as Atari or Commodore. Alongside
producing sine waves, the sound chips of such computers attempted to
simulate preexisting musical reality: guitar, percussion, piano. Imperfect and
restricted, the chips could only produce idiosyncratic, funny and easy to recognize
sounds which were far from the originals. Scarcity of means encouraged
a special aesthetics of musical low- tech: of coolness, romanticism and imperfection.
People making 8- bit music nowadays relate back to their childhoods' favorite toys, memories that are shared by many people. Returning to a genuine
computer aesthetics of obsolete technology is not a question of individual
choice, but has the quality of a communal, social decision.
Functionality, as a characteristic of established machine aesthetics is always
chased by dysfunctionality (if not preceded by it). Functional machines,
robots, mechanized people (from Judaism's Golem,6 Frankenstein's monster7)
to the rebellious computers of the twentieth century) are interpreted as alien
to human nature, sooner or later becoming "evil" as they stop functioning
correctly. Thus, the dysfunctional mind, conduct, and vision become human,
compelling, sincere, meaningful, revelatory. As aesthetic principles, chance,
unplanned action, and uncommon behaviors were already central to European
and Russian literature of the nineteenth century in the work of writers such as
Balzac, Flaubert and Dostoyevsky.
In the technological era, society became organized according to the logic of
machines, conveyor belt principles, "rationally" based discrimination theories,
and war technology, with an increase in fear, frustration, refusal, and protest.
As a response, errors, inconsistencies of vision, of method, and of behavior become
popular modernist artistic methods used in Dadaism, Surrealism, and
other art movements. One of Surrealism's declared predecessors, the Comte
de Lautréamont, provided us with the lasting phrase that something could be
as "beautiful as the chance encounter of a sewing machine and an umbrella on
a dissection table."8 The introduction of chance, "hasard," (fr.), subconsciousness,
and irrationality into art and life was seen as being both opposed to and
deeply embedded in rationality and functionality.
Dysfunctional machines are not only those that are broken (images and
fi gures of crashed cars and other mass produced imperfections fi gure in the
aesthetics of Fluxus and Pop Art); they are also those that do not comply with
the general logic of machines, by acting irrationally and sometimes even turning
into humans. Thus, at the end of the Soviet movie Adventures of Electronic
Boy (1977), a robotic boy starts crying and this emotion symbolizes that he has
become human.
A glitch is a singular dysfunctional event that allows insight beyond the
customary, omnipresent, and alien computer aesthetics. A glitch is a mess that
is a moment, a possibility to glance at software's inner structure, whether it is
a mechanism of data compression or HTML code. Although a glitch does not
reveal the true functionality of the computer, it shows the ghostly conventionality
of the forms by which digital spaces are organized.
Glitches are produced by error and are usually not intended by humans.
As a not- entirely human- produced reality, its elements are not one- hundred
percent compatible with customary human logic, visual, sound, or behavioral
conventions of organizing and acting in space. Aesthetically some glitches
might inherit from avant- garde currents, but are not directly a product of the
latter (fi gure 8). Avant- garde artists inspired or disgusted by technology and
its societal infl uence have created a range of artistic responses, the aesthetics of
which today's glitches strangely seem to comply with. A glitch reminds us of
our cultural experience at the same time as developing it by suggesting new
aesthetic forms.
A glitch is stunning. It appears as a temporary replacement of some boring
conventional surface; as a crazy and dangerous momentum (Will the computer
come back to "normal"? Will data be lost?) that breaks the expected fl ow. A
glitch is the loss of control. When the computer does the unexpected and goes
beyond the borders of the commonplace, changes the context, acts as if it is not
logical but profoundly irrational, behaves not in the way technology should, it releases the tension and hatred of the user toward an ever- functional but
uncomfortable machine.
Error sets free the irrational potential and works out the fundamental concepts and
forces that bind people and machines. An error [is] a sign of the absence of an ideal
functionality, whether it be understood in the technical, social or economic sense.9
As with every new aesthetic form, glitches are compelling for artists and
designers as well as regular users. Glitches are an important realm in electronic
and digital arts. Some artists focus on fi nding, saving, developing, and
conceptualizing glitches, and glitches form entire currents in sonic arts and creative
music making. For example, the Dutch- Belgian group Jodi are known
for their attention to all kinds of computer visual manifestations that go beyond
well- known interfaces. It's enough only to look at their web- page http: //
wwwwwwwww.jodi.org to get a sense of their style (fi gure 9). On http: // text
.jodi.org a user browses through an endless sequence of pages that are obviously
of computer origin, and appear to be both meaningless and fascinatingly
Video gamers practice glitching (exploiting bugs in games).10 Game modifi
cations by Jodi, such as Untitled Game,11 as well as by other artists, such as
Joan Leandre's (Retroyou) R / C and NostalG12 are achieved by altering parts
of the code of existing games (fi gure 10). The resulting games range from absurd
environments in which cars can be driven, but with a distinct tendency
to sometimes fl y into outer space, to messy visual environments one can hardly
navigate, but which reveal dazzling digital aesthetic qualities.
In his aPpRoPiRaTe! (fi gure 11) Sven Koenig exploits a bug found in a video
player that makes a video compression algorithm display itself.13 By deleting
or modifying key frames (an encoded movie does not contain all full frames but
a few key frames, the rest of the frames are saved as differences between key
frames) he manages to modify the entire fi lm without much effort. As a result we get excitingly distorted yet recognizable variants of videos popular in fi le
exchange networks, where such algorithms are widely used. And, of course,
with this much work already done for them in advance, we'll see the power of
the new aesthetics of the glitch used in commercial products very soon.
1. Traces of CU- SeeMe can be found through http: // archive.org by searching for http: //
cu- seeme.com.
2. Lewis Mumford, Technics and Civilization, 52–55.
3. Vsevolod Meyerhold, "Artist of the Future," in Hermitage, no. 6, 10.
4. Nikolay Punin, The Memorial to the Third International, 5.
5. See "case modifi cation" in Wikipedia: http:// en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Case_modifi cation/ .
6. For an excellent account of Golem, see: http: // en.wikipedia.org / wiki / Golem / .
7. Mary Shelley, Frankenstein.
8. Lautréamont, Les chants de Maldoror, Russian edition, 55.
9. Pit Schultz, "Jodi as a Software Culture." in Tilman Baumgarten, ed. Install.exe,
Christoph Merian Verlag.
10. See "glitch" in Wikipedia: http: // en.wikipedia.org / wiki / Glitch / .
11. JODI, http: // wwwwwwwww.jodi.org / .
12. Joan Leandre (Retroyou), R / C and NostalG, http: // www.retroyou.org / and http: //
runme.org / project / +SOFTSFRAGILE / .
13. Sven Koenig, aPpRoPiRaTe!, http: // popmodernism.org / appropirate / .
<< preface
it is also meant to be an additional resource of information and recommended reading for my students of the prehystories of new media class that i teach at the school of the art institute of chicago in fall 2008.
the focus is on the time period from the beginning of the 20th century up to today.
>> Glitch. Olga Goriunova and Alexej Shulgin
from: Matthew Fuller, "Software Studies"
Gepostet von Nina Wenhart ... hh:mm 2:02 PM 0 replies tags - art, full text, glitch, publications, software, theory
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|I'm reading: >> Glitch. Olga Goriunova and Alexej Shulgin ~
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- ... is a Media Art historian and independent researcher. She is currently writing on "speculative archiving && experimental preservation of Media Art" and graduated from Prof. Oliver Grau's Media Art Histories program at the Danube University in Krems, Austria with a Master Thesis on Descriptive Metadata for Media Arts. For many years, she has been working in the field of archiving/documenting Media Art, recently at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Media.Art.Research and before as the head of the Ars Electronica Futurelab's videostudio, where she created their archives and primarily worked with the archival material. She was teaching the Prehystories of New Media Class at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) and in the Media Art Histories program at the Danube University Krems.


text:
What They Are Saying … about the federal budget deal
What political commentators are saying about the congressional deal on the federal budget:
The Republican collapse
This is an embarrassment for the country, yes, but it's also an embarrassment for the Republican Party that lays bare their motives, tactics and intention. It may not be so easy for voters to forget this come next November.
— Charles M. Blow, New York Times
Ted Cruz, one sore loser
The amount of wreckage (Ted) Cruz has caused in such a short time is truly awe-inspiring. He has damaged his party, hurt the economy, lowered the nation's standing and set back the conservative cause. But appearing at the Capitol on Wednesday morning, he wore a broad smile as reporters and cameras surrounded him to learn what further mayhem he was planning.
— Dana Milbank, Washington Post Writers Group
More Obama wins unlikely …
It is difficult to gauge exactly how much political capital the president has gotten out of his tough guy approach to the shutdown. But even if we concede that he is certainly a lot stronger than he was two months ago, he is not likely to enjoy another such moment of triumph again. That is, provided that (John) Boehner and the rest of the Republican Party don't let (Ted) Cruz anywhere near the driver's wheel again.
— Jonathan S. Tobin, Commentary Magazine
… and the Tea Party won little
After precipitating a government shutdown in a quixotic attempt to derail the 2010 health care law (better known as Obamacare), Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and his fellow Tea Party Republicans came away with a relatively minor change in the statute … and nothing else. No funding cuts, no delays, no exemptions.
— Jon Healey, Los Angeles Times
GOP spin on the shutdown
[Would] Republicans enter into another shutdown standoff with no fear? That's not how they look at it. They view any attempt to blame them for the shutdown, and not the president, as media bias in concentrate. This shutdown proved them right, and they'll carry that knowledge into the budget battle.
— David Weigel, Slate
G.W. Bush not to blame
By winning such a total victory, the President and Democrats now must accept responsibility, especially for the disaster of Obamacare. It's going to be hard to blame that on George W. Bush.
— Ernest Istook, Washington Times
Give the president power
Now that it's clear we've survived the debt crisis, the next step is to prevent it from happening again. Ever. How could we do that? … A constitutional amendment.
— Eric Posner, Slate
Not the end of strife
Obama may have succeeded this time, but GOP leaders plan to keep challenging his domestic agenda, especially his effort to include revenue increases and limit entitlement reductions in curbing the deficit.
— Carl Leubsdorf, Dallas Morning News
Let's make a deal
Let's think positive. Americans want to get back to normal. We want to admire the fall foliage and plan for Thanksgiving and complain about Congress' failure to pass a farm bill. There is nothing we find more attractive than a budgetary can being kicked down the road.
— Gail Collins, The New York Times

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Proenza Schouler Fall 2010: Graffiti Pants, Schoolgirl Skirts — And Anna Wintour Watching Without Her Sunglasses On
>> If you didn't get enough late '90s references at Alexander Wang, look to Proenza Schouler to fill your Fall 2010 quota. Newcomer Ann Kenny — who has the most arresting blue eyes — opened the show in high-waisted graffiti pants, made in collaboration with J Brand, and a shrunken navy toggle jacket. All the John Fleuvog-style curved platform heels and sheer thigh highs paired with full pleated school girl-style miniskirts must have caught Anna Wintour's attention — she sat next to Bee Shaffer the entire show, sunglasses-less (a first?), until the final runthrough when she finally put her trademark shades on.
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez had the house packed: benches arranged around the X-shaped runway sat as many as they could possibly fit — with the likes of Pamela Love, Mary-Kate Olsen, Jen Brill, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Carine Roitfeld (in green furry heels), Joseph Altuzarra, Lauren Santo Domingo, Vanessa Traina, Chloe Sevigny, Craig McDean, Terry Richardson, and Olivier Zahm all accounted for. Bass pumped through Milk Studios loud enough to shake the walls, while fuzzy printed flannel dresses and alpine knits evolved into razor-sharp cropped jackets and finally, patterned minidresses with bubble skirts and trapeze shapes.
Marie Chaix styled once again, and if you're a fan of straight-off-the-runway (many front-rowers had their PS 1 clutches handy), for the next 24-odd hours, two of the runway handbags are available for purchase. Post-show, a sight: Hamish Bowles, in his usual dapper suit, but instead of his usual brogues, his trousers stuffed into shiny black wellies. A video of the show can be seen here.


text:
Local and international journalists faced persistent, deadly violence, with both targeted murders and crossfire killings reported. Four soldiers with the African Union peacekeeping mission fired on a Malaysian humanitarian aid convoy in September, killing one journalist and injuring another. The AU mission in Somalia suspended the soldiers and returned them to their home country of Burundi for potential trial. Despite improved security in the capital, Mogadishu, journalists across the country continued to flee into exile to avoid threats and violence. Al-Shabaab militants and other insurgents continued to shutter independent radio stations in southern and central Somalia. Growing insecurity in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland led to increased attacks and arrests of journalists. In Somaliland, President Ahmed Mahmoud Silyano reneged on his 2010 campaign pledge to uphold press freedom and initiated a series of state- sponsored criminal defamation cases against the region's private press.
With at least 10 unsolved murders of journalists in the last decade, Somalia has the worst rating in Africa and the second worst worldwide in combating deadly attacks on the press, CPJ's Impunity Index shows.
1. Iraq
2. Somalia
3. Philippines
4. Sri Lanka
5. Colombia
6. Afghanistan
7. Nepal
8. Mexico
9. Russia
10. Pakistan
11. Bangladesh
12. Brazil
13. India
Facing threats, attacks, and harassment, Somali journalists have fled the country by the dozens over the past decade, according to CPJ's annual report on exiled journalists. The exodus has decimated the local press corps and left a significant void in coverage seen internationally. Worldwide, only Ethiopian journalists have fled in higher numbers over the past decade, according to CPJ research.
Local and international journalists and media support staff face myriad dangers in a country gripped by violence and instability. Journalists have been murdered or killed in crossfire on a regular basis.
Insurgents, notably militants with Al-Shabaab, have routinely shuttered stations deemed critical of their operations, seizing the properties for use in spreading their own propaganda. A government-allied militia, Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama'a, also seized a radio station.
Despite 2010 campaign pledges to uphold press freedom, Somaliland authorities routinely filed
politically motivated criminal defamation complaints to silence
critical reporting. Seven cases were filed in
2011 alone, CPJ research shows.
Newspapers targeted in 2011:
Hargeisa Star (three times)


text:
Here's an interesting read that speaks to retailers getting ready for new technologies that will bring new store transparency. The author, having recently attended NRF Big Show, says that now that stores have the technologies available that will give the same opportunities to reach shoppers and influence their behavior as in digital channels, stores will need to make the necessary changes in order to take advantage of the insights this new retail transparency brings.
Some of the technologies in the article talks about Bluetooth tracking, Wi-Fi-based tracking, heat maps, interactive digital signs, targeted ads deployed within the store, point of sale at the shelf, and various combinations of these are all available in turning the store black box into as formidable of a competitor as the e-Commerce site. These new tools will let stores know much more about the operations of the store than ever before but all the new data and analytics will not mean much if retailers do not take action based on them.
"In this era of transparency, it's not enough to solicit feedback from shoppers - passionate or otherwise. Just like people get frustrated with negative product reviews that don't result in any correction of product flaws, they will get frustrated with getting asked for advice about "their" store and then having that advice ignored. Not all advice has to be taken, but if it's not taken, there should be some acknowledgement and a brief explanation of why that particular idea is difficult or not the highest priority."Here are three recommendations from the article:
- 1. Measure store managers on sales conversion rates based on minutes spent per customer, not on sales per hour and labor as a percent of sales.
- 2. Connect store managers and employees to each other.
- 3. Look at how the store can market itself.
The first two may seem less relevant within the college store industry today, but the third hits home. College stores must increase their capability and sophistication at "telling their story" both on and off campus. Stores must market themselves in new ways focusing on value and outcomes wherever possible.


text:
Tech Update
The Next Generation in Turret Punch Press Technology
The new Motorum 2048ST turret punch press, from Murata Machinery USA, Charlotte, NC, which continues the evolution of Muratec's ram-axis servo-driven punch press, is designed as a replacement for the Motorum EZ, according to the company's fabrication national sales manager Lloyd Keller. The new machine features a larger table and turret, reinforced J-frame design and upgraded specifications.
The press's new energy-efficient ram drive reportedly is less complex and more rigid, resulting in higher punch speeds and productivity. The Motorum 2048ST promises to economically produce parts requiring punching, forming, tapping and deburring.
The economical positive-strip tooling (Wiedemann style) is precisely controlled throughout the punching stroke. And with 28 tool stations standard, the Motorum 2048ST can be expanded by utilizing 12-station Varitools.Muratec USA: 704/875-9280; www.muratec-usa.com
See also: Muratec Murata Machinery USA, Inc.
Related Enterprise Zones: Fabrication
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text:
Lilly Kaligithi, from ICC's DEWS Sweet Home project in India recently sent a report about a special opportunity for some of our boys. Here is an excerpt:
"About six of our boys have signed up to do literature evangelism in the month of May. They have special classes for one month during summer vacation. They are free only in the month of May. The Division leader and the conference leaders were here from the Publishing Department and conducted a real exciting training [session].
"They selected a president, vice president and treasurer. Moses is the president, Joshua is the vice president and the treasurer is from the dorm. I believe they did not know that these two boys belong to Sweet Home. I was invited to the last meeting.
"Please pray for these kids… I am sure this experience will prepare them for greater service for the Lord."
Thanks for reading!
Kent Greve
International Development Director ICC


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Lance Armstrong admits to doping during Oprah interview
DISGRACED cyclist Lance Armstrong has reportedly admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France.
A source ''familiar with the situation'' told the Associated Press that Armstrong made the explosive revelation in a two-and-a-half-hour interview with Oprah Winfrey, taped on Monday, US time, and to be aired on Thursday.
It comes after earlier reports that Armstrong "choked up" in an apology to staff at his cancer foundation ahead of his mooted tell-all interview.
According to AP, Armstrong, 41, apologised to Livestrong foundation staff for "letting them down".
Quoting "a person with direct knowledge of the meeting", AP reported that several employees cried during Armstrong's comments, which were made during a meeting.
Read more at Brisbane Times


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Arvest Bank is pleased to announce Cathy Tuggle has joined its local board of directors in central Arkansas.
Tuggle has been the owner and principal broker at Apartment Hunters and Arkansas Suites for the past 19 years. She is currently the incoming Chairman of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, and also active in the Rotary Club of Little Rock's Club 99 Foundation and the Arkansas Apartment Association. Nationally, she is involved with Apartments Across America.
"We couldn't be more excited to add Cathy to our board," said Jim Cargill, Arvest president and CEO in central Arkansas. "In addition to her business acumen, her many ties to our community and her commitment to service will be an invaluable asset for us here at Arvest. We look forward to having Cathy as part of our team."
Among other civic endeavors, she is a board member of Fifty for the Future in Little Rock, an organization of community leaders interested in maximizing community resources to create more economic opportunities. Tuggle is a member of the Arkansas Women's Leadership Forum and the Institute of Real Estate Management- Arkansas. She is also involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and AR Kids Read.
Tuggle and her husband, Paul, have one son.
About Arvest
Arvest Bank, named by Forbes magazine as one of "America's Best Large Employers" for 2017, operates more than 250 bank branches in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas through a group of 15 locally managed banks, each with its own board and management team. These banks serve customers in more than 120 communities, with extended weekday banking hours at many locations. Arvest also provides a wide range of banking services including loans, deposits, treasury management, credit cards, mortgage loans and mortgage servicing. Arvest is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC.
Submitted questions will be answered by an Arvest banker and may appear on the Arvest Blog.
All Arvest banks are Equal Housing Lenders and Member FDIC.
Investment products and services are provided by Arvest Investments, Inc., doing business as Arvest Asset Management, member FINRA/SIPC, an SEC registered investment adviser and a subsidiary of Arvest Bank. Trust services are provided by Arvest Bank. Insurance products are made available through Arvest Insurance, Inc., which is registered as an insurance agency. Insurance products are marketed through Arvest Insurance, Inc., but are underwritten by insurance companies.
Securities and Insurance Products: Not Insured by FDIC or any Federal Government Agency, May Lose Value, Not a Deposit of or Guaranteed by a Bank or any Bank Affiliate.


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[Sunday 16/12/2001 14:40 Pune, India Time – Email #3]
Hello everybody and a late [Happy Chanukah] to you all!
I am still in Pune, India – but not for long.
I have finished two weeks of my three weeks Reiki course.
Tomorrow I will be initiating the new course starting, opening the new students' Chakras…
My Reiki teacher Niranjan, is really amazing. He has his own understandings on life and he is not afraid to share them, no matter how silly they might sound to Westerners.
For the past week I have been following his advice and showering in sea salt only.
Yes, you read correctly. Apparently, sea slat in the Reiki energy world is
supposed to absorb all negative energy. According to Niranjan, if you shower with salt, you don't need to use any soap, shampoo or deodorant, because you will not smell. Oh yes, bad smell comes from thinking negative
thoughts and manipulating people.
As soon as the Reiki course ends, that is this following Saturday, I will be on my way to my next destination. Probably Goa, but I am not certain – might be Hampi.
And now to the pictures attached:
After developing nine (9!) rolls of film after only one month of traveling, I noticed something I was not aware of:
I have almost no pictures with me in them. I have loads of awesome pictures of all the beautiful people I have met here, but something like 4 or 5 pictures that actually
include me.
I apologize for that, and will try to force myself to give my camera to other people too. Attached are 3 pictures:
The first is of me and Rabbi Betsalel at the Beth-Chabad house here in Pune. I used to go there almost every evening when the Rabbi was here. Now he left for a two months vacation in Israel and the house is just not the same without him and his little kids.
It is still a great place to eat Israeli food and meet Israelis, though.
What do you know, I even put on the Tefilin a couple of times and went to the Synagogue here in the city.
It's the damnedest thing: a huge synagogue with only 15-20 Jews coming on Saturday night and some time along the way they got it mixed up – so you find the
women here also wearing a Kippa.
Yes, a Kippa, not a Kisui Rosh or anything. Strange…
The second picture is of some of the students (and me in the black shirt) of the Reiki course, doing our morning self-healing.
Everyday and every night we need to do this one and a half hour session which involves channeling energies through each and every organ in our body.
The course stars every day at 09:00am (Indian Time…) so some of us gather at 07:30am and do the self-healing together with Reiki music.
What is Reiki music? Reiki music is soothing music with a nice bell ringing every 3 minutes to remind you to change position.
At that particular day I put on my camera on the tripod the guys from my workplace got me as a farewell gift and put a sign that asked the students that came late to press the camera button.
That is why you see all of us at authentic Reiki positions (me for instance, thanking the Reiki energies after finishing all the postures).
The Reiki temple where we learn is such a beautiful place to be in, it is a shame we need to do the self-healing with our eyes shut.
The third picture is of me, Yaron and Ora ([Mom]: notice not everyone traveling in India is a 20 years old drug smoking kid). They are from my course and we are all
having our breakfast. Yaron has been traveling for a long time now and has taught me and Ora to eat food from the stands on the streets.
That specific morning we ate an omelette. It is made with fried onion, tomatoes and
parsley. It is really delicious and served in a roll.
Our favorite morning dish is rice, cooked with peanuts and hot peppers, served with a twist of lemon.
Yes, of course you get the dish wrapped in a newspaper. Like everything else, same-same for food.
Everyday Yaron brought more because more people joined our breakfast, until the guy at the food stand gave Yaron a whole pot.
Anyway, today is my one day off from Reiki so I have some errands to make, including getting my hair cut.
Just a quick hello to people:
And to all the others – please bare with me. I am
having a good time and do not have much time to
compose personal emails.
But I will try to improve my ways.
Lots of love,


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liddy needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
2 winners were selected from 92 designs submitted by 37 freelance designers.
Bit Refinery is in need of a logo and stationery. See http://www.bitrefinery.com for colors, need logo to fit into existing color scheme.
Tag line is Distilling Technologies, but not neccessary, open to other suggestions
Desired Color Scheme:
Match color scheme on website. http://www.bitrefinery.com
Desired Style:
Modern, and/or conservative (corporate) with some industrial thrown in to match the theme of the website and name.
Accepted File Formats:
Photoshop hi res, EPS, any fonts used
Bit Refinery is a IT services company. We're in need of a logo and business cards/stationery. Would like the logo to be embroider friendly. Can be an emblem/icon seperately or part of the name.
For the stationery:
On the business card, mocking up name, e-mail address, mailing address, and phone number will be fine. Letterhead should include the same info as the business card except for the e-mail address.
Envelope should have the same info as the letterhead.
* We would like it if you were willing to work with us, for pay, after the contest to make some small changes or create some related imagery, if needed.
* I would really prefer something unique, no clip art please.
* All graphics used must be royalty free.
This contest was originally listed in multiple categories:
- Logo Design
- Stationery Design
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Harry Potter parody, Potted Potter, makes its way to Northwest Arkansas
Walton Arts Center is proud to welcome Potted Potter, The Unauthorized Harry Experience: A Parody by Dan & Jeff to Northwest Arkansas for four shows on Saturday, February 16 at 4pm and 8pm, and Sunday, February 17 at 2pm and 7:30pm. Tickets range from $19 to $29 and can be purchased by calling the Walton Arts Center Box Office at 479.443.5600 or by visiting waltonartscenter.org. To download photos and video, visit POTTER DROPBOX.
Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner originally 'potted' some of the creations from J.K. Rowling's world when they were asked to create a five-minute performance for a bookstore, to launch the sixth book. With a cast of only two, Dan & Jeff take on the ultimate challenge of potting all seven Harry Potter books into seventy hilarious minutes. They are helped by endless costumes, brilliant songs, ridiculous props, a generous helping of Hogwarts magic and the audience, as everyone is invited to join in with a real life game of Quidditch!
This show is for those camped outside a bookstore for three days with a thermos and sleeping bag for release of "The Deathly Hallows" as well as those who don't know the difference between a horcrux and a humbug, the slapstick, magic and mayhem of Potted Potter makes for an entertaining time. "The duo casts the perfect spell over the audience." said The New York Times. Dan and Jeff have been bringing the best in family entertainment to the stage since 2006. Potted Potter saw them win widespread acclaim and a fan base that crossed three generations. It played four sell-out Fringe seasons, three sell-out London seasons and extensive national and international tours. This brilliant family entertainment is perfect for ages six to Dumbledore (who is very old indeed).
This performance of Potted Potter is part of the Kimberly-Clark® Family Fun series with media support provided by KFTA. For more information about this performance or others, contact the Walton Arts Center Box Office by calling 479.443.5600 or by visiting waltonartscenter.org. For more information on Potted Potter, visit www.pottedpotter.com.


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As with all new farms in FarmVille, Enchanted Glen comes with a series of immovable "treasures" that can only be opened and removed after collecting a variety of materials from friends. In this case, however, these treasures are moving, apparently living creatures called Stone Trolls. They like to stomp in place and shake their arms, bringing life and personality to your farm while they're around.
Like in past farms, these Stone Trolls come in multiple sizes and require different items to unlock. From small to large, here's a look at the materials required for each Troll, and how you can earn them.
• Small Troll - 10 Vials of Sunlight
• Medium Troll - 22 Vials of Sunlight
• Large Troll - 28 Magic Mushrooms
• Extra Large Troll - 42 Magic Mushrooms
All of these items are earned through general requests to your news feed, but luckily, you can post two requests for each item before having to wait. That is, you can post a request for Vials of Sunlight by hovering over both a Small and a Medium Troll, earning twice the amount of collectibles at once. We'll likely see more Trolls stomp onto on our farms as we expand, though the only Enchanted Glen expansions available right now cost at least 20 Farm Cas.
While many treasures in FarmVille are ugly, these Trolls are actually quite cute, but the rewards they contain are even better. You'll find different items after removing each Troll, with better, larger items coming from larger Trolls, as you might expect. Whether an animal or a decoration, these Trolls are definitely worth removing in the long run. Make sure to collect as many Vials of Sunlight and Magic Mushrooms as you can, while all of your friends are surely busy doing the same.
More FarmVille Coverage from Games.com
• Enchanted Glen Rivermist Fortress Guide
• Enchanted Glen Home Mushroom Guide
• Enchanted Glen Fairy Kitchen Guide
Have you already removed any Stone Trolls from your new Enchanted Glen farm? What sorts of prizes did you receive for doing so? Sound off in the Games.com comments!
Republished with permission from:
Brandy Shaul is an editor at Games.com


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My children have had their share of moments lately. Last week my six year old found a button I picked up at the BlogHer conference this year. I came home with a mirage of buttons, but she happened to seek out the one with a picture of a big, happy cervix on it. Yes, you read that right- a cervix. It was for HVP awareness and said in big letters "SAVE THE HOOCH".
Which brings us to Miles. Miles has had so many ear problems that he can't very well distinguish high and low range sounds. It is making learning English a little on the difficult side because he doesn't hear what we are saying the way it is supposed to sound. Therefore, he repeats words like they sound to him. As part of his speech therapy we are trying to help him learn to label things by saying them over and over again and trying to make him associate words with their meanings. The other day we worked on body parts for what seemed like forever. Our day sounded a little something like this:
Me: (while flapping my arms wildly) Miles! These are your arms! Say "ARMS!"
Miles: Ass.
Me: Close. ARMS!
Miles: Ass.
Me: Arrrrrrms. Hear that rrrrrr sound? Try again. Arrrrrrrms.
Miles: rrrrrrr...Ass
We go in circles like this for a long time...
Me: Okay- lets try another. FEET! ( I wiggle my feet like a nut) Can you say,'FEET'?
Miles: B!tch
Me: No Feet. Fu Fu Fu Feet!
Miles: B!tch
Me: (getting louder- for some dumb reason thinking that will all of a sudden make him understand) FEET!! FEET!!
Miles: (also getting louder) B!TCH, B!TCH!
And then we go in circles like that for a long time. I am thinking that I will hold off on teaching him "fork". Hopefully, my child will stop cussing like a sailor when he gets tubes in his ears and can hear what we are saying. Amazingly , though, he has the phrase "big butt" down pat. He says that one with stunning clarity. It is his only two word phrase. Go figure.
And not to be outdone by his brother and sister, we have Noah. Noah- oh, sweet Noah- gets out of the car in the dropoff line at preschool yesterday and turns and says loudly as he's going in the door, "Bye Mom! I'll see you when you get back from jail!"
WTF? Or should I say, "What the fork?" as I die of embarrassment. By the way- I went to Walmart- so maybe he wasn't all that inaccurate!
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Gorgeous dark skinned and sweet Indian babes and girls who wouldn't want to spread their legs and start fucking publicaly.
Eating a cow may be forbidden to Indian girls, but stuffing their mouths, pussies and assholes with cock sure isn't!
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They let go of all their inhibitions and grab hold of the nearest cock they can find and cram every hard inch into their tight twats
Dark skin sexy Indian girls from the land of Taj Mahal are some of the most beautiful in all the world. Indian babes will fuck you in far out ways. These exotic Indian babes will do more then give you a belly dance and they will make your minaret's sway in the breeze.
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They don't only kiss and play with their big Indian tits but they milk their tits and fuck themselves with dildos for your enjoyment.
Sexy Indian women like Sunny Leone a world famous Indian pornstar are not easy to come by. Especially ones that will suck your cock and let you fuck their brains out. These Indian pornstar girls from the land of Taj Mahal are getting dirty.
They're inviting you to come watch them in action. These hot desi girls are exotic, energetic and eager to please
Ever wonder why Indian food is so hot and spicy? Because it's made by Indian woman! These ladies seem so mild-mannered and proper... until you get them in the SACK!
Then they go wild! Some sects of Hinduism say eating meat is a sin, but that doesn't stop sexy Leslie from sucking cock!
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Peeping toms capture young couples fucking on hidden camera. Includes a couple fucking in a nasty alley.
They're young tight and ripe, and their horny pink pussies are waiting for the biggest cocks in the world because these little Indian sluts are hotter than a summer day in Calcutta.
Aishwarya, Katrina, Anuradha and Meenakshi show off their sexual prowess in this interracial flick featuring the hottest Indian women around
Do you dig Indian babes? What would you say if I told you about a little place where sultry, slutty Indian girls abound, and their only purpose is to drain your cock? If Indian babes are your thing, DesiPapa is the place to be.
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What happens when married friends get together? Pure passion and pleasure comes into play. This intense action is sure to enhance your sex life the first time you decide to press play. These beautiful Indian couples are all about love and passion and when you see what they've got to offer, you won't question why.
Watch horny married Indian housewives getting fucked in every which way by hard cock while they beg for more! We've got four hours of Indian XXX footage that prove sex doesn't stop after marriage. You're really going to enjoy fuck fest that keeps getting better and better. These married Indian amateurs are cock hungry and want their husband's fat meat sticks.
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Couples love fucking in bathrooms. It's the quickest place to go when you just have to fuck quick. In this movie, you'll meet young Indian wife living out her dirtiest fantasy while bent over the sink and slammed against the bathroom wall. Sex is always better when you're bent over the sink, straddled on the toilet or thrown up against the wall.
There's nothing more exciting than letting go and giving in to your feelings when in the bedroom and today these hot wives are going to get a hands-on experience they won't soon forget! With only her sense of touch and taste. Watch horny married Indian couples to see wives getting fucked in every which way by hard cock while they beg for more! We've got hours of XXX footage that prove sex doesn't stop after marriage.
These top notch Indian models will do anything to make it on top! Featuring high end sexy Indian model Shanaya ready to do more than strike a pose. Watch as she strip her way to stardom! Who said models have to be classy? These sexy Indian divas will make you blow your load and beg for more when you see how much they love sucking and fucking a throbbing dong like never before!
You don't have to be a porn star to love fucking on camera for the world to see! These amateur Indian couples have a lot of love to share with the world, and now you get an interesting look at them fucking in private behind closed doors. Loving sex, public blowjobs, eating juicy pussies like a pie eating contest, these Indian couples are showing off.
Many companies claim to have real, homemade, amateur action, but DesiPapa really delivers and delivering Indians from 1998. With a camcorder propped up in the bedroom, hot Indian couples goes at it. All sorts of action, all sorts of positions, this one not only got them off, it will get you off too!
There's nothing more exciting than letting go and giving in to your feelings when in the bedroom and today these hot wives are going to get a hands-on experience they won't soon forget! With only her sense of touch and taste. Watch horny married Indian couples to see wives getting fucked in every which way by hard cock while they beg for more! We've got hours of XXX footage that prove sex doesn't stop after marriage.
You're really going to enjoy fuck fest that keeps getting better and better. These married whores are cock hungry and want their husband's fat meat sticks.
We've got over 100 hours of XXX Indian footages and photos that prove sex doesn't stop after marriage.
Indian college girls show off during their most intimate of moments. If watching Indian college girls masturbate is your pleasure then this is a must watch for you! You will lust as they squeal is orgasmic delight while toying their shaved pussies. These beauties literally make love to the camera.
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Watch how these Indian girls get down from the land of the Kama Sutra. 4 cum soaking hours of hot Indian girls getting fucked then drenched with man juice.These horny exotic babes are serving up plenty of spicy hot snatch for some very lucky guys. They love to bathe your body in their sweet hot kisses and sucking your dick until every bit of cum slides down their throat
DesiPapa Indian Cinemax presents "Indian Babes". Get ready for over 100 hours of non-stop Indian action from the horniest most exotic babes you'll ever see!
This is a great GONZO ride all the way to New Delhi! Exotic women are abundant in this film and the footage speaks for itself!
This is a great GONZO ride all the way to New Delhi! Exotic women are abundant in this film, and the footage speaks for itself! Ever wanted to ride a hot Indian babe? Well, now's your chance! Watch as they show you how it's done in the Far East! "DesiPapa Indian Cinemax" features over 100 hours of dark-haired, exotic beauties with lots of cock sucking, pussy fucking, and gooey creampies.
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Rockies absent in Players Choice awards
ANAHEIM — The Rockies didn't lack cadidates, but their players are not among the finalist in the Players Choice Awards, in whch players recognize excellence among their peers. The winners will be announced next week on ESPN radio's "Mike & Mike" program.
Todd Helton (comeback player of the year), Troy Tulowitzki (NL outstanding player) and Aaron Cook (Man of the Year for charitable work) were all potential candidates. Here's a look at the finalists:
American League
Outstanding Player: Derek Jeter (NY Yankees), Joe Mauer (Minnesota), Kendry Morales (LA Angels of Anaheim)
Outstanding Pitcher: Roy Halladay (Toronto), Zack Greinke (Kansas City), C.C. Sabathia (NY Yankees)
Outstanding Rookie: Elvis Andrus (Texas), Gordon Beckham (Chicago White Sox), Jeff Niemann (Tampa Bay)
Comeback Player: Russell Branyan (Seattle), Aaron Hill (Toronto), Scott Podsednik (Chicago White Sox)
National League
Outstanding Player: Prince Fielder (Milwaukee), Albert Pujols (St. Louis), Hanley Ramirez (Florida)
Outstanding Pitcher: Chris Carpenter (St. Louis), Tim Lincecum (San Francisco), Adam Wainwright (St. Louis)
Outstanding Rookie: Chris Coghlan (Florida), Tommy Hanson (Atlanta), J.A. Happ (Philadelphia)
Comeback Player: Aaron Boone (Houston), Chris Carpenter (St. Louis), Nick Johnson (Florida)
Either League:
Player of Year: Joe Mauer (Minnesota), Albert Pujols (St. Louis), Hanley Ramirez (Florida)
Man of the Year: Curtis Granderson (Detroit), Torii Hunter (LA Angeles of Anaheim), Albert Pujols (St. Louis)


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Cadeaux de Noël
Si vous voulez offrir un cadeau de Noël unique à quelqu'un de votre vie, pensez à lui offrir un art de la caricature de Noël original.
Avis sur Facebook
Super travail et rapidité ! Je recommande
Perfekt, thanks very much, my picture very wonderful, Great Job
I absolutely love our caricatur! Very pleasing service and nice people. Communication is very friendly and individual. I recommend this service to everyone!
Photolamus was great with making sure we were happy with our finished product. I think we made around 3 changes to ours and even though the original was done great it just needed some tweaking. They were more than helpful and accommodating to make sure we got just what we wanted. I would recommend this company and would order from them again in the future. Thanks so much for you help!
The drawing was accurate and very colorful..... great customer service too! :-)
They did an excellent job for the caricature my fiance and I requested for our wedding coming up this summer. We can't wait to share it with our friends and family!
Afficher plus


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Product Description
Smathers & Branson traditional belts are great for cocktail parties and at the office, but they are also perfect for a day on the water, the links, or a night at your favorite watering hole. Wherever you may be, your belt will set you apart from the average waist.
The traditional belt is 1.25 in width, and is finished with full grain, chestnut colored leather. We stock sizes from 28-44, and can accommodate orders for sizes outside our general size range (please call/email to inquire). Our belts are 2 inches larger than your pants waist size. For example, someone whose pants have a 36 inch waist wears a 38 inch belt.
**These belts are generally special order items, meaning they come directly from the vendor, however some styles are pulled from stock we already have. Please allow 1-2 weeks for processing and shipment, unless otherwise notified. If your order is especially urgent, please let us know and we will do everything we can to accommodate your deadline. We apologize for any inconvenience!


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On a recent Tuesday evening every cell-phone ring and beer sip, every crunch of a potato chip is subject to heavy shushing during the hour-long program. Waiters and busboys are forced to duck in order to avoid blocking views of the television screens. The sound of a burp could almost be heard between bass thumps in a room that would ordinarily be filled with loud drunken patrons, but is instead packed with the kinds of young professionals who make up the core constituency of the hyper-local social networking site WhyLeaveAstoria.com.
As their eyes remained glued to the LOST show, a lightly bearded man with a shaved head sat at a back table with a few close friends and some attractive women, savoring the moment with a glass of sangria (no fruit) in his right hand. The majority of the 4,000 members of WhyLeaveAstoria?! wouldn't know him if they saw him, but he is the man who makes events like "Lost in Astoria", "Saint Cinco De Patrick Pub Crawl" and "Astoriantation" possible; the man who ran with an unusual plan- Ran Craycraft.
"The website creates a way, like a digital social lubricant, for people to be able to start a conversation without being creepy," said WhyLeaveAstoria? founder Ran Craycraft.
Just over five years ago Craycraft, an Ohio native, was himself a newcomer to New York City, where he moved to fulfill his childhood dream of working for NBC. Growing up in a town of 200 people in the southern portion of Ohio, Craycraft always aspired to work for NBC because it was the only channel that came into his house with clear reception. "It was clearer than HD is now," he joked. After finishing up at the University of Cincinnati in 2004, and moving around from Cincinnati to Miami to Madison, Wisconsin, Craycraft enrolled in the Newhouse School Program, at Syracuse University, and was hired at NBC after earning his degree.
"I graduated on Saturday and started work on Monday," said Craycraft. Between handing in his final project and selling his motorcycle, Craycraft needed to find a place in the city that would be easily accessible to his new job at Rockefeller Center, without all the hustle and bustle- and high rents- of Manhattan. He said he searched for a neighborhood that was "a little bit more chill, where I could have plenty of space to spread my wings, have a quick commute and not pay a ton."
If Ran Craycraft were Cinderella, Astoria would be his glass slipper.
Being new to New York, Craycraft had a very limited number of friends, and the ones he did have weren't living in Astoria. During the writers strike of 2008 Craycraft, who was then working as an NBC producer, had plenty of free time. He decided to create a small, online meet-up group for people who "just wanted to get together and grab a beer."
He organized his first event at a hip rustic wine bar in Astoria called Winegasm, which drew about 12 people. As he organized more events at different bars around Astoria, turnouts got bigger and bigger. "The more people that would show up, the less they would have in common, the more baby-sitting had to take place to make introductions. That's not what I'm in this for. So I decided to start a website as away for people to be able to do this themselves, and create their own meet-ups. So that people could have a little more in common. So I don't necessarily have to be the one facilitating all these introductions all the time." Thus WhyLeaveAstoria.com, a Facebook-esque networking site, was born.
Sites like MySpace, Facebook, and more recently Twitter have ushered in a new era of online socializing. But Craycraft has brought the phenomenon to the neighborhood level. In New York, in Queens, especially, few projects like his have had similar success. Instead of connecting with people from across the globe, Craycraft reasoned, why not connect with people from across the street? And he was right; WhyLeaveAstoria?! has emerged as the perfect vehicle to connect neighborhood newcomers.
Craycraft, who lives on 48th Street, said since he first moved in about five years ago he's watched more younger professionals, like himself, move into the neighborhood. "There was a need that I addressed, a need that's present in a lot of neighborhoods where there are like-minded people," said Craycraft. "I started this because I would be waiting for the train and see people that looked like they could be my friends."
The "digital social lubricant" that he created to make a few new buddies has transformed into a social media empire. Craycraft has since left his position as Senior Producer/Manager of Innovation at NBC, and focuses full-time on WhyLeaveAstoria?!, running the website by himself out of his spare bedroom until offices adjacent to Studio Square are ready.
Craycraft even offers his members a neighborhood discount card. Called the "WLA card", it sells for $50 and is good for one year; the card gives cardholders considerable discounts at participating establishments around Astoria. According to Craycraft the goal of the card is to "get people off the couch and into establishments."
"Ran is a pioneer around here, that's for sure," said Dean Tomic`, owner of Winegasm, a partner in the WLA card program, and the place where Craycraft held his first event. "He's skilled in many different ways," Tomic` added, "from promoting, to being a leader in the community and connecting people."
Two years in, WhyLeaveAstoria.com (WLA) has over 4000 members and counting from Astoria and all over Queens, and countless groups like "Astoria Park Runners," "Astoria Beer Pong," and "Astorian Urban Gardeners." Through meeting together on a regular basis, the groups have turned strangers into neighbors, neighbors into acquaintances, and in some cases into good friends.
Still, many people wonder if WhyLeaveAstoria?! has helped speed the gentrification of Astoria, or caused any tension between new residents and the neighborhood's traditional communities of Greek, Italian and Croatian immigrants.
"I really haven't experienced much friction between new and old residents," Craycraft said. "From time to time, of course, [longtime residents] say things like, 'You know you're not really Astorian." He chuckled. "Ok. That's cool. Whatever." Aside from some occasional hostility directed from longtime Astorians, Craycraft said there is a surprisingly large number of lifers who are active members of WLA- and he appreciates the input they give to the site. "Its fantastic whenever the people that have been here their whole lives are weighing in and giving a little bit of a different insight."
"Astoria is probably the most culturally diverse neighborhood in the world," Said Taso Pavlou, owner of Studio Square in Astoria where Craycraft hosts a big chunk of his events. "Ran just has a knack for bringing people together in the community."
"I think anyone who lives here is an Astorian," said Ran Craycraft. "Astoria is changing so quickly, whether you know the old or you know the new, it all kind of blurs."


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BERLIN- The Stephen Decatur boys' varsity soccer team's up and down season continued this week with a 1-0 win over Mardela after a 1-0 loss to Crisfield last Thursday.
The Seahawks have a decent 5-2 record on the season, including a 3-1 mark in the Bayside Conference, but it has been feast or famine in virtually all of their games. A goose egg has shown up in the box score in each of the Seahawks' games this year on either side of the ledger.
For example, Decatur beat St. Michael's, 1-0, in its first game, but lost to Kent Island, 4-0, in its second game. The Seahawks then reeled off back-to-back shutout wins, beating Wicomico, 1-0, and Colonel Richardson, 3-0.
The pattern continued during the last week with a 1-0 loss to Crisfield last Thursday and a 1-0 win over Mardela on Tuesday. Sidney Grupper scored Decatur's lone goal in the win over Mardela, while goalkeeper Nick Hogan, who recorded five saves, and the Seahawk defense were outstanding.
The Jeckyl and Hyde Seahawks face a tough stretch in the schedule over the next few days with a road game against Bennett this afternoon followed by a pair of home games early next week including a match-up with Kent County on Monday and county rival Snow Hill on Tuesday.


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January Jobs Report: U.S. Gains 157,000 Jobs, Unemployment Rate Up
By Lucia Mutikani
WASHINGTON -- U.S. job growth grew modestly in January and gains in the prior two months were bigger than initially reported, supporting views that the economy's sluggish recovery was on track despite a surprise contraction in output in the final three months of 2012.
Employers added 157,000 jobs to their payrolls last month, the Labor Department said on Friday. There were 127,000 more jobs created in November and December than previously reported. The unemployment rate, however, edged up 0.1 percentage point to 7.9 percent.
The closely watched report also showed an increase in hourly earnings and solid gains in construction and retail employment.
More:Sign Up For AOL Jobs' NewsletterComing on the heels of data on Wednesday showing a surprise contraction in gross domestic product in the fourth quarter, that should ease any worries the economy was at risk of recession, even though the unemployment rate ticked up. The GDP contracted at a 0.1 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter, largely because of a sharp slowdown in the pace of inventory accumulation and a plunge in defense spending. A monster storm that hit the East Coast in late October also weighed on output, a drag that should lift this quarter.
Federal Reserve officials said on Wednesday that economic activity had "paused," but they signaled optimism the recovery would regain speed with continued monetary policy support. The Fed left in place a monthly $85 billion bond-buying stimulus plan. Economists polled by Reuters had expected employers to add 160,000 jobs and the unemployment rate to hold steady at 7.8 percent last month.
More:Weekly Jobless Claims Increase Slightly As Employment Market Improves
The Labor Department also published benchmark revisions to payrolls data going back to 2008. It said the employment level in March 2012 was 422,000 higher on a seasonally adjusted basis than previously reported. It also introduced new population factors for its survey of households from which the unemployment rate is calculated. This had a negligible effect on the major household survey measures.
Modest Job GrowthJob growth in 2012 averaged 181,000 a month, but not enough to significantly reduce unemployment. Economists say employment gains in excess of 250,000 a month over a sustained period are needed.
Though the unemployment rate dropped from a peak of 10 percent in October 2009, that was mostly because some unemployed Americans gave up the search for work because of weak job prospects. The share of the working age population with a job has been below 60 percent for almost four years. All the job gains in January were in the private sector, where hiring was as broad-based as it was in December and declines in public sector employment remained moderate.
Steady job gains could help the economy weather the headwinds of higher taxes and government spending cuts. A payroll tax cut expired on Jan. 1 and big automatic spending cuts are set to take hold in March unless Congress acts.
More:ADP Report Claims 192,000 Jobs Added In JanuaryThe goods-producing sector showed a third month of solid gains, with manufacturing employment advancing for a fourth straight month. Construction payrolls increased 28,000, adding to December's healthy 30,000 gain.
Construction jobs are expected to rise further as the housing market recovery gains momentum. Housing is expected to support the economy this year, taking over the baton from manufacturing.
Within the vast private services sector, retail jobs increased by a solid 32,600 jobs after rising 11,200 in December. Retail employment has now risen for seven straight months. Education and health payrolls added 25,000 jobs in January after employment grew by the most in 10 months in December.
Government payrolls dropped by 9,000 last month after falling 6,000 in December. The pace is moderating as local government layoffs, outside education, subside.
Average hourly earnings rose four cents last month. Hourly earnings have been rising steadily. They were up 2.1 percent in the 12 months through January.
"It may be that we are now getting to a point in the labor market where we are going to see an upward creep in average hourly earnings," said RDQ Economics' Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York.
"That's going to be good for the consumer and they need help because they are being whacked by the payrolls tax increase," he said before the release of the report.
The length of the workweek for the average worker was steady at 34.4 hours for a third straight month.
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48 Foster Street
Property Details
Upstairs: Open space kitchen and lounge with adjoining sundroom. Bedroom 1 with queen bed, bedroom 2 with 2 single beds, bedroom 3 with 2 single beds, bathroom with shower and toilet.
Downstairs: Toilet, laundry, double closed in garage.
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A cleaning fee of $110.00 will be added to the rates total to cover the expenses of cleaning the property before & after your stay.
When paying with a debit card, credit card or via PayPal, a payment surcharge of 1.5% will apply to the booking total. The total payment surcharge will be displayed during the quote process.


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Today the Federal Reserve Board released its Summary of Commentary on Current Economic Conditions. Commonly referred to as the "Beige Book," the report included the following observations with respect to the U.S. agricultural economy:
* Fifth District- Richmond– "Agricultural conditions prior to Hurricane Sandy remained favorable. Strong income boosted farm loan repayment rates. Lenders reported a drop in the number of loan renewals and extensions, even as spending for agricultural equipment rose. During October, beef prices rose as farmers struggled with higher feed costs―some producers culled herds, including breeding stock. More recently, Hurricane Sandy's damage was minimal and localized mainly in coastal areas. In Maryland, an analyst reported that small grain emergence may be affected by standing water and salt water flooding. Snow and cold temperatures in North Carolina hindered farm activity and livestock producers were forced to begin feeding hay due to snow covered pastures; fruit production was not affected. In contrast, most farmers in Virginia were relieved that Hurricane Sandy brought much needed rain without significant damage to the corn and soybeans still in the field."
* Sixth District- Atlanta– "Much of Georgia continued to experience varying degrees of drought conditions, while the rest of the region enjoyed normal conditions. Some agriculture contacts reported labor shortages. Compared with last year, prices paid to farmers for grain corn, rice, soybeans, beef, and broilers were up while cotton prices were down."
* Seventh District- Chicago– "The corn harvest was completed ahead of last year's pace, while the soybean harvest was proceeding more quickly than typical. Much of the District reported higher yields than had been expected during the previous reporting period, reflecting in part timely local rains, later planting, and irrigation. Nonetheless, the drought still cut the District's output of corn and soybeans substantially relative to last year. Concerns about crop quality due to the drought seemed to diminish, although there were some reports of deliveries rejected for crop diseases. Corn and soybean prices—and with them livestock feeding costs–fell further, though they remained elevated from the levels of a year ago. Milk, hog, and cattle prices edged up from the prior reporting period, which also helped the cash flow of livestock operations. Sugar beet output in Michigan was higher than a year ago, and sugar prices were higher as well. Farmland values continued to rise despite the drought. Moreover, there seemed to be more farmland available to buy, partly due to uncertainty about future tax rates."
* Eighth District- St. Louis– "As of early November, the rice crop in the District states was fully harvested; similarly, over 90 percent of the corn, cotton, sorghum, and soybean crops have also been harvested. Harvest completion rates were 3 to 12 percentage points higher than their 5-year averages. Planting of winter wheat across the District states was 8 percent ahead of its 5-year average, while over 90 percent of all winter wheat was rated in fair or better condition."
* Ninth District- Minneapolis– "District crop producers remained in mostly good shape, despite this year's drought. Farm incomes were bolstered by high crop prices, and farmers were looking at record harvests in areas less affected by drought. However, livestock and dairy producers continued to suffer from higher input costs. Reports of ranchers culling herds due to low hay production and increased feed prices continued to surface. After years of delays, a South Dakota beef slaughter and processing plant began operations in October. Prices received by farmers for wheat, corn, soybeans, beef, dairy products and chicken increased in October from a year earlier; hog, dry bean, turkey and egg prices decreased."
* Tenth District- Kansas City– "High input costs reduced farm profitability and boosted farm loan demand since the last survey period. Demand for farm operating loans rose as surging feed costs cut livestock operator incomes and crop producers paid higher fuel costs to run irrigation and harvest equipment. With reduced incomes, especially for livestock producers, farm loan renewals and extensions edged up and loan repayment rates eased from recent peaks. Still, bankers reported that sufficient funds were available to meet short-term financing needs. Low soil-moisture levels hindered winter wheat emergence, raising concerns that persistent drought could strain U.S. crop production, keep crop and feed prices high, and force further livestock herd liquidations. Farmland values, however, continued to set new record highs in the District."
* Eleventh District- Dallas– "The District remained largely in drought, although dry conditions eased in some areas. The crop harvest generally progressed at a good pace. Winter wheat crop conditions were much better than last year, when the drought was more severe in the District. Grain prices trended down over the reporting period but were still at relatively high levels. Cotton prices remained weak and may lead to fewer cotton acres being planted next year. Cattle prices were still higher than normal but contacts noted that high feed costs were keeping producers from expanding their operations and were creating negative margins for feedlots."
* Twelfth District- San Francisco– "Agricultural producers saw further sales gains, and extraction activity of natural resources used for energy production continued to expand. Contacts noted that the agricultural sector appears to be immune from factors that have restrained growth in other sectors of late: production activity and sales of most crop and livestock products have been growing at a solid pace, as has investment spending on new production equipment."


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WASHINGTON (CNN) - Three new national polls released over the past 24 hours indicate that just over half of all Americans approve of how President Obama's handling his job.
Fifty-one percent of people questioned in an NBC News survey released Tuesday night, in a Pew Research Center poll released Wednesday morning, and in the Gallup daily tracking poll released Wednesday afternoon approve of how Obama is handling his duties in the White House.
The president's disapproval rating stands at 37 percent in the Pew poll, 40 percent in the NBC News survey and 41 percent in the Gallup daily tracking poll, and
The 51 percent approval rating is down from an average of 54 percent at the end of July in a CNN Poll of Polls and down from an average of 61 percent in a CNN Poll of Polls from late June. The CNN Poll of Polls is an average of the most recent national surveys.
The Gallup daily tracking poll was conducted August 16-18, with approximately 1,600 people questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The NBC News poll was conducted August 15-17, with 805 adults questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
The Pew Research Center poll was conducted August 11-17, with 2,010 people questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.
I'd love to what the polls would show concerning some of the Republican nitwits. Failure.
no wonder at the dropping polls:
– giving up on his liberal policies
– continued war – new troops sent abroad
– lies and broken promises
– not really trying to reach across the aisle like he promised
– spent money on recovery going to waste
– changing his story when it suits his image
Bottomline this isn't about Obama. This is about the healthcare bill and future of our country and economy. I believe that health care needs reform, but I believe the public option is the wrong street to fix it. Our economy is already doing well enough with the massive bailouts and spending. We don't need to spend 1.3 trillion on health care as a nation (thought it's projected to cost even more). Because the other bottomline is that we have to pay for it, which means higher taxes. Even if we don't want to. That, is not freedom.


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MINNEAPOLIS -- Hours before top Georgia two-way prospect Michael Gettys was to begin performing at the 2013 Perfect Game National Showcase on Thursday morning, his father, Mark Gettys, had a feeling his 17-year-old son might be on the verge of doing something special.
"This gives us the opportunity to compete with the best players in the country, and we are both so excited about being here," Mark Gettys said Thursday night, speaking from the Metrodome. "Michael was so excited, he set the alarm for 6:45 (a.m.) to get here early, but he was already up at 6 loosening up and doing his arm drills and everything else that he does. He was very excited at the opportunity to be here and compete with these guys and showcase his skills."
Was he simply excited or just downright amped? Gettys jumped feet-first into the morning workout session by running a 6.43-second 60-yard dash, the third best clocking among the group of players from showcase teams 1-6 (six more teams will take part in workouts Friday night) that ran the 60.
He then sprinted out to right field and threw 100 mph to home plate, a PG National Showcase event record. It topped the previous outfield velocity mark of 99 mph set by 2009 Perfect Game All-American Michael Lorenzen at the 2009 PG National.
A batting practice session came next, during which a PG scout noted that Gettys "generates premier bat speed and the ball just jumps off his bat to all fields." In game action later in the day, a PG report stated that "Gettys continues to impress" and that after he smacked a single to the right side he "showed heads-up by taking second base on the throw from the outfielder, never once slowing up."
"I had heard this was the big showcase with a lot of scouts here, along with the best players in the country," Gettys said. "It's great to get out here and show what you can do; it's just a blessing to be out here. I've never participated in a showcase before; I've just played in the (PG) tournaments. I came in here and I set my goals very high -- be the fastest runner, throw the hardest from the outfield (and) be the best hitter."
The 100 mph outfield throw and 6.43-second 60 may not have necessarily been planned or even expected, but they didn't happen by accident.
"It was a great experience to be able to do that; I've worked really hard in the offseason and I was training for this. I guess I was feeling pretty good today so, yeah, everything was pretty good," he said as a grin passed over his face.
"I had hit 98 before throwing from the outfield but I didn't know I was going to throw 100," he continued. "I did tell some of teammates before I came up here, 'I'm going to try to touch 100' but I was just kidding around. But then again, I guess I wasn't."
Michael's father vouched for his strong work ethic leading up to the PG National
"He's been training very hard with those two things," Mark Gettys said. "He's been doing a lot of sprints and a lot of the speed drills and other things to increase his speed. And also, he's been working hard with his arm strength with the long (toss) and the rubber-band training and lifting the right kind of weights to strengthen his arm.
"It's been about a six-month to a year goal that he set," Mark continued. "We planned on coming here for about the last year, so there has been a precise, scheduled training and preparation for this. I'm so pleased he did the 100 mph from the outfield and ran fast, but he's been training and working hard and we're so thankful that he was able to do that here."
Gettys is also a highly regarded right-handed pitcher -- he will pitch in Columbia Blue's final PG National Showcase game on Saturday -- and said his fastball has reached 96 mph; his top recorded velocity at a PG event is 92 mph at the 2012 PG WWBA Underclass World Championship. He has committed to the University of Georgia and if he does indeed land in Athens in the fall of 2014, he hopes to continue as a two-way player.
"I've always been a Bulldogs fan and they offered me (a scholarship) as a two-way guy," Gettys said. "If I don't go in the draft anywhere I want to continue to be a two-way guy for as long as I can. I'm going to get my school paid for and I can keep being a two-way guy, so that was a big bonus and I really wanted to go there.
"I'm pushing hard to do both as long as I can," he said. "I love to hit, I love to play in the outfield and I love to pitch; I just love to do both. I love to play every day, and that's the good thing about being both a position player and a pitcher."
Gettys played football, soccer and basketball as a middle-schooler but became serious about baseball once he got into high school. After he began focusing on baseball "24-7" he also started hanging around with some pretty elite company.
He counts among his good friends fellow Georgia school-boy standout Clint Frazier, the winner of the 2012 Jackie Robinson Award as Perfect Game's National Player of the Year who last week was taken with the No. 5 overall pick in the first round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Cleveland Indians. That's called choosing your friends wisely.
"Clint Frazier is one of my good friends -- he lives right around me and we played in the same (Georgia high school) region," Gettys said. "I like to compete with him because of how good and how successful he is, and he's helped me a lot. We hit BP together and we do a lot of stuff together, and it's helped me because he's just really good. It makes me want to be as good as him."
Gettys sits at No. 14 in Perfect Game's class of 2014 national prospects rankings (No. 2 in the state of Georgia) and has played in past summers with teams from both East Cobb Baseball and Team Elite Baseball. He said he will spend most of this summer with Tiger Baseball, an organization based in his hometown of Gainesville.
He was named to the all-tournament team at the 2012 PG WWBA Underclass World Championship after hitting 7-for-18 (.389) with a double, two triples, seven RBI and seven runs scored while playing with Team Elite Chain. In October, 2012, Perfect Game ranked him as the 184th top draft prospect in the class of 2014, a ranking that should rise as the list is updated over the next 12 months.
"We've had our ups and downs in baseball, just like any other parent-player-son," Mark Gettys said. "Even when he's had a down moment he's used that as more motivation to improve his game, and the progression that he's made has been so awesome to watch. I'm very excited and happy for him; it's awesome."
Gettys has a younger brother, Jonathan Gettys, a 2016 left-handed pitcher who had his fastball gunned at 88 mph while playing with the Team DeMarini Roadrunners at last week's 17u/18u Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational in Marietta, Ga. "You'll be hearing about my brother soon," Gettys said with a smile
"He's a left-handed pitcher and he's got the nickname 'Rooster'," Mark Gettys said, also smiling at the thought of his youngest son. "He's got some good stuff and he just turned 15 so we've got a lot of time to set goals for him, like we did with Michael. Michael has goals even beyond this but up until this point he's accomplished some of his goals, and we can still accomplish some of them here this weekend.
"Overall, we're just thankful for the opportunity that Perfect Game has given us to showcase his talents and we know the Lord has to bless it all to hold it all together."


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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- When GM began recalling vehicles in February because of an ignition-switch problem, the situation brought back early career memories for Denny Gioia. Currently, the Robert and Judith Klein Professor of Management and chair of the Department of Management and Organization at the Penn State Smeal College of Business, Gioia once worked as recall coordinator for Ford Motor Co.
In the early 1970s, reports began to surface at Ford that its new model, the Pinto, could explode upon rear impact. It wasn't until 1978, after nearly 30 deaths, that the vehicle was finally recalled. Gioia was initially in charge of handling the early stages of the Pinto case.
"Upon hearing about the GM case this year, I thought that things looked pretty ambiguous, so it didn't seem clear that a recall was justified," said Gioia. "I always have sympathy for the difficulty of the job of recall coordinator. It's so easy to decide the right call in retrospect, but when things are happening in real time, you have to have a basis for confidence that the right call is to recall."
But, as the GM story has unfolded, it looks much less ambiguous, according to Gioia.
"The fact that GM changed a part then didn't change the part number looks incriminating," he said. "It looks like you're hiding the fact that the part had a problem."
Gioia thinks that the problems at GM might have been systemic ones. Though individuals make decisions, those decisions are made within an organizational context that heavily influences them, he said.
"These decisions were organizational level decisions," he said. "There appear to have been willful attempts to put profits above safety. People pick up cues to how things are done, and these people seem to have learned that cost outweighed safety."
At the macro level, he says, the company must change its culture, starting with a more direct reporting relationship between recall personnel and leadership at the top.
"When you structure an organization in a way that doesn't give prominence to a department as important as the recall department, it's prima facie evidence that you don't really care about safety," he said. "That's unacceptable in today's corporate world."
Though Gioia said current GM CEO Mary Barra is taking the right steps to correct the issues, he is disappointed to have seen an avoidable problem like this appear again among one of the U.S.' major automakers.
"My experience (at Ford Motor Co.) is now over 40 years old. It was my experience they could and should have learned from. Organizations can learn from their own direct experience, or they can learn vicariously from the experience of others. Everybody should have learned from the Pinto Fires case. My biggest disappointment is that GM apparently didn't learn as an organization."
At Smeal, Gioia ensures that many students have the opportunity to learn from his experience at Ford. Over his many years at Penn State, he has spoken to numerous classes at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, leading students in frank discussions about the circumstances surrounding the Pinto case.
Gioia stresses how crucial it is for students to develop a core set of values early in their careers and to prepare to have courage when faced with even subtle challenges to those values.
In addition to his corporate experience with Ford, Gioia has also worked as an engineer for Boeing Aerospace at Cape Kennedy during the Apollo/Saturn lunar program. He joined the Smeal faculty in 1979 and currently teaches in the Penn State Smeal MBA Program and the Smeal Executive MBA Program. His research focuses on cognitive processes in organizations; change processes; corporate recalls; and organizational identity, image and reputation.


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Either way, I'd love to see how they'll try to convince movie goers how not completely useless the Power of Heart is.
This sounds like a glorious train wreck of a movie which I will never bother seeing.Now question is who will the villain be? There were only three effective villians in the series, the alien guy who corrupted the planeteers (or something....I don't remember anything beyond the gauntlets he gave them and that Ma-Ti was the only one who snubbed the guy), Captain Pollution, and Hitler. So of course the storyline should have one of those three. Captain Pollution seems like a better fit for movie two though.Quote from: Aeolus on July 22, 2013, 02:09:51 AMEither way, I'd love to see how they'll try to convince movie goers how not completely useless the Power of Heart is.Heart is the most broken power in the show. Had it been used effectively, then every episode would have ended within like 5 minutes of the start while the other four just sat around. It just is the least interesting visually.....wait or did it not work on people? If it didn't then yeah it is just kind of useless I guess.


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Former world No. 1 Tiger Woods fired a seven-under-par 65 on Friday to surge through the field and take a two-stroke lead at the second round of the US$6.1 million PGA Farmers Insurance Open.
Playing on the Torrey Pines layout, where he has won this event six times and where he captured the most recent of his 14 major titles at the US Open in 2008, Woods had an eagle, six birdies and just one bogey on the North Course.
The 37-year-old, who has struggled with injuries and whose form slumped after an infamous sex scandal in 2009, opened with a four-under 68 on Thursday on the South Course and started the second round three shots off the pace.
He teed off on Friday on the back nine and began with four pars in a row before a birdie at the par-five 14th hole.
He scored a birdie at the par-three 17th, an eagle at the par-five 18th and then added birdies on the par-five first and par-four second holes, lifting himself into sole possession of the lead.
Woods, now back at number two in the world rankings, birdied the par-4 seventh, took his lone bogey of the round at the par-four eighth and finished his round with a birdie at the par-five ninth to stand on 11-under-par 133.
Billy Horschel carded a three-under 69 on the South Course to take second place on his own on 135.
Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton was among half a dozen players on 136.
Compton had six birdies and an eagle in a seven-under 65 on the North Course. He was joined on eight-under by Casey Wittenberg (67), Canadian Brad Fritsch (67), Steve Marino (68), Jimmy Walker (69) and Josh Teater (70).
The 87 players who made the cut will play both weekend rounds on the South Course, where Woods gained his memorable US Open triumph five years ago after a playoff with Rocco Mediate despite a serious knee injury.
Woods is coming off a season debut at Abu Dhabi in which he missed the cut after taking a penalty for an improper drop.
The key for him at Torrey Pines, where rain fell for much of Friday, has been the par-fives, which he played in five-under-par on Friday and four-under on Thursday. Altogether, he has made five birdies and two eagles to lead the field in scoring on those holes.
"That's basically where the round could be had," Woods said. "On the North Course, drive the ball well here and you're going to probably have four-iron shots into the par-fives."
Woods said his short game continues to improve, now that he has bedded-in the swing changes that have taken a lot of practice.
"That's something that I needed to work on and as you saw toward the end of last season, it started coming around," Woods said of play in and around the greens. "I haven't had to hit as many golf balls, so I've been able to dedicate more time to [it] and consequently, it's better."


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As musicians we communicate ideas and emotions through the vibrations of sound waves. These vibrations are set into motion by our movements. To discover mastery of our artistic potential, we must turn inward and be aware of how we move our bodies to create sound.
Coordinate Movement is a holistic approach to the study of music. Knowledge of the brain and body are incorporated into the traditional study of interpretation and technique... Learn more about the curriculum >
Body Mapping is the study of anatomy and physiology based on the discoveries of Alexander teachers Bill Conable and Barbara Conable. Body Mapping for Musicians is a one term course offered at Portland State University which focuses on anatomy and physiology as it relates to playing an instrument and singing... Learn more about the curriculum >
Awareness makes the difference. Watch and listen to a collection of performances - all benefiting from the Coordinate Movement philosophy.
Sample our audio and video clips here >