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Dangerous Wires Warning Signs
As reported by the National Fire Protection Association, fixed wiring is the second-leading cause of electrical-related house fires (lamps, light fixtures, and light bulbs are first). And while nearly all wiring hazards are theoretically preventable, the fact that you can't see most of your house's wiring means that many electrical hazards aren't discovered until it's too late. A professional electrical inspection is the best way to discover hidden wiring hazards in your home. However, as a homeowner, you should learn the following 8 warning signs that something is amiss.
1. Frequent Circuit Trips
It's perfectly normal to go years without having to reset a tripped breaker or replace a blown fuse. If you have a circuit that trips fairly often, there's a good chance that: 1) it's overloaded (the power demands on the circuit exceed its safe capacity), or 2) there is a short or fault somewhere in the wiring run or any devices connected to the circuit.
2. Dimming or Flickering Lights
Dimming lights are another common indication of circuit overload or improper wiring. Flickering lights can result from damaged fixture wiring (especially if it's affecting just one of two or more fixtures on the same circuit), a problem with the switch, or a fault somewhere. In older homes with 60-amp service panels (breaker boxes), underpowered fixtures and appliances may indicate that the household system is being overtaxed and should be upgraded.
3. Overrated Circuit
It's not always easy to recognize this hazard, but if you're at your service panel and see a 20-amp (or larger) breaker or fuse on a standard lighting/receptacle circuit, it could be that someone has "fixed" a trip-prone circuit by installing a larger breaker than the circuit wiring is designed for. Standard circuits are 15 amps and should have a 15-amp breaker; a 20-amp breaker will allow overloads without tripping, heating the circuit wires, and possibly causing a fire. NOTE: 20-amp receptacle circuits are common in kitchens and garages, while 15 amps is standard for most other rooms.
4. Buzzing or Charred Outlets and Switches
Outlets (receptacles)and switches are never supposed to buzz, and their faces or coverplates should never be hot to the touch. These are clear warning signs, often indicating a faulty device, loose wiring inside the box, or arcing between the wire conductors and the device, box or coverplate. Charred devices should be inspected immediately, as well. It's normal for most dimmer switches and coverplates to be warm, but they should not be hot.
5. "Live" Appliances
If touching an appliance body (or a cord plug or really anything that uses electricity) gives you a zing or even a mild tingling sensation, unplug it and have it checked out, or chuck it. Same goes with buzzing light fixtures.
6. Smell Something Burning?
Even the faintest scent of overheated plastic can be a big warning sign. If you can't find the source of a burning smell, whether it's in a room or next to an appliance, assume that wiring is a possible culprit.
7. Damaged or Worn Insulation
Without completely intact insulation, electrical wiring is extremely dangerous. Frayed, cut, or burned insulation on any wire is a serious hazard. Also, cable splices should always occur inside an approved junction box.
8. Funny Wiring
This is no joke, of course. Stories of DIYers using extension cords for circuit wiring are not apocrypha. It happens, and it's the equivalent of using a garden hose for water-supply pipes. If you find inappropriate wiring anywhere in your house, assume the worst; it's time for a complete inspection.
Inspection is the Best Defense
The U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends an electrical inspection of your home in these cases:
- every 10 to 40 years
- if you've added substantial new loads (such as high-wattage appliances)
- if you detect any warning signs of wiring problems.
Always hire a certified electrician or electrical inspector to perform this vital safety inspection.
Updated December 6, 2017.
Looking for a Pro? Call us(866) 441-6648


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Franck Marzilli appointed Group Compliance Director of Coface
Franck Marzilli joins Coface as Group Compliance Director, effective in December 2016, with the objective of strengthening Coface's controllership functions in a context of increasing complex and stringent regulations. Franck holds a Master's degree in Management and Finance from the ESCP business school in Paris and has gained significant international experience in risk, compliance and control.
Prior to Coface, Franck was Head of Risk Control at Emirates Islamic Bank in Dubai and has worked for Société Générale, GE Capital and Deloitte & Touche in France and Eastern Europe. He was an auditor from 1993 till 2005, before focusing on risk management and compliance over the last ten years. In 2010, Franck moved to GE Money Bank in Latvia as a board member, in charge of compliance and controllership. He rejoined Deloitte & Touche in 2012 as partner in charge of the bank risk practice for Russia and CIS, based in Moscow. In 2014 and 2015, Franck held consulting roles for OTP Bank in Russia and Credit Lyonnais in France.

subset: commoncrawl


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My Things Systems Need articles provoked a couple of comments about statements that I made, in particular the design of the very non-standard Sony accessory port.
When you design a port and accessories for it, you need to get two things right: (1) design of the port itself; and (2) design of the accessories. Because the mirrorless cameras succeed partially because of their smallness, size is one of the elements that comes into play.
While Sony doesn't add size to the camera with their NEX accessory port, they add inconvenience. If you've ever had to switch from one accessory (say EVF) to another (say flash) quickly, you'll be swearing at the design of the accessory port (#1). On the other hand, the accessories are compact and useful, so Sony got #2 right. (I should also point out that Sony's design has a critical flaw: impact against an accessory will likely break the accessory port and/or the connection on the accessory itself, where the hot-shoe+ type ports will just likely let the accessory slide out without damage in many situations.)
Nikon, on the other hand, failed at both #1 and #2. The best example of that is the ME-1 microphone on the V1. Not only do you need a dummy hot shoe to plug into the accessory slot, but the microphone is big and requires plugging in via a too-long cable to a connector on the side of the camera. The accessory port design is wrong, some of the accessories themselves are designed wrong.
Compare that to the Olympus SEMA-1 microphone. Fits nicely into the standard hot shoe (+1 for #1), is adaptable (can use different mics, so a +1 for #2), is small and convenient (+1 for both). Now compare the same task on the Olympus as on the Sony: remove the EVF and plug in the flash. The Olympus wins hands down. Simpler, faster, no frustration.
So I'll stick by my comments. Good expanded standards design is good design. Bad, proprietary design is bad design.


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Journey of young Africans into violent extremism marked by poverty and deprivation: UNDP
Deprivation and marginalization, underpinned by weak governance, are primary forces driving young Africans into violent extremism, according to a comprehensive new study by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the first study of its kind.
Based on interviews with 495 voluntary recruits to extremist organizations such as Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram, the new study also found that it is often perceived state violence or abuse of power that provides the final tipping point for the decision to join an extremist group.
Journey to Extremism in Africa: Drivers, Incentives and the Tipping Point for Recruitment presents the results of a two-year UNDP Africa study on recruitment in the most prominent extremist groups in Africa.
The study reveals a picture of a frustrated individual, marginalized and neglected over the course of his life, starting in childhood. With few economic prospects or outlets for meaningful civic participation that can bring about change, and little trust in the state to either provide services or respect human rights, the study suggests, such an individual could, upon witnessing or experiencing perceived abuse of power by the state, be tipped over the edge into extremism.
"This study sounds the alarm that as a region, Africa's vulnerability to violent extremism is deepening," said UNDP Africa Director Abdoulaye Mar Dieye at the launch at the United Nations headquarters.
"Borderlands and peripheral areas remain isolated and under-served. Institutional capacity in critical areas is struggling to keep pace with demand. More than half the population lives below the poverty line, including many chronically underemployed youth."
"Delivering services, strengthening institutions, creating pathways to economic empowerment – these are development issues," Mr. Dieye added. "There is an urgent need to bring a stronger development focus to security challenges."
The study distils the conditions and factors that shape the dynamics of the recruitment process, prompting some individuals to gravitate toward extremism, where the vast majority of others do not.
Participants in the study were asked about their family circumstances, including childhood and education; religious ideologies; economic factors; state and citizenship; and finally, the 'tipping point' to joining a group.
Based on the responses to those questions, the study has determined that: The majority of recruits come from borderlands or peripheral areas that have suffered generations of marginalization and report having had less parental involvement growing up.
Most recruits express frustration at their economic conditions, with employment the most acute need at the time of joining a group. Recruits also indicate an acute sense of grievance towards government: 83 percent believe that government looks after only the interests of a few, and over 75 percent place no trust in politicians or in the state security apparatus.
Recruitment in Africa occurs mostly at the local, person-to-person level, rather than online, as is the case in other regions – a factor that may alter the forms and patterns of recruitment as connectivity improves.
Some 80% of recruits interviewed joined within a year of introduction to the violent extremist group – and nearly half of these joined within just one month.
In terms of exiting a violent extremist group, most interviewees who surrendered or sought amnesty did so after losing confidence in the ideology, leadership or actions of their group.
In one of the study's most striking findings, 71% of recruits interviewed said that it was some form of government action that was the 'tipping point' that triggered their final decision to join an extremist group.
The actions most often cited were government action including killing or arrest of a family member or friend.
The study also sheds further light on the nuanced role of religion as a motive for extremism.
The data shows that contrary to popular narratives, those who join extremist groups tend to have lower levels of religious or formal education and less understanding of the meaning of religious texts.
Although more than half of respondents cited religion as a reason for joining an extremist group, 57% of respondents also admitted to understanding little to nothing of the religious texts or interpretations, or not reading religious texts at all.
Indeed, the study suggests that actually understanding one's religion can strengthen resilience to the pull of extremism: among those interviewed, receiving at least six years of religious schooling was shown to reduce the likelihood of joining an extremist group by as much as 32%.
The study calls on governments to reassess militarized responses to extremism in the light of respect for the rule of law and human rights commitments.
Among the study's key recommendations is intervention at the local level, including through support to community-led initiatives aimed at social cohesion, and amplifying the voices of local religious leaders who advocate tolerance and cohesiveness.
However, the study cautions that these initiatives must be spearheaded by trusted local actors.
"What we know for sure is that in the African context, the counter-extremist messenger is as important as the counter-extremist message," said Mr. Dieye. "That trusted local voice is also essential to reducing the sense of marginalization that can increase vulnerability to recruitment."
To underscore awareness of the human cost of violent extremism, a new book and photo exhibit have been produced to accompany the study, a reminder of the devastating final consequences of the journey to extremism.
Survivors: Stories of survivors of violent extremism in Sub-Saharan Africa features photographs and stories documented in 2016 across six African countries that have been directly affected by violent extremism, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Somalia and Uganda.
UNDP estimates that some 33,300 people in Africa have lost their lives to violent extremist attacks between 2011 and early 2016. Boko Haram's operations alone have resulted in the deaths of at least 17,000 people and contributed to the displacement of a further 2.8 million people in the Lake Chad region. Violent extremist attacks have also impacted tourism and foreign direct investment in countries such as Kenya and Nigeria.


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I run a giant community. Many spammers will use link shorteners or .tk domains that 301 to their spam offer. How are sites detecting the final domain and is this a viable solution to block spam?
ex. I'll just block the spam: bit.ly/xdfd but then they will just use a different shortened link.


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At Joseph J. Szela & Associates, P.C., we work side-by-side with our clients and tailor our services to fit their specific needs. We combine personal attention and access with the highest levels of technical expertise and specialized knowledge. Timely communication and responsiveness are hallmarks of our client relationships. All of these attributes support our objective of helping you reach your financial goals.
We pursue excellence by staying on top of current developments and technologies. We stay abreast of industry issues and observe the marketplace so we can analyze provide service and advice tailored to your specific needs and goals. We use our experience and resources to develop industry insights and specialized skills that allow us to bring maximum value to your projects. Together all of these factors allow us deliver superior service and act as a trusted business advisor.
A detailed listing of the services we provide is set out below. Take a look at what we have to offer and how we can help you or your business.
Consulting Services
At Joseph J. Szela & Associates, P.C., our business is to know and understand your financial situation. We offer services beyond compliance and combine our experience, expertise and knowledge to add value as a trusted advisor to your financial situation.
We offer the following consulting services:
Financial Processes
Every organization can benefit from being introspective, skeptical and analytical regarding their finances. We work with organizations to develop the predictive capabilities necessary to adapt to rapid changes and outperform their peers. Specifically, we can help you with:
- Driving growth from new markets and opportunities.
- Enhance cash management through working capital optimization and better capital allocation.
- Improve finance operations by focusing on operational effectiveness, financial analytics as well as budgeting and forecasting.
- Enable efficient regulatory compliance.
- Effectively manage risk by identifying sources and improvements to mitigate high risk areas.
Litigation Support
- Marital dissolution
- Partner or shareholder dissolution
- Economic damages or bankruptcy
Business Planning
- Buy and sell agreements
- Purchases or sale of a business
- General business planning
Check out our Newsletter for the latest article on Financial Planning
Areas of Service: Charlton, Southbridge, Auburn, Spencer, Leicester, Oxford, Webster, Dudley, Brimfield


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by Mohammed Ademo
(OPride) – At an estimated 160 years of age, Dhaqabo Ebba, a retired farmer and well-known community elder from the Oromia region in Ethiopia, could be the oldest living person ever.
In an interview conducted by the state-run TV Oromiya and published online on Aug. 12, 2013, Ebba — who has no birth certificate to prove his exact age — says he has lived through and witnessed a transfer of power among all of the five Gadaa Oromo political parties in four rotations.
As per the Gadaa system of government, a democratic socio-political institution of the Oromo people, one Gadaa leader serves for a period of eight years. There are five Gadaa parties within this system among which leadership rotates. If Ebba had indeed lived through four such rotations, that makes him at least 160 years old. The average life expectancy in Ethiopia is 60 years, according to the CIA's World Factbook.
It would be impossible to establish Ebba's age as birth takes place at home in rural Ethiopia and the majority of Ethiopians still do not own birth certificates. "When Italy [first] invaded Ethiopia [in 1895], I had two wives and my son was old enough to herd cattle," Ebba tells the reporter in Afan Oromo, the Oromo language, at his house near Dodola town.
There are no living witnesses to corroborate his story. "Not even one of my peers is alive today," says Ebba.
However, Ebba who claims to have the largest extended family in the area has seen his great-grandchildren grow up. And he is by far the oldest known person in the area.
Ebba lives in a one-room house constructed by tightly woven bamboo poles which are intricately fastened together. Its corrugated metal roof, clinched together with nails, covers a cleanly swept dirt floor where Ebba and neighbors were huddled together for the interview.
According to Guinness World Records, Jeanne Calment of France, who died in 1997 at 122 years and 164 days, is the oldest person with a verified age. Earlier this month, the Associated Press reported, Bolivia's Carmelo Flores could be the world's oldest manat 123 years.
If true, Ebba's story may change that.
Born sometime in the 1850s, had there been better communications, Ebba would remember the Berlin Conference of 1884 that set the stage for European colonization of Africa. Within the context of Ethiopian history, he was born before the conquest of Oromo country by Abyssinian invaders. In his own account, Ebba has lived under the reigns of at least seven Ethiopian rulers starting from Emperor Yohannes IV to the current regime, the EPRDF.
The Oromo are Ethiopia's single largest ethnic group, estimated at 40 percent of the total population. Largely marginalized, they fought against all seven rulers that Eba has outlived during Ethiopia's imperial expansion to the south from its northern highlands.
During the 30-minute interview, Ebba recalls life under previous Ethiopian rulers — and notes a relative improvement for his community under EPRDF, particularly in areas of road transportation and telecommunication. He says in his generation it took eight days on horseback to visit Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, some 240 kms away from his village.
Today, it only takes a couple of hours.
Ebba speaks with a firm, articulate voice while recounting his life story. He may no longer be able to see but his memories of historical facts seem sharp. As the local journalist noted at the end the interview, given that the Oromo like many African cultures are an oral society, "each time an elder dies, a library is lost." Ebba's is one such library from which much can still be preserved.
It is indeed remarkable that Ebba's eldest son Hamid Dhaqabo could not chew Qorso — a local snack made by roasting barley seeds — while Ebba, who has his full teeth intact, had no problem doing just that.
"I can eat sugarcane [by chewing] all I want without any problem," Ebba proudly tells the reporter with a firm voice.
Locals, who acknowledge mistaking father and son, tease Hamid for aging faster than his father given his white hair and lack of teeth. A point he begrudgingly concedes with a forced, toothless grin adding: "God took them all away."


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man pages section 7: Device and Network Interfaces Oracle Solaris 11 Information Library |
- Ultra-SPARC T2 random number generator device driver
The n2rng device driver is a multi-threaded, loadable hardware driver supporting hardware assisted random numbers. This support is built into the Ultra-SPARC T2 CMT processor.
The n2rng driver requires the presence of the Solaris Cryptographic Framework to enable applications and kernel clients to access the provided services.
You configure the n2rng driver by defining properties in /platform/sun4v/kernel/drv/n2cp.conf which override the default settings. The following property is supported:
Disables the generation of statistics. The nostats property may be used to help prevent traffic analysis, however, this may inhibit support personnel.
Solaris crypto drivers must implement statistics variables. Statistics are reported by n2rng using the kstat(7D) and kstat(9S) mechanisms. The n2rng driver maintains the following statistics:
Status (online, offline, fail) of RNG device.
Number of requests for random data.
Number of bytes read from the RNG device.
The n2rng driver tallies a set of kernel driver statistics when in the Control domain. Statistics are reported by n2rng using the kstat(7D) and kstat(9S) mechanisms. All statistics are maintained as unsigned, and all are 64 bits.
Bias setting for noise cell 0 of RNG n.
Entropy value for noise cell 0 of RNG n.
Bias setting for noise cell 1 of RNG n.
Entropy value for noise cell 1 of RNG n.
Bias setting for noise cell 2 of RNG n.
Entropy value for noise cell 2 of RNG n.
State of rng number n (online, offline, error, health check).
64-bit ELF kernel driver.
Configuration file.
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attributes:
cryptoadm(1M), kstat(1M), attributes(5)
Solaris Cryptographic Framework - Solaris Software Developer Collection
Solaris Security for Developer's Guide - Solaris Software Developer Collection


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CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed their 2014 NBA Draft picks, Andrew Wiggins and Joe Harris, to contracts, Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts. Per league policy, terms of the contracts were not released.
Wiggins was the first overall pick in the June draft. An early entry candidate from Kansas University, Wiggins, 19, was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-League in his only year at Kansas. In 35 contests with the Jayhawks last year, the 6-8, 194-pound guard averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 block in 32.8 minutes per game. In four games during the 2014 NBA Summer League, Wiggins averaged a team-high 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks in 29.9 minutes per game.
Harris was selected 33rd overall after playing four years at Virginia where he was named Second Team All-ACC as a senior and First Team All-ACC as a junior. The 6-6, 225-pound guard averaged 12.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 30.3 minutes for his career at Virginia (135 games). In four games during the 2014 NBA Summer League, Harris averaged 7.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24.6 minutes per game.


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OK. Not never. But almost never. Jelena Dokic kissed a WTA trophy for the first time in nine years (Sarasota, 2002). Dokic shot up 30 spots from no. 91 in the world to no. 61. In Kuala Lumpur, she took out top seed Francesca Schiavone in the first round before rolling into the final. It was there that she beat B-Lister Lucie Safarova, 2-6, 7-6(9), 6-4, saving two championship points en route. Tough day for the Safarova-Berydch family.
Pablo Cuevas gets a little hoist from his teammates following his tie-clinching win in Montevideo. None of those gents on the sidelines seem to care much for the celebration. Uruguay beat Colombia 4-1 in a Group I Americas clash. Davis Cup: All results
Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova denied Jelena Jankovic her first title since Indian Wells 2010. Pavy, the defending champ, won Moneterrey over the top seed, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3. More: IW Women's Draw
Andy Roddick was kicking (tai-chi-ing?) for joy following his tie-clinching win over Paul Capdeville in the US versus Chile Davis Cup match up.
The human trophy: Andrey Golubev used a stunning four-set win over Tomas Berdych to help the Kazakis into the quarterfinals for the first time ever.
(dokic, pavlyuchenkova and roddick via the ap; uruguay and kazakhstan via getty images)


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These Dawn FC (framing camera) images show Caparronia crater, after which Caparronia quadrangle is named. The left image is a brightness image, which is taken directly through the clear filter of the FC and shows the brightness and darkness of the surface. The right image uses the same brightness image as its base but then a color-coded height representation of the topography is overlain onto it. The topography is calculated from a set of images that were observed from different viewing directions. The various colors correspond to the height of the area. The white and red areas are the highest areas and the blue areas are the lowest areas. Caparronia crater is the large crater in the center of the images. It is a distinctive, irregularly shaped crater with a degraded rim. The base of Caparronia crater contains a linear ridge, which stands out clearly in the color-coded height image as a pale blue (i.e., higher) ridge on the dark blue (i.e., lower) base of the crater. This feature is possibly the result of material slumping into the center of the crater. The color-coded height image also shows the relatively steep slope on the eastern side of Caparronia crater because the colors change from red (i.e., higher) along the rim to dark blue (i.e., lower) in the base.
These images are located in Vesta's Caparronia quadrangle and the center of the image is 38.0 degrees north latitude, 166.7 degrees east longitude. NASA's Dawn spacecraft obtained this image with its framing camera on Oct. 23, 2011. This image was taken through the camera's clear filter. The distance to the surface of Vesta is 700 kilometers (435 miles) and the image has a resolution of about 70 meters (230 feet) per pixel. This image was acquired during the HAMO (high-altitude mapping orbit) phase of the mission. The images are lambert-azimuthal map projected.
The Dawn mission to Vesta and Ceres is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. UCLA is responsible for overall Dawn mission science. The Dawn framing cameras have been developed and built under the leadership of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany, with significant contributions by DLR German Aerospace Center, Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, and in coordination with the Institute of Computer and Communication Network Engineering, Braunschweig. The framing camera project is funded by the Max Planck Society, DLR, and NASA/JPL.
More information about the Dawn mission is online at http://www.nasa.gov/dawn and http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov.


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Dolphins owner Stephen Ross will be at tonight's game between the Dolphins and Jets. He will attend with hopes his team can win its first game of the season.
But if the Dolphins don't win and continue to struggle though the season, sources are telling me Ross has a plan for his team that will take effect as early as January. The plan includes a new coach, a new quarterback and probably a new general manager, accofrding to a source familiar with Ross's thinking.
So if you want to know what the plan is for the quarterback spot click here.
If you want to know what the plan is for the coach, click here.
If you want to know if general manager's status with the team is secure or not, click here.
And come back later today and tonight for the live blog of the Dolphins at Jets game.


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Frontline Spray eliminates flea infestations by killing adult fleas before they can lay more eggs. This effectively breaks the flea life cycle to stop infestations and prevent new infestations from occurring. Frontline Spray also controls ticks for up to one month and eliminates chewing lice infestations.
About 1 to 2 pumps per lb. of body weight is sufficient to cover the fur of most pets.
Use Frontline Spray before flea season begins and every month thereafter to prevent flea infestations. Use once every 30 days.
Store the product with the trigger pump in the locked position.
Do not contaminate feed, water, or food by storing or disposing of this product.
Call your local solid waste agency for instructions on disposing of partly filled containers of Frontline Spray. Never place unused or partly used products down indoor or outdoor drains. Offer empty containers for recycling, if available, or place into trash.
It is a violation of Federal Law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.
Active ingredients: Fipronil 0.29%
Inactive ingredients: 99.71%
Keep this product out of reach of children and animals. Do not use or store in or near open flame or heat.
Frontline Spray is intended for use on cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies over the age of 8 weeks. This product is not for use on humans or other animals.
CAUTION: Frontline Spray is harmful if absorbed through the skin or swallowed. This product may cause severe eye irritation. Do not spray this product into the eye area of pets or humans.
Avoid contact with skin, eyes, and clothing. Wash hands with clean water and soap after handling product or a recently treated pet.
Individual sensitivities may occur while using this product. Seek veterinary attention if side effects or adverse events occur, or if side effects become more severe or persists.
Consult a veterinarian before using Frontline Spray on aged, debilitated, medicated, pregnant, or nursing animals.
If Swallowed: Call your doctor or a poison control center immediately for treatment instructions. Have product label in your possession when calling or seeking treatment. While waiting for medical treatment or advice, sip water if possible. Do not induce vomiting unless instructed to do so by a medical professional. Do not give water or anything else by mouth to an unconscious person.
If in Eyes: Hold eye(s) open and flush with plenty of clean water for 20 minutes. Remove contact lenses after first 5 minutes, if applicable, and then continue rinsing. Call your doctor for advice.
If on Skin: Remove any contaminated clothing. Wash skin with soap and clean water for 20 minutes. Seek medical attention if skin irritation develops or persists.
If Inhaled: Move affected person to fresh air. Give artificial respiration and call 911 if person is not breathing. Call a poison control center or medical professional for additional instructions.
Seller makes no warranty, expressed or implied, concerning the use of this product other than indicated on the label. Buyer assumes all risk of use and handling of this material when such use and handling are contrary to label instructions.
FRONTLINE® is a registered trademark of Merial.
EPA Reg. No. 65331-1
EPA Est. 65331-FR-2
Made in France
Merial Limited, 3239 Satellite Blvd., Duluth, GA 30096-4640, USA
NAC No.: 11110153


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Your Source for Venture Capital and Private Equity Financings
Venture Capital News: Xtime Raises $23M Series 2
Back to Home
REDWOOD SHORES, CA, Leading cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and scheduling platform for the automotive service industry, announced today that it has raised $23 million in Series 2 funding.
>> Click here for more funding data on Xtime
>> To export Xtime funding data to PDF and Excel, click here
Xtime, the leading cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and scheduling platform for the automotive service industry, announced today that it has raised $23 million in Series 2 funding. The funding is led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from Lumia Capital and existing investors RPM Ventures and Saints Capital. Additionally, with the new funding come additions to its board. Jeremy Levine, partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, and Heidi Roizen, accomplished Silicon Valley executive and venture partner at DFJ now join Xtime's board of directors.
"We believe these new investments support Xtime's place as the dominant leader in the hosted CRM automotive services marketplace," said Neal East, CEO of Xtime. "Auto manufacturers and dealers around the world have already embraced Xtime's award-winning solution in order to capture lost revenues, improve the customer service experience and retain brand loyalty."
Auto manufacturers and dealerships currently capture less than 33% of the market for maintenance and repair services, leaving billions of dollars on the table each year. As well, service department utilization rates are often below 75% and retention rates, post warranty, are often less than 50%, according to recent market studies. This combination of poor customer retention and under utilization is the huge opportunity that Xtime addresses.
"Xtime has pioneered an innovative approach to solving the major problems that plague today's automotive industry around the globe," said Jeremy Levine, partner at Bessemer. "With brands like Hyundai, Nissan and Lexus embracing Xtime as their solution and experiencing a significant return on their investment, Bessemer simply did not want to miss the opportunity to back Xtime's bright future."
"Xtime is a fast mover in this segment of the automotive industry, bolstered by a clear solution to an ages-old problem," said Heidi Roizen, venture partner at Draper Fisher Jurvetson. "This infusion of funding will support multiple deployments simultaneously, allowing rapid global expansion. I'm delighted to work with Xtime leaders to drive the company toward substantial growth and market penetration."
"We've been using Xtime's ServiceCRM for more than two years and I can't imagine running my department without it," said Roy McAlister, Service Director at Thomas Nissan, Joliet Illinois. "It's a great tool for planning and viewing our department's operations, much better than we get with a DMS. It saves us plenty of time and money and gives our customers a superior overall experience. We love it."
Xtime transforms the automotive service industry with its cloud-based platform that deeply integrates with each dealer's DMS to enable seamless interoperations with dealership business processes. The end result is a sophisticated user experience that amplifies customer retention, shop utilization and profits for dealerships, while driving increased auto parts sales and repurchase loyalty for automakers.
About Xtime
Xtime is the leading cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and scheduling platform for automotive manufacturers and dealer service departments. Xtime counts more than 4,800 dealerships as customers and has registered almost 2 million consumers. It processes more than 1.3 million appointments each month and has scheduled almost 50 million in total. Xtime is the exclusive or preferred provider for leading global automotive manufacturers in North America, including Lexus, Toyota Canada, Toyota US, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Infiniti, VW, Audi, Chrysler and Hyundai. Xtime is also the trusted choice for many of the industry's leading dealership groups including AutoNation, Group 1 Automotive, Sonic Automotive, Asbury, Luther, Ferman and Checkered Flag. Xtime is based in Redwood Shores, California and can be reached at (650) 508-4300 or
About Bessemer Venture Partners
Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP) is a global venture capital firm with offices in Silicon Valley, Cambridge, Mass., New York, Mumbai and Herzliya, Israel. BVP delivers the broadest platform in venture capital spanning across industries, geographies, generations and stages of company growth. From Staples to Skype, VeriSign to Yelp, LinkedIn to Pinterest, BVP has helped incubate and support companies that have anchored tidal shifts in the economy. More than 100 BVP-funded companies have gone public on exchanges in North America, Europe and Asia.
Bessemer Venture Partners has been a leading investor in Cloud Computing for more than 12 years, supporting early pioneers in this high-growth market including Postini, Cyota, Trigo, and VeriSign. During this time, BVP has invested in more than 50 Cloud Computing companies that are driving this market transformation. BVP's current cloud portfolio is one of the largest in the venture capital industry and includes leading public and private companies such as Box, Broadsoft (BSFT), Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD), DocuSign, Eloqua (ELOQ), LifeLock, LinkedIn (LNKD), Shopify, Twilio, and Wix. For more information, visit http://www.bvp.com/cloud.
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Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ) is a venture capital firm that partners with extraordinary entrepreneurs who set out to change the world. Since 1985, DFJ and the DFJ Global Network have had $7B committed to their funds and have managed more than 400 portfolio investments, including AdMob, Baidu, Box, Skype, Hotmail, SpaceX, Tesla Motors, SolarCity, Twitter, Tumblr and Yammer. DFJ works with companies at seed, early and growth stages, with the goal of creating of iconic and lasting businesses. DFJ pioneers investing in emerging markets including consumer and enterprise information technology, digital media, and disruptive technologies. The DFJ Global Network is a federation of 16 independent venture funds operating on four continents that cooperate on investment diligence and co-investing. Learn more at dfj.com.
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Introduction and The Core Architecture
Intel has done it! They've lowered power consumption and improved battery life in our third and possibly final look at the Intel Core 2 Duo mobile CPU. So is the latest CPU all it's hyped up to be?
A month ago we showed you exclusive testing results (here) of the new Intel Core 2 Duo T7400 'Merom' CPU . While those initial results showed good improvements in floating point operation, a quick test revealed that battery life (here) of the T7400 sample Intel sent us was still not ready for prime time as the Core 2 Duo should have better battery performance by design.
Just a week following that article, we released updated results using a new BIOS for the Asus Z96J whitebook laptop (see the results of that updated BIOS here). This new BIOS helped the situation somewhat by improving battery life, but the T7400 Engineering Sample we have still fell short of matching the older T2600 Core Duo CPU in power consumption. But a month has passed since we last looked at the mobile Core 2 Duo, and Intel is now ready to let the world see what their latest CPU is capable of.
The Core 2 Duo T7600 we are looking at today is a production sample (read: very likely the same quality and performance you will get at a retailer) clocked at 2.33 GHz, slightly faster than the 2.16 GHz on the T7400 sample we tested a month ago. And what a difference a month makes! Intel has made the improvements where it counts — better power consumption which translates into better battery life! But we're getting ahead of ourselves here, so before we jump into the review, here's a recap of Intel's Core architecture for those of you unfamiliar with it.
Core 2 Duo – Intel's Core Architecture (reprinted from our Conroe article)
From a design standpoint, the T7600 is exactly like any other Core 2 Duo mobile CPU. The following is a reprint of the Core 2 Duo architecture overview Ryan originally published back in March 2006 during the IDF.
At this past spring IDF in San Francisco, Intel shared with the world much of the details behind the new Intel Core 2 Duo processors powered by Intel's Core Architecture. The name of the technology behind Conroe, Merom and Woodcrest, which are all codenames for processor cores, was officially named "Core Architecture" and is the basis for all the hype that has been building at Intel for months.
Let's see what makes the Core 2 Duo processors tick by glancing at the architecture below the hood.
Quickly stepping through these features, we first hit on the wide dynamic execution. While past AMD and Intel architectures ran on a three instructions per clock design, Intel's Core 2 Duo can act on four instructions simultaneously. If the improved Intel macro-fusion does its job properly, the Core 2 Duo can actually perform up to five instructions per cycle. This macro-fusing technology allows the processor to take two seperate instructions, combine them into one single instruction that the CPU can handle, and perform them both at the same time, effectively increasing the amount of work that can be done.
Intel's advanced digital media boost describes an increase in the amount of SSE calculations done per cycle in the core. With support for 128-bit multiply, add, store and load operations, the Core 2 Duo CPUs can then combine instructions to possible do more than five calculations per cycle, though this case isn't nearly as frequent.
The ability to reorder memory operations for better performance is called smart memory access on the new Core 2 Duo processors. Intel's architecture has the ability to determine whether or not a memory load is going to depend on one of the preceding stores (that would essentially change the data this Data X load is going to receive). If it does not, the architecture can move the command up to improve system performance. If it does, the architecture has to leave it alone to prevent any kind of data accessing errors. When this works, it can improve the out-of-order execution speed pretty dramatically and best of all, the results are transparent to the software and don't require any compiling or coding.
Intel 'Conroe' Core 2 Duo Die
Advanced smart cache is the term given to Intel's dynamically allocated L2 cache system in place on the Core 2 Duo processor. The amount of L2 cache that is being controlled by either core can be adjusted dynamically when one core is in need of more of it than the other. If only a single thread is being executed in the operating system, the primary core can take more of the L2 cache and use it to lower the memory latency hit, thus preventing the 'cache thrashing' when cache is full and the CPU has to go to main system memory. This can also allow for easy data sharing between cores on the CPU.
Finally, Intel's intelligent power capability is designed to allow the system to power down and slow down as much of the processor as possible when unneeded in order to save on power and produce less heat. First they have integrated an ultra fine grained power control system that allows them to turn off portions of either core that are not in use. Another way Intel's engineers saved power was by allowing the internal busses between the ALUs and other units to be turned down to the data size of the information they are working on.
If you would like even more details, diagrams and information on the Core Architecture technology, you should definitely check out Ryan's article from IDF that covered this in much greater detail than we have here.


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History of the reign of king Henry vii, with notes by J.R. Lumby |
Common terms and phrases
affection afterwards ambassadors Anne of Brittany arms Bacon battle better bishop blood Britain Brittany called Cambridge Castile cause Charles common continued council court crown danger daughter death desire doubt duke earl Edward England English Examination father forces fortune France French French King give given hand hath Henry Henry VII History honour Ireland Italy James John kind King King Henry King's kingdom lady land late Latin likewise lived London lord manner March marriage married matter Maximilian means nature nevertheless parliament party passed peace Perkin person Pope present Price Prince principal Queen reason rebels received reign Richard says Scotland sent side soon statute subjects taken things Thomas thought took town treaty University unto York
Popular passages
Page 270 - He being thus lorded, Not only with what my revenue yielded. But what my power might else exact, — like one Who having unto truth, by telling of it, Made such a sinner of his memory, To credit his own lie...
Page 221 - He was born at Pembroke castle, and lieth buried at Westminster, in one of the stateliest and daintiest monuments of Europe, both for the chapel and for the sepulchre. So that he dwelleth more richly dead, in the monument of his tomb, than he did alive in Richmond, or any of his palaces.
Page 155 - ... creation, as in St. George's Fields, where his own person had been encamped. And for matter of liberality, he did, by open edict, give the goods of all the prisoners unto those that had taken them; either to take them in kind, or compound for them, as they could. After matter of honour and liberality, followed matter of severity and execution. The lord Audley was led from Newgate to Tower-Hill, in a paper coat painted with his own arms; the arms reversed, the coat torn, and he at Tower-Hill beheaded.


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Bullying can happen in school, on the playground—and now even on the Internet through social networking sites. Bullying is intentional tormenting that can be physical, social, or psychological. Hitting, shoving, threatening, shunning, and spreading rumors can all be forms of bullying. Kids who are bullied can become depressed, develop low self-esteem, avoid school, feel physically ill, and even think about killing themselves.
There are few things as disturbing as finding out your child is a victim of bullying. Other than seeing signs of physical harm like cuts or bruises, it may be hard to know about bullying unless your child tells you or you ask. That's why it's a good idea to bring up the subject, even if you don't think anything is wrong. Also, let your children know how important it is to tell an adult if they have been bullied. Or to tell an adult if they have seen any other kids being bullied.
Changes in your child's normal behavior may be warning signs of bullying. Signs to look for include:
Inability to sleep well
Loss of appetite
Wanting to avoid normal routines, such as taking the school bus
The first thing you need to do is control your own emotions. One of the reasons kids don't tell parents about bullying is because they are afraid of their parents' reaction. Stay calm, offer support, and tell your child that you are going to help.
Never ignore bullying, and never tell your child to tough it out or fight back. Fighting back is almost always a bad idea. Kids who fight get hurt, and both kids may get in trouble.
Here are safe tips for helping your child:
Reassure your child. Make sure your child knows that he or she is not to blame and should not be ashamed. Praise the courage it took to come forward and tell you about the problem.
Learn the facts. Get all the information you can about the bullying. This includes who is involved, how often it happens, and where it takes place.
Let the proper authorities know. Don't confront the bully's parents on your own. Leave that to school or other officials.
Encourage safe activities and friendships. You may want to ask your child's teacher for advice on participating in healthy activities like the arts or athletics.
Have a safety plan. Talk about locations, groups of kids, and activities that should be avoided. Make sure your child uses the buddy system when at risk. Discuss where to go and whom to ask for help in case of an incident.
Bullying is a common problem for many kids, but as kids start to learn that bullying is never cool and that adults need to know about any acts of bullying, the situation should get better. Learn about your state's bullying laws. If you have tried all the standard ways to prevent bullying and still fear for your child's safety, you may need to contact legal authorities.
Finally, remember that many kids become bullies because they learn bullying at home. Children who are exposed to anger, shame, and violence are children who are at risk for becoming bullies. You don't want your child to be bullied and you certainly don't want your child to be a bully. Make your home environment safe and supportive.
© 2024 Stanford Medicine Children's Health


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Henry VII had to develop a positive relationship with England's nobles if he was to survive after the Battle of Bosworth. There were nobles who supported Henry because of their Lancastrian background. There were also nobles who supported Henry VII as they saw him as a means to social and political advancement. There were also those nobles who were opposed to Henry as the Lambert and Warbeck rebellions showed. Stated as the most basic level, there were far more nobles than the king and bringing them all onto his side was a task that was to take Henry VII many years.
While the War of the Roses had killed off some of the nobility it would be a mistake to believe that England was left denuded of nobility by 1485. Research indicates that in every 25-year period during the Middle Ages, 25% of the nobility died and left no male heir. They were succeeded by newly created noble families. What Henry did to control the size and power of the nobility was limit the number of new lords – by doing this he kept the numbers to a level he felt he could better handle. Such an approach also had other affects. To be appointed to the senior social echelons in the reign of Henry VII was seen as a great honour as it was a rarity. Therefore, those people who were rewarded in this manner were suitably loyal to the man who was responsible for this social elevation. These men were also the wealthiest of the nobility and men who could probably fund larger armies. Therefore, by bringing them over to his side, Henry VII was reducing any threat to himself. In the whole of his reign, Henry only created one Earl (compared to Edward IV's nine) and five barons (compared to the thirteen of Edward IV). The titles had very real status in Henry's reign as so few possessed them. The number of peers dropped from 57 to 44 as more noble families died out than titles were created and granted.
Loyal nobles were also awarded the Order of the Garter, an ancient and prestigious honour. This bestowed much status on the recipient but it cost Henry VII nothing – whereas the creation of new titles invariably cost the king money as estates were usually granted from royal land. In Henry's reign, 37 nobles received the Order of the Garter.
Ironically one of the advantages Henry had when dealing with the nobility was that he did not have to worry about family, as he had no brothers. Edward IV had two powerful brothers to contend with but Henry had none. This meant that he could focus his full attention on the nobility as opposed to being concerned about family loyalty.
Henry also bolstered his strength at the expense of the nobility by keeping land that had belonged to former peerage families. Valuable land that had belonged to the Yorkist families of Warwick, Gloucester and Clarence remained in the hands of Henry. This served two purposes. First, it increased the wealth of the king. Second, the nobles lived in hope that they might be rewarded with some of these estates if they worked well for Henry. Why this may have been a false hope, it did ensure that many nobles did what they could for the king to show loyalty. As part of this, they only married to whom Henry approved, as they needed the king's permission to marry. This meant that the nobility could not form powerful and potentially dangerous family blocks that could serve as a platform to oppose Henry.
Clearly with the memory of the War of the Roses still fresh in many minds, there were some magnate families that were not trusted. The Percy Earls of Northumberland and the Stafford Dukes of Buckingham were among these. Rather than openly antagonise these families, Henry simply kept them under surveillance using his very effective spy network. As Henry felt more powerful and less threatened he asserted his authority even more. The murdered Earl of Northumberland left his estate to his ten-year old son in 1489. He was not allowed to receive his land until 1499 at the age of twenty – only when Henry was convinced of his loyalty.
By either bringing into his court the nobility Henry believed he could trust or diluting the power of those he distrusted, Henry had far more control over the nobility than previous monarchs. That he was quick to use an act of attainder was also common knowledge to the nobility who stood to lose everything if they were attainted. It would be easy to assume that Henry had a 'them and us' approach to the nobility, especially after the War of the Roses. However, this does not seem to be the case. Henry clearly believed that it was beneficial for all to have the nobility working with the king as opposed to anything else. Two of his closest advisors were the Earls of Oxford and Shrewsbury. Henry saw the nobles as his main weapon in enforcing his authority in the regions and extended local regional control to powerful and loyal magnates in areas considered to be potentially disloyal. Loyalty was well rewarded and though Henry VII faced rebellions, when they are stripped down they barely threatened his position. Even the threat from Europe seems to have been overplayed.
Henry also used money as a way of maintaining loyalty. The nobles had to pay a certain sum of money if they failed to complete written promises, based around what functions they would perform in the areas they controlled. The lesser nobles paid a sum of £400 while the senior nobles paid £10,000. If they did not keep to their part of the deal, they lost the money. If they kept to their promise, clearly this benefited Henry. This process even percolated down to men who had been given positions of responsibility. The Captain of Calais had to promise £40,000 to fulfil his duties. Such a practice had been done before but Henry refined it so that he could as much as was possible guarantee loyalty. If a noble failed in his duties, he could have his fine delayed if he accepted conditions that left him at the mercy of the king.
"Loyalty and ability were Henry's sole requirements in his most important servants; patronage had to be earned, it was not an automatic privilege of the upper class." (Caroline Rogers)
Related Posts
- Many in England believed that the succession of Henry VIII would usher in a less austere era than the one Henry VII had ruled…
- Henry VIII was very much a conformist with regards to his beliefs. His main belief was that God had had created society as it was…
- Henry VIII is usually viewed as a powerful king who was all but unopposed in government. However, Henry himself was always concerned that at some…


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Mohammad Rasoulof
This film has no current screenings
In his latest film, celebrated Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof creates a dramatic and tense tale set in Tehran, where a young woman is desperately attempting to acquire a visa to leave the country. The beautifully shot film uses the confinement of space to cinematically express claustrophobia; its precise framing catches every subtle expression on the face of the astonishing Leyla Zareh, who plays disbarred human rights lawyer Noora. With her husband exiled to the desert for his political journalism, Noora's personal isolation and desperation reach unbearable heights when she must make a difficult decision regarding her pregnancy as part of a complex scheme to leave the country.


text:
This article is more than 1 year old
Yahoo! unfurls revamped Yahoo! mail beta
More! than! two! times! faster! says! Yahoo!
Yahoo! has released a beta of its latest Yahoo! Mail update, claiming that the web-based email service is at least two times faster than previous versions.
Rebuilt "from the ground up," the Yahoo! Mail beta offers a new interface, integration with Facebook, Twitter, and Yahoo! Updates, a revamped search tool, and an automatic slideshow contraption for viewing photos and videos from sites such as Flickr, Picasa, and YouTube.
"Online communication tools are an important part of people's lives — whether they're connecting with their friends and family, sharing pictures and videos, or keeping up on news across social networks," reads a canned statement from Blake Irving, Yahoo!'s chief product officer. "We've built a powerful global framework for email that lets us quickly innovate and enhance this trusted service that people rely on every day."
Yahoo! Mail's existing users — which number 273 million, according to the company — won't be moved to the new version unless they opt-in. To get the beta, you can go to features.mail.yahoo.com and click "Try it now." ®


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The tusks that clashed in mighty brawls
Of mastodons, are billiard balls.
The sword of Charlemagne the Just
Is ferric oxide, known as rust.
The grizzly bear whose potent hug
Was feared by all, is now a rug.
Great Caesar's bust is on my shelf,
And I don't feel so well myself.


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They managed to get the sequel, Son of Kong, into theaters the same year. But where Kong pere was a sexually and romantically frustrated ruler who couldn't make it in Manhattan but also made sure the Big Apple would never forget him, Kong fils was a cuddly sort.
Yet even this second version of the tale proved too rough-edged for the filmmakers. Sixteen years later, Cooper (with co-producer John Ford), O'Brien (with apprentice Ray Harryhausen) and Schoedsack (again working from a script by his wife Ruth Rose) crafted the original Mighty Joe Young. The elements are similar: A showman, again played by Robert Armstrong, goes into the wilderness, Africa this time, finds another giant ape and brings it back to the United States as an attraction. Once again a blonde holds the key to the beast's heart.
Instead of King Kong's diaphanous, unobtainable Fay Wray, however, this time around the woman was played by girlish Terry Moore, and the ape, Joe Young by name, is her big lug of a pet. In showman Armstrong's nightclub, Joe is also her co-star, holding her above his head on a platform while she plays "Beautiful Dreamer" at the piano. He does break loose and run amuck, but instead of showing his defiance by climbing the Empire State Building -- the biggest phallic symbol in the world -- Joe shows his sense of civic duty by climbing a burning orphanage to rescue the kiddies. Everyone is happy at the fadeout. Where Kong carried all sorts of sexual and racial and mythic subtext around with him, Joe, rather disappointingly, was merely a credit to his species.
The posters for the original Mighty Joe Young roared that the title character was "Mightier Than King Kong!" There is one sense, and only one, in which that might be true -- Joe has survived being remade better. Despite a then-state-of-the-art ape suit fashioned by Rick Baker, the mid-seventies redo of King Kong was miserable. But Disney's new, big-budget Mighty Joe Young, also with special effects by Baker, is surprisingly enjoyable.
No doubt this is in part because no matter how badly the new film had turned out, it would hardly have constituted the desecration of a masterpiece. Happily, it turned out nicely anyway. The script, though faithful in its structure to the original, has been updated cleverly; instead of being brought to America by showpeople, Joe is now transported here by an animal conservancy that recognizes his fundraising potential.
Additionally, Joe and his blond paramour (Charlize Theron) are bound together by a shared, symmetrical childhood trauma that heightens the story's fairy-tale quality. I could have done without the two corny poacher villains (Rade Serbedzija and Peter Firth), but at least their menace keeps the story from getting too wimpy and Disneyish. Bill Paxton replaces Ben Johnson as the manly hero, and he performs serviceably.
The direction, by Ron Underwood, whose debut film was the splendid little monster picture Tremors (1990), is swift and muscular. He pays his respects to the original: Moore and Harryhausen show up in small parts; Johnson and Ford are saluted via a poster for Wagon Master (1950); and a street musician plays "Beautiful Dreamer" during a love scene.
Most of the credit for the success of this Mighty Joe Young, however, must go to Baker -- this ape is one of his most impressive creations. Baker has come up with a hybrid of the species gorillus cinematicus -- that impossible cross between grizzly bear and Stanley Kowalski that has served the movies so well -- and an actual gorilla, that shy, retiring, morosely beautiful creature known to zoology but never before faked this well in the movies. (Gorillas in the Mist doesn't count because much of its footage employed real gorillas.) As in the 1949 Mighty Joe Young and in King Kong before that, the title character of this new film is by far its most complex and memorable one -- and the only character for whom we can feel any real sympathy.
Mighty Joe Young.
Rated PG.
Directed by Ron Underwood. With Bill Paxton, Charlize Theron, Rade Serbedzija and Peter Firth.


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By David Crane
defrev (at) gmail (dot) com
DefenseReview.com (DR) just found out today from a contact of ours at Lucky Gunner Ammo (www.LuckyGunner.com) that we've been nominated for a Gunnie Award in two categories: "2011 Best Gun Blog – Gear Reviews" and "2011 Best Gun Blog – News". DR is grateful for the nominations, and we'd ask that our readers vote for us in both categories, if you think we deserve to win. You can visit the 2011 Gunnie Awards Voting Ballot Page and vote for DefenseReview.com by clicking on the following link:
Just follow the directions at the link above to vote (in both categories!). Thanks so much! We greatly appreciate it.
The following information about the Gunnie Award comes from the LuckyGunner.com website:
"The 2011 Gunnie Awards (aka "The Gunnies") recognize the best gun bloggers & websites for their contribution to firearm news, politics, and law over the past year. Each award is based on your votes, so vote below and help decide who deserves to win!
How it Works:
Vote for your favorite website using the ballot below & choose the winners for the 2011 Gunnies. All nominees & categories are listed in alphabetical order.
Voting Closes:
Friday, May 27th – vote today and tell your friends to vote too!
Winners Announced:
Gunnie winners will be announced & honored on Saturday night, May 28th at the 2011 LuckyGunner.com Blogger Shoot held in Knoxville, TN this Memorial Day Weekend. Winners do not have to be present to win; those who are not present will have their trophies & ammo mailed to them.
Winners Get:
– A cool engraved Gunnie trophy of a 30mm replica round from Technoframes!
– 100 rounds of free ammo from Lucky Gunner Ammo!
– Bragging rights for the next 365 days!"
Defense Review received the following email message today on our 2011 Gunnie Award nomination from our contact at Lucky Gunner Ammo:
"from XXXX – LuckyGunner.com firstname.lastname@example.com
to David Crane
date Fri, May 13, 2011 at 12:02 AM
subject David, Defense Review Has Been Nominated For A Gunnie Award
mailed-by luckygunner.com
hide details 12:02 AM (19 hours ago)
Hey David,
Hope you're doing well since we saw each other at the SHOT Show earlier this year. Wanted to take this opportunity to reach out to you personally to let you know that you've been nominated for a Gunnie Award which'll be awarded at our upcoming Blogger Shoot in Knoxville this Memorial Day Weekend. You see, The Gunnies are an awards ceremony we'll be hosting Saturday night at the Shoot and Defense Review has been nominated for an award in the following category:
Best Gun Blog – Gear Reviews
Best Gun Blog – News
Voting is now open for the next 14 days to determine the winners in each of the 9 categories. It'd be pretty cool if you could announce your nomination for The Gunnies on your site, kinda like AmmoLand.com has done here (your competition!) – www.ammoland.com/2011/05/12/2011-gunnie-award-categories-announced/ – and encourage your readers to go vote for you via the online ballot here: http://www.luckygunner.com/2011-gunnie-awards.
As you can see from our ballot page, each category winner gets an engraved, really nice Italian-made 30mm replica round trophy from Technoframes. Winners will be announced on Saturday night at our Blogger Shoot during the banquet. Also, every winner gets their choice of 100 free rounds of ammo from LuckyGunner.com, since Technoframes & us are sponsoring the awards ceremony. The winners do not have to be present at the Shoot to win but whoever wins The Gunnie in each category will get their engraved trophy + free ammo along with some good ole fashioned bragging rights & a cool badge to show that they were the highest vote-getter like this badge below:
Either way, congratulations on being nominated & I'll look forward to seeing you at some point in the near future!
Company Contact Info:
Lucky Gunner Ammo
P.O. Box 32747
Knoxville, TN 37930
Phone: 800-317-9506
Fax: 800-844-0602
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: http://www.luckygunner.com
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"You'll never know if you don't go". I have lived by this, or a hundred versions of similar quotes for the last few years. It is also a large reason why I started a blog at all, posting photos of travel and shopping advice while I was travelling keeping myself in constant motion, that has now adapted in to so much more than I ever expected. I thrive on and look forward to change; creating it for myself to help me experience and grow, to drive me to see and feel more. It has been a huge part of what I have tried to express by sharing on Tuula and hope my readers can appreciate a little change too.
There is a change coming to Tuula. On Monday Tuula will be moving to a new blogging platform called FELLT. I am so excited to be a part of FELLT as I know it is another incredible stepping stone towards... well I don't really know. And that is the most exciting part. Anywhere that Tuula takes me is a blessing. I'm just thankful I now get to share the network with so many of the other amazing, influential people I've met via blogging, and the doors it will open to continue being able to share everything and more with my readers. Bookmark Tuula at fellt.com/tuula


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Irvine Welsh on 'Scottish Independence and British Unity'
Most people from Scotland, to varying degrees, tend to identify themselves as Scottish and/or British. For personal reasons, (and we're all products of our past, as well as, hopefully, visionaries of our futures) I've always felt a strong emotional connection to both. This might be expected to place me in the 'better together' unionist camp, alongside the three major parties of the thirty-five year British neoliberal economic consensus; Conservative, Liberal Democrats and Labour. However, this was never a tenable position for me. To explain why I'm going to crave the reader's indulgence and ask you to stick with me on a long digression to Southall, Middlesex, through the 1970's.
As a teenager I spent a lot of time down in this west London suburb with my Aunt Jessie. She was my Uncle Alec's wife; they met at a dancehall when he was working on London's railways and she was a Nurse at St Thomas's Hospital. It was an instant stellar love affair, and one that evaporated the substantial differences between them. Jessie's folks were both domestic servants in a large Kensington home, and she had inherited their 'Upstairs Downstairs' view of the world, whereby ruling elites were both duty-bound and well-trained in the effective running of the nation, and would largely discharge this thankless activity in everyone's best interests. Alec, by contrast, was a union man, a railway worker who came from a family of dockers, and steeped in industrial socialism. He liked a drink, and had a strong sense of joie de vivre. I think they complemented each other; he brought out her fun side, while she grounded and centred him. They started married life in Fulham (when it was a working-class district) where they had a daughter, Elizabeth, and a son, Alec Junior, known as 'Young Alec' in my family. As neither Alec nor Jessie came from well-to-do circumstances, they understandably wanted to give their kids some of the opportunities they'd never enjoyed. They were delighted to have saved up enough cash to move to the northern part of Southall, Middlesex, which was then a leafy, desirable suburb.
Every family has its tensions and struggles. While I was oblivious to any at Somerset Road, I'm aware that, through my child's eyes, I'm making this life seem more idyllic than it probably was. What is beyond question is that it was shattered by my Uncle Alec's untimely death at work, through a sudden heart attack. The post-mortem revealed a congenital issue, which had gone undetected. This was devastating for the family. For reasons I've never quite understood, Aunt Jessie became estranged from Elizabeth, who had married and moved to Surrey and would soon have children of her own. However, my uncle's extended family back in Leith was very supportive of Jessie, and they became even closer following the tragedy of Uncle Alec's death. We all kept up our regular London visits, and Jessie and Alec junior particularly, were frequently in Edinburgh for extended spells.
I'm not inclined by nature to look back, and I'm not big on dates, nor do I tend to keep, or gaze at, loads of old photographs. It's therefore difficult to be exact about how many visits/extended stays I had to that house at Somerset Road through the 70's. But it's impossible to over-emphasize just how much those excursions helped to form my outlook on life. As we know, kids perceive time differently, so the summer of 75 and 76 seemed to me like two lifetime's worth of experience, and even a weekend jaunt to a gig, a sporting occasion or a wedding, gave the sense of cramming in more adventures than a month's travelling does now.
I idolized Alec Junior, who was ten years older than me. He was a handsome guy who looked very like the young David Hemmings. Alec inherited his dad's dapper bearing and swagger and dressed very well, an archetypal London wide boy and determined ladies man. Every time he'd bring a girl home, Aunt Jessie would be on the phone, saying hopefully to my mum and aunties, "I really think this is the one for Alec…" but she'd invariably be replaced by another mini-skirted doll, many of whom I had the torturous privilege of observing at close quarters on my Southall visits. At thirteen, covered in spots, hormones raging, I'd brood with twisted envy at how lucky the effortlessly cool Alec was, with his seemingly endless procession of London lovelies. But sadly that was to be far from the case; Alec was still in his twenties when he was killed in a hit and run incident on Lady Margaret Road, after leaving the Lady Margaret pub, the local watering hole. The driver was never apprehended.
It was my first awareness, coming from a council house in Scotland, of just how much the economic and social life of the South East was driven by the property market. Whites panicked and sold up, most moving even further along the M4 corridor. To make matters worse for Aunt Jessie, Fulham, where she, Uncle Alec and their children had moved from, had gentrified and become a sought-after, solidly bourgeois neighbourhood. She watched her old terrace house there exponentially gain in value, while property prices on her Southall home stagnated.
It was around this time my visits to her became more frequent, first with other family members, then on my own. I loved Jessie's white painted house, and that amazing garden. Coming from a grey scheme of systems-built rabbit hutches, the invigorating effect was similar to the one I currently experience when I leave the bleak Chicago winter and head south to sun-kissed Miami Beach for an extended stay. One of my best memories of my dad is of us working together to repair Jessie's shed, greenhouse and conservatory, which had predictably suffered from neglect since both Alec's had departed.
Whereas Aunt Jessie understandably saw only threat in Southall's changing demographics, the whole place was just mystical to me: suggesting enough of Bombay or Calcutta to make me want to go there. The two Asian girls next door were beyond gorgeous and as soon as they appeared in their adjoining garden, I'd be right outside, pretending to do stuff. Sadly my attempted seductions got no further than some exchanged flirty grins and urgent whispers through the hedge. I recall being the only white in a Bollywood film screening at a makeshift cinema on the Uxbridge Road. The other movie attendees looked at me as if I was mental, and I probably was, but I had a marvelous time, though I kept this experience from Jessie.
But my best friend in Southall was my Auntie Jessie. She read the Daily Mail and quoted from it like a bible. Her politics were always Conservative-inclined, but had drifted further to the right in the absence of the counterbalancing forces of her husband and son. The only time I ever heard any malevolence from this kindliest of souls was on the issue of immigration. Now I realise that she was displacing her anger; grieving for the two Alec's and her lost life, and today I would just let her vent. At the time though, I had a scanter sensitivity to these issues and I would argue and debate with her all day, and sometimes all night. I would bring home the Socialist Worker and quote from it in the same way as she did with the Mail. Aunt Jessie loathed Tony Benn, who was my political hero, but who, as an aristocrat, had done the unforgivable in her eyes by not patronizing working people, but instead encouraging them to stand up for their rights. But Benn was positively angelic compared to the detested local Labour MP Sidney Bidwell, a Tribune group member who was an ex NUR colleague of my Uncle Alec's. "I know all abaht 'im!" Jessie would smugly intone.
This ought to have led to discord, but Aunt Jessie loved our playful political jousting as much as I did. Now I can see that it was almost certainly something she had engaged in regularly with the two Alec's. So despite the fact that we were such an unlikely pairing, we never, ever fell out. Outside of my immediate family household, I had never felt so loved by another person, and she made Somerset Road seem like a second home to me. For my part, I worshipped this hurt and lost but absolutely wonderful, big-hearted and generously spirited woman with all my heart. She would say to me, obviously mindful of the terrible experience of her son, "I don't care what you do, you can come home as drunk as a lord if you wish, but you never, ever stay out after 1.00 am. That means you have to leave the West End before midnight to get back here. If you don't return by then, I'll be forced to phone your mother and tell her that you've gone missing."
I would later appreciate how the terrible tragedy of Alec Junior weighed heavily on her, but also that Aunt Jessie was giving me, a teenager alone in London, tremendous license, which I didn't have back in Edinburgh. At the time though, I quietly resented the imposition of this curfew. I was conscious of being a Cinderella figure; at a club or pub I would vanish before midnight, with all the resultant social and sexual heartbreak, in order to catch the tube and bus back to Southall. It would almost be worth it however, when I came in and saw a plate bearing two rolls on the kitchen table, one with ham, the other with cheese, with always the same accompanying note: "IRVINE, SSHHH! XXX" The rolls had very chewy light-brown crusts, and I'd never, ever tasted anything like them. I used to argue that the well-fired rolls from the bakers in Muirhouse were better, but I think Jessie saw, via the number I got through, that I was a committed fan.
Going into my work as an apprentice that following Monday, this old cunt (I can only describe him as such) had a made a comment in relation to the story of the fatal crash about 'car thieves getting what they deserve'. I first blew up then ran to the toilets, choking in a silent rage until I managed to compose myself. Still very much boys, John and I felt that everybody would judge us as low-life car thieves, (we obviously would have been in that van, as we had others before, but for the salvation of our greed) so we kept our mouths shut about our presence on that night, to every one other than our friends at school and Raymond and Paul's families. Apart from Raymond's mum, the only adult I was able to talk about this incident to was my Aunt Jessie, in that other world that was Southall. I told her how much the loss of those two great friends affected me, and shared my undoubted relief but strange guilt that I wasn't in that van with them. At the time I didn't realise that Jessie must have considered that my pal's actions might perhaps have been mirrored in Southall, but by youths who went on to destroy Alec Junior, rather than themselves. But she didn't judge, she just listened and let me talk. I begged her not to disclose this confidence to my parents. Jessie promised she wouldn't, but told me that I should. (I eventually did, at her urgings, and they were great about it.)
The frequency and length of my London visits increased with my growing independence, to the extent it became clear to me, and to my mum, that I was ramping myself up for a permanent move south. I moved down Somerset Road for a spell, then into a squat (though I never at the time told either Jessie or my mum it was that) at Shepherd's Bush. Then I met a girl from Ilford. When I decided (wrongly) that I needed a formal education, to be close to her I attended Essex University at Colchester, which was actually much further from Ilford (and Southall) than I thought. Even though I spent a lot of my early time at university alternately trying to extract myself from, then rekindle, this turbulent but oddly compulsive relationship, I would traverse across London to visit Jessie. I still salivate at the thought of those restorative roast beef and roast lamb Sunday dinners. I also kept in touch with Tony, Jack and Trevor from the local crowd; I was at the Hamborough Tavern on the Uxbridge Road the weekend before an infamous race riot erupted there, following the performance of a right-wing white supremacist band.
Aunt Jessie and I started to move –literally- in separate directions. As I completed my course and settled into London, she gave up on her beautiful little house and its bittersweet memories, selling to an Asian couple and heading north to Leith, the home of her beloved late husband's family. She was the very last white resident in Somerset Road to move out. Later, whenever I spoke to her about Southall, she readily admitted that her perspective was clouded by her terrible losses. Otherwise, she would have accepted that her part of the London Borough of Ealing had transitioned into an area of young Asian families, and that as an older, single white woman, it was an inappropriate location for her in terms of lifestyle and culture, and simply moved away. However, she had a tremendous emotional attachment to the house where she and Uncle Alec had raised their children.
Fortunately, my Aunt's story has a happier ending. Jessie loved Edinburgh, and it loved her back. She was an integral part of my family and made a strong network of friends, keeping busy and getting involved in local activities. Hearteningly, she and her daughter Elizabeth put whatever was keeping them apart behind them, and she enjoyed bonding with her grandchildren, visiting them regularly in the South East. She remained very much one of us until she passed away, leaving us all with heavy hearts, but beautiful memories.
As a rule I dislike talking about my family or my close friends. They are precious and special to me, and often the thought of using them as part of my tale seems inherently shabby and cheapening – especially as their stories are invariably far more interesting than my own. Why then, this long, self-disclosing preamble? Well now comes the crux of those reminiscences; as much as I loved London, I was also learning that the widely assumed political and cultural homogeneity of the UK, even in the seventies, was exaggerated and breaking down. Communities like Southall were emerging all over England, but NOT Scotland. These differences, due to black and Asian immigration, and obviously related to imperialism and the emergence of a relatively prosperous and different type of economy in the South East, would only exacerbate.
With the parliament, civil service and media all stuffed into one city, the private investment soon follows, as does more public money on infrastructure and sporting and cultural arenas, in order to show to the world that 'we' are indeed the best. I learned, and it has to be said to my personal gain, that the main premium of this concentration of the 'unitary state subsidy' lies in the local property prices. Thus any other regional 'subsidies' were simply a paltry redistribution of this bigger, on-going subsidy.
But the property obsession gripped me. I knew that I would one day buy and sell houses to make money, and as a teenager had conceived a not so unlikely plan of being able to retire by thirty. This notion enthralled me: you can make money without working. You didn't need to do anything. You simply studied the movement of property prices across those tightly packed London postcodes and bought and sold accordingly. Of course, I needed the sort of start-up capital few 'schemies' could accrue, but theoretically at least, it could be done, and to an extent, it was.
I also learned that this concentration of wealth might, in the short-term, have operated to the relative benefit of London's poor (in relation to the other urban poor in Britain), but was invariably to their overall detriment. London (much more so than Berlin) is now a very hard city to live in without a great deal of money. It owes its much-vaunted social mix solely to Hitler's bombers. If so much council housing hadn't have been built on those gap sites to cater for the post-war boom, thirty years of neo-liberalism would have driven all the working classes and the poor from the inner city, and thus spared much of the 'multiculturalist' bourgeois angst about the schools their offspring should attend.
Like many Scots, I grew up saturated in something I assumed to be 'Britishness', and I loved it. Steptoe and Son, The Likely Lads, Play For Today, they were my cultural staples, and I was personally liberated by the welfare state, specifically the Butler Education Act. This meant that my college fees would be paid in full by the state, and I would also receive a full grant, which amounted to 2/3rds of my dad's wages. Now all that has gone, and I personally would never enter the prison of debt, in order to go to University for a degree that has been rendered pretty meaningless. I would choose to invest any resources I had in other directions; like many bright, eager young kids from poorer backgrounds now do, I'd probably buy a rock of cocaine, cut it and sell it. And repeat. It simply makes more economic sense.
But as post (military) imperial, welfare state Britain declined, what I've also learned, and, like many Scots, am constantly having reinforced, is that a lot of what I believed to be 'Britishness' was really just another term for 'Englishness'. I watched a Jamie Oliver special just before Christmas, when the Chef was having a desert cook-off with the Italian masters. The terms 'English' and 'British' were repeatedly used interchangeably on relatively politically correct 'regions and nations' conscious Channel Four. Of course, it's hardly the fault of Oliver or his buddies that asserting their Englishness puts them in a defacto position of marginalizing and oppressing Scots or Welsh or Northern Irish people. Nor is it Scottish people's culpability for being cast in a recalcitrant and belligerent role if they dare to bring up those continued slights. After all, sticky toffee pudding is an English dish, not a British one, so why not call it so? The accountability for this does not even principally lie with the shifting reality of 'Britishness'; it can be placed squarely on the shoulders of the UK imperialist state.
This English appropriation of Britishness, what Stuart Hall calls 'an assumed Englishness, which always negotiates against difference', is now a powerful hegemonic force, which serves this state. In the past, when that 'Britishness' was formed by imperial and industrial expansion, and the esprit de corps engendered by WW1 and WW2 and the creation of a welfare state, it was largely an inclusive concept. Then, this 'assumed Englishness' was only a minor irritant to Scots. In the context of these islands now being a 'sales territory' in a globalized, monolithic, neo-liberal economic order, it becomes a far more sinister, inherently marginalizing force.
So my main contention; the problem for both Scotland and England is not so much an inherent cultural assumption of the movable feast that is 'Britishness', but this within the context of the UK as a political state, formed on imperialist, hegemonic structures. This state has stopped England from pursuing its main mission, namely to build a inclusive, post-imperial, multi-racial society, by forcing it to engage with the totally irrelevant (from an English perspective) distractions of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. From the viewpoint of the Scots, it has foisted thirty-five years of a destructive neo-liberalism upon us, and prevented us from becoming the European social democracy we are politically inclined to be.
If we rid ourselves of the political imperialist baggage of the UK state, new possibilities emerge. For example, it would become feasible for Ireland, as an established sovereign nation, to see itself as part of a shared geographical and cultural entity. This, in turn, brings potential opportunities for the continued development of the peace process in Northern Ireland. The idea of the political independence of England and Scotland leading to conflict, hatred and distrust is the mindset of opportunistic status-quo fearmongers and gloomy nationalist fantasists stuck in a Bannockburn-Culloden timewarp, and deeply insulting to the people of both countries. Swedes, Norwegians and Danes remain on amicable terms; they trade, co-operate and visit each other socially any time they like. They don't need a pompous, blustering state called Scandinavia, informing them from Stockholm how wonderful they all are, but (kind of) only really meaning Sweden.
Poisonous resentments may surface most readily in the embittered personality, but it's more fruitful to look at perceived injustices rather than individual pathology, in order to find their roots. Most Scots who go to England, and most English people who come to Scotland, stay because they like it. They contribute to each country. Yes, some Scots might get wound up by arrogant and pompous types who've made a killing on the housing market and revel in playing the big white chiefs in their new surroundings, just as many English folks might get tired of the aggressive, scrounging jakey's, and the carpet-bagging politicians drip-fed by our sludgy Labour Party bureaucracy into the Westminster system. But only a bigoted arsehole, or someone with a self-serving agenda, would seek to infer that either Scottish and English people are inherently more racist than either each other, or the rest of the world, by seizing on isolated incidents. It would be good, though I'm being very optimistic, to hope that we could dispense with all this shite in the run-up to the 2014 referendum, and consider the real issues.
As an imperialist, class-based state, the UK is poorly equipped to meet the divergent needs of its constituent nations in this rapidly transmuting world. Scotland and England both deserve better, as do Wales and Northern Ireland. Whether the change to facilitate this comes from the 2014 Scottish referendum or not might be important to Scots, but is almost irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. The point is that it will happen. The Union Jack is the increasingly shrinking fig leaf that strives to cover the growth of an English nationalism and consciousness, which is visible in almost every aspect of life in these islands over the last thirty years. And that, in a post-imperial world, is how it should be, and probably how it has to be. The problem that the Scots, Welsh and Northern Irish have to face, is that they have no place at this party, and neither should they: it just isn't a great deal to do with them.
Getting rid of it won't instantly redress the massive inequities that have shamefully been allowed to heap up since I spent time in Southall in the 70's, but it will allow the constituent countries the opportunities to put their divergent houses in order. And I believe it will permit an inclusive, respectful sense of true British identity to emerge, based on shared cultural values, rather than disparate political ideals flimsily held together around the shabby worship of an exploitative hierarchy. Better together? Yes, certainly, but better independent and free together.
(c) IRVINE WELSH, 2013
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text:
After catching wind of The Lower Polk Art Walk (San Francisco), I thought what neat little concept. I could check out some new galleries and hangout with my lady outside the Mission. Turns out there were some legit shows, most notably: 941 Geary with new works by Hush, Shooting Gallery with works by "Calamity", and The Popular Workshop featuring work from architect/designer/artist Luis Urculo.
I talked to Nate Hooper from The Popular Workshop, he told me that this is the second Lower Polk Art Walk and it's attracting a bunch of new folks that haven't heard of their new gallery. I hope this new art walk initiative gains some traction, the area has some cool galleries and deserves more attention. -Scott Cooper
Geisha-like graffiti ladies were towering over people at 941 Geary.
Scandinavian shopping @ The Popular Workshop
@ The Popular Workshop
Chad Hasegawa's bears behind a water buffalo @The Shooting Gallery


text:
In the late 1960s, Chicago-born actor/playwright George Furth wrote a series of one-acts about modern relationships in which he wanted a single actress to play all of the female leads. Furth showed the scripts to Stephen Sondheim, who conferred with producer Harold Prince, and it was decided that the shorts would work well as a musical about five married couples living in New York as seen through the eyes of their mutual friend, a bachelor in his mid-30s. The musical, Company, played out in a series of vignettes and proved to be a critical success, winning several awards. Off the Wall Theatre brings the hit musical to Milwaukee this month as it opens its 2009-2010 season.
Tonight @ Off the Wall Theatre, 7:30 p.m.


text:
So, Kevin Colbert, you're telling me there's a chance?
The Pittsburgh Steelers general manager spoke to local scribes Wednesday and suggested his team potentially might keep both outside linebackers LaMarr Woodley and Jason Worilds.
However, Colbert said Woodley's injuries over the past three seasons -- missing 14 games -- are a "concern" as "it would be for any player," according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette.
We discussed at length on the "Around The League Podcast" the difficult position the Steelers find themselves in trying to keep free agent Worilds -- their best linebacker down the stretch in 2013 -- and the higher-priced Woodley.
Gregg Rosenthal, in the Steelers' offseason forecast, suggested Worilds might be too expensive on the open market.
Cutting Woodley would leave the Steelers with more than $14 million in dead money, a tough pill to swallow for a team already projected to be more than $10 million over the cap. Colbert was mum on whether the outside linebacker's injury issues were enough to consider cutting him, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
However, Colbert's optimism that he can keep Worilds in the fold while dealing with Woodley's contract is a positive sign for a Steelers defense in desperate need of aid.
Here are a few other quick points from Colbert:
- He called the team's second consecutive 8-8 season "disappointing" but also said things were more "encouraging" after their play late in the season.
- Colbert said Troy Polamalu is a "perfect example of someone who changed his (training) regimen with positive results" in 2013, per Bouchette. That doesn't sound like a man ready to jettison an iconic player.
- The GM said he wanted more depth in his defensive backfield, but that would change depending on "who leaves or who stays." In other words, changes will be made (i.e. Ryan Clark).
- Finally, for any Steelers fans still worrying about Ben Roethlisberger's future: "Hopefully he stays healthy and we get the maximum number of years out of him. We have to make the most of those years we have left with our franchise quarterback," Colbert said.
On the latest edition of the "Around The League Podcast," the guys talk Michael Sam, potential big-name cap casualties, and offseason forecasts for the Steelers and Jaguars.


text:
Shane Doan deserves better ending to free agency
C'mon, LA, keep your grubby mitts away, won't you? Isn't pilfering one athletically gifted, civic-minded Canadian away from Phoenix enough already?
On the heels of Steve Nash's departure to Los Angeles comes word that nearly a dozen suitors are courting Shane Doan, including the Kings, according to several reports, should the Coyotes captain choose to leave the Valley.
That isn't the lament of a homer sportswriter. It is the reaction of a journalist who has spent several decades covering the games people play and knows how unique Doan is. Rarely does an athlete come along who spends his entire career with one organization and in the process serves as leader, scorer, mentor, promoter.
Yet his 16-year stay in Arizona is at risk of ending because of an ownership mess that appears to be growing more complicated by the minute. And it's not just the Kings who appear to have interest in Doan. Eleven teams have inquired about the player, his agent, Terry Bross, said Friday. New York, Detroit and Montreal are among the group, according to various reports.
Doan deserves better.