text:
2012 iowa
One Frame At A Time: Iowa
Perhaps it wasn't in the full capacity we had hoped, but Denard still managed to give us some of that vintage Denard magic on Senior Day:
[For the rest of the Iowa game in gifs—yes, including more Denard—hit THE JUMP]
Iowa Highlights
In two flavors. From MGoVideo:
And parkinggod:
Also Denard postgame:
Plus Hoke, Kovacs and Kenny Demens, Gardner and Roundtree, and Les Miles being Les Miles.
Iowa Postgame Presser: Brady Hoke
Opening remarks:
"It was a good game. A good football win. The seniors got to go up the tunnel singing The Victors for the last time in the stadium. We put a lot of emphasis on that because of the struggles and what they go through when you look at a guy who's been here four or five years. So it was great for them and great for our team that the younger guys, younger classmen went out there and competed for them. That's an expectation. The guys who are seniors who were playing in their last game at Michigan Stadium, I thought they did a nice job of going out there and playing 60 minutes of football."
How bittersweet is it to see your seniors play at home for the last time?
"It's always difficult because I'm a very emotional person, good or bad. So pick your poison. But we get very tight and close with the players because we are there to help them grow. From a personal life standpoint to an academic, to social, to everything else, they're one of your sons, and that's how we look at it."
When did you make the decision for Denard to play, and when did you decide on his role?
"I didn't make the decision for him to play. Once he got cleared, he felt good healthwise. We had talked about doing this for 18 months. You know, Al, when he got home last week after the Northwestern game, that night he had nine plays ready. And then we put six more in. I think Al does a tremendous job of taking your personnel and the playmakers that you have on your team and having the ability to get them the ball and let their god-given ability take over."
How much do you know about Fitz's situation?
"He's in the hospital now and he's had surgery. I think we'll leave it at that for now and make sure -- his mother wasn't here, he had two brothers here -- but we'll leave it for that."
How important was it to try out the Devin-Denard offense before the Ohio State game?
"You know, next week really never had anything to do with it. We had to beat Iowa. We're still in a championship race. We wanted to win this game for our seniors and also because we're still in a race for the championship."
Was there any thought of using Denard as a passer or did you just decide to give him a limited role?
"Well, I think it would be unjust for us not to use him in the best way that we thought would let him be the most successful. He's throwing the ball a little bit, not throwing it a lot, so we thought this was the best. This kid has put up with a lot of criticism at times and also he's been praised at times --"
[Someone's phone goes off, ring tone is "The Victors"]
"That's a good song. He's a competitive guy who loves the game and loves his teammates, and he showed great maturity the last three weeks and great leadership."
Along those lines, did you have to do any convincing with Denard to tell him that he wouldn't play quarterback?
"No … He wanted to play. Where could he help us best playing?"
Can he throw the ball?
"Yeah. But not as well as he'd like to."
Can you talk about Denard and how hard it might be for a senior quarterback to not call plays in the huddle?
"Well, I think it tells you what kind of kid he is. What kind of a young man, I should say. And his development, his growth, his character, and the integrity -- this kid had some unbelievable moments here at Michigan and Michigan Stadium and have had some moments that weren't so good, but he's grown within this team, and this is his team. Him and Kovacs, all the seniors have a big piece of it, and I know that Devin said it the other day: he has been the face of Michigan football."
Devin had six touchdowns…
"Say that again? I'm sorry."
Devin had six touchdowns. They looked pretty easy for him. Can you tell us about his development?
"Um. He had six touchdowns?"
He had six touchdowns.
"Did he really. See, I don't remember that stuff."
He was pretty good.
"I -- well, I think you answered the question. He was pretty good."
Did you hear the crowd chanting "Beat Ohio"?
"Yeah, and I said to someone next to me, 'We need to beat Iowa.' "
You haven't lost at home in two years. Is there something to that?
"I think there's always, and you see it all kinds of sports, playing at home is something that's treated us well. Familiarity with everything. I wish I could tell you. I just think there's a comfort, I guess."
Have your teams always been so much better at home?
"I have no clue. Again, it's something that I don't think about."
Is this your offense moving forward, or could Denard move back to quarterback full time?
"Um … I don't know. I guess he could. I don't know. It's an option."
When was Denard cleared, and what did he have to do to get cleared? Can he grip the ball?
"Yeah. Yeah."
When was he cleared?
"What's today? Saturday? Probably six days ago."
Is he cleared for good now, or do you have to go through another process? Is he day to day?
"He might be day to day."
You talked about being an emotional person. You've just beaten Iowa, but what does the Ohio State game mean to you?
"It's fun."
It's fun?
"It's fun. Because it's a great rivalry and there's a lot of respect on both sides for those programs. For both programs. It's fun. You asked? It's fun. It's going to be fun."
You had a lot of success in vertical passing. How come?
"I think some play action set it up. And then I think Gallon made a terrific catch with concentration. The ball was where it needed to be, and it was defended pretty decently. I think one of the best throws and catches was an out on the sideline to Roy. I thought Roy did a nice job with his hands. That's one thing I said this last week, but I thought Roy is catching the ball more with his hands and not with his body as he had earlier."
When did you see that change for him?
"Eh, shoot. I don't know. Some time. Probably in practice."
It looked like you threw out things for Ohio State to think about. Is that something you planned to do?
"If I was that smart to do that, I would have done that. But no, we were trying to beat Iowa. We were trying to put our players -- because it would be selfish of us as coaches for us not to give these kids the best chance to win a football game. And whatever we do offensively or defensively or prepare, if we don't do that then we're short-selling this program and these seniors and these kids, and we're not going to do that."
You said you've been planning this offense since 18 months ago. What prevented you from using it earlier?
"How would I answer this …"
"Um. I would say, in doing it, it would have been done kind of like we did last year a little bit more when we had both of them on the field. And we just added to it. And we just added to it. And there's a maturity level for everybody to be able to handle those things."
So do you mean Denard at quarterback and Devin at receiver?
"Maybe. Sort of."
Synergy between Gardner and the receivers?
"Yeah, and I think there's a lot of truth to all of that. But I think our front's blocking better. Part of it is the play-action game. Part of it is the play-action out of the I-back. I think that's helped."
How tough is it for the defense to prepare for your new formations?
Well, you have to spend some time on it. So sometimes that's the biggest thing. You're spending time maybe on a formation that was run maybe three times and thinking, okay, what can you do out of it, what can they do out of it? So as a coach, you're spending your time, and then you're taking practice time. So it's time. And there's one thing none of us have, is a lot of time."
How confident are you that your team can quickly move on to Ohio State?
"Well they're going to have to. I'm pretty confident in how our seniors have led and how we've gone to work every Sunday, win and lose."
"Yeah. You know … we missed some sacks. We don't tackle. They're knocking us off the line of scrimmage earlier. It was awful."
Desmond Morgan?
"We thought he'd be ready, but he's not."
Gary Moeller was honored today --
"Yeah, it was cool."
What did that mean to you?
"Means a lot. Coach Mo as a person, as a coach, as a man. Means a lot. Means a lot to Michigan."
Alternate Ending
In a way, it was fitting.
Denard Robinson's Michigan Stadium career did not begin according to script. It started with a fumbled snap, then became something magnificent.
It ended with him unable to throw a football, but still very able to take the Big House's collective breath away.
Robinson trotted out onto the field with the starters not as a quarterback, but as a tailback, taking a handoff from understudy Devin Gardner for three yards. Over the course of the game, he'd accumulate 98 rushing yards on 13 carries and add two receptions—the first of his career—for an additional 24 yards, lining up everywhere from quarterback to wingback to receiver in a 42-17 victory. While it wasn't the ending anyone had hoped for, there was at least still a little of the Denard magic left, especially on a 40-yard run to end the first quarter that featured an ankle-breaking juke of Iowa safety Tanner Miller.
Once again, the star was Gardner, who accounted for six touchdowns—coming on Michigan's first six possessions—with three through the air and three on the ground. Iowa's soft zone defense looked helpless in its attempts to stop the Wolverine passing game; Gardner finished 18-of-23 for 314 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception, with all three scores meeting little Hawkeye resistance. Jeremy Gallon had a career-high 133 receiving yards on five receptions, while Roy Roundtree turned in a second consecutive stellar performance with five catches for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Al Borges used the threat of Gardner and Robinson to give Iowa's defense fits, perhaps giving a glimpse of what's to come in Columbus next week. A triple(!) reverse to Denard unfortunately was called back due to a hold. The threat of a Denard jet sweep opened up a cavernous hole for a Vincent Smith throwback screen, which the senior back took in for a fitting senior day touchdown. The most interesting wrinkle met a most unfortunate end when Fitzgerald Toussaint suffered a gruesome leg injury after taking an option pitch from Robinson.*
The defense gave up a score on Iowa's second drive before stiffening up, allowing just 221 yards in the final three quarters as an endless array of dumpoffs to tight ends and running backs couldn't sustain any real threat. Greg Davis was Greg Davis, Greg Mattison was Greg Mattison, and that went as expected. With Desmond Morgan out with an undisclosed injury, James Ross may have established himself as the weakside linebacker of the future, finishing with 12 tackles (9 solo) while showing advanced instincts and sideline-to-sideline speed.
Aside from the pregame festivities and quarterback-related dramatics, it was a mundane beating of a hapless Iowa squad. That much, at least, went according to plan. And while Denard Robinson's Big House finale may not have had a fairytale ending, there are worse ways to go out than with a few more virtuoso runs and a resounding victory.
Of course, Robinson's story isn't over yet. In Columbus, the stage is set for one final twist.
*There's no official word on Toussaint's injury except that he's currently undergoing surgery (via Hoke), but the ESPN replays and this photo from Eric—WARNING: GRAPHIC—tell an ugly story. Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Fitz.
Iowa Liveblog
Liveblog Chaos Mitigation Post. It's always here, waiting for you. Wherever you go, it will be right here waiting for you.
Punt-Counterpunt: Iowa 2012
monumental; pay no attention to the dates plz
Something's been missing from Michigan gamedays since the free programs ceased being economically viable: scientific gameday predictions that are not at all preordained by the strictures of a column in which one writer takes a positive tack and the other a negative one… something like Punt-Counterpunt.
By Ken "Sky" Walker
As I sit at my desk, I have to admit "Punt" is one tired puppy. Week after week of nonstop work is grinding me down. I don't take time off—arranging coverage is more trouble than it's worth. I'm not earning any vacation time because I've maxed out on what I'm allowed to accrue. This is a problem that needs a solution. It's time to train an apprentice.
Making the pitch to my boss went well. He gives me the green light and the proverbial pat-on-the-back for all my efforts. I'm feeling good, looking forward to have someone that can step in for me when needed and not screw everything up. No more feeling guilty over taking a day off. No more dreading what awaits me upon my return. Having things done the way I want and need it to be. This is great! Then it hits me—did I just volunteer to train my eventual replacement?
While I contemplate the pros and cons of my decision, it seems the Michigan football team is facing a similar situation. We have a record setting quarterback who is observing what amounts to a medical leave. We're missing him, his talent and hope for a speedy return, but a total recovery is first and foremost. Then there is the apprentice. There have been some instances where his lack of experience is evident, but there have also been several "Wow!" moments. He's stepped up and done an admirable job.
All of this has to have many Michigan fans wondering "What if?" What if our late receiver had spent more practice time being an apprentice? What if the other "legends jersey" wearing receiver had rounded into his expected form a bit sooner? What if Denard's injury improves enough for him to play? Give Robinson the nod early to try and shake off the rust? Or stick with Gardener and get him as much experience as possible prior to the show down in Columbus?
Something that doesn't seem to be in question is the outcome of this Saturday's game. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz brings another ho hum Hawkeye team to the Big House. This seems to be the new normal for the Big Ten's second highest paid coach. I guess Coach Ferentz feels he owes the Wolverines one – their interest in him a few years ago has paid off handsomely. How no current Michigan senior has had a victory over Iowa is beyond belief.
Now don't hold it against Counterpunt when he picks Iowa to surprise us. He's just mistaken the Hawkeyes for his beloved "Stillers". You can take the boy out of Pittsburgh, but you can't take the Pittsburgh out of the boy.
Michigan 35 - Iowa 17
By Nick RoUMel
My co-worker Alex Dieck is dating her high school sweetheart, Michigan cornerback Steve Wilson. Steve starred at QB at Lakeland High School (White Lake, Michigan), and has since switched to cornerback and special teams. He is also majoring in cellular and molecular biology. Brady Hoke told him he was going to cure cancer someday.
Last week in practice, Hoke let Steve mimic Northwestern QB Kain Colter. Steve performed it to perfection, enabling the Wolverine defense to increasingly contain Colter as the game progressed—and ultimately stuff him in overtime to seal the thrilling victory.
I will look for Steve (#20) on the opening kickoff. However, his special teams play has resulted in Alex's growing concern over Steve's well being. Football is played by players growing bigger and faster every year. A recent Pittsburgh Post-Gazette analysis of All-State high school rosters over the last 70 years, found that the average offensive lineman grew from 178 lbs. in 1940 to 273 in 2008. On the defensive side of the ball, linemen grew almost as much.
Steve is 5'11", 179 lbs. according to the official roster. He plays on kickoffs, deemed to be the most violent play in football. ESPN says, "Take two large, fast men and give them long running starts at each other, and their collisions won't be far from car wrecks. Kickoffs are particularly hard on brains. In college football, for instance, 1 in 5 injuries during kickoffs is a concussion; during other phases of play, it's 1 out of 14."
Alex can't get over the assortment of injuries that Steve and his football roommates have compiled over the course of the season's first ten games. But football players love to hit. I remember a story about pro football Hall of Famer Jack Lambert, when he was a skinny but fierce linebacker for Kent State being scouted by the Steelers' Tim Rooney. The fields were muddy, so the team practiced in the parking lot. Rooney watched in amazement as Lambert went flying after his teammates, tackling them on the gravel, oblivious to the damage to his own body.
Today's opponent, Iowa, famously painted its visiting locker room pink during the Hayden Fry era. Fry believed pink would have a calming effect, and make opponents less violent on the field. It may have worked. Until Fry arrived in 1979, Michigan had won every game at Iowa since 1962; after the paint job, they won only 1 out of the next 4.
Michigan has had trouble with Iowa lately no matter where the game is played, dropping the last three. But today is different, because Steve Wilson didn't play last year. With no heed to his injuries and worried girlfriend, Steve – along with the rest of our banged-up Wolverines – will dominate today's game physically on both sides of the ball.
Just be sure to keep your helmet securely fastened, Steve. We still need a cure for cancer.


text:
Luther on Five Actions for Struggling Believers
Jerome Weller was a theology student under Martin Luther's direct influence, living in his home and tutoring his children for nearly a decade. In July 1530, Luther wrote a letter of advice to Weller who was in the midst of a depression.
. . . Excellent Jerome, You ought to rejoice in this temptation of the devil because it is a certain sign that God is propitious and merciful to you. You say that the temptation is heavier than you can bear, and that you fear that it will so break and beat you down as to drive you to despair and blasphemy. I know this wile of the devil. If he cannot break a person with his first attack, he tries by persevering to wear him out and weaken him until the person falls and confesses himself beaten.
Whenever this temptation comes to you, avoid entering upon a disputation with the devil and do not allow yourself to dwell on those deadly thoughts, for to do so is nothing short of yielding to the devil and letting him have his way. Try as hard as you can to despise those thoughts which are induced by the devil. In this sort of temptation and struggle, contempt is the best and easiest method of winning over the devil. Laugh your adversary to scorn and ask who it is with whom you are talking. By all means flee solitude, for the devil watches and lies in wait for you most of all when you are alone. This devil is conquered by mocking and despising him, not by resisting and arguing with him. . .
When the devil throws our sins up to us and declares we deserve death and hell, we ought to speak thus: "I admit that I deserve death and hell. What of it? Does this mean that I shall be sentenced to eternal damnation? By no means. For I know One who suffered and made a satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Where he is, there I shall be also."
Martin Luther
Luther: Letters of Spiritual Counsel, trans. and ed., Theodore G. Tappert, 1960, (Vancouver, BC: Regent College Publishing, 2003), 85ff., paragraphing mine.
In review, Luther mentions five pieces of advice:
- Rejoice because temptation testifies of God's mercy to you.
- Do not dwell on the deadly thoughts of the Devil.
- Laugh your adversary to scorn.
- Be around other believers.
- Proclaim the good news of Jesus for you and your salvation.
Recent posts from "They Still Speak" —
- Planning Your Schedule (and the Tower of Babel) (Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
- Communion with God Demands Union with Christ (John Newton)
- Serve and Respect the Elder Saints (Charles Spurgeon)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|No comments yet for this card.
Headhunt Lair:
Storable - may attack when your ghost or undead attacks.
Rarity: C = Common; U = Uncommon;
R = Rare; X = X-tra Rare;
S = Starter Deck Premiums;
P = Promotional Cards; G = GIFT cards;
T = Tournament Event/Level Up! Cards
|No comments yet for this card.


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Miserable? As in, "wretchedly unhappy"?That's an odd way to feel at a happy event.
Quote from: Hotdish on October 16, 2012, 03:42:10 PMMiserable? As in, "wretchedly unhappy"?That's an odd way to feel at a happy event.Social anxiety can make people unhappy, yes. Plus weddings, while they are celebrating a very happy event, are sometimes stressful as there is a lot of pressure on people to have a good time. People can get very drunk, and there are all kinds of pitfalls. I honestly don't think the OP should feel obligated to go to this event. Her friend is no less married without her there.
that is pretty much what single people do on a regular basis. Of course, the difference would be that when the formalities were over there would probably be an empty seat at his table that you might be able to sit in for a bit and you could spend a significant amount of time dancing, standing, etc. with him.Honestly, if he can't cope with the realities single people deal with on a regular basis I think it is more his.your problem then the bride's.
[Sitting at the head table] bothers me, because [DH] would be sitting by himself and he would know no one there. He is also not thrilled with the idea.
OP, if you truly do not want to be seated separately from your husband, I think you can gracefully decline being a bridesmaid. However, when you do, do not offer any reason.You can simply say "Best Friend, you know that I am so happy for you. I would love to be in your wedding party, but it's just something I cannot do at this time. Husband and I are looking forward to attending your wedding, though."You do not actually need to tell her that you cannot be in the wedding because you don't want your husband to sit alone for an hour or two.However, if you have already accepted the role of bridesmaid, I don't think you should back out. If you have not, then you are not obligated to accept the honour. It is no different than if you did not have the time or the finances to commit.
Page created in 0.61 seconds with 18 queries.


text:
As Christians, we know we need community. And as many fans would agree, we also just might need Community, the irreverent NBC sitcom which seemed headed for the chopping block after weak ratings last fall. When NBC announced that its winter lineup would not include Community, loyal fans rose to its defense; the network later said it would bring the show back in March to complete its third season (Thursdays, 8/7c). Barring a miracle spike in the ratings, a fourth season is unlikely.
Which is too bad, because week after week, Community brings depth, story, and character exploration surpassing most network comedies. Calling it TV's smartest comedy might seem silly if you tune in and see a grown man dressed up as Batman living in a blanket fort. It's not a stuffy intelligence; it's just brilliantly innovative, and creator Dan Harmon realizes that works best in the context of character-driven story.
Community is based on Harmon's experience of attending a community college to be near a certain girl. He joined a study group with an odd mix of people with whom he had nothing in common. Like Harmon, the show's lead character, Jeff Winger, is an independent and arrogant hot shot who finds—to his surprise—that he actually sort of likes this band of losers who seemingly have nothing to offer him.
Where Community stands out is that there is method to the madness, a real purpose behind the zany gags, odd characters, and hilarious parodies. For Harmon, the show is all about exploring the power of community. In a captivating Wired article, Harmon explains in his studies of story structure from Joseph Campbell , he breaks down an episode's narrative to these eight steps: 1) a character is in a comfort zone; 2) but they want something; ...1


text:
London, Great Britain, August 8, 2012 – Defending champions Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor won a third consecutive Olympic gold medal when they defeated fellow USA team Jennifer Kessy and April Ross 21-16, 21-16 in the London 2012 Olympic Games gold medal match at Horse Guard's Parade on Wednesday.
Reigning FIVB world champions Juliana Felisberta and Larissa Franca meanwhile beat China's Chen Xue and Zhang Xi in the bronze medal match.
"It is one thing to play an Olympic final and another to play one with people you know so well," Walsh said. "It ups the stress levels and anxiety levels. I was more nervous for that match than any other."
"It's tough to play your own country, but it is nice to see them back and have an all-US final," May said. "That's what we want. It says a lot about volleyball in the US."
Kessy and Ross served first and scored the first points of the match and for the early part of the match the teams traded points. Eventually May-Treanor and Walsh sneaked ahead and held their advantage to win the first set and take control of the match with a powerful May-Treanor spike.
The second set began in exactly the same way as the first when Ross opened the scoring which led to the two sides exchanging points. Once again though May-Treanor and Walsh stepped up their performance to draw clear. Kessy and Ross were unable to stay in touch and a service error gave Walsh and May-Treanor another gold medal to go with the ones they won at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.
It meant that May-Treanor signed off her beach volleyball career in the perfect fashion as they became the first team to win three Olympic beach volleyball gold medals.
"I wanted to do this for her and to finish with a win for both of us," May-Treanor said. "We set our expectations really high as a team, as people and as players. We set the bar really high and extended ourselves over it."
For 2009 FIVB world champions Kessy and Ross the silver makes up for missing the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
"We are really proud of what we did here," Ross said. "It has been a tough battle and we nearly lost to Spain and the Czech Republic and nearly lost to Brazil last night.
"We are really proud of how we fought tonight, but they didn't let us in. We like to be underdogs and come back and they didn't let us back in tonight."
Juliana and Larissa fight back to win bronze
In the bronze medal match Juliana and Larissa staged a second-set comeback to beat China's Chen Xue and Zhang Xi 11-21, 21-19, 15-12 to win.
"I am so proud of our team," Juliana said. "At the beginning of the match we didn't play well and I didn't know how we did it in the second set. The tie-break at the end, though I hate them, went well. This medal, though it isn't gold, feels like gold."
China were fastest into their stride and the Brazilians had no answer to Zhang Xi's left-handed hitting as they sought a second-consecutive Olympic bronze medal. Juliana and Larissa were also unable to match the fluidity of the Chinese, who won the set when Xue hit a spike that Larissa was unable to defend.
In the second Larissa and Juliana came out with renewed focus, but as the set went on the Chinese gradually took control and built a two-point lead. However, Zhang Xi and Xue couldn't close out the win and two points from Juliana won them the set and sent her running towards the Downing Street End of Horse Guard's Parade in celebration.
Juliana and Larissa were visibly reinvigorated by drawing level on the scoreboard and they quickly racked up six points, with two against in the third set. Despite a time-out the Chinese had no riposte to their play and while Zhang Xi saved one matchball, they held their nerve with the second to win the bronze.
"It's not important to start well, it is important to finish well," Juliana said. "You want it so bad and I am so proud to have played at the Olympic Games. Last night I said we have to stick together because we had to win the bronze medal."
In London the teams were divided equally into six pools of and the teams played each other once in their group. The top two advanced to the single-elimination knockout phase that began on August 3 along with the two best third-placed teams. The remaining four third-place teams competed in playoff matches to determine which pairs filled the final two places in the 16-team elimination bracket's first round.
Sixteen teams qualified for the Games through the Olympic Ranking which is based primarily on world tour standings. Five more joined as winners of the AVC, CAVB, CEV, CSV and NORCECA Continental Cup Finals, and two from the World Cup Olympic Qualification Tournament. Great Britain was granted a berth as hosts.
The sold-out beach volleyball competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games is being held through Aug. 9 in a purpose-built 15,000-seat stadium on the grounds of Horse Guards Parade in central London. For current information, visit www.fivb.org.
27.12.2012 14:44:20
Olympic Beach Volleyball review – What to expect in Rio?
Lausanne, Switzerland, December 27, 2012 - As part of an end-of-year review series, the FIVB takes a look back at the success of beach volleyball at t... More...
26.12.2012 09:41:42
Olympic Volleyball review - Stunning finals highlight terrific tournament
Lausanne, Switzerland, December 26, 2012 - As part of an end-of-year review series, the FIVB takes a look back at the outstanding volleyball competiti... More...
20.12.2012 17:11:37
Beach volleyball voted one of the highlights of London 2012
Lausanne, Switzerland, December 20, 2012 – Beach volleyball has been named as one of the highlights of the 2012 London Olympic Games by Olympic.org.... More...
12.09.2012 18:24:41
Brink and Reckermann handling celebrity well
Lausanne, Switzerland, September 12, 2012 – With Europe's first beach volleyball gold around their necks, Brink and Reckermann have become genuine sta... More...
28.08.2012 16:58:48
Walsh reflects on May-Treanor retirement, while her career moves ahead
Lausanne, Switzerland, August 28, 2012 – As three-time Olympic champion Kerri Walsh appears to have wrapped up her 2012 season, the FIVB looks back on... More...
24.08.2012 17:25:22
May-Treanor's retirement brings an end to the sport's greatest pairing
London, Great Britain, August 24, 2012 – Three weeks after the end of the London Olympics, the FIVB reflects on the amazing team of Misty May-Treanor ... More...
22.08.2012 09:57:22
Russia sets the bar high, but expect big changes from Brazil and USA, says Tom Hoff
Lausanne, Switzerland, August 22, 2012 - In a final retrospective on the London Olympics, former USA captain Tom Hoff talks about the Russian players ... More...
21.08.2012 14:57:51
Olympic beach volleyball sand distributed
London, Great Britain, August 20, 2012 - Over 4,000 tons of sand has been donated by The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) from the temporary b... More...
12.08.2012 18:31:48
Russia come from behind to win Olympic title after 32 years, Brazil and Italy get silver and bronze
London, Great Britain, August 12, 2012 – The last day of action of the men's volleyball tournament at Earls Court provided all fans with the right cli... More...
12.08.2012 18:30:00
Brazilian legend Giba calls time on career
London, Great Britain, August 12, 2012 – Brazil captain and legend Giba has called time on his 20-year international career after the heart-breaking 3... More...


text: The restaurant critic for the New York Times, Pete Wells, announced on Twitter last week that his newspaper has changed their style guide's spelling for hot peppers to "chile" from "chili". I don't always perfectly land the proper execution but the debates that involve spelling are catnip to me. (more…)


text:
Henry "Butch" White began dreaming of owning a Corvette all the way back in high school. The allure of its swept-back lines and the thought of drop-top cruising combined with the obvious performance aspects to make the Vette his ultimate adolescent dream car. Unfortunately for White, there were a number of speed-related fatalities in his area during his teenage years, with many of them involving Chevy's little 'glass sports car. At the time, his dad told him straight out, "If you bring one of those things home, it better have a big enough trunk for all your [expletive deleted], 'cause I'm kicking you out." Enough said.
Finally in late 1968, at age 21, White decided to test his dad's resolve on the household Corvette ban. He found a nice little '61 for sale locally, finished in innocent-looking white paint and sporting a hardtop trimmed in black vinyl. It wasn't a bad looking car at all, even if someone had carved up the soft top to excavate the eight-track player from its dash.
It turns out the seller needed a bigger car with a trunk, since his wife had just given birth to their first child. White just happened to have a car like that in his own private stock: a '65 Impala with a 283 engine and a "boot" the size of a hot tub. The guy immediately took a liking to the gleaming-red Imp, and an even swap was made on the spot.
Needless to say, White's father was less than pleased--he even refused to talk to his son for a week. He finally broke the ice by saying, "You got away with that one, but if you ever bring home a motorcycle, you're definitely getting your ass kicked out on the street."
As a gift, White's best friend went to the local Chevy dealer and bought him a fresh Dunvtov solid-lifter "30/30" camshaft for the new car. A pretty tired 283 sat between the fenders of the '61, but the old motor came to life with the new cam, and it ran pretty well out on the street.
After a month or so, the Vette was involved in a "parking-lot demolition derby" at an all-night Christmas party. A quarter-panel and door were damaged pretty badly, but the car was still driveable. White drove the Vette for two months with the damage, then had a bunch of friends come over and repair it with used parts. He then took the remainder of the insurance money to his local Chevy dealer, where he purchased a brand-new Z/28-spec 302. This was in the winter of 1969, and the high-revving 302 would serve as the Corvette's motivation for the next few years. The purchase was the last ingredient in a recipe of trouble for White, the Vette, and his street-racing spirit.
"A License to Steal"By this time White had become a full-fledged police officer in his local borough in New Jersey. White says being a cop was like having a license to steal. "We could basically make our own rules out there on the street, because we were the ones who were supposed to be watching for this kind of crap," he admits. Needless to say, White and his cohorts watched and participated in plenty of street races in North Jersey…and they did it their way.
"Many times I would let a friend drive my car in a race, while I was working as a cop on duty. I would mark off the quarter-mile with the police car, start the race with the roof light of the patrol car, and then judge the winner as they went by me," he recounts with a grin and a sly chuckle. "What a great time it was in my life. I was in my 20s, a little crazy, and I was doing what I loved to do: running fast and hard."
White had been dating his sweetheart for a few years at this point, and he felt it was time to pop the question. So he decided to purchase a ring for his girl, and asked for the help of his prospective mother-in-law in picking out an appropriate diamond. Unfortunately, the Vette was undergoing some pretty heavy surgery at the time, as White had just stripped the car of its paint, removed the exhaust all the way up to the headers, and denuded the interior of everything but its two buckets.
"It must have been quite a trip for her," he says. "She must have wanted to get her daughter out of her house very badly to do that with me. But it worked out real well, as we're still married after 41 years."
The next few years saw some pretty heavy racing action for the Vette. White had finished the bodywork--installing custom Dodge taillights along the way--and added a few coats of '70 Cadillac Nottingham Green Firemist. He also completely restitched the interior. But shortly after completing the cosmetic work, he spun a rod bearing while performing a massive 7,000-rpm powershift for the benefit of a crowd gathered outside the local watering hole.
Back at home, he tore down the motor and built it back up to spec, then continued to beat on it every chance he got. Local 'strips like Island Dragway and Raceway Park became regular stops, as White expanded his racing repertoire to include legal, on-track events. Finally, after a few more years of constant battering, the 302 had nothing more to give. White sold the short block to a local gas-station owner, who rebuilt it and put it in his '63 split-window. White's Vette, meanwhile, received an engine out of a stock '73 Chevelle; this would provide mild-mannered motivation until he could decide on his next move with the car.
Block PartyingAlthough White was by now the proud father of two children, a son and a daughter, his domestic situation did nothing to lessen his desire for speed. His next modification to the '61 was the addition of a built 350 with a 0.60-inch overbore, 12.5:1 compression, angle-plug heads, and a 750 double pumper. This engine really made the car rip, and White just loved beating on it.
"I got to know the management at the Morristown Airport, and they let me pull up to the pump there to fill up with 110- or 140-octane airplane fuel," he says. "Little did I know, but there are different additives in car fuels than there are in airplane fuels. It didn't take long to put a hole in the number one cylinder while running at Island Dragway."
But before he busted up that cylinder, White regularly took his 4-year-old son, Dan, out in the Corvette for shakedown runs. "He loved to ride in it and go fast. One time I brought it out of the hole and powershifted Second, then Third, and heard a loud bang. I thought I blew Third gear. When I got home, I looked and realized that the harmonic balancer had come apart at about 7,500 rpm. Luckily, it had blown down, and not up, when it came apart."
When White went back to the spot where the balancer had exploded, he found a large hole in the macadam. "It could have taken the nose off of the car if it had gone upward," he says. Another crisis averted by luck.
Eight years later, White had Dan back in the car, this time in the driver seat. "I taught him to drive a stick in the Vette when he was about 12, at an industrial park in Livingston. It had the mild 350 in it and 4.56 gears, so it was almost impossible to stall. He did very well."
But that wasn't the end of the young man's very special driver's education.
"I taught him how to powershift the car in an industrial park in Florham Park, about a mile from where we lived," says White. "Next, I put a new pair of slicks on the car and taught him how to bring it out of the hole. I had him stop the car, bring it to 4,500 rpm, and dump the clutch as fast as he could. I told him to drive it like he was trying to break it." It must have worked, as his son is now one of the few people who can actually get a nose up on him at the local drags.
Motors for the '61 came and went frequently. After the high-compression 350 blew, a homemade Sprint Car motor wearing the heads off his old 302 and a 327/360 hydraulic cam made a brief appearance in the car. That motor died after a year, and those parts found their way into another 350 White had in storage. It lasted perhaps five years before finally coming apart at the dragstrip.
"It finally blew up at Island while I was racing my son, who was driving my '69 Camaro. I was just trying to squeeze a little too much out of it in Third gear, and it threw a rod. That one got tangled up with another one, the crank broke, the cam broke into three pieces, and it puked every fluid out of it that it could, all over the track. While towing it back to my barn, I realized that it was time to build a real good motor."
Running on FullWhite's search started at a local junkyard, where he found a nice 400ci block out of a '70 GMC pickup. He first cleaned it up with an 0.30-inch overbore, added a stock 350 crank, and finished off the short-block with all new internals. The heads and cam came from White's last running 350. The 377-inch motor lasted 13 years, running a best of 11.41 at 118 mph. White had finally found a motor he could live with--and one that could live with him.
In 2011 White set about freshening up the unbreakable motor. While it was on the stand, he decided to go completely "old school" and change out some of the modern components. A roller cam was added, along with some Crane Gold roller rockers. Up top, he installed a vintage tunnel ram and crowned it with two big four-barrel carbs. The imposing engine is all but guaranteed to strike fear in the hearts of White's drag-racing competition, even if all of that racing is now done on sanctioned tracks.
After 44 years, more than 16 motors, 6 transmissions, 8 Chevy rears (the current Oldsmobile rear has thus far proved indestructible), and countless other parts, Butch White says the car still serves as the mechanical embodiment of its driver: a little beat, a little battered, but still running…and running hard.
Having survived a medical scare a few years ago, when doctors found and removed a brain tumor, White is back to tearing it up on the racetrack, though he sometimes passes the keys off to his son. With its powertrain finally sorted out, this once and future dream car looks poised to provide the pair with many more years of driving excitement out on the road we all ply everyday--the road of life.
|Spec Sheet: '07 Coupe
|John Callahan; Allentown, Pennsylvania
|Stock LS2 aluminum
|364 ci
|Compression Ratio
|Stock LS2 aluminum
|Stock 2.00/1.55
|Stock hydraulic roller
|Rocker Arms
|Stock 1.7 ratio
|Stock hypereutectic
|Stock nodular iron
|Stock cast
|Intake Manifold
|Ported stock
|Power Adder
|Paxton NOVI 1200 supercharger with ECS methanol kit, 13 psi boost (max)
|Fuel Injectors
|Fuel Pump
|Stock with Kenne Bell Boost-a-Pump
|Stock coil-on-plug
|Exhaust System
|1 3/4-in American Racing headers, Billy Boat Bullet exhaust
|Stock six-speed manual
|Stock Z51
|Stock with 3.42 gears
|Stock Z51 with nickel-plated rotors and red powdercoated calipers
|D2 Forged VS1 chrome; 20x10-in front, 20x12.5-in rear
|Nitto Invo; 285/25ZR20 front, 345/25ZR10 rear
|Fuel Octane
|3,300 lbs with driver
|Best ET/MPH
|11.96 sec at 119 mph (NA)
|Best 60-ft. Time
|1.70 sec
|Current Mileage
|About 20,000


text:
No matter how partisan a person is, it seems no one is looking forward to falling off the "fiscal cliff."
However, I don't think there is any stopping the momentum that is in place. I believe we will be paying higher taxes in 2013 no matter our economic status.
That's because President Barack Obama, the Democrats and the Republicans are failing to reach an agreement regarding tax hikes and spending cuts to be made next year.
I don't blame any one party. I blame them all because they knew this was coming. They knew it and ignored it for far too long.
So, last Friday, when House Speaker John Boehner failed to gain the required votes on "Plan B" from his own party, the Republicans, things began to look very dismal.
Some are laying the blame squarely at his feet, refusing to hold Democrats accountable for their role in the state of the economy.
Politicians are the same today as they have been for many decades, focused on their own agenda and not the welfare of the American people.
I truly believe too many politicians say they want what is best for the U.S. citizens. They tell us they worry about the poor. They tell us they want to give the eroding middle-class a break.
However, they are unable to come to a compromise. Spending is at an all-time high, but the Democrats want to give what some refer to as "phantom cuts."
Taxes...well, I just wonder how poor the politicians really want us to be since many of us are barely scraping by as it is.
I do believe being overtaxed is one of the reasons our forefathers fought for independence from the British.
I know there was a second part to that (taxation without representation), but it seems our representation is numb, dumb and without a doubt set on a course that fails to recognize our best interests.
So, come Jan. 2, 2013, I fully expect to hear we have fallen off the "fiscal cliff" and will be paying higher taxes regardless of our name, social standing or race.
Brace yourselves, America!
Comments are subject to moderator review and may not appear immediately on the site.
Please read our commenting policy before posting.
Any comment violating the site's commenting guidelines will be removed and the user could be banned from the site.
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.


text:
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft.
We have another appearance from Allison Robert today for you Druid players, so that's fun! Guest answers tend to be a lot more fun, no? I certainly think so, because it means less work for me to do! I'm kidding, I'm kidding, but it's definitely fun to spread the love around a little.
Chas asked...
Has there ever been any lore surrounding Thane Korth'azz and Lady Blaumeux from Naxxramas? The other horsemen seem to have back-stories but I can't find anything on them.
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW Insider's daily Q&A column where the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft.
Blaumeux seems to have the least amount of backstory of all of the Four Horsemen, so I'm not entirely sure what her deal is in everything. Thane Korth'azz, however, is probably a former member of the Silver Hand. In the comic he's been referred to as "one of Uther's men" so the common theory is he went down around the same time Arthas shivved Uther. The details are fuzzy, but he was definitely a member of the Silver Hand.
Blaumeux is a question mark. Probably she was just a notable female Paladin, likely in the Silver Hand as well. We don't really know.
Thuixz asked...
What happened to Dungeon Sets in WotLK? Is this just another thing Blizz was too lazy to get creative about?
We hardly need class specific dungeon sets. They really served no useful purpose except looking pretty, and while I love looking pretty just as much as the next guy, those sets were pretty superfluous. Very few people actually wore their tier set, so all they really did was clutter up loot tables. Most of the people that collected their dungeon sets did so just so they could say they had the full set, but very few actually wore it.
They were really unnecessary, and I don't think they really served a purpose. The 10-man version of Tier 7 isn't that much harder to get, so it's not like there's no sets at all available to slightly newer level 80s. Most of it is on easy to reach bosses or available from Emblems of Heroism, just running whichever Heroics you want.
Phun asked...
What do the glowing colours on the meeting/summoning stones mean? I've seen green, blue and orange (and I think red too but I'm not sure). I was guessing it was to do with level ranges but it seems completely arbitrary. For example at level 80 BRD was orange but BRS was blue.
I never actually noticed the different colors on the meeting stones. After digging around, I've come up empty. I don't think it means anything, just aesthetics, but if any of our readers know anything about it beyond that I hope they'll let us know! It'd be interesting if it indicated something, but I don't think it does.
actodd asked...
Now that every Tom, Dick and Hunter has the Staff of Trickery, I'm starting to look at other weapon options, particularly One-Handed. Are there any DPS/tanking off-handers available? Are there any combos that would be better than a 2Hander?
Allison Robert answered...
Hi Actodd - like Gorehorn, I'm assuming you're a Druid because you've referenced the Staff of Trickery.
For tanking purposes you'll probably still want to use either the Kirin Tor revered staff or the Enraged Feral Staff from heroic Utgarde Keep. In Naxxramas, tanking upgrades will be an Origin of Nightmares (Naxx-25 shared loot table Gluth/Grobbulus), Staff of the Plague Beast (Naxx-10 shared loot table Heigan/Gluth) or Staff of the Plaguehound (Naxx-10 Kel'Thuzad). OoN is still the best overall feral tanking staff in the game right now, although not by the wide margin it occupied before 3.0.8. Plaguehound doesn't have any armor on it but in all honesty the expertise on it is almost completely wasted on a cat. Use it for DPS only if you're not expertise-capped from gear; otherwise it's a good threat weapon for a tank.
For DPS purposes, Staff of Trickery will keep you going until an Undeath Carrier (Naxx-25 share loot table...I think Gluth/Grobbulus again but I'd have to look it up), a Journey's End (Naxx-25 Kel'Thuzad), or a Black Ice (Malygos-10). Journey's End is currently the best DPS staff in the game. Black Ice is roughly comparable to an Undeath Carrier right now but make sure you train polearms.
At the moment there really are no 1H/offhand feral combinations at all - everything you'll be using will be a staff or a polearm.


text:
A brand new Indie premiered today, MYTHOS, a character-driven, mythology-based webseries about mortality, family, love, and fate. The show stars Miriam Pultro, Tyler Herwick, Mark Banik, Adam Henry Garcia, Drew Moore, Torri Yates-Orr, Jael Golad and Gary-Kayi Fletcher.
"There is a difference between the stories we believe and the stories we tell."
Watch the first episode below and let us know what you think.


text:
Skip to comments.Sharia and Freedom [McCarthy]
Posted on 10/21/2012 6:52:57 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross
Multi-religious prayer almost inevitably leads to false interpretations, to indifference as to the content of what is believed or not believed, and thus to the dissolution of real faith. So wrote Joseph Ratzinger in 1986. Even then, the man who would later become Pope Benedict XVI was renowned as a singularly deep thinker on the finer points of religious belief systems to say nothing of the sweeping themes.
As head of the Vaticans doctrinal office, Cardinal Ratzinger was ruminating on the World Prayer Day for Peace, forged by his legendary papal predecessor, John Paul II. Though he was among the pontiffs closest advisers, Ratzinger was uneasy about John Paul IIs grand gesture: taking center stage in a spectacle of interfaith solidarity. Flanked about him were leaders of the worlds religions. Even Shamanism took its place among Roman and Eastern Orthodox Catholicism, Protestant sects, Judaism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and, of course, Islam all joined in an iconic, ecumenical quest for peace.
It was as if there were but one civilization, one single, common way of looking at the world. It was as if there were a talismanic aura about peace, such that the word connoted a universal value, impervious to inquiry about its meaning to the variegated voices uttering it. Was this peace the mere absence of war? Hadnt the 20th century already proved that there were evils worse than war? Was peace an absence of war achieved by appeasing malevolent oppressors? Or was it an absence of such oppressors because they had been righteously defeated because liberty and equal opportunity, undergirded by the rule of law, had triumphed? Details, details. Surely a tidal wave of banners, splaying peace in a Babel of tongues, would wash away such impertinent questions.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Long, but insightful article on the fake 'religion of peace' by Andy McCarthy who knows the evils of Islam through and through.
Sharia and freedom.
Oil and water.
Neither mixes with the other.
Andrew McCarthy refers to Pope Benedict XVI (then Cardinal Ratzinger) to make some profound points and truth about Islam and its actual opposition to peace and freedom.
You cannot have freedom and sharia, and you cannot have freedom and tolerance for sharia in any form.
Well written and to the point. I know so many people who just do not get this concept, and it almost seems willful and fear inspired.
Andrew McCarthy: my new hero. Forget John Bolton. I want Andrew McCarthy as Secretary of State.
If blind 'peace lovers' had been around before the American revolution - we'd all be subjects of the Queen... Right now in our time we have the 'Dictator Protection Agency' - also known as the United Nations. Think of it as 'Peace At Any Cost to Humans' ... Liberals and the brain-dead see things in such simple terms... "I want to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony... " Gushy little bits of nonsense.
Men are instructed what fingers to use to push back their hair... Citizens what size stones to use when killing a person... control freaks...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


text:
CLERMONT, Fla. – After dropping its first two games of the season, the Carleton College softball team bounced back with a pair of victories on Wednesday night. The Knights posted a 7-2 triumph over Trinity Christian College then capped the evening with an 8-0 win over Gallaudet University as pitchers Claire Willeck (So./ Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie) and Jenny Forster (Jr./Ledyard, Conn./Ledyard) combined on a no-hitter, the third in team history.
The opener was knotted at 1-1 when Willeck doubled to open the bottom of the fourth. She later scored on a single by Keelin Davis (Fy./Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville), giving the Knights the lead for good. Carleton tacked on another run the fifth via a Jenny Ramey (Jr./Cottage Grove, Minn./New Life Academy) triple and sacrifice fly off the bat of Micaela LaRose (So./Waconia, Minn./Holy Family).
The Knights padded their advantage with four runs thanks to five consecutive in the sixth frame. That provided more than enough run support for LaRose, who evened her record at 1-1 on the season. She went the distance, allowing one earned run on six hits.
The offense stayed hot in the evening's second contest, pounding out 12 hits and scoring at least once in every inning. However, it was the mound work of Willeck and Forster that became the storyline.
The Bison had runners aboard in each of the front three innings, but Willeck (1-0) was able to work out of trouble every time. Forster emerged from the bullpen and added a pair 1-2-3 innings to nail down the Knights' first no-hitter since assistant coach Caitlyn Cornell achieved the feat on March 25, 2005. (SEE CHART BELOW)
Ramey and Davis both finished the day 4-for-6 at the plate.
Carleton will play a pair of games on Thursday, March 21 as the Knights face D'Youville College (N.Y.) and Western New England University (Mass.).
Fauna Smith vs. Macalester College on April 21, 1999 (W 5-1)
Caitlyn Cornell vs. St. Joseph College on March 25, 2005 (W 13-0, 5 inn.)
Claire Willeck (3.0 IP) and Jenny Forster (2.0 IP) vs. Gallaudet University on March 20, 2013 (W 8-0, 5 inn.)


text:
Primary tabs
Hyundai Merchant Marine
Hyundai Merchant Marine is the world's 15th-largest container shipping company, with a fleet of 160 vessels. Established in 1976 with headquarters in South Korea, Hyundai has formed a global network with 28 subsidiaries, 76 branches, six overseas offices and 10 liaison offices.
Hyundai Merchant Marine, which is a part of the Hyundai Group, posted revenues of KRW 6.9 trillion in 2013 — down 10.4 percent year-on-year. The company recorded a net loss of KRW 351 billion, down 32.5 percent from the previous year's net loss of KRW 520 billion.
Hyundai was the ninth-ranked container carrier in U.S. containerized import trade in 2013, with volume of 796,509 TEUs, up 0.9 percent year-over-year, giving it market share of 4.4 percent. It was No. 9 in U.S. containerized export trade in 2013, with volume of 796,509 TEUs, up 2.6 percent year-over-year and market share of 4.0 percent. For more carrier rankings see the JOC's Top 40 Container Carriers special topic.
Press Releases
- Page 1
- ››


text:
Lots of things hehe
The list is endless.
Your uncut juicy cock looks so delicious, and you have one hell of a hot looking chest and nipples!!
I'd love to taste that gorgeous cock!
Would that be after I tie you up and have my way with you? Damn you're hot.
i'd deepthroat that meaty cock, yum!
Suck nipples then eat that foreskin and swallow that fat cock. Then eat your ass and fuck it good.
get my tongue under your foreskin... give your arse a good rim then slide in
mmmmm you are more then welcome to do that
I'd lick your gorgeous body up and down and suck that cock until it erupts into my mouth!


text:
A shimmer free mid toned grey
Like or Loathe this polish?
Note: This image is part of the soon to be launched swatch gallery. Do not reproduce any of these images in any form for personal or commercial use without requesting permission. You can request usage by using the contact form.


text:
It's National Karaoke Week! Get Your Sing On!
Most of us have done this...at least once in our lives, whether it was on our own, or coaxed by friends after one too many adult beverages, but however it's come into play, Karaoke has been done by almost everyone, and it's a lot of fun! So welcome to 'National Karaoke Week!'


text:
Chapel Hill, NCUSA
December 9, 2012
No introduction yet
The Spoonflower Greenhouse is a classroom and community space located at Spoonflower's headquarters in Durham, North Carolina. To support DIY as a cultural movement, we created the Greenhouse to provide a local space for hands-on learning, experimentation, and making. The room is used for classes, lectures, workshops, and social events, most of which are offered free of charge. Local crafting groups seeking a space to hold nonprofit events are encouraged to write to us to inquire about availability of the Greenhouse.
There is so much happening in the Greenhouse! Meetup is where we list all of our crafting socials and sew-ins. To see a complete schedule of our classes and events, including instructed lectures, classes and parties, please see our full calendar of events here.
We'd love to hear from you! Please direct questions, comments, and event feedback to firstname.lastname@example.com.
We love to share what we're doing in the Greenhouse with our online community! Please note that our events will be photographed, and images from our events may be shared through our blog, website, and social media accounts. By signing up for and attending Spoonflower events, we assume that you are granting us the right to publish photos that include your likeness as part of our community-building and marketing efforts. We will not publish your name or any other identifying info in our photos without your specific permission.
444 Stitch n' Bitchers
877 Museum Lovers
7,148 Raleigh Social Explorers
1,026 Sketchers
1,332 Members
996 Members
Or sign up with email
Already a member? Log in.
Meetup members, Log in
By clicking "Sign up" or "Sign up using Facebook", you confirm that you accept our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy


text:
Murdoch-Microsoft Deal In the Works
Thank you! Finally some good news. These hatred consolidation programs cut my insane ranting down significantly and gives me more time to appreciate the finer things in life like making intricate tinfoil feathers to put into my tinfoil pimp hats. I applaud Murdoch & Ballmer for finally thinking of people like me. But it may be too little too late, ever since the government subsidized hatred and what with the sub-prime hatred rate financial crisis, I've been forced to cut down on hating as much as forty or fifty percent. Tough times we live in. Tough times.
'Murdoch could be wringing cash out of a market he knows is doomed to implosion or assimilation. And he doesn't even have to be an evil genius, either: he just has to be smarter than Steve Ballmer.'
Which is just as well because I've never heard anyone accuse Murdoch of being more than half way towards being an evil genius.
I'm pretty sure that Murdoch will hate M$ for this step. No, I'm serious.
He's in the publishing industry. In other words: Perception and stories are his trade. The whole "Google is stealing from us" angle is an excellent story and contains a number of great opportunities to profit (from the government if you threaten loss of jobs, from Google if you threaten lawsuits, etc.) - but what M$ is doing is essentially calling his bluff.
Now he'll either have to go along with it, and de-index his sites, which will result in page views coming down crashing, or have everyone and his dog dig out the old stories and say "wasn't so bad after all, was it, old liar?".
He's probably already busy trying to find a way out without loss of face.
Fox wants to pull out of the news business? And we're supposed to complain?
I don't thinks this means what he thinks it means.
I don't personally see any down side of having all of Murdoch's content removed from my searches. If I want news, I want the real deal, not the Faux News spin on it.
Also I can't imagine two entities that deserve each other more, it's a marriage made in hell.
If I were google, I would let MS have News Corp. The average internet user is not going to even know about the missing content to drive them to switch to bing, and the savvy users could not give a shit about News Corp and MS.
I can't but help to think that this is illegal behavior somehow. I also can't help but think that this proposed move has already been cleared by Microsoft's legal department.
In my mind, there is "competition" and there is the game of "dirty tricks." In competition, competitors simply do the best they can and operate under the idea of "may the best man win." In the game of dirty tricks, competitors do their best to slow, stop or even kill the competition. I can't say for sure which color hat Google is wearing presently, but Microsoft most definitely subscribes to latter behavior rather than the former.
So what you're saying is that fair competition isn't the American way of doing business.
Or you've been living under a rock..
No one is going to switch search tools because some particular newspaper is in Bing's index and not Google's. If Bing wants to get the traffic, all they have to do is return better results. Buying exclusive access to index the WSJ isn't going to help, because anyone who actually cares about what the WSJ has to say specifically will just go to the WSJ site, not to Bing.
This would be a waste of MS money, and would hurt the WSJ by having them be found less often (Bing isn't yet as popular as Google, as I understand things), thus getting them less hits and less notice. Unless Murdoch doesn't care about the WSJ's future, this is overall likely a bad move for him.
If Bing wants the traffic, they have to return better results. Eventually, that will translate into users, but it's not a quick thing.
This would be a stupid move on Microsoft's part, and probably a bad plan on Murdoch's part. That doesn't mean they won't go forward, but it's a dumb idea all around.
[I! Love! This! Company!] YEEEEAAAAAH!
Google on one side.
Microsoft and Murdoch on the other.
Gee... I wonder who the public will side with?
Sure, Microsoft once beat Mozilla who was burning up cash, but that memory will loom large with Google who has bucketloads of cash and more importantly: smarter people that those old dinosaurs. Microsoft these days is a poor imitator. News Corp is irrelevant unless you like spoonfed opinionated news. My money is on Google.
Microsoft and Murdoch is who they will side with, of course. Look at which OS is on 90% of desktops, look at whose papers/"news" shows are most watched.
Now I don't have to append -site:fox.com to my search results to filter out the lies. Thank you for going to all this trouble.
"Rupert Murdoch is pointing a gun to Google's head, and Microsoft is helping him pull back the trigger."
Oh old Rupert, is it really Google's head, or did you write G O O G L E on your toes? (Yeah that's right, Rupert Murdoch has 6 toes on each foot, you heard it here first!)
It's actually a reminder to himself for when he's naked. "Go Ogle."
...this is prima facie evidence that Google's "Don't be evil" policy is working very, very well.
Poor Fox - they think their content is important enough to change the behavior of the entire web surfing public. Newsflash - it's not.
I wonder if Rupert Murdoch has ever used Google for anything. When I do a Google News search, I get the beginnings of articles that link right to the newspaper site to read them. All I get from Google is an aggregation showing me what articles are available on a topic. Even if you put the content itself behind a paywall (the last great idea that didn't pan out for the news industry) I'd still just see that teaser paragraph. I still don't understand where the "theft" thing comes from.
Now if the entire news industry rose up in unison to lock out search engines it might have a small impact on the habits of users, but as long as there are some holdouts and/or wire feeds online one or two providers dropping out will have no real impact.
Except for Fox's losing some eyeballs as a result of this I don't see how it works out for anyone. Sure, they get some money that Microsoft is willing to waste, but still - the loss of eyeballs will drive their ad rates down and it'll all probably wash out.
Making Google pay for "content" is like charging the guy on the corner you ask directions from ten bucks.
There sure is some strange logic in this deal, especially from the news moguls. 99,9% of all searches regarding news or a topic is about getting information about it regardless of the source.
When someone do a search for something, the quality of the pages is the interesting part, not where those pages resides. If its pointing to a blogger, Wikipedia or a newspaper is totally irrelevant just as long as the information is correct. By removing their own content the newspapers are only encouraging bloggers and the like.
I cant see people jumping ship towards Bing to get better results. Its much more likely people will be put off when any search on Bing leads to a paying newspaper instead of to that blog you want to find.
Maybe Microsoft will learn the distinction between money and value before the damage gets too bad.
Is this really the only way Microsoft can make their products look good, by overtly attempting to damage competitors' products?
All Google has to do is create its own "Google News", maybe with some fancy roll-overs with well-written but brief summaries. Reporters are cheap these days due to shrinkage. That'll scare the news industry like nobody's mother and they'll come running back begging to be included. Google is the New Microsoft: every twitch they make sends entire industries into frantic tizzies.
You can still get plenty of news for free on the Internet!
Did you know that George Bush parachuted out of the airplanes just before they hit the WTC? I would not know that except for reading the free news. Also did you know that Al Gore is using global warming as a smokescreen to hide the thermal exhaust from his secret base under the ice cap from which he will enslave the world?
pissed off and demanding Ballmer's head on a pike. How does pumping Microsoft's cash into the coffers of News Corp improve things for Microsoft or Microsoft's stockholders? Yeah, it's a great deal for News Corp's stock holders. I mean how bloody stupid is Steve Ballmer anyways? He's going to spend a bunch of money not trying to compete with Google but instead with having a temper tantrum because Microsoft's efforts to compete with Google have been so lame.
A committee takes root and grows, it flowers, wilts and dies, scattering the seed from which other committees will bloom. -- Parkinson


text:
what type of mental attitudes do fast bowlers need. For example what should a fast bowler be thinking when bowling
what type of mental attitudes do fast bowlers need. For example what should a fast bowler be thinking when bowling
I'm no fast bowler by any means, but I do open the bowling for my First XI team. I guess you've got to be confident in what you can do. You've got to know in your head that you're good enough to get the opposing batsman out, and if you don't think that then you're going to have to try and work out ways of getting him/her out.
Working out weaknesses early is what you have to do, and try and exploit them.
- Bad with the short ball? Give a couple of aggressive bouncers at the body, then one outside off (tempt the cut) and hope the slip cordon can catch!
If you can't work out what to bowl, bowl yorkers, or good length (hitting top of off stump).
Rhythm is very much needed also! You need to be able to stride in and get the ball down at a similar speed (unless you're trying to mix it up) consistently, and accurately. Having a good rhythm will help this.
Hope this helps.
I've said it on here a lot but a genuine quick has to be willing to bowl through the pain. Anyone can bowl medium pace stuff - it is the offspring of the steamers World - but bowling quick is hard.
Continuing to physically hurt yourself when the batsman is either smashing you around or dead batting your best efforts can be tough. However, a good quick contiues to come hard even when it is no fun at all. Everything else is built on that.
If I only just posted the above post, please wait 5 mins before replying as there will be edits
West Robham Rabid Wolves Caedere lemma quod eat lemma
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


text:
SYS-CON.TV Webcasts
Did you read today's front page stories & breaking news?
Today's Top SOA Links
From the Wires
The Eastern Company Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter and Twelve Months of 2012
By: Business Wire
Feb. 6, 2013 10:37 AM
The Eastern Company (NASDAQ-EML) today announced the results of its operations for the fourth quarter and twelve months of 2012. Sales for the quarter were $35.8 million, compared to $38.1 million for the same period in 2011, a 6% decrease. Net income for the fourth quarter was $1.7 million or $0.28 per diluted share compared to the $1.5 million or $0.24 per diluted share that was reported in the fourth quarter of 2011, an 18% increase.
For the twelve months of 2012 net sales were $157.5 million compared to $142.9 million in 2011, a 10% increase. Net income for the year 2012 was $8.6 million or $1.38 per diluted share, compared to $5.5 million or $0.89 per diluted share for the same period in 2011, a 57% increase.
Leonard F. Leganza, Chairman, President and CEO stated, "All three of our business segments experienced increased sales and earnings in 2012 compared to the prior year. Increases in sales and operating profits boosted results in the Industrial Hardware and Metal Product segments. The Industrial Hardware segment benefited from better than anticipated sales of hardware in the military markets as well as continued demand from the Class 8 truck market for our highly engineered hardware products such as a new and improved line of air vents launched in 2012, as well as our lightweight composite products used in the manufacture of sleeper cabs and truck bodies. The Metals Products segment continued to experience demand for its mine roof support products used in the coal mining industry and they also increased their contract casting business providing a variety of products for various industrial markets which provided additional revenues as compared to 2011. The increases in contract castings were driven primarily by sales of newly developed products for the railroad and solar panel industries."
Mr. Leganza continued, "Sales in the fourth quarter of 2012, when compared to the same period in 2011, were affected by a drop in sales of our lightweight composite panels for use in the electronic white board industry."
Mr. Leganza concluded, "Overall, we are pleased with the financial results for 2012. In line with our long-term corporate policy of dividend payments, the 289th consecutive regular quarterly dividend which was paid in December 2012 was $0.10 per common share. The payment also included an extra one-time $0.10 per share payment. This extra payment was made in view of our favorable operating results and strong cash flow in 2012."
The Eastern Company is a 154-year-old manufacturer of industrial hardware, security products and metal castings. It operates from ten locations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and China. The diversity of the Company's products helps it to respond to the changing requirements of a broad array of markets.
Forward-Looking Statements: Information in this news release contains statements which reflect the Company's current expectations regarding its future operating performance and achievements. Actual results may differ due to the many economic uncertainties that affect the Company's business environment. Further information about the potential factors which could affect the Company's financial results is included in the Company's reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company is not obligated to update or revise the aforementioned statements for those new developments.
Web 2.0 Latest News
Subscribe to the World's Most Powerful Newsletters
Subscribe to Our Rss Feeds & Get Your SYS-CON News Live!
SYS-CON Featured Whitepapers
Most Read This Week


text:
Elegance and style... designed for comfort. These are the strong points for the Spring Summer Collection Giovanni Fabiani Shoes 2013. Soft, velvety shoes with an anatomic arch supportand antistress insole, realised with truly unique and exclusive production tecniques, such as the characteristic "a sacchetto" process, giving you the maximum comfort and flexibility.
Active and tireless, the Giovanni Fabiani woman is a woman of our times: independent, dymamic and ambitious: always looking for the best. On the lookout for reliable, strong and comfortable materials. A strong but sensitive woman, who loves style but also that practical touch.


text:
Pulling Stock Quotes into Microsoft Excelby Steven Roman
Microsoft has spent a lot of time and effort trying to convince us to place Office documents on our Web sites -- witness the Microsoft Office 2000 Web Components, which are ActiveX controls designed to bring spreadsheet (Excel) and database (Access) functionality to a Web site. Whole books have been written about these Web components.
But Microsoft has spent much less effort pushing the tools they have created for going in the other direction -- placing the Web into our Office documents. This article shows one application for doing just that: importing stock share prices and indexes into an Excel spreadsheet. This is something I decided to do recently to keep track of my meager financial assets -- a few stocks, some bonds, and, of course, the usual savings/checking accounts. I have used MyYahoo to keep track of stocks, but it does not provide the range of formatting possibilities that Excel does, and I cannot do such things as compute my net worth (and I use the term a bit laughingly).
The problem, of course, is how to get updated stock data into an Excel worksheet automatically, either at regular intervals or with the click of a button. Not only do I want the current (read: delayed) price of my stocks (as well as other data such as the current change in price), but I also want historical stock prices so I can chart week-long, month-long or year-long performance for the stocks.
Related Reading
VB .NET Language in a Nutshell
I devised a two-fold solution that uses Web queries and the WebBrowser control. It is a simple matter to set up a Web query that will retrieve stock information from Microsoft's MSN Web site. With a little more effort, we can use the WebBrowser control to get historical stock prices from, say, Yahoo. Of course, Excel excels at creating the desired performance charts.
Figure 1 shows the main part of my Excel application, simplified for this discussion (the stock list is fabricated and I actually have three charts -- one for 7-day performance, one for 30-day performance, and one for 180-day performance.
|Figure 1. As the active cell moves from row to row, the chart on the right changes to reflect the stock associated with that row.
If you are interested in creating a similar application, read on.
The Application
The application consists of four worksheets.
- The Activity worksheet, shown above, holds the main stock data.
- The LookupInfo worksheet lists the stock symbols to look up. Here is a sample:
Symbol Name MSN Symbol CSCO Cisco Systems, Inc. DELL DELL Computer Corporation IBM International Business Machines Corporation INTC Intel Corporation MSFT Microsoft Corporation DOW Dow Jones Industrial Average Index $INDU NASDAQ Nasdaq Combined Composite Index $COMPX RUS2000 Russell 2000 Stock Index $IUX
We need this sheet for two reasons. First, we need to associate each stock symbol with the company name exactly as MSN knows it -- for example, "Cisco Systems, Inc." rather than just Cisco Systems. Although the Web query accepts stock symbols in its URL, it does not return those symbols. It returns only the full company name (along with the stock data, of course). So we need to have the exact name in order to find the information corresponding to a given stock symbol. (These names, by the way, can be found by just looking at the returned data in the Web query.)
In addition, MSN uses rather unintuitive symbols for stock indices, such as $IUX for the Russell 2000 index, whereas I would prefer something like RUS2000 in my main spreadsheet.
- The WebQuery worksheet contains the return data from the Web query. Once the data is returned from the query, we can use the Excel object model to get the data and place it into a global array for subsequent use, as described later.
- The Historical worksheet holds a WebBrowser control that browses Yahoo to get historical price information on stocks.
The general plan for the application is simple. Whenever the user clicks on a button to get stock info, we create a new Web query file and execute it, using the
Add method of the
QueryTables property of the WebQuery worksheet:
With Worksheets(conWebQuerySheet).QueryTables.Add(Connection:= _ "FINDER;" & sWebQueryFQFile, _ Destination:=Worksheets(conWebQuerySheet).Range("A1")) .Name = "Microsoft Investor Stock Quotes" End With
(There are some additional properties that you will find in the actual code.)
Once the Web query is complete, we can glean the required information from the WebQuery worksheet and fill a global array of type
Private Type utStocks Symbol As String MSNSymbol As String ' For indices, this differs from common symbol ' Data from table Name As String Price As String Change As String Volume As String High As String Low As String PrevClose As String YearHigh As String YearLow As String PERatio As String MarketCap As String EarningsPerShare As String SharesOut As String ' Computed ChangeSingle As Single PercentChanged As String ChangeIsNumeric As Boolean End Type
Once we have filled the array, we can do whatever we like with the data, including placing it on the Activity worksheet. You might also want to create a ticker-like display, as shown below, or do other things with the data.
As for historical data, this requires a bit more work. I am not aware of any Web queries that will retrieve such data, so we need to use a more brute-force approach. In particular, we use a WebBrowser control to browse to the appropriate URL at Yahoo, and then use a portion of the DHTML object model to pick apart the returned document and extract the historical prices.
Let's look at the details.
Pages: 1, 2


text:
2:00 Troy / Kaskapally / Killajackson gives Killashock client-crash script to crash our rogue via bnet whisper.
16:10 "Next time we play them we can't Ddos them.. but give me the script just in case."
Please, for the safety of those around you: remind your teammates to turn off their streams or delete VoDs if you're going to cheat!
This has been a public service announcement brought to you by Birdski.
Edited by Contrololold, 29 April 2013 - 04:13 PM.


text:
In music, tone is important. You can also tell a lot just from someone's "tone of voice." While testing the Tantalizingly Terrific Tone Trader, Tiny Scarecrow manages to mix-up the voice tones of everyone on the farm! Can the Biscuit family work together to set everything straight again?
Visit the Website: http://www.biscuitbrothers.com
Episode #601 / Length: 28 minutes


text:
Enter your name and date of birth to know your best compatible zodiacs!
Liked the Quizzes? Create Your Own Quiz!!!
Yup! Quizzes like these but created by you! It takes just few minutes to create them.
Take Quizzes Created By Other Users
What Are My Lucky Colors?
Check out the colors lucky for you based on Numerology. It may help you in deciding colors of your new car, house, walls, curtains, clothes etc
Generate The Beautiful Color Badge For Your Blog And Myspace Profiles
My Music Type
What is your music type? Rock, DJ Mix, Classic, Jazz... based on the kind of music you prefer generate your meme...
Generate The 'My Music Type' Badge For Your Blogs And Myspace Profile
How Many Cigarettes Can Kill One Year Of My Life?
We all know Smoking is injurious to health, but have you ever wondered how much? A single cigarette reduces 10 to 15 minutes of life of a very healthy person. For women and for obese people it's even worst. As per WHO every 6.5 seconds a person dies due to smoking. Check out how many cigarettes can reduce One year of your life...
Generate The Badge and Stick to Your Blog And Profiles to Create Awareness Against Smoking
Addictive Content In My Personality?
Ever wondered why some people are like drugs that others just can't live without them? It is the addictive content in their personality which makes others addicted to them. Take the quiz and find out how much addictive content your personality contains.
My Blog Voice!
Take your Voice to your Blogs and Profiles with this cool meme. Record your voice over phone and wrap it in a beautiful skin and stick on to your myspace profile, blogs, forums and websites.
Liked the Quizzes? Tell your friends...
How Addicted to Blogging am I ?
Do you love to blog? Do you love to read other's blogs? You wakeup in the morning with blog in your mind? You got some idea or topic , the first thing comes to your mind is to blog it? Hmm... Blogging is really addictive and more and more people in the world are getting addicted to it! Find out how addicted you are to blogging.
Blogger, Wordpress, Myspace, Technorati.... You Are Addicted, Now Find Out How Much...
How Much Is My Blog Worth?
Yes your blog, webpage or profile can be worth thousands of $$$, enter your page URL and find out its worth!
What Are My Lucky Numbers?
Check out the numbers lucky for you based on ancient Numerology. It's always good to know these numbers...
Generate The Numerology Badge For Your Blog And Myspace Profiles
What Is My Blog Rated?
Find out your blog film rating. We intensely scrutinize your page's content to rate it G, PG, PG-13, R or NC-17. Enter your URL and find out its rating!
Can I Be The America's President?
What do all Presidents so far have in common? Do you need unique qualities to reach the President post or just very simple but clear mindset and an urge? Take the quiz and find out if you have the qualities to be the President of America one day.