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Does anyone use or recommend them?
Does anyone use or recommend them?
had to google to find what they are.
but I realised I actually used something like this, for when I had bad eczema and was quite sore, but a homemade version. the doctors told me to buy two small plastic strainers/sieves in diameter of my aureola and cut off the handle and wear them over my nipples inside the nursing bra. It did look fantastically weird but helped give them air and avoid the nipple touching the cloth. I bet it was cheaper than the "real" thing.
What do you want to use them for? As pp suggests They can be very useful in keeping your your nipples from being further irritated by clothing and healing when you have very bad sore injured nipples. In the past they have also been recommended for bringing out so-called flat or inverted nipples but I think they are not considered as helpful for that anymore.
I've got very sore cracked nipples and seen them advertised.


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Showing 1 - 3 of 3 for "Greek"
A chorus of old men
A Calvin professor of classical languages has written a new book about the role of old male choruses in Greek drama.
January 06, 2011 | Myrna Anderson
Interim: Exploring the mythological roots of Hollywood film
This January, students are studying classical myths and the contemporary films that spring from them.
January 14, 2013 | Myrna Anderson
The king, his ring and the temple
A professor and student of classics are researching an ancient Greek text about Solomon and magic.
July 15, 2011 | Jeff Febus , Andrew Knot

subset: commoncrawl


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LAKE PLACID - A familiar face is in the running for one of the open seats on this village's Board of Trustees.
David Jones told the News recently that he's collecting signatures for an independent petition. He plans to campaign as a team with Mayor Craig Randall and Trustee Art Devlin, both of whom are seeking re-election to the board, also as independents. Jones said he was asked to run by outgoing Trustee Zay Curtis, Randall and Devlin.
"I felt honored," Jones said. "I talked it over with my wife - who thought I was crazy - and I finally convinced her."
Jones served on the board from 1989 to 2011, when he lost a re-election bid to Trustee Peter Holderied. Later that year, he ran unsuccessfully for town of North Elba highway superintendent, losing to incumbent Larry Straight.
Jones said he thinks the village is on firm financial footing. He said he wants to help the board as it looks to finance a multi-million-dollar sewer line replacement project.
"When I left the board two years ago, that was still a priority issue," Jones said. "We're still working on it. Now, the decommissioning of the lower Mill Pond dam is going to take place and is going to be part of the project. That added, obviously, more money and made the project bigger. We just got to see that through to fruition."
The village recently submitted an application to the state Environmental Facilities Corporation for low-interest financing. It also received about $1 million in grant funding through the North Country Regional Economic Development Council. Officials hope to break ground on the project in the spring.
Jones said the Board of Trustees and department heads have done a good job running the village in recent years.
"We just know how to do things over here; we get it done," he said. "If it snows 2 feet, we clear the streets. We get it open for business the next day. ... I've always been impressed with how the village operates."
Meanwhile, Trustee Jason Leon said the North Elba Democratic Committee canceled a scheduled village caucus on Tuesday.
"It appears that the lack of candidates is a reflection of village resident support of the current slate that is running for office this March," he told the News.
Randall said that when it became apparent that the Republicans and Democrats weren't going to put forth a candidate, he and Devlin set out to find someone with experience who was interested in running.
"David really likes serving," Randall said. "He's an effective trustee and does put in the time that's really needed, especially during the work week.
The deadline to submit independent petitions is Feb. 13, according to village Clerk Kathryn "Kook" McKillip. Currently, Randall, Devlin and Jones are the only individuals circulating petitions. Each candidate needs a minimum of 50 signatures to qualify for the ballot; Randall said all three petitions have easily doubled that figure so far.
McKillip said no one submitted petitions to run on the Democratic or Republican party lines for the three open board seats. Justice Bill Hulshoff, who is running for another term on the bench, will be on the Republican line. The deadline to submit party petitions was Jan. 14.
Randall, Devlin and Curtis ran as a Republican team for three open spots on the board in 2009. Curtis announced in December that he would not seek another term on the board.
The four positions up for grabs - mayor, two trustees and one justice - are four-year terms.


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Posted 6 years ago
(164 items)
horse shoe shaped ashtray with a horse head on it the white spot at the base of the horses neck is actually a hole otherwise there's no other damage to this. I'd say its never been used, made of some sort of brown clay stuff and very thin. and again I know nothing else about it age etc.


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GREENVILLE, Ill.-- Corinne Coon, Jamie Schollenbruch, Ellen Lueking, Nicole Schaeffer, and Amanda Muelberg were all recognized for SLIAC post-season honors. Head coach, Tom Ackerman, was also named SLIAC Coach of the Year.
Corinne Coon was named to the SLIAC First Team All-Conference for her outstanding performance this season. Coon, a senior from Warsaw, Ill., averaged 3.81 kills per set and finished 2013 with 389 total kills. She was second in the SLIAC in both of these categories. Her impressive play this season also earned her four SLIAC Offensive Player of the Week awards.
GC sophomore, Jamie Schollenbruch, also earned herself a spot on the SLIAC First Team. The Decatur, Ill. native was third in Conference in total digs, recording 545, and she averaged 5.19 per set. Schollenbruch nabbed SLIAC Defensive Player of the Week three times this season.
Junior, Ellen Lueking was a member of the SLIAC Second Team All-Conference. The Panthers' setter was second in the SLIAC in both assists and assists per set, with 1024 and 9.85, respectively.
Nicole Schaeffer joined Lueking on the SLIAC Second Team. The junior outside hitter had a great season, recording 287 kills, 989 total attacks, and 340 digs. Schaeffer averaged 2.76 kills per set and 3.1 points per set. Schaeffer was also named to the 2013 SLIAC Volleyball All-Tournament Team.
Amanda Muehlberg earned a spot on the SLIAC All-Sportsmanship Team for her positivity and dedication to her team.
Coach Ackerman received the coveted SLIAC Coach of the year award, leading his team to a 24-7 (17-1 SLIAC) record in 2013. Ackerman earned his 200th career win on September 28 when GC swept Principia 3-0. This year marks the fourth time Ackerman has been given this prestigious honor.


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Please note: This is a
This means that both males and females can attend
Course: Sports Massage Training
Location: City Centre Glasgow
Address: 181 Pitt Street G2 4DT
Date: Sat 2nd & Sun 3rd Dec 2017
Cost: £345 (special offer)
1. Complete the course registration form opposite
2. Read & agree to the terms and conditions
3. Make sure you have no contraindications
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5. Then make payment to secure your place. You can make payment online, by telephone or direct bank transfer
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More than 70 million Sony PlayStation Network customers are being warned to watch out for scams after the Japanese electronics giant admitted its systems have been hacked and personal information - possibly including credit card data - stolen.
After closing down its online gaming network last week, Sony has now begun e-mailing millions of users warning that "certain PlayStation Network and Qriocity service user account information was compromised in connection with an illegal and unauthorized intrusion into our network."
The breach has left names, addresses, e-mail addresses and dates of birth compromised. Profile data, including purchase history and billing address, and PlayStation Network/Qriocity password security answers may also have been obtained.
Says the letter: "While there is no evidence that credit card data was taken at this time, we cannot rule out the possibility. If you have provided your credit card data through PlayStation Network or Qriocity, to be on the safe side we are advising you that your credit card number (excluding security code) and expiration date may also have been obtained."
The firm is warning users to watch out for e-mail, telephone, and postal mail scams and to change passwords when the service is back up and running.
In a blog explaining the delay in informing users about the hack, Sony says it found out about the intrusion on the 19 April and shut down the service but only realised the scope of the breach yesterday after bringing in outside experts and conducting forensic analysis.
However, users have reacted angrily to both the breach and Sony's handling of it, with many venting their fury through comments on the update blogs.
Says one, called carlosdfn: "This fiasco has completely changed my view of Sony. This is unacceptable and amateurish. It's like a bad joke. I hope that the people in charge of PSN's security are held responsible. Epic fail doesn't even begin to describe it, we're talking millions of people here who had their data compromised. The damage is done and people wont forget this."
Financial Fraud Action UK has moved to reassure worried Brits, issuing a statement insisting: "The banking industry has robust processes in place to protect its customers' accounts by monitoring for suspicious or irregular card transactions. If Sony confirms that card details have been compromised, and provides details to us of those accounts, card issuers can place alerts on these accounts. Further steps, such as blocking the account and/or issuing new cards can be taken if necessary. There is no need for customers to contact their bank or card company at this stage."
In its latest blog, Sony says: "The entire credit card table was encrypted and we have no evidence that credit card data was taken."
Competitive base + commission + benefitsUK or Germany
© Finextra Research 2018


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What happens when you find out that the life you've lived could have been better — much better? That's what a 60-year-old Japanese truck driver had to grapple with when he discovered he was switched at birth after being born to a rich family.
The man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, was raised by a single mother in a 100-square-foot apartment. A court ruled Tuesday that a social welfare organization that ran the hospital where the mix-up occurred must pay him about $317,000 for causing "mental distress by depriving him of an opportunity to gain a higher education."
The truck driver has chosen to remain anonymous. The boy who was raised in his place by the rich family became the president of a real estate company.
"I am relieved by the court's decision to acknowledge our demands," the truck driver was quoted as saying by his lawyer after the ruling.
The Asahi Shimbun reports:
"The man's biological parents sent their four sons, including the one involved in the mix-up, to private high schools and universities.
"The plaintiff landed a job at a small workshop after graduating from junior high school. He later attended industrial high school night classes and now works as a truck driver. His biological parents died before the hospital mistake was uncovered. ...
"The court said the results of a DNA test in January 2009 confirmed the mix-up 60 years ago. The ruling follows a long search by the man's real brothers who doubted their oldest brother was a blood relative based on his appearance.
"According to the ruling, the man was born in March 1953 at San-Ikukai Hospital in Tokyo's Sumida Ward. The hospital is operated by San-Ikukai, a social welfare corporation in the same ward.
"Hospital staff mistook him for the son of a couple whose real son was born 13 minutes after he was delivered.
"After the man's 'father' died in 1955, his 'mother' raised him and two real sons while on welfare."
"It's really the tale of a prince and a pauper," reporter Lucy Craft tells NPR's Ari Shapiro, guest host of All Things Considered.
At a news conference this week, the truck driver said he wished he could "turn the clock back. ... When I learned about my real parents two years ago, I thought, oh, how I wish they had raised me."
But Lucy notes that he's shown such "grace and humility" through the process that many people have expressed sympathy for him.
"He says he feels grateful to both the family that raised him and to his birth parents, and he also says he feels no enmity or resentment or bitterness toward the boy who switched places with him," Lucy says. "He said we're both victims in this. I can't be angry at him."
The story has also reignited the nature vs. nurture debate, with, as Lucy points out, many people saying that "this is proof positive that it doesn't matter what your background is, nature cannot overcome nurture, and people who are born into poverty are doomed to stay there."
The heart-wrenching story coincides with a Japanese film that explores the theme of what would happen if two families discovered that their children were switched at birth.
Like Father, Like Son won the Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Here's the trailer:
Now, the story of two children switched at birth. In Tokyo, a court has ordered a hospital to pay damages to a 60-year-old man who recently discovered that he was sent home from the hospital with the wrong parents. The man's biological family was wealthy. The family that took him home was poor. The judge in the case found that the hospital mix-up deprived the man of an opportunity to gain a higher education and has ordered the operator of the hospital to pay some $300,000.
For more on the story, we've called Lucy Craft in Tokyo. Take us back 60 years ago. What happened when this man went home from the hospital with the wrong parents? Where did his life go from there?
LUCY CRAFT, BYLINE: Yeah. It's really the tale of a prince and a pauper. There were two babies born within a few minutes of each other. Both of them ended up going home with the wrong mother. And in one family, the father dies fairly young, single mother struggles to raise three boys on welfare. They're stuck in a tiny apartment. It's only 100 square feet.
Meanwhile, the other boy grows up in a big house, a garden with a pond, tutors, private university. He grows up and becomes the president of a real estate company and boy number one starts working at a factory after junior high school to support his family and life kind of goes downhill from there.
SHAPIRO: And the man who was raised poor became a truck driver, who has asked to remain anonymous, gave a news conference this week. Tell us a little bit about what he said.
CRAFT: It was a very emotional news conference. He was telling this harrowing story.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Speaking foreign language)
CRAFT: He says March 30th, 1953, my birthday, I want to turn the clock back to that time. When I learned about my real parents two years ago, I thought, oh, how I wish they had raised me. It's just impossible to understand what this person was going through and that's part of the reason people have expressed so much sympathy for him. He's shown so much grace and humility considering this horrendous experience he's going through.
SHAPIRO: Did he say anything about how he feels towards the family that raised him?
CRAFT: Yes. He says he feels grateful to both the family that raised him and to his birth parents. And he also says he feels no enmity or resentment or bitterness towards the boy who switched places with him. He said we're both victims in this, so I can't be angry at him.
SHAPIRO: Do we know how the mix-up happened?
CRAFT: We don't know the details and unfortunately the people who perpetrated this tragedy are long gone from the scene. But NHK, the state broadcasting network, dug up some records from something called the Japanese Society of Legal Medicine and they found that between 1957 and 1971, this is shortly after this person's case occurred, 32 cases of switched babies were recorded. So it's something that happened with awful regularity, apparently.
SHAPIRO: Wow. And how did the story of this switch come out more than half a century later?
CRAFT: In 2009, after the parents, the rich parents died, the - the four surviving brothers, I should say, the three younger ones became suspicious of the eldest brother. He didn't resemble them in any way. And so they decided to check him out and they did DNA sampling and they found that the DNA didn't match.
They went back to the hospital. They checked the records. They tracked down the other brother and got his DNA sample and then their suspicions were confirmed.
SHAPIRO: You know, in the United States, despite talk of income inequality, we have this ethos that anyone can grow up to become anything despite the circumstances of their birth and their childhood. Does the same exist in Japan?
CRAFT: Well, a lot bloggers have posted about this. They've pointed out that this boy did show a lot more initiative than the family he was raised with. While everyone else stopped their schooling at junior high, he went on to pay for and put himself through vocational school, but he ended up, in the end, just being a truck driver.
And a lot of people have said that this is proof positive that it doesn't matter what your background is, nature cannot overcome nurture, and people who are born into poverty are doomed to stay there. This isn't completely true. One of the richest men in Japan, (unintelligible) also comes from very humble beginnings. But certainly for the majority of people in Japan this is certainly the case.
SHAPIRO: Reporter Lucy Craft in Tokyo. Thanks so much, Lucy.
CRAFT: My pleasure. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Mission Statements
Applying business practices to life.
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(5) Neria, November 5, 2013 8:38 PM
Thank you
(4) Anonymous, November 3, 2013 1:33 AM
My Mission Statement
"I place G-d before me always."
If we would live with the reality that G-d is watching, our lives would be much better. First of all, we would do a lot less things wrong, and secondly, we would always feel loved and protected.
I also think a big goal of every Jewish person should be to serve G-d with happiness (Simcha) and to bring happiness to others.
Thanks for the great idea, Lori!! :)
(3) Ed Sanchez, November 1, 2013 12:54 PM
love your teachings
(2) Gavin Marsden, October 31, 2013 11:08 PM
As usual Lori knocks it out of the park with her 'Lori Almost Live' suggestions.Lori,if I may comment, when you suggested to your family your mission statement for them 'We are here to make you happy' actually is your personal mission statement.In Judaism we have have hundreds of mission statements to chose from.Two of my favourites are from Hallel and Pirkei Avot:'This is the day that the L-rd has made,we will be glad and rejoice in it' and 'He used to say,If I am not for myself,who will be for me?And being for my own self,what am I?And if not now,when?'
(1) SusanE, October 29, 2013 12:48 AM
Wow Lori, Great idea.
I don't have a mission statement. Can't even think of one right now but can't wait to hear what others are thinking.
I ask G-d daily. "What would you have me do today?" Sometimes I kinda' find out and sometimes it's not so easy to know. At the end of day I say "I hope what I did today was the thing we both had in mind". :) (is that like a daily mission statement) Thank you for the video.


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Andrew Monaco's M-Blog December 2012
Andrew Monaco serves as studio host and sideline reporter, along with play-by-play on select games, on Fox Sports Southwest, KENS and KMYS. He is the TV and radio play-by-play announcer for the Silver Stars, continues to do TV for the Rampage, (where he served as radio voice until the 2007–08 season) and handles TV on Austin Toros' telecasts. Prior to joining the SS&E family spent more than a decade covering a variety of teams.
M-Blog Archive: Nov. 2012
Bowl Season
by Andrew Monaco | Dec. 28, 2012
(Bobak Ha'Eri/Wikimedia Commons)
Bowl season.
I love this time of the year, just not as much as I used to.
What I miss most was New Year's Day being the veritable feast of college football.
Oh, I still loved the games leading up to New Year's Day. You know, when bowl games went by their bowl game name, and made sense geographically. The Peach Bowl played in Atlanta, Georgia. You knew the Tangerine Bowl was nowhere else but Orlando, Florida. The Aloha Bowl originated from Hawaii and the Garden State Bowl in the highly-desired bowl destination of East Rutherford, New Jersey. And don't get me started about the Cherry Bowl. That was tradition.
Of course, there were always some head scratchers, such as, why was the Liberty Bowl in Memphis? And why was the turf in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl coming up like that? That doesn't look right. That doesn't look right, at all.
Then bowl games went the way of NASCAR, where seemingly very soon-to-be-bankrupt computer company or fixin'-to-be defunct website would slap its name on the bowl, not adding more prestige, but, if possible, even less prestige to these games.
In my mind, though, those old bowl games were a blast. Remember, there was not wall-to-wall coverage of college football like today. Now, Saturday's are saturated with games, beginning at 11 am and lasting until well past midnight. So the bowl games were the chance to see intersectional match-ups (must be said in Keith Jackson's voice. That seemed to be a big ABC Sports selling point for non-conference meetings).
Games were not on ESPN but carried along the Mizlou Television Network, or the Hughes Television Network.
And then there was New Year's Day, when all the "big" bowls were played. Not spread out over the course of a week.
Every game was for the National Championship. (It wasn't)
Every game was incredibly well-played and hotly-contested. (Also, not true.)
It just seemed that way.
There was something special about watching bowl games on CBS, ABC and NBC.
I'd watch the Cotton Bowl Classic, not just for the game, but also for the indescribable pattern of Lindsey Nelson's jacket.
There was something special about seeing NBC's NFL broadcast teams doing the bowl games. (ABC would do this also, when the Monday Night Football crew would do the Sugar Bowl.) Watching and hearing Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen on the Rose Bowl, Don Criqui and John Brodie, then Bob Trumpy, on the Orange Bowl (which was almost always the best bowl game every year), then Charlie Jones and Jimmy Cefalo (who I would get to work with later in my career) in the Fiesta Bowl, made the games more special, somehow. I can remember Jim Simpson and Curt Gowdy doing some of those older bowl telecasts.
Fun memories, fond memories. And thinking about it, I'd always thought I would get in the broadcasting business. These memories played a large part in that decision.
Busy Fox Sports Southwest
by Andrew Monaco | Dec. 21, 2012
(Photo by D.Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty)
When you look at the NBA schedule on some nights, you see a nice, full slate of games and think what a great night of NBA basketball is in store. And you are right. It's a blast. And what looks like a typical night in the NBA is –sometimes -- anything but. Especially at Fox Sports Southwest. On those nights when the Spurs, Mavericks, Thunder and Hornets are playing, there is a choreography going on. If the Stars were skating and not currently locked out, that would be one more dance partner, to extend the analogy.
I've written previously of all the people who work behind the camera and on these nights, these men and women certainly shine. Between the planning and scheduling, -- and the ultimate execution -- they pull it off. Four teams, two studios, various start times, pregame shows, halftime shows and post-game shows, it can be quite a performance, and that's before the lights and the cameras even go on. We'll know when our shows are scheduled to start, that's the easy part. When the games end? We can guess, but it's never an exact time.
So the question I ask most is: What studio are we in? Sometimes the studio we did the pregame show is busy, so we move to the other studio for the postgame show.
Now, to answer the question I know you are asking: Yes. Yes, I have.
I know what you're thinking. "Andrew, have you ever walked in the wrong studio?"
Answer: Absolutely. And while their show was going on, live, on the air.
It's a blast doing the pregame shows, that half hour seems to fly by. Working alongside Ric Renner, talking with Bill and Sean, it seems like a half hour is never enough time. Same thing for the post game shows, which can go longer.
What makes these nights even more enjoyable is being in the "bullpen" and talking with the other hosts and studio analysts. We'll talk about the Spurs and about their teams. We'll talk sports in general, broadcasting in general, catch up on, or create some gossip, and catch up with what's going on in our lives. You make a connection because I have worked with all the hosts up there and they, collectively, are one talented group.
Yes, a friendly rivalry does exist when the Spurs play the Thunder, or the Hornets, or the Mavs, just as the schedule has lined up for the Spurs this week. It's all good-natured, of course. Producers are assigned specific teams, but they all help one another and they have all worked on the Spurs' telecasts at one time or another.
This time of the year certainly is "the most wonderful time of the year." But it's not exclusive to just these holidays. Those busy nights at the Fox Sports Southwest studios are wonderful times of the year, as well.
Appreciation of former Spur, Doc Rivers
by Andrew Monaco | Dec. 14, 2012
(Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty)
With the Boston Celtics at the AT&T Center Saturday night for a matchup with the Spurs, it brings to town former Spurs' player and broadcaster, now current head coach of the C's, Doc Rivers.
I will not lie. I miss Doc on TV. I loved listening to him work games as an color analyst, whether he was doing the NBA on TNT/TBS on the NBA on ABC.
And it brings me back to interviewing and getting to talk with him when he was head coach of the Orlando Magic.
A couple of my favorite interviews with Doc encompassed not just basketball, but books and curling.
When Doc and the Magic would meet Pat Riley and the Heat, one of the talking points would be Doc's days in New York, playing for Riley and the Knicks.
So I figured, why not bring to the interview Riley's book, The Winner Within. After talking up the matchup between the two teams, I brought out the book on camera. Doc's response was priceless. "Oh no, I LIVED that book," said Doc.
But the best part was still to come. After he finished talking about Riley, it was time to show him the other book I had with me.
It was a copy of "Those Who Love the Game: Glenn "Doc" Rivers on Life in the NBA." "Where did you get THAT?" Doc asked, incredulously. I think he was even more upset I checked it out -- for free -- from the Orange County Library, instead of purchasing it. In truth, I don't think I've ever seen it in a book store.
Another one of my favorite interviews took place in Toronto. While talking about the Magic and the Raptors, Doc let it be known he had done TV work in Canada. And that's when the conversation turned. To curling. Yep, curling, how popular it is and how the sport fascinated him.
Thinking back, he always had great things to say about his days with the Spurs. It's nice to catch up with him and ask him about San Antonio. You can hear the appreciation when he praises the Spurs' organization, and he has always recognized the influence of Gregg Popovich.
It will be good to see Doc back in San Antonio, just like it's good to relive the memories of one of my favorite interviews.
Mistaken Identity
by Andrew Monaco | Dec. 3, 2012
(Photo by D.Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty)
"Coach! Coach! Can I get an autograph?"
"Sorry, I'm not a coach."
"Are you the trainer, strength coach?"
"No, neither one of those."
So, as I walked away to get some coffee (if you have followed past M Blogs, you knew that's where I was going), I thought to myself, "How could I be mistaken for a coach?" Then it hit me. I had on black wind pants, sneaks and a Spurs jacket. I could see it now. But trainer? Strength coach? Now that was flattering. Dead wrong, but flattering.
We are in the business of being recognized. We hope that when we are on television, you invite us into your homes, because, after all, that is what you are doing. You have a world of choices to watch, and you invite us into your living rooms, dens, media rooms, tablets and devices.
And don't think for a moment that we do not appreciate that, because we absolutely do.
I am reminded of that every time I enter the AT&T Center and prepare for Spurs Live. I love doing those segments from different parts of the arena, whether it is next to the Trophy Case, by the Fan Shop or in the HEB Fan Zone. Not only do we get to showcase -- and show off -- that beautiful building, but we also get to see you, the fans, the backbone of any organization. I appreciate when take time to say hello, to take pictures and offer such kind words. I enjoy meeting fans who have traveled from all around the great state of Texas and had to stop by and say hi. Also, thank you for sharing with me how much you enjoy watching our telecasts.
If I started this M Blog with a case of mistaken identity, I must end with one of my favorite AT&T Center "mix up" stories.
While getting prepared for Spurs Live, two fans, decked out in their Spurs jerseys, waited with anticipation, and patience, through the pregame segments. Afterwards, almost apprehensively, they came up to say hi, and ask if they could take a picture. How could I say no?
"Thank you, thank you. We watch you all the time," the first Spurs fan said.
"Yes, thank you. We are huge fans," said the other.
The pictures were taken, and the final handshakes were offered, when the first fan said, "Thank you so much, Mr. Land!"
Pause. Pause. Pause.
"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry Mr. Monaco."
Much apologizing followed, but it wasn't necessary. It really was pretty funny. And how could I stay mad for being mistaken for a quality man like Bill? Not a chance. Nor could I ever be offended by another example of how much Spurs' fans love their teams; the one that plays on the court, and their broadcast team on their TV.


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CVS partners with St. Jude for 8th annual Thanks and Giving campaign
CVS/pharmacy announced recently its annual in-store fundraiser for the eighth year to support the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Thanks and Giving campaign. For the first time this year, CVS/pharmacy customers will have more options to support St. Jude's lifesaving research. From now through Dec. 11, CVS/pharmacy store colleagues will encourage customers to add $1 or $3 to their purchase at the register. Customers shopping online at www.CVS.com can also support the campaign by donating the amount of their choice at checkout. St. Jude is one of the world's premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other deadly childhood diseases, and since partnering in 2004, CVS/pharmacy and its customers have raised more than $25 million for the hospital.
"We are thrilled that CVS/pharmacy has returned to the Thanks and Giving family this year," said Marlo Thomas, national outreach director for St. Jude. "It is because of partners like CVS/pharmacy and their customers that we can keep our promise that no child will ever be turned away if a family can't pay."
Funds raised by CVS/pharmacy for Thanks and Giving support the CVS Caremark Rehabilitation Services Center at St. Jude. Children with deadly diseases like cancer may experience developmental, cognitive or physical impairments as a result of their illnesses as well as the treatments used to save their lives. The facility in Memphis, Tenn., which opened in 2009, doubled the space dedicated to providing audiology, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology services to St. Jude patients to help them overcome the barriers they face in recovery.
"CVS/pharmacy's participation in the Thanks and Giving campaign reflects our commitment and dedication to supporting the work St. Jude is doing to treat children with cancer and the life-saving research they share with experts across the country," said Eileen Howard Boone, senior vice president of corporate communications and community relations for CVS Caremark. "We want to thank our colleagues and customers who, for the past eight years, have joined us in supporting this great cause."
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering research and treatment of children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The hospital's research has helped push overall survival rates for childhood cancer from less than 20 percent when the institution opened to almost 80 percent today. It is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children, and no family ever pays St. Jude for care. For more information, visit www.stjude.org.
General information about CVS/pharmacy and CVS Caremark is available at info.cvscaremark.com.


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THE former prime minister, John Howard, has rejected the charge that his government spent wastefully, saying ''the reason Australia dodged the global downturn was due to the strong fiscal position of the Howard government''.
Mr Howard was responding to an International Monetary Fund study that found Australia's most needlessly wasteful spending took place under the John Howard-led Coalition government rather than under the Whitlam, Rudd or Gillard Labor governments.
The report examined 200 years of government financial records across 55 leading economies and identified only two periods of Australian ''fiscal profligacy'' - both during Mr Howard's term in office - in 2003 at the start of the mining boom and during his final years in office between 2005 and 2007.
Mr Howard said government spending as a percentage of gross domestic product declined during his term.
''According to none other than the governor of the Reserve Bank, Australia's fiscal position is the envy of the developed world,'' the former prime minister's spokesman said.
But the Grattan Institute economist Saul Eslake said Mr Howard's statement about spending declining as a percentage of GDP, while technically true, was irrelevant and misleading. Mr Howard rode two booms - in mining and household spending - and as a result raked in ''extraordinary'' amounts of income during its last two terms.
During that period the Howard government had increased spending ''in real terms'' at a faster rate than any other government since the Whitlam years.
But Mr Eslake added he was ''gobsmacked'' the IMF did not judge Gough Whitlam's government as profligate.
''That they didn't regard the 40 per cent plus increase in government spending in 1974 to 1975 under the Whitlam government as profligate … [that's] far worse than anything the Howard government undertook,'' he said.


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Long Beach's Sewkumar wins county title at 113 pounds
Steven Sewkumar had an entire year to think about his defeat in the county final in 2012. As a junior, Sewkumar lost at 99 pounds to eventual state finalist Jose Rodriguez of Wantagh.
Tuesday night, Sewkumar finally got his long-awaited redemption. In a thrilling, back-and- forth match at 113 pounds, Long Beach's Sewkumar came from behind in the final period to defeat Adam Smith of East Meadow, 6-5, and get the championship that had eluded him.
"He paid his dues; it was his time to shine," Long Beach coach Ray Adams said. "He got off to a good start and then got a little lackadaisical and got me a little scared, but he came through, he was slick. I couldn't be prouder for him and his family. It's well deserved."
It was something Sewkumar had been waiting for. "I knew I had to redeem myself from last year and get upstate," he said. "I've been working for this my whole wrestling career, and it was about time."
It was a night of redemption for a few wrestlers at the Nassau County Division I championship at Hofstra.
Following Sewkumar at 120 pounds was Robert Person of Bellmore JFK. Person lost in the final at 113 pounds in 2012, coincidentally to Sewkumar's cousin Mark Raghunandan. There was no stopping Person this time, as he won, 19-8, over MacArthur's Chris Cataldo, who defeated Person at the Eastern States Classic.
"I know last year was devastating," Person said. "This year, I fed off of it and I didn't want to be there again. I thought it was going to be a close match -- he's one tough kid and I respect him -- and this time I opened up my offense more. I kept scoring and next thing I looked up at the scoreboard and I was winning by a good amount."
Wantagh's Vinny Turano was also under pressure to win a county championship. Not only was the 132-pounder the No. 1 seed in the tournament and a member of the state's best team, he also fell just short in the 2012 county final at 126.
This continued to be the year of Wantagh and of Turano, who won a 7-1 decision over Mike Lanasa of Plainedge.
"Last year, I went into the match and I had nothing to lose, but this year, I was the guy on top. I had the target on my back," Turano said. "I worked harder than anyone to make sure we didn't have a repeat of last year."
Turano was one of four Wantagh winners, including Dan McDevitt (170), James Corbett (182) and Kyle Quinn (106).
Wantagh won with 202.5 points. MacArthur was second with 131.
Owen Bachelder had a brilliant night, winning the first-ever county championship by a Hewlett wrestler when he defeated Mike Fera of Manhasset, 4-1, at 126 pounds. Bachelder also was named most outstanding wrestler and champion of champions.


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Earmark opponents may have scored some successes in recent years, but several Senators said they remain wary of permanently giving up the right to direct spending and would rather focus on other business.
"I think we need to talk about that," National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. "I am not sure we need it, but I am open to it."
He continued, "I wish we would focus on what the American people are most concerned about rather than some of these other issues that have their importance but are tangential to the main issues we ought to be focused on."
"I think we ought to [instead] be looking at other ways to ... address people's concerns about jobs and the debt," Cornyn said.
The Senate could vote this week on a proposal by Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) to make the current moratorium on earmarks permanent. They've offered the measure as an amendment to legislation banning insider trading by lawmakers and their staff.
"Earmarks exist precisely to circumvent ... [Congressional] scrutiny," Toomey said Tuesday on the Senate floor.
He said that while many earmarks are worthy of being funded, "There is an opportunity for corruption. A process like that is badly flawed and should be remedied."
The amendment would also create a point of order to strike earmarks from bills, and it would take two-thirds majority to override that point of order.
On the floor Tuesday, McCaskill said she wants to "stop the process in its entirety" rather than going after individual earmarks.
"I am proud of the fact that we have a moratorium," she said. "But there are a lot of Members of this body that want to go back to the old ways."
Still, earmark supporters said that the issue is purely political.
"It's just stupid, it's childish, it's demagoguery," Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) said. "There is not a lot of courage in our conference [on the issue.] They all know better. They all know by banning earmarks ... they are just giving the authority to the president. But they are afraid of it because people don't understand the issue out there."
Sens. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) said they would stand up to support their right to earmark if the amendment was brought to the Senate floor.
But it's unclear whether the amendment will get a vote.
"I hope we get a vote, but I am not optimistic," McCaskill said.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday would not say whether he would permit a vote on the proposal and gave a firm defense of earmarking.
"We'll see in a day or two how many are really interested in improving this bill, having amendments that are germane or relevant, and we'll take a look at it in a day or two," Reid said.
He added that he opposes an earmark ban. "We have an obligation as Members of Congress to fulfill our Constitutional duty. One of those duties is to make sure that we do Congressionally directed spending. I object and do not believe that all these decisions should be made at the White House," Reid said.
"I've done earmarks all my career, and I'm happy I've done earmarks my entire career," Reid continued. "They've helped my state and they helped different projects around the country. And I repeat, I will not stand by and be driven down this path that is one that I think is taking us away from what the Founding Fathers wanted: three separate but equal branches of government."
Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who backs a ban, said he doubts that it will pass even if it does come up for a vote.
"I am a co-sponsor of it," Burr said. "It's probably not going to pass. I think there is a lot of opposition to cutting off the gravy train on both sides of the aisle."
Earmarks make up less than 1 percent of overall federal spending.
Still, opponents of earmarks scored a victory after House Republicans won the majority in 2010 and voted soon after to adhere to a two-year moratorium, which expires at the end of this year.
The House's move forced Senate Democratic and Republican leaders' hands. Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had been reluctant to curtail earmarks on Constitutional grounds. But Republicans agreed to a moratorium in November 2010, followed by Democrats in February 2011.
Some supporters of the moratorium, such as Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), even noted at the time that it was only supposed to be a temporary hiatus from the practice.
Earmarks also were tainted by relatively recent scandals. Last September, lobbyist Paul Magliocchetti, who headed the now-defunct lobby shop PMA Group, pleaded guilty in federal court to illegally funneling more than $386,000 in corporate campaign contributions to lawmakers, including appropriators, during a nearly six-year period.
Despite earmark opponents' successes in forcing leaders to accept a moratorium, the issue has had less success on the Senate floor.
In November 2010, the Senate voted 56-39 against an earmark ban McCaskill and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) sought to attach to a food safety bill.


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What about a trade with the Cubs for Marlon Byrd? He could serve as our solution for LF and go back to the numbers he put up in Texas by playing in GABP. He's owed $6.5M in 2012 and becomes a FA in 2013. If he doesn't perform we can wash our hands of him. He shouldn't cost that much in a trade since they are trying to get rid of many players to try and replenish the farm system and get cheaper/younger.
What do you think? If you like it who would you give up?


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By now, most Harvey County residents will have received a 2013 "real estate change of value" notice in their mailbox. What most people want to know is if their taxes will be going up � and, if so, by how much � but there's more of a story behind these notices than people may realize.
First, Harvey County appraiser Craig Clough wants people not to panic, because the notice is not an actual tax statement. It's simply an indication of the change in your property's value.
Although every year there's a mixture of increases and decreases, as a whole, most residential properties went up in value this year, Clough said, with a typical 2 to 3 percent increase. He said home sales are up, which is an encouraging sign, and demand remains strong for rural residential property.
Residential property is appraised every year, but the county only conducts an on-site inspection once every six years. According to regulations, taxes are based on the value of the property as of Jan. 1 each year.
Unfortunately, this can mean that if your house burns down after the first of the year, you'll still receive a tax bill for the full value, Clough said. Conversely, if a lot is vacant at the first of the year but a house is constructed on that lot later in the year, the property still will be treated as a vacant lot in terms of taxable value.
"What was there Jan. 1, that's what they're going to pay taxes on," Clough said.
You may hear the terms "assessed value" and "appraised value" used interchangeably, but they actually mean very different things, Clough said.
The assessed value is used by the county, cities and other entities to determine the taxes you pay. Appraised value is essentially the same as market value.
In terms of state values, Harvey County makes up a relatively small slice of the pie of residential and commercial property values. Combined, Johnson and Sedgwick counties make up about half of the residential and commercial property values in the state, with the other counties splitting the remaining 50 percent.
Agricultural land
The county appraiser's office does not set the value for agricultural use properties � that's done by the Kansas Department of Revenue. This year's agricultural values also are a mix of increases and decreases, depending on the soil type and how the land is used (pasture or cultivated and irrigated or non-irrigated).
Harvey County's predominate agricultural land type is "dry land," such as cultivated land used for growing wheat or soybeans. About 70 percent of the agriculture land in Harvey County is this type, with native grass making up 16 percent, irritated land (used for crops that require a large amount of water, such as corn) at 10 percent, and tame grass (such as brome) at 2 percent.
As a whole, Harvey County agricultural land values rose about 1.9 percent. Although nearby counties Reno and Sedgwick actually saw decreases in value (0.9 percent and 2.6 percent, respectively), Harvey County's increase was actually one of the lower increases across the state. Butler County saw an increase of 15.7 percent, and Cowley County saw an increase of 16.6 percent.
"Each county's looked at on its own," Clough said.
Clough said a fact people may not realize is that agricultural land use value is not necessarily "market value" � rather, it's based on "productive potential" attributed to the natural capabilities of the land and can be somewhat political.
Agricultural land's assessed value and the amount of tax dollars generated has remained fairly flat since 1996, despite increases in agricultural market value. By contrast, residential property assessed values and tax dollars generated has steadily risen since 1996.
"There are things that the legislature has passed that are constraining some of the things that are happening in the market," Clough said.


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Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE - Free Report) is scheduled to report its fiscal fourth quarter 2012 earnings on December 13, 2012. In the run up to the earnings release, we see one upward movement in analyst estimates.
Prior-Quarter Synopsis
Adobe's third quarter earnings of 45 cents missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 47 cents due to lower revenue and its significant exposure to the European region.
Adobe's total revenue was $1.081 billion, down 3.8% sequentially but up 6.7% year over year. The sequential decline was due to increased adoption of new and lower priced subscription-based models by customers.
Products generated 75.0% of revenue, down 0.18% sequentially while Subscription revenue comprised 16.0% of revenue, up 50.9% sequentially. Services & Support brought in the balance, increasing 12.1% sequentially.
Gross margin was 88.9%, down 80 bps from 89.7% in the comparable year-ago quarter due to unfavorable mix. However, operating margin was slightly up from 62.6% in the year-ago period due to lower-than-expected expenses in the quarter.
Management Guidance
For the fourth quarter, Adobe expects revenue in a range of $1.075 billion to $1.125 billion.
GAAP EPS is expected to be 34 cents to 39 cents, including stock-based compensation of 17 cents, intangibles amortization charges of 6 cents, restructuring charges of 1 cent, and income tax adjustment of 5 cents. Excluding all of these, non GAAP EPS is expected to be 53–58 cents. Currently, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the upcoming quarter is pegged at 46 cents.
(Detailed earnings results can be viewed in the blog titled: Adobe Reports Weak 3Q
Agreement of Analysts
Over the last 30 days, only 1 out of the 10 analysts providing estimates for the fourth quarter made an upward revision. For fiscal 2012 also, 1 out of 11 analysts made an upward revision. There were no downward revisions for either the fourth quarter or fiscal 2012.
A few analysts believe that the company will report strong revenue driven by strength in Digital Marketing and strong response to Creative Suite 6 and Creative Cloud.
On the contrary, others believe that though subscription had a good pick-up last quarter and could add approximately185k subscribers in the fourth quarter, above the guidance of 125k, a strong move to subscription will likely impact near-term revenue recognition. Additionally, they believe that global economic slowdown and negative foreign currency movement will act as headwinds.
Also, the analysts do not expect strong operating margin expansion due to the company's huge growth investments and continued hiring.
Magnitude of Estimate Revisions
In the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate was up by a penny to 46 cents for the fourth quarter but remain unchanged for fiscal year 2012 at $1.91.
Over the 90-day period, the Zacks Consensus Estimate decreased by 10 cents to 46 cents for the fourth quarter and by 7 cents to $1.91 for fiscal 2012.
We believe Adobe will come out with decent fourth quarter results owing to increasing revenue visibility, solid CS6 adoption, cost cutting efforts, improved execution and an expanding customer base. We believe the company's dominance in the Creative category and the integration of Creative products with digital marketing apps will provide a competitive edge.
However, to some extent, we believe that thenew subscription service could hurt Adobe's overall financial growth, at least over the short term, as it brings in revenues on a monthly basis, instead of a lump sum at the start.
Additionally, Adobe's acquisition of Efficient Frontier will enhance its Digital Marketing suite by adding optimization capabilities for search and display advertising while accelerating its entry into social advertising.
Aweak demand environment in Europeand strong competition from Apple Inc. (AAPL - Free Report) and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT - Free Report) remain a matter of concern.
Currently, Adobe shares have a Zacks #3 Rank (Hold).
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Three Kingdoms Brawler takes the classic side-scrolling arcade beat-em-up and updates it for a new generation of online gamers. Inspired by the events and battles of the Three Kingdoms era in China, players take control of legendary warriors fighting to determine the future of the country. By choosing their guiding spirit and hero class, players can customize their fighting experience to their own personal skills. As they progress they will upgrade their combo moves, armor, and weapons, becoming even more powerful and able to face the challenges ahead. The fight cannot be won alone, however. By joining and fighting together, the heroes will be able to face ever increasing odds and emerge victorious.
Joining together in factions and guilds, players have a vast world to explore and conquer. A robust crafting system allows players to create unique weapons and armor that enhance their personalized combat skills. The online marketplace and auction house allows players to buy and sell their creations with thousands of players. With thousands of different weapon, skill, and armor combinations, each player will have their own unique experience tailored to their personal choices.


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It's a familiar refrain heard in football conversations around the world - 'you're just a one-man team!'
In many ways it's a back-handed compliment - a recognition on the part of a rival that your team has a great player. Often it's provoked out of some kind of latent jealousy. But, then again, often it's true.
Gareth Bale's two goals for Spurs on Thursday night mean that the Welshman has now scored Tottenham's last six goals in all competitions - no other Spurs player has scored in 392 minutes of action. If a dictionary definition of a one-man team was needed, this would be it.
Now, there's nothing wrong with being a one-man team, let's make that clear from the off. As we shall we, some of the best teams in the world overly-rely on certain players to win them games.
Because, at the end of the day, being a one-man team ultimately means you're winning games. You may lean heavily upon one player, but that player is scoring the goals, and your team is moving up the table.
So, before you throw your arms up and cry foul, remember this little caveat.
Now, how has this little list come about? Well, we're concerning ourselves with Europe's top five leagues here, and we're only going to be looking at league action - none of that fluffy European Cup stuff.
With thanks to whoscored.com, we'll look at the percentage of each team's goals scored by a certain player - that team's highest scorer. The higher the percentage, the more that team is a one-man club.
Here we go, here is your top 10...
1. Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Paris St-Germain | 21 goals from 45 | 47% of PSG's goals
2. Lionel Messi - Barcelona | 35 goals from 78 | 45% of Barca's goals
3. Christian Benteke - Aston Villa | 11 goals from 25 | 44%
4. Radamel Falcao - Atletico Madrid | 19 goals from 44 | 43%
5. Adam Szalai - FSV Mainz | 12 goals from 28 | 43%
6. Vedad Ibisevic - Stuttgart | 10 goals from 23 | 43%
7. Antonio di Natale - Udinese | 14 goals from 35 | 40%
8. Luis Suarez - Liverpool | 17 goals from 44 | 39%
9. Michu - Swansea | 15 goals from 38 | 39%
10. Demba Ba - Chelsea/Newcastle | 13 goals from 34 | 38%
By way of comparison, let's look at the performances of some of the other Premier League stars.
Manchester United star Robin Van Persie has often been called "the difference" in the Premier League title race this season, and he leads the league with 19 goals.
But Manchester United are also the Premier League's highest scorers with 62 - which means Van Persie contributes just 31%.
Of course, "the difference" comes back to the Dutchman's ability to win the points in the big games - to score the goals that matter.
His last-minute free-kick against Manchester City earlier this term immediately springs to mind, as does his last second goal against Southampton, sealing his hat-trick and a vital three points.
And what about Gareth Bale? The Welsh winger may have scored all of his side's recent goals, but his goalscoring form has picked up relatively recently - before that, Jermain Defoe took the slack. The former-Saints star has also been thrust into a more prominent central role since Defoe's recent injury and Emmanuel Adebayor's departure for the Africa Cup of Nations.
With these two absent, Bale got hot, and he's been burning ever since. But, over the course of the season, he's contributed 30% of Tottenham's goals, 13 from 44 in total.
Still a huge percentage, but not enough to catapult him into the top 10 in Europe. Compared to the likes of Swansea and Liverpool, Tottenham are not a one-man team.
It's interesting that Edin Dzeko isn't actually too far behind Bale, and yet no-one's calling Manchester City a one-man team. The Bosnian has scored 25% of City's goals this campaign - 12 from 48.
Further down the line you'll fine Theo Walcott and Frank Lampard - each have bagged 22% and 20% of their club's respective goals.
So, with some justification, Arsenal and Chelsea fans could rightly argue Tottenham are a one-man team compared to them, but Spurs could then point to Swansea and Liverpool.
But, really what does it matter. As long as you keep winning - and Barcelona and Paris St Germain, the two biggest one-man teams in Europe, currently top their domestic tables - you should be more than happy with your one-man team.
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On my website, I often talk about investments, but very rarely do I discuss the process to accumulate a nest egg. I often assumed that investors who read my site are there because they have the cash. However, some feedback in my previous article, where I outlined the benefits of dividend investing for young investors, made me realize that an article on the subject might be a good idea.
There are essentially a few major ways for an ordinary investor to accumulate a nest egg. The first way is by contributing or maxing out your 401k and IRA, and let it compound tax-free for several decades until you reach your target retirement date. At this stage, you can follow the traditional four percent rule. Or you could decide to embrace dividend investing by selling your index funds and purchasing individual dividend growth stocks. This could be done a few years prior to your target retirement date on several tranches. For example, if you have a $600,000 in a 401k and five years to retirement, you can essentially sell $1000 worth of index funds and purchase $1000 worth of dividend stocks every month for 60 months. The value of your index funds will fluctuate as you perform this exercise, and the mathematics will be different for every investor, but the idea should be fundamentally sound and easy to follow. Of course, you can decide to convert your 401K by selling off your index funds, rolling the proceeds into an IRA, and then buying as much dividend paying stocks as you can get your hands on. I rolled over an old 401K in April, and replaced the index funds with a portfolio of twenty dividend paying stocks.
Below, you can view the annual contribution limits for 401K plans for individuals below 50 years of age since 1987.
If you maxed out your 401K between 1987 and 2012, and invested in an S&P 500 index funds (MUTF:VFINX), your portfolio would be have been worth over $738,000. I assume dividends were automatically reinvested during those 25 years, and all of the money was invested at year-end. I do not account for any catch up contributions in this scenario.
The second way to accumulate your nest egg is to focus on income only. You can put the bare minimum in 401K or IRA plans, and then invest most of the funds in a taxable brokerage account In this account the investor will be able to invest in anything they want, and have the flexibility to either spend the dividends or reinvest them in more stock. This is the ideal method for anyone who plans on retiring in their 30s or 40s. With this method however, the accumulation of funds might be slower than with the first one, since it is done with after-tax money. As I mentioned in an earlier article, someone who is saving $3,000/month in dividend growth stocks yielding 4% and growing distributions at 6%/year should be able to generate $4,000/month in 15 years. If you put $1,000/month, in 15 years you would be able to earn approximately $1,330/month in passive dividend income.
The types of dividend stocks I could purchase today, which would allow me to pursue option two include:
- Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM), through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells cigarettes and other tobacco products. The company has raised dividends for 5 years in a row. Over the past five years, Philip Morris International has managed to raise dividends by 13.10%/year. The stock trades at 16.90 times earnings and yields 3.90%. Check my analysis of Philip Morris International .
- Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) operates retail stores in various formats worldwide. The company has raised dividends for 39 years in a row. Over the past decade, Wal-Mart Stores has managed to raise dividends by 18.10%/year. The stock trades at 14.70 times earnings and yields 2.50%. Check my analysis of Wal-Mart.
- McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) franchises and operates McDonald's restaurants in the United States, Europe, the Asia/Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, Canada, and Latin America. The company has raised dividends for 36 years in a row. Over the past decade, McDonald's has managed to raise dividends by 28.40%/year. The stock trades at 18.60 times earnings and yields 3.10%. Check my analysis of McDonald's.
- Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), through its subsidiaries, engages in petroleum, chemicals, mining, power generation, and energy operations worldwide. The company has raised dividends for 26 years in a row. Over the past decade, Chevron has managed to raise dividends by 9.60%/year. The stock trades at 9 times earnings and yields 3.40%. Check my analysis of Chevron.
- Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust. It invests in the real estate markets of the United States. The company has raised dividends for 19 years in a row. Over the past decade, Realty Income has managed to raise dividends by 4.20%/year. The stock trades at times FFO and yields 5.20%. Check my analysis of Realty Income.
A third way is to follow a blend of contributing out 401K and IRA contributions, while investing any remaining amounts in taxable brokerage accounts. I am somehow following this strategy today, as I max out tax deferred accounts in order to get the most tax benefit today, while adding any additional funds to taxable accounts. This was difficult to implement 5 - 6 years ago for me, but now it is easier.
For the first five - six years of my dividend investing pursuits, I purchased almost all of my investments in taxable accounts. As a result, I have been able to accumulate a dividend income stream, which can cover over 50% of my expenses. This income stream is somewhat tax efficient, as the top rate on dividends is approximately 20%. In addition, the taxable brokerage accounts provide me with a lot of flexibility, as I can withdraw money at any time from my margin balance if I have a short term need for funds. I can also sell stocks short, sell naked puts and buy stocks on margin. I do not do those things, except for selling options, but it is nice to know you have options. I do have to pay taxes every year on the dividends I earn and capital gains I realize. However, if someone is just starting out in investing, I strongly encourage them to start small in a taxable account, while taking advantage of 401k plan company matches. That way, any mistakes you make in your brokerage account will be deductible on your tax returns. The distribution stream from a taxable account will also provide you with a nice buffer of income when you build your early retirement dividend machine.
This dividend income stream is what will allow me to allocate so much money to max out my 401k and SEP IRA. Earlier this year, I discussed that I am now maxing out my 401k and am also planning on maxing out my SEP IRA. The goal of this exercise was to reduce the amount of taxes I pay each year. Unfortunately, I am not eligible to receive a tax deduction on the regular IRA at this time. I realized that I would much rather have a large amount of money sitting in a tax deferred account to my name, rather than pay taxes and receive no specific benefit attributable to me. I understand that in order to access this money I will have to jump through hoops such as early retirement penalties as high as 10%, in addition to paying ordinary income tax rates to withdraw the money before the age of 59.50 years. I will convert the 401k plan into a regular IRA at my retirement date, if I choose to leave current employer.
With 401k plans, there are limited investment options, such as index funds or target date funds. However, by rolling over the funds from a 401k to an IRA when I retire, I should be able to invest in individual stocks. Some 401k plans might also have a brokerage window, which would allow investors to buy individual stocks. I have to research to see if my provider offers this option, and what the costs associated with it are.
If I retire in five - six years, I can take out Substantially Equal Period Payments if I really needed to withdraw distributions from an IRA. It looks like the amount that I can take out in 5 years would be equivalent to somewhere close to 2.50% -3% of my net account value. If my dividend stocks in the IRA yield more than 2.50%, then I would essentially have a stream of income that would compound for life. I would essentially have distributions that are growing each year because companies are raising them, and also excess dividend checks would accumulate and would have to be invested into more shares. All of this money that is retained in the IRA would compound tax free for decades, until I reach the ripe age of 70.50 years. At that time I would have to take mandatory withdrawals, and pay ordinary taxes on it.
Disclosure: I am long K, O, CVX, KO, PM, WMT, MCD. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.


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Can I get STDs by oral sex with uninfected person?
Jul 26, 2001
Dear RMK. I've had oral sex with a guy I've known for a year. I am very sure about his past, he has no HIV so I'm not worried about getting HIV. But I AM worried whether I could get STDs like herpes or gonorrhea from him instead. Can someone be born with STDs or can they develop because of poor hygiene or anything? Can I get STDs by swallowing his semen (I did not do it with any cuts in my mouth). Can HE get STDs by giving me oral sex?
Response from Mr. Kull
You can get certain STDs by performing oral sex on a person. Remember, they must be infected with an STD in order for transmission to be possible (sometimes I need to state what may seem obvious). Some STDs that are present as sores or lesions on the skin, like herpes, HPV, and syphilis, may be transmitted to you by having oral contact with the infected areas. Other STDs that are transmitted by fluids or infected mucous membranes in the penis, like gonorrhea, hepatitis B, and syphilis, can also infect you orally (ejaculation in the mouth probably has little to do with it). If you need to learn more about STDs, symptoms, detection, and treatment, see the STD Basics at The Body (http://www.thebody.com/safesex/stdbasics.html).
There are certain sexually transmitted diseases that can be transmitted to your genitals via somebody's mouth. Any infections that occur in or around the mouth, or are transmitted through fluids in the mouth, could theoretically be transmitted to your genital region. STDs that could be transmitted through RECEIVING oral sex are herpes, syphilis, hepatitis B, gonorrhea, and HPV.
Oral-to-genital and genital-to-oral transmission is probably not as common as genital-genital, but it can happen.
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Thread: best way to accomodate video
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Jul 8, 2009, 07:10 #1
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best way to accomodate video
I have a client who, as part of their web site, would like the ability to upload video and post it to their site. The sites users will not be particularly savvy so i don't think we can expect them to know how to compress video and convert to flv.
My first thought is that video tends to be very large, so it would be nice if the video was not actually stored on my server. I was thinking of finding a way to integrate with youtube or something similar.
has anybody else out there come up with a good solution for this scenario? a good and relatively seamless way to allow site users to post their videos to a site?


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The problem I have with mineral make up is that most look a little crusty on me, because my skin has a tendency to be flaky. So OxfordJasmine recommended the ELF mineral booster to me to get a smoother finish:
Mineral booster comes in three tones and two sizes; Sheer, Shimmer and Tinted, Small 0.17oz (4.82g) and Large 0.63oz (17.86g) (£3.50 and £5 respectively). Nice to have an option on the sizes quite frankly! It takes me forever to get through these powder products!
They say:
Completely sheer and ideal for all skin tones, Mineral Booster gently absorbs oil and minimizes the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and pores for a beautiful even finish. Wear alone or buff over our Mineral Concealer and Foundation to lend extra staying power and to achieve a professional and stunning porcelain matte look that will last all day.
Tinted is the darker powder and Shimmer is pale with a hint of shimmer. I don't have sheer, but I'll presume that's a light toned powder with a translucent finish…
Tinted is an excellent choice for darker skintones who don't want to risk a chalky finish.
It is darker than it looks; a bit too dark for me at NC35 (more of a bronzing powder for my skintone) so I imagine it would work well for darker Asian/Black skintones.
Shimmer is pale with a hint of tiny sparkles. Tiny – it's fine to use over the face in my opinion.
They look sort of powdery there but they aren't; similar to the HD Powder in that they brush away and leave no horrible powdery trace.
They don't really offer coverage as such; they're better as a finishing powder I think or over make up to set it or in my case, under a mineral foundation – it leaves such an amazing glidey finish to the skin. Not drying at all.
It's so nice I went through a phase of just using this Mineral Booster (the shimmer one) with a dab of concealer. It leave the skin incredibly soft and polished, I'd fully recommend it for ladies who want a super smooth finish.
The powder on my skin and no foundation:
Buy the powders here.


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Heard a story once. A woman was making her first trip to the grocery store following the death of her teenage son. It was heartbreaking for her to see all his favorite foods she used to buy for him. She managed to get through the trip with only a few tears and was loading up the car. A woman walks by and says "Smile my dear, nothing could be that bad." She sat in her car and cried for half an hour.
This thread made me think if this blog post:http://nijla1.wordpress.com/2009/07/03/dont-tell-me-to-smile/ And apropos of the thread in general:
"I'm not miserable. It's just me face."Ringo Starr
They could never know my personal situation if I haven't told them so I can't hate on them for asking.
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Keep hearing about how good the Reds record is when Stubbs scores a run. What is our record when he strikes out more than once in a game, which happens to be just about every night.
Keep hearing about how good the Reds record is when Stubbs scores a run. What is our record when he strikes out more than once in a game, which happens to be just about every night.
Probably not that bad since it happens so often with tonight being the 33rd time its happened.
If he could just cut those down to once a game and make contact those other 33 times that would be at least 10 more runs scored.
Banner night for Drew, only 2 k's, 1 HBP and a 6-3 ground out...
Sorry forgot the fly out, even better.
Folks, we've beaten this topic (Stubbs) to death from multiple angles. No matter what he does, Baker will put his name on the lineup card and bat him 1-2. It seems most every analyst, pundit, and fan continue to question why, and Baker bristles at the criticism and digs his heels in even deeper.
I see any long term solution coming this off season. And that long term solution is not Chris Heisey! I was hoping Stubbs would come around, because I like the guy and his speed, power combo, but he's not getting any better. Ever!
I do not think Stubbs nor Heisey is the answer. Granted that both of them have speed and both are decent defenders, but their lack of offensive production is terrible. Not to mention I have yet to see Stubbs dive to try to make a play, but instead gives the batter a single when he could have made a play on the ball. Heisey tries to dive, but completely misses the ball giving the batter a double.
I know Dusty has said it won't happen, but why not put Bruce in CF? He has already played there before and he can make the diving catch as we have seen a few times in RF. His arm will also add to CF as he could keep guys from tagging up on third. Now you can keep Ludwick and add Frazier to the OF and we have good offensive numbers while not dropping too far off from the defensive side.
2015 Attendance 2-1 (4/6, 4/7,4/24)
2014 Attendance 1-3 (3/31, 4/12, 8/14)
2013 Attendance: 6-0 (4/3, 4/16, 4/17, 8/3, 8/21, 9/7)
Long term the answer is hopefully Billy Hamilton. Short term we at least have some mixing and matching we can do when Votto returns.
The answer will never be Drew Stubbs no matter how long Dusty tries to pound that square peg into that round hole.
Stubbs - 97 ABs - .515 OPS
Heisey - 29 ABs - .775 OPS
Keep pounding, Dusty.
7 straight Ks and something like 31 Ks in last 75 ABs for a 2 hole hitter....
....keep pounding Dusty!
2015 Attendance 2-1 (4/6, 4/7,4/24)
2014 Attendance 1-3 (3/31, 4/12, 8/14)
2013 Attendance: 6-0 (4/3, 4/16, 4/17, 8/3, 8/21, 9/7)
Drew Stubbs over his last 20 games
13-for-79 .165
4 walks to 33 Strike Outs for a .214 OBP
2 XBH for a .203 slugging percentage and a .417 OPS
6 runs and 3 RBI
For what it's worth, since July 16th when Votto went down:
Stubbs is .247/.309/.387
In 150 at-bats, he's hit 21 singles, 4 2B, 1 3B and 5 HR. Struck out 53 times, stole 11 bases, been walked 13 times.
He's scored 28 runs with 18 RBI's.
Bold numbers indicate it's the most on the team for this stretch, italics indicates near the top. Although he has struck out a lot, his slash line isn't pathetic but it's not great. Average in my opinion with just a hint of power (OPS of nearly .700)
Despite his K rate which is of obvious concern, he is still contributing to this team which is hard to see without looking at the numbers. I'm not ready to get rid of him just yet.
Last edited by MrRedLegger; 08-28-2012 at 02:38 PM.
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The church after the council
In this article in the November 1966 issue of U.S. Catholic, German Jesuit Father Karl Rahner, one of the most influential Catholic theologians of the 20th century, writes about what Catholics should do to make church renewal in the wake of the Second Vatican Council more than a promise.
Can it be maintained that the Church has consummated her aggiornamento, that she has fulfilled the task given her? Can one say that the Church is now youthful and fresh, eager to confront the unknown spiritual adventures lying in the future for a mankind of so great number, a mankind which is highly organized, technologically sophisticated, automated, capable of influencing its own future development, of reaching out to the super-terrestrial realms of outer space, which portend so much good and so much deadly terror?
It would certainly not be advisable, and in fact one should dare not attempt, to make such a claim. Nothing would be more dangerous than an over-enthusiastic attitude. The Council marked the decisive beginning of the aggiornamento, it established the renewal, it called us to the ever necessary repentance and return; in other words, it was only the beginning of the beginning.
If it did all of this, the Council accomplished a great deal; but all that it accomplished was still by way of beginning. Everything, almost everything, that the Council declared is still in the form of written intention. It is all print, out of which can come spirit and life, service, faith, and hope, but print is not the reality which is striven after. The Church has recognized her task, but she has yet to fulfill it. For we must recall that the Church, according to one of our most fundamental insights in fire and the Holy Spirit, is we ourselves. We are the Church.
Beginning of beginning . . . beginning of what? First of all, of course, the beginning of that which was, and is, and ever shall be, Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever; the beginning of his grace, which alone redeems us and opens unto us access to the living God; but beginning of beginning so that Jesus Christ and his Church may truly encounter the spirit of this and the future age.
Therefore, the Council was the beginning of beginning of beginnings for the Church of the limitless grace of God; for a Church of our Lord and Saviour; for a Church of the word of God, of brotherhood, of hope, of humble love and service, of joy in the Holy Spirit, a Church of love which conquers all legalisms; for a Church which is able to recognize her own being and to go out to meet the deepest longings and needs of our age, a Church which learns in that she teaches, receives in that she gives, rules in that she serves.
The Council was the beginning of the beginning of a Church who already is and always will be what she is, in that she turns anew to her only source, who is both the Beginning and the Lord of history, the Lord who has led and will lead the Church on into the unknown future. And there is much, almost too much that needs to be done in order to initiate this beginning.
We must yet translate the instructions of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy into concrete forms for the celebration of the liturgy, we must yet transform them into the real prayer- life of the Church, worship in spirit and in truth. Now the ecumenical dialogue must truly begin, patiently, humbly, courageously, optimistically, and audaciously. We do not as yet have the deacons for whom the Council has created new opportunities in the Church. The episcopate has yet to show that it can make real in the Church in a new and living way the unity of the collegial principle of the Church. The promised reforms of the Roman Curia have only begun to be codified and put into practice in real life.
It will take many years of hard work before the Canon Law can be made to reflect in spirit and in the letter the reforms of this Council. All the prudent and courageous norms laid down for the formation of the clergy, for priestly activities, for episcopal activities, the norms for the college of bishops, all these things must be actualized and become a living reality in the daily life and habitual operations of the Church. The religious life is not yet renewed merely because there has been a decree concerning it. The laity, endued with the universal priesthood, have not become responsible and fully aware of their apostolic mission simply because the documents of the Council edifyingly—I use the word in its best scriptural sense—used such a term.
Holy Scripture has not been enshrined in the hearts of men and become central in the parochial liturgy as the Word of Life simply because each day at the Council the Gospel book was enthroned with ceremony and because, in addition to the many allusions praising Scripture, there was approved a constitution which lauded the meaning of Scripture for the life of the Church. The decree on the missions is not identical with the missionary will. This shall be the missionary spirit of the Church in practical everyday life, in actual practice, when, for example, bishops will send to the missions priests whom they sorely need, when money is given which could also be prudently used at home.
A board of directors for ecumenical work has yet to be established. The statutes for the national conferences of bishops have yet to be drawn up and ratified. The decree concerning the formation of future priests has yet to be dealt with by the regional episcopal conferences, and many other matters referred by the Council to the regional episcopal conferences are yet to be accomplished. The work on the Canon Law of the Eastern Churches, which began under Pius XII, must now be carried out in the light of the new paths opened by this Council. Difficult individual problems which were taken under consideration and which in their complexity and urgency have become in some sense a measure of the success of the Council—such problems as the laws regulating mixed marriages, marital relations, penance, and indulgences—still remain unsettled.
The newly founded secretariats for non-Christians and non-believers must yet prove themselves not to be still more bureaucratic, hypertrophied appendixes operating according to Parkinson's Law. The Oriental Catholic Churches must yet demonstrate that they have the will and the power to undertake their own missionary activity, and the Latin Church must still demonstrate that she regards these Churches as more than honorable museum pieces preserved as relics of the past.
The Church must also learn how to protect freedom, must learn to walk humbly and modestly with her organized social power, to be more noble, more open, more patient, more tolerant, even as she is with herself. The Church must now engage in dialogue with the world in all its needs, possibilities, and dangers, a dialogue which she has undertaken and outlined in the far-reaching pastoral constitution on the Church's relationship to the modern world.
She should, she must, state frankly that this or that point in the conciliar work, besides being the work of the Holy Spirit, remains also the work of men, imperfectly done, and only begun, reflecting better the past than the future. This is shown especially in the decree on communications and the Catholic schools. It still remains to be seen how the fundamental and ambitiously conceived instruction on the now permissible "cornmunicatio in sacris" can be practically, despite the necessary limitations, worked out and put into practice.
The conversation with contemporary atheism and the need for faith characteristic of our day, which the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World has declared to be necessary, must now be carried through into reality. The magnificent conception that each diocese must help the others in realistic deeds must yet be actualized so that the idea does not become simply a pious gesture which costs one diocese little trouble and is as of little help to the other.
These things and many others remain to be done. This is a task which the Council has not completed, but which it has laid upon the Church because she is commissioned by God.
Above all, a new theology must be found which is worthy of Vatican II and of the task assigned to the Church. It is not as though the theology of today were not good, but because it can become better, because it must delve ever deeper into the depths of the knowledge of God and deal more radically with the questions that the future holds out for us, for theology must be able to serve the proclamation of the Church of tomorrow.
One task which certainly should be undertaken immediately is a thorough thinking through of the texts of the Council, an exhaustive commentary on them; further, these documents need to be put in full historical perspective. This would be excellent; this must be done at all costs. But the post-Vatican II theology would not be worthy of the Council if it accomplished this and only this as its chief task.
There are many other questions which present themselves, questions which would not have been inappropriate and could have been themes of the Council, the old questions, which always remain pertinent and always present themselves in epochal new ways: how theology can speak of God, and his existence in the midst of mankind, in such a way that the words can be understood by the men of today and tomorrow; how it can so proclaim Christ in the midst of an evolving universe that the word of the God-man and the incarnation of the eternal Logos in Jesus of Nazareth do not sound like myths which men cannot any longer take seriously; how it can relate human ideologies and plans for the future with the Christian eschatology; how it can assure humanity that in the eschaton redemption has already been achieved, so that men do not relapse into the position of the men of the old covenant who dreaded death as though it meant separation from the God of life; how it can show that love of God and love of neighbor always form in a new and epochal way an absolute unity, love which one without the other is incomprehensible and unattainable, especially since God is manifested for us through Christ in mankind and thus is for us only so attainable; how and why the cross will always loom over the realm of human existence and why, even in the triumphal future, mankind will always be nailed to the cross and that only through death and patient seeking through the darkness of existence will men find the entrance into eternal life.
These and similar eternal, old, ever radically new, never-solved questions will be the questions for the theology of tomorrow which will be worthy of the Council. When, and I maintain only when, the theologians of all Christian confessions restate these questions anew in common language and not in the language of the old polemical theology, then will they come nearer to each other and put into operation a truly ecumenical theology.
The Council has undertaken tasks and dealt with themes which, measured by the concrete realities which face the Church for the moment, doubtless could not have been more ambitious. However, measured by the challenges which face the Church in the coming decades, these topics represent only a beginning, a remote preparation and a preliminary fitting-out for the pressing tasks of the future. For this future does not ask the Church for the precise details of our ecclesiology, nor for a more exact and lovely ordering of the liturgy, nor for more precise distinctions in controversy with the theologies of non- Catholic Christians, nor for a more or less ideal regulation of the Roman bureaucracy, but, rather, whether the Church can so faithfully testify to the redeeming and fulfilling presence of that ineffable mystery whom we call God that the men of the age of technology, who have already made so many advances towards control of their world and destiny, can experience the power of this unspeakable mystery in their lives.
The Church will be asked with hitherto unparalleled severity— to return again to an old theme for our example—whether she can so comprehend and express the mystery of the God-man that this fundamental dogma of Christendom does not appear to be some merely archaic, correct, lifeless, and dead formula, but to be that blessed incomprehensibility in terms of which all other things are for the first time understandable, as the divine authentication of man himself who discovers for the first time that his existence in the eternity of his freedom means the possibility of activity and not just of contemplation, that it is a promise that even death, guilt, and all the absurdity which governs mankind and seems to grow and not diminish with his history, is surrounded and swallowed up by the light and salvation of God.
The Church will be asked more inexorably by the future than heretofore whether her love of mankind on account of the love of God is stronger and more victorious than the love that links man to man within the dungeon of his own existence without showing him the way across the infinite abyss of the divine.
Such themes could not be the immediate tasks of this Council, perhaps could not be the objectives of any Council. However, they will confront the Church of the future because they have always been and always will be the most authentic themes of Christianity. Therefore, all the answers and solutions of the Second Vatican Council are not capable of being more than a beginning of the mission of the Church to the future just breaking upon us. Seen thus, the efforts and results of the Council seem not unimportant, but rather to achieve their undeniable significance.
The aggiornamento which the Church has undertaken is not an effort to make the Church more attractive to and comfortable for the world, but chiefly to prepare the Church in advance to deal with the questions of life and death which will confront her. And from this perspective also, the Council is only a beginning.
It is necessary to add a word of warning: it would be a fearful error and a terrible delusion of the heart, but it is a real danger (from which, we may believe, not even the indestructible Church has been protected from the first), should one think that after the Council one can simply go on with everything just as it was before because what was said, decided, and taught at the Council was either already assumed in practice or dealt with only peripheral and unimportant things or consisted only of pious ideals which one sets down on the ever-indulgent paper for one's own self-edification.
Naturally, the Church must always be true to her own nature and traditions, rightly understood. Things won't be better tomorrow. The holy Church will always remain, even in the future, the Church of poor sinners, for we are all the ecciesia semper reformanda in capite et in membris, the Church always needing reform in head and in members.
It will certainly be a long time before the Church which has been given the Second Vatican Council will be the Church of the Second Vatican Council, just as it took a number of generations after the close of the Council of Trent before she became the Church of the Reform of Trent. But this does not alter in the least our own terrible responsibility, which we all who are in the Church have been invited to fulfill: to do what we have said we will do, to become that which we have recognized ourselves to be and before all the world have acknowledged ourselves to be, to make deeds out of words, to make spirit out of rules, to make true prayer out of liturgical forms, and reality out of ideas. The Council could hardly be more than the beginning of this task, but that is a great deal, and it is more than one can express in mere words.
It would be a difficult judgment indeed, both for sheep and shepherd, for us all, if we should confuse word and deed, beginning and fulfillment. We have in the council, just as Elijah did of old, wandered through the desert and have come nearer to God upon the holy mountain. If we would like to stretch out, tired and sleepy, under the broom tree of a conciliar triumphalism, then an angel of God may, yea he must, by means of the frightful dangers and anxieties of our time, by means of persecution, apostasy, and pain of heart and spirit, wake us up out of our sleep: Rise up, a long road lies ahead of you (see 1 Kings 19:7).
©1966 by Herder and Herder
Image: Franklin McMahon (Courtesy of McMahon family)


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Johnny (Seaview) Perry, an iconic Vineyard character, home-grown philosopher and friendly street-walker in a cowboy hat, died Dec. 12 at a care center in Malden where he had been living in recent years battling cancer. He was 84 and his real name was Oliver Perry, although he never used it. His nickname was earned in the 1960s when he tended bar at the old Seaview Hotel in Oak Bluffs.
"Want to know what the goal of life is? To relieve suffering, create beauty and make gardens," he told the Martha's Vineyard Magazine in an edited oral history in 2005. "No snowflake falls in an inappropriate place. It's there by design."
Johnny Seaview was a snowflake himself, not another exactly like him.
He traced his Vineyard roots to 1953, when he moved to the Island to work for Richard Manley as a tree surgeon. "From West Medford, just before the big hurricane, Carol," he said in the magazine story. "I just came out here cold turkey. Manley Tree Experts: we cleared wires for the telephone company and worked for the tree warden in Edgartown and in Oak Bluffs, too. We got the dead wood out and let the sun in. Trees are trees: they give you life."
Oliver Perry was born on March 14, 1928. "That's Johnny Perry Day on WMVY radio. Karen Coffey of Pyewacket Antiques started the idea; she's a hot sketch," he told the magazine.
And that's how conversations went with Johnny Seaview. He was a classic Vineyard jack of all trades who in addition to expert tree surgery, painted houses, tended bar and dispensed bits of philosophy formed by an extraordinary, full life.
"As a little boy, I worked for my Uncle Walter on a farm at ten cents an hour in Arlington. I mean, brother, you worked. The Northeast was the truck-farming capital of the nation then. We were taking out winter spinach when the Japs hit Pearl Harbor. I enlisted in the army at 14 and hit Scotland on my 15th birthday. I went to 31 countries before I was 17," he said.
At 17 he joined the Marine Corps. "We did flame throwing and worked with explosives. We got ten bucks extra. We were all little bastards."
In 1948, at age 20 he married Ann Gilmartin. They had three children.
He had a lifelong love of horse racing that began as a child when his grandfather took him to the race track. He got his jockey license at a young age and raced in Mexico and Ohio. In his later years he loved to go to the track at Saratoga when he was not working. "You need a little relaxation. Life's a gamble," he told the magazine.
In 1967 he went to work for the late Loretta Balla at the Seaview Hotel.
"She bought the Seaview after World War II. When she found out what the taxes were, she was in tears . . . I said it looks like the 33rd and Eighth avenue in Hell's Kitchen. There were broken windows and those old green shades blowing out the windows, but anything she touched had the Midas touch," he said.
Loretta Balla was a colorful character in her own right and it was a match made in heaven. Johnny became her bartender and jack of all trades, living at the hotel, making repairs and painting the hotel from the inside out. The hotel bar was a rocking place in its day with live music six nights a week. Johnny's clientele included Mia Farrow and Sen. Edward Brooke.
Loretta Balla sold the hotel in 1986; it was later demolished and turned into condominiums. She died in 2010.
In more recent years Johnny lived at Woodside Village elderly housing and was a familiar presence walking the streets of the Island with a ready bouquet for any lady who crossed his path.
"I'm always buying flowers for the women. They're inspiring, and it's a way to show your appreciation for the opposite sex," he said.
Around 2010 he moved to the care center in Malden due to ill health.
He was pre-deceased by his wife and his siblings Edward Perry Jr., Robert Perry, Paul Perry, Donald Perry, Eleanor Freeland, and Joan Garneau. He is survived by his children, Daniel Perry of Maine, John Perry of Medford and Cheryl Arsenault of Peabody; two sisters, Barbara Nolan of Las Vegas and Audrey Randall of New Jersey; and a brother, Ronald Perry of Medford; seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and friends.
He will be interred in Medford. A celebration of his life on the Vineyard is planned for March.
Arrangements are under the care of the Gaffey Funeral Home in Medford.


text: The surprising thing about this story isn't that a reader received excellent customer service from a Best Buy store. No, we've seen that before. It's that reader Cameron's local Best Buy store has a full-service music department where you can get instruments repaired by actual professionals. When Cameron brought his guitar to his local store for restringing and repair, he expected just that: new strings and the specific adjustment he needed to the instrument's neck. Instead, he got a fantastic restoration job on the now shiny, like-new guitar, and didn't have to pay extra. [More]