text:
Wells takes high road regarding new role
By Alden Gonzalez / 2/15/2013 6:15 P.M. ET
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The situation that currently surrounds Vernon Wells reeks of Bobby Abreu heading into Spring Training last year -- big-name player, coming off a subpar season, with an immovable contract and without a defined role.
Their approaches, however, are quite different.
Last year, Abreu was defiant -- albeit respectful -- about playing every day despite being in a cluttered outfield mix that seemingly no longer had room for a 38-year-old in decline. He said he was still good enough to start in the Majors, believed his track record deserved the benefit of the doubt and felt that the Angels needed to trade him if there wasn't enough room.
Wells, however, will tell you he deserves to be a bench player.
"I put myself in this position," Wells said Friday, prior to the first full-squad workout at Tempe Diablo Stadium. "Obviously, some guys played well last year. You have the most exciting player in the game in Mike Trout; [Mark] Trumbo, who's one of the most powerful guys in this league when it comes to hitting a baseball; you sign Josh Hamilton; and you have Peter [Bourjos]. Peter deserves a chance. What he had to go through last year was far more difficult than what anybody had to go through, sitting and watching that entire time. There's a lot of things at play. I understand that."
And Wells also understands this: If the Angels had it their way, he would've been gone by now.
But moving a contract that still has $42 million over the next two years left on it, for a 34-year-old who has a .222/.258/.409 slash line the last two years, isn't easy. The Angels tried this winter, but couldn't find anyone willing to take on anything reasonable.
So now, for the first time in a 14-year career that includes three All-Star Game appearances and three Gold Gloves, Wells is primed to enter a season without a clear role.
"It's motivating," he says. "That's kind of what drilled me this whole offseason. It kind of brought me back to when I was younger, which is kind of cool at this point in my career, to have that challenge. I'm looking forward to it."
Wells mainly stopped working with hitting coach and good friend Rudy Jaramillo, who he sought out last offseason, mainly because struggling hitters can often hear too much advice. After a year that saw him continue to scuffle for the first two months, miss nine weeks after thumb surgery, then hardly play down the stretch, Wells constantly watched tape of his at-bats during his heyday with the Blue Jays.
He saw a guy searching for home runs -- and it all started in the friendly dimensions of Rogers Centre.
"Difference is you can get away with things there," Wells said. "You can't really do that in Anaheim."
So when taking indoor batting practice this offseason, Wells had one rule: Don't hit the left side of the cage. He wanted to focus solely on staying inside the ball and driving it to right-center, knowing his quick hands will always allow him to get around on inside pitches and pull to left field on command.
"That's kind of basics," Wells said, "but in this game you can get away from that stuff, and sometimes the best thing to do is just get back to them."
It's pretty clear that the Angels don't necessarily need Wells. Their outfield of Trout, Bourjos and Hamilton is stacked. And if anything happens, Trumbo, mainly the designated hitter, is there.
But that doesn't mean Wells can't serve a purpose.
If Bourjos starts off slow, like he did last April, or struggles throughout the year, after barely playing in 2012, Wells could be a fallback option for manager Mike Scioscia. And if something happens to any of the four outfielders or Albert Pujols, Wells can get plenty of playing time in left field or DH.
It's why the Angels, with a very young bench, felt trading Wells also meant replacing him. And why they aren't willing to take on just any salary relief.
"When Vernon is swinging to his capabilities, there's no doubt he brings a lot to the field, not only with the way he plays defense, but the threat he is to drive the ball out of the park," Scioscia said. "He understands he has to be more productive, but there's always more opportunity for a guy who's playing well to win more at-bats and playing time."
Wells will have to earn every last bit of it this spring, though. And even that may not be enough. In a reality like that, it's very reasonable to ask Wells if he'd simply prefer to be traded to another team that could offer more playing time.
But Wells, unlike Abreu, won't take the bait.
"I don't think that's even an option unless I get back to playing the way I'm capable of playing," he said. "If that happens, then I'll be playing. I don't know if it'll be in this uniform or another, but I'll be playing."


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Hailing from "The Land Down Under," The Little River Band has been touring across the globe since the mid-1970s. After multiple TV appearances, more than 35 million albums sold and more than 10 smash hits under its belt, you can catch the multi-platinum band at Ballyorney Irish Pub, 13851 S. Tamiami Trail, Friday, June 29, with the local band PUSH opening the show.
"We have a lot of fans in Fort Myers, so we thought it'd be a great show and a great venue," said Steve Green, manager and agent of The Little River Band.
The group was formed in Melbourne, Australia, back in 1975. It was originally a blend of musicians who had enjoyed success in other Australian acts, and their focus was to get airplay on American radio. They achieved that goal with talented songwriting, powerful vocals and good guitar harmonies.
Article Photos
The Little River Band.
Between 1976 and 1983, chart success in America included "It's a Long Way There," "Help is on its Way," "Happy Anniversary," "Reminiscing," "Lady," "Cool Change," "Lonesome Loser," "The Night Owls," "Take It Easy On Me," "Man On Your Mind," "We Two" and "The Other Guy."
The band's current lineup brings new energy and arrangements to the classic hits, making new memories for the audience out of every live performance.
"It's going to be a fun time at Ballyorney, Fort Myers," Steve said. "And, what's even nicer, the owner of establishment, Brad Maloney, has been so very gracious to offer a portion of the proceeds of the show to the Have a Heart Animal Rescue Shelter."
The Have a Heart Animal Rescue shelter is based out of Boca Raton, rescuing several homeless dogs from the big city and its surrounding areas every year.
"We're an all-volunteer, 501-c3 non-profit group that works together to take dogs out of 'kill shelters,' get them well, get them trained with a professional trainer, and find happy, adoptive homes for them," said Janice Green, founder of the group. "Since starting the organization back in 2009, we've treated 16 heartworm-positive dogs as well, and have rescued countless amounts of otherwise homeless animals that most likely would have ended up being put down."
Janice's professional trainer, Rayfield Baisley, works for the Alpha Dog Academy, and works hands-on with Have a Heart's adopted animals, to socialize them and get them in their best behavior for their new families.
"Our mission is to help promote younger generations on caring properly for their animals, the importance of spaying and neutering their pets, to benefit these animals and give them the best lives possible, speaking at schools regularly to teach kids," he said.
During the Little River Show June 29, look forward to other "surprises" and potentially surprise guests throughout the evening.
"This is a group that's had more success than 95 percent of the acts out there," Steve said. "It's going to be a great show and a great time for a great cause."
Doors open at 6 p.m., the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 the day of the show. VIP tickets are $89, which includes reserved seating, a dinner buffet and an open bar (from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.). Tickets may be purchased at Ballyorney anytime, or you can purchase them over the phone by calling the establishment, 239-628-1444. Be sure to bring a photo ID to pick up your tickets the day of the show.
Parking is available one block south on U.S. Hwy 41, next to Sutherlan Nissan, with a free shuttle service to Ballyorney Irish Pub.
For more information on the show or to order tickets over the phone, call Ballyorney, 239-628-1444.
For more information on The Little River Band, visit LittleRiverBand.com or find the group on Facebook.
For more information on the local group, PUSH, opening the show that evening, visit PUSH4u.net or find the group on Facebook.
For more information on the Have a Heart Animal Rescue organization, to make a donation or to volunteer for the cause, visit AdoptTheDog.com or find the group on Facebook by searching "Have a Heart, Inc."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The BCS Open Source Specialist Group (OSSG) announce
an event to held in Central London on 8th August 2006
from 6pm entitled OATS (Open Source Assistive
Technology Software): Using the Open Source
development model to innovate and improve software for
people with disabilities.
Speaker Simon Judge of the OATS project works as a
Clinical Scientist at Access to Communication and
Technology (ACT), Birmingham. ACT1 is a specialist NHS
service providing Electronic Assistive Technology
(EAT) to people with communication problems and/or
physical difficulties that might be helped by
Venue: BCS Central London Offices, 1st Floor, Davidson
Building, 5 Southampton Street, London WC2E 7HA
To register for this event please email your details
to: email@example.com
For further details please visit:


text:
More Cherries
To find out what is happening this summer in the North Fork Valley of Colorado, please see my previous post.
So I have my six pints of Bings put up, and since one, the seventh, didn't seal, I refrigerated it and tried a new recipe. It's rather weird, but my houseguest Huger Foote and husband Kevin went wild over it, so here 'tis: Ancho Pork with Bings. You can just squeeze out the pits since the flesh is soft from processing.
First, make the ancho sauce. It makes about 4 cups and holds well in the freezer for up to six months.
4 ancho chiles, covered in hot water and soaked until soft, about an hour
4 medium onions, coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
4 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken stock, warmed
Drain the chiles and remove the stems and seedpods. The chiles may feel a little tough in places. As long as the flesh is not hard, it is okay. (If there are hard parts on the chile that's probably because it floated above the surface of the water. Push the chile down into the water and hold it there with a cup or some other object until it is soft.)
Combine the chiles and the remaining ingredients in a blender in batches and blend to a fine puree. Do not add salt to foods you plan to freeze. (If you use the sauce right away, add salt to taste.)
Pour the chile sauce into a large saucepan and bring to a low boil over a medium heat. Allow the chile sauce to cook for about 10 minutes, so the flavors meld. Watch for chile spatter if the sauce boils too high.
Then make the pork, which serves four.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 lbs boneless country style pork ribs, cut into 2 inch pieces
Salt to taste
1 cup chile sauce
1 cup homemade or all natural low sodium chicken stock
1 pint Bing cherries, drained and pitted
Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over a medium high heat. Salt the ribs and add them to the oil. Brown the ribs for about 20 minutes, until they release easily from the bottom of the pot. Don't worry if the pork smells rather porky. It won't by the time you are finished cooking the dish.
Heat the chile sauce in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chile sauce and the chicken stock. It should just cover the meat. Turn the heat down to medium low, cover and cook until the meat is tender, about 1 hour. Check periodically to make sure the liquid doesn't reduce before the pork is done. If it looks dry, add a bit more stock. (This can happen at high altitudes.) Remove the cover and cook for another 30 minutes, until the sauce is reduced by about half. If the sauce separates, with mahogany colored oil around the periphery, don't worry. It's okay (actually, it's delicious). Just stir it back in. Break up the meat with a fork and adjust the seasoning. Add the cherries and heat through, a few minutes.
We ate this dish two ways: in small bowls with warmed tortillas on the side, a squeeze of limejuice and a bit of cilantro to garnish, and in tortillas.
Sour Cherries
Makes 5 pints
My neighbor here in the North Fork Valley, Jackie Parks called and said the two little sour cherry trees in her yard were overflowing with fruit, and I should go and pick. I took my houseguest, the photographer Huger Foote and we collected two big bags of them.
The pitting took forever. My friend Marilee Gilman uses a chopstick to push the pit through (the flesh is soft), but I just squeezed them, getting juice all over my clothes. So note—wear an apron and stay away from surfaces that stain easily (like my white wall).
For years I canned sour cherries for my kids' pediatrician in New York, Dr. Heiss, who adored them (the kids and the cherries). After he died from Child's disease, I continued to give an annual pint or two of cherries to his wife. But after a few years I began to feel awkward about imposing myself and Dr. Heiss' cherries on her, and so I stopped. But in the privacy of my own kitchen, I make a couple of pints every year, out of love for him.
There is an Eastern European tradition of eating sour cherries from a little spoon during teatime, a practice which sounds lovely, but I mainly use sour cherries for pie during the holidays. I also freeze a couple of four-cup bags of them, ready to dump in a sugary crust over the winter.
4 quarts pitted sour cherries
2 cups sugar
Place the cherries and sugar in a large heavy bottomed pot and heat over a medium-to-medium low heat until the sugar dissolves and begins to boil. Shake or gently stir the cherries to make sure all the sugar is dissolved.
Have ready 5 sterilized pint jars with new lids. (To sterilize, boil the jars for 10 minutes. Simmer the lids in a small pot of hot water to soften the rubberized flange.) Using a slotted spoon, fill the jars with cherries—its okay to press them down gently.
Cover the cherries with the syrup, leaving ½ inch headroom. Place on the lids, screw on the bands fingertip tight, and process in boiling water for 10 minutes (add 1 minute for every 1,000 feet above sea level). Remove the jars and allow them to come to room temperature, check the seals, and store in a cool, dark place.


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You are here
Once Again SBA Helps Dreams Come True!
With help from The Small Business Administration, my wife and I were able to achieve both of our dreams. My wife, Dr. Paige Phillips, had been working as an associate veterinarian for three years and as a relief veterinarian for two years. Her love for animals made it such that she had a difficult time working for owners of practices who, in an effort to save time or money, did not practice the best medicine possible at all times. It was very important for Paige to reach her goal of always practicing the best medicine and continually improving the lives of companion animals. The only true way to make this happen was to own her own veterinary clinic, and manage it accordingly.
From a business perspective, I had always wanted to own and operate my own company. With a background in finance, I was able to put together a comprehensive business proposal to purchase an existing veterinary clinic in West Milton, Ohio, and, with the help of the SBA, to secure the appropriate financing.
As we looked into financing the purchase, we came across several hurdles. Not only did conventional business loans have fairly high fixed interest rates, conventional business loans also required at least a twenty percent down payment. Even on the relatively small practice we had decided to commit to, that came to approximately $120,000. Most young couples do not have these sorts of funds tucked away this early in their lives, and we were no exception. Additionally, Paige had the burden of student loans, which far outweighed the salary afforded to a veterinarian of three to five years experience; and I would also need to quit my own job to relocate to West Milton and help with the initial transition as new owners. It was obvious that it would not be reasonable to attempt to finance our dreams through conventional business loans.
As we looked for alternate financing, a gentleman by the name of Sam Renta, at First Union Small Business Capital, discussed our options with us, including getting a loan that was guaranteed by the Small Business Administration. We had heard about "paperwork nightmares" regarding the SBA, but to our surprise, the process was very easy, and in the end, enabled us to acquire the business.
To secure the loan, we only needed to supply approximately 5.5% for our down payment, which came to about $28,000. This was much more manageable. Going through the SBA 7(a) Program, the SBA guaranteed 75% of the loan we received through First Union Small Business Capital. First Union was willing to loan us the money knowing that upon default, they would still receive 75% of the money back form the Small Business Administration. The SBA looked carefully at our plan, and was comfortable with a guarantee on the loan; thus, we were able to secure a loan with a sixteen-year term. We're now on schedule to pay off the loan in eight years instead of sixteen, and the variable interest rate of 10.5%, that we started with has decreased to 5.5%.
In summary, we could not have achieved our goals without the help of the Small Business Administration. It has only been four years since we purchased the business, and in that short time we've been able to grow the business by more than 15%, make a reasonable profit, and will pay the loan off in half the term. The reason this story qualifies for a success story, however, is that it has met the most important criteria; my wife, Dr. Paige Phillips, is now living her lifelong dream of improving the lives of companion animals to the best of her ability.
Thank you SBA!
"This article and the accompanying photograph do not constitute or imply an endorsement by SBA of any opinions, products or services of any private individual or entity."


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September 15, 2010
What was it like to tackle the Chilcoot Trail
6 comments:
Excellent topic Jeff.ReplyDelete
I am in the midst of reading Pierre Berton's Klondike Fever' and observing the amazing photo's in his 'Klondike Quest' pictorial book.
I look forward to reading about Jeff Brady and his son's experiences when I have a moment.
Let me just state this in advance: From what I have read by Mr.Berton so far....I am awestruck!!!!
My only criticism is the 'names of his books'...he was far too benevolent....should have been:' Klondike Hell' and 'Klondike Insanity'. I will explain soon.
OMG...what ever posessed these folks to do what they did.
I know..... 'GOLD'.....but really...this life altering venture...except for very few.... was plain and simple.... pure insanity! No joke.
The History Channel had a documentary, much like the "real life" shows about a group of people who reenacted the experience of the Chilcoot Pass. I have yet to see it. It is for sale but expensive.ReplyDelete
I agree whole-heartedly with your emphatic state of awe in what those stampeders of 1897-98 went through, many for nothing. Of course, this happened during the Panic of 1893 and a lot of people had already lost everything to the depression. Any chance for wealth, even at the risk of losing their lives, was a worthy one.
Jeff Smith
Yes Jeff...there certainly must have been great motivation to seek riches in those troubled years after the Panic of 1893.ReplyDelete
However,I truly believe the majority of the stampeder's were 'conned' in a 'major' way by many factions...including:outfitter's; shipping companies; travel bureaus; newpapers and magazines; and even probably many of the folks who returned earlier with gold.
They were conned into believing it would be a relatively easy journey to the gold fields. [No mention of 58 below temps,snow fields 12 feet deepl ships stranded on frozen rivers for nine months!or making as many as forty 5 mile trips up the side of a mountain to get your required 'ton' of provisions to the other side.etc.]
I could describe some of the many many unimaginable horror's that took place[[I am sure you know what I am talking about friend Jeff]....but I won't.Best that you read it for yourselves.
I say to all interested.... Just get the books!You will not regret it. ['Alias Soapy Smith' by Jeff Smith [first],and follow that up with Mr.Berton's 'Klondike Fever' and 'Klondike Quest'.
These three tomes have given me a great understanding of an important era of American History....and in a strange way...have made me appreciate my own exsistence more.[especially my warm bed :)]
Knowing the hardships most of these folks endured [a few successfully,most not so]...makes many obstacles we modern folk may encounter...seem trivial.
Truly shocking...but at the same time inspiring.
I forgot to mention how much I enjoyed Jeff and Danny Brady's description of their hike.ReplyDelete
That's what I call 'real quality' father/son time!
Here is a link to a wonderful array of images, and information on The Chilcoot Pass and Trail.ReplyDelete
Thanks Rich! That's a lot of great photographs!ReplyDelete
Guess I should also do something on the White Pass out of Skagway. Here is the LINK to those photos
Thank you for leaving your comment and/or question on my blog. I always read, and will answer all questions left here. Please know that they are greatly appreciated. -Jeff Smith


text:
Just so we all can remember that the world is generally a good place.
At the exact same time too.
My avatar will show no mercy on the feline life in this thread.
I want to celebrate the kittens, but ALL I THINK ABOUT IS THE CHRISTMAS CRITTERS
I'm just going to repost this here...
This was the first south park episode I ever watched. It was so fucked up, I didn't watch another episode for a few years.
That GIF is cracking me up
....trying to process everything....
But for the record, I'm wearing pants.
Normally I'm against duplicate threads, but I think they might be necessary tonight. Feel free to start 20 more to wash the filth that was that F-O-O-T-B-A-L-L game off the front page
I feel like the Hello Kitty in this is redundant.
I'm all like "Hello, Hello Kitty Kitty."
The whole kitten thing is stupid.
I'm sure the lady with 65 cats thinks they're cute too
Dude, if you don't think a kitten is fucking adorable then you should end your life right now. It just isn't worth living.
haha gross...
your dog is fantastic
ps drank all the beer left in my house
They make the bad feelings go away.
That might be the most impressive of animal acts, just because cats are notoriously incorrigible. I am surprised that the cats actually accepted training, and perplexed that they actually performed on demand.
Is animated okay?
Went to Lincoln. Watched nothing. Got cats.
Perhaps this is the wrong thread; we're all fucked. I'm drunk and I've searched for approximately 45 seconds for the semicolon key. We're 0-3 in my book for tonight. We lost, the Tigers lost, and Notre Dame won. There is no way tonight could have gone worse. Give me some TWIS action.
Barely. got through the anti-robot form
I'm wired. Time to play video games and compartmentalize.
Not one, but TWO kitten threads needed for this loss. Impressive
My reaction every time Bellamy threw the ball. I wanted to hide too little buddy.


text:
Lynda Ann Early, who spent summers at Ditch Plain, Montauk, as she was growing up and eventually settled in Sag Harbor, died at Home and Hospice Care in Providence, R.I., on June 2. She was 66 and had been diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma last year.
Ms. Early enjoyed many things in life, according to her daughter, Shannon Tait, including overseas travel, golf at the Sag Harbor Golf Course, and gardening with her grandchildren. But it was her passion for animals, particularly greyhounds, that seemed especially strong. She spent many years rescuing greyhounds and, even when she was ill and had just moved to Rhode Island, she did volunteer work at Amazing Greyz Greyhound Adoption. "The time spent with greyhounds brought her so much joy," her daughter wrote.
Even more compelling than that interest, however, was her love of her grandchildren, Makayla, Ethan, and Xander, and of the time she spent with them.
Ms. Early was born on April 27, 1946, in Bellerose to the former Barbara Henning, who survives, and William Morton, who died before her. She and her sister, Phyllis, spent summers in Montauk with their parents, until they all moved to East Hampton. Ms. Early spent her last year of high school here, graduating in 1964.
After graduation she attended a beauty school and worked for several years at a salon in Southampton, after which she was a crossing guard for St. Andrew's Catholic School in Sag Harbor. She then opened a day care center at home in Sag Harbor for the children of working families and became so attached to them that she stayed open for 20 years.
Ms. Early was a member of the East End Church of Christ in East Hampton for over 30 years and, according to her daughter, "found much love and support throughout her life from her family there."
In addition to her daughter and son-in-law, Tom Tait III, and her grandchildren, Ms. Early is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Shawn and Tammy Early of North Smithfield, R.I., her sister and brother-in-law, Phyllis and Arlin Jividen of Pawleys Island, S.C., and her mother, Barbara Henning Bodger of East Hampton. She wanted the names of her pets who survive her to be mentioned as well: Pogo, Peter, Puppy, Tierney, Ali Khan, and Sandi.
A memorial service will be held on July 14 at Havens Beach in Sag Harbor at 6 p.m. Donations in her name can be made to Amazing Greyz, Inc., P.O. Box 387, Sheldonville, Mass. 02070.


text:
Why Shop Midtown Comics• Big Savings with Advance Previews • Free Shipping on Qualified Orders • Testimonials
Manufacturer/Publisher: Rebellion (Release Date: 10/24/2012*)
Writer/Artist: Various
2000 AD, the UK's award-winning weekly SF anthology title, enters the month of DREDD, as its lead character hits cinemas in the all-action thriller starring Karl Urban as the helmeted Mega-City lawman. In the comic, all the stories wrap up in Prog 1799 to make way for a stunning new line-up starting in Prog 1800 - the ABC Warriors are back and Hammerstein reveals a shocking secret about his past in 'Return to Earth' by Pat Mills and Clint Langley; a new fantasy series makes its debut in Brass Sun: The Wheel of Worlds by Ian Edginton and I.N.J. Culbard (The New Deadwardians); Dr Orlando Doyle makes plans for the end of the world in the Red Seas miniseries 'Beautiful Freak' by Ian Edginton and Steve Yeowell; we meet the Survival Geeks, crossing the dimensions, courtesy of Gordon Rennie, Emma Beeby and Neil Googe; and Judge Dredd must stop the annihilation of his city in 'The Death of Dan-E Cannon' written and drawn by Chris Weston!
Item #: 1216124 • Diamond code: JUL121200 • UPC: 977026228418002
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text:
The Redwood Trail Walking TourMonday, November 16th, 2009
This tour is amazing. Our guide is Mia Monroe, Site Supervisor at Muir Woods National Monument. Her knowledge about redwoods and her natural history perspective are amazing. I hope you check out the San Francisco Botanical Garden's Redwood Trail Walking Tour. … Jerry Kay, Host of Botanical Buzz and Walking Tour Producer
To download the tour:
The The Redwood Trail Walking Tour (complete set including map) is available as a set in a single zipped file.
To unzip the files:
- For PCs, WinZip is recommended (download WinZip)
- For Macs, StuffIt is recommended (download StuffIt)
Once the files are downloaded to your computer, just transfer them to your portable media device.
To listen to the tour online, just click on the links below:


text:
Yeah, I don't want to sound too downbeat, but the competition is fierce.
Unless you're an absolute standout, AND have some connections, she's a dead end.
I had dreams of being a cricket correspondent/journo.
I've had to settle for being a TV producer instead.
I'll put my msn on your profile and I'll tell you on there.
R.I.P Craigos, you were a champion bloke. One of the best
R.I.P Fardin 'Bob' Qayyumi
Member of the Church of the Holy Glenn McGrath
"How about you do something contstructive in this forum for once and not fill the forum with ****. You offer nothing." - theegyptian.
"There's more chance of SoC making a good post than Smith averaging 99.95." - Furball
"**** you're such a **** poster." - Furball
You're as cold as ice. Willing to sacrifice our love!
I can't believe the voices of despair here.
Isaac, my advice to you is to get an education, do a journalism course, write a blog, contribute articles to websites like this, do piles and piles of voluntary work with newspapers, write for your school magazine, write for your local paper, get your name and your face known in the right circles. You might make it, and if you're determined and able then it's quite possible that you'll succeed. And even if you don't manage to make a career of it, getting the sort of experience that I've given examples of will be incredibly useful to you in whatever else you end up choosing to do.
Good luck!
Last edited by zaremba; 06-06-2009 at 06:14 AM.
Im moving into something that even a few months ago I wouldnt have believed was a realistic possibility. Even the remote and unlikely happens, you just have to go for it.
My advice though, when entering a field with tough competition and fierce rivals, is to always have a back up plan.
If I only just posted the above post, please wait 5 mins before replying as there will be edits
West Robham Rabid Wolves Caedere lemma quod eat lemma
Personally, would love to get into cricket journalism too. It's a bit of an ideal-scenario job for me though.
Cricket journalism may be tough to get into (and if so, succeed in), but there are many other professions far tougher.
Plus, no where in his post did he say he wanted to be a Sambit Bal or Harsha Bhogle and make lots of money from this. Those situations are rare, but being a cricket journalist is hardly climbing Everest with one leg.
I'm happy enough being an unpaid cricket journalist when I post.
Don't be stealing my material Isaac, good luck.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


text:
Barbie & Kelly Toys & Dolls Low as $2.49 at Target
There is a new Manufacturer's Coupon up on Target.com valid for $3/2 Barbie® toys. Hopefully this link will take you straigh to the toys category on Target.com so you can find this coupon fast.
There are a couple of sales and price cuts going on right now at Target that you may want to look for. First- there are special Valentine Target Exclusive Edition Kelly Dolls in the Valentine's section that are on sale this week for $4.99. You can use the coupon to buy 2 and pay $3.49 each (regularly $5.99). Even if they are not marked, you may want to scan just in case!
Keep in mind that my couponon printed with an expiration date of 2/27- so it is possible you may get a better deal on the Kelly Valentine dolls when they go on clearance- if you can find any left that is.
You can also take a look at the checkout lane toys as there are a couple small toys on price cut thru 2/2 for $3.99- The Barbie Fairytale & I can Be Target Exclusive toys are both on sale. These would be $2.49 each after coupon wyb 2.
Thanks so much to Valerie & Kelley!
3 Responses to "Barbie & Kelly Toys & Dolls Low as $2.49 at Target"
I wish they had issued this coupon a couple weeks ago. I got great deals with the last ones put out before Christmas.
good find..but the coupon expires BEFORE Valentine's Day….so won't be of any use on clearance merchandise


text:
Original URL: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/27/ed_miliband_cut_short/
Power cut knocks Miliband off-air mid-speech
Blue Screen for Red Ed
Posted in Policy, 27th September 2011 14:50 GMT
A live broadcast of Ed Miliband's Labour party conference speech fell off the airwaves when a power failure cut him off mid-sentence.
The political get-together, held in Liverpool, was being shown on Sky.com and on BBC TV – but the video streams cut out for approximately 10 minutes just before 3pm BST.
According to Sky journalist Glen Oglaza, Labour leader Ed disappeared from screens just as he uttered the words: "My message to the British people is...."
At 2.55pm, the BBC link was back up, but Sky took longer to come back. Conspiracy theorists on Twitter speculated that Labour's plans to license journalists, unveiled earlier that day, resulted in the plug being pulled.
Sunday Telegraph columnist Matthew d'Ancona tweeted: "This is what happens when you threaten the media with registration. Equivalent of a horse's head in Ed's bed... The worst conference speech by a party leader since the dog days of IDS. I almost feel sorry for him."
Sky's political reporting chief Adam Boulton added that the technical problem was simply due to a badly timed power cut. ®


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|2010-01-18, 11:33
|Link #2281
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: HK, China
A good reasoning does not depend on its outcome. I could have get into a gamble since my expected return is greater than 0, however, even if the result turns out to be a loss, my action is justified and reasoning is sound.
You did not prove that Erika's reasoning is wrong except from the fact that Battler was not murdered in the end.
Let me illustrate through an example:
You have a vaccine against a lethal disease once infected, however it can only served one person while you have two subjects. One is a child and the other is a adult man.
You know from experience and common sense that the child could have a less developed immune system, as well as less knowledge in personal hygiene. Thus the child is probably more susceptible to the disease (a higher probability of infection), so you use the vaccine on the child.
However, the result turned out that the adult man got the infection and died.
So, is your reasoning wrong because the result turned out not to be following your reasoning?
The same applies for Erika's reasoning that Battler was the most probable victims among all, even though the result turned out that he was not killed in the end.
If you want to say Erika's reasoning is wrong in the beginning, then you have to show that under the situation (before the murders occured), Battler was not the most probable victim, it should be someone else.
Last edited by ijriims; 2010-01-18 at 12:05.
|2010-01-18, 11:56
|Link #2282
Join Date: Mar 2008
also, it's not like she purposefully pinned natsuhi (which she did not, and kinzo and krauss were also potential killers), it's justan external factor made her the "culprit", if the crimes had been any different a different culprit would have been pointed out.
|2010-01-18, 12:49
|Link #2284
Dea ex Kakera
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sea of Fragments
The only reason Meta Erika could get away with her reasoning was because that whole sequence happened after midnight and Bernkastel was narrating the actions of the other pieces. I don't think you can use a fantasy scene to ascribe motives, to Piece Erika or otherwise.
|2010-01-18, 13:58
|Link #2285
Join Date: Mar 2008
|2010-01-18, 15:54
|Link #2286
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Finland
The way I see it is that Erika purposefully left the bed unsearched was to make Natsuhi admit that Kinzo had died long ago by making the other option horrible enough.
The others didn't touch the bed either because they realized that.
|2010-01-18, 16:42
|Link #2287
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
I think a step back to look at the big picture may be warranted. Sure, Erika presented lots of clues in the trial that hadn't really been presented to the readers beforehand. Why is this so important? Ryuukishi makes no secret of the fact that Erika is wrong and that therefore her "solution" is incorrect; Battler gets red text from Virgilia which says as much, but can't use it because of Knox's 2nd. In other words, even as Battler loses the trial the mystery is still very much unsolved.
The way I see it, Ryuukishi is playing around with labels in order to confuse and misdirect the reader, and also to vary the presentation of the mystery. How else could he do a Phoenix-Wright-style courtroom drama within the two-day span on Rokkenjima? Erika may be running around claiming to be the detective, but from the reader's perspective, we know her accusation to be false (and even malicious) and thus meta-Battler - the primary POV all game - remains the true detective. The presentation of Erika's clues takes place well before meta-Battler declares that he has solved the mystery, and thus Knox's 8th is not violated at the meta level.
Besides that, it's pretty clear that Erika has no respect for the spirit of the Knox Decalogue - Dlanor herself says something to this effect during her chat with meta-Battler in the rose garden - so it wouldn't surprise me if she bent or even broke the rules. I could easily see her arguing that it doesn't matter whether she's broken a rule unless her opponent points it out. It's also understandable that meta-Battler wouldn't do this because he clearly doesn't know Knox very well during the first trial.
In short, yes, Erika's actions and claims may violate Knox if taken on a small scale, but at the full meta level Knox is not violated because as far as the reader is concerned she isn't the detective and she didn't solve the mystery.
|2010-01-18, 16:51
|Link #2288
Dea ex Kakera
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sea of Fragments
Besides which, Erika's whole argument is based on the red text that from midnight until the following morning, Kinzo remained in the same room. But Piece Erika doesn't even know where his corpse is -- if she did, there wouldn't be any need for this farce. Exactly what magical investigation method X did she use to prove that red text on the game board?
tl;dr version: Non-fantasy pieces on the game board don't know about red text and can't use it in their arguments. Therefore, if a scene is presented where red text is used in an argument, that scene is necessarily a fantasy.
Last edited by LyricalAura; 2010-01-18 at 17:06.
|2010-01-18, 17:46
|Link #2289
Senior Member
At that point, "Kinzo" meant "the living Kinzo".
I took the point of Erika's investigation to be "Kinzo's location was fixed between midnight and morning, but he could have left after that; he did not spend that midnight - morning period in any other place".
And don't forget Hideyoshi's "murder". The point of that was to put her completely on edge about being charged with that crime, that she'd be too rattled to notice the flaws in Erika's reasoning.
|2010-01-18, 18:35
|Link #2290
Dea ex Kakera
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sea of Fragments
First, it was already declared at the beginning of the trial that the current time on the game board had already advanced to midnight, October 5th. The midnight event should have already happened and killed everyone. In particular, it was already demonstrated in Episode 1 that the detective's viewpoint stops being objective after midnight.
Second, if I recall correctly, while Erika was proposing her theory to everyone on the basis of Natsuhi's diaries, she told Natsuhi that claiming she loved her husband and daughter was meaningless because there wasn't any red text backing it up. There were other instances of Erika saying things that reflected meta knowledge during the game, but in all of those cases she was completely ignored by the other characters. This time, Natsuhi directly responded to her, which should have been impossible since red text doesn't exist on the game board.
|2010-01-18, 18:49
|Link #2291
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Let's see this in action!
(A blind man is working down the street, there is a banana peel in front of him)
Erika: I am a detective, not a police, so my job is not to safeguard everyone but to solve a mystery.
(The blind man slips on the banana peel, hits the back of his head on the concrete, and gets a concussion.)
Erika (pointing at the banana peel): The culprit...is YOU~!!!
|2010-01-18, 21:19
|Link #2292
I know we have bread!
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Chicago
Age: 34
I was out of commission for the past few days. I suddenly learned of the greatness of Code Geass, three to four years later...
I seriously want to address this:
|2010-01-18, 22:31
|Link #2293
The Great Dine
Join Date: Feb 2009
|2010-01-18, 23:07
|Link #2294
Dea ex Kakera
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Sea of Fragments
Spoiler for Crime scene notes:
Regardless of which version you look at, it's blindingly obvious that Shannon's body was posed. Her position in the anime version makes it especially clear, but even in the VN, she could hardly have been shot in the forehead while facing the mirror, and if she'd been facing another direction, she wouldn't have ended up facing the mirror when she collapsed. But none of the other bodies are obviously posed, so why her? Could she have been killed separately from the other two?
The room key is in George's pocket inside the room, and all of the master keys are in Rosa's possession. Rosa couldn't have snuck out without alerting Battler because of the sofa barricade, so those keys are out of play. Therefore, whoever locked the door has to still be inside the room -- Beato even said that the door was locked from the inside. There's no opportunity for anyone to be hiding in the closet unless you get really creative and suggest that Jessica faked her massive stab wound earlier, and depending on how you interpret Beato's wording, she ruled out hiding places anyway, so that leaves two sane possibilities:
1. The door was locked before the murders happened, meaning the killer was George or Gohda (since Shannon was posed). Shannon was shot with something, so the killer must have disposed of the weapon afterward, probably by throwing it out the window. Finally, the killer turned off the lights and committed suicide with a stake. (Why?)
2. The door was locked after the murders happened, meaning the murderer left and then one of the victims locked it. Shannon's wound rules her out, but either George or Gohda could have done it before expiring. Based on what the TIPS say about stomach stakings not being immediately lethal, George is probably more likely, so long as he moved back to the far wall before dying. As for the culprit, it could only have been Kumasawa, Nanjo, or Genji, since everyone else was in the parlor and couldn't have left without alerting Battler.
Option 2 seems reasonable if you suppose that whoever locked the door did it to keep the culprit from coming back. But there's still the big question: what were they doing in that room in the first place? Surely they weren't actually looking for a magical mirror, but the VN does seem to suggest that someone was looking for something. It could have been either the victims or the culprit ransacking the room, or possibly the culprit just made a mess to confuse things.
Another question is, when Rosa asked where George's group went, why did Genji immediately tell her they went to Natsuhi's room? He supposedly hasn't seen them since they left, so for all he knew, they could have still been out at the chapel. On the other hand, he was supposedly making his rounds and checking the windows, so shouldn't he have already come across the bloody handprints on Natsuhi's door?
Argh, my head hurts.
Last edited by LyricalAura; 2010-01-19 at 01:33.
|2010-01-19, 03:43
|Link #2295
Join Date: Jun 2009
Could Jessica have killed Kanon, hid his corpse, fake her own death, and then lie in wait someplace so she could kill George's group and Nanjo and Kumasawa?
As it stands, the best I can say is that the killer had to have been in that room. If we want an alternative to the "Victims locked themselves in after being shot" and "Killer committed suicide" scenarios, Jessica is the only one I can think of.
... though now that I think about it, it was never said in red that there was only copy of the key to Natsuhi's room, was it?
|2010-01-19, 08:47
|Link #2296
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Finland
It is very possible for a cover to get in a state that it is impossible to find out by sight if there is anyone sleeping under it.
I agree about it being a ridiculous argument though.
But it has been shown that Natsuhi wasn't one of the brightest ones on the island, and that she is easy to trick.
I don't think that she was even capable of thinking about a good counter-argument, and I can't even begin to think about Natsuhi laughing.
Natsuhi hasn't let out a single laugh during the story.
|2010-01-19, 09:13
|Link #2297
Senior Member
In episode 1, Genji doesn't mention the hand marks on Natsuhi's door until after she does.
(Manga version:
I suggested that Genji has a vision problem (color blindness?) that leaves him unable to see dark red on brown. In Episodes 1 and 2, somebody (probably Kumasawa but possibly Kanon) vandalized Natsuhi's door between midnight and 6 AM. This person had no intention of entering, and so Maria's charm had no effect. When Kanon and Genji went to Eva & Hideyoshi's door in Episode 1, the circle was already there, but Genji was unable to see it.
|2010-01-19, 09:25
|Link #2298
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: HK, China
(Because Genji was the one who made those hand-print on the door. Just like what he did in EP2 again)
|2010-01-19, 09:28
|Link #2299
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: forever lost inside a logic error
the great advantage is the very issue here. In the comparison you made, how is that doctor being advantaged in any way by such an outcome?
Let me try to make a better example. A NASA scientist needs to make all the calculations to bring a satellite in orbit. However because of some mistake he's been given a wrong value of the satellite's weight. His calculations are perfectly right but because the original data are wrong the satellite is bound to go out from orbit. However an unpredictable event causes the missile to deviate from its intended course and that miraculously works as an adjustment to error so the satellite end up in a perfect orbit. This is luck.
Well I must say that this isn't 100% acurate comparison because the calculations are 100% correct, while Erika's reasoning was far from having such a high percentage imho. Anyway you could say that Erika reached her conclusion because of "limited informations" (though I would argue that jumping to conclusions with such limited informations is by itself wrong). The unpredictable event in Erika's case is the fact that a murder completely unrelated to her reasoning actually occurred in the cousin's room. And the fact that happened exactly there gave to Erika an enormous advantage,
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Forumwarz is the first "Massively Single-Player" online RPG completely built around Internet culture.
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You're right. Give me your address so I can come by for spanking.
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|Posted On: 01/20/2013 2:00PM
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STURGIS - Funeral services for Michael Lee Krenn, 54, of Sturgis, S.D., will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, May 11, 2013, at Kinkade Funeral Chapel in Sturgis with Pastor Randy Bradley officiating. Burial will be at a later date.
He passed away peacefully, Thursday, May 9, 2013, at the Lippold Hospice Suite at Sturgis Regional Hospital.
Mike was born Feb. 23, 1959, to Leo and Theresa (Ripperger) Krenn in Estherville. There he attended Catholic grade school and graduated high school. Mike then graduated Magna Cum Laude with an Associate Degree as an auto body technician from Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsburg.
Mike was united in marriage to Debra Pospisil on Sept. 15, 1979, and he lived in the Des Moines area for many years before moving to Sturgis in 2007. Mike worked for Zylstra Auto Body and Frame since his move to Sturgis.
He had a passion for riding motorcycles and he became known as Miker the Biker to many. Any day the sun was shining, one could find Biker on his Softtail Slim, enjoying his freedom. He was especially grateful to the Hospice of the Northern Hills' hard work and determination to fulfill Mike's wish for one last ride on his prized Softtail Slim.
Mike is survived by three brothers, Daniel (Rosita) Krenn of Spring Valley, Calif., Lonnie (Lacy) Krenn of Lake Alvarado, Texas and Mark (Marlene) Krenn of Sturgis; two sisters, Kathy Henderson of Phoenix and Denise (Kim) Born of Deadwood, S.D.; his mother, Theresa Anderson, of Spearfish, S.D.; former wife, Debra Stensrud, of Des Moines and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family extends an invitation for everyone to join them at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 11 at the Nemo Mercantile for a pig roast and jam session . . . bring your instruments.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.kinkadefunerals.com.


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76ers Tickets
GoTickets.com has a great selection of Philadelphia 76ers basketball tickets for every game this season at the Wells Fargo Center. Just check out the Sixers schedule and place your NBA ticket order today.
2016-2017 Philadelphia 76ers Schedule
Get Email Updates on
Philadelphia 76ers
76ers Ticket Info
Despite tying the NBA record for most consecutive losses, the Philadephia 76ers were still not able to capture the #1 pick in the '14 NBA Draft. That, once again, went to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have their 3rd straight No. 1 overall pick. But despite losing out on the top spot in the draft, 76ers fans should be optimistic. Their roster is filled with talent including the likes of Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel. Noel missed his entire first season in the NBA but could be a force if his collegiate career was any indication.
Don't miss any of the Sixers games at the Wells Fargo Center when you order with GoTickets. We have a great selection of seats for all of the games on the 2016-2017 Philadelphia 76ers schedule. And if the Sixers are able to return to the postseason next year, rest assured that we will have 76ers playoff tickets as well.


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Five yoga poses to help digestion
Have an idea for a fitness feature? Tweet me @ApozTV.
An overabundance of stress has the ability to wreak havoc on your stomach, bringing about unwelcome feelings of pain or general discomfort. A potential strategy to beat the bloat and ease tummy torment lies in a series of yoga poses, which could help to reduce stress and alleviate digestive discomfort.
When the body is stressed, a "flight or fight" response is activated, shutting down blood flow to the central nervous system. This, in turn, slows the contraction of digestive muscles and decreases secretions needed for digestion.
"It's true that people can experience discomfort in their guts that is stress-related," says John Denninger, MD, PhD, Director of Research, Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. "Any kind of technique, whether it's yoga or meditation, that can buffer stress has the potential to be beneficial," he says.
Denninger points to recent research conducted by his team as a prime example of the mind-body connection. In a soon-to-be-published study, they examined how stress-reduction techniques could benefit a group of people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Participants were taught both meditation and yoga as a way to elicit the relaxation response; they then used whatever combination felt right to them. The results showed positive benefits associated with both practices. Subjects reported feeling less worried about their symptoms and more relaxed, which contributed to an overall sense of well-being.
I paid a visit to Roots Yoga in Burlington, Mass. where Ginger Boermeester demonstrated the following five poses she incorporates into her classes to decrease stress as well as stimulate, relax, and increase blood flow to the digestive system.
Forward Fold: massages the internal organs of the digestive tract in order to increase blood flow. It also relaxes the abdomen and creates space internally, helping to release entrapped gas.
Twist: massages the intestinal tract to help keep things moving.
Wide-legged squat: works to relax the abdominal muscles and create space, relieving intestinal discomfort.
Boat pose: engages the core, working to lengthen and create space in the intestines, stimulating the digestive organs. It also lifts and opens the rib cage providing more room for the digestive system to do its job.
Butterfly pose: also helps to stimulate the digestive system and relieve digestive pains by increasing blood flow to the digestive organs.
Elizabeth Comeau is a social media marketing manager at Boston.com. She will be blogging about her personal fitness journey and using a device called a FitBit to track her weekly goals and progress (see below). Follow her journey and share your own. Read more about Elizabeth and this blog.


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1) How is the government going to "get its money back" if the money has been spent and the firms are bankrupt? Only by liquidation, it would seem. So does the bailout deal eliminate the option of restructuring (as an ongoing enterprise) under the aegis of the bankruptcy court? Either the firms are saved under the "czar," or they are liquidated, apparently. 2) The big "stick" is to kill the firms, then. Isn't that too big a stick? Like a nuclear weapon is too big a stick? Come April 29th, if the choice is to approve a half-assed "restructuring" plan that has maybe a 35% chance of succeeding, or to kill General Motors, there's going to be an awful lot of pressure not to kill General Motors, no? The threat is so big it pressures the auto czar, not the executives, investors and union members. What's needed is an intermediate threat that's more credible. How about empowering the auto czar to declare the companies' labor contracts null and void? And to indefinitely delay payment of all executive salaries and bonuses? That would get the "stakeholders" attention, maybe. 3) Shouldn't there be a different "czar" for each firm? Having a single czar for the whole industry muffles what might be salutary competitive pressures. Maybe Chrysler's workers are so desperate they'll give up more in terms of pay and work rules than Ford's workers. Shouldn't that sort of choice be encouraged? Dueling "czars" would encourage this viability-enhancing reverse solidarity. ...Good questions! As to #3, can someone explain why 3 car companies with 1 head isn't an antitrust problem?
Also, Mickey, don't say "auto czar." It's either car czar or auto autocrat. Poetry's important when everything is going to hell.
IN THE COMMENTS: AJ Lynch offers: Motor City Mogul. Campy says: Detroit Despot.


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Submission + - Japan Considers '911' Calls From Twitter, Social Networks (itworld.com)
itwbennett writes: "The Japanese national Fire and Disaster Management Agency today hosted the first of 3 panels to discuss allowing emergency calls to be placed through social networks. For the event, Twitter's Japanese blog posted entries on how to use the service during emergencies, one of which advised: 'If your circumstances allow, please add #survived to your tweets. This will help when family and friends that are worried about you search on your welfare.'"


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I don't get it when I have adblock like some people have said.
Printable View
I don't get it when I have adblock like some people have said.
I was perusing the forums when google sent me this warning
Because you might be new to the site, I don't want to give you the wrong answer.
There was a thread discussing a similar subject a few days ago
That is a link to the thread.
Most likely someones signature
I've merged the three different threads that were pertaining to malware and virus issues. I've sent an email to SDI and I was told that they have not partnered with any new advertisers as of lately, but they will begin to undergo investigations to see what the problem may be.
It is no coincidence that there were three threads with users reporting malware or virus warnings but hopefully it can be figured out very soon, whether or not these problems are coming from PSD's end.
During the meantime, if anyone is experiencing any of these issues (hopefully not), please be sure to report it here in this thread.
I have adblock, but this popped up while browsing PSD. Pretty sure that it doesn't come from the site I'm using to watch SOA since I've never had a pop up from that site. Still don't get how this got through adblock.
Didn't click on "Why did I get this survey?" either :(
Anyone else get this?
Yeah, these issues have all been reported and I've added you to the list. You are not alone so it seems that it is coming from PSD. Our marketing and IT guys are working together to sort it out.
I just got it, and I have adblock plus on
PSD is still the only site I've seen it one :shrug:
^ scanned with malwarebytes, nothing. Virus program doesn't pick up anything either.
lol nvm


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As far as automotive roofing goes, manufacturers have tried just about everything to appeal to drivers who want the wind in their hair (or what's left of it). Removable hard tops, sunroofs, moonroofs, retractable hard tops, convertible tops, targa tops, and T-tops have adorned many famous-and some infamous-examples of historical automobiles, the Corvette included. But which style is the best way to feel the breeze while not sacrificing the car's usefulness and convenience?
True topless aficionados will say that the only way to really enjoy your car is if it has no top at all. You see these drivers in their Cobras, first-generation Vipers, and removable-hardtop convertible Corvettes, sometimes wearing scarves, goggles, and fingerless driving gloves, and often stealing nervous glances at the sky to check for rain. While we do appreciate the visceral, bugs-in-your-teeth manliness of this type of motoring, we don't necessarily want to plan our trips based on the availability of carwashes and bank drive-throughs to duck into in the event of inclement weather.
There are other drawbacks to going the fully topless route. Convertible soft tops are flimsy and thin, admitting lots of wind noise even when the top and windows are up. They're also prone to leak and wear, typically requiring replacement every 3-5 years. Third, these tops don't offer any structural support for high-horsepower applications, or protection in the event of a rollover accident. And finally, a retractable soft top takes up precious cargo space whether up or down.
Don't get the idea that we're completely averse to convertibles-we're not. We just feel that a T-top configuration offers most of the benefits of an open-air driving experience in a much more user-friendly package. It seems the public has historically agreed: Starting in 1968, Corvette T-top coupes outsold convertibles nearly two to one during years when both models were available.
One of the downsides of a T-top roof, however, is that many of its mechanical components-such as latches, guide pins, plates, and bushings-are prone to wear or break. Weatherstripping also tends to dry-rot, crack, and come apart, while trim, paint, and chrome can also become damaged or deteriorate over time. Project C3 Triple-Ex's T-tops were suffering from many of these afflictions, so we decided to rebuild them with new parts from Corvette Central.
Once we disassembled our T-tops, we found that they were largely intact but worn and out of adjustment. The weatherstripping and molding had also deteriorated, causing the T-tops to leak and not align correctly. Also, the original stainless-steel trim on our T-tops had become weathered and dinged over the years, causing it to look exceptionally bad next to the fresh paint we recently applied. Fortunately, Corvette Central carries all the parts necessary to repair the T-tops in early or later C3 models. We found everything we needed in the company's catalog, including new weatherstripping, moldings, periphery trim, and headliner panels. We also ordered a new T-top center panel, along with the parts kit necessary to repair our latches.
It took us the better part of a day to disassemble, repair, and reassemble our T-tops, but when we took the car for a drive, we couldn't believe the difference. The panels snapped into place correctly, and the new seals offered a weather-tight fit. Aesthetically, the car now looks much better with its new headliner, center panels, and stainless trim. We immediately noticed that it was quieter as well, thanks to the new weatherstripping seals and the fact that the door glass was actually sealing at the top. Now we can go topless or not, with equal satisfaction!


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Hickory earns top seeds in CV Classic pairings
The pairings for this year's Catawba Valley Classic were released Monday.
The opening round for the tournament starts on Tuesday, Dec. 27.
The boys' slate of games will be played at Hickory High School, while the girls games will be at the Tarlton Complex, formerly the Multi-Purpose Center, at Catawba Valley Community College.
Hickory, the defending boys champion, is seeded No. 1 and will take on Bunker Hill at 6 p.m.
The 2010 boys runner-up, St. Stephens, takes on Newton-Conover in a match-up of No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. The two teams have split their two meetings this season on the hardwood.
Defending girls champion Newton-Conover is seeded third again this year, opening up with a game against No. 6 Fred T. Foard.
The contest between the Lady Red Devils and Lady Tigers is a rematch of last year's championship game, which Newton-Conover won, 66-38.
Boys schedule for Dec. 27 (at Hickory H.S.)
No. 3 Alex. Central vs. No. 6 Maiden, 4:30 p.m.
No. 1 Hickory vs. No. 8 Bunker Hill, 6 p.m.
No. 2 Fred T. Foard vs. No. 7 S. Caldwell, 7:30 p.m.
No. 4 Newton-Conover vs. No. 5 St. Stephens, 9 p.m.
Girls schedule, Dec. 27 (at CVCC's Tarlton Complex)
No. 1 Hickory vs. No. 8 Bunker Hill, 4 p.m.
No. 4 South Caldwell vs. No. 5 Maiden, 5:30 p.m.
No. 3 Newton-Conover vs. No. 6 Fred T. Foard, 7 p.m.
No. 2 Alex. Central vs. No. 7 St. Stephens, 8:30 p.m.


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Wherefore art though, Shakespeare lovers?
That's the question Victoria Police detectives are posing after discovering a number of stolen antique items, including a collection of Shakespeare's works, during a recent drug raid in Melbourne's east.
Police seized the collection of blue-covered books, the titles of which include Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, as well as antique surgical instruments and an antique wireless radio during the raid at a home in Parkington Street in Kew on September 5.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said officers now were attempting to find the owners of the stolen property.
"Investigators would like to return the property to the rightful owners and have released images of the property," a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.
Two men from Kew, aged 30 and 24, have been charged with drug offences after the police raid and are due to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on January 7.
Anyone who can identify the stolen property or the owners has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au.


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ROYAL OAK TOWNSHIP -- A pit-bull mix dog attacked a girl in a fenced-in park after police say two boys put the dog in the enclosure, closed the gate and someone said, "Get her."
The girl, 14, suffered bites to her shin, foot, thigh and rib cage in the attack Saturday.
The girl was in a play area next to the township offices, which are housed in a former school near Pasadena and Wyoming.
Oakland County Sheriff's Sgt. Chad Allan said the girl is apparently friends with the two boys -- ages 8 and 10 -- who are brothers.
"Someone said, 'Get her,' after the dog was released" Allan said. "The girl tried to get out by climbing the fence, but she fell and the dog got her. At some point the attack stopped and the girl got out."
Other children were also present outside the fenced play area when the attack happened and someone called police.
The girl's parents took her to Southfield Providence Hospital where she was treated and released the same day.
The boys told police they had been home alone all day and decided to take the dog for a walk. The dog is described as a pit-bull mix that is just under a year old.
A sheriff's deputy turned the dog over to the county's Animal Control facility. The dog is quarantined and under observation, Allan said.
Sheriff's deputies called county Child Protective Services after they took the boys to the police substation and were unable to reach their mother.
However, the mother arrived and picked the boys up a short time later, Allan said.
"Child Protective Services is going to follow up on conditions at the boys' home and investigate why they were left alone," Allan said.
Police are unsure whether the boys actually meant for the dog to harm the girl.
"It may have been horseplay that got out of hand and we are still investigating," Allan said.


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PUBLIC OFFICIAL PLEADS TO THEFT – An Alvord woman pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing more than $100,000 from the adult probation department in Wise County. Sandra Nell Campbell, 46, received a 10-year sentence, probated for 10 years. Because she paid $20,000 in restitution up front, she avoided any jail time, according to the plea agreement. According to investigators, Campbell stole approximately $125,035 over an approximately 3 1/2-year period beginning in June of 2008 and continuing until January of this year. Theft of $100,000 to $200,000 is typically a second degree felony, but since Campbell was employed by the probation department, she was considered a public official. That enhanced the charge to a first degree felony, which carried a possible punishment range of anywhere from 5 years to life in prison. Campbell will also be responsible for paying back just over $70,000 in unrecovered funds.
HOLIDAY EVENT – Bridgeport's Winter Wonderland holiday event is 3-8 p.m. Saturday in downtown. Events include pictures with Santa 4-5:30 p.m. at State Farm, wassail tasting 5-8 p.m., the lighted Christmas parade at 6 p.m., tacky/ugly sweater contest at 7 p.m. at the Bridgeport Stage, and Holiday Shopping Frenzy and window decorating winners announced at 8 p.m. Parking will be available on Stevens, 11th, 9th and Cates streets and all side streets. Halsell Street from 9th to 12th Street will be closed 2-8 p.m. The event is hosted by Bridgeport Main Street and the Bridgeport Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information, call (940) 683-3404 or (940) 683-2076.
SHOPPING FRENZY – Holiday Shopping Frenzy sponsored by the Bridgeport Area Chamber of Commerce is today and Saturday. There will be two $500 cash and two $50 Brookshire's gift card giveaways. Participants will be entered for visiting and for every $20 spent at any participating business. The drawing is 8 p.m. Saturday at Bridgeport Stage, 1009 Halsell Street. Participants do not have to be present to win.
BAKE SALE – Chico Middle School FCA will hold three bake sales in Chico at 10 a.m. Saturday. Locations include Chico Market Place, Chico Mart and the Chico High School Gym (during the Chico High School Basketball Tournament). The money raised will go to adopt Angels from the Spirit of Christmas Angel Tree. The goal is to raise $500. All donations are welcomed and appreciated.
ALVORD PARADE – The Alvord Christmas Parade is 6 p.m. Saturday.
SANTA IN PARADISE – Pictures with Santa Claus are 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Veterans Memorial Park on Main Street in Paradise.
COOKIES WITH SANTA – Santa Claus will be at Rhome City Hall 6 -8 p.m. Saturday. There will be cookies, hot chocolate, a free raffle and free pictures with Santa.
COWBOY CHRISTMAS – Wise County Cowboy Church is hosting A Cowboy Christmas Story 6-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 2070 Old Denton Rd., outside Decatur. Visitors will hear the Christmas story while riding in mule-drawn wagons. Visit www.wisecountycowboychurch.com for more information.
TREE LIGHTING – A Christmas parade starts at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in downtown Slidell. It will end at the First Baptist Church, where a beans and cornbread supper will be served. Donations of new, unwrapped toys will be collected and donated to the Slidell school's Angel Tree. Following the supper, a Christmas tree will be lit downtown.
CHRISTMAS EVENT – Grace Fellowship will host a free community Christmas event 4-6 p.m. Sunday at Harwood Park in Bridgeport. There will be food, games and music.
REASON TO SING – First Baptist Church of Bridgeport is hosting "A Reason to Sing" 7 p.m. Sunday. The church is located at 1204 12th St. Visit www.fbcbridgeport.com for more information.
BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT – The Decatur Invitational Farm Bureau Boys Basketball Tournament continues today and Saturday at the high school gym. Games start at 3 p.m. today, and participating teams include Decatur, Canyon, Denton Ryan, Gainesville, Northwest's Byron Nelson, Fort Worth's Carter-Riverside, and Midland-Lee. Decatur boys play Canyon at 7:30 tonight.
COMMISSIONERS TO MEET – Wise County commissioners meet 9 a.m. Monday in the third-floor conference room of the courthouse in Decatur. It's their last scheduled meeting for the year.
COAT GIVEAWAY – Gently used coats for those in need will be available 10 a.m.-noon Saturday at the First United Methodist Church's Wesley Center in Decatur. They include adults and children, various sizes, as supplies last. Breakfast will also be provided. Call the church office at (940) 627-3362 for more information.
BASKETBALL BENEFIT – The Samantha Rogers Memorial Basketball Tournament continues through Saturday in Alvord. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students. All proceeds benefit the Samantha Rogers Memorial Scholarship fund.
AUCTION CANCELED – An auction scheduled for noon Saturday at Wise County Animal Shelter in Decatur has been canceled.
FUNERALS – Service for KayLee Avina, 3, of Decatur is pending at Coker-Hawkins Funeral Home in Decatur.
FUNERAL for Hubert O. Ray, 88, of Wise County is 1 p.m. Monday at the First Baptist Church of Denton with burial at Paradise Cemetery. Family visitation is 5-7 p.m. Sunday at Coker-Hawkins.
SERVICE for Della Ferris, 84, formerly of Bridgeport is pending at Hawkins Funeral Home in Bridgeport.
SERVICE for Jo Whitehead, 76, of Decatur is pending at Coker-Hawkins.


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It's free, so download away!
We heard about Ecolibrium back in September, though this free application for PlayStation Vita is only now available in North America. As the name suggests, this is all about putting together a balanced ecosystem that will allow alien creatures to thrive. There's also a collection element thrown in for good measure, as well as photo taking.
When you read that out loud, yeah, it sounds rather silly. And surely the game will outstay its welcome before too long, but I'd be lying if I said Ecolibrium doesn't look like it'll scratch a very particular itch of mine. I'm a total sucker for virtual ecosystems like this -- there aren't enough of them! -- and "free" seems like a good way to get others (i.e., normal humans) interested.
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ARIES: November 27, 28 call for financial constraint and attention to budget details. Aries should make themselves aware of their financial limitations as it is all too easy to assume burdens.
TAURUS: Taureans will need to be supportive of their partners during November 27, 28, as heavy burdens seem to weigh them down. A little kindness and a helping hand will go a long way.
GEMINI: Chronic health conditions seem to be aggravated during November 27, 28, adding weight to your responsibilities. Time at work will appear to pass slowly or stand still.
CANCER: A sense of commitment is stimulated in association with a child or romance during November 27, 28. This is never too great a burden for you and is attended with love.
LEO: New responsibilities are crystallising on the home front during November 27, 28 and simply cannot be ignored. You'll be putting routines in place to deal with them.
VIRGO: November 27, 28 are slow moving days, especially for Virgo. However, you can put these trends to good use by using your time to meticulously plan your course and attend to paperwork.
LIBRA: Librans will be reflecting on the state of their finances and the limitations of their income during November 27, 28. Financial security is at the top of your list of priorities at the moment.
SCORPIO: Whilst Scorpio may feel alone as they face the onerous routines of their daily life during November 27, 28, a touch of kindness will make you feel loved and spur you on.
SAGITTARIUS: November 27, 28 require Sagittarius to deal with a few problems of a financial or ethical nature that is currently causing concern. You'll be working quietly on these.
CAPRICORN: November 27, 28 are days of achievement when dreams and goals can become reality. Good fortune assists you in these achievements leaving you with a sense of contentment.
AQUARIUS: Aquarius has a number of career issues to be addressed and November 27, 28 bring these into focus. Challenges lie ahead but can be successfully addressed now.
PISCES: November 27, 28 are days of significance in achieving your goals, whether directed towards an education, trip, legal outcome, or publicity of some sort (such as advertising).
LUCKY NUMBERS: Aries: 1, 3, 4, 9; Taurus: 5, 8; Gemini: 6, 7; Cancer: 3, 4, 7, 9; Leo: 1, 3, 4, 9; Virgo: 6, 8; Libra: 5, 7; Scorpio: 2, 3, 7, 9; Sagittarius: 1, 3, 4, 9; Capricorn: 5, 6; Aquarius: 5, 6; Pisces: 2, 4, 7.


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AMD today announced an agreement with GameFly to give gamers who leverage the quality and performance of AMD CPUs and APUs easier access to GameFly's leading online video game rental and PC download services for a limited time. Gamers purchasing select AMD A-Series APUs, AMD Athlon II CPUs, AMD Phenom™ II CPUs or AMD FX Series CPUs in regions where GameFly is accessible receive a free, 30-day GameFly membership as well as a 20 percent discount on a new PC game purchase via the new GameFly PC store.
"AMD draws inspiration from gamers, game developers and the PC gaming industry," said John Taylor, director of Global Product and Technology Marketing at AMD. "Hand-in-hand with the AMD Gaming Evolved program, we continue to listen to gamers and fulfill our 'Gamers Come First!' pledge. AMD"s close affiliation with GameFly shows our gratitude to gamers and to GameFly for recognizing how AMD represents best-in-class PC gaming experiences."
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Rate This MovieSYNOPSIS: Suddenly Jennifer is torn from her comfortable and non-assuming (inconspicuous) life. While planning to move, the young mother and her husband will experience anything but an ordinary day! It all begins with a strange visit from her soon to be ex neighbor, the postman who mentions an urgent need. Later, when coming home from grocery shopping, Jennifer …Read More »
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September 30, 2010 — Screen Actors Guild is saddened by the loss of celebrated actor and former National Board member Tony Curtis, who died of cardiac arrest Wednesday at his home in Las Vegas. He was 85.
Audiences will remember the versatile Curtis for his prolific film career that spanned more than 100 films and included early favorites Some Like it Hot, Houdini, The Sweet Smell of Success, Spartacus and The Defiant Ones (for which he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role). In later years, he starred and guest starred on television as well and pursued a career as a painter.
Curtis served Screen Actors Guild as a National Board member for three years, starting in 1956. Additionally, he was the last surviving member of the Guild's original Awards Committee that oversaw the design of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
Daughter and actress Jamie Lee Curtis had this to say in a statement to the press: ""My father leaves behind a legacy of great performances in movies and in his paintings and assemblages. He leaves behind children and their families who loved him and respected him and a wife and in-laws who were devoted to him. He also leaves behind fans all over the world."


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Lady Gaga + Katy Perry Scenes Cut From Muppets Movie
Lady Gaga and Katy Perry reportedly had their scenes in 'The Muppets' cut. Combining Gaga and Perry with alpha female Muppet Miss Piggy would have been too much diva for one film. The multiplex would have spontaneously combusted, so maybe slashing their supposed scenes was a good idea.


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American writer and director Judd Apatow has been building towards his new film, This Is 40, for years now.
The central characters, Pete and Debbie, a married couple (with two daughters) played by Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann, were part of the supporting cast in 2007's Knocked Up. They return here, older but no wiser.
The idea of exploring a marriage's disaffection through Mann's eyes was also shoehorned, without warning, into Apatow's 2009 movie, Funny People, where it took over the final act uneasily.
But if it's taken Apatow this long to arrive here, why is the movie so easygoing and easily diverted?
There are attempts to tell truths in this sometimes sombre domestic comedy, but too often the picture makes do with life lessons that don't really get past the idea that marriage and parenthood are tough and that to make it work requires fortitude and sacrifice.
A lot of people could tell you that - and in far less than 134 minutes.
There's a belief that Apatow should be admired because he's somehow trying to be serious. He's obviously mining his own life for material - he's married to Mann, and their two daughters, Maude and Iris, respectively play Pete and Debbie's kids, Sadie and Charlotte - but the results are hardly revelatory. There's probably as much wisdom in his first movie, the ludicrously enjoyable The 40-Year-Old Virgin, as there is here.
Details in the competently photographed This Is 40 ring true, from the way Debbie has started having 38th birthdays one year after another, to the casual way Pete immerses himself in a hobby such as cycling, where he can obsess over gear and regularly exit the family home. Apatow is an orderly writer, given to flow-chart emotional logic, but while it's welcome to neatly set the story up, neatly resolving it isn't so rewarding. There's no shock of unexpected recognition, nothing so honest it's wrenching.
Apatow is interested in the circumstances of Pete and Debbie's life, which move between an eldest daughter becoming a teenager to their respective businesses: he runs an independent record label; she owns a fashion boutique. Money issues are deepening but for all the stress, the solution, as noted by the couple's business manager, isn't that terrifying. Just sell their large and mortgaged home and buy a smaller one.
There's no reason the well-off can't be the subject of movies - classic Hollywood screwball comedies are full of wealthy protagonists - but Apatow doesn't try to explain the mindset that allows Pete and Debbie to believe they can casually maintain such a privileged Los Angeles life. The fathers of both characters feature, with Albert Brooks as Pete's mooching dad and John Lithgow as Debbie's stilted, distant patriarch, but neither offspring's blase attitude is examined.
Paul Rudd is an everyman comic but he's crucially miscast here. Pete's unease comes across as panic, and Rudd can't project emotions that the story intimates are roiling just beneath the surface. He plays a scene where an overwhelmed Pete bursts into tears at a professional setback as a kind of punchline. Mann is better suited to the material, as she can match a tart humour to a genuine personal vulnerability.
It's as much a blessing as a curse, then, that Apatow has such a large and exceedingly overqualified supporting cast; the staff of Pete's record label is played by Girls creator Lena Dunham and star of The Sapphires, Chris O'Dowd. The filmmaker is generous with each guest, but allowing them to shine in turn lengthens the movie and weakens the intent. O'Dowd and Jason Segel competing to impress Megan Fox (Debbie's employee) is amusing, but it's a sideshow.
Some of the difficult realisations that seep into This Is 40, such as Debbie and Pete bonding when they see off the irate mother of a child Debbie abused for comments on Sadie's Facebook page, are almost incidental to the scene's purpose. The idea that they might be all the other selfishly deserves doesn't have a chance against a peppy conclusion. Individual scenes are more than amusing, but everything that is routinely lauded about what Apatow is trying to achieve - the supposed realism, the autobiographical bent - is a kind of stopgap actually holding him back.
In trying to please everyone he satisfies no one and, far from being brave, the fleeting concerns of This Is 40 are closer to cowardly.


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Something older. Something newer. Something big. Something little.
Something older. Something newer. Something big. Something little.
The 2013 Azalea Festival Home Tour offers something for just about everybody. The Historic Wilmington Foundation, which sponsors the event, is billing it as "100 Years of Architecture in 10 Extraordinary Buildings."
All 10 structures will be open from 1 to 6 p.m. April 13 and 1 to 5 p.m. April 14. The official ribbon-cutting for the tour is 12:30 p.m. April 13 at the Alexander Sprunt House, 1615 Chestnut St., with Wilmington Mayor Bill Saffo, New Hanover County Commissioners Chairman Woody White, other public officials and a bouquet of Azalea Belles in attendance.
"Early on, we tended to feature the big houses downtown," said George W. Edwards, the foundation's executive director. "Now, we try for a little more diversity."
"People seem to like the small houses and bungalows around the city," Edwards added. When it comes to restoration and preservation, "People can look at these and say, 'Hey, I can do that, too.'?"
Many of this year's tour buildings recently underwent extensive renovations, Edwards said. Two of them – the Temple of Israel and the Donald MacRae House at St. James Episcopal Church – won the foundation's 2012 David Brinkley Preservation Awards for their restorations. Tour sites include:
The Alexander Sprunt House, 1615 Chestnut St.: Built between 1929 and 1930 for Alexander Sprunt, whose family then ran the world's largest cotton-exporting firm, the house is considered the city's best example of Adam-style Colonial Revival architecture. Owned by the same family for more than 40 years, the house was recently extensively restored by owners T.J. and Judy Porter.
The Emerson-Kenan Mansion, 1705 Market St.: Originally built in 1907 by pioneering developer Mary Bridgers, the house was acquired in 1923 by Sarah Graham Kenan, who supervised much of the interior and exterior woodwork remodeling. Since 1969, it has been the official residence of the chancellor of the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and has been used as a location in many films.
Freeman-Peters House, 1805 Perry Ave.: This Queen Anne-style cottage in Carolina Place was built in 1912 for Adolph L. Freeman, a clerk with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad.
Triyonis House, 2010 Creecy Ave.: This Craftsman-style bungalow with a large porch follows a pattern common in Carolina Place. It was built around 1922 as a rental property, and its first tenant was John D. Grant, a bookkeeper for the Crescent Candy Co. Donna Triyonis owns the house now.
J.E. Gilliard House, 2009 Wrightsville Ave.: Built in 1914 for salesman J.E. Gilliard, this Craftsman Bungalow was part of one of Wilmington's first suburban neighborhoods, which grew up along the streetcar lines.
Temple of Israel, 1 S. Fourth St.: Built in 1875, and attributed to local architect Alex Strausz this Moorish Revival building is North Carolina's oldest Jewish house of worship. The Reform congregation still workshops here on the Sabbath. It recently underwent a major renovation.
William A. French House, 107 S. Fourth St.: Built in 1871, this Italianate structure was designed by Alex Strausz, who designed many of Wilmington's larger houses in the 1800s. He is believed to be the architect of the Temple of Israel. Now owned by Michael Murchison and Barbara Sullivan, the house in notable for its extensive gardens, designed by Sullivan.
Donald MacRae House, 25 S. Third St.: Sometimes known as the Anne Bacon Moore House, this Shingle-style structure was designed by architects James Brite and Henry Bacon. (The latter, a Wilmington native, went on to design the Lincoln Memorial in Washington.) Since 1955, it has served as the parish office for St. James Episcopal Church.
Cumming-Duls House, 120 Nun St.: This Italianate house was built in 1871 for Preston Cumming and later bought by grocer Jacob Duls. In 1972, the Historic Wilmington Foundation bought the house with its revolving fund and rescued it from demolition.
J.W. Brooks Building, 18 S. Water St.: Built in 1920, at a time when Water Street was Wilmington's waterfront and port, the three-story building was originally a warehouse. Brooks Cash Grocery, a family business, operated in it until 1978. It now houses retail outlets and residential suites. Tour participants can see Suite 10, owned by Bill and Kathryn Graham.
Advance tickets for the tour are $25 each, $30 on the day of the tour. Proceeds benefit the Historic Wilmington Foundation, a non-profit that works to protect historic structures in the Lower Cape Fear area. Since its founding in 1966, the foundation has saved more than 100 historic properties.
Ben Steelman: 343-2208


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Linux Ported To Dingoo A320 51
Busshy writes "Linux has arrived on the Dingoo A320, a portable console that was recently released in Asia (bundled with emulators for 16-bit consoles) which looks like the bottom half of a DS Lite. It also has an XMB that closely resembles those that PSP and PS3 owners are used to. Homebrew Coders have already ported ScummVM and PRBoom (Doom Engine) to Dingoo Linux."


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Led by a drum line of students from East Henderson High, more than 200 people marched from the Henderson County Courthouse to the Historic Courthouse Saturday in support of public education in North Carolina.
Led by a drum line of students from East Henderson High, more than 200 people marched from the Henderson County Courthouse to the Historic Courthouse Saturday in support of public education in North Carolina.
Organized as a grassroots effort, supporters including teachers, staff, parents and community members from Transylvania, Buncombe and Henderson counties gathered in front of the Historic Courthouse for the Public School Appreciation Rally.
Cathy Belair, seventh-grade math teacher at Valley Springs Middle, said she became a teacher because she had a passion to teach. She said she marched because she wants to continue teaching and is scared she won't be able to afford to stay in the profession.
"I am in my eighth year and I haven't gotten a raise," Belair said. "I had 20 years in business and our savings is dwindling, but it is a calling—I feel compelled to teach."
Belair said cuts at the state level to teachers' pay have caused many of her peers to seek positions in other states.
"I don't know how long I can stay," Belair said "That middle section, we're dying; we can't afford to be in it even if it is a passion."
Belair's husband, Don Belair, said he has watched his wife dedicate her life to teaching, spending hours at home grading papers.
"From 7 o'clock until 5 o'clock is school, and then from 5 until 9 every day at home and weekends and it's nonstop, but it's what she wants to do," he said.
During the rally, current, former and aspiring educators shared their love for teaching and its importance in the community, but said more needs to be done to ensure the quality of education.
Brevard High English and journalism teacher Meredith Licht credited Henderson County commissioners for their work to restore the Historic Courthouse and said that in the same way, rally participants need to show their courage and conviction in order to restore public education.
"Our schools are not just foundational to our sense of identity and our sense of pride, they are foundational to our society," Licht said. "Public schools are the great equalizer… If we are to maintain our democracy, if we are to produce productive citizens who are contentious in their decision-making and in their democratic processes, then we have to restore and preserve our public schools."
Runda Alamour, 21, president of the Student North Carolina Association of Educators, said she and many of her peers are becoming concerned about the resources that will be available to them when they become teachers.
"We are concerned about the future of career status and teacher contracts," Alamour said. "We know that when teachers work together, they create the best educational experiences for our students, but how can we do that when they are forced to compete against each other for a select few four-year contracts?"
In between speakers, singer Don Bryant from Asheville entertained the audience with a song he wrote for the rally and asked the crowd to join in to sing, "When Carolina mountain schools are moving strong."
Dot Marlow, whose husband served as Henderson County schools superintendent for 20 years, said teachers need the community to advocate for them.
"I think what is happening today with all of you coming together to show your support, our elected officials are noticing," Marlow said. "This is the way to do it; I don't think to be negative and to fuss at them and to get mean with them is going to help."
As the short session gets underway, Marlow said she thinks North Carolina is going to see some changes to education.
"They realize that we mean business about improving education," she said.


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Lana Nicole Rosalez, 39
Our beautiful, loving and vivacious daughter, sister, mother, auntie and friend, Lana Nicole Rosalez, 39, moved on to her next adventure on July 30, 2011.
Lana was born May 2, 1972, in Blackfoot to Bacilio and Elaine Broncho Rosalez and lived her life to the fullest all the way through.
An enrolled member of the Shoshone Bannock Tribes, Lana carried with her a personal sense of deep spirituality, which splashed all over everyone she ever met. She loved her family with her whole being, and shared that love with many close friends, particularly Tonya Gomez, her sister in love, and Tonya's parents, Gloria and Dennis Hansen.
Lana shared a large part of her life with John Best and together they created, loved and raised daughter Bethany and son Britain. Lana shared the final chapter of her life with Joshua Gibson.
Lana never did anything halfway, and was an accomplished writer and published poet, her children were her inspiration and her first concern and she reflected that love and caring in her poetry.
Lana was a free spirit, who loved to laugh and make everyone around her laugh. Anything outrageous was her personal choice, and if there was noise and joy and fun, Lana was sure to be found in the middle of it. She wasn't afraid to explore life, and lived it on her own terms. She loved to gamble, and spend time with her family and friends, and will be forever loved until we meet again.
Lana was preceded in death by her parents, Bacilio and Elaine; and her grandparents, Lizzie Marie and Alfred Broncho.
Lana will watch over her loved ones until they are united again, children, Bethany Nicole Best and Britain John Best of Salt Lake City, Utah; and brothers and sisters, Julie DeHerrera of Salt Lake City, Utah; John Spencer of Idaho Falls; Danny Kniffen of South Jordan, Utah; Natalie Broncho-Hardy of Pocatello, Idaho, Dirk Rosalez of Blackfoot, Idaho, Myles (Jennifer) Gallardo of Fort Hall; Deanna (Juvenal) Gallardo-Garcia of Blackfoot and Brandon Gallardo of Idaho Falls.
Donations will be accepted at the time of services. A funeral service will held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011, at Hawker Funeral Home, 132 South Shilling Avenue. Family will meet with friends and relatives from 7-9 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 5, 2011, at the funeral home and for one hour prior to services. Interment will follow the service on Saturday at Gibson Cemetery in Fort Hall. The family would like to invite all of Lana's friends to join them for a Celebration of Life at Eagle Lodge, Highway 91 and Truchot Roads, Fort Hall, directly after the services.
Rest in peace Lana, we love you.


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DENVER — — Colorado Rockies left-hander Jorge De La Rosa was bothered by a cut on the middle finger of his pitching hand in his previous start.
The cut checked out fine before his outing Wednesday night, but De La Rosa was no match for Washington's Ross Ohlendorf.
The Nationals brought him up from Triple-A, and he shut down the Rockies for six innings in Washington's 5-1 win.
De La Rosa (7-4) had won five straight games over a seven-start stretch and lost for the first time since April 30. He allowed four hits, three walks and three runs in 5 1-3 innings.
"He struggled through some of this outing and again in the end kept us close enough to win a game," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "He had to work pretty hard, threw a lot of pitches. Kept us in striking distance."
De La Rosa allowed a run in the fourth on a two-out single by Ian Desmond, who extended his career-high hitting streak to 14 games.
After a one-out walk to Jeff Kobernus in the sixth, Ryan Zimmerman doubled to the wall in deep left-center, scoring Kobernus.
Left fielder Carlos Gonzalez and center fielder Dexter Fowler both converged on Zimmerman's drive, banging into each other as Fowler jumped at the wall. The ball dribbled onto the ground and Fowler threw it back in. Both players, though shaken up, remained in the game.
Adam Ottavino relieved De La Rosa and Wilin Rosario replaced catcher Yorvit Torrealba in a double switch.
One out later, Adam LaRoche was walked intentionally and took second on a wild pitch before Desmond singled up the middle, scoring Zimmerman and LaRoche.
Ohlendorf pitched six strong innings and allowed two of the Rockies three hits in his Washington debut.
The Nationals signed him to a minor league contract in January. A rainout Friday forced the Nationals to play a doubleheader Sunday and resulted in the need for a starter Wednesday. They brought up Ohlendorf, 30, from Triple-A Syracuse.
"He mixed it up basically, never really fell into patterns," Weiss said. "Used his fastball well. Used his breaking ball well off of that. There's some deception. We never really figured him out."
Ohlendorf gave up a bunt single to Jonathan Herrera in the first and he reached second on a throwing error.
Ohlendorf then retired 12 straight batters before he walked Nolan Arenado with one out in the fifth. The Rockies broke through against Ohlendorf in the sixth when Herrera grounded into a fielder's choice, and Gonzalez hit a two-out triple.
"It's not easy in this ballpark, just an outstanding job," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. "I'm going to try to find a way to keep him around."
Ohlendorf has gone to an over-the-head windup this year, which he said helps his rhythm and helps him stay loose. The delivery perplexed the Rockies.
"Sometimes you get ready too early," Arenado said. "Then you get ready too late. You couldn't find that balance. He kept the ball down. He mixed in both sides of the plate. You've got to give him credit. He did a good job."
NOTES: Nationals C Wilson Ramos re-injured his left hamstring running first-to-third drills two days ago at the club's facility in Viera, Fla. Manager Davey Johnson termed it a slight setback but said it would be "a long shot" for Ramos to return before the All-Star break. ... The Nationals made room for Ohlendorf by optioning RHP Nathan Karns to Double-A Harrisburg. ... The Rockies announced prior to the game that they had signed their top draft pick, Oklahoma pitcher Jonathan Gray. The third overall selection in last week's draft, Gray is the highest draft pick so far to sign with his team. ... OF Eric Young Jr. was designated for assignment by the Rockies, and RHP Chris Volstad recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs... OF Michael Cuddyer missed a fifth straight game for the Rockies because of a right ribcage strain, but is expected to return for Thursday's series finale against Washington.