text:
|Kenny Fryman, a senior
linebacker and captain for Hampden-Sydney, played high school
football with the two Tigers who were injured in a housefire early
this year. "I feel like a big part of our success each year is due
to how close our team is," he said.
Hampden-Sydney athletics photos
Marty Favret's phone rang at 4 a.m. That's never a good sign.
Two hours later and one mile away, a group of Tigers awoke to get in their morning workout. They could smell the smoke.
The early morning hours of Jan. 25, 2012, have given the Hampden-Sydney Tigers a different outlook on football and on life.
The fire that destroyed the TAC house on campus that day has been well-documented. And an Around the Mid-Atlantic column last year covered the friendship and bond shared by 2012 H-SC graduates Kirk Rohle and Ben Rogers.
With the 2012 football season in full throttle, the Tigers have not forgotten about the courage, bravery, and dedication that their former teammates displayed in the face of crisis.
"You realize that winning the ODAC's not as important. We could have lost those kids," said Favret. "It made me re-think my role as head coach and what is important. It makes you forget about football for a little bit."
Rohle suffered the most serious injuries when he went back into the house searching for his lifelong best friend, Rogers. The former Tigers running back was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Richmond. Within a few hours, more than 50 current and former players and coaches were at the hospital to show their support.
"I grew up with Kirk and Ben, and we have a lot of guys on our team from Hanover [High School]," said senior linebacker and captain Kenny Fryman. "It was really scary."
Both Rogers and Rohle have recovered and are doing well. Rohle is an account manager at a distributing company, while Rogers is a licensed real estate agent. Both live and work in Richmond. They were All-ODAC players for Hampden-Sydney, but their legacy extends far beyond the playing field.
"They are like sons to me," said Favret. "They are both ex-captains and have been really important to the program."
The players on this year's roster draw inspiration from the duo's leadership, commitment and fearlessness. Everyone on this year's roster wears a "Band of Brothers" wristband with Rohle's No. 9 displayed. Rohle's younger brother, sophomore safety Shreve, now wears the number nine jersey to honor his brother. Rohle and Rogers have attended both of Hampden-Sydney's games this season, cheering on their alma mater to a 2-0 start.
"Just seeing their presence at our games has done a lot for our program," said Fryman.
The TAC (Tiger Athletic Club) house was a sanctuary of sorts for the school's senior athletes. Nine young men lived in the house at the time of the fire. The school was able to provide a temporary house for the TAC near the school's fraternity houses. The former TAC house was a total loss.
"It was an emotional thing when the TAC house was razed," said Favret.
It was important for the players to maintain the club, and the school was quick to accommodate them.
"I think having the TAC house brings us camaraderie," said Fryman. "I feel like a big part of our success each year is due to how close our team is."
|Everyone on this year's
Tigers roster wears a "Band of Brothers" wristband that features
the No. 9, which was Kirk Rohle's jersey number. Rohle suffered the
worst injuries in the fire.
Led by captains and Hanover alums Fryman and junior safety Steven Fogleman, the 2012 Tigers are playing with a different sense of purpose. They are hungry to get back to the playoffs and earn the school's first playoff victory. At the same time, they now know not to take a single snap, in practice or in a game, for granted.
"It puts everything in perspective," said Fryman. "There is life after football."
It was not just the team that came together to support Rogers and Rohle. The entire Farmville and Virginia communities backed the Tigers. Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer, himself a burn victim, called to speak to Rogers and Rohle. Donations poured in to assist with the players' recovery as well as the rebuilding of the TAC house. Professors, counselors, and coaches on campus did everything they could to help the students get through a difficult spring semester.
"I am proud to be a part of a college town that rallies like that," said Favret. "The support was over the top. It was one of the coolest things I've been through and an incredible expression of what Division III football is all about."
Number(s) of the Week: 33. Percent of Washington and Lee quarterback Nick Lombardo's pass attempts that went for touchdowns to tight end Alex Evans. Lombardo completed five of six passes for 96 yards and two scores. Evans hauled in three receptions, two of which went for touchdowns. Evans bookended the Generals' scoring in an impressive 34-16 defeat of then- No. 23 Centre. The junior caught a 39-yard touchdown pass to cap the Generals' opening drive of the game. He scored again early in the fourth quarter from nine yards out to put W&L up 34-10.
The biggest game of the week came down to zero, the number of interceptions Wesley's highly-touted defense forced against Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Wolverines lost the turnover battle for the first time all year, recovering one fumble while giving the ball away twice. That difference was the key to the then- No. 4 Cru's road win at then-No. 3 Wesley. The Wolverines held UMHB's LiDarral Bailey to just 16-26 passing for 138 yards, but Bailey threw for two scores and was not picked off. Justin Sottilare passed for 294 yards and three touchdowns for the Wolverines, but the ground game was nonexistent. Wesley was held to minus-four total rushing yards. The Crusaders moved up to No. 2 in the latest Top 25 poll, while Wesley fell to No. 6.
Team(s) of the Week: Four teams head into their bye week with momentum. The aforementioned Generals earned a big win over a ranked opponent and have won two straight heading into ODAC play on Sept. 29. Guilford notched its first win of the season, outlasting Averett in a 45-35 shootout. Mike Williams rushed 13 times for 151 yards and a touchdown to lead the Quakers. Josh Williams added 72 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. Freshman quarterback Matt Pawloski threw for 239 yards and three scores and ran for another as the Quakers used a balanced offensive attack (239 yards passing, 237 yards rushing) to defeat the Cougars. After a winless 2011, Greensboro heads into its bye week with a winning record. The Pride is 2-1 after defeating Apprentice School 20-13. Travis Welch led the defensive effort with 15 tackles. After opening the season with losses to the teams currently ranked No. 8 and No. 22 in the Top 25, Christopher Newport earned its first victory of the season. The Captains held Shenandoah to just 193 total yards of offense in a 20-7 win. The Hornets' defense was no slouch either, holding CNU to 213 total yards. Michael Ruckman's 47-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the third quarter was the difference for the Captains.
Looking Ahead: Wesley has lost just three regular season games since the beginning of the 2006 season. The cumulative final score of the three games following those losses: 141-9. Louisiana College might be in trouble when it faces an angry Wolverines squad this week. It will be another tough test for Wesley, as LC is close to cracking the Top 25. The Wildcats are eager to show that they can play with the top teams in Division III as they host the Wolverines in a night game. Expect Wesley to bounce back and take care of business on this long road trip.
With all of the USAC and all but three ODAC teams enjoying a bye (Bridgewater plays Shenandoah, Hampden-Sydney plays non-conference Huntingdon), all eyes should be on the Centennial Conference this week. If you like great defense, you really need to pay close attention to the CC race. The three teams tied atop the league — Muhlenberg, Gettysburg, and Johns Hopkins — boast three of the top defenses in the nation. The Mules have allowed just seven points through three games this year, leading all of Division III in scoring defense. After giving up a touchdown in the season opener, the Mules have scored 81 unanswered points. Gettysburg is not far behind, allowing just 14 points. Among teams that have played three games, the Bullets rank third in scoring defense. Johns Hopkins has allowed 35 points this season, good for 11th among teams that have played three games.
The Blue Jays face the Mules this weekend. The winner will have the inside track to the Centennial's automatic playoff berth. Muhlenberg will be hard pressed to maintain its top spot in scoring defense, facing a Blue Jays attack that piled up 582 yards and 49 points in its last game, a 34-point win over Moravian in which Johns Hopkins earned a whopping 40 first downs. Linebacker Kory Crichton leads the Muhlenberg defense with 31 tackles and two sacks, while seven different Mules have snagged an interception.
What Did I Miss? Do you know about any upcoming milestones, big games, or new names in the Mid-Atlantic? Please share them with me. If you have suggestions for next week's column, please reach out to me at @adamturer or email@example.com. Enjoy Week 4!


text:
Seminarians Participate in Interseminary Dialogue at Jewish Theological Seminary
12 December 2012 • Off–Campus • Dn. Adam Horstman
On Wednesday, December 12, several SVOTS students traveled to the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) to participate in the discussion "Dialoguing Beyond Our Dialogue." The group Interseminary Dialogue (ISD), an informal organization composed of eight different Jewish and Christian seminaries in the New York area, sponsored the event. It was one of eight such meetings held during the course of a given academic year, in which a host seminary sets an agenda and offers participants a tour of the campus worship space. SVOTS students have been participating in the dialogues since the 1950s.
Historically, the Interseminary Dialogue has provided a venue for discussion of both theological and pastoral issues we face in our respective communions, whether we be Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, or Jewish in faith. The schools besides St. Vladimir's that participate in the dialogue are: Hebrew Union College's Jewish Institute of Religion, the Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, the Yeshivat Maharat , the Academy for Jewish Religion, St. Joseph's Seminary, General Theological Seminary and Union Theological Seminary.
Of course, there are profound differences between us in how we approach matters of faith, but by speaking with each other and putting a face on "the other," we are able to see that we ask many of the same questions and deal with many of the same needs and concerns. Indeed, we have much we can learn from each other, and this event fosters respect and concern for people who are different from ourselves. Through dialogue, we also come to a greater understanding of our own particular religious traditions.
On this particular December evening, we discussed different types of interfaith engagement, primarily through the experience of a JTS student who spoke about his experience in taking a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). The speaker shared ways in which CPE helped him to understand and help people who come from religious faiths very different from his Jewish one. We then broke up into small groups and talked about the different types of dialogue we can have in the arenas of life, action, and theology.

subset: commoncrawl


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The ears of many of our hearers are stopped up with earth! I mean the cares of the world, that the Word preached will not enter, according to that in the parable, 'Hearing, they hear not' (Matthew 13:13). We read of Saul, his eyes were open—yet 'he saw no man' (Acts 9:8). A strange paradox! And is it not as strange that men's ears should be open—yet 'in hearing hear not?' They mind not what is said: 'They sit before you as my people—but their heart goes after their covetousness' (Ezekiel 33:31). Many sit and stare the minister in the face—yet scarcely understand a word he says. They are thinking of their wares and are often casting up accounts in the church. If a man is in a grinding-mill, though you speak ever so loud to him—he does not hear you for the noise of the mill. We preach to men about matters of salvation—but the grinding-mill of worldly business makes such a noise that they cannot hear! 'In hearing, they hear not.' It being thus, ministers who are called 'sons of thunder' had need often ascend the mount and 'lift up their voice like a trumpet' (Isaiah 58:1) that the deaf ear may be cleaned and unstopped, and may hear 'what the Spirit says unto the churches' (Revelation 2:7).
As some have earth in their ears—so others have a stone in their hearts! They make 'their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear' (Zechariah 7:12). The ministers of Christ therefore must be frequently brandishing the sword of the Spirit and striking at men's sins, that, if possible, they may at last pierce the heart of stone! When the earth is scorched with the sun, it is so hard and crusted, that one shower of rain will not soften it. There must be shower after shower before it will be either moist or fertile. Such a hardened piece, is the heart of man naturally. It is so stiffened with the scorchings of lust, that there must be 'precept upon precept' (Isaiah 28:10). Our doctrine must 'distill as the dew, as the small rain on the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass' (Deuteronomy 32:2).
Thomas Watson, The Beatitudes


text:
A huge network of secret slush funds owned by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have been discovered during a joint US-South Korea investigation, Seoul-based newspaper Chosun Ilbo reports.
As much as $5 billion linked to Kim was found in foreign bank accounts in other people's names, the paper reported. Intelligence agencies reportedly believe that North Korean accounts exist in Austria, China, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Russia, Singapore and Switzerland.
"Since the launch of the Lee Myung-bak administration in February of 2008, South Korea and the U.S. have been tracking more than 200 North Korean accounts that appear to be linked weapons of mass destruction and export of drugs, counterfeit money and cigarettes," one diplomatic source told the newspaper.
Another source elaborated on the scheme, saying that "the regime uses minor banks that are relatively less stringent in screening their account holders or opening accounts using the names of foreigners or companies."
The Chosun Ilbo had previously reported that dozens of accounts linked to Kim were found in Shanghai and other parts of China. These accounts are thought to contain hundreds of millions of dollars, but Beijing reportedly refused to allow them to be included in the new UN sanctions adopted last Thursday.
Following that report, the South China Morning Post reports that the news has led to fresh calls for China to clamp down on its neighbor.
If this happens, the repercussions for North Korea could be big.
Ellen Kim, assistant director and Fellow of the Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told BI, "This could have a real impact on the North Korean regime if China actually follows through. The key to the [effectiveness] of the sanctions is China."
The Chosun Ilbo reports that most of the money in the foreign accounts comes from North Korean businesses attached to the military or other government entities. The money is reportedly used by Kim to buy luxury goods for himself and his allies.
Knowledge of North Korea's illicit foreign funds has been around for a while, but the exact nature of North Korea's foreign currency businesses is murky and, by most accounts, illegal — the Chosun Ilbo reports that the Russian mafia is being used to launder the money, for example.
Foreign currency is, however, vital for a sanctions-stifled state that stopped paying its debts 20 years ago, and has a worthless local currency (the won).
The most well-known of the foreign currency state enterprises is Room 39 and Room 38, secretive organizations believed to be in charge of controlling North Korean executives' foreign currency funds.
One 2007 report estimated that the these funds netted North Korea $500 million to $1 billion a year, via a variety of methods, including widespread counterfeiting of US dollars (at least $45 million according to a 2006 US congress report), foreign hotels and restaurants, and even reports of gold smuggling and drug trafficking. A 2009 Washington Post story talks about an enormous international insurance scam being conducted by the group.
Conflict over foreign money between Kim and the military is believed to have been one possible factor in last year's ousting of North Korean military chief Ri Yong-ho.
More From Business Insider


text:
Texas Tech athletic director Kirby Hocutt on Tuesday said he believes interim basketball coach Chris Walker has done an "exceptional" job this season, but he did not indicate when a decision may come on Walker's future with the program.
Responding to an interview request to discuss Walker and the future of the basketball program, Hocutt said in a statement he is pleased with the work Walker has done.
"We agreed we would go through this basketball season with Chris Walker as our interim head coach, and that's going to be the process we continue to follow," Hocutt said. "The way Chris Walker has represented the university and the basketball program has been exceptional. I'm very proud of the way he's handled the opportunity and I look forward to the rest of the season."
Walker, who was tabbed interim coach on Oct. 4, two weeks after the resignation of former coach Billy Gillispie, has led the Red Raiders to a 9-9 overall record and a 2-5 mark in Big 12 Conference play so far this season.
Tech, which still has at least 12 games left on its schedule, has already won more overall and conference games than it did last season.
Walker also guided Tech to one of the surprise wins of the Big 12 season, a 56-51 upset of Iowa State last week.
The Red Raiders host West Virginia at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
Walker, who was a point guard during his playing days at Villanova, had spent nearly two decades as an assistant - including one season under Gillispie - before being named Tech's coach about four months ago.
To comment on this story:
• 766-8735
• 766-2166


text:
Stocks plummeted today amid worries both at home and abroad, as the Dow Jones industrial average recorded its worst loss this year. Anxiety about further gridlock in Washington, D.C., and grim European economic reports weighed heavily on trading sentiment.
After voters returned a divided government to power, investors took flight, fearing that Democrats and Republicans may not be able to reach a compromise on the fiscal cliff before a series of tax increases and spending cuts start Jan. 1. "The re-election of President Obama removes one uncertainty that has been weighing on the markets over the last few months. But they are none the wiser about if, how and when Congress will deal with the colossal tightening in fiscal policy scheduled to occur early next year," according to Action Economics. "And with Congress still split, President Obama will struggle to garner bipartisan support for a more comprehensive agreement that addresses the longer term issue of how to put the nation's finances back on a sustainable path."
In Europe, Mario Draghi, the chief of the European Central Bank, voiced concern that Germany, the eurozone's largest economy, is starting to be weakened by the debt crisis. Draghi's comments darkened already gloomy outlooks for the continent: Germany has been the only economy to avoid stalled growth. Meanwhile, europe's official economists cut growth forecasts for France and Germany and predicted even more dire situations in austerity-riddled economies than before; there, rising unemployment and government spending cuts will reduce consumer purchasing and economic activity.
The Dow Jones industrial average dropped below the 13,000 mark for the first time since August, falling 2.4%, or 312.95 points, to 12,932.73. This was the first three hundred-point drop for the blue chip index in almost a year.
The Nasdaq composite lost 2.5% to 2,9437.29. And the S&P 500 declined 4.3% to 1,394.56.
Abroad, Asian markets were mostly flat, while in Europe, the FTSE 100 followed American markets into the red. That index dropped 1.6%.
Wall Street today made its feelings known about Obama's reelection. Financial services lobbyists poured millions into a big bet on Obama's Republican opponent Mitt Romney, hoping that the election of the one time Bain and Co. executive would foster a pro-business attitude in D.C. Wall Street thrust cash at Obama during his first election, then distanced themselves from the president after he championed financial reform like Dodd-Frank and characterized Wall Street elite as "fat cats." Now, after such a dramatic swing toward the Republican party, Democrats owe Wall Street little allegiance.
Both parties will set to work on addressing the fiscal cliff. Many market observers say that Obama's victory makes increases the odds that a compromise won't be reached in time, though most still believe D.C. will eventually reach a decision after a hearty game of brinkmanship.
"The history of the relationship between Obama and the Congressional leadership is one of eventual compromise, though not in the absence of circumstances forcing both parties to the table," says Citi economist Tina Fordham, who correctly called the preservation of D.C.'s status quo. "Our expectation continues to be that the trail of last-minute, heart-attack compromises will continue, given the same actors retaining their positions, with appetite for comprehensive reform limited."
Today's lower trading, says FTN Financial economist Chris Low, "likely reflects the conventional wisdom that it would have been easier for Romney to postpone the tax increases and spending cuts that make up the fiscal cliff than it will be for Obama"
Investors were, however, saved from the worst-case scenario. An uncertain outcome or a recount would have amplified Wall Street's worries; Obama's victory in seven of the 10 key swing states provides closure. It should also signal to Wall Street that Dodd-Frank will remin intact, allowing the legislation to be completed and big banks to hire the remaining necessary personnel.
And Obama's victory is seen as guaranteeing the liquidity that has boosted equities markets during the president's first term. Romney, publicly critical of the Federal Reserve's policies, had said he would replace Chairman Ben Bernanke. Moreover, the early losses were likely from traders who need to sell and close bets of a Romney upset.
Financial stocks were among the day's biggest losers. Bank of America gave up 7.1%. Citigroup lost 6.3%. JPMorgan Chase declined 5.6%.
Technology stocks also piled up woes. Apple lost 3.8%. Microsoft fell 2.6%.
Reach Abram Brown at firstname.lastname@example.com.
More from Forbes:


text: SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Some members of Groupon Inc. GRPN, -2.01% board are considering replacing Chief Executive Andrew Mason, the AllThingsD blog reported Tuesday, citing unnamed sources. The report said several directors have been discussing possible management changes, including hiring a more CEO to replace Mason. The Groupon board is scheduled to meet later this week, according to the report. Mason is one of Groupon's biggest individual shareholders with roughly 7% the company's outstanding shares, according to FactSet. Shares of Groupon were up about 2.5% in after-hours trading. The stock has plunged more than 80% this year, amid growing questions about the viability of its business model.


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Apple was for so long the little outsider, we referred to people who came over to the Mac platform as 'switchers'. Six years ago, when I started training for myself, most clients were long-term and/or professional Mac users who wanted to get more out of their machines, and I'd show them ways to work more efficiently, throw in some handy tips and tricks and solve a few problems.
These days, I hardly ever see such users. The last three years in particular, I have been mostly training switchers, which has meant I've even had to learn a few features of Windows simply so I can explain how they are different on a Mac. (Notice I said 'different', not 'better'. Of course, I mean 'better', I'm just trying to be diplomatic. It's the New Me.)
Mind you, six years ago, Macs were at about three per cent of the New Zealand PC market. Now they are at nearly 12 per cent, going by last year's IDC figures, anyway. Those new users had to come from somewhere.
Many like me to set their Macs up - I make them do it themselves. Not because I'm lazy, but because it's so easy and it's a good first point of contact with the new platform, and to save them paying me. Some people just like the reassurance of having someone alongside them, I guess. Note there are plenty of sites for the Mac basics, starting with Apple's.
For those with more comprehensive PC experience, there are sites like lifehacker's guide.
(Near the bottom of this page there are further posts expanding the theme: '10 things every new Mac owner should know' and 'Common new Mac user mistakes', but some of this advice is pretty dated - for example, you now resize a Mac window from any edge.)
There's a kind of expanding guide compendium at Switching2Mac.
By the way, this is how your defragment your Mac: leave it on. Tough, huh?
Another change is that I am training more and more people on iDevices - as an older Apple user (perhaps I should use 'experienced' in place of 'older') an iPad looks so simple to me, I didn't expect to be training anyone on it, but there are three compelling reasons I do:
1/ There are people so inexperienced it really is completely new to them, including many older users who get iPads as communication devices to stay in touch with distant kids and grandkids.
2/ There are people who want a lot from an iPad, far more than casual use dictates, and they need to hit the ground running.
3/ Finally, there are people who switch from a PC to an iPad as their primary computing platform, or in the case of some institutions, from existing mobile devices like the once all-conquering Blackberry. They don't have time to work things out themselves, they're on the company clock and their time is oh-so-precious.
Mind you, with the competition between Apple and Google, it's hardly one-way traffic. Veteran Mac user and commentator Andy Ihnatko (the surname may be Hungarian, but he's a North American) recently shocked the Mac faithful by declaring he is ditching iPhone for Android. This followed Ima Genius, I mean Steve Wozniak, declaring his love for Android, although he still uses both platforms.
The be-stetsoned, be-sideburned Ihnatko wrote, in a series on TechHive explaining his defection, "I made a slow, cautious and careful examination of what I want and need from my phone, and at the end of this mobile warrior's pilgrimage, I couldn't escape the conclusion that the best phone for me is no longer an iPhone."
Ihnatko lost an unlimited data plan to do it, so it's a major switch. Partly he didd so for better data speeds available for a Galaxy S III in the US, but there were other reasons, compelling to him, and perhaps they are also compelling for you. At the least Ihnatko might furnish you with some anti-iPhone ammo.
For me, it's all still missing the point, though. An Android would have to get a lot better than Ihnatko's finer points for me to drop my Apple phone since it fits so seamlessly and functionally into my entire Apple world - my iPhone, iPad and MacBook Pro all supporting and syncing with each other. I don't do heavy lifting on my iPhone. My MacBook is for that. The iPhone is perfectly sufficient for me.
But hey, Ihnatko has four posts of carefully constructed points, so make up your own mind.
Meanwhile, a dyed-in-the-wool Linux guy has dropped that developer's dream platform for Mac OS.
Miguel de Icaza has been a life-long Linux user - in fact, he's the creator of Gnome, a free desktop environment for Linux and other Unix operating systems.
After taking a Mac on a trip to Brazil as his sole machine in 2008, de Icasa found while he missed the comprehensive Linux toolchain and 'userland' ... "I did not miss having to chase the proper package for my current version of Linux, or beg someone to package something. Binaries just worked."
In a blog post, he gradually explains that Linux's fragmentation was the final straw. Can you see the bow I'm trying to draw here? De Icaza's comments about Linux fragmentation mirror what's going on in the Android ecosystem.
In fact, though, it's not as compelling as Ihnatko's switch - de Icaza admits he has always recommended Macs to other people. Still, he has switched his daily and professional platform.
Would I switch from Apple? Of course. If hell froze over. Or if Apple sued me. Or sold. Or maybe if things truly got crappy in the Apple world like they did before Steve Jobs rode back in on his charger in the 1990s (but I didn't, back then).
The Walled Garden is exactly what I like about Apple. Apps and the devices (pretty much) 'just work'. I do appreciate.


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The Elizabeth Goudge Collection collects all material written by
and about Elizabeth Goudge. Books, articles, letters, and
manuscripts, as well as photographs and video recordings, are
acquired with the aim of becoming a leading repository of
information about the writer and her work. Housed in the MSMC
Library, the collection is protected, preserved, and made
accessible by the library staff. We are currently accepting
donations and contributions.
A brief biography of English author, Elizabeth Goudge written by
Professor Emeritus Kate Lindemann.
Written Works
A list of Goudge's written works including books, collections,
play productions, and anthologies.
The Collection
A list of the items contained within the special collection and
links to their catalog records.
The Archive
Guide to the Elizabeth Goudge archive
If you are interested in making donations or contributions to
the Elizabeth Goudge Special Collection and Archives please contact
Tiffany Davis at 845-569-3351 or email email@example.com.
Mount Saint Mary College
330 Powell Ave. Newburgh, NY, 12550


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(CNN) -- Dozens of Defense Department personnel are actively engaged in fighting the wildfires raging in Southern California, Pentagon officials said Tuesday, and thousands more National Guard and active-duty military personnel are available to help.
The Rice fire, east of Camp Pendleton, caused the evacuation of the Fallbrook community.
Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense, said that 12 Defense Department firefighting teams, with 12 engines, are already working the blazes and more than 17,000 National Guardsmen are potentially available if needed.
In addition, he said, 550 Marines from Camp Pendleton are preparing to deploy to the fire area.
"All of the aid that we provide is the result of a request ... from the state," McHale said. "However, we have been very proactive in independently preparing those capabilities for the possibility of such requests, and we have reached out early to state officials."
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has already called up 1,500 National Guard troops, including more than 200 taken from border duty to help with supplies and security at San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium and DelMar Fairgrounds and Racetrack, where thousands of evacuated residents are taking shelter.
Schwarzenegger also requested and received from the federal government six "modular airborne fire fighting systems" units -- which are C-130s that drop water and fire suppressant on the blazes. Watch California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger talk about the crisis »
The Pentagon provided 11 helicopters equipped with water buckets to fight the fires, McHale said. Aerial attacks on the fires, however, have been minimal because of high Santa Ana winds with gusts approaching 70 mph.
In an effort to make room for more civilians who have had to evacuate their homes, sailors stationed in Southern California are abandoning their barracks.
"Orders have been given to all sailors ashore in barracks to move to shipboard billeting to provide room for evacuees," said a Tuesday statement released by the U.S. military.
Only essential personnel are requested to report to duty at Naval Base San Diego, Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, and Naval Air Station in El Centro.
Those bases have also set up cots and tents for evacuees.
Also, the Navy has offered an Aegis cruiser, a guided missile destroyer, and two fast frigates to support evacuation efforts.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon designated March Air Reserve Base as the primary staging area for medical and relief supplies coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, McHale said.
And some 100 California National Guard medical personnel are helping alleviate "critical staffing shortfalls" at the San Diego Veterans Center, whose hospital staff are under voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders.
The fires are also having a direct effect on military personnel -- McHale said 1,400 Navy personnel and their families have been forced to evacuate, and Camp Pendleton ordered 3,000 Marines to evacuate because of the fire, the Pentagon announced Tuesday evening.
In all, the military has about Video 20 facilities around the San Diego area. E-mail to a friend


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Browse over 100 articles to help you manage your child's symptoms.
Browse our library of information about various medical conditions.
As part of UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital – consistently ranked as one of America's Best Children's Hospital by U.S. News & World Report – our providers work closely with the finest pediatric specialists and surgeons in the region and the nation. As part of University Hospitals we have access to the most current diagnostic and treatment modalities, advanced technology and evidence-based care.


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"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21
"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS." Matthew 16:26-27
"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." Mark 8:36-38
"Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!" James 5:1-3
If you download, leave me some love at the bottom of the post and God bless your use of it!
Link expired. Available in my PayPal store. E-mail me if you don't find it. Check out my TERMS OF USE here.
The password is jesuschristislord.


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Here are the latest short answers to questions posted on our Web site. In our discussion, we will cover topics from Secs. 210-19(d), 220-3(b)(9), 240-3(e), 345-3, 346-3, 347-14, 348-5, 430-6(a), 430-22(a), 430-24, 430-32, 525-1, and 525-13(d); Arts. 525 and 820; and Tables 430-147, 430-148, and 150 of the National Electrical Code (NEC).
Q. How many receptacles does the NEC allow downstream from a feed-through GFCI receptacle?
A. There's no limit on the number of receptacles fed from a feed-through GFCI receptacle; however, the NEC does limit the number of receptacles on a circuit in occupancies other than dwelling units. The maximum number of receptacles permitted on a commercial or industrial circuit is based on the 180VA per outlet rule and the VA rating of the circuit [Sec. 220-3(b)(9)].
Q. Can you use No. 14 wire for receptacle taps from a 20A circuit?
A. No. Sec. 240-3(e) points to Sec. 210-19(d) for rules on branch circuit tap conductors. Exception No. 1(c) to Sec. 210-19(d) permits No. 14 wiretaps for other than receptacle outlets.
Q. When sizing conductors and short-circuit protection for motors, should we use the motor nameplate current or the Table FLC as listed in the Code?
A. According to Sec. 430-6(a), you are to use the FLC values given in Table 430-147, 430-148, or 430-150 to determine the ampacity of conductors or ampere ratings of switches, branch circuit, short circuit, and ground-fault protection instead of the actual current rating marked on the motor nameplate. See Secs. 430-22(a) and 430-24.
Note: You shall use the motor nameplate current rating where separate motor overload protection is provided to comply with Sec. 430-32.
Q. How many consecutive feet of rigid nonmetallic conduit can you run before you need a junction box?
A. There's no limit. The only limitations would be the length of the conductors with no more than the equivalent of four quarter bends (360ø total) between pull points (Sec. 347-14).
Q. When using nonmetallic sheath cable for temporary wiring at carnivals, does Art. 305 or 525 apply? Are splices and joints required in junction boxes?
A. Sec. 525-1 states that Art. 525 covers the installation of portable wiring and equipment for carnivals, a circus, exhibitions, fairs, traveling attractions, and similar functions. Sec. 525-13(d) specifies, "Flexible cords or cables shall be continuous without splice or tap between boxes or fittings."
Q. Is it a Code violation for armored or metal-clad cable to be in contact with copper water piping?
A. No. The Code doesn't prevent the contact of armored or metal-clad cables with copper water piping, but Secs. 345-3 (Rigid), 346-3 (IMC) and 348-5 (EMT) states that where practicable, contact between dissimilar metals shall be avoided to eliminate the possibility of galvanic action. Naturally, we would like to keep the metal armor of electrical wiring from making contact from copper water piping, but this is not a Code requirement.
Q. Does the NEC require you to use coaxial cable for security cameras within a raceway?
A. No. Chapter 8 is independent of other chapters in the Code, and there is no mention in Art. 820 requiring you to install coaxial cable within a raceway.


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Intellectual freedom in Canada: Kafka's bureaucrats search between the lines
David Warren writes in "Free Hit for Free Speech" (Ottawa Citizen, January 23, 2011),
The issue here is, "freedom of speech." Do we have it in Canada, or do we not? This would once have been a rhetorical question, but isn't today. The existence of numerous so-called "human rights" commissions, and other legal and administrative machinery for the prosecution of the "politically incorrect," has brought the whole question back to life -- after centuries of freedom from formal state censorship, and star chambers.
It would be wrong to say that censorship has been re-imposed. But instead, perhaps something worse is happening. With formal censorship, a journalist or anyone with something to say, could know where he stood. I have witnessed at first hand journalism operating under censorship requirements, in Third World countries, and it struck me that both writer and reader knew what the rules were. It thus remained possible to put things "between the lines."
Even in Soviet Russia, readers knew how to understand, for instance, an item in Pravda that declared, "There have been no riots in Gorki, and all rumours to that effect are false." Translation: there have been riots in Gorki, and all the rumours are true.
The problem deepens when, as in Canada today, we have deeply committed ideological activists, embedded in our "human rights" bureaucracies, who are looking specifically for messages that have been planted "between the lines"; and who are armed with the power to mount show trials, in which the truth of an assertion is no defence (as it always was in legitimate courts, when charges were brought for libel or slander).
Labels: Canada, intellectual freedom


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Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond
The purpose of the seminary is to provide advanced theological education and training for effective leadership in the various ministries of the church for those men and women who are called and committed to Christian ministry. As a community of learners committed to God as revealed in Jesus Christ the seminary is dedicated to the following principles: 1. The seminary seeks to maintain excellence in scholarship and to provide for and encourage the spiritual growth of its faculty staff students and constituents. 2. The seminary stresses classical theological disciplines and pursues new avenues of education encouraging practical application and hands-on practice in ministry. 3. The seminary is distinctively Baptist in terms of heritage with an ecumenical commitment a global perspective and participation in the world-wide Christian mission. 4. The seminary is committed to gender and racial inclusion and in the development of faculty and staff pledges to seek to achieve balance in gender and race. Adopted October 2000
School Information3400 Brook Road
Richmond, Virginia 23227-4536
Locale: Suburb: Large
Open Admissions: Yes
Sector: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Carnegie Basic: Theological seminaries, Bible colleges, and other faith-related institutions
Religious Affiliation: Baptist
Accrediting Agency: Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools
Common name(s):
Students & Faculty
Degrees & Programs
|Theology/Theological Studies


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Sounders FC
Sounders roster renewed for rematch with Timbers
In their first MLS meeting in April, Sounders FC and the Portland Timbers played to a 4-4 draw, with Seattle scoring twice in the final five minutes.
In their U.S. Open Cup match on Wednesday, the Timbers equalized in stoppage time before Seattle surged to a 3-1 win in extra time.
The third meeting comes Sunday, and it could have even more going for it: a near-sellout crowd jamming the full 67,000-seat capacity of CenturyLink Field, a national television audience and the expected return of U.S. national team captain Clint Dempsey after his stint at World Cup in Brazil.
"It's going to be crazy," Seattle defender Chad Marshall said. "Obviously the last game was tough, physical, 120 minutes. I'm sure in an even bigger stadium, packed out, it's going to keep going. … It's hard to top (the first two). I'm sure Sunday will be crazy, too."
Both teams are very different from the ones that met April 5 in Portland. Since then, the Sounders have gone 9-1-1 and roared to the top of the Major League Soccer standings, while the Timbers have gone 4-3-6 and are trying to climb into playoff position.
And by necessity, both teams also will be somewhat changed from Wednesday because of the toll of playing two games in five days — especially for the seven Seattle and six Portland field players who went the full 120 minutes.
"A few guys have to play a few more minutes maybe than we would have expected," Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said. "It is what it is, and you've got to deal with the situations are they come."
The most notable lineup changes could come on the Sounders' side, where goals co-leaders Dempsey and Obafemi Martins are expected to return along with U.S. national team right back DeAndre Yedlin.
Yedlin played in the Open Cup match Wednesday, but hasn't played in an MLS match since May 11 at New England. Martins missed the Open Cup match and the 1-0 loss at Vancouver last weekend due to a hamstring injury. Dempsey had been away on international duty since mid-May.
"Excited about being back again," Dempsey said after returning to training Friday. "I just want to say how great the guys have done since me and DeAndre have gone. We just want to get back on the team and try to keep that going."
Since that original match in April, the Timbers have signed designated player Fanendo Adi, a 6-foot-4 forward from Nigeria whose contract was purchased from Danish club FC Copenhagen. The Sounders got a first look at Adi on Wednesday, when he took five shots and put one on goal.
"He's a big body — adds that dimension for them," Marshall said. "They can pump balls into his chest, and he holds it up for them. He's a handful. Obviously he makes good runs in the box, and they look for him on set pieces and the long ball. I like playing against those big guys and banging. Those games are fun."
The game will be the second of the season played with CenturyLink open to its full capacity. In the previous such match, Seattle beat San Jose, 1-0, before a crowd of 49,746. That ran the Sounders' all-time record to 9-0-3 when playing before a home crowd of larger than 40,000.
More than 60,000 tickets already have been sold for this one.
"It's not too much of a drop-off in terms of that excitement we experienced during the World Cup," Dempsey said. "… The support that we have here, you can't replicate it I don't think anywhere else in the States because of the numbers that we get to our games is something that's special. There are other passionate fans that are with the different teams, but in terms of numbers and support that we get here is amazing and tough to beat."


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Robert Pattinson Accusing Kristen Stewart of Second Affair?
Radar Online is reporting that Kristen Stewart is currently holed up at producer Giovanni Agnelli's pad, where she had been "crying her eyes out non-stop" and refusing to shower.
Making alleged matters worse, a "super angry" Robert Pattinson has been phoning Agnelli "a lot" since Stewart became his house guest, mainly to accuse the Welcome to the Rileys financier of sleeping with Stewart as well.
Gossip Cop has accused Radar of making up both the Agnelli sleepover story and the subsequent affair accusation, citing multiple sources.
People magazine, meanwhile, says Stewart's sole confirmed lover Rupert Sanders has been estranged from wife Liberty Ross since he informed her of his affair.
Pattinson, who has also been shunning the spotlight since news of the tryst first broke, was reportedly spotted at a bar in Ojai, California, Friday night.
Patrons at the Deer Lodge, located not far from Reese Witherspoon's ranch where the Water for Elephants actor is known to be crashing, claim Pattinson was enjoying the atmosphere with some friends and "seemed in good spirits."
[photo via AP]


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Anatomy of a Television Commercial
Commercials, we don't like them but we still have to watch them. (Except for superbowl commercials, those are funny!) However, they are expensive to make and a lot of thought goes into them. The Anatomy of a Television Commercial by Voices.com explains what it takes to be a commercial worth it's costs to make.
Learn about how to create a compelling TV ad in this visually appealing infographic. See key developments in the television ad industry and who the key players are. Learn how to write a script, what a good script length is and how to choose the right voice talent for a TV commercial.
This design does a good job leading the reader through a story top-to-bottom. The use of the TV illustrations as frames for the different data visualizations consistently reinforces the television-related topic without text.
Where they messed up the visualizations is in the Television Commercial Durations section. At first, I couldn't understand why the visuals all looked wrong, but I finally realized they made a full circle equivalent to 100 seconds, instead of the standard 60 seconds used on EVERYONE'S clocks all over the world! The 60-second visual should be a full circle, and not the 2/3 shaded circle shown. Big visualization mistake! Don't confuse your audience.
I find it interesting that ad spending and television ad portion of advertising budgets continue to rise even with some many new ways to more effectively advertise online. If there are any advertisers reading this post, may I point your attention to the Advertise page for Cool Infographics…
Thanks to Ashley for sending in the link!


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Ajit Pai Now Trying To Pretend That Everybody Supported Net Neutrality Repeal
from the allergic-to-the-truth dept
By now it's abundantly clear that the Trump FCC's repeal of net neutrality was based largely on fluff and nonsense. From easily disproved claims that net neutrality protections stifled broadband investment, to claims that the rules would embolden dictators in North Korea and Iran, truth was an early and frequent casualty of the FCC's blatant effort to pander to some of the least competitive, least-liked companies in America (oh hi Comcast, didn't see you standing there). In fact throughout the repeal, the FCC's media relations office frequently just directed reporters to telecom lobbyists should they have any pesky questions.
With the rules now passed and a court battle looming, FCC boss Ajit Pai has been making the rounds continuing his postmortem assault on stubborn facts. Like over at CNET, for example, where Ajit Pai informs readers in an editorial that he really adores a "free and open internet" despite having just killed rules supporting that very concept:
"I support a free and open internet. The internet should be an open platform where you are free to go where you want, and say and do what you want, without having to ask anyone's permission. And under the Federal Communications Commission's Restoring Internet Freedom Order, which takes effect Monday, the internet will be just such an open platform. Our framework will protect consumers and promote better, faster internet access and more competition."
'Course if you've paid attention, you know the FCC's remaining oversight framework does nothing of the sort, and is effectively little more than flimsy, voluntary commitments and pinky swears by ISPs that they promise to play nice with competitors. With limited competition, FCC regulatory oversight neutered, the FTC an ill-suited replacement, and ISPs threatening to sue states that try to stand up for consumers, there's not much left intact that can keep incumbent monopoly providers on their best behavior (barring the looming lawsuits and potential reversal of the rules).
Over in an interview with Marketplace, Pai again doubles down on repeated falsehoods, including a new claim that the repeal somehow had broad public support:
Marketplace....this is not a popular decision. Millions of people have written in opposition to it. Public opinion polling shows most Americans favor net neutrality, not your open internet rule. And I wonder why you're doing this then? If public opinion is against you, what are you doing?
Pai: First of all, public opinion is not against us. If you look at some of the polls —
Marketplace: No, it is, sir, come on.
Pai: If you look at some of the polling, if you dig down and see how these polls were constructed, it was clearly designed to reach a particular result. But even beyond that —
Marketplace: It's not just one, there are many surveys, sir.
Pai: The FCC's job is not to put a finger in the wind and decide which way the winds are blowing, it's to look at the facts and make a sober judgment based on what the law is. And that is exactly what we've done here. Moreover, the long-term interest is in building better, faster, cheaper internet access. That is what consumers say when I travel around the country, and I've have spoken to consumers in Los Angeles to the reservation in South Dakota, places like Dahlonega, Georgia. That is what is on consumers' minds. That is what this regulatory framework is going to deliver.
First Pai tries to claim that the public supported his repeal, then when pressed tries to claim that the polls that were conducted were somehow flawed. Neither is true. In fact, one recent survey out of the University of Maryland found that 82% of Republicans and 90% of Democrats opposed the FCC's obnoxiously-named "restoring internet freedom" repeal. And those numbers are higher than they were just a few years ago. That the public is overwhelmingly opposed to Pai's repeal is simply not debatable.
When discrediting the polls doesn't work, Pai then implies consumers aren't smart enough to realize that gutting oversight of indisputably terrible ISPs like Comcast will be secretly good for them. He then tries to insist that public opinion doesn't matter and that he's simply basing his policy decisions on cold, hard facts. Which, for a guy that claimed during the repeal that net neutrality aids fascist dictators, made up a DDOS attack, ignored countless widelesly respected internet experts and based his repeal entirely on debunked lobbyist data--is pretty amusing.
Whether Pai's repeated lies result in anything vaguely resembling accountability remains to be seen. But based on the volume of time Pai spends touring flyover country, it's pretty clear he's harboring some significant post-FCC political aspirations. Those ambitions are likely to run face first into very real voters (especially of the Millennial variety) harboring some very real annoyance at his gutting of a healthy and open internet.
Filed Under: ajit pai, fcc, net neutrality, public support


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US unveils spy massive Jellyfish Robot for underwater surveillance
This five-and-a-half-foot robot jellyfish could be the future of Navy underwater surveillance. Seriously. Maybe. Certainly, if a team of engineers from Virginia Tech gets its way.
Meet the Cyro, an autonomous robot with eight mechanical legs ringing its metal chassis, designed to mimic the unique, efficient underwater propulsion of a jellyfish. Covered in silicone to replicate the jellyfish's wavy, bioluminescent mesoglea — the jelly, basically — the Cyro weighs a staggering 170 pounds, all thanks to a five-year grant from the Office of Naval Research.
The robot is still a prototype, years away from being in the water. But it represents a new kind of testbed for oceanographic surveillance, the Cyro's basic application. Like the bird- and insect-shaped drones the Air Force is developing, a jellyfish-like spybot has a natural stealth advantage. "Mimicking a natural animal found in a region allows you to explore a lot better," says Alex Villanueva, a graduate student at Virginia Tech working on the Cyro.
It's a much different model for underwater propulsion than the Navy's used to. Jellyfishes move, uniquely, by flapping themselves about. "It's not necessarily the best hydrodynamics propulsion mechanism, but the jellyfish has a very efficient metabolism: energy going in comes out as hydrodynamic energy," Villaneuva says. The Cyro isn't there yet, but it gets three to four hours of swimming time out of its rechargeable nickel metal hydride battery.
And it's also a launch-and-forget robot. There's no remote controls on the Cyro. Place it into the water, and its roll-pitch-yaw sensor package, pressure sensors and software do the rest. That's something for the Navy to think about as it considers designs for its forthcoming unmanned underwater vehicle fleet.
There's no saying whether the Navy will purchase the 'bot, and its inventors are comfortable emphasizing its civilian potential as an oceanographic research testbed. But should the Navy decide it needs a surveillance tool that looks like a massive jellyfish, there's one on offer.
( Wire )


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Addressing the needs of people with disabilities in the event of emergencies and disasters: First manual in Braille for children with visual impairments
Eight-year-old Jovana Trajcevska lives a long way from her family home in Resen, studying five days a week in Skopje at the Dimitar Vlahov State School for the Rehabilitation of Children with Visual Impairment.
From Monday to Friday she studies and sleeps in the capital. Now in her second year at the school, Jovana has already learnt all the letters, numbers and signs of the Braille alphabet well enough to read books in Braille and to solve serious maths assignments. As of next week, she will also start attending piano lessons. "She's very talented at music," says her teacher, "and her ambition is to do something connected with music."
On Friday afternoons, Jovana's mother travels to Skopje to take her daughter home for the weekend. There she says she spends her time playing with her little sister, her baby brother and her grandparents. "And don't forget my pets!" she adds, "a cat, a dog…and five pigeons." Her mother and father are very proud of Jovana's bravery in adapting so well to sleeping so far away from home at such an early age.
Jovana's parents first saw signs of their daughter's visual impairment when she was only a baby. "We took her for extensive medical examinations here and in other countries," they explain, "The diagnosis was extremely serious and by the time she was two years old she had to undergo surgery and have ocular prostheses in both her eyes. We had to resign ourselves to the fact that she would never have eyesight. But Jovana never let her condition stop her from learning about the world—always asking us and her grandparents so many questions."
Jovana is one of 30 students at the Dimitar Vlahov State School for the Rehabilitation of Children with Visual Impairment. The school is leading the way in the country's efforts to address the special needs of children with visual impairments.
UNDP has been working with the Dimitar Vlahov School on additional measures to help reduce the risks and negative effects of disasters. Together with the Crisis Management Centre and the Ministry of Education, UNDP and the school have produced the country's first manual for children in Braille on how to stay safe in case of earthquakes, fires, floods and other natural disasters.
"One of the areas we're working on now," says the school's director Goranco Jakimov, "is the special needs of the visually impaired when it comes to emergencies and natural disasters. We have already developed evacuation maps in Braille and we've installed a sound system to provide an early warning for the children if there is an emergency. Next year, as soon as the weather gets warmer, a training drill will be organized with the help of UNDP on how to act in case of emergencies."
Integrating the needs of people with visual impairments within the processes of planning and preparing for emergencies can significantly reduce their vulnerability.
"Measures like the new manual in Braille and the tactile evacuation maps can also greatly increase the effectiveness of Government response and recovery efforts," explains Stevko Stefanoski from the Crisis Management Centre, adding that "We are doing our best to make sure these needs are incorporated within all of our national disaster risk-management plans."
Rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts must not only be inclusive and responsive to the needs of all people, including persons with disabilities, but should include the participation of persons with disabilities, to ensure that their needs and rights are respected. "Women and children with disabilities are a particularly vulnerable group whose needs should be included at all stages of prevention and recovery," says UNDP Project Manager Vasko Popovski.
This manual was produced as part of UNDP's wider project for Disaster Risk Reduction, which has helped to provide training in dealing with earthquakes and fires for over 18,000 students in the past years.
Jovana says the new manual is the next thing on her reading list. "Children need to learn what to do in earthquakes and fires," she says, "You feel safer—you are safer—if you know the best thing to do when they happen."


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Lightning Sign Adam Erne to Entry Level Contractby Staff Writer / Tampa Bay Lightning
TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Adam Erne to an entry-level contract today, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced. He will report to the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League for the remainder of the season on an amateur tryout contract.
Erne, 18, played in 48 games with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season, recording 21 goals and 62 points along with 65 penalty minutes. He ranked second on the Remparts for points and was fourth for goals. Erne played in one playoff game with Quebec during the QMJHL playoffs and recorded one goal.
The 6-foot-1, 206-pound forward appeared in 180 games over three seasons with Quebec, amassing 57 goals and 189 points to go along with 164 penalty minutes. He also skated in five games for the United States at the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championships in Sweden, posting one assist.
Erne was selected by the Lightning in the second round, 33rd overall, at the 2013 NHL Draft.


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It seems Acer and Samsung didn't even wait for CES 2012 to official start before announcing AcerCloud, PicStream, and SwipeIt, or basically what Apple announced in 2011. Acer was up first with a service called AcerCloud that sounds suspiciously like iCloud, even substituting PicStream for Photo Stream. Hmm...
And if that's not enough, Samsung -- who have made it something of a habit to copy Apple -- have now gone so far as it to create an AirPlay clone called -- I kid you not! -- SwipeIt.
About the only thing left is the race to see who will launch the first real Siri competitor. While third party attempts like Iris, Google's Majel project, etc. made some early noise, as did fake -- and now removed -- "Official" Siri for Android apps, it's only a matter of time before someone like Samsung or Google themselves go all in on a Siri-like service all their own.
Imitation is still the sincerest form of flattery, right?
Source: Android Central


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Kate Beckinsale (source)
Ashlee Simpson-Wentz (source)
Charlize Theron (source)
Ok…I'm going to be honest; this is not one of the easiest trends to pull off. Maxi dresses are all the rage right now, and you can find them everywhere from Old Navy to Target on the low end to upscale designer styles. While these flowy frocks seem like they would be the answer for all of us body conscious girls (goodbye thunder thighs!), the wrong print or cut could have your dress looking one step away from a house coat.
This being said, I love a good maxi dress; they are ethereal, bohemian and not to mention, comfy. Not only that, but they are the perfect cover up for trendanista mom's-to-be. If you are brave enough to try this trend, here are a few tips on how to wear a maxi dress:
1) Get a good cut: if you have an ample top, make sure the girls aren't spilling out everywhere, and that's just for starters. Make sure your waist is still defined, whether with an empire style or with a belt, and make sure that your not going to trip over a too-long hemline.
2) Prints: beware of busy prints that induce headaches or blurry vision, because that's a lot of fabric to deal with. If you are particularly unsure or self-conscious, go with a solid print maxi dress to start.
3) Accessorize: another reason to go with a solid colored maxi dress is that it is going to be the easiest to accessorize with. Long necklaces, scarves, and look-at-me handbags go great with a maxi dress. Still not sure what to wear those trendy gladiator sandals with? Try them with a maxi dress to double up on trends.
If you are still not sure, then get yourself an inexpensive solid colored maxi dress and wear it as a cover up to the beach or the pool and give it a test drive. If you decide that the longer style isn't for you, cut it to just above knee length and repurpose it into a sun dress. Either way, experiment and have fun! Let us know what you think about this summer trend and if it works for you!
Source: CoutureintheCity.com


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This year, 2016, could be among the warmest years on record, according to the Met Office annual global temperature forecast.
The mean temperature for the coming 12 months could be close to one degree Centigrade above the average of 14.0 °C calculated between 1961 and 1990.
Taken from long-term data, a global mean of between 0.72 °C and 0.96 °C above the long-term average of 14.0 °C is expected.
Professor Chris Folland, research fellow at the Met Office, said: "2015 is on track to be the warmest year on record, and this forecast suggests 2016 is likely to be at least as warm, if not warmer."
The predictions take into account man-made global warming, combined with a smaller effect from El Niño from unusually warm waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
The fact that 2014, 2015 and 2016 are all likely to be amongst the warmest years on record is also consistent with earlier Met Office research.
Professor Adam Scaife, head of long-range prediction at the Met Office, said: "This forecast suggests that by the end of 2016 we will have seen three record, or near-record years in a row for global temperatures."
The Met Office have stated that while it doesn't expect this run of back-to-back records continue indefinitely, the current situation shows how global warming can combine with smaller, natural fluctuations to push our climate to levels of warmth which are unprecedented in the data records.


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DB2 Package-Level Statistics and Batch Tuning
MartinPacker 11000094DH Visits (11968)
I don't know how many years it's been since DB2 Version 8 was shipped but I've FINALLY added support for some really useful statistics that became available with that release. As so often happens I was caused to open up my code because of some customer data that exposed a problem in it: The customer sent DB2 Version 8 SMF 101 Accounting Trace data that contained Unicode. In particular DB2... [More]
Capacity, Performance and Systems Investigation
MartinPacker 11000094DH Visits (10603)
At one level Performance and Capacity Management and Systems Investigation are clearly linked: They share the same data. Or much of it at least. But I think they're linked in another way, too. Over the past few years I've gradually shifted emphasis towards Systems Investigation. But this has only been a slight shift, a "non modo sed etiam" and still only really mainframe. So I'm... [More]
Memory Metrics Now That z/OS Release 8 Is Upon Us
MartinPacker 11000094DH Comment (1) Visits (19141)
I was asked an interesting question today by a customer - one with dozens of LPARs and therefore not much time to study each one in excruciating detail... "Given that System High UIC (hereafter referred to as 'UIC') behaves differently in z/OS R.8 how should I treat it?" I've posted on this question in MXG-L Listserver, soliciting experiences and opinions. With z/OS R.8 we replaced the "page-UIC"... [More]
Feedback from my UKCMG Mainframe Performance Instrumentation Birds Of A Feather
MartinPacker 11000094DH Comment (1) Visits (10300)
It was a very good session, even if it was attended by just a "hard core" of mainframe sites. I think everyone said at least something and several said rather more than that. Here are some things I'd like to note from it... There was a general feeling that it'd be useful to have a name for a machine that could be entered on the HMC and flow through to SMF records, particularly Type 70 (CPU). So... [More]
An Excellent Paper on Uniprocessor Performance Management
MartinPacker 11000094DH Visits (8528)
My good friend Linda August (of the IBM Washington Systems Center and previously of the global Performance Management team I was a member of) has written a very good paper (and an accompanying presentation she gave at SHARE in February). The theme is highly topical: The management of uniprocessor LPARs. Topical because of the increased uniprocessor speed of the z990 and particularly the z9... [More]


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First there were the books, then the movies and finally the videogame. You may ask why review now since the game has been out since 2007, with currently two expansion packs and a third underway. The reason is simply, it has become free to play.
With most MMORPGs, you have to pay to play, think World of Warcraft where a monthly fee has to be paid. Or think Guild Wars where you are expected to pay for the game and expansions and that's it. So what's the difference here? It's free to play, but some things require a fee to be paid once. Those who are already subscribers and paid a monthly fee get benefits, same goes for those who are lifetime subscribers, which is only normal.
Is there any real difference? Not really. The one main thing is that you can unlock special items, races and even classes by paying for them. Suppose you want to play the enemy, then you'll have to pay. You want to play the Warden class, have to pay. You get to play for free, so that's a small price to pay in my opinion.
I talked about races. You can choose the main four ones: Man, Elf, Hobbit and Dwarf. When you have chosen a race, you can even choose where they hail from. I chose Female Human who hails from Rohan (other options were Bree, Gondor etc.). You then have to choose a class and this is what i quite liked about LOTRO. When you choose a class it also tells who was the inspiration which ties back to the books and movies. It also describes the main role in the game: tank, dps, healer, buffer etc and how easy the class is to play. So as a newbie you can go for an 'easy' class and along the way create a moderate or difficult class. I chose to play a Guardian (easy and tank).
I also quite liked that you saw familiar characters. I created an Elf and met Elrond, but as female Human I met Strider and family of the Sackville-Bagginses, which was quite nice. Another thing I noticed is that you earn titles. For example, i hail from Rohan so my title was Silwyn of Rohan. I didn't die the first 5 levels, and I earned a new title: Silwyn the Wary. You can pick and choose which title to show.
I talked about purchasing items with real money, actually those was not completely true. You will need Turbine Points, which you can both buy or earn ingame by completing deeds. Deeds are certain quests you have to do: kill x amount of enemies etc.
Normally in MMORPG you have to choose several professions, here you can choose a vocation which consists out of 3 professions. So for example, you go for the Explorer vocation, then you'll get the following professions: Forester, Prospector, Tailor. It all depends on how you want to play your character, which can be especially fun in one of the RP channels.
You really have to get used to the game, but if you're a LOTR fan then you'll love this. I was a bit wary about the game at first since i chose to play an Elf Minstrel (healer). I couldn't quite grasp it. Just a side-note here as well, as a Minstrel you can learn to play different musical instruments, so no casting magic or anything, you play music. I then rolled a Female Human Guardian and i quite liked this better. I've always been a big fan of Rohan, so I'm trying to recreate this and I liked this better.
The world is very immersive and you can do a whole lot with this. I barely scratched the surface so far. I give this game a definite 5/6.


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Do These Taste Chewy to You?
I think I've let the Star Wars fervor sparked by the awesomeness that was the Vader Baby Shower cake and Yoda's Stint in Cake Decorating die down long enough. Now it's time to visit the other side of the spectrum, where we will delve into the true mysteries of the galaxy, and ask the one question every brave soul must answer before continuing on his or her quest to become a true Jedi:
"Chewbacca? Is that you?"
Of course this question is often made more difficult by Chewy's striking resemblance to Big Foot:
His mixed lineage of both Ewok and Muppet ancestry:
UPDATE: You guys continue to amaze me with your awesomeness. Madalina, creator of the Constipated Chewy, wrote in to tell me she's NOT a professional baker - so that's a definite my bad - but that she's fine with it remaining here. "I still get a laugh looking at it," she wrote, "and hope that it makes other people laugh too!" Thanks, Madalina, and may I say it's my hope that someday ALL bakers have your grace and good humor?
And as for the rest of you: Be sure to check out Madalina's blog Duh-Licious and show her some love, k?


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Ultra-Orthodox protest shuts down Jerusalem
JERUSALEM — Much of Jerusalem was paralyzed Sunday by a demonstration by hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews against a bill that would require many of them to serve in the military.
The main road between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv was closed, and transportation within the city was severely disrupted. Offices and schools closed early. More than 3,500 police stood watch.
The rally, part protest, part prayer vigil, was organized by the religious and political leadership of the insular haredi (ultra-Orthodox) community in Israel, which strongly opposes mandatory conscription on the grounds that it would tear yeshiva students from their full-time religious studies.
They, and their counterparts throughout the world, are particularly incensed that the bill would criminalize yeshiva students who evade service.
Prior to the demonstration, Rabbi Ahron Teitelbaum, the New York-based head of the ultra-conservative Satmar Hassidim worldwide, told his followers, "We aren't afraid of beating and whipping, we're not afraid to sit in jail, we are ready to sacrifice ourselves. We went through the (Spanish) Inquisition and Auschwitz, and the strength of (Israel) will not lie," according to Yeshiva World News.
The haredi draft exemption has become an ever-hotter flashpoint between ultra-Orthodox and non-ultra-Orthodox Jews. All non-haredi Jewish men and women are required to serve three and two years, respectively. Some non-Jews, mostly Druze and Bedouin, all serve, while others perform civilian service.
Isael's High Court struck down the law exempting haredi yeshiva students from being drafted back in 2012, but the government has repeatedly postponed conscription due to demands from the country's ultra-Orthodox political parties, who represent many of the country's 800,000 haredim – roughly 10% of Israeli's population.
Many Israelis think it is unfair that haredi men, many of whom have eight or more children, usually opt for religious studies over paid employment. The public is also critical of the community's refusal to teach basic secular subjects like math and English in school, a fact that makes even those haredim who do want to join the workforce — and there are reportedly many — unqualified for most jobs.
Nissim Leon, an expert on haredim at Bar-Ilan University, said the community opposes conscription due to ideology, not laziness.
"They believe they are protecting the soul of the Jewish people and the nation, and that that is their contribution," Leon said. "Additionally, they're afraid that if their children go to the army, they will be exposed to the outside world and not remain haredi."
Shachar Ilan, vice president of Hiddush, an organization that promotes religious freedom and equality, said the exemption places a burden on those who do serve.
"People risk their lives, so the fact that one sector of the Jewish public doesn't serve is problematic and tearing the country apart."
Ilan said the problem is also demographic.
"Right now about 15% of Jewish 18-year-olds are haredi, but eight years from now, their proportion of the population will be 26% due to their high birth rate."
At the rally, men and boys dressed in black coats and black hats carried placards declaring "Military service will not be imposed on us" and "Jews cannot survive without the Torah." Due to the community's standards of modesty, women and children stood on separate streets, praying.
Standing in a sea of men, Yaniv Ben Mashiach, a 16-year-old haredi high school student, vowed he would not join the military when he turns 18 because "Torah is the highest service."
David Waldman, a 19-year old yeshiva student from the U.S. who immigrated to Israel two years ago, said he respects the young men and women who serve in the army.
"Soldiers and yeshiva students both have a role to play. We believe the reason Israel has survived to this day is because of the study of Torah. Together, we and the soldiers on the battlefield sustain Israel."
Standing in the men's section of the demonstration – and asked by some of the men to leave for reasons of modesty – Naama Tshuva, 25, a secular Israeli woman, said she was "impressed by the haredi community's ability to unite in a way that secular society never does."
Tshuva, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt so different from the long skirts of the haredi women, said the draft bill "really isn't the issue. The issue is that the haredi community has largely cut itself off from the rest of society, and the army, like the workplace, is a place for all of us to get to know one another better. There's a lot of hatred on both sides, and that hurts everyone."


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March 30, 2009 -- Babies who gain weight quickly in the first six months of life may be more likely to be obese by age 3, according to a new study.
"There is increasing evidence that rapid changes in weight during infancy increase children's risk of later obesity," says researcher Elsie Taveras, MD, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, in a news release. "The mounting evidence suggests that infancy may be a critical period during which to prevent childhood obesity and its related consequences."
In the study, published in Pediatrics, researchers compared weight-for-length measurements taken at birth, 6 months, and 3 years of age among 559 children.
Researchers say many previous studies on infant weight gain and childhood obesity focused mainly on body weight. But taking length into account as well as weight is a better indicator of body fat, similar to the body mass index (BMI) used to measure obesity in adults.
By the time the children reached age 3, 9% were obese.
The results showed the relationship between rapid weight gain for length between birth and 6 months and childhood obesity at age 3 was significant, even after adjusting for factors such as prematurity or babies who were underweight at birth.
Overall, children in the highest quartiles based on weight-for-length measurements at birth and 6 months had a 40% probability of childhood obesity by age 3, compared to 1% for children in the lowest quartiles.
"At first it may seem implausible that weight gain over just a few months early in infancy could have long-term health consequences, but it makes sense because so much of human development takes place during that period -- and even before birth," says researcher Matthew Gillman, MD, of Harvard's Obesity Prevention Program, in the news release. "Now we need to find out how to modify weight gain in infancy in ways that balance the needs of the brain and the body."


text: Compare state tax rates and rules — on income, ordinary purchases, gas, sin products, property, and more — across the U.S. Click on any state in the map below for a detailed summary of state taxes on income, property, and everything you buy. View additional maps below, including our picks for the 10 most tax-friendly and the 10 least tax-friendly states in the U.S. (Retirees, visit our Retiree Tax Map to learn how each state taxes different kinds of retirement income and to discover special tax breaks for seniors.) Hover over or click on any state in the map for the option to add the state to your compare list to quickly see how selected states stack up. View State Compare List (0) selected | Compare up to 5 The 10 Least Tax-Friendly States More Details on Least Tax-Friendly States | Go to Kiplinger Tax Map See more from the Kiplinger Tax Map collection The 10 mosttax-friendly states States withno income tax States withno state sales tax States with thelowest gas taxes States with thelowest beer taxes The 10 leasttax-friendly states States wheregroceries are taxable States with thehighest sales tax States with thehighest gas taxes States with thehighest beer taxes SOURCES: State tax departments, the American Petroleum Institute, the Tax Foundation, the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. About our methodology


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Texas brags (again)
After writing about Texas, the Lone Star State, for two weeks now, I have received some delightful pieces of information about the state I call home. Ted and I also took a few days off and toured the beautiful Hill Country of Texas. All of the locals we spoke to in Burnet, Marble Falls, around lakes LBJ, Inks and Buchanan, in Llano, Leander, Mason County, and at Enchanted Rock assured us that the bluebonnets were the prettiest they had been in over a decade. We had assumed that because of the drought, the spring flowers would not be as plentiful or as beautiful as they might have been. We were wrong.
One of the men we met on the trip said that the rains came at just the right time (isn't that just like God?) and that his 50-acre field was the most magnificent he had ever seen it since he had been planting the awesome flowers for folks to enjoy. While we were there, near Leander, car after car stopped for folks to bring children and adults to get their photos made in the huge field of blue. We joined in the fun and a kind resident stepped up and said, "Would you two like me to take your photo together in the bluebonnets?" What a nice gesture, and we accepted right away. That's something else I have learned about Texas. Folks simply are friendly and they do what seems right at the moment – for the most part. It might do to add that they are not shy, either. If they think their idea is better than yours, they will let you know that, too.
One of the highlights of our fifth wedding anniversary trip was why Ted planned to go to the Hill Country in the first place. He learned while living in Austin some years ago that the Texas Legislature had enacted a bill naming the Texas topaz the state gem. Two years later, the Legislature had named the Lone Star Cut as the gem cut of the state. Both are approved and fairly rare. A gem cutter has to know how to get the depth of the star, not just in outline form, but showing the complete image of the state seal. Ted had ordered such a cut into a Mason County topaz for a beautiful ring and we were to pick it up in Leander, a charming little Hill Country town. We met the jeweler and had the ring sized and the setting decided, and on Sunday, we drove to Mason County where the actual stone was dug from Texas soil. I can't wait to get it on my finger.
Unlike the old Holiday Inn slogan, I love surprises, and this turned out to be a rare and beautiful one. I did not even know that the clear topaz, with a slight blue tint, was the official state gem and that it was dug in Mason County. The jeweler also had blue topaz, but they were from Brazil and I wanted the Texas one. Every week I am discovering new and wonderful things about this giant state.
A friend in Florida sent me a book printed in 1945 about Texas, and I am having a ball reading the information contained in it. The collections were done by John Randolph and the illustrations by Mark Storm. The Anson Jones Press in Houston printed the small book. I realize that some of the information may have been updated by now, but it is still fun to contemplate.
Texas covers 263,644 square miles. If you fold Texas northward, Brownsville will be 120 miles into Canada. Fold it eastward and El Paso will be 40 miles into the Atlantic. Fold it westward and Orange will be 215 miles into the Pacific. Texas is both in the South and in the West, but Texans are neither Southerners nor Westerners. They are Texans, which is God's plenty in itself.
Firsts in Texas include petroleum, gas, carbon black, helium, sulphur,, onions, spinach, pecans, mohair, salt beds, cotton, sheep, roses, mutton, goats, wool, mules, turkeys, hides, railroad mileage, pipe line mileage, watermelons, and tall tales.
To see God's true handiwork, visit Texas during the spring to see the more than 4,000 varieties of wildflowers. The Hill Country is the perfect canvas for this beauty. Tyler is the rose garden of America and produces more than a third of all U.S. rosebushes. Millions are shipped annually.
Let's learn to be aware of all of God's bountiful creation and the beauty all around us. I do not personally want to grow old and realize I have seen what was there, experienced what God provided, and shared it with my friends. God bless Texas.
Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at (409) 781-8788 or at brendacannonhenley [at] yahoo [dot] com.


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Reality TV World: If you two had won, what do you think you would have done with the money and how were you guys cast on The Amazing Race -- how did you end up on the show? Amani Pollard: Marcus was initially thinking about doing it with a former teammate. That kind of fell through, so then him and I thought it would be a great opportunity to do it together, so we went ahead and applied and we went through the whole casting process. It wasn't, "Oh, we want you," and they put us in. No, we were there with everyone else doing everything everybody else did. So, and what would we have done with the money? Our kids wanted a swimming pool. (Laughs)
They werent mactors!!
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We've had an exciting month in our Joplin, Mo., region with ribbon cutting ceremonies for six branches! The new branches in Missouri are located in the following cities: Monett, Nevada, Joplin, Carthage and Lockwood. The sixth new branch in the region is in Pittsburg, Kan. The branches officially opened their doors in March and have been eager to get involved in the local community. Here are the specifics on each branch.MonettOn May 1, Arvest Bank celebrated its ribbon cutting at our Monett branch located at 100 E. Broadway. PittsburgWe were thrilled to have the community join in celebrating the ribbon cutting of the first Arvest Bank in Pittsburg located at 216 N. Broadway on May 2.NevadaArvest Bank celebrated its ribbon cutting on May 8 for the Nevada branch located at 401 E. Austin. LockwoodArvest Bank opened it's doors for the first time in Lockwood with a location at 704 Main St. The ribbon cutting on May 9 was a great introduction to the community. JoplinOn May 14 we celebrated the ribbon cutting for the Joplin branch located at 402 S. Rangeline Rd. This branch makes the sixth Arvest location in Joplin. CarthageOn May 16 we celebrated the ribbon cutting of the third Arvest location in Carthage which is located at 2424 Fairlawn Ave. near the roundabout. Thanks to our dedicated customers and associate who make growth like this possible!
Submitted questions will be answered by an Arvest banker and may appear on the Arvest Blog.
All Arvest banks are Equal Housing Lenders and Member FDIC.
Investment products and services are provided by Arvest Investments, Inc., doing business as Arvest Asset Management, member FINRA/SIPC, an SEC registered investment adviser and a subsidiary of Arvest Bank. Trust services are provided by Arvest Bank. Insurance products are made available through Arvest Insurance, Inc., which is registered as an insurance agency. Insurance products are marketed through Arvest Insurance, Inc., but are underwritten by insurance companies.
Securities and Insurance Products: Not Insured by FDIC or any Federal Government Agency, May Lose Value, Not a Deposit of or Guaranteed by a Bank or any Bank Affiliate.