text:
Harbinger of hugs at home
Dressed in their black military outfits and wearing garrison caps, nine members of the Wapakoneta Veterans of Foreign Wars post stand waiting at attention along the sidewalk to the home one returning Iraqi veteran grew up.
His siblings and friends crowd the porch at 213 E. Benton St. as his mother stands on the bottom step fidgeting first with her hands cupping her face and then at her side — all watching as U.S. Army Private 1st Class Than Bowersock walks down the sidewalk. He spent the last year in Iraq.
After a ceremony on the walk to the house where 20-year-old Bowersock received a plaque from and exchanged words with the VFW members, he walked up to his mother and she threw her arms around him. He reciprocated.
She no longer sees him as the teen that left but as the young man he has become.
"My first thought was it's been so long — he's my son," his mother, Deb Schick said after taking a photograph of Bowersock with his brother and sisters, stepbrothers and stepsisters. "He looks good, but he looks so thin."
For Bowersock being home is ethereal.
"I feel so different — family and friends are here and everyone knows you," Bowersock said standing in a hallway lined with family photographs. "This is so different than being somewhere where no one knows you and no one really wants you to be there.
"As I walked down the sidewalk, I thought it's been eight months and I am actually going to get to see people I didn't get a chance to see the last time I came home."
In February, he received a week furlough and came home, but then he had to return to Iraq where he drives a tank and a humvee.
He also noticed something else when he returned to the United States at the end of his tour of duty in early November. He was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas.
"I could breathe in fresh air and I could smell the grass," Bowersock said. "In Iraq, it is hot and it is just sand and grit and the sand gets everywhere."
Bowersock, who is a 2009 graduate of Wapakoneta High School and the Apollo Career Center, enlisted in the U.S. Army in the fall of 2008 as part of the delayed entry program.
"We talked about him serving in the Army for quite awhile, but it was his decision to make," his mother said. "I encouraged him to follow his heart and this is what he wanted to do."
After graduation in 2009, Bowersock reported to Fort Knox, Ky. for boot camp. The son of Deb Schick and Christopher Bowersock left for Iraq shortly after Thanksgiving 2010, so he served nearly one year in Iraq and besides the one-week furlough has not been home — but now he is back in the United States for good.
His homecoming included being greeted by nine siblings — he has five brothers and sisters and four stepbrothers and stepsisters — grandparents, great grandmother and his stepfather, Joe Schick.
"He was the first one to graduate and the first one to leave," Deb Schick said. "I was proud of him serving and going to Iraq. He needed to do some growing up and he has. He is always on time now, if not early, and he is always telling us to 'walk with a purpose' or to 'use your voice.' "
He is the oldest, followed by his sisters, Rea, 19, Annika, 18, Daphne, 16, Tirane, 15, and his brother, Jalen, 13. He also the oldest of his stepfather's children including David, 19, Kara, 18, Rachael, 14, and Jared, 13.
Rea saw her brother first. She picked him up at the Dayton bus station and drove him home. She was supposed to pick him up at the Lima bus station, but the transfer would have delayed him coming home by at least another hour and they wanted to see him.
She also volunteered to pick him up because while his other siblings had a chance to see him when he reported to Fort Riley in November, she could not make the trip because she had to work.
"When I saw him at the train station, I thought that is a lot of bags," Rea said with a laugh. "He had four duffle bags and an X-box carrying case walking over toward the car.
"Actually, I thought it is about time because I missed him," she said. "I really worried about him while he was serving overseas and it is a relief that he is back and safe and that nothing happened to him over there."
Rea said she and her brother talked about everything on the hour-long drive home.
"We talked about a lot of things, — I told him about my house because he is going to be staying with me and my work schedule so he knew how he would be getting places," said Rea, who works at Otterbein-Cridersville. "I am so glad he is back."
She parked the white car down a couple of houses along East Benton Street and the two walked down the sidewalk before she lagged behind and then ran around and joined the family on the porch.
Seeing so many people in the front yard, Bowersock joked he must have done something wrong but then he saw the different flags including the American flag and he realized it was a welcoming home party.
He said he looked forward to his favorite meal — cow heart and cow tongue — but he also looked forward to something more precious.
"When you are overseas the only way to talk to someone and see them is through skype," Bowersock said. "Seeing and hearing them is OK, but you know you are home when you can actually put your arms around them and hug them."
He paused for a second, looked around and finished his statement, "and tell them how much you love them."


text:
Chef Joey Wells of Roux on Orleans cools us down with his Atole de Fresa.
New Orleans kids kept cool and occupied during the 1930s.
Founders, Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana
From slow strolls to exciting auctions, find a way to enjoy the visual arts this summer.
Director, Martin Lawrence Galleries
A "girls only" dinner party in Highlands, N.C.
City Year New Orleans Holds Its Annual "School House Rock"
Academy of the Sacred Heart
Local experts weigh in on the latest and greatest in interior design trends.
Co-owners, Orient Expressed
Pamper yourself this summer

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Science: For Crops, Wild Pollinators Needed
- 03-04-2013
- By Joshua E. Brown
Worldwide, honeybees are declining. And that has farmers worried about the crops that bees pollinate. But, in many farming areas, wild insects have been declining too.
Now, a huge study in Science shows that these wild pollinators—including flies, beetles, and butterflies—are more important than domesticated honeybees for boosting crop yields.
"Our surprising result is that native pollinators enhance production of crops, regardless of whether farmers use managed honeybees to augment pollination," notes University of Vermont biologist Taylor Ricketts, one of the study's co-authors.
Setting fruit
The new study, published online on Feb. 28, synthesized more than forty experiments from 600 farm fields in twenty countries — including one conducted by Ricketts, director of UVM's Gund Institute for Ecological Economics. The key result: in every crop system studied, wild pollinators increased the number of flowers that set fruit, while honeybees did so in only fourteen percent of the crop systems.
"This suggests that honeybees do not — as popularly thought — replace the pollination services that native pollinators provide to crops around the world," Ricketts writes. Instead, pollination work by wild insects increased "fruit set" twice as much as visits from honeybees.
Also, pollination visits by wild insects and honeybees "promoted fruit set independently," the scientists write, so honeybees can supplement, but can't replace, pollination by wild insects. The study, with fifty authors, looked at major crops — fruits, nuts, and grains — grown on every continent.
"Conserving pollinators and their habitats is therefore an important part of ensuring an adequate crop," Ricketts notes — underlining the limitations on finding domesticated substitutes for the wild species that provide benefits to people.
Wild farms
"Our study shows that losses of wild insects from agricultural landscapes impact not only our natural heritage but also our agricultural harvests," noted the study's lead author, Lucas A. Garibaldi, from Argentina's Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. "Long term, productive agricultural systems should include habitat for both honeybees and diverse wild insects."
One of the practices underlying these new findings is the separation of intensive agricultural landscapes from landscapes with greater biodiversity. "Our study shows that this separation can have negative consequences for pollination services," notes Alexandra-Maria Klein, a co-author from Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany—a problem that is "not buffered by honeybee management."
"We urgently need more research that informs but also involves the global and wider society," she says, "to explore novel management designs for agricultural landscapes." For example, farmers may find that restoring patches of more natural and wildlife-friendly land on their farms will increase yields.


text:
In 1986 senior citizens were leaving the borough in alarming numbers. Moving south or other boroughs, more welcoming of seniors and pleased to have them as part of their community.
Borough leaders and residents reacted by saying, you are our seniors, you built our borough and we want you to stay. That is when the Kenai Peninsula Borough enacted Ordinance 86-78 eliminating real estate taxes for seniors over age 65. The state had already recognized the senior contribution by enacting Statute 29.45.03 (e) exempting Alaska seniors from the first $150,000 of assessed valuation.
The impact of state and borough exemptions exceeded expectations. The senior migration reversed, not only did KPB seniors stay, but other Alaskan seniors built homes and retired in the KPB, which affectionately became known as "The Alaskan Riviera" for its beauty and climate. Seniors approaching retirement built new homes, remodeled existing homes and invested heavily into the Kenai Peninsula. They created jobs and are still a major contributor to the economic growth of the KPB.
In 2006 borough politicians decided the contribution of seniors was no longer needed. Twenty years of successful investment by seniors, now attacked by a new generation of politician.
The KPB politicians rushed to rescind the unlimited senior exemption and brought it to a vote under the guise of "vote yes for the senior exemption." Mislead seniors and voters thought they were preserving the exemption, not raising taxes on many seniors.
The result? Seniors no longer trust the borough they helped build. Remodels that would exceed the new exemption limit dried up. New construction of homes over $300,000 virtually ceased. Since the 2007 assault on seniors the KPB has lost millions of dollars in revenue and several thousand jobs. The KPB forecast of massive additional tax revenues from seniors never materialized.
Now, Mayor Navarre, with Assembly members Smith and Johnson want to raise taxes on seniors again. After a successful, but misleading Ordinance to remove the senior unlimited exemption and an Ordinance to raise the general residential exemption to $50,000, they have turned on seniors once more, by trying to eliminate the eligibility of seniors for the $50,000 residential exemption.
They have they scheduled this Assembly vote on Ordinance 2013-36 for Jan. 7, 2014. Why this date?
Simple, they know many KPB Seniors will still be visiting family. Embarrassed for their constituents to see them attack seniors, they get deniability by saying "Sorry, you seniors should have been there"
If you are a senior, have relatives that are seniors, or plan on becoming a senior one day, please tell Mayor Navarre and the Assembly: vote no, stop assaulting seniors, leave their $350,000 total exemption alone and go about the important business of managing the KPB. Call, write or email, but let them know that you support the seniors of the KPB.
You are our friends, relatives, our children and grand children. Someday you will be us. We need your help and support.


text:
On The CW, HART OF DIXIE earned 0.6 among adults 18-49, even with last week, and was watched by 1.44 million.
On NBC, SMASH fell to a series low 0.7 adults 18-49 rating, down 22 percent from last week's 0.9. The show had 2.61 million viewers.
ABC Family's PRETTY LITTLE LIARS qualified as Tuesday's #1 TV telecast for the 9th consecutive week in both Females 12-34 (1.56 million/3.4 rating) and Female Teens (616,000/5.2 rating) – each week since its Winter premiere – and was the #1 cable TV telecast in Women 18-34 (947,000/2.8 rating), Women 18-49 (1.26 million/2.0 rating) and Viewers 12-34 (1.80 million/2.0 rating).
Continuing to dominate Tuesday's social media charts, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS was Tuesday's #1 'most social' TV series for the 9th consecutive week, according to SocialGuide, with 438,946 tweets (12.1 share) and 200,976 uniques (14.0 share). Impressively, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS nearly tripled the number of tweets of #2 TV series FOX's AMERICAN IDOL (vs. 152,586) and number of uniques (vs. 77,916).
At 9 p.m., THE LYING GAME qualified as cable TV's #1 scripted telecast in the hour in Females 12-34 (747,000/1.6 rating), was the #1 original scripted cable TV telecast Women 18-34 (404,000/1.2 rating), Women 18-49 (535,000/0.8 rating) and Viewers 12-34 (840,000/0.9 rating), and overall ranked as Tuesday's #2 TV telecast in Female Teens (343,000/2.9 rating), behind only PLL.


text:
Your Monthly Tumblr Debriefing
- Kempt Staff
Tumblr. It's a vast and mythical landscape of handsome #menswear, impossibly cool gentlemen and achingly beautiful photography flying by at warp speed. Which makes it hard to keep up with it all. That's where we come in...
So, without further ado, here's everything you missed on Tumblr in the past month:
via Drake's Diary
via Vox Sartoria
via Ovadia & Sons
via Philosophy of the Well Fed
via You Have Broken the Internet
via Agnelli-esque
via Sir Fenimore


text:
Original URL: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/10/airbus_job_cuts/
'Painful' job losses likely at Airbus
A380 delays provoke 'cost-cutting measures'
Posted in Science, 10th October 2006 14:57 GMT
Airbus's new boss Louis Gallois has warned the company faces "painful" job losses as a result of delays to the A380 "Superjumbo" programme, the BBC reports.
Gallois, who today replaced Christian Streiff as top gun after the latter managed just three months in the big seat, said "cost-cutting measures would be evenly split between Airbus's French and German operations". He explained the plans would include the "eliminations of posts, and we will have to pose questions about sites", confirming: "There will be job losses."
Streiff is believed to have jumped ship in a dispute with Airbus parent company EADS over cash for the troubled A380 programme. He is said to have wanted more money to deal with the "wiring problems" which have now caused three delays to the commercial roll-out of the aircraft.
EADS last week announced its third revised delivery schedule for the A380. Its press release explained: "According to this revised plan, the first A380 will be delivered in October 2007. Thirteen more will be delivered in 2008 and 25 in 2009. The industrial ramp-up will be completed in 2010, when 45 A380s are going to be delivered."
The latest delay will cost EADS an extra €2.8bn in profits over the next four years, in addition to the €2bn announced in June 2006. It may also cost it some hefty compensation claims from customers such as Virgin Atlantic and Singapore Airlines which have expressed increasing disquiet over the set-backs.
The impact of the job cuts in the UK is unknown. Airbus has two British plants designing and manufacturing A380 wings - at Broughton, north Wales and Filton, near Bristol.
Rolls-Royce last week announced suspension of A380 Trent 900 engine production, although the effects on the workforce are as yet unclear. ®


text:
Barcelona assistant manager Tito Vilanova will succeed Pep Guardiola at the Nou Camp after Pep Guardiola today announced he will leave the club.
At a press conference earlier, Guardiola said the pressure of managing Barca had taken it's toll, and confirmed he will step down next month.
Roberto Mancini has insisted he will not be sacked by Manchester City fail to win the title this season ahead of Monday's huge Manchester derby.
Elsewhere, Arsene Wenger says he is confident Robin van Persie will sign a new contract at Arsenal amid speculation linking him away from the club.
In today's transfer news, Man Utd have been linked with a move for Brazil midfielder Lucas - but face competition from Madrid. (The Mirror)
Kenny Dalglish says he would be happy to welcome Alberto Aquilani back to Liverpool if AC Milan do not sign the Italian permanently. (Sky Sports)
And finally, Tottenham and Liverpool are ready to battle it out for the signing of Barcelona and Netherlands winger Ibrahim Afellay. (talkSPORT)
The Football Daily is a video round-up produced on behalf of GiveMeFootball.com and brings you news, opinions and gossip from the world of football.
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


text:
A stretch of warm and dry weather has allowed this year's crop yield to see more improvement. According to a report by the Iowa Department of Agriculture, parts of Iowa's southeast region are still very saturated, and heavy rains early in the summer caused Washington County farmers a lot of headaches and worries about this year's yield.
Moisture can cause applicators to get washed away in fields and the threat of losing crops increases. However, area farmers say the weather conditions the last two weeks are welcome, and needed for this year's crop to continue its rebound.
The Department of Agriculture report says 54 percent of Iowa's crops are in good condition, while the number of crops listed in excellent condition has increased to 26 percent.


text:
Calculator is a simple and beautiful calculator, that will handle all your everyday calculation needs. It's retina ready, can be moved around in the window or stick to the top bar, you can make it transparent so it's not that noticeable, set it to start at login, make a global shortcut to activate the app or even change the design!
- Basic calculations
- Up to 40 numbers in display
- Retina optimized
- Can open on startup
- Transparency can be toggled
- Multiple design choices
- Copy/Paste numbers
- Option to set global shortcut
- Can be
What's New
- Improved functionality
- Bug fixes
- OS X 10.10 or later


text:
World Cup 2014: Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou refused to be drawn into refereeing controversy
Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou refused to weigh in on the refereeing drama of the World Cup's opening game, despite it possibly being a big factor in Australia's clash with Chile today (AEST).
The World Cup kicked-off in controversy after Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura awarded a penalty that helped hosts Brazil start their campaign with a 3-1 win over Croatia in Sao Paulo.
Nishimura ruled Fred had been brought down in the box however, replays showed there had been minimal contact.
In the wake of the controversy there are suggestions referees may be gun shy when it comes to making similar decisions during the rest of the tournament.
Socceroos striker Tim Cahill said on Wednesday he was expecting there to be shirt-pulling and nudging by the Chileans in the box during their crucial first clash in Cuiaba on Friday (Saturday AEST).
But Postecoglou would not get drawn into the matter.
"All the teams have had a visit from the officials and they've told every country what they're looking for, so we're aware of what they're looking at," Postecoglou said.
"The referees have got their job, we've got ours so we won't sit there and try and preempt what may or may not happen.
"We've been told the things that are going to be highlighted at this World Cup and we'll deal with it accordingly."
While the Chileans may look to nullify Cahill's aerial advantage Postecoglou said he was not Australia's only threat.
"We've got somebody there who's very threatening and Timmy's looked very sharp. But I don't think that's our only avenue for goal," Postecoglou said.
"We're working on a few things and we certainly believe we can be a threat in other areas.
"But there's no doubt they're going to have to pay attention to Timmy because if he does get half a chance in the box, particularly in the air, he can head it in from any position. So we'll use that."
Bresciano expected to start
Postecoglou emphasised there were no concerns over Mark Bresciano's fitness and indicated the veteran midfielder would start.
The 34-year-old has been battling a back complaint in the lead up to the Socceroos' campaign opener.
"Absolutely (he's right to start)," Postecoglou said.
"He's trained really well and more important he's recovered from training really well. So he's ready to go.
"I think he's really looking forward to it, he's got that steely look in his eye and he's ready to play.
"There's no doubt in my mind physically now he's right to go."
Meanwhile, FIFA has ordered the Socceroos to change their strip for their opening match.
They were due to wear the traditional gold shirt and green shorts. But they will now play in gold shorts, with the governing body ruling the green would have clashed with Chile's blue shorts.
Topics: soccer-world-cup, soccer, brazil, australia, chile
First posted


text:
The Institute communicates its scientific and educational information in a number of ways. One major outlet is peer-reviewed publications and reports. Cary Institute staff regularly publish in the best-rated journals in their respective fields.
Export 4 results:Sort by: Author Title Type [ Year]
Filters: Author is Miller, M.C. [Clear All Filters]
Causes and consequences of tick (Ixodes scapularis) burdens on white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus)", J. Mammal, vol. 77, p. 266-273, 1996., "
Ecology of Lyme disease: habitat associations of ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in a rural landscape", Ecol. Appl., vol. 5, p. 353-361, 1995., "
Ear-tagging increases tick (Ixodes dammini) infestation rates of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus)", J. Mammal, vol. 74, p. 651-655, 1993., "


text:
The After Prom Committee at North Tama is hard at work raising funds for this year's celebration, and a unique event this weekend will help get the school closer to its goal.
North Tama will be hosting a prom dress sale and is in need of dresses! Bring your dress in, tell the folks what you'd like to sell it for, and if it gets sold, you keep the profit! There is a $10 non-refundable fee to enter your dress in the sale, where students from other schools come to buy dresses.
Dresses may be dropped off at the band room on Thursday, January 31 or Friday, February 1 between the hours of 6 and 8 p.m. as well as the morning of the sale, Saturday, February 2 from 8 to 10 a.m.
Article Photos
If you have questions about the event, call Laurie Schafer at 319-415-1516. Sale hours will be between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 2. Dresses and profits from the sale can be picked up from 2 to 4 p.m.
All proceeds will go to benefit the North Tama After Prom Committee, so if you've got a dress to sell, get out and help the committee make this a wonderful celebration for the kids!


text:
>>I'm guessing that "'Ndrangheta boss" counts for more than "uses facebook" when it comes to calculating an individual's ranking in the criminal respect index.
Yeah, but tweeting your crimes is definitely worth -50 points.
Don Zynga strikes again! so, Facebook may be expecting a drive-by shooting any moment ?
Perhaps he was using it to keep in touch with his "family".
- Totally legit
- On the lamb
- Locked up
- It's complicated
- On the lamb
For priests?
DiGiorno and delivery.
What's his score on Mafia Wars?
"'Scarface' has invited you to be a capo! Click here to accept."
I can only imagine how seriously people will take him when he's in jail.
... and I only wonder how many serious bananas he'll take when he's under the shower.
WTH is that supposed to mean?
It's likely simplified language for something too complicated for the general public to understand.
It basically means that law enforcement whipped up a GUI in Visual Basic in order to trace his IP address.
IRC is like boats . . . .
One of the investigators sat down at a terminal and said, "Hey... this is UNIX! I know this!" Then, he used the UNIX GUI to fly around the interwebs until he found a box with the name "scarface" on it. He clicked on that box, and it brought up this guys address, phone number, names of his family members, and favorite color.
It was pretty simple, actually. The investigator learned how to do it by watching Jurassic Park over and over.
The sort of detail that should have been in the article in the first place.
But they do have VB!
Hopefully they are not strains resistant to antibiotics
You'd need to contact facebook to get their IP address.
actually most ISP's enter long/lat info into their routers. you can easily trace a connection to the nearest NOC of the ISP using a geotracing program find their neighborhood in a few seconds with nothing more than an IP address.
Here's an open source geotracing program: http://www.linuxsoft.cz/en/sw_detail.php?id_item=169 [linuxsoft.cz]
You can then call the NOC and find out who the IP's been assigned to, and get their billing address, if you have a badge, maybe even i
Seriously though, if law enforcement had any of the programs and databases they seem to have on every cop show on television, I am pretty sure the unsolved crime rate would be below 2%.
2%? Sounds like we are not [remove glasses] milking our technology for all it's worth...
I did such a trace once, but came to a system I could not enter so the bad guy got away. If only I had known then that all I needed to type was "override" I would have gotten him.
Seriously though, if law enforcement had any of the programs and databases they seem to have on every cop show on television, I am pretty sure the unsolved crime rate would be below 2%.
Seriously though. If they had any of that stuff, the solved crime rate would be above 2%
You forgot the climactic live video satellite zoom in over Bad Guy's shoulder as he's sitting in a Sicily cafe clearly texting on whatever device paid the most for a product tie-in.
There is a guy in a brightly lit room with about 30-40 computer screens
No, the guy in the high tech office can't do it because he's caucasian. The police must enlist their friend the ethnic minority person in a ratty apartment who hacks into the official networks to track the bad guy.
A wireless USB stick, known in Italy as "chiavetta internet"/internet key.
As an italian, I can tell you that "internet key" is the way the average Joe in Italy calls a 3G usb dongle.
I'm a bit uncertain about this. I guess phones could be traced too...
Just Google for it
"Internet key"
I found this one really quickly:
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/review/broadband/3-mobile/broadband_internet_key/222237 [idg.com.au]
What is this Google that you speak of?
Do I need an internet key to access it?
> Do I need an internet key to access it?
Not necessarily, an IP address would suffice
Canadian made IP addresses seem to be better for some users:
http://www.darrenbarefoot.com/archives/2007/09/how-can-i-canadianize-my-ip-address.html [darrenbarefoot.com]
You may want to estimate your needs with the "Advanced IP Address Calculator" prior to buying your IP address at a store near you:
http://advanced-ip-address-calculator.softonic.fr/ [softonic.fr]
Rule No. 1: NEVER log on from your hideout directly if you are on the run! At least use proxies, but I wouldn't even trust them under those circumstances.
What a nub. He should have made sure he was behind seven proxies...
http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Seven_proxies [encycloped...matica.com]
Mr. Capone would like to have a word with you.
It's probably Mysterio again.
Pasquale Manfredi has sent you an invite you cannot refuse. Do you want to accept?
Pasquale Manfredi has sent you an invite you cannot refuse. Do you want to accept?
You surely meant "Do you want to accept - yes or yes?".
<Python>"As you see, Sergeant Smiley has not learned the first rule of Not Being Seen: Never stand up."</Python>
when they arrested the boss of bosses in Sicily a few years ago he was in a farmhouse running from the cops and sleeping in a different house every night. this guy lived in a basement. why do people choose a life where they have millions of $$$/Euros but have to live where they can't show it off and like they are poor?
why do people choose a life where they have millions of $$$/Euros but have to live where they can't show it off and like they are poor?
Because before they were on the lamb they were living like kings.
Seriously, why the hell else would you think they do it? You've only seen them at the end of their time as mob boss, they haven't been living in basements for the last 20 years, they've only been living in a basement for the last three weeks. Get it?
It takes years, decades even, to close the noose on these guys because of their money and influence, and even then you'd better have out-witted them at every turn or they'll find a way to slip away clean. In the mean time, they are living in multi-million dollar houses, eating like kings, wearing clothes worth more than ordinary people's cars, etc. There is a lot of advantage that goes with the risk - the only thing that sucks is if you get caught you are as bad off as the poor people these guys despise.
It's not always so. Some mafia bosses have been known to hide in pathetic basements for years, and indeed the parent poster's question makes a lot of sense. It seems that these people's kick ain't money but power and respect, and in mafia subculture the latter aren't tied to money. And those who make an excessive show of wealth are often snubbed as parvenus, kids without the balls etc etc. because money is a proxy for power only when power isn't apparent - and thus not existent.
That of course may change depending by geographical area, exact type of mafia (mafia proper from Sicily, 'ndrangheta from Calabria, camorra from Campania) etc., but basically it's the way it is with those dorks.
Because before they were on the lamb...
I thought he was Italian, not Welsh.
They do it for the pussy. Why leave your basement when you can have young Italian girls delivered to you any time you want?
What really bothers me about this is that this guy became a mob boss at 33. I really need to pick up the pace.
... It seems we will voluntarily invoke orwellian lifestyle.
Everyone is screaming "look at me" for attention, but also complains about the government's oversight... HELLO! Did you want attention in public or did you want privacy? Not only are people's locations, relationships, and photographs posted online --- their feelings/emotions, beliefs, and personal problems are too! I'm not knocking it -- this is quite obviously what people are really going to do.
The world is getting far too small for many of ou
The world is getting far too small for many of our older ideas. Privacy will dissolve whether we like it or not. Privacy is an illusion.
Lunch privacy doubly so.... wait, that didn't work out how I thought it would.
In English, every word can be verbed. Would that it were so in our programming languages.


text:
The Institute communicates its scientific and educational information in a number of ways. One major outlet is peer-reviewed publications and reports. Cary Institute staff regularly publish in the best-rated journals in their respective fields.
Export 2 results:Sort by: Author [ Title] Type Year
Filters: Author is Powell, J. [Clear All Filters]
Appearance and spread of the zebra mussel in the Hudson River estuary in 1991", vol. 3. p. 1,3-4, 1992., "
Arrival, spread, and early dynamics of a zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) population in the Hudson River estuary", Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., vol. 53, p. 1143-1149, 1996., "


text:
Darwi is a white modeling compound that is nontoxic and completely hardens with very little shrinkage after air drying for about 24 to 48 hours. No firing required. Darwi sticks to most materials, including glass, plastic, and metal; it has numerous uses and applications. Use as modeling or sculpting medium, or in the repair of picture or mirror frames. Because Darwi is heat proof after hardening, it can also be used to make molds for casting metals.
Ask a question about Modeling Compound Ask a question about this product | See all questions & answers (3)
Average User Rating: Based on (17 Reviews)
5 17
Aroha from New Zealand says:
Darwi Classic is SUPERB for dolls.
Please wait...
You May Also Like...
How to get VIP Club Prices
Anyone can be a VIP Member with:
Only $25/year
Product Questions and Answers
Ask a QuestionAsk a Question
Will this work to fill a string hole on an antique bisque doll?- Asked by Pam on 08-May-13
According to the description, this compound can be used to repair picture or mirror frames. This is not recommended for use on a doll.- Answered by MisterArt on 15-May-13
What tools do you suggest for sculpting?- Asked by Barbara on 19-Dec-12
Kemper makes a variety of tools that can be used with the Darwi Modeling Compound. If you are not sure which one to chose, we would suggest purchasing a set of tools.- Answered by MisterArt on 19-Dec-12
Does Darwi adhere to cloth? Can it be used to enhance fabric doll faces?- Asked by Barbara on 19-Dec-12
The Darwi Modeling Compound is not recommended for use on fabric.- Answered by MisterArt on 19-Dec-12
Ask a Question About Modeling Compound
Your email will not be shared. We will only use your email address to respond to your question. When asking your question, please be as descriptive as possible, it will allow us to give you the most accurate answer possible.
Please wait...
Please wait...


text:
U.S. News
U.S. House Passes PEPFAR Stewardship and Oversight Act; President Expected to Sign Bill
November 20, 2013
"The House on Tuesday cleared legislation that would extend for five years certain authorities related to federal efforts to combat HIV and AIDS around the world, sending the bill to the president's desk," CQ Roll Call reports (Kim/Tomkin, 11/19). "Members passed S. 1545, the PEPFAR Stewardship and Oversight Act, in a voice vote," The Hill's "Floor Action" blog notes, adding, "President Obama is likely to be in a position to sign the bill into law as early as this week, as the Senate passed the same bill on Monday" (Kasperowicz, 11/19). "In the House, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce and ranking Democrat Eliot Engel both backed the bill," the Associated Press/ABC News writes (Jackson, 11/20). Additional information on the bill is available from the Kaiser Family Foundation's "Policy Tracker" (11/18).
Back to other news for November 2013
This article was provided by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. It is a part of the publication Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report. Visit the Kaiser Family Foundation's website to find out more about their activities, publications and services.
Add Your Comment:
(Please note: Your name and comment will be public, and may even show up in
Internet search results. Be careful when providing personal information! Before
adding your comment, please read TheBody.com's Comment Policy.)


text:
Submission + - Chess Terminator Robot Takes on Former World Champ (gizmag.com)
Zothecula writes: For almost as long as we've had computers, humans have been trying to make ones that play chess. The most famous chess-playing computer of course is IBM's Deep Blue, which in 1997 defeated the then World Champion Garry Kasparov. But as powerful as Deep Blue was, it didn't actually move the chess pieces on its own. Perhaps that's a trivial task in comparison to beating the best chess player of all-time, but it's still exciting to discover this recent video of a chess robot that more closely fits the true definition of a chess automaton.


text:
You've probably heard it at least once - maybe even enough times that it's become a cliche - but this election is probably the most important in living memory.
That's because we have two very clear choices for President - two candidates whose positions couldn't be further apart - Democratic incumbent Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney. And whatever your political persuasion, you would have to agree that it is absolutely essential to vote in this election.
Besides the Presidential race, we have an election for a new U.S. representative. With Republican Tom Latham running in a different district, we now have Republican Steve King, current 5th District congressman, running for the newly redistricted 4th District seat against Democrat Christie Vilsack, former Iowa First Lady and wife of Tom Vilsack, US secretary of agriculture.
Again, we have a very clear choice in this election. Anyone who has studied these candidates' positions at all knows where they stand.
With the retirement of Democrat Jack Kibbie, we'll also be looking at a new state senator - either Republican Dennis Guth, a Klemme area farmer, or Democrat Bob Jennings, currently serving on the Iowa Lakes Community College Board of Trustees.
We also have a state House race between Republican Tedd Gassman and Democrat John Wittneben, the incumbent from Estherville.
For supervisor, Dave Grussing, current Armstrong city council member, is running along with incumbent candidates Bev Juhl, Alan Madden and Tim Schumacher for three county supervisor seats.
If you're a legal Iowa resident, 18 or above and legally qualified, you can register and vote at the polls even on election day.
Whether you're Republican, Democrat or independent, we urge you to fulfill your civic duty and vote your conscience next Tuesday.


text:
Holy Prostate Exam Batman! That was AMAZING!!
this is HOT! how can i download this clip?? do you have more??
Just check out the show itself
It's a great though brutal show with a great deal of male nudity... though getting hot seeing two cute guys together moments before one sticks a shank in the others neck can be disturbing.
Its not on TV over here ;-) please more pics..clips ;-)
Comooooooooon ;-)
Fuck dude that's one older man that I would LOVE to get with!
which one??
Who is the Other guy with the hairy chest.
Big Tex"Dont Hate Because You Aint"
Brian Bloom .thats the one i like.Would love to rim his great ass and than stick my dick into him ;_)
Soooooooooooooooooooo HOT !!!!!!! YEAH!!!
In this farewell
There is no blood
There is no alibi...
Holy Prostate Exam Batman! That was AMAZING!!
Gotta love OZ
Christoper Meloni is so fucking hot
"Bet It Sucks To See My Face Everywhere..."
How can this be a mainstream TV program???????
That is a hot scene. Meloni is my all time favorite jack off celebrity
From OZ
Chris Meloni
Luke Perry
Can someone tell me how i can doanload the file Bi Married Male posted?`? this guy is so hot!
Briam Bloom and Chris Meloni naked in the same clip? Dang! I'm in love with both of these guys all over again!
The Three Musketeers... Bashful, Chrisglass, and Ronboy!
I miss Oz.
My marriage can't be used to kill a whole high school full of kids. Register your freaking guns. - Jasun
Im a big OZ fan, I remember the episode with Luke Perry naked.. I always thought he was a hot guy on 90210, then when I saw him walk out of that shower naked and saw his cock and all, I couldnt believe it!
thanks for uploading these/ or posting the link!


text:
Last month, Lee County State's Attorney Anna Sacco-Miller, who took office Dec. 1, announced she would allow no political activity in her office.
That's the law, but she felt she had to contrast her policy with her predecessor's. Through a public records request, Sauk Valley Media had found that then-State's Attorney Henry Dixon's secretary created documents related to his campaign with her office computer. Among the documents was a letter from Dixon asking one of Sacco-Miller's contributors why he was supporting her.
State law bars government officials from using their offices and employees for their political campaigns.
The recent scandal isn't the only time that a local agency has been accused of taking part in political activity.
In 2008, the Dixon Police Department website contained a link to the campaign website of then-Lee County State's Attorney Paul Whitcombe, who was seeking re-election..
The city investigated, finding that someone in the department had set up the link "working under the impression that they did not know it was impermissible." The city removed the link.
How did city officials find out about the link?
From none other than Henry Dixon, Whitcombe's opponent, who brought up the issue at a City Council meeting.
After the city completed its investigation weeks later, Dixon said he wasn't satisfied.
"It's the bailiwick of the city. I brought my objections to them and showed it was a criminal offense. They opted not to do anything," Dixon said at the time. "I was hoping Paul Whitcombe would prosecute the criminal who did it."
Dixon, who lost to Sacco-Miller in the November election, hasn't answered questions about the political activity in his office. After Sauk Valley Media revealed it, Sacco-Miller dismissed the secretary, Sandie Cargill.
Sacco-Miller said it's not up to her to investigate the political activity. She said that if a police agency asked for prosecution in the case, she would send the matter to a special prosecutor.
Unlike in 2008, Dixon is not pushing for a prosecution this time. And he's certainly not talking about "the criminal who did it."
David Giuliani is a reporter for Sauk Valley Media. He can be reached at dgiuliani@saukvalley or at 800-798-4085, ext. 525.


text:
The lights are on
GIO FragFest: Camaraderie through digital bloodshed
Hello hello. Obviously the Fragfest group has been very quiet lately, and the few events that are organized tend to leave PC gamers out in the cold. Team Fortress 2 would be a great choice for a game of a sort of PC fragfest, as servers can hold up to 32 persons, the class-based gameplay is as fun and as balanced as hell, and the game is free to download (along with the Steam platform, the only place you can download the game from). Another plus is that you won't feel left out if you don't have a mic, as real-time text-chat is available and often preferred to voice-chat. It's a fantastic party game.
Unfortunately, the only effective way we can organize this is by renting out a server. We did this before with the 360 Battlefield 3 (much obliged, Warbuff) so perhaps we can work something out with Team Fortress 2?
I don't plan on organizing this fragfest by myself. This was an idea thrown out by a self-acknowledged procrastinator.
I thank ya, I thank ya.
They have actually done TF2 last year... there's already a Steam group through which we coordinated everything, though it's not been active in the past few months:
I'd say lets go for it... I think they had their own server, forget exactly, though.
I'd be up for it
Aye, I joined in the late Winter, so I was unaware.
You don't have to rent a server. You could just get someone to host a dedicated server for everyone to play on. I'm pretty sure I still have a server set up for TF2 that just needs to be put up but the fragfest would have to be on the weekend for me to host.


text: The fuel level sensor changes resistance according to the amount of fuel in the fuel tank and varies the current flow through the fuel gauge. The pointer position varies proportionately to the current flow. The engine coolant temperature gauge is a magnetic-type. The pointer varies in direction according to the variable resistance from the water temperature indicator sender unit.


text:
UMLS::Similarity::lin - Perl module for computing the semantic relatednessof concepts in the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) using the method described by Lin (1997).
@article{Lin97, title={{Using syntactic dependency as local context to resolve word sense ambiguity}}, author={Lin, D.}, journal={Proceedings of the 35th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics}, pages={64--71}, year={1997} }
use UMLS::Interface; use UMLS::Similarity::lin; my $umls = UMLS::Interface->new(); die "Unable to create UMLS::Interface object.\n" if(!$umls); my $lin = UMLS::Similarity::lin->new($umls); die "Unable to create measure object.\n" if(!$lin); my $cui1 = "C0005767"; my $cui2 = "C0007634"; $ts1 = $umls->getTermList($cui1); my $term1 = pop @{$ts1}; $ts2 = $umls->getTermList($cui2); my $term2 = pop @{$ts2}; my $value = $lin->getRelatedness($cui1, $cui2); print "The similarity between $cui1 ($term1) and $cui2 ($term2) is $value\n";
This module computes the semantic relatedness of two concepts in the UMLS according to a method described by Lin (1998). The relatedness measure proposed by Lin is the IC(lcs) / IC(concept1) + IC(concept2). One can observe, then, that the similarity value will be greater-than or equal-to zero and less-than or equal-to one.
If the information content of any of either concept1 or concept2 is zero, then zero is returned as the relatedness score, due to lack of data. Ideally, the information content of a synset would be zero only if that synset were the root node, but when the frequency of a synset is zero, we use the value of zero as the information content because of a lack of better alternatives.
The IC of a concept is defined as the negative log of the probabilty of the concept.
To use this measure, a propagation file containing the probability of a CUI for each of the CUIs from the source(s) specified in the configuration file. The format for this file is as follows:
A larger of example of this file can be found in the icpropagation file in the samples/ directory.
A propagation file can be created using the create-icfrequency.pl and the create-icpropagation.pl programs in the utils/ directory. The create-icfrequency.pl program takes plain text and returns a list of CUIs that are mapped to the text and the CUIs frequency counts. This file can then be used by the create-icpropagation.pl program to create a file containing a list of CUIs and their probability counts, or used directly by the umls-similarity.pl program which will calculate the probability of a concept on the fly.
The Information Content (IC) is defined as the negative log of the probability of a concept. The probability of a concept, c, is determine by summing the probability of the concept ocurring in some text plus the probability its decendants occuring in some text:
For more information on how this is calculated please see the README file.
The semantic relatedness modules in this distribution are built as classes that expose the following methods: new() getRelatedness() getError()
To create an object of the lin measure, we would have the following lines of code in the perl program.
use UMLS::Similarity::lin; $measure = UMLS::Similarity::lin->new($interface);
The reference of the initialized object is stored in the scalar variable '$measure'. '$interface' contains an interface object that should have been created earlier in the program (UMLS-Interface).
If the 'new' method is unable to create the object, '$measure' would be undefined. This, as well as any other error/warning may be tested.
die "Unable to create object.\n" if(!defined $measure); ($err, $errString) = $measure->getError(); die $errString."\n" if($err);
To find the semantic relatedness of the concept 'blood' (C0005767) and the concept 'cell' (C0007634) using the measure, we would write the following piece of code:
$relatedness = $measure->getRelatedness('C0005767', 'C0007634');
The UMLS-Interface package takes a configuration file to determine which sources and relations to use when obtaining the path information.
The format of the configuration file is as follows:
SAB :: <include|exclude> <source1, source2, ... sourceN>
REL :: <include|exclude> <relation1, relation2, ... relationN>
For example, if we wanted to use the MSH vocabulary with only the RB/RN relations, the configuration file would be:
SAB :: include MSH REL :: include RB, RN
SAB :: include MSH REL :: exclude PAR, CHD
If you go to the configuration file directory, there will be example configuration files for the different runs that you have performed.
For more information about the configuration options please see the README.
perl(1), UMLS::Interface
perl(1), UMLS::Similarity(3)
If you have any trouble installing and using UMLS-Similarity, please contact us via the users mailing list : email@example.com You can join this group by going to: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/umls-similarity/ You may also contact us directly if you prefer : Bridget T. McInnes: bthomson at cs.umn.edu Ted Pedersen : tpederse at d.umn.edu
Bridget T McInnes <bthomson at cs.umn.edu> Siddharth Patwardhan <sidd at cs.utah.edu> Serguei Pakhomov <pakh0002 at umn.edu> Ted Pedersen <tpederse at d.umn.edu>
Copyright 2004-2011 by Bridget T McInnes, Siddharth Patwardhan, Serguei Pakhomov and Ted Pedersen
This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I have a similar issue. My name is reasonably common but it is spelled unusually.
I think I would answer the first 'Are you sure?' with 'Yes, I'm quite sure'. And if they ask again, just pretend they didn't and carry on with the conversation. Or maybe get business type cards made up: 'Yes, I'm sure my name is Mary. Really. It's on my birth certificate and everything. Really. Yes, I'm quite sure.' And hand them out.
My first name is a common shortened version of a longer name, except that even on my birth certificate, it is the shortened version. Think "Mary" instead of "Maryanne". A surprising number of people, when I introduce myself, respond immediately with "oh, is that short for Maryanne?" to which I reply with a variation of, "no, it's just Mary, even on my birth certificate and Passport! It's a bit unusual, I know. Anyway, <topic change>" and am nearly always interrupted with "are you sure?" or "what about Mary-Lou?" or something. I'll use the old "what an interesting assumption" and bean-dip, but the person will again more often than not not listen and make another name-related comment once I'm done, or blatantly interrupt.
from: firstname.lastname@example.com: email@example.com firstname,Thank-you for your email. Blah blah work-related stuff.Regards,client/professional contactP.S. oh, by the way, you misspelt "Smith"! Don't forget the "S" next time!This is despite his email address includes his surname. Follow-up emails or conversations have always revealed that this is meant in sincerity. It happens at least once a week.Anyway, which other strategies might work better for people insisting that you don't know your own name? It's amusing, but quite frankly if I have to have a 5 minute conversation every time this happens, I'm losing two weeks of life or something. Broken-record mode seems to not help much, either.
Page created in 0.397 seconds with 19 queries.


text:
The next installment of Back to the Future: The Game will hit next week, according to developer Telltale's latest newsletter. Episode 3: Citizen Brown will come to the PC and Mac, promising to unravel a new mystery. Apparently mucking around in time has altered Doc Brown, so Marty has to grab his gigawatts and solve the problem.
Next Tuesday, March 29, will see Episode 2 (Get Tannen) launch on the PlayStation 3 as well. As with the PC and Mac versions, buying the full game package lets you download the individual episodes as they release. Finally, Telltale also promised European PSN and iPad launch dates for Episode 2 are "coming soon."


text:
Earthwalker wrote:(Burgin here)
Just curious if these are stupid ideas:
-small sanitizer bottles
-wet wipes
-dust masks
-travel size mouthwash (only if I'm about to kiss them)
Sound reasonable? I just want to ensure I'm contributing. I will be in a camp of awesome people who were kind enough to allow me to join them, even though we've never met in person. My biggest "gift" will be to be an awesome campmate (respectful, help cook, help clean, don't be an ass, etc.). I also plan on doing anything I can to help people who are lost, too drunk, just looking for a friend/companion to walk around with, etc.
Those sound fine, but don't go nuts with the amounts. As a virgin, you nailed your biggest gift. Participation. The best gift you can give is to not be too big a burden. I only qualify that because no matter what, except in the super rare case of the stealth virgin, you will absolutely need help. I thought I was prepared last year, and still needed a lot of help. Volunteer, offer drinks and food and have a good time. In many cases your delight and awe will be the best gift you can give some of the more experienced burners.


text:
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Thanks to the Lexington Herald-Leader
Sunday, in his column about the upcoming college football season, Lexington Herald-Leader sports writer John Clay named yours truly as one of five "fun college football blogs."
As such, we just want to say thanks to John and everybody else at our new favorite newspaper in America.
As such, we just want to say thanks to John and everybody else at our new favorite newspaper in America.
4 comments:
Congrats. Next thing you know you'll be blogging for AOL.
- August 29, 2006 1:21 AM
- Yost said...
Thanks, Anon. Got that offer but we weren't sure we could make it work and still put enough time into MZone (without getting fired from our "real" jobs).
- August 29, 2006 1:23 AM
Congrats, Yost, and other MZone bloggers. Fact remains, however, whomever does not rank Texas among the toughest schedules (tOSU, OU, Nebraska, Texas Tech) is delusional.
- August 29, 2006 5:12 AM
- harry hasselhoff said...
So THAT'S what happened to Wendy's founder Dave Thomas. And here I thought he'd died.
- August 29, 2006 12:12 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
08.10.05Bayer Polymers: Peter Vanacker, head
of Bayer Polymers Americas' polymer
solutions marketing division, has been
appointed to the executive committee
of Bayer Polymers. Mr. Vanacker has
assumed the position of head of
European, Middle East and Africa
region, taking over for Jürgen
Dahmer, who has assumed responsibility
for innovation, information and
services on the executive committee.
Additionally, Dr. Dahmer will serve as
labor director, replacing David


text:
Contract Performance
A vendor must provide supplies and services conforming to the solicitation and award. Failure to perform according to the specifications within the stated time may cause contract cancellation and may create a liability for costs the College incurs in correcting deficiencies or obtaining replacement supplies and services.
All supplies received are subject to inspection and testing. If supplies are defective or fail to meet the bid specifications, the College shall have the right to reject the goods or to correct the defects. The vendor shall pay the College for expenses incurred in correcting defects.
The College will refuse delivery or hold rejected supplies for forty-five days after delivery awaiting instructions from the vendor. After the forty-five-day period, the College will dispose of the supplies without liability to the vendor. The vendor is responsible for the costs of handling, packing and transportation incurred in returning or disposing of defective or nonconforming supplies. If the inspection shows that the vendor is in default, the College may immediately cancel the contract or purchase order and hold the vendor responsible for any excess costs in purchasing a replacement.
Customer Complaints
The Purchasing Department will make contact with the vendor regarding problems in contract performance. If the complaint remains unresolved, the Purchasing Department will send the vendor a formal letter of complaint.
The Purchasing Department may take any of the following actions when it finds the complaint is justified:
- Contract Cancellation: The Purchasing Department may cancel the purchase order, assess the vendor for any damages and consider the vendor non-responsive and not eligible for participation in an award when the contract is rebid.
- Debarment: After notice to the vendor and the opportunity for a hearing, the Purchasing Department may debar a vendor for cause from receiving and submitting bids and from award of College purchases. The length of debarment depends on the vendor's past performance, the number and seriousness of the current complaints, the likelihood of recurrence, the reason for the deficient performance and the cost to the College associated with correcting the problem. The director is the only individual authorized to issue a debarment.
Vendor Complaints
If the requesting campus customer makes demands that exceed the terms and conditions of the Purchase Order, the vendor should contact the Purchasing Department. Only the Purchasing Department may change contract terms, specifications, conditions, or prices. Neither the requesting campus customer or project manager can alter the contract terms, specifications, conditions, or prices. This will be accomplished through issuance of a Change Order to the Purchase Order.
Change Orders
If the requesting campus customer's requirements change after award, the Purchasing Department has sole authority to approve mutually acceptable modifications. The Purchasing Department may issue a Change Order reflecting a modification in a purchase order or contract. If a vendor complies with a requesting campus customer's request to alter a contract or purchase order without formal authorization from the Purchasing Department, the vendor may not be entitled to payment for the modified performance.
Only the Purchasing Department has authority to modify a purchase order. If a change in price, performance, of terms is necessary, the Purchasing Department may issue a Change Order. The requesting campus customer has no authority to approve changes. A vendor rendering modified performance without a Change Order risks being found in default.
Payment Procedure
Vendor that provide supplies and services to the College are entitled to be paid promptly. To initiate payment for supplies and services, the following documentation must be completed:
- Purchase Order
- Received Goods Form
- Vendor Invoice
Vendors should mail invoices to:
Lansing Community College
309 N Washington Sq. Ste. 203
Lansing, MI 48933
Invoices received without a Purchase Order/Blanket number will be delayed for payment until a number is identified
Purchasing Department
Washington Court Place, Room 214
Phone: (517) 483-1785
Additional contact information »


text:
'Roid Rage
By David Rudick aka Rudickulous
Chalk up another career ruined by the phenomenon known as steroids. You heard correctly folks, the world of sports was shocked once again, disappointed from the news concerning Melky Cabrera. Cabrera, an outfielder for the San Francisco Giants was in the process of having a breakout season and preparing for a big payday due to becoming a free agent this offseason. Unfortunately though, not only did he test positive for testosterone, but he even attempted to cover his own tracks by creating a fake website in an effort to protect himself from embarrassment. Now Cabrera is suspended for 50 games and possibly gone from the Giants for the rest of the season. What was once a heartwarming story of an overlooked player becoming a superstar, turned into a tale of a disgraced baseball player wondering now what his future holds for him.
It is no secret that sports have suffered a tremendous blow due to the controversy that is steroid use. In fact, it seems as though almost every single player who has accomplished any achievement nowadays has been seen with their hand in the metaphoric cookie jar. There was Ryan Braun, the reigning National League MVP, who was caught testing positive for abnormal amounts of testosterone, though later acquitted of punishment due to a technicality. Then there was Brian Cushing, the 2010 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year who was banned 4 games the following season after testing positive in a randomized drug test. The list goes on and on as there have been dozens upon dozens of superstars who have all tested positive or admitted usage of steroids in one form or another. Names like Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Marion Jones, Mark McGwire, Shawne Merriman, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, and Floyd Landis are all now forever entangled in the discussion of PEDs (Performance enhancing drugs) and these names are just the tip of the iceberg. Players like Guillermo Mota and Manny Ramirez have gone from professional athletes, to professional steroid joke punch lines.
Cabrera's recent disappointment has opened up the hot topic question in sports once again: is the/have the (insert sport League/Association here) doing/done enough to prohibit the use of steroids in sports? It is an overstated question, but a legitimate one nonetheless. In a recent article published by USA Today, the co-founder of Blaco, Victor Conte stated that the current drug testing policy was simple to pass and that nearly all players today are using PEDs in one form or another. "To circumvent the test is like taking candy from a baby. It's so easy to circumvent. I call it the 'duck-and-dodge' system. The only people that get caught are the dumb and the dumber."[1] These statements by Mr. Conte are taken very seriously by fans as the man is infamous for being the ringleader of the steroid controversy.
Sports reporters and analysts all have responded to the recent media attention that both Conte and Cabrera have garnered. Skip Bayless of ESPN, responded after hearing Conte's remarks by stating that sports are not doing enough to keep the PEDs out, stating that punishment is too lenient. Yes Cabrera was suspended 50 games, but what is that in comparison to a 162 game season questions Bayless. "At the very minimum, the penalty should be, you're gone for one full season…They have to crack down harder because it is a never ending battle."[2] Stephen A. Smith, in the same article disagreed with Bayless, stating that MLB has in fact worked hard towards preventing players from doping. Since the test was implemented back in 2006, as pointed out by Smith, MLB has created an effective steroid test procedure and has caught many superstars including Mike Cameron, Manny Ramirez, Jose Guillen, and other players resulting in a total of 13 suspensions. While Smith defends baseball and claims that they have made many steps towards preventing steroid usage, he agrees with Bayless by stating that the MLB needs to keep working in order to keep their sport clean.[3]
Then there are people who question whether or not we should even care about steroids in sports. As we have seen, so many athletes use PEDs to become legends in their respective field. Perhaps comedian Daniel Tosh was correct when he joked that all athletes should take steroids. While a joke, it does bring up a different perspective to the argument. Almost everybody believes nowadays that athletes are taking something in order to achieve. In fact, any person can obtain these items and become great, be it an athlete or your average Joe. So what if people are taking drugs to increase their physique or ability; is that not what people watch sports for? Was it not long ago that the media was enthralled with Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa racing against each other for Roger Maris' Home Run Record? Going one step further, was it not entertaining to see Barry Bonds try to catch Hank Aaron's record (before the allegations started to appear)? Do steroids really matter in the game in the first place? There have been many who argue that even if somebody takes steroids, they still need skill and ability to hit a 100 mph fastball or break away from Offensive linemen, or whatever task a certain sport designates. Perhaps Americans should disregard the integrity of the sport?
As Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com explains in his article, Where's the Outrage Over Steroids in Sports, Freeman recalls, "…something a Hall of Fame coach once told me. For every one or two PED cheats the NFL catches, 10 go free. Maybe 20."[4] He goes onto explain that in the case of Brian Cushing, he should have received massive outcry from the public, blaming him for cheating, and have his award repealed due to his cheating. But yet, Freeman points out that as fans, "You still don't care." The fans just let Cushing slide and keep his title of Defensive Rookie of the year. Should we as fans just accept this? Have we just come to accept doping as a normal circumstance or should we rise in massive outcry?
It seems now that sports will always suffer from the blemish that is doping. Just like those old anti-drug commercials you use to see on television, it seems as though everybody else is doing it, so you should too. Many players will join in on the bandwagon and shoot up steroids, HGH, or whatever can make them bigger, faster, or stronger than their competition. Then there will be the athletes who we hope and pray to see. These are the current role models we pray for in professional sports. These people accomplish so much throughout their careers, clean and free of all accusations. Yet, it seems as though every time we see that player, it only leads to heartbreak, such as the case with Melky Cabrera. Until that day comes, one must hope for a solution to this ongoing problem. Then again, we could just all kick back and watch performance enhanced sports and bet on the 'roided out freaks of nature.
|Print article
|This entry was posted by Pheebs888 on September 8, 2012 at 2:43 pm, and is filed under Articles Contest, Contest Articles, Contest Entries, MLB. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.


text:
WALTHAM — The Celtics will enter their critical four-game road trip beginning Tuesday with just 11 active players, as once again keeping their centers healthy remains difficult.
At practice Sunday, coach Doc Rivers revealed that Chris Wilcox will miss perhaps a month with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb, sustained in Tuesday's loss to the Chicago Bulls.
Wilcox attended the team's Christmas party for local children with a brace on his right hand. With his absence, the Celtics have one true center on the roster — Jason Collins — despite having addressed the position in the offseason.
President of basketball operations Danny Ainge re-signed Wilcox and added Darko Milicic and Collins, and drafted Syracuse's Fab Melo for support. Milicic left the team after less than a month to be with his ill mother in Serbia and Melo is playing for Maine of the NBA Development League.
Melo set a league record with 14 blocked shots in Maine's loss to Erie Saturday, but Rivers said that would have no impact on a potential promotion to the Celtics.
When asked about Melo, Rivers said, "I talked to Fab, as in, 'How you doing?' I haven't talked to anyone that thinks he's ready to come up yet."
With Kevin Garnett having been moved back to his natural power forward position, Rivers admitted that the club needs another center, and there is an open roster spot.
"You would think [the team would sign someone]," he said. "But obviously that's the one position where they don't grow on trees. We just have to be patient. Obviously we need another big with Chris being out. I don't know if we're going to get another big on this trip."
An NBA source told the Globe this month that the Celtics had veteran free agent Erick Dampier on their radar. Dampier, 37, played 15 regular-season games last season with the Atlanta Hawks and four against the Celtics during their first-round playoff series, averaging 4 points. He scored 6 points and had six rebounds in Game 1.
Veteran Kenyon Martin, who turns 35 on Dec. 30, is also a free agent.
Meanwhile, guard Avery Bradley participated in his second practice in his recovery from double shoulder surgery. While Bradley said Friday his projected return date was Jan. 2, Rivers would not count him out playing as early as Tuesday.
"I think there's a chance, but I don't know what the chances are," Rivers said. "I haven't talked to anybody. I mean the fact that he went through today's practice games [and will practice Monday] . . . but I don't know. I just try to stay out of that. It's close. I don't want anyone to feel like I am pressuring them. Avery wants to play. I guarantee you he wants to play the next game."
Bradley has shown no ill effects from his surgeries during the workouts and teammates have raved about his energy and impact.
"He could play, there's no doubt he's ready to play," Rivers said. "But I don't know about the healing part of it. Does it take those extra two weeks? He had two [surgeries], the first one was on one date and the second was a lot later. That's the shoulder that still needs to heal.
"Now if you can get through a practice, the way we've gone, especially today, can he play in a game? He may be able to, but maybe it's still too early. I don't know the answer."
Bradley's teammates are eagerly anticipating his arrival.
"He's looked great," forward Paul Pierce said. "He just brings that energy that you want. It could be contagious. He's everywhere on the court. He's defending. He's guarding three positions. You could tell that he's anxious to get back out there and play."
The Celtics will have Jeff Green for Tuesday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. He took an elbow to the face from Milwaukee's Ersan Ilyasova in overtime of Friday night's loss, bruising his left cheekbone and chipping three teeth. He was back at practice Sunday with a shiner under his left eye.
"It just added to my character," Green said of the eye injury. "Just another bruise that I've got to fight through."
Green said he passed concussion tests late Friday night.
"I thought I broke [the bone] right under my eye," he said. "I thought it was cracked, my nose broke or something happened, because I was in a lot of pain. I couldn't really open my left eye."
Swingman Kris Joseph was recalled from Maine for Tuesday's game. Rivers said guard Leandro Barbosa (personal matter) won't join the team until Thursday's road game against the Los Angeles Clippers.Gary Washburn can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @gwashNBAGlobe.


text:
This in via Ronnie. Which came in from from Ann. Fair play an' all that. Details: Grace Dieu Walk on Sunday at 3pm in the afternoon, meeting at Blooming Baskets to see the ruins of Grace Dieu. It is part … Continue reading
August 21, 2013
by Admin
0 comments


text:
Walrus Two Star
I got this tent on sale from Campmor. Very good buy.
Design: 3 season dome
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: Very easy to set up
I got this tent on sale from Campmor. Very good buy. Easy to set up, waterproof, and had no problems in high winds of summer thunderstorms. Ventilation is poor with the full coverage fly on (it was not good on very hot and humid nights). Overall, a great buy for the price, and knowing your tent won't blow away in high winds adds a lot of security. Also comes with aluminum poles.
After using the Walrus for a few trips I had a seam…
Design: 3 season
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: fairly easy - sleeve systems
After using the Walrus for a few trips I had a seam rip. It was due to the tent body being too small for the poles thus placing too much pressure on the seam. I sent it in and Walrus restitched the seam and shortened the poles. While it was in for service I bought a new rainfly. My old rainfly didn't have a hooped vestibule and, thus, was very cramped. The redesigned fly has a hoop and a much larger vestibule.
My current problems are that the repair on the body fixed the ripped seam, but the tent is slightly smaller then the typical tent. The seam ripped because the tent body was small when I bought the tent. The result is that the fly doesn't fit well. I have a knot in the fabric near one of the clips to help reduce the fly size, but the fly still flaps like mad in windy conditions. There is no way to guy out the fly to stop this. (My TNF tent was much better.)
On the plus side the tent has kept me dry and there is good ventilation. The problems with the size tolerances are very annoying. I cannot recommend the Walrus brand.
I purchased this tent for backpacking and due to the…
Design: 3 season, 3 pole
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: fair. One person can set up, but practice before your trip, in case your in a hurry
Weight: 7lbs
Price Paid: $170
I purchased this tent for backpacking and due to the very solid reputation of the Walrus brand. I found this tent to be very confortable, and fairly easy to set up. It has a small vestibule, 6sq ft. The tent itself is roomy enough for two people, or one person and a dog. It handles winds and bad weather with ease. I have been very happy with this tent, and I am a Walrus convert. I do recomend the groundcloth however, to minimize moisture getting through the floor of the tent.
Where to Buy
Similar Products
Walrus Two Star
The Walrus Two Star is not available from the stores we monitor.


text:
The medical examiner helping investigate a Chicago man's cyanide poisoning says pathologists have been able to get samples from the man's exhumed remains.
Dr. Stephen Cina said at a news conference Friday that the remains of Urooj Khan were in an advanced state of decomposition. But Cina says pathologists were able to obtain samples from most major organs as well as the man's hair and fingernails.
Final results from autopsy won't be complete for a few weeks.
Cina said he hopes investigators will be able to determine exactly how Khan ingested the cyanide. He says he didn't see anything that would change his conclusion that Khan was a homicide victim.
Khan died in July after winning the lottery. His death was initially ruled a result of natural causes.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
The body of a Chicago man who was poisoned with cyanide after winning the lottery was exhumed Friday for an autopsy that authorities hope will help solve the mystery surrounding his death.
A black hearse escorted by four police cars carried away the body of Urooj Khan from a cemetery on the city's North Side around 9 a.m., and the Cook County medical examiner's office was expected to perform the autopsy immediately, spokeswoman Mary Paleologos said.
She said examiners will take blood, tissue, bone, hair and nail samples. They'll also examine the lungs, liver, spleen and contents of the stomach and intestines. Paleologos said tests on Khan's organs also may determine whether the poison was swallowed, inhaled or injected.
The autopsy was expected to be finished by Friday afternoon, though it will take two to three weeks to get test results, she said.
Khan, 46, died in July as he was about to collect $425,000 in lottery winnings. His death initially was ruled a result of natural causes. But a relative asked for further tests that revealed in November that he had been poisoned.
Khan's wife, Shabana Ansari, and other relatives have denied any role in his death and expressed a desire to learn the truth.
Authorities remain tight-lipped about whom they may suspect.
At dawn on Friday, a backhoe at Rosehill Cemetery began scooping up dark clumps of ground hardened by the cold weather. Two men then finished the work with shovels, and a Muslim cleric said prayers beside Khan's grave. His body was placed in a white bag and loaded into a hearse.
One of Khan's brothers was present, along with officials from the medical examiner's office and Chicago police detectives.
Police kept about half a dozen TV news crews at a distance, beyond the cemetery's fence, and two news helicopters circled overhead.
Khan had come to the U.S. from his home in Hyderabad, India, in 1989, setting up several dry-cleaning businesses and buying into some real-estate investments.
Despite having forsworn gambling after making the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in 2010, Khan bought a lottery ticket in June. He jumped "two feet in the air" and shouted, "I hit a million," he recalled at a lottery ceremony later that month.
He said winning the lottery meant everything to him and that he planned to use his winnings to pay off mortgages, expand his business and donate to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.
He was just days from receiving his winnings when he died before dawn on July 20.
The night before, Khan ate dinner with his wife, daughter and father-in-law in their house in Chicago's North Side neighborhood of West Rogers Park, home to many immigrants from India and Pakistan.
Sometime that night, Khan awoke feeling ill and collapsed as he tried to get up from a chair, his wife has said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
With no outward sign of trauma and no initial suspicions, authorities performed only a basic toxicology screening and an external exam of Khan's body in July. They determined that he died of natural causes, as a result of a narrowing and hardening of coronary arteries.
But a concerned relative -- whose identity remains a mystery -- came forward days later with suspicions and asked authorities to look deeper. They then carried out a full toxicology screening on fluids that had been drawn from the body and found a lethal amount of cyanide in his blood, leading the medical examiner in November to reclassify the death a homicide.
Exhuming the body will allow authorities to conduct an autopsy and, depending on the condition of the remains, to gather more data that could be presented in court if the case goes to trial. It could also provide important clues about how the cyanide entered his body.
Medical Examiner Stephen Cina was to hold a news conference Friday afternoon to give details on the condition of the body and how much testing they were able to do.
Khan was given a religious burial and his body was not embalmed.
His body is to be reburied Monday.
Khan died without a will, opening the door to a court battle. The businessman's widow and siblings fought for months over his estate, including the lottery check.


text:
Jets don't die, my brother. They simply rest in the hangar.
Jim Hudson the greatest safety in Jets history(imo)
passed away at 70 from a dementia related illness
Ironically he joins his former University of Texas and Jet teammate
George Sauer who also very recently died of a dementia related illness
Both were Super Bowl 3 heros. Hudson for holding the great John Mackey
in check as well as making a key interception.Sauer caught several passes.
I hope these great Jets are together once again in heaven.
Jets don't die, my brother. They simply rest in the hangar.
Hudson was great. A tough guy who made people pay. When he was thrown out of the Heidi game for arguing a call he went nuts and flipped off the folks in Oakland with both hands. How do you not love that? And-was Joe Willies road roomate
Another hero from my youth passes.
Thanks for the memories Jim, and for getting us our only SB win.
Very sad indeed. Hudson played the game with an edge. That edge was against his opponents and many times against Weeb as he thought that the Jets were so tight.
Many people forget that Jim Hudson was the qb of Texas when they played Namath in that famous Orange Bowl.
believe he through a touchdown pass to George Sauer in
that game. amazing the karma Sauer and Hudson had together.
Played in college and the NFL on the same teams, won a Super Bowl
together, and passed away within 6 weeks of each other of a
similar illness
January 1, 1965 – Orange Bowl Stadium
First Night Game a Classic
Texas upset No. 1 Alabama 21-17 in the first night game in Orange Bowl history. The Longhorns stopped Alabama quarterback Joe Namath inches short of the goal line on a crucial fourth-down play late in the game that would have given the Crimson Tide the lead.
The defeat overshadowed a heroic performance by Namath, who didn't start the game because of a knee injury. He completed 18-of-37 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns and was named the game's Most Outstanding Player.
The Longhorns' Ernie Koy ran for a 79-yard touchdown on Texas' first possession. Texas went up 14-0 after quarterback Jim Hudson hit George Sauer for a 69-yard score.
Alabama head coach Bear Bryant then sent in Namath to replace starter Steve Sloan. He completed 10 passes on an 87-yard touchdown drive. Koy gave Texas a 21-7 lead with 27 seconds remaining in the first half. Namath came out firing in the second half, hitting Ray Perkins with a 20-yard pass to close the gap to 21-14.
When Texas' Marvin Kristynik fumbled late in the fourth quarter, Namath was at the controls once again. Three plays later at the one-yard line, Namath tried a quarterback sneak and Longhorn left tackle Frank Bedrick and All-American linebacker Tommy Nobis stopped him short of the goal line. Prior to the game, Alabama was named national champions by both the UPI and AP polls.
Last edited by Queens Jet Fan; 06-28-2013 at 05:27 PM.


text:
for the out and about contest.
the Winner is Sabby-- and the running cavaliers
great photo and great entries had by all
for the out and about contest.
the Winner is Sabby-- and the running cavaliers
great photo and great entries had by all
Owner of Four Cavaliers
Rosie(Ruby) Emily(Blenhiem) Buddy (Black and tan) and Roxy (tri colour)
Thank you all for voting.
I just entered by chance. I will think of a new theme by tomorrow night.
My problem is I dont know how to set up the poll. I read how to create then close a poll but it seems all double Dutch to me. The way I read it is that when I create a new topic I already have to tick somewhere to post a poll with this thread.
Rosie-06/06 - Ebony-01/07 Harley-08/08
" My sunshine doesn't come from the skies, it comes from the love in my dogs eyes "
Well done Sabby,
This was wonderful theme with a collection of amazing photos. There's nothing to beat snaps of cavaliers enjoying themselves to the max.
What a great photo Sabby! You made me so "oh how cute" out loud!!! I loved all the photos of the doggies out and about.
If you would like for me to set up your poll when you're ready, just let me know. It's been ages since I've done one but am sure it'll all come back to me
Loving mom to Jake, Shelby and Micah


text:
A while back, we stated that the sports gambling battle in New Jersey was one based on lies.
It is based on the lie that the four pro sports leagues and the NCAA think legal sports gambling is a terrible thing, something often stated in oral arguments last month.
The leagues received summary judgment in their favor just before midnight Thursday, blocking New Jersey from implementing sports gambling for now.
It was odd that the decision was filed at 11:41 p.m., far from peak media time, and just before a weekend to boot. Maybe Judge Michael Shipp didn�t want to risk running into an angry Chris Christie on the streets of Trenton today.
Either way, the leagues got their way for now, but it�s important to remember that �their way� is not to rid the world of the evils of sports betting.
It�s to keep things exactly as they are.
The status quo is the ultimate spread cover for these leagues, because � as we�ve stated adamantly before � there is no way they want to see the eradication of gambling. It�s too valuable to their business, even while it is called out like the devil in public circles.
At the same time, the leagues probably would not want to see New Jersey get their federal ban ruled unconstitutional, because that would set a precedent for any state that wanted it legalized. If it was legalized across the country, some of the arguments about moral decline and threats to the sports� integrity would have more teeth.
No, these leagues want exactly this much legal gambling � no more, no less.
This way, they can isolate those four states and treat them as leper colonies with their high-and-mighty stance on the subject, while simultaneously turning their heads away from the billions of dollars wagered illegally all over the place, including in New Jersey.
Those illegal bets are fuel for the lucrative television contracts secured by those same leagues who gaze at the problem with a blind eye.
Most sports fans know that horse racing would not even exist without gambling, but the same in many ways can be said about the stick-and-ball leagues as well. Or more accurately, they wouldn�t exist anything like their current forms.
New Jersey will likely take this to the federal appeals court, but it is worth remembering that the plaintiffs in this case have a strong lobby and a lot of powerful friends.
Christie is used to getting what he wants, but this could be a tough road for him, and the resolve of state officials may be tested.
This is one spread New Jersey may not be able to cover.


text:
Want to remind yourself or a friend about this program? Fill out this simple form and klru will email you a reminder on the day that it will air.
Easy And Elegant Seafood
series: Essential Pepin
air date: 8/22/13 7:00 PM
Lobster In Artichoke Hearts; Shrimp Pane On Watercress; Escoffier Quenelles; Monkfish Roulade.
WARNING: Email reminders for this program have already been sent out. Your reminder may not reach the intended address in time for this program's airing.
Back to TV Schedule


text:
Appellate brief writing is an art.
The article is reprinted with permission from the June 14, 2013 edition of The Recorder.
by Gary Watt
"Appellate work is most assuredly not the recycling of trial level points and authorities." In re Marriage of Shaban, 88 Cal.App.4th 398 (2001). "
[A]ppellate briefs receive greater judicial scrutiny than trial level points and authorities, because three judges (or maybe seven) will read them." Unlike trial judges, appellate judges "work under comparatively less time pressure, and will therefore be able to study the attorney's 'work product' more closely." Given that level of scrutiny, the potential impact of a well-written brief is substantial. And no matter how many briefs one has written, the next one can probably be improved because the craft of brief writing is a search for perfection. But unlike perfection, if a few basic strategies are followed, more effective briefs are easily within reach.
Effective appellate work requires precision. Even the most elegant, persuasive brief will likely be of little utility to the client if the decisive issue is missed or the wrong arguments made. Trial lawyers just emerging from battle sometimes see the decisive issue too narrowly or not at all. "The upshot of these considerations is that appellate practice entails rigorous original work in its own right." In re Marriage of Shaban. So before even thinking about brief writing, become intimately familiar with case. Even for those who have worked on the matter at an earlier stage, always review the record as thoroughly and carefully as if the matter is entirely new. While reviewing the record, create a working list of possible legal errors as they appear. Be sure to jot down the implicit issues that arise — the other side of the coin — such as burden shifting and waiver. Annotate the list as the record is reviewed. Tables can be helpful to plot all the moving parts.
As the record is being reviewed, some legal research may be necessary to flesh out an issue. After the entire record is reviewed, conduct original legal research on all potentially viable reversible errors. Don't scrimp here, such as relying solely on cases cited in the trial briefs. Trial lawyers keep an amazing number of plates in the air, but usually do not have the luxury of exhaustively canvassing the cases for the best authority. Appellate lawyers do have the time, so chase all the rabbits. "[B]ecause the orientation in appellate courts is on whether the trial court committed a prejudicial error of law," appellate lawyers must conduct "additional research and analysis that takes a broader view of the relevant legal authorities." Such research should also confirm the single biggest obstacle or advantage on appeal: the standard of review. To have a shot at victory, the legal arguments must embrace the correct standard of review.
Suppose the record has been mastered, the case law thoroughly canvassed, the standard of review considered and the list of issues whittled down — is it time to write? Almost. An often overlooked and valuable tool at this stage of the process is the sounding board. Now that the story of the appellate case appears clear, have a discussion with trial counsel about the pivotal issues. If the appeal is being handled by trial counsel, brainstorm with another attorney, preferably one with an appellate practice. These discussions can pay dividends such as the evidence, law and argument crystallizing, the order of arguments changing, and sometimes, a completely different view emerging. Considering how little it takes to get input from a colleague, this is an effective weapon at the pre-briefing stage. Once the sounding board has been played, it is time to write the brief.
The briefs are the heart of any appeal. To write an effective brief, build and maintain trust at every step of the process. There is nothing like the terrible train wreck when the contents of a brief and trustworthiness part ways.
Avoiding exaggeration and distortion is just part of building trust. Persuasion is the goal, and other ingredients come into play. The starting point is to avoid distractions. Typos, bold text, long or frequent block quotes, party names in all caps — formatting violations all have one immediate impact: The reader is distracted from the argument. And avoid ad hominem attacks on the opposing party/counsel and the trial judge. In terms of appellate advocacy, the greater the number of distractions, the less persuasive the brief.
Do not treat the procedural history or statement of facts as perfunctory tasks. This is not mere housekeeping. If the appeal turns on procedure, a tightly woven procedural history will frame the argument to follow. Avoid the clutter of dates that have no significance. And think outside the box. For example, while chronological order is often beneficial, nothing prevents presentation of the decisive moment first — the key filing, colloquy, ruling — and then filling in the essential details once the issue has been framed. If the appeal turns solely on events occurring later in the litigation, such as trial, it's OK to leave out the earlier procedural steps that have no role to play — for example, the filing of four complaints and three demurrers — years earlier.
If there is one place where all of the facets of an effective appellate brief coalesce, it is the statement of facts. Here, the central theme that appears in the introduction is developed, the story of the case advanced from the client's perspective, the standard of review honored (such as when the substantial evidence standard requires all evidence supporting the judgment to be set out), and fidelity to the record established (trustworthiness). In other words, if handled carefully, the statement of facts carries a large potential persuasion payload. The converse should be obvious, but as one appellate court put it, "Despite their own deficient statement of the facts, plaintiffs have the chutzpah to complain about, and ask us to strike, defendants' statement of facts. We were tempted to strike both parties' briefs ... and compel them to start over." Lewis v. County of Sacramento, 93 Cal.App.4th 107 (2001).
Most attorneys love drafting legal arguments; there is usually no lack of enthusiasm here. But enthusiasm alone does not necessarily equate with effective brief writing. Headings and subheadings should be affirmative conclusions stating an independent ground for victory or an essential link in the chain. Explain the rule of law and case holdings with precision. Choose the most recent case from the highest court. And select cases with facts similar to those on appeal. Be meticulous in distinguishing cases that could be damaging. Avoid string citations except in those rare instances when the point is to demonstrate uniformity among many courts.
The rubber really hits the road in any appellate brief when the rule is applied to the facts. Signal the transition to application with simple phrases such as "here," and don't forget about the record. When applying the law, do not just state the facts, cite to the record — it's not just a good idea — it's required. Cal. Rules Ct., rule 8.204(a)(1)(C). Persuasiveness turns on exacting application of the law to the record, and trust is maintained by making it easy — user friendly — for the justice or court attorney to verify the facts. Carefully crafted legal arguments demonstrate a tight fit between the law in the abstract and its application to the record on appeal.
Reaching the conclusion is not the end. Some of the most important work begins now. For persuasive briefs are not just written; they are revised again and again. Clarity and cohesiveness improve each time the draft is rewritten. And if the same argument can be made in fewer words, the result is usually a more effective brief. Break up the editing into separate phases such as reading to revise the structure and persuasiveness of the arguments, reading for grammar/typos, checking citation format, etc. Each of these edits is usually most effective if separately performed.
Not everyone wants to write appellate briefs. But everyone who writes appellate briefs can produce more effective, persuasive briefs. With the devotion to detail that appellate work encourages, and a mantra of building the reader's trust from cover to cover, clients can be placed in the best possible position on appeal. And the lawyers drafting such briefs can avoid the realm of mediocrity, or worse, the ignominy of having their work called a "a slubby mass of words rather than a true brief." N/S v. Liberty Mut. Ins. , 127 F.3d 1145 (9th Cir. 1997).
Gary A. Watt is a partner with Archer Norris and a State Bar-approved certified appellate specialist. He is also director and supervising attorney for UC-Hastings' Ninth Circuit clinical program, The Hastings Appellate Project, and chair of the Contra Costa County Bar Association's appellate practice section. He can be reached at email@example.com, and his blog posts are at www.caappellatelaw.com.


text:
TRENTON — This year's team certainly did not pick up where last year's left off.
The 2011-12 version of the Titans capped off their ECHL-worst 52 point season with six straight losses to end the year, cementing their status in the basement. But the first performance by this year's squad had many wondering just how high their ceiling was.
If only for one night, Trenton made a statement that they weren't going to be the league's cellar dwellers anymore, skating past and often right through the Greenville Road Warriors en route to an impressive 3-1 win at Sun National Bank Center on Friday night in front of an announced crowd of 5,346.
The first 20 minutes set the tone that this team could be everything last year's wasn't. The short of it is that they could actually be good, which was the last of a multitude of four-letter words that could be used to describe many nights one season ago. But, delving deeper; the size, skill and physicality seen from the get-go was a pleasant departure from a team that could have been confused for the between periods "mites on ice" entertainment.
Of the 17 active Titans skaters, 11 of them stand six-feet tall or greater, and the physical tone the team set early was complimented nicely by numerous odd-man chances set up by strong skating up the wings. Road Warriors defenseman Mike Marcou's stick clipped the face of agile Titans forward Ryan Hayes, setting up the Titans' first power play of the young season.
Trenton controlled the puck for the length of their man advantage, and it would be forward Stephen Schultz who gave the Titans their first lead of the season. The former Stars farmhand carried the puck from the edge of the right circle to the slot uncontested and fired a hard wrist shot that beat Greenville goalie Nathan Lieuwen high to his blocker side.
Another penalty taken around the perimeter by Greenville -- a hook on Trenton forward Andrew Conboy by Brandon Wong -- led to another Titans goal. Jason Akeson, who was AHL Adirondack's leading scorer last season, fired a wrist shot through traffic from just a few feet inside the blue line that somehow evaded Lieuwen and doubled the Titans advantage to two.
Greenville got one of those two goals back on a Wong goal with just 3:27 left in the first after a terrible turnover by Tyler Hostetter after he and D-pair mate Blake Kessel couldn't get out of their own zone. Wong chipped the puck that somehow snuck past Niko Hovinen on the short side and cut Trenton's lead to one again.
Hayes' second period deflection of a right point wrister by Mitch Versteeg put the Titans back up by two, but an Ian Slater double-minor for high sticking that put Trenton a man short for four minutes would make things interesting. And that's where it became apparent that the goaltending was vastly improved from last year as well.
Hovinen was brilliant on the penalty kill, making several key saves; including getting a perfect read on a cross-ice pass to make the stop and another denial on the doorstep to kill the penalties. The 6-foot-7 Finnish-born Flyers prospect made 31 saves in his first North American game to help lead the Titans to victory, the first for the Trenton hockey franchise in a season-opening contest since 2007.


text:
Leeds Junior & Minor League
Players seeking a new team in this region
If you would like to contact a player either review their player profile for more details or send a mail to the listed player's agent. The transfer list displays the most resent transfer request first.
Sorry no players have been found on the transfer list.
You can see previous transfers that have taken place by reviewing the transfer history.