text:
Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
McALLEN, Texas (AP) - Carnival Cruise Lines knew about the risk of leaks from engine fuel hoses and recommended taking precautions on the ill-fated Carnival Triumph that later caught on fire at sea, according to court documents.
A compliance notice report sent to the Triumph one month before it departed Galveston on Feb. 7 for what was planned as a four-day cruise recommended spray shields be installed on engines' flexible fuel hoses, according to the documents filed Tuesday by Carnival Cruise Lines in federal court in Miami.
A leak from a hose on engine No. 6 led to a fire early on Feb. 10 as the ship returned from a stop in Cozumel, Mexico. No one was injured, but the fire disabled the ship. More than 4,000 people aboard endured a nightmarish tow to Mobile, Ala., that the plaintiffs' attorney called a "floating hell."
The documents, first reported by CNN, are part of a lawsuit that was filed in February against Carnival Cruise Lines and its parent Carnival Corporation on behalf of dozens of the Triumph's passengers.
Frank Spagnoletti, a Houston attorney who represents some of the passengers, said Tuesday that Carnival was negligent in maintaining the ship and allowed it to sail knowing there was a fire risk.
In a response filed Tuesday in Miami, Carnival said the ship's engines passed inspection before departure and its own recommendation to install spray shields on flexible fuel lines was beyond any required safety measures.
Carnival issued a statement calling the lawsuit frivolous and noting that the U.S. Coast Guard inspected and cleared the ship before its departure.
"The accident in this situation was just that - an accident," Carnival said in the statement emailed to The Associated Press on Wednesday. "To claim otherwise is simply unfounded and inconsistent with the facts."
It was the recognition of the problem _ with a two month repair deadline _ along with the decision to let the Triumph sail before it was corrected that galled Spagnoletti.
"You've got 4,000 souls on that ship. You know that there's a propensity for fire if these fuel hoses break and yet you give them two months to fix it?" he said.
In a Nov. 22 deposition, ship captain Angelo Los said he was first notified by Carnival about problems with fuel leaks from flexible hoses in January. During the deposition, Spagnoletti showed Los the compliance notice report dated Jan. 2 that cited nine fuel leaks on Carnival Corporation's ships during a two-year period.
The compliance notice report said Carnival together with the engine manufacturer was investigating the problem and that installing spray shields would be an effective safety barrier. It described an incident on another ship outfitted with the spray shields that avoided a similar fire.
The company gave the ship until Feb. 28 to come into compliance.
Los said in November that he believed Carnival had known about the problem since March 2012. The spray guards were partially installed on Triumph, but not on engine No. 6, Los said. The hose that leaked was less than six months old.
"The spray shields for the flexible fuel hoses were an additional Carnival Corporation recommended best practice to avoid fuel fires," the company said in its response Tuesday, and not otherwise required by any regulation or statute.
Carnival Cruise Lines also argued the notice sent to the Triumph was only for fuel lines above the engine room floor plates. The leak occurred on a fuel hose beneath the engine room floor. However, the January notice to Triumph does not specify that or differentiate between hoses above or below the floor.
"The leak in the flexible fuel hose was a completely unexpected accident that took place," the company said. What ignited the fuel is unknown, it said.
Passengers described unsanitary conditions after the fire, as toilets stopped functioning and an unbearable stench drove many to camp out on the decks. The weary travelers finally disembarked in Alabama on Feb. 15.
Spagnoletti echoed many of the passengers in crediting the crew with putting out the fire and making the best of a horrible situation.
"It was unbelievable to me that you would take 4,000 people and put them in a situation of basically Russian roulette," Spagnoletti said. "Basically every time that vessel went out they never knew whether they were going to have a fire or not."
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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subset: commoncrawl


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Skift Take
Buying local art and unique furniture you see in your hotel room is the logical culmination of a trend that began with hotel companies like Starwood marketing their linen and bedding offerings and smaller boutiques selling custom toiletries.
Hotel rooms are no longer just a place to shower, sleep or maybe indulge in a breakfast in bed. They're now also spots to pick up a souvenir — and no, we aren't talking about stealing the towels.
Like that painting over the bed? How about that drawing next to the TV? At hotels around the globe, guests now have the option to purchase the art work in their rooms.
For several years, hotels have invited local artists in to decorate hallways, lobbies and other public spaces. It's a way they can distinguish themselves from the cookie-cutter chains and offer guests a sense of their unique city or town. Now, they are taking that partnership one step further and turning bedrooms into mini-salesrooms.
The recently-opened Omni Dallas hotel features more than 6,500 original pieces of art from 150 local artists in guest rooms and public spaces. The art is one of the reasons the property doesn't feel like every other hotel stayed in on past vacations. It also gives guests the option of taking a bit of Texas culture home with them.
And the Omni Dallas is not the only one.
The Lancaster Arts Hotel, in Pennsylvania, sells art — and even some furniture — found in guest rooms, its own gallery and common spaces, all from local artists and craftsmen.
The Principe Forte Dei Marmi in Tuscany, Italy, actually hosts an artist in residence for several months. Guests meet and interact with the artist and then can custom order a piece of art. The guests can even handpick the materials to be used in sculptures.
Some chain hotels trying to distinguish themselves are getting into the art business.
At the Renaissance Arts Hotel in New Orleans, a Marriott property, don't expect to see price lists in the rooms. But guests who ask the staff can learn how to buy the various pieces of artwork, such as the glass sculptures in the bathroom that go for about $300. Each room features an original picture and the hotel is also able to refer guests to the artist or gallery if they are interested in other works.
Guests at the new Conrad New York can't take home the hotel's signature piece of art, Sol Lewitt's "Loopy Doopy (Blue and Purple)" which fills 13 stories of the lobby. However, each room has a tile representing part of the work. The gift shop sells the same tiles for $95.
Sherry Quinn, of Lisbon, Md., near Baltimore, recently purchased a painting, "Orange Moon over Lemmon Avenue," while attending a security-related convention at the Dallas Omni.
"It was the most unlikely place I would think I would purchase art," Quinn said. But the nighttime scene of the city just called to her. "I just felt like there was something magical about the painting."
Quinn had three days to debate buying the 32-inch by 32-inch painting. When she spoke to the gift shop staff — the hotel has a digital catalog of all its artwork there — she learned that the artist, Kelly Megert, actually worked there part-time. The next morning, she met Megert and spent $350 on the painting.
"I got to talk to her about she came about painting it," Quinn said. "I did love the painting itself, but the fact that it was a local artist kind of clinched the deal for me. It means something to me that an artist is painting about their city."
Ed Netzhammer, managing director of the Dallas Omni, notes that his hotel has "more art than a lot of the galleries and museums around the country."
"It makes it fun and interesting and adds a whole different level of energy to the hotel," Netzhammer said.
Bjorn Hanson, dean of New York University's hospitality school, said any savings hotels see from not having to furnish rooms is lost by the adding liability and staff needed to rotate the art.
The push for local art, he said, is coming from younger guests who don't want to see the same thing in a hotel in New York and San Francisco.
"This age group has a special appreciation for local sensitivity," Hanson said. "That would be things like helping local artists, helping local growers whether that's produce or bakeries or wine producers."
So leave a little extra room in that suitcase this summer — you never know what will be coming home with you from vacation.
Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott.
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As of today, the NYPD has launched "Operation Safe Cycle," which is a cool policey way of saying:
Here's what they'll be going after:
The initiative will target the following hazardous violations that create a danger for pedestrians and bicyclists: failure to stop at a red light, disobey a traffic signal or sign, riding the wrong direction against traffic, riding on the sidewalk, and failure to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. An additional focus will be given to motorists who obstruct bicycle lanes, which creates a hazardous condition for bicyclists.
By the way, if you're wondering what "additional focus" on motorists who obstruct bike lanes means, it's a cool policey way of saying motorists will be encouraged to obstruct bike lanes.
Now, just to put this in its proper context, remember the white flags that appeared on the Brooklyn Bridge awhile back that had everybody thinking we were about to be invaded by ISIS?
Well, a parody Twitter account that clearly states it is a parody count tweeted a tweet that was obviously a parody:
Earlier today we hoisted two white flags to signal our complete surrender of the Brooklyn Bridge bicycle path to pedestrians.
— Bike Lobby (@BicycleLobby) July 22, 2014
Just to explain the joke for you out-of-towners, while the Brooklyn Bridge path ostensibly has a bicycle lane, it is always mobbed by tourists, making passage by bicycle nearly impossible. So now you get it.But you know who didn't get it? The District Attorney. Because guess what?
The Bike Lobby Twitter was subpoenaed!
On Monday, Twitter alerted this account that it had received a subpoena from the office of the District Attorney of the County of New York.
— Bike Lobby (@BicycleLobby) August 8, 2014
Like really subpoenaed:
The subpoena from the District Attorney's office can be read here. http://t.co/U8dc53hqh7
— Bike Lobby (@BicycleLobby) August 8, 2014
This is completely insane, especially considering they won't even subpoena your cellphone records to find out if you were behind the wheel when your car was used in a hit-and-run.As for the flags, after all that it turns out that Dieter from "Sprockets" was behind them:
Mr. Leinkauf added: "From our Berlin background, we were a little surprised that it got the reaction it did. We really didn't intend to embarrass the police."
Yeah, but they did, and everybody knows that when you embarrass the authorities in New York City, the first thing they do is punish someone on a bike.
But back to the matter at hand, which is the crackdown:
Sure it may be misguided, and sure some people will get tickets for stuff that's not even illegal, like cycling in flip-flops, but that doesn't mean you should want to get caught in it. Nevertheless, every time there's one of these crackdowns I watch legions of cyclists roll through red lights right in front of the police. It happens every damn time, usually around places like the Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges, and the riders are usually of the crooked-Bern-helment-and-brand-new-Linus variety--you know, the ones who look like they moved here last week from Oshkosh.
Furthermore, it's fairly easy to avoid getting ensnared, because generally the way the NYPD approaches these crackdowns (whether the crackdown is on cyclists, or jaywalkers, or drivers on cellphones) is that they pick various spots around town where there's lots of congestion and everybody's moving really slowly, and then they just hang out there in a very obvious way and then pick off the idiots one by one. Please note I said "generally," because yes, there are exceptions, and they will occasionally do stuff like leap out of an undercover police car disguised as a taxi and tackle your Oshkoshian ass to the street because you're guilty of some non-offense like cycling while operating a Thermos. Still, for the most part, the crackdown will mostly consist of a cop hanging out at an intersection in plain sight and then pointing at you after you ride through the light right in front of him, so don't be that idiot.
This has been a Bike Snob NYC Pubic Service Announcement.
Meanwhile, in more Fredly news, the dick-breaks-on-Fred-bikes debate rages on:
Apparently, one of the main concerns about introducing road dicks to pro cycling is that they may work their way off and decapitate the riders or something:
Safety is a genuine concern. Disc rotors are sharp, like spinning knives that have been heated in a 500-degree oven. They can easily slice flesh, and will burn on contact after a hard stop ("at least you'll get cut and cauterized at the same time," Brown joked).
Riders are understandably concerned, as it is their flesh that is on the line. For Garmin's Nathan Haas, safety is the only factor that really matters. "Do you know how hot a disc brake gets under braking? If you crashed on one with your face, your face is going to melt," he said. "Keep it out of the sport. It doesn't belong. Just don't do it."
After reading this, I've decided that I want the UCI to allow road dicks immediately--not because I want to see anybody hurt, far from it. No, what I want to see is the entire Tour de France peloton wearing full flame-retardant body suits with full-face helments. That way they'll all look like those Eurotrash twins in Daft Punk as they fly down those Alpine descents.
Furthermore, a wholesale adoption of dick breaks can only mean those old rim job components will get cheaper, which means deep discounts on stuff like high-end hubs with "obsolete" spacing and axle diameters for the rest of us who are mostly content to live in the recent past when it comes to cycling equipment--or who already consider what we have to be dick breaks:
Speaking of retrogrouchy tendencies, last week I mentioned the surprisingly complex process of aligning your saddle, and a reader by the name of Randall sent me what he calls the "Original 1960 "Scranus" Campy Alignment Tool"
Catalog #14. Printed for the year-end trade shows. Included are the Record road and track groups comprising Record cotterless crankset (151mm bolt circle) and Gran Sport bottom bracket, small and large flange Record alloy one-piece hubs, seat post (now all alloy), Gran Sport headset, Record front derailleur, Gran Sport rear derailleur, Gran Sport pedals. Also in the catalog are the Gran Sport Group (includes Record front derailleur), Sport Group, Gran Sport cottered bottom bracket (note that there is no accompanying cottered crankset), Gran Sport track pedal with and without teeth, wood-boxed tool set, the Saddle-Line alignment tool and the Acciaio (steel) small flange hubs.
You never know when your saddle may move out of alignment after a fall, so I always carry two of these babies in my saddle bag.


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Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
A timeline of events related to the Boston Marathon bombing, which killed three people and injured 260 others on April 15, 2013. The suspects are Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who was killed in a shootout with police several days later, and his younger brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is in jail awaiting trial.
March 2011: The Russian FSB intelligence security service gives the FBI information that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who lives in Cambridge, Mass., with his family, was a follower of radical Islam.
June 2011: The FBI closes the investigation after finding nothing to link Tsarnaev to terrorism.
Sept. 12, 2011: The bodies of three men are found in Waltham, Mass., with their throats slit and marijuana sprinkled on them.
Late 2011: U.S. officials add the Tsarnaevs' mother to a federal terrorism database after Russia contacted the CIA with concerns they were religious militants about to travel to Russia. She later says she has no links to terrorism.
January 2012: Tamerlan Tsarnaev arrives in Russia, where he spends time in two predominantly Muslim provinces, Dagestan and Chechnya.
July 2012: Officials in Dagestan say Tsarnaev applies for a new passport but never picks it up. Russian officials say they have him under surveillance but lose track of him after the death of a Canadian man who had joined an Islamic insurgency in the region.
July 17, 2012: Tsarnaev returns to the U.S.
November 2012: The Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center in Cambridge says Tsarnaev has an outburst that interrupts a sermon about it being acceptable for Muslims to celebrate American holidays.
January 2013: The Islamic Society says Tsarnaev has a second outburst after a sermon that includes praise for civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
April 15, 2013: Bombs go off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring more than 260 others.
April 16, 2013: Federal agents say they know the bombs were made from pressure cookers packed with explosives, nails and other shrapnel, but they still don't know who detonated them or why.
April 17, 2013: President Barack Obama signs an emergency declaration for Massachusetts and orders federal aid to supplement the local response to the bombings.
April 18, 2013: Investigators release photographs and video of two suspects and ask for the public's help in identifying them. Later that night, Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer Sean Collier is shot to death in his cruiser, allegedly by Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Prosecutors say they steal an SUV at gunpoint from a Cambridge gas station. The driver is held for about a half hour, then released unharmed.
April 19, 2013: The Tsarnaevs have an early morning gun battle with authorities who have tracked them to Watertown. Tamerlan, who is also run over by his younger brother, dies. Dzhokhar escapes, and at around 6 a.m., authorities tell residents of Boston and surrounding communities to stay indoors. All mass transit is shut down. That order is lifted at around 6:30 p.m., just before authorities trace Dzhokhar to a Watertown backyard, where he is found hiding in a boat and taken into custody.
April 22, 2013: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was injured in the shootout, is charged in his hospital room with using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction.
April 30, 2013: Two friends of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are charged with attempting to destroy evidence by disposing of a backpack and laptop computer taken from his room after they found he was a suspect in the bombing. Another is charged with lying to investigators.
May 9, 2013: Tamerlan Tsarnaev is buried in an undisclosed location after a weeklong search for a cemetery willing to take the body.
May 22, 2013: An FBI agent in Orlando, Fla., fatally shoots Ibragim Todashev, a friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev's, after he lunges at law enforcement officials questioning him about the Waltham killings. Officials say that before he died, he had agreed to give a statement about his involvement.
July 10, 2013: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev pleads not guilty to 30 federal charges.
July 23, 2013: Marc Fucarile is the last survivor of the bombings to leave the hospital.
Jan. 30, 2014: Prosecutors announce they will seek the death penalty against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
April 15, 2014: Ceremonies and events will mark the anniversary of the attacks.
April 21, 2014: The 2014 Boston Marathon will feature a field of 36,000 runners, 9,000 more than 2013. It will be the second-biggest field in the race's history.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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- Cain
- The elder son of Adam and Eve. Cain offered fruits of the earth (he was a farmer) to the Lord, but they were rejected; whereas his brother Abel offered meat, which was accepted (Gen. 4). How the verdict was signalled is not described, or why. Possibly the author has in mind a preference for a nomadic to a settled way of life. In Cain's subsequent murder of Abel some commentators have discerned a hint of an ancient belief that a human sacrifice enhanced the fertility of the soil. Heb. 11:4 suggests that Abel was favoured because of his superior goodness and faith.
Dictionary of the Bible.


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The Fine Jewelry Shop Online Sample Sale @ Gilt
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One of the nation's top military leaders challenged Princeton University's graduating seniors May 31 to enter a life of public service, exhorting them to continue what is a proud university tradition and promising them that such a path is a meaningful way to live.
"Be bold and fearless in channeling your energy into the undaunted pursuit of worthwhile work," said U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, a Princeton alumnus and commander of the U.S. Central Command, speaking at this year's Baccalaureate ceremony. The event, an interfaith worship service, is one of Princeton's oldest traditions.
Before outlining his case for lives devoted to civic benefit, however, Petraeus warmed the crowd with some lighthearted remarks. From his high perch in the University Chapel pulpit, the former paratrooper wondered about his exit following his address, saying, "I'm glad I'm parachute-qualified."
Turning his attention to the students, Petraeus stressed that the problems that beset local, national and international communities call for public servants who are the best and brightest of their generation. "Princeton has uniquely prepared you for such service," Petraeus said. Doing such work, he noted, will "provide you with work worth doing, with unique opportunities for camaraderie and with considerable scope to develop your leadership potential."
Public service is a longstanding Princeton tradition, Petraeus said, citing some of its most celebrated practitioners, including Woodrow Wilson, the former U.S. and University president who graduated from Princeton in 1879, and First Lady Michelle Obama, who graduated from Princeton in 1985. Petraeus stressed the University's informal motto of "Princeton in the nation's service and in the service of all nations."
He related how he had struggled with the complexities of his courses, particularly a microeconomics course, as a graduate student at Princeton, where he would eventually earn his master's in public affairs and a Ph.D. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 1985 and 1987, respectively. Yet those lessons guided him well during his tours in Iraq when he and his fellow officers realized that nation building, including conveying the democratic principles of a free market, was going to be as important as military prowess in stabilizing the country.
"Your education here has emphasized broad knowledge, critical thinking and the ability to communicate your thoughts coherently," Petraeus told the students, his voice reverberating through the vaulted spaces of the University Chapel. "And the quality and character of such a background are particularly well suited to public service, where the problems are complex and the resources thin. You may be surprised at how the knowledge and skills you have acquired here at Princeton -- whether in the social sciences, the natural sciences or the humanities -- will serve you as you serve others."
Petraeus spent 19 months as the top U.S. commander in Iraq before assuming his current duty in October 2008 as leader of the U.S. Central Command, which oversees American forces in East Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Previously, he was the first commander of the Multinational Security Transition Command in Iraq and the NATO Training Mission in Iraq. Prior to those assignments, he was the commanding general of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in Iraq.
Petraeus commended the graduating students in Princeton's ROTC program, but he also reminded the class that public service can be accomplished through many different kinds of careers and in many different places.
"While the challenges are different, our own neighborhoods and communities also require creative solutions," he said. "Indeed, you can be a servant of the greater good with a private sector career, as well."
He emphasized the importance of academic research and teaching, mentioning, in particular, his adviser and longtime mentor, Richard Ullman, the David K.E. Bruce Professor Emeritus of International Affairs. And he praised the record of Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman, thanking her for her "magnificent leadership." "You have navigated the always tricky waters that swirl around institutions of higher learning with great skill and a deft, steady hand," he said.
In her introduction of Petraeus, Tilghman extolled his accomplishments, noting that he has been described by many as a "genuine American hero." While stressing that much remains to be accomplished in Iraq, she paid tribute to his leadership in rethinking American military strategy through his principles of counterinsurgency, which are, she said, eliminating "simplistic definitions of victory and defeat in favor of incremental and nuanced progress."
Senior Bryan Berry, a molecular biology major who hopes to attend medical school, found Petraeus' remarks fitting.
"Public service is really emphasized here at Princeton and it makes sense to address the students here and call them to service," he said. "These really are the leaders of the future." The address reinforced his decision to choose a helping profession, Berry said.
Seniors Lauren Whitehead and Dylan Alban, both majors in Spanish and Portuguese languages and cultures, also agreed with Petraeus' call to action.
"He was inspirational," said Alban, who will be traveling to Indonesia as part of Princeton-in-Asia, an internship program. "It was the right message."
"His words were certainly very apt," agreed Whitehead, who will also participate in the Princeton-in-Asia program, traveling to Thailand next year. "We are so interested in public service and understand its vital role."
The Baccalaureate service was webcast live and will be available for later viewing. End-of-the-year activities will continue with Class Day on Monday, June 1, and Commencement on Tuesday, June 2.


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Aaron, Isaac
Ref: SLAaron
Status: Located
Scholemoor (Orthodox) Jewish Cemetery, Yorkshire, 1. England, UK
Notes: Extract from JTrails with the kind permission of, and copyright to Marcus Roberts and Nigel Grizzard: The Orthodox section of the cemetery lies at the bottom of the hill next to the main entrance of the cemetery. While it is larger than the Reform section it is more modest over all, with the tombstones and memorials largely conforming to the more modest memorial requirements of orthodoxy, though some of the older memorials while modest in size are notable for their ornamentation. There is a small modern brick ohel at the entrance to the site. The tombstones commemorate the local Bradford families, and like many Jewish cemeteries suggest other avenues of research in Bradford Jewish history. One of the most extensive Jewish families of Bradford were the Maisels family, who were a very extensive clan by head-stone count and indeed, the tombstone of Abraham Maisels (d. 1944) notes that he was a founder and President of the Orthodox congregation. Some of the tombstones note family lost in the Holocaust, and the recent tombstone of Abram Aronovsky, notes the particular connection of Bradford with the victims and survivors of the Kaunas (Kovno) Ghetto. Another memorial, to Ben Kline (d.1918) notes his membership of the Bradford Lodge (No. 68?) of the Grand Order of Israel and carries the emblem of the lodge at the head of the stone -- another reminder of the importance of the masons to Victorian and Edwardian Jews and a significant tombstone in illustrating this facet of Jewish history. It is recorded that leading Bradford Jews were buried with Masonic rites. For more information see: Here Status: Headstone photos - COMPLETE


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Security Officer Retail Center
Position Type Part Time
Shift Type Evening
Work Days Available Monday,Sunday
Allied Universal is currently seeking Part Time Security Officers to help oversee operations at a Retail Center in Plattsburgh NY
Starting Wage: $14.00 Per Hour
Ideal candidate should possess the following:
Valid Drivers License
As a Retail Security Officer for Allied Universal, you will be Responsible for the Security and Safety of our client's property and personnel. As the Allied Universal Retail Security Officer, you will know all site-specific policies and procedures, and implement emergency response activities as appropriate, while providing superior customer service.
- Be at least 18 years of age with high school diploma or equivalent for non-driving and 21 years of age for driving positions
- Possess effective written and oral communication and interpersonal skills with ability to deal with all levels of personnel and the general public in a professional and effective manner
- Valid guard card/license, as required in the state for which you are applying.
- As a condition of employment, employee must successfully complete a background investigation and a drug screen in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws
- For Driving Positions must be 21 years of age, Current state driver's license, clean driving record (no points in prior 3 years), minimum level of insurance as required by Company policy, and ability to safely operate a vehicle required.
- Display exceptional customer service and communication skills
- Have intermediate computer skills to operate innovative, wireless technology at client specific sites
- Ability to handle crisis situations at the client site, calmly and efficiently
- May require a valid driver's license (without restrictions or medical conditions)
- Able to:
- Work in various environments such as cold weather, rain/snow or heat
- Occasionally lift or carry up to 40 pounds
- Climb stairs, ramps, or ladders occasionally during shift
- Stand or walk on various surfaces for long periods of time
Allied Universal provides unparalleled service, systems and solutions to the people and business of our communities, and is North America's leading security services provider. With over 250,000 employees, Allied Universal delivers high-quality, tailored solutions, which allows clients to focus on their core business. For more information: www.AUS.com.
We proudly support the Veteran Jobs Mission, a group of over 200 companies that have committed to collectively hiring a total of one million military veterans. EOE/Minorities/Females/Vet/Disability Allied Universal Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to hiring a diverse workforce.


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Jody has a very generous giveaway for our readers today! YAY!
How can you enter to win?
leave a separate comment for each and if you're a no-reply blogger leave your email address
1. Stop by the shop and let us know your favorite item.
2. "like" Fabric Shoppe on facebook
3. follow Jody on pinterest
4. follow Jody on twitter


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In the back room of Muth's Candies in Louisville, Ky., Jonathon Skaggs and Bobby Masterson are busy dipping marshmallows into a copper pot.
The pot is filled with a top-secret hot caramel mixture. Skaggs and Masterson tap the excess golden caramel off each candy before placing it on a board to cool.
Masterson says it's a rhythm repeated hundreds of times each day.
"They're good ... they're a big-time seller in here in Kentucky, especially right here in Louisville," Masterson says. "There's a lot of people that come and get 'em."
The soft, sticky candy was created by Anton Busath, a French confectioner who immigrated to Louisville. The candy maker spent years perfecting his "caramel biscuit."
He gave his chewy creation an evocative name: the Modjeska.
Busath was enamored with Polish actress Helena Modjeska, who performed in theaters near his downtown Louisville shop in the 1880s. The Shakespearean actress was hugely popular in the United States.
Busath's candy "was a way of encouraging — consuming — your actress," says Beth Holmgren, a Duke University professor who's published a biography of Helena Modjeska.
Modjeska — like the sweet that bears her name — still has a dedicated following today.
"There are lots of things named after her, [but] the candy is the only thing that's still sold," Holmgren says.
"It is a heavenly piece of candy," says Rose Ann Stacy. Her family has run Muth's Candies, on Louisville's East Market Street, since 1921.
Other stores in the region make their own version of the Modjeska, but Muth's lays claim to the original recipe. After Busath's store was destroyed by fire in 1947, his son gave the recipe to Muth's.
The East Market Street neighborhood fell on hard times in the 1960s and 70s, when large numbers of city dwellers and business owners moved to the suburbs. But the area has been making a comeback in recent years, and art galleries, restaurants and antique shops have opened.
It even has a new nickname, "NuLu," short for New Louisville.
With some help from the Modjeska, Muth's has withstood the neighborhood's many changes. The candy remains the shop's most popular treat — thousands of pounds of Modjeskas go out the shop's doors each year.
Guests in some Louisville hotels even find a complimentary Modjeska on their pillows.
And Stacy is always happy to unwrap a free sample for visitors who stop by the shop. She loves watching people melt the first time they try the buttery caramel.
"If anybody has ever lived in Louisville ... they call and get them," Stacy says. "Because they have ... to have their Modjeska fix."
Just such a Modjeska craving brought Amy Harty into the store recently. She's a Louisville native who now lives in New England.
"They have a very special flavor, nothing of which I've ever had before," Harty says. "And people say the same thing in Boston. They're just like, 'Wow, these are so good!'"
Copyright 2020 Louisville Public Media. To see more, visit Louisville Public Media.


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(As always, if you recognize a cake that's not credited please let me know.)
Here's another mostly fondant-free beauty:
Proof that you really can get buttercream that smooth! Oh, and those pink ruffles are fantastic. (Hey bakers, which tip do you use for those? Just a simple flat one?)
I pretty much love everything there is to love about this next one:
And this one:
And lastly, I thought this was a clever way to hide columns, in addition to being adorable:
Ah, you just can't go wrong with buttons and bows. :)


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Dickie Blanks and Mary Eleanor Davis in front of Cradock High School 1945 |
The local paper was proud of the number of Virginia boys playing for Davidson College. Dickie is #20 on the back row. I suspect Momma is the one who circled his head. |
And Momma continued her cheering efforts at Shenandoah College.


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I would definitely say that tangy citrus fruits have been the dominant ingredient in my kitchen the past few weeks. I've been hit by a surge of ideas and needed to realize them, at best all at once. I get impatient – when inspiration hits me I get all fidgety and need to work on the ideas as soon as possible.
It started with a bag of juicy, sweet blood oranges. After they disappeared within a wink of the eye, I went back and bought two further bags. I used some for the blood orange mascarpone cream, which was great but then ideas began pouring out of me and I was soon making blood orange savory and sweet recipes. Salads, stews, gelato and mousse all got a doze of blood oranges.
My OCD with citrus fruit continued when I saw gorgeous kumquats at the store this week and trust me I went back three times to replenish my desire for them.
My favorite way to enjoy kumquats? Why preserving them of course! So that I can indulge in them throughout the year. I tried something different with them this time, which worked out incredibly well – but I'll tell you about that recipe next week.
Today I am sharing one of my guilty pleasures in life – after chocolate and everything chocolate that is. I adore candied fruit – not always the kinds you can buy in stores – more the kind made at home. Sticky, sweet and gorgeously luscious, candied citrus fruit being my absolute favorite. It's the pairing of the zesty and tangy fruit playing off against the sweet syrup that does it for me. I also like adding a supplementary flavor to boost the aromas in my candied fruit. Spices and herbs bring a great additional essence and takes simple candied fruit to a whole different level.
Kumquats are truly perfect for candying – they have a unique flavor and can be paired with sweet and savory dishes quite easily. Kumquats are eaten whole skin and all – their wonderful complex flavor comes from the tart flesh and thick, sweet peel. You'll notice a fresh and very citrusy scent followed by a slightly pungent almost bitter taste with an oily undertone and an after-taste that is reminiscent of apricots. With this bomb full of aromas it great for fruit jams, marmalades and candying. I added a sprinkling of thyme, which blends and enhances the flavors so perfectly.
Candied Thyme Kumquats
Printable version of recipe here
120ml water
100g fine granulated sugar
2-3 springs thyme
250-300g fresh kumquats, sliced (see note below)Method
- Bring water and sugar to a boil in a heavy medium sized saucepan.
- Add the kumquat slices, reduce heat to a simmer and gently cook the fruit for 20-30 minutes until they are soft and the syrup is thick.
- Add the sprigs of thyme and allow to steep for a few minutes, then remove from heat.
- Allow for the fruit to cool then fill the fruit and herbs, adding some of the syrup, into a sterilized jar.
Notes: My advice would be to give the kumquats a quick blanch in some boiling water, then discard the water. If they have been heavily treated you will be able to get rid of the chemicals. This does not effect the taste in anyway.
Food Guide
Have a browse through my Food Guide section on the sidebar. You'll find several brilliant tips, tricks, know-hows and food facts.
You'll find exciting tips for making perfect macarons, luscious éclairs or how to make your own homemade quark.
Want to know how to store and select apricots or the what to pay attention when buying oranges or what butter oil is? The Food Guide will reveal all!
My snacking tip: some delicious simple home baked shortcrust cookies with a few dollops of the candied kumquats, put your feet up and enjoy the break of Spring!
My dessert tip: Bourbon vanilla ice-cream (homemade of course) with a spoonful of the candied kumquats and syrup. Scrumptious!
My breakfast tip: French toast and a nice slathering of the candied kumquats and a drizzle of the syrup. Exquisite!
I'll also be sharing a lovely dessert with you next weekend and show you another delectable way to use these candied thyme kumquats – so maybe you'd like to make these ahead of time ;o)
Have a great weekend
You might like these fruity spreads from WFLH:
Lemon Curd | Apricot Chutney | Spicy Raspberry Jam |
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2010 Meeta Khurana unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First


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The Obama-Boehner meeting Sunday was the first between just the two leaders since Election Day. They agreed not to release details of their weekend conversation, but aides emphasized that the lines of communication remain open.
Seeking to rally popular support for his position, Obama was heading to Michigan on Monday to speak to auto workers at a plant outside Detroit. It's the latest in a string of campaign-style appearances Obama has held in recent weeks echoing a theme he stressed repeatedly during his campaign: that the richest Americans should pay more to help reduce the deficit.
At the same time, GOP mavericks are putting increased pressure on their party's leaders to rethink how they approach negotiations with Obama in the wake of a bruising national election that left Democrats in charge of the White House and Senate.
"There is a growing group of folks looking at this and realizing that we don't have a lot of cards as it relates to the tax issue before year end," Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., told "Fox News Sunday."
If Republicans agree to Obama's plan to increase rates on the top 2 percent of Americans, Corker added, "the focus then shifts to entitlements, and maybe it puts us in a place where we actually can do something that really saves the nation."
Conservative stalwart Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma had already floated a similar idea, and Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., has said Obama and Boehner could at least agree not to raise tax rates on the majority of Americans and negotiate the rates of top earners later.
"It's not waving a white flag to recognize political reality," Cole said on CNN's "State of the Union."
But such ideas face an uphill battle. Many House Republicans say they wouldn't vote for tax rate hikes under any circumstances. And GOP leadership could lose leverage in the negotiations if it raises the rate on upper-income
earners without getting anything substantial in return like entitlement reform.Democratic leaders have suggested they are unwilling to tackle entitlement spending in the three weeks left before the fiscal cliff is triggered.
"I just don't think we can do it in a matter of days here before the end of the year," Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said of Medicare reform specifically, in an interview Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."
"We need to address that in a thoughtful way through the committee structure after the first of the year," Durbin added.
The "fiscal cliff" refers to rate increases that would affect every worker who pays federal taxes, as well as spending cuts that would begin to bite defense and domestic programs alike. Economists say the combination carries the risk of a new recession, at a time the economy is still struggling to recover fully from the worst slowdown in decades.
Obama's plan would raise $1.6 trillion in revenue over 10 years, partly by letting decade-old tax cuts on the country's highest earners expire at the end of the year. He would continue those Bush-era tax cuts for everyone except individuals earning more than $200,000 and couples making more than $250,000. The highest rates on top-paid Americans would rise from 33 percent and 35 percent to 36 percent and 39.6 percent, respectively.
Boehner has offered $800 billion in new revenues to be raised by reducing or eliminating unspecified tax breaks on upper-income earners. The Republican plan also would cut spending by $1.4 trillion, including by trimming annual increases in Social Security payments and raising the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67.
___Associated Press writer Julie Pace contributed to this report.


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You're Invited To Jazz Salon At Gallery RIVAA Sunday June 3 - Presenting Night Bus People Jazz Quartet Blending Sounds Of Bebop, Gypsy, Jazz, Country & Bluegrass
You're invited to the Jazz Salon at Gallery RIVAA, 6 PM Sunday June 3.
Roosevelt Island's Susheel Kurien,Jazz Guitarist in Perpetual Learning, reports
JAZZ SALON RIVAA PRESENTS NEW VOICES, NEW SOUNDS:Night Bus People is led by drummer and Roosevelt Island resident Nate Wong who shares this video of the band performing
Night Bus People is a new New York City based Jazz Quartet that blends the sounds of bebop, gypsy jazz, country and bluegrass in a unique, soulful and virtuosic package.
Mandolinist and singer Jacob Jolliff currently tours with Yonder Mountain String Band and has performed with String Cheese Incident, Widespread Panic and the David Grissman Quartet. Jolliff won the National Mandolin Championship in 2012.
Saxophonist Clay Lyons is an alumni of The Berklee Global Jazz Institute. Lyons recorded on Darren Barrett's album the Opener, and has performed with The Rodney Green Quartet, Hillel Salem as well as many others in the NYC jazz scene and beyond.
Bassist Myles Sloniker has established himself as a prominent young voice even among New York's fractured musical cliques and has performed with a long list of eclectic musical luminaries including Ron Miles, Jeff Coffin, David Amran among others.
Drummer Nate Wong is a Roosevelt Island resident and a native of Hong Kong who attended Berklee College of Music and has toured extensively around the World since performing at the Tokyo Jazz Fest, Mexico City Jazz Fest, HK Intl Jazz Fest as well as arenas such as Wembley Arena, Margaret Court Arena to name a few.
Night Bus People Live at RIVAA Gallery
Sunday, June 3rd. 6pm
RIVAA Gallery
527 Main St, New York, NY 10044
(212) 308-6630
Curated by Susheel Kurien
Litlle Willie Leaps.
So, stop by Gallery RIVAA tomorrow night starting at 6 PM to enjoy the concert.


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I will never forget the garden on this bungalow...the owner had it set out so beautifully. They needed to relocate for a job down in the west country, and it was a pleasure to deal with them all the way through. They even had a file of EVERY single boiler service, guarantee, any work done on the property and it was all left out for us to show people on viewings. The perfect sellers!!
100% of the asking price achieved, meaning an extra £19,800 in the owner's pocket compared a UK average of just 96.7%
Sold Price: £600,000
Number of offers: 2
Property type: A three bedroom link detached bungalow
Address: Preston Paddock, Rustington, BN16 2AA
Owners reaction: Very happy and excited for their next chapter ahead.
How do Cooper Adams beat other agents and achieve the best results for their clients?
We have systems and processes to out market competing properties which results in faster sales with higher selling prices compared to the competition.
40 steps to get your property SOLD...
1. Signing our agreement will trigger the start of our service.
2. Pricing: we will look at competing properties sold and unsold, how yours compares and discuss this with you to make sure you are reassured on pricing. Pricing is a science for us. (Many agents using higher pricing to get an instruction, with no evidence to back up their opinion). We will look at how your property pricing fits in with portal brackets for maximum impact according to how buyers search. We know that pitching the price slightly too high can end up with a lower selling price taking much longer to achieve.
3. One of our professionally trained photographers (no extra charge) will be booked to take photos at the best time of the day, helping dress rooms, moving items of furniture if necessary and often taking lifestyle photos.
4. We will also take specialised elevated photographs (no extra charge) showing off more of your property and its surroundings.
5. We will prepare a full free floor plan of your home with full room measurements.
6. We measure your garden; it surprises us why other agents don't.
7. We will prepare a full and comprehensive list of all the benefits of your home.
8. If leasehold we find out the length of lease, ground rent and annual maintenance. If on a private estate, we find out the estate fees.
9. We will check the Energy Performance Certificate is valid or arrange a new one with you.
10. Any immediate maintenance issues that may hinder a sale, we can discuss before launching to market. We have our own recommended tradesmen who offer a quality, good value service and we can organise this for you.
11. We find out as much information as we can about the property to answer any questions from buyers, instantly cutting delays.
12. We will prepare an engaging write-up of your property with headline grabbing text to maximise click through rates on online advertising. More clicks = more viewings = more offers = choice of offers = better selling price.
13. We will prepare a large-format, magazine-style brochure on your property.
14. You will need to be 100% satisfied with all our sales brochures before we commence any marketing, if not we redo them until you are.
15. We will prepare all types of advertising for your home including digital and print. All our properties are still advertised in print (around 140,000 prints monthly) – you would be surprised how many people still flick through the local newspapers.
16. We will cross-match appropriate buyers to view your home from our extensive database and contact them about your home by telephone, email and text.
17. We will letterbox drop to local residents to try and find a local buyer or a relative or friend they may know wanting this area.
18. We will upload the property to the UK's top property website, Rightmove and the fastest-growing UK property website, OnTheMarket.com as well as our own website cooper-adams.com. Here, our biggest web traffic comes from London buyers.
19. If required, we will get keys cut that will be securely registered and coded.
20. We will secure full-page or half-page editorials in the local newspaper.
21. Our other branches will have your property at their offices and will also be working on your behalf.
22. A signboard will be erected at the front of the property if requested, for maximum exposure.
23. We will pay a specialist Facebook ad company to promote your property on social media in a targeted approach.
24. The office team visit will be booked to familiarise themselves with your property.
25. We will discuss with you whether we recommend one-off viewings at times to suit the viewer or an Open House approach (lots of buyers at a time to create a buzz) or a mixture of both.
26. You will be notified of all viewings, every single one of which we will accompany.
27. You will hear from us the day after the viewing with comprehensive feedback.
28. We will provide you with full, written notification of any offers.
29. Once we have an offer, we will check the buyer's position extremely thoroughly, including asking for written proof of their own finances and checking their related sale, as well as any chain behind them, is proceeding. We will negotiate any offer to the full as if it were our own property. Shaun Adams, the company owner, is consulted on every offer to negotiate hard for our seller clients.
30. A sale is not put into solicitors' hands until you are 100% happy and your onward move is set in stone. Until that happens, your buyers will wait for you. All parties will be kept updated at all times (the solicitor can be put on hold).
31. If you do not have a solicitor, we can obtain quotes for you.
32. Once we have achieved a sale, we will execute all paperwork and liaise with solicitors.
33. Any paperwork, forms or questions you get from your solicitor, please bring it in, or we can pop to you to help fill it in, we are used to doing this, so we don't mind at all.
34. We can help you find your next home, for sale or rental, anywhere in the UK. We can setup updates for you, when properties are new to the market.
35. We also offer free advice (if needed) on your onward purchase. Even if the property is through another agent and you would like us to negotiate on your behalf.
36. While the sale is proceeding we will update you weekly as well as chasing your buyer, mortgage brokers, surveyors and the solicitors. This could turn into a daily update on the run-up to the contract .
37. We will help and guide you through the whole process helping with any legal paperwork you receive, booking removals and a list of all that needs to be done, and who to notify when moving.
38. We can organise for the removal company to pack all your items for you, so you don't have to lift a finger.
39. We will guide you on suitable moving dates to allow as much time as possible between of contracts and completion, reducing any stress.
40. On completion day keys are not released to your buyer until the full monies are lodged with your solicitor.
The list is not exhaustive and will be tailor-made to your requirements with certain items added or removed.
Putting all the right things in place means our clients are left with more money in their bank account after the sale completes.
We guarantee we will do everything we can do to get you the highest price for your home.
When you're ready to sell, just contact us.


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Hollywood yielding to China's growing film clout
Coming soon to a theater near you: China's Communist Party.
From demanding changes in plot lines that denigrate the Chinese leadership, to dampening lurid depictions of sex and violence, Beijing is having increasing success in pressuring Hollywood into deleting movie content Beijing finds objectionable.
It's even getting American studios to sanction alternative versions of films specially tailored for Chinese audiences, like "Iron Man 3," which debuts in theaters around the world later this week. The Chinese version features local heartthrob Fan Bingbing — absent from the version showing abroad — and lengthy clips of Chinese scenery that local audiences love.
There's no secret to what's driving Hollywood's China policy, which has burst on the scene with meteor-like intensity in the past year. Already the second-biggest box office in the world, China seems set to surpass the U.S./Canada market by 2020 at the latest. And with traditional movie funding sources drying up, Hollywood studios increasingly see Beijing as a bankrolling destination of choice, with Chinese counterparts ponying up on glitzy co-productions, including "Iron Man 3" and next year's "Transformers 4," and films without a direct China connection as well.
"Movie attendance in the U.S. is down because of global piracy and audience indifference," said Los Angeles-based film historian Leonard Maltin. "So the explosion of the China market is a boon to the industry. I'm sure the studios are not excited about making the China-inspired changes but they're in the business to make a buck and they're finding it hard to resist."
Published reports have pinpointed at least a half dozen recent films where Hollywood has given in on demands from Chinese censors to alter content for political or other reasons, ranging from the James Bond feature "Skyfall" — where unflattering references to the sex trade in the Chinese territory of Macau supposedly landed on the cutting room floor — to "World War Z," starring Brad Pitt, in which the Chinese origin of a plague of apocalyptic zombies was said to have been excised.
And that doesn't take into account ostensible instances of self-censoring, like last year's remake of the 1984 film "Red Dawn," where producers changed the nationality of bloodthirsty soldiers invading the United States from Chinese to North Korean, apparently to cater to their perception of Chinese political sensitivities.
The American film industry is extremely reluctant to discuss the China concessions Hollywood is making, and the industry's main lobbying group, the Motion Picture Association of America, tries to portray the practice in the best possible light.
"The adjustment of some of our films for different world markets is a commercial reality, and we recognize China's right to determine what content enters their country," said MPAA spokesman Howard Gantman in an email. "Overall, our members make films for global audiences and audience's tastes and demands evolve and our members respond to those changes. But we also stand for maximum creative rights for artists."
Taiwanese film critic Tsai Kuo-rong said that artists themselves could help rein in Chinese censorship, by insisting that content not be altered to conform to Chinese political or aesthetic demands.
"You cannot expect regulators to relax restrictions on their own," he said. "But I would hope that artists might be bold enough to press the case for artistic integrity."
Frank Couvares, a professor of history and American Studies at Massachusetts' Amherst College, said that rather than something new, Hollywood's readiness to cater to Chinese demands on content reflects business practices the American film industry has had in place for more than seven decades.
"If back in the 1930s or '40s the French objected to portraying the Foreign Legion as being overly harsh on Africans, or the British were unhappy that they were being shown as too colonialistic, then Hollywood would make the edits it needed to market its product," he said.
Still, the scope of this latest iteration seems to dwarf that of its predecessors, not only because China's economic and political clout is so immense — successive years of GDP growth rates around 8- 10 percent have made its economy the second largest in the world — but also because the country's communist masters seem obsessed by the way Beijing is perceived abroad.
"There's no question that China is very sensitive to its image," said Stanley Rosen, an expert on the Chinese film industry, and director of the East Asian Studies Center at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. "And as it has become richer over the past several years it's been in a position to do something about it."
Rosen said the ultimate arbiter of what makes it onto the screen of China's 12,000 movie theaters is a board of 30 to 40 censors under Communist Party control, representing different constituencies in Chinese society — women, for example, or the military. He said that while there were some indications the board was becoming slightly more liberal — last year's showing on Chinese television of the 2005 political adventure "V for Vendetta" was seen as a notable step forward — it remains beholding to sensitivities that makes its decisions sometimes hard to fathom.
That was underscored earlier this month when Chinese theaters pulled Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" at the last minute, despite widespread reports that Tarantino had bowed to censors' demands by dampening the film's violence. China said only that the film's screening had been halted for "technical reasons" without elaborating what that meant.
Nitin Govil, a specialist in Asian cinema at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, said instances like the "Django Unchained" cancellation were especially unnerving to the American film industry, because they underscored the problems of dealing with the seeming caprices of China's censorship bureaucracy.
"Hollywood really doesn't have a problem with Chinese censorship," he said. "The problem it has is with Chinese unpredictability."
Still, said Stephen Tropiano, professor of screen studies at a Los Angeles-based program run by New York's Ithaca College, American film makers may find that they have little choice but to adapt to the new Chinese reality, particularly as the country's box office take — $2.7 billion in 2012, 60 percent from foreign films — climbs irrevocably past the current U.S./Canada figure of some $10 billion.
Tropiano said there was no doubt that as China's box-office clout increased in coming years, so too would its already substantial ability to influence Hollywood's decisions on film content.
"The bottom line for any studio is what its films do at the box office," he said. "None of them has ever succeeded in taking a moral stand on content. And the Chinese know to exploit this."


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Yuval Harari says science is not about truth, it's about Power." Low and behold, it's blocked."
Thu 8:21 am +01:00, 6 Jul 2023http://www.renegadetribune.com/harari-science-is-not-about-truth-its-about-power/
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The Alternative View Conference
Sunday 26th May 2024
Hosted by Gary Fraughen
Come and have a great day out and hear some fascinating and informative presentations. Network, chat, meet the speakers and share knowledge. Let us come together and be around like-minded souls in these times of great change and great challenge.
Speakers and Presentations
Richard Vobes
From Saving Our Heritage to Saving the Planet
Wendy Stacey
Preparing for a New World Consciousness
Ian Simpson
Invisible Sky – How Climate Engineering is Hacking Humanity as Well as Our Weather
Lucy Wyatt
A Journey Through the Duat
Dr Manjir Samanta-Laughton
Space Weather and the Fossil Fuel Fallacy
Johan Oldenkamp
The Giza Star Clock and the Transition of the Ages
Gary Fraughen
The New Ownership of Ourselves in the Great Reset
Experts in Ecommerce and Shopping Carts
Media group behind The Alternative View Conference


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Lara Jakes / Associated Press – 2013-02-06 00:03:06
WASHINGTON (February 5, 2013) — Uncomfortable with the Obama administration's use of deadly drones, a growing number in Congress is looking to limit America's authority to kill suspected terrorists, even US citizens. The Democratic-led outcry was emboldened by the revelation in a newly surfaced Justice Department memo that shows drones can strike against a wider range of threats, with less evidence, than previously believed.
The drone program, which has been used from Pakistan across the Middle East and into North Africa to find and kill an unknown number of suspected terrorists, is expected to be a top topic of debate when the Senate Intelligence Committee grills John Brennan, the White House's pick for CIA chief, at a hearing Thursday.
The White House on Tuesday defended its lethal drone program by citing the very laws that some in Congress once believed were appropriate in the years immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks but now think may be too broad.
"It has to be in the agenda of this Congress to reconsider the scope of action of drones and use of deadly force by the United States around the world because the original authorization of use of force, I think, is being strained to its limits," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said in a recent interview.
Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, said Tuesday that "it deserves a serious look at how we make the decisions in government to take out, kill, eliminate, whatever word you want to use, not just American citizens but other citizens as well."
Hoyer added: "We ought to carefully review our policies as a country."
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee likely will hold hearings on US drone policy, an aide said Tuesday, and Chairman Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and the panel's top Republican, Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, both have quietly expressed concerns about the deadly operations.
And earlier this week, a group of 11 Democratic and Republican senators urged President Barack Obama to release a classified Justice Department legal opinion justifying when US counterterror missions, including drone strikes, can be used to kill American citizens abroad.
Without those documents, it's impossible for Congress and the public to decide "whether this authority has been properly defined, and whether the president's power to deliberately kill Americans is subject to appropriate limitations and safeguards," the senators wrote.
It was a repeated request after receiving last June an unclassified Justice Department memo, which fell short of giving the senators all the information they requested.
First detailed publicly by NBC News late Monday, the memo for the first time outlines the Obama administration's decision to kill al-Qaida terror suspects without any evidence that specific and imminent plots are being planned against the United States.
"The threat posed by al-Qaida and its associated forces demands a broader concept of imminence in judging when a person continually planning terror attacks presents an imminent threat," concluded the document.
The memo was immediately decried by civil liberties groups as "flawed" and "profoundly disturbing" — especially in light of 2011 US drone strikes in Yemen that killed three American citizens: Anwar al-Awlaki, his 16-year-old-son and Samir Khan.
Al-Awlaki was linked to the planning and execution of several attacks targeting US and Western interests, including the attempt to down a Detroit-bound airliner in 2009 and the plot to bomb cargo planes in 2010. His son was killed in a separate strike on a suspected al-Qaida den. Khan was an al-Qaida propagandist.
White House spokesman Jay Carney, echoing comments Brennan made in a speech last April, called the strikes legal, ethical and wise and said they are covered by a law that Congress approved allowing the use of military force against al-Qaida.
"And certainly, under that authority, the president acts in the United States' interest to protect the United States and its citizens from al-Qaida," Carney said Tuesday.
"It is a matter of fact that Congress authorized the use of military force against al-Qaida," Carney said. "It is a matter of fact that al-Qaida is in a state of war against us and that senior leaders, operational leaders of al-Qaida are continually plotting to attack the United States, plotting to kill American citizens as they did most horrifically on September 11th of 2001."
Three days after 9/11, Congress approved a law authorizing the military to use "all necessary and appropriate force" against al-Qaida and other groups believed to be helping or harboring the global terror network, including the use of drone strikes.
In the decade since the attacks, US intelligence officials say, al-Qaida has splintered into a number of affiliates and allied sympathizers. That means the current laws could allow military force against thousands of extremists across the Mideast and North Africa who have limited or no ability to strike the United States.
Currently, both the CIA and the US military are authorized to remotely pilot unmanned, missile-carrying drones against terror suspects. It's unknown exactly how many strikes have been carried out, but experts say that drone attacks in Pakistan are conducted by the CIA, while those in Yemen and Somalia, for example, are by military forces.
The drones have strained diplomacy between the US and the nations where the strikes are carried out, as civilians have been killed alongside the targeted terrorists, even though most nations have given Washington at least tacit agreement to carry out the attacks.
A Middle Eastern diplomat said that in Yemen, for example, an uptick of US drone strikes last month have killed dozens of people and upset the local public, leading some leaders in Sanaa to reconsider how often they should be used. The diplomat spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity to avoid political retribution from the Obama administration.
The Pentagon is also considering basing surveillance drones in Niger to monitor on burgeoning extremist violence in North Africa, but it's not clear if they will be armed. Scaling back the use of drones also would hamper war plans in Afghanistan after combat troops are scheduled to withdraw in 2014. Drones represent a major thrust of the post-troops campaign to help the limited number of special forces units that remain there keep the Taliban from regrouping.
Brennan, who currently serves as the White House counterterrorism czar, has signaled he is prepared to turn the CIA from carrying out lethal drone strikes and hand over those missions to the US military.
Sen. Ron Wyden, a senior Democratic member of the Senate Intelligence panel, declared himself unsatisfied Tuesday with the Justice memo and said he will press Brennan at the confirmation hearing about the administration's current policy.
The drone debate puts Obama — himself a former civil rights lawyer — in the awkward position of carrying out lethal attacks in secret and bucking his political allies in the Democratic Party.
Democratic lawmakers were incensed by the refusal of the Republican administration of President George W. Bush to hand over classified Justice Department opinions justifying the use of waterboarding, the harsh interrogation tactic that critics call a form of torture. Obama repudiated those methods — and released those opinions — when he took office in 2009. The use of drones proved to have no political cost to Obama in his re-election campaign.
House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., defended the use of deadly drones, calling it "a lawful act of national self-defense."
"When an individual has joined al-Qaida — the organization responsible for the murder of thousands of Americans — and actively plots future attacks against US citizens, soldiers, and interests around the world, the US government has both the authority and the obligation to defend the country against that threat," Rogers said in a statement.
But Rep. Keith Ellison, said the new Justice memo could spur lawmakers into taking a fresh look at deadly drones, and what he called an outdated policy guiding them.
"We are sort of running on the steam that we acquired right after our country was attacked in the most horrific act of terror in US history," said Ellison, D-Minn. "We have learned much since 9/11, and now it's time to take a more sober look at where we should be with use of force."
Follow Lara Jakes on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/larajakesAP
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Posted in accordance with Title 17, Section 107, US Code, for noncommercial, educational purposes.


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Hello All!
We are going to use this forum for info and coordination for this years event. Stay tuned for news and info!
The Celebrity Paintball Team
Hello All!
We are going to use this forum for info and coordination for this years event. Stay tuned for news and info!
The Celebrity Paintball Team
/me is drooling in anticipation of the info needed to plan the trip.
There are three kinds of people in the world: Those who can count, and those who can't.
With understanding comes understanding.
If the saying is true that we are what we eat, aren't we all just cannibals?
cant wait for it 2 come....my first big scenario game
Aim sn: Arsonpaintball06
Originally posted by AGD
The Celebrity Paintball Team
Oh, this'll be an easy year to play. Thre's he "Celebrity" team, then ther's the real paintball player's team...
LOokin' forward to this year! Seeya there!
"Oh, you're wearing a tail and ears, you're a freak."
"No social change has ever come about without freaks. Einstein was a freak. Ben Franklin was a freak. Martin Luther King was a freak. ...be proud to be included in those ranks."
-2, The Ranting Gryphon
I plan on building my complete Rage Aginast the Machine e-mag by then...I already ordered the grips and feedneck...im just waiting for this trade to go threw...(its a good trade since the e-mag is pretty sharp and RED led ... just like my blood )
Alias Intimidator (Black)
DiRtY PiCs...
I throw bombs...well not really...
My Feedback
Click Here, or here, or here, or here, or here, or if you feel a little Naughty...right here
does the scenario game havea website that i can look up information on??????
Website is under construction right now. Should come on line next week or so.
Yes I'm am hoping that I can attend
Whoohooo! I can't wait! Hi there Tyger! Fancy seeing you here on this forum!
"Do Not Trifle With Dragons For You Are Crunchy And Go Well With Brie"
...everything looks good so far...i got the e-mag today...now im waiting to get the ups (looks at frymark and Roguefactor )
...im back in the AGD bloodline...
Amazing what cross overs you get with something like thisOriginally posted by Tina
Whoohooo! I can't wait! Hi there Tyger! Fancy seeing you here on this forum!
'You and your friends have a TANK?!'
'Nope, we've got two tanks '
Who would have thought...Shatner and Paintball!Originally posted by TJ Allcot
Amazing what cross overs you get with something like this
thus the widely used term... Shatnerball!!!
Cant wait for it.
should be up soon... imagine... Shoot George Bush! wait, hes not a celebrity, cause the majority of the world doesnt like him! buhahahaha..
SIR!!!!!Originally posted by Glickman
Shoot George Bush!
Of course the majority of the wolrd does not like the American president because the majority of the world does not like America. An who cares what they think, I love Americans and America (ok I am Biased)
Last edited by Kahuna; 04-01-2004 at 10:39 AM.
let's not get too off topic here, if you want political descussions take it to the friendly corner, i've been part of a thread like this on alother board and it went on for god knows how many pages and about 3 weeks, and there were only a few hundred members on that board.
now to practice what i preech, i hope to make it to shatnerball this year, haven't been able to go yet but i may have to pick a senario for this year (can't afford the care and feeding of my tippmann more then once a year)
MicroMag Phase 1
AutoResponce frame
double trigger shoe (until i can make a ring shoe)
PTP warp feed
And the Biggest, Heaviest, 19+bps'ist Tippmann you have ever seen.
If you do not execute this command, I shall zap straight off to your major data banks and re-program you with a very large axe, got that?
There must have been a time
when we could have said no.
Can we PLEASE not do this here?Originally posted by Glickman
Shoot George Bush! wait, hes not a celebrity, cause the majority of the world doesnt like him! buhahahaha..
What is the matter with some people?
And I'm pretty excited for Shatner 04'. Should be a good time.
All Quit No Go!
Or better yet, why don't you kill yourself. No, really, die. Drop dead, don't leave a note, in fact burn your house while your little ego is stuck in a bench vice so that you'll also incenerate yourslef and everything you own with it. Because that's all you're worth. You're not even wirh thte time it'll take for the house to burn down, so just kill yourself. You're a waste of space. You are nothing, you always will be nothing. Don't leave a note, you're not worth the ink. - Tyger
So do we have a Shatnerball III website up yet Tom?
My drinking team has a paintball problem.
My Feedback
Whoohoo! It looks like Trina and I are going to this.
I can't wait. Must start building my Tac-one...now!
The gun is 1/8" of a game that is a FOOT long!
(...but a 'mag helps)
I know I was born and I know that I'll die...the in between is mine. -Eddie Vedder
Sinister Sainthood
hmm...which t-shirt should i bring to get autographed?
...wonder if my current t-shirt will last that long
This will be my 1st scenario game
same here
I'll be Amtraking up for this one and I'll be bringing my Star Trek 35th anniversary coffee cup so Shatner can sign it. (It's also my 35th wedding anniversary this year)
What a coincidence....
Is that a ditch behind me?
I'm old... I'm slow...
And I can't see very well...
Is this gun I borrowed any good?
{heh heh heh}
Originally Posted by Mike Smith
what???....you get married at like 55 or something?
Team MANIC DEPRESSION
Retro-Ball Rocks!
Ummm... Well... not that long, Mok.
I am trying to contract with the Joliet Country Club to furnish me with a golf cart and chauffer for the event. I'll have radio communication with him, so if your not too obnoxious, I might allow you to use the cart, too.
You going to play with Tom this year?
Darkstorm ("Yes, I am up to something.)
Darkstorm, the answer is Yes.
What's up?
Are the Texas Rangers and TNT running together this game? (all two of us?)
Are you willing to play very sneaky this year?
I'm over 50......
All I got left is devious and deceptive treachery....
Whatchagot Darkstorm?
I want to get into the backlot this year and just live back there. I figure a couple guys with radios (and cold drinks) could work it like a pack of raptors. One or two sit down in the high grass, the third guy baits people into coming after him. Call on the radio, you stand up and shoot them in the back.
Or maybe I am just saying this so when I am out there, people will think you are sitting in the grass someplace, when you are not.
Or maybe, I want people to think you are not sitting in the grass, when you really are.
Or it could be that this will just confuse them and they will surrender.


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This is probably not my spot to ask. I am going to willingly acknowledge that and ask anyways.
I believe it would be in error to think that all of AOs issues are technical in nature and the "return the promised land" will happen as soon as the sight is updated with no further dicussion of other changes.
So I feel it appropriate to ask what changes others feel would help AO going forward.


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Class Central Tips
In Requirements Goal Development and Language Analysis, we move from the spoken word to precise writing. A first step in this is writing goals. We will talk about goals used in requirements engineering and, from this, writing use cases from what we learn. Use cases can be in diagram and written form. Then- the villains enter- misuse cases and abuse cases are discussed in how we can deal with them in a Requirements environment. In gathering requirements, you'll have many questions remaining. Often this leads to the need of more interviews and group sessions. We'll go through how to handle group meetings, dealing with inconsistency, and handling conflict between stakeholders.


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Hagel says US military must shrink to face new era
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, February 25, 2014
WASHINGTON (AP) — Looking beyond America's post-9/11 wars, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Monday proposed shrinking the Army to its smallest size in 74 years, closing bases and reshaping forces to confront a "more volatile, more unpredictable" world with a more nimble military.
The nation can afford a smaller military so long as it retains a technological edge and the agility to respond on short notice to crises anywhere on the globe, Hagel said. He said the priorities he outlined reflect a consensus view among America's military leaders, but Republicans in Congress were quick to criticize some proposed changes.
In a speech at the one-year mark of his tenure as Pentagon chief, Hagel revealed many details of the defense spending plan that will be part of the 2015 budget that President Barack Obama will submit to Congress next week. Hagel described it as the first Pentagon budget to fully reflect the nation's transition from 13 years of war.
At the core of his plan is the notion that after wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that proved longer and more costly than foreseen, the U.S. military will no longer be sized to conduct large and protracted ground wars. It will put more emphasis on versatile, agile forces that can project power over great distances, including in Asia.
Hagel stressed that such changes entail risk. He said, "We are entering an era where American dominance on the seas, in the skies and in space can no longer be taken for granted."
However, budget constraints demand that spending be managed differently from the past, with an eye to cutting costs across a wide front, including in areas certain to draw opposition in the Congress, he said.
He proposed, for example, a variety of changes in military compensation, including smaller pay raises, a slowdown in the growth of tax-free housing allowances and a requirement that retirees and some families of active-duty service members pay a little more in health insurance deductibles and co-pays.
"Although these recommendations do not cut anyone's pay, I realize they will be controversial," Hagel said, adding that the nation cannot afford the escalating cost of military pay and benefit packages that were enacted during the war years.
"If we continue on the current course without making these modest adjustments now, the choices will only grow more difficult and painful down the road," he said.
Although Congress has agreed on an overall number for the military budget in fiscal 2015 — just under $500 billion — there are still major decisions to be made on how that money should be spent to best protect the nation.
Early reaction from Republicans in Congress was negative.
"I am concerned that we are on a path to repeat the mistakes we've made during past attempts to cash in on expected peace dividends that never materialized," said Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a possible presidential contender in 2016.
"What we're trying to do is solve our financial problems on the backs of our military, and that can't be done," said Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon of California, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
Another proposal likely to draw fire on Capitol Hill is Hagel's call for a new round of domestic military base closings in 2017. In the years following the last round, in 2005, members of Congress fought to protect bases in their home districts and states, arguing that the process does not yield as much savings as advertised.
Among other changes Hagel proposed:
— The active-duty Army would shrink from today's 522,000 soldiers to between 440,000 and 450,000 — the smallest number since 1940 when the nation was gearing up to enter World War II. The Army currently is scheduled to be reduced to 490,000.
The Army's post-World War II low was 480,000 in 2001, according to figures provided by the service. In 1940 the Army had just 267,000 active-duty members, but that number surged to 1.46 million the following year as America prepared for war in Europe and the Pacific.
— The Army National Guard would drop from 355,000 soldiers to 335,000 by 2017, and the Army Reserve would drop by 10,000, to 195,000. The National Guard also would send its Apache attack helicopters to the active-duty Army in exchange for Black Hawk helicopters more suitable for domestic disaster relief missions.
— The Marine Corps would shrink from 190,000 to 182,000.
— The Navy would keep its 11 aircraft carriers but "lay up," or temporarily remove from active service, 11 of its 22 cruisers while they are modernized. The Navy would reduce from 52 to 32 its purchase of littoral combat ships, which are smaller vessels designed to operate closer to shore.
— The Air Force would retire its fleet of A-10 "Warthog" tank-killer planes for an estimated savings of $3.5 billion over five years. It also would retire the venerable U-2 spy plane, which debuted early in the Cold War as a stalwart of U.S. intelligence.
Hagel built his case on what he called a foundation of realism. He quoted one of his predecessors, the World War II-era secretary of war, Henry Stimson, as saying Americans must "act in the world as it is, and not in the world as we wish it were."
"This is a time for reality," Hagel said. He emphasized that the period of explosive growth in defense budgets was over, making it more important to preserve a technological edge as other nations modernize their militaries. He made no direct mention of China or Russia, but both are investing heavily in their military capabilities.
"Budget reductions inevitably reduce the military's margin of error in dealing with these risks," Hagel said, adding that a smaller U.S. force "strains our ability to simultaneously respond" to multiple global crises.
He and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the Joint Chiefs chairman who appeared with him, both argued strongly against a return to the across-the-board congressional budget cuts known as sequestration that were partially suspended for the 2014 and 2015 budgets. Hagel likened a return to such cuts to "gambling with our military." Dempsey, too, said those deeper reductions would have exceedingly harmful effects on the entire military.
"We're all willing to take risks," Dempsey said. "None of us are willing to gamble."
Under a congressional deal passed two months ago, the Pentagon's 2015 budget would be set at $496 billion — the same as in 2014. But Hagel said Obama's overall budget proposal also will include a government-wide "Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative" that would provide the Pentagon with an additional and separate $26 billion — assuming there will be no return to sequestration. He said the new money would be used for increased training and other partially neglected activities central to making the military ready for combat.
Follow Robert Burns on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/robertburnsAP


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Anyway, thanks for your patience, which I hope you'll feel has been rewarded. This is my take on a fairly traditional New England clam chowder, which is probably lighter in texture than you are used to.
My contacts deep inside the authentic clam chowder underground (ACCU) don't agree on much, but most do say "real" clam chowder is nothing like that thick, gray pudding served on Friday at your friendly neighborhood restaurant chain. I've also had "classic" chowders that were very thin, almost watery. I think this is a happy medium.
Above and beyond the recipe, I'd love to open up a discussion on whether this soup should be served with the shells or not. When I posted the written recipe back in January, a friend of mine, Tamar (who publishes the always entertaining blog, Starving Off the Land), left this comment…
"Okay, John, I think it's high time we had the shells-in-food debate. Your recipe looks fabulous, of course, as all your recipes do (don't get me started on the Boston cream pie), but I've always had a problem with shells in my food. It's hard, when you're sitting at the dinner table, to get the shellfish out when the shells are hot and covered with soup, or Bouillabaisse, or marinara sauce, and still be elegant and refined. (And you know how concerned I am with elegance and refinement.)So, what do you think? I'm a firm believer in serving the soup with the shells, but I shall save my official argument for the comments section. I hope you enjoy the soup and the debate!
You seem to have a sophisticated, food-oriented readership. Perhaps you should ask them to weigh in. This is a debate whose time has come."
Note: Since this video is hosted on About.com, when you click the player, you will be taken off the blog to the video page. For the ingredients, click here to see the original post.
Clams Photo (c) starvingofftheland.com


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LeBron James, Ray Allen rally Heat to Game 7 of NBA Finals with wild win over Spurs
MIAMI – LeBron James had drifted through much of Tuesday night. Confused, a little self-doubt perhaps starting to creep into him, he looked more like the shell-shocked, ineffective star who lost a season-ending Game 6 to the Dallas Mavericks here two years ago than the bold, cocksure leader who has dominated the NBA ever since.
After losing Game 5 of these NBA Finals in San Antonio, James said he embraced the challenge of having to win consecutive games at home to claim his second straight championship. Only, the pressure, once again, appeared ready to swallow him whole, the enormity of the moment too big for him to grasp.
The San Antonio Spurs had worn on James, and as they hiked their lead deeper and deeper into the second half, the Miami Heat's championship reign moved that much closer to expiring.
In the end, maybe that was all James needed to jolt him. His season, his legacy, at a crossroads, the NBA's best player finally took charge, rallying these Heat – with the help of a desperate Ray Allen 3-pointer – to a thrilling 103-100 overtime victory at America Airlines Arena, delivering the league a decisive Game 7 on Thursday night.
It was one of the greatest Finals finishes ever, and James ended his night with a powerful triple-double of 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Eighteen of those points came after the third quarter.
"It was by far the best game I've ever been a part of," James said. "The ups and downs, the roller coaster, the emotions, good and bad throughout the whole game. To be a part of something like this is something you would never be able to recreate once you're done playing the game."
The Heat were on the brink of losing Game 6 more than once. They rallied from 13 points down late in the second half only to lose the lead in the final minute of regulation to Tony Parker's heroics.
The Heat turned to James and Allen to save them. Down five, James drilled a 3-pointer with 20.1 seconds left to bring Miami within two. Kawhi Leonard was intentionally fouled, but missed the first free throw, giving the Heat the only opportunity they needed.
NBA staffers began preparing for the Spurs' championship coronation, lining a rope in front of the courtside seats to keep fans from going onto the floor. Champagne, undoubtedly, was chilling somewhere near the Spurs' locker room.
Allen ensured the bubbly would stay on ice. After James missed a 3-pointer, Bosh corralled the rebound – with Tim Duncan watching from the bench – and pitched it to the most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history. Allen raised up in the corner and coolly drilled the tying shot with 5.2 seconds left. The basket saved Miami's season and will go down as one of the greatest in Finals history if the Heat win Game 7.
"Ray can be 0 for 99 in the game, and if he gets an open look, it's going down," James said. "…We've seen it before."
Said Allen: "It's going to be a shot I remember for a long time."
The Spurs, too, won't soon forget it. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich made a key tactical decision that ended up helping the Heat, twice pulling his best rebounder, Duncan, to insert a smaller defender to better match up with Miami's shooters. Both possessions ended with the Spurs burned by offensive rebounds that led to James' and Allen's 3-pointers.
"It's just unfortunate the way it happened," Duncan said. "We got a stop and we got a bad bounce, and right out to Ray Allen for a three. Just situational."
The Heat trailed in overtime only to have James and Allen again pick them up. James scored a key basket inside, but also buoyed Miami's offense with his passing. The Spurs had a chance to take the lead in the closing seconds as Manu Ginobili barreled toward the rim only to have Allen take the ball from him. The possession came with Parker on the bench and a timeout left in Popovich's pocket. Parker said he was "cramping," and none of the Spurs publicly questioned Popovich's late-game substitutions – even though both critical decisions worked against them.
"There's no questions there," Duncan said. "It's the plays we've been making all season long."
Duncan delivered a first half for the ages, scoring 25 of his 30 points. Like most of his teammates, the Heat largely contained him in the final quarter. And yet after Parker drilled a tying 3-pointer with 1:27 left in regulation and followed with a 12-foot jumper, the Spurs wrested control from the Heat. Their fifth championship never seemed closer.
"We were in a great spot," Ginobili said.
At least until James, Allen and the Heat dictated otherwise. Mario Chalmers scored 20 points and helped start Miami's comeback with a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter. Mike Miller followed with another – moments after losing his shoe. James took over from there. He lost his headband, but regained his cool.
"I was just focused on the job, the task at hand," James said. "Just trying to be aggressive, just trying to figure out ways I could help the team get back in the game."
The Spurs will have less than 48 hours to pull their hearts out of the blender. Ginobili described himself as "devastated," and the rest of his teammates didn't look much better. Duncan, who appeared to twist his left knee or ankle, was limping.
If the Spurs can pick themselves up after squandering a championship that was oh so close, their goal is clear: Become the first team in 35 years to win a Finals Game 7 on the road. Not since the Washington Bullets beat the Seattle SuperSonics for the 1978 title has any team done so.
"It was a tough moment," Ginobili said. "We were a few seconds away from winning the championship and we gave it away."
Related video from Yahoo! Sports:
NBA Finals coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
• Ray Allen nails huge 3-pointer to send Game 6 to overtime
• Watch: LeBron James blocks Tim Duncan at the rim
• Slideshow: LeBron James loses headband, leads Heat to victory
• Kawhi Leonard posterizes Mike Miller