text:
New Dolphins receiver Mike Wallace says arriving in Miami has been like going back to school.
Wallace said the Dolphins have a lot of young guys in the locker room who are enthusiastic and spirited, and that reminds him more of his college days at Ole Miss than his four seasons with the Steelers.
"Everybody has a college mentality around here," Wallace told the Miami Herald. "It's a lot different than where I came from. Everybody's hungry. Everybody wants to get better, get to where we need to be — that's a winning record."
The Dolphins are obviously enjoying themselves this offseason, with Wallace sounding excited, Ryan Tannehill saying Wallace is the fastest player he's ever thrown to, and Brian Hartline saying the Dolphins have the best receivers in the division. What remains to be seen is whether that college atmosphere translates to winning NFL games.


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Colorado springs based NorthCOM is now tasked with supporting investigators in their search for the beltway sniper near Washington D.C.
The new homeland security office is helping out the FBI hunt for the killer.
NorthCOM is loaning the agency some kind of unidentified aircraft, along with the personnel needed to operate the equipment.
An 1878 law prohibits U.S. military troops from actually arresting a U.S citizen or performing law enforcement.
That's why the FBI is still the lead agency in the investigation.
Thousands of leads, hundreds of agents.
Still no suspect.
FBI Director Robert Mueller told lawmakers today that the investigation into the string of sniper shootings in suburban Washington D.C. is going ''exceptionally well.'' He says there are ''hopeful leads'' that have come in over the past week.
Meanwhile, police say a supposed witness to the latest killing could face charges. They're discounting his account of the sniper, the weapon and the getaway car. And they say the man may have intentionally misled them.
A police spokeswoman in Fairfax County says the inaccurate account was exposed by checking it against information from several other witnesses.
Police are standing by the composite drawings of vehicles other witnesses have reported seeing at some of the crime scenes, a white box truck and a van.

subset: commoncrawl


text: S.V. Date Why Federal Budgets Aren't What You Think They Are By S.V. Date • Mar 17, 2015 As Republican leaders in the House and Senate unveil their proposed budgets this week, here is the most important thing to remember about the federal budget: It isn't really a budget. Jeb's Rowdy Supporters Help Him Escape The CPAC Lion's Den By S.V. Date • Feb 27, 2015 Jeb Bush walked into the lion's den of the Conservative Political Action Conference Friday, and walked out smiling — thanks to a few busloads of his supporters who proved louder and more persistent than his hecklers. Bush, a likely 2016 presidential candidate, started out unevenly in his interview-style appearance, rushing through his answers to Fox News host Sean Hannity, using clunky phrases from his stump speech, and at times almost shouting to overcome boos and taunts. Jeb Bush Takes 2016 Show Into Unfriendly Territory At CPAC By S.V. Date • Feb 27, 2015 For close to a decade, Jeb Bush's audiences have almost exclusively been people who have paid good money to hear him speak. That changes today, when he appears at the Conservative Political Action Conference — where potential 2016 presidential rivals are already taking shots at him and some activists are organizing a walkout. What Would Jeb Do On Iraq? He Won't Say By S.V. Date • Feb 18, 2015 The son and brother of the last two Republican presidents vowed to be his "own man" in a foreign policy speech Wednesday. But he failed to outline a plan to deal with a major focus of those previous two Bush foreign policies: Iraq. Likely presidential candidate Jeb Bush spoke and took questions for more than an hour at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. He addressed trade deals with Asia and Latin America, support for Ukraine, pushing democracy in Cuba, stopping nuclear proliferation, fighting the so-called Islamic State — even the revolution in Tunisia. What We Learned From Jeb Bush's E-Book By S.V. Date • Feb 10, 2015 Not-quite-yet presidential candidate Jeb Bush posted the first chapter of an e-book about his two terms as Florida governor online Monday, along with six massive files containing a quarter-million of his official emails. How Many Louisiana Jobs Are Actually At Stake In Keystone Debate? By S.V. Date • Nov 18, 2014 With the Louisiana Senate runoff driving votes in both chambers of Congress on the Keystone XL pipeline, here's a question: How many of those jobs will actually be in Louisiana? The answer: zero. IRS Chief: No Evidence Of 'Intentional Wrongdoing' So Far By S.V. Date • Jun 24, 2013 That "be on the lookout list" used to flag Tea Party groups for extra scrutiny of their tax-exemption applications? It turns out it wasn't the only one the Internal Revenue Service had been using. There were also other lists, covering a "broad spectrum" of categories and cases, according to a preliminary IRS report released Monday. "Once we came to that conclusion, we took immediate action to suspend the use of these lists in the Exempt Organizations unit within IRS," said Danny Werfel, the new acting chief of the IRS, in a conference call with reporters. The 10 Biggest Tax Breaks (And How Much They Cost) By S.V. Date • May 29, 2013 The 10 biggest breaks, deductions and credits in the U.S. income tax code are costing the Treasury $900 billion this year, with more than half of that total benefiting the wealthiest 20 percent of taxpayers. Benghazi Review Leader Offered To Testify On Capitol Hill By S.V. Date • May 10, 2013 When the House held its much-anticipated hearing on Benghazi Wednesday, one major figure not at the witness table was Thomas Pickering, the former ambassador and co-chair of the Accountability Review Board that reported on last September's attacks. Why wasn't he there? That's somewhat in dispute. California Republican Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, put the blame squarely on the shoulders of Pickering and report co-author Adm. Mike Mullen. The Democrats' Final Four On Gay Marriage By S.V. Date • Apr 5, 2013 In the U.S. Senate, it's down to the Final Four versus the Dynamic Duo. Only four Democratic senators remain who do not support same-sex marriage. Across the aisle, there are now two Republicans who have announced their support. The new alignments mean that a majority — 53 senators — now support a concept that 85 senators voted to ban in 1996 with the Defense of Marriage Act.


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Growing up, I just hated to admit when my mom was right. Maybe it was my being defiant, or just the fact that, during adolescence, I (thought I) knew it all. But now, as a first-time mom, I find myself turning to her more and more for answers when it comes to finding the balance of life, parenting, and doing it all in a 24-hour day.
As a Rookie Mom, I have learned to appreciate the little life lessons that she somehow always seems to have in her back pocket. No matter whether the problem is big or small, she knows when to chime in and when to just let me figure it out on my own, just as she did so many times when I was growing up.
The other day, my mom saw me standing near the garbage can, about to do my famous "Onesie Toss." "Child, what are you doing?" she asked, curious. I explained that it was my method for dealing with those very poopy clothes that I know I won't be able to "get the evidence out of." She polietly laughed and said, "You do know that I have a method of getting that out ,and have been using this stuff for years." I told her that if she could save the outfit I would let her have the baby for the rest of the day. Then, right before my eyes, she pulled out the OxiClean and -- bam! -- problem solved. And Grandma went to enjoy the rest of the day with the little tyke.
No one has ever said that motherhood was easy, and I may not always have the answers, but I know that somehow I will always be learning from my little girl -- and my mom -- one diaper at a time.
I hope that as I raise my daughter that she comes to realize that I may not always be right, but maybe I did know what I was talking about from time to time. My advice to new mothers -- including myself -- is this: Listen to your own Mother. She really does know what she is talking about!


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- 5 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for oiling baking dish and brushing on matzo
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (28-ounce) cans whole Italian plum tomatoes with juice, 1 can pureed
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 3/4 pounds ground lamb
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 pounds zucchini, ends trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
- 6 matzos
- 2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded, cut into 1-inch strips
- 1/2 pound feta cheese, coarsely crumbled
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, optional
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onion. Saute until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the tomatoes, crushing the whole ones with your hands as you add them to the pot. Add 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the rosemary, 1/4 teaspoon of the oregano and the crushed red pepper and stir to combine. Simmer sauce for 20 minutes, or until slightly thickened and flavorful. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the lamb, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of rosemary, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of oregano, and the black pepper. Cook, stirring to break up any lumps, until the lamb is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off any excess fat that has rendered from the lamb and discard. Add 2 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat sauce is thickened and flavorful, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
- Preheat the broiler.
- Place the zucchini slices on a large nonstick baking sheet (or 2 small nonstick baking sheets) and brush both sides lightly with the remaining olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper and broil until zucchini is crisp-soft and golden in spots, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Oil a 9-by 13-inch baking dish. Soak the matzos, 1 or 2 at a time, in warm water until slightly softened but yet still firm enough to hold their shape, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain while you soak the remaining matzos.
- Lay 2 matzos side by side in the bottom of the greased baking dish. They should almost completely cover the bottom. Spread half of the lamb filling evenly over the matzos, then top with the zucchini slices, overlapping slices if necessary so that they all fit. Top with 2 more matzos and the remaining lamb filling. Arrange the roasted pepper slices evenly over the top of the lamb. Top with the remaining 2 matzos and, using your hands, press the top of the whole casserole to condense layers slightly. Using a pastry brush, coat the top of the matzos with olive oil. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the top layer of matzos are crispy.
- Reheat the remaining tomato sauce and divide the sauce evenly among 8 dinner plates. Divide the matzo lasagna into 8 portions and serve the lasagna squares over the sauce. Garnish with the crumbled feta cheese and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil if desired. Serve immediately.


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Princeton, NJ (PRWEB) December 25, 2012
Nanonex Corporation, the inventor and world's leading provider in nanoimprint lithography solutions with the longest history, announces the delivery of Nanonex's NX-2600BA system to University of Pennsylvania.
The Nanonex NX-2600BA purchased by Wolf Nanofabrication Facility at University of Pennsylvania is a full wafer nanoimprinter and photolithography aligner. It has up to 8 inches wafer patterning capability in all imprint forms: thermal, photo-curable and embossing with sub-5 nm imprinting resolution, as well as high resolution photolithography. It features sub-1 micron front side alignment accuracy and optical backside alignment ability. Based on the Nanonex unique patented Air Cushion Press TM technology, the NX-2600BA offers unsurpassed uniformity regardless of backside topology, wafer or mask flatness, or backside contamination. This ACP technology also eliminates lateral shifting between the mask and substrate, which significantly increases mask lifetime.
The Wolf Nanofabrication Facility is multiuser cleanroom facility at University of Pennsylvania. Nanonex is proud to support the cutting edge research at University of Pennsylvania, and NX-2600BA will serve as multi task lithography equipment for various research purposes in the Wolf Nanofabrication Facility at University of Pennsylvania, such as optics, displays, biotechnologies, data storage, materials and so on.
About Nanonex Corporation:
Nanonex is the inventor of NIL, the world's first nanoimprint lithography company, and the world's leading provider of nanoimprint solutions that include equipment, masks, resists and processes. Nanonex's patented and proprietary NIL solutions and Air-Cushion Press ™ can manufacture 3D nanostructures with sub-5 nm resolution, large-area uniformity, accurate overlay alignment, high throughput, and low cost. Nanonex NIL solutions have been adopted by a broad spectrum of applications, such as optical devices, data storage, displays, light emitting diodes, semiconductor ICs, biotech, chemical synthesis, and advanced materials. Nanonex has over 100 customers and an installed base of over 50 tools world-wide. Visit http://www.nanonex.com for additional information.
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/Nanonex/nanotechnology/prweb10270813.htm.
|Source: PRWeb
Copyright©2012 Vocus, Inc.
All rights reserved


text:
This was unexpected.
This was unexpected.
No. I still love watching the Monkees.
Next Reds manager, second shooter. --Confirmed on Redszone.
Really sad to hear this. I've always loved the Monkees.
RIP Davy.
I bought their box set a few years back. Really enjoyed their music, the show was ok. Sad to hear.
We only live in patches. - H. G. Wells
Guess it's time for the outro
The Monkees - For Pete's Sake! - YouTube
Get your nunchucks and the keys to your dad's car. I know where we can get a gun
My girlfriend was a big fan from the reruns on MTV. She and a friend of hers went to the Monkees' concert here last year and they got their picture taken with the late Mr. Jones.
I liked their show when I was a kid. Funny stuff.
RIP Davy. Never missed a show back in the day. Different times for certain.
Sad to hear of his death. My sister and I loved The Monkees when we were kids. RIP.
"Hey...Dad. Wanna Have A Catch?" Kevin Costner in "Field Of Dreams."
I'm very sad to hear this. I grew up watching the reruns of their show and listening to their music. My mom was/is a huge fan.
RIP Davy.
saw them a few years ago in a concert at legends single a baseball field in lex. a friend of ours band was opening for them. r.i.p. mr. jones.
teach tolerance.
Very sad to hear. Loved the show when I was a kid. Still have them on my ipod. Davy will be with Auntie Grizelda now.
Maybe David Bowie can go back to using his real name. Or is it too late for that?
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."
I still listen to one of their CD's on a regular basis in the car. RIP Davy.
Yep, I was a big Monkees fan back in the day. I didn't admit that to my cool friends though but they had some great pop songs. Still have a few of their LPs in boxes in the basement.
And I saw Davy Jones at a concert at Pine Hills Park at some Mason summer concert a few years back. Place was packed.
R.I.P. Davy
For a time, I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


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After the Cards came in and spanked you....your team has shown amazing resolve and the Cards have crumbled like the *****es they are.
After being a die hard cards fan for almost 20 years.....it is refreshing to see another NL Central team emerge..as a little boy I recall the Reds beating up on the Cards a lot before the Cards wen't on there 15 year run of success.
I can clearly see the Cards will need to raise payroll a lot to keep up with what the reds have....
now adding Chapman..wow..that kid is sick.
I would say I hope the Reds and Cards can build a rivalry but if the Cards don't make major changes it won't happen...and our owner is making buckets of money and no longer has the luck of the magic pixie cards dust to keep it going.
Enjoy the gut wrenching playoff games


text:
Yaowaraj; A gem of community, which is older than Bangkok, was built and shaped through time by
Thai-Chinese merchants and artisans. It is the gold capital of Thailand.
A shopping paradise, where possibly everything crafted by hand can be found.
At the heart of this vibrant community is the Hotel Royal Bangkok @ Chinatown. It is a lifestyle hotel that measures up in comfort and design. You will be dazzled by Asia's most famous and most engaging Chinatown.
Hotel Royal Bangkok @ Chinatown, a new luxury collection hotel has just completed its full renovation with a modern residential interior design reflecting a new essence to serve both business and leisure travelers, a convenient 15-minute drive away from the Hua Lumpong Railway Station and the MRT Subway, Hua Lumpong Station.
|We offer newly refurbished 290 well-appointed guestrooms and suites feature IDD telephones,
minibar, in-room personal electronic safe, complimentary tea and coffee making facilities, LED TV 40", 46"
with international satellite channels, individual climate controlled air conditioning, hairdryer, bathrobes,
slippers full toiletries, free wi-fi internet access in every guest room.
Superior Room
26 Sqm | Total 115 rooms
Deluxe Room
30 Sqm | Total 134 rooms
Premium Deluxe
38 Sqm | Total 25 rooms | 1 Bedroom with living space
Family Suite
60 Sqm | Total 5 rooms | 1 Bedroom with sofa bed and dining space
Apartment Suite
60 Sqm | Total 11 rooms | 1 Bedroom with sofa bed and dining space
Sumptuous Buffet of international cuisine Hotel's Chefs take pride in providing you with their most delicious cuisines.
Pleasant and stylish environment combined with unique flavors will surely bring you memorable dining experiment.
Golden Cafe International Cuisine (Located on Mezzanine floor)
Enjoy all day dining with our International cuisine Buffet, an a la carte menu from our Exec. Chef.
Daily A la carte menu available 6.00 - 23.00 hrs.
Daily Breakfast 6.00 - 10.00 hrs. Lunch 11.30 - 14.30 hrs. Dinner 17.30 - 22.30 hrs
Mandarin Garden Chinese Restaurant (Located on 2nd floor)
Feast on the fabled specialties of Southern Chinese Cuisine, including a selection of tasty Dim Sum delicious, prepared by our Cantonese Master Chef.
Daily Lunch 11.00 - 14.00 hrs., Dinner 17.00 - 22.00 hrs.
Karaoke Room (Located on 2nd floor)
For special locations, enjoy and have fun with our 5 private karaoke rooms.
Daily Lunch 11.00 - 14.00 hrs., Dinner 17.30 - 22.30 hrs.
Royal Sky Lounge & Bar (Located on 14th floor)
New center point with specialty coffee, traditional high tea, selection of beers, mocktail and cocktails to finished the evenings the perfect place to rest, relax and unwind.
Daily 17.00 - 24.00 hrs.
Rooftop Pool & Terrace (Located on Roof top)
Enjoy a selection of light snacks and drinks while relaxing in the sun by swimming pool. In the evening enjoy a cocktail and watch the sunset over the Chao Phaya River.
Daily 09.00 - 19.00 hrs.
|Golden Cafe International Cuisine
|Mandarin Garden Chinese Restaurant
|Royal Sky Lounge & Bar
|Many of hotel facilities are present for your further convenient while hotel staffs assist you
with gracious services. Facilities are well-maintained at its best conditions at all times.
Meeting Room / Conference Room (Located on 2nd floor)
Available maximum 15 persons.
Fully equipped with built-in audio visual equipment, wireless high speed internet access for conferences and banquet. Our experienced team are on hand to ensure your event with the right choice of menu that you need.
Swimming Pool (Located on Roof top)
Open 09.00 - 19.00 hrs.
Enjoy the Bangkok Sun with our open-air rooftop pool combine with private jacuzzi over looking the Bangkok city view where you can enjoy a selection of light snack and drinks from our menu.
Fitness , Gym Room, Sauna Room (Located on Roof top)
Open 09.00 - 19.00 hrs.
Fit and Firm your body at our fitness centre features fully equipment with a panoramic view of the city.
Spa / Massage (Located on Roof top)
Open 24 hours service.
A long day after work or traveling, come and relax your body and mind with our aromatherapy body massage, traditional Thai therapies in your choice.


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POPULAR Ballarat restaurant and live music venue Portico on Sturt closed its doors last week as the owners called for better support of Ballarat businesses.
Opened in 2010, venue owner Donna Pentland said high rental costs and council rates had led to the decision to close at short notice.
"I am devastated but we put as much into it as possible and had to decide to follow another opportunity," she said.
"My intention was always to make Portico more than just another cafe and to turn it into a busy community space with events and music from all walks of life."
Ms Pentland said the closure was a sign of difficult economic conditions and operators would take over the Eastern Station Hotel in Humffray Street.
She said local shopping centres like Central Square and Stockland Wendouree made it difficult for stand-alone businesses and called on local customers to support CBD venues.
"People have said to me recently that they didn't realise we were even here and I think it's because people aren't getting out of their cars and exploring the city," Ms Pentland said.
The Eastern Station will benefit from renovations and upgrades, with a friendly atmosphere, coffee machine, beer garden and open fires.
Commerce Ballarat executive officer Jodie Gillett said the organisation was sad to see
any local business close.
"In this tough environment it is crucial that businesses use each and every avenue that is available to them to market their business, it is not enough anymore just to place an ad and hope for the best," she said.
"Good examples are new businesses like The Forge and yet-to-be-opened Mitchell Harris who have been very active in their local business organisations and also pro-active online through social media."


text:
Arizona a hot spot for medical tourismPosted: Updated:
By Catherine Holland
By Catherine Holland
By Catherine Holland
By Catherine Holland
By Catherine Holland
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- More than 2,500 miles from his home in Alaska, Walter Weaver has chosen Arizona as his place to heal.
"It feels good to be here," said Weaver, who described his trips as vacations. However, he's also fighting off prostate cancer. He received the diagnosis last year.
"I didn't want to wait," Weaver said about seeking specialized care. "I have a 9-year-old, and I need to see him get through."
Weaver said he wasn't satisfied with his options in Alaska, so he started researching online and found the Cancer Treatment Centers of America. CTCA's Western Regional Medical Center is located in Goodyear.
"We end up being in an environment now where you can go to the Internet and find out what type of health care is available, not just locally, within the community, or even the region, but across the country, even worldwide," said Dr. Ed Staren, president and CEO of Western Regional Medical Center.
CTCA estimates up to 70 percent of its patients come to the facility from out of state. The facility is considered a medical tourism destination, along with the Valley's renowned Mayo Clinic Hospital.
The Mayo estimates around 40 percent of its patients come from out of state.
"It's a healing environment," Staren said of Arizona. "There's no question that the beautiful environment that we have here, the warmth, the mountains, the surrounding area, just the warmth of the people who live here."
Weaver told 3TV his team of doctors and nurses has become like family. He said it's easy to forget you're at a hospital in Western Regional Medical Center, with amenities including an organic farm, hotel rooms, musical entertainment, gourmet food and personalized care.
"You're not coming here to die; you're coming here to get well, to get better, and that's what you do here," Weaver said.


text:
Fatal wreck blocking 6 lanes on Katy Freeway near Heights Boulevard
Updated 11:57 am, Monday, February 10, 2014
One person is dead and another injured after a major accident on the Katy freeway outbound at Heights Boulevard Monday morning.
The Harris County Sheriff's Office said the wreck involved a big rig and a Ford Taurus.
Houston Transtar spokeswoman Dinah Massie said the 18-wheeler overturned at about 9:40 a.m.
KHOU reports the driver of the truck was killed. The injured person was transported to the hospital, HCSO reports. Their condition is unknown.
The Houston Fire Department confirms they sent crews including extrication equipment to get people out of vehicles.
HFD said a Hazmat crew was also called to the scene, but HCSO said the tanker was empty.
Four main lanes, a frontage road and the shoulder are closed leaving one lane open for traffic to pass.
Lanes are expected to remain closed until at least noon as police investigate and the road is cleared.


text:
China's Li Na missed her chance for a semi-final spot at the Aegon International on a muggy Thursday as the second seed lost to Russian Elena Vesnina 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
Vesnina, winner along with compatriot Ekaterina Makarova of the Roland Garros doubles title less than a fortnight ago, carried confidence from her Grand Slam trophy onto the slick grass at Devonshire Park as she beat her first top 10 opponent in two years.
Australian Open finalist Li was competing at the pre-Wimbledon event for the fifth time and had never advanced past the second round.
She has now lost three of her four matches against Vesnina, five years her junior at age 26.
"Today was a little bit of surprise, the way she's playing," Li said. "I think sometimes I can play well, but sometimes I think I lose concentration on the court. That's why the match was going like up, down a little bit."
After play started around an hour late due to mist in the air which made the grass too slippery to play on, Li began with a break of the Russian, but was pegged back for 2-2 before Vesnina took the set into a tiebreaker and won it on her first set point after 55 minutes.
In the second set, double-faults spelled doom for Li, who was twice broken on her misfiring serve as Vesnina earned a 5-3 lead after losing a break in the seventh game.
Vesnina then served out the victory to advance into her first career semi-final on grass.
The world No. 36 will next face Yanina Wickmayer, who beat sixth seed Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 1-6, 7-5.
Fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki won a two-hour struggle between former champions as she defeated Makarova 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, her sixth win without a loss over the Russian.
"I'm feeling pretty good, I feel like I have been playing really good tennis. I'm really pleased with it. I like the grass and I think it really suits my game," Wozniacki said. "She came out playing aggressively, playing well. But I found my game to make it a good match."
Wozniacki stared slowly, losing the opening set but running off nine games in a row to claim the second and reach 3-0 in the third.
She stuttered by dropping serve at 4-2, but broke back to love as she moved onto victory.
The Dane faces 41st-ranked qualifier Jamie Hampton, who beat Lucie Safarova 3-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4 to become the first American to go this far at Eastbourne since Jennifer Capriati a decade ago.
Hampton's victory was a repeat of her success against Safarova in the French Open first round.
In the men's event, French second seed Gilles Simon outlasted Australian Bernard Tomic 7-6 (10/8), 6-3 to set up a semi-final clash with 2011 champion Andreas Seppi. The seventh seed reached his third straight semi-final here, beating Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-2.
Ivan Dodig continued his giant-killing act a day after upsetting top seed Milos Raonic.
The unseeded Croatian took down Italian eighth seed Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-2 with a clinical serving display as he played in his third career grass quarter-final.
Meanwhile, Wimbledon quarter-finalist Feliciano Lopez beat good friend and compatriot Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), with Verdasco complaining of a slick court. His pleas to halt the match on safety conditions went unanswered by officials.
In the women's doubles, fourth seeds Flavia Pennetta of Italy and Russia's Vesnina defeated Taiwan's Chan Hao-ching and Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-1.


text:
Except for maybe the famously intractable George Bush and Dick Cheney, it's pretty common to want to take back something we did in life. American slang celebrates this new opportunity – we get "another swing at the bat," "another crack at it" or we take "a mulligan" which for millions of amateur golfers means replaying an errant shot that lands in a bunker. This is where 45,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers spread across 32 locations in California find themselves today. The National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) argues they have a second chance to dig themselves out of a sand trap.
It's because the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced a revote of a 2010 representation election between NUHW and SEIU-UHW where the latter prevailed by violating the law and colluding with Kaiser to rig the vote. There is no nice way to say it. These are the facts.
The government agency admitted it rarely overturns elections of this size and scope but on this occasion, the egregious violations compelled it to act. The official NLRB statement noted misconduct by "SEIU-UHW, that the judge found to have interfered with the employees' exercise of a free and reasoned choice." ## {more} ##
A new mail ballot election has been, therefore, scheduled for April 5 to April 29 with the vote count starting on May 1.
I recently spent an afternoon at Kaiser San Francisco to see what I could find out.
More Concessions & Less Representation
"Look, I have a life outside of work but at the same time, the outcome of this election will directly affect my life and so I am doing what I can to talk to co-workers about voting NUHW," David B. told me. He is a Radiology tech with 15 years experience and he is frustrated.
"We have voted on two contracts since SEIU took over in 2009 but none of us were shown the language prior to voting. Later, we learned some important things we weren't originally told such as agreements reducing pension benefits and eliminating jobs."
This is true. In language that reverses years of job security guarantees, SEIU-UHW's 2012 contract with Kaiser commits the union to a "joint process for looking at restructuring work away from the bargaining unit." NUHW leaflets state this has already resulted in 1000 layoffs statewide.
Regarding retirement, SEIU had already agreed in 2010 to give Kaiser a 15% cut in the contract's lump sum pension payout but in 2012 the union went further and agreed with management to freeze retiree health benefits. Starting in January, 2017: "the employers' cost-share shall be capped at a fixed dollar amount effective January 1, 2017.″ (SEIU-UHW/Kaiser National Agreement Section 2.B.2.h: Retiree Medical Benefits).
Up to now, Kaiser retirees enjoyed the same prescription, emergency room and hospital coverage they received as active employees. This ends with SEIU-UHW's latest contract.
Management saves $1.8 billion but neither the company nor SEIU openly admits this is accomplished by shifting medical costs to employees in their retirement years. Meanwhile, Kaiser CEO George Halvorsen is covered by eight pension plans and shamelessly collects almost $9 million a year in compensation.
"Yet," David said, "our dues still went up to around $90 a month and we don't see our union representatives."
I heard similar complaints time and time again.
"I gave SEIU a chance after they won the last election back in 2010. We all did, everyone in my department," Soni Armstrong told me. Soni is a medical assistant in the surgery clinic and has worked at Kaiser San Francisco for 13 years.
"But then we just could never seem to get a hold of our steward. It was real difficult getting information when we had a question much less representation when we had a problem."
Michael Turk, an 18-year ER tech and Certified Nursing Assistant, echoed these same sentiments. "SEIU stewards seem to only appear when they want to push their own thing. It took me a month to reach a steward to get information to help a co-worker and that is neither an isolated nor an exaggerated experience."
Union representation is especially important because cutbacks, strongly opposed by NUHW citing Kaiser's $2.6 billion profit windfall in 2012, have resulted in numerous schedule changes, temporary department closings, staffing reductions and layoffs.
Employees disrupted by these changes have seniority and bidding rights but if a steward does not actively intervene, the company will unilaterally implement policy without employee input.
And that is frequently happening.
"I don't know of any department at Kaiser San Francisco where Unit-based teams are operating," 11-year Pharmacy tech Kelela Moberg told me. "These management/employee/union teams are supposed to involve the employees in operational decisions that affect our lives. In fact, they are non-functioning and SEIU doesn't do anything about it," Kelela said.
In addition to these unaddressed complaints of everyday working conditions, dramatic increases in discipline cases were also reported to me, including a growing number of terminations that have gone unchallenged by SEIU.
In fact, the blog sternburgerwithfries documents over 1000 Kaiser employee grievances still lingering in limbo, including over 239 for wrongful termination.
Phooey! says SEIU-UHW
We have just this to say, SEIU-UHW spokesperson Steve Trossman told me: "We are highly confident that Kaiser workers by a large margin will vote for SEIU-UHW to keep the best contract in the hospital industry."
This confidence is shared by many UHW supporters quoted on the union's website. "To most Kaiser workers, voting for SEIU-UHW is a no-brainer," writes Verna Hampton, a receptionist in Patient Registration at Kaiser West Los Angeles.
"We have negotiated two contracts with 18% raises, and the best benefits, pension and job security in the hospital industry."
Nonetheless, I found it a bit ironic that UHW's website fails to mention its jobs security and pension concessions while at the same time unabashedly proclaiming in large, bold type that "Facts Don't Lie."
In any case, amid these important discussions of the issues, a new factor has emerged.
A NUHW-CNA alliance has just been forged which means 18,000 Kaiser nurses of the California Nurses Association (CNA) and 4,000 Kaiser mental health and healthcare professionals of NUHW, potentially become the biggest union in all of Kaiser Permanente.
One Big Hospital, One Big Union
"It's hard to overestimate how important this unity is," Katy Roemer told me. Katy is CNA board member and a nurse for 18 years, half of those spent working at Kaiser Oakland's Mom/Baby unit.
"Kaiser is a huge and profitable institution emboldened by SEIU-UHW's concessions," Katy explained. "To preserve and to even think about advancing our primary obligations of patient care while maintaining decent working and living conditions, employees need each other. We all need to be on the same page and it's pretty clear that UHW is just not on that page."
It seems obvious that the NUHW-CNA alliance makes the commitment to protect the interests of employees even more real. And, after all, that's what it's all about.
Farm worker leader Cesar Chavez would often remind us that "the fight is never about grapes or lettuce. It is always about people." So true.
By the same token, this Kaiser election is also about people, many hoping they get it right the second time around.


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Freedom Quotes and Sayings
One of the greatest mental freedoms is truly not caring what anyone else thinks of you.
Individuality is the definition of freedom.
Give me freedom or give me the rope. For I shall not take the shackles that subjugate the poor to uphold the rich.
– John Goldenwolf (American pirate)
Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.
– Mahatma Gandhi
Do what you think is right. Don't let people make the decision of right or wrong for you.
– Steve Maraboli
Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Assembly…etc…each one starts with the word FREEDOM!!! A person has the right to challenge it, but a person can't stop it.
Freedom deserves a fight and every fight deserves freedom!
The secret of happiness is freedom, the secret of freedom is courage.
– Carrie Jones
Freedom lies in being yourself.
Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness.
If freedom is short of weapons, we must compensate with willpower.
– Adolf Hitler
The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are. You trade in your reality for a role. You trade in your sense for an act. You give up your ability to feel, and in exchange, put on a mask. There can't be any large- scale revolution until there's a personal revolution, on an individual level. It's got to happen inside first.
– Jim Morrison
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery.
None but ourselves can free our minds.
– Bob Marley
Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.
– John F. Kennedy
Freedom lies in being bold.
– Robert Frost


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BAY CITY, Mich. – Juniors Lina Lopes and Kellisha Harley, of the Northern Michigan University volleyball team, were selected to the All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team. Junior Kalli Herron was an Honorable Mention choice.
Lopes, a left-side hitter from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, led the NMU offense with 379 kills, finishing ninth in the GLIAC with a 3.06 average per set. She appeared in all 32 matches and in 124 sets and also had 45 service aces and was second on the team with 312 digs. Lopes was GLIAC Honorable Mention selection in 2011 and the GLIAC Freshman of the Year in 2010.
Harley, a setter from Lakewood, Colo., setup the offense with 1,290 assists, leading the GLIAC and finishing 10th in school history. She appeared in all 32 matches and 126 sets, averaging 10.29 assist per set to finish second in the GLIAC in her first season in the Green and Gold.
Herron, a left-side hitter from Peru, Ill., was second on the team with 360 kills, averaging 2.93 per set. She was also second on the team with 83 total blocks.
The Wildcats finished 20-12 on the season and fifth in the GLIAC with a 12-6 record.


text: Back then, the multiplayer aspect of WoW wasn't apparent to me. I had only ever joined groups to complete a few quests and didn't know what dungeons, raids, or Battlegrounds were. Because of this, I often remember thinking WoW wasn't a very good game because it was missing all sorts of basic elements that other games had. For example, I remember jumping in a river and thinking "Awesome, this will be a quick way to get to the southern side of the zone," only to realize a moment later there was no water current in WoW like there is in Legend of Zelda. "This is so lame," I thought.


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Workers down to a slower week in sluggish economy
AUSTRALIANS are working an average of 32 hours a week, the lowest in more than 30 years, as employers turn to part-time jobs, flexible working hours and casualisation in a softening economy.
Detailed labour force data released by the Bureau of Statistics this week shows a downward trend in the average number of hours worked, while the proportion of employees who work full-time has fallen since the 1980s.
''We know that over the last 12 to 18 months, conditions have been very tough on the economy and activity has been sluggish, especially for the retail sector,'' Commonwealth Securities economist Savanth Sebastian said.
''As a result, while businesses are planning for a future turnaround and holding on to key staff, they are trying to maintain a lower cost base and that means cutting hours back, even for some of those full-time workers.''
Stephen Bali of the Australian Workers' Union Greater NSW branch said some members of his union had found themselves under pressure to work additional hours without pay, while others had been placed on flexible work contracts.
''Flexibility is usually one way - it's what the employer needs and what the employer wants,'' Mr Bali said.
''It's from the employers' point of view and they want to turn on and off workers. But workers are humans and not machines.''
Ben Perry, who runs an events and branding business, said he had to resign from his previous job so he could reduce work hours and spend more time with his young children.
''For one year, I tried to cut back down to four days a week [in my previous job], but what I found is that you keep getting brought back to work,'' Mr Perry said.
''I was spending more time worrying about what was happening at work. I kept getting frustrated that I was getting paid four days a week when in my mind I wasn't shutting down on the five days.''
A shifting workforce has also seen a record number of seniors in Australia's job market.
While the participation rate - the percentage of people either in work or looking for work - was at five-year lows at just above 65 per cent by the end of last year, a record number of people aged above 65, at 12 per cent, were entering the job market, the Bureau of Statistics data showed.
The average participation rate for those aged above 60 was also at a record-high of 53.4 per cent.
''They won't be working full-time. They'll be working a lot of those casual hours, and I think that will be adding to the slide that we've been seeing in the average hours worked,'' Mr Sebastian said.
The lower participation rate has been a key reason why the employment rate has not risen sharply in the past year despite growing evidence of a softening economy as investment in the mining sector peaks, JPMorgan economist Tom Kennedy said.
A further shift towards part-time work was also expected as growth slows, consumer income and domestic spending fall and businesses shy away from increasing their headcount, he said.
''The key trend we are looking at over the next few months is a rising jobless rate. So the low at 5.2 per cent that we had the month prior to this one we estimate will get to about 6 per cent by December this year,'' Mr Kennedy said.
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Every day — an hour earlier than most — I'm sitting in the carpool line at my oldest child's elementary school. She's 5.
More often than not, I'm one of the first cars there. I sit for an hour. I'll scan the internet on my phone, but more than anything, I get lost in a good book.
I'm currently reading J.R.R. Tolkien's hobbit series for the first time since junior high school.
The real question, however, is what am I doing getting into the carpool line an hour earlier than most sane people? Why would I sit in my car for over an hour waiting on my little girl to come out in her class line?
It's very simple and most dads will feel exactly what I'm saying.
A few weeks ago — just days before Christmas break — my 5-year-old climbed into our car and as she was buckling up, she was lost in a giggle fit.
Through the giggles she told me about two of her classmates that were in love and were going to get married when they turned five (even though they already were 5). I laughed.
The next day, she was giggling again. This time, she told me that a little boy loved her and that they were going to get married. Apparently, the time spent waiting on their parents was used to discuss future wedding plans and dividing up the boys and girls into couples.
I didn't laugh this time.
Me being the manly dad that I am decided that I was going to nip this in the bud. How?
Showing up for the carpool line to make sure she's not there for those conversations was the only way I could think of.
And let me just tell you, my wife makes fun of me every day.
I get it. I'm in for many, many years of this. Thinking about it now is causing a panic attack. This is worse for my heart than the greasy, burnt bacon that I love so much.
Like my early entry into the carpool line, I like to get to games early too. I always show up to football games before the crowds come. I'll get to basketball games early enough to get my "spot" and I always have a spot that I like. It's generally a spot without a lot of people around.
I get to wrestling early because in a lot of cases, you have to do that to understand what's going on.
Early is just easier.
I get to movies extremely early so I can get good end seats. I get to concerts early to figure out my seats. It's like that old saying about the early bird and the worm and all that.
Most importantly for me, however, is that me being early keeps my daughter from talking about marrying boys – even if she is just 5 years old.
Contact prep sports writer Joey Millwood at firstname.lastname@example.com
* * *
If you want to talk about people bringing home the bacon, you need to look no further than the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are paying pitcher Clayton Kershaw $215 million over the next seven years. That's more than $30 million per year.
Man, why didn't my dad push me to be a pitcher when I was a kid?
By the seventh year of his contract, Kershaw is probably going to have an arm made of Jello, but hey, spend away Dodgers.
In NBA news, Greg Oden dunked to score his first points in a game since 2009. In 2007, the Portland Trailblazers picked the Ohio State center No. 1 overall ahead of Kevin Durant. Since then, Durant has become a bonafide superstar. Oden has wallowed in injuries and never really amounted to much.
Now he's playing for the Miami Heat and who knows what's in store. Maybe, Lebron James will revive the seven-footer's career.
Sports & Bacon: Earlier is just easier
Every day — an hour earlier than most — I'm sitting in the carpool line at my oldest child's elementary school. She's 5.


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The Buckwalter Farmers Market opened Tuesday afternoon for its third year of serving the area.
Farmers and vendors set up in the same area as last year just off the boulevard roundabout in the field opposite the CareCore National headquarters buildings.
The market is operated in partnership with the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service. It is one of the six-market circuit in Beaufort County running five days a week.
"This year, we're expanding the format of a traditional farmer's market to include baked goods and prepared foods such as frozen pierogis and lcoal jams, jellies and honey," said Larry Hughes, market manager, who is a regional and state extension advisory board member. "But the main focus remains products from the ground and the sound and interaction with area farmers."
The Buckwalter Farmers Market is open on Tuesdays from 2 to 6 p.m.


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My (Kallie's) Trip!Mar 22nd, 2008 | By Kallieross | Category: Movie News
I just got home, from visiting Portland, OR, last night. It seems a little surreal to think that I was in downtown Portland just yesterday. It is a beautiful place. I was there for two full days, and during that time I visited Kalama HS, met up with some Twilight Moms, took in some fresh air near Multnomah Falls, got some work fit in somewhere, and had a chat with Kellan Lutz…yes, you heard me right Kellan Lutz took some time out of his day and spent it with me!
I am currently working on writing up a story about everything we talked about, and a separate story about my trip as a whole. They will be posted here as soon as I get it all together! I won't leave you empty handed though…Kellan is a true gentleman, and his smile is contagious! (As you can tell from the picture above.) Have a great Easter everyone! I hope that you get to enjoy time with your family!


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Pakistan says 25 of its soldiers were killed in a NATO helicopter attack on a checkpoint at the Afghan border. NATO says it is investigating what happened. Host Rachel Martin talks with NPR's Quil Lawrence about the incident, which has further exacerbated U.S.-Pakistan tensions.
Alleged NATO Attack Strains U.S.-Pakistan Relations
By editor • Nov 26, 2011


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Checking in on… the Summit LeaguePosted by Brian Goodman on January 16th, 2011
Eli Linton is the RTC correspondent for the Summit League.
A Look Back
Oakland is the sole representative of the Summit League in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, moving up to #11. They have now won 23 of the last 24 conference games. Who knew this team would be better without Derick Nelson, Johnathon Jones, and Eric Kangas? It must be the shoes…or maybe it's all Greg Kampe.
Caught On Film:
This Alex Young Dunk made SportsCenter's Top 10:
Oral Roberts basically saved their season with a big road win against SDSU, despite not having Dominique Morrison or Mike Craion. The win kept them from falling to 2-4 in the conference, and bought them some more time to get healthy. Things may be looking up for the Golden Eagles.
Power Rankings
1. Oakland (11-8, 6-0)–Nothing new here, the Golden Grizzlies are still the best team. They should have no problem finishing undefeated. They can even afford to drop a couple conference games in a worst case scenario (i.e. major injury), but Greg Kampe will keep his team running hard through the finish line.
2. Oral Roberts (7-12, 4-3)– They lost first-team selection Mike Craion for the season and the second best player in the conference, Dominique Morrison, for three weeks to a meniscus tear. It looked like ORU was done. But a 90-82 victory against South Dakota State basically saved the Golden Eagles' season. Back-to-back conference wins without their two stars proves this team is still dangerous. Improved guard play is the main reason they have risen in the rankings. They also have the schedule working in their favor, with basically only one unwinnable game left — at Oakland.
3. South Dakota State (12-5, 4-2)—This is one of the best three-point shooting teams in the conference, but if you live by the three, you also die by the three. Cold shooting days are bound to come. I hesitate to keep this team near the top because of how far they can swing. However, with four conference wins so far, they have given themselves a great opportunity to finish in the top two or three. Clint Sargent is a huge distraction for defenses, and Nate Wolters is arguably the best point guard in the conference. He leads the conference in scoring with 19.3 PPG. And thanks to some SDSU fans, I have finally settled on a nickname for the young man; he is now Nate "the Lane Train" Wolters. Don't hate it.
4. IUPUI (10-9, 4-2) — Their two conference losses came against the top two teams, and even those were close games. The Jags have two big-time threats in Leroy Nobles and Alex Young–both guys are in the top eight in scoring. Coaching is what wins close games late in the season and in the conference tournament, and Ron Hunter deserves to be mentioned with the Kampes and the Suttons of the world.
5. IPFW (11-5, 5-1) — I know they are 5-1 in conference play, but I just can't keep them above the big boys. They have one impressive conference win so far (at ORU). They also have the toughest part of their conference schedule remaining, starting off Saturday against Oakland. How will they weather the storm?
6. North Dakota State– (9-7, 3-3) In reality, this team is right in the middle of the race for the #2 seed, but the loss to IUPUI really hurt those chances. The Bison have two quality wins against SDSU and ORU, but two disastrous losses to UMKC and Southern Utah.
7. Southern Utah–(4-12, 1-5)– Southern Utah runs a beautiful offense — a ton of plays that they run with such precision — but the T-birds just don't have the firepower to overcome the more talented teams. If only they could recruit some ballers…SUU should be a top team in the Big Sky Conference sooner than you think.
8. UMKC–(10-7, 3-3)– they split against the Dakotas and followed that up by taking care of business against Southern Utah and Centenary. Spencer Johnson is second in rebounding, and Jay Couisnard is fifth in scoring; It's been the difference for UMKC.
9. WIU–(1-5, 6-10) their only conference win came in a six point squeaker against Centenary, and they just lost to SDSU by 31. Turn the lights out.
10. Centenary— (0-18, 0-7)– 0-31: that's the combined records of the Centenary men's and women's basketball teams.
A Look Ahead
This is moving week for the Summit, and it seems like everyone is playing in a big game. UMKC at Oral Roberts, Oakland at IPFW, and SDSU at IUPUI on January 17 will have some big-time effects on the overall standings…MLK Day will be a great day for Summit Fans.


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Fort Leonard Wood officials have identified a Soldier found unresponsive Sept. 10 in on-post lodging
Fort Leonard Wood officials have identified a Soldier found unresponsive Sept. 10 in on-post lodging here.
Second Lt. Steven Coble, 25, of Detroit, Mich., was assigned to the 645th CS Group, Headquarters Detachment, Regional Support Group in Southfield, Mich. He was attending a one-week course offered by the U.S. Army Military Police School here at Fort Leonard Wood.
Coble was found unresponsive at about 10 a.m., Sept. 10, in on-post lodging and was pronounced deceased at the scene at 10:55 a.m., Sept. 10, by Dale Corn, General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital medical doctor.
Circumstances surrounding this incident are currently under investigation by the Army's Criminal Investigation Division.
This is the second soldier to be found unresponsive on Fort Leonard Wood in the last 30 days. On Aug. 29, Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Dolson Jr., 49, of Niagara Falls, N.Y., was found dead in a barrack's bathroom on post.


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Kate Upton And These 10 Celebrities Are Totally Oversharing On Vine
Published 8:47 am, Monday, February 25, 2013
Twitter's video-sharing app Vine has attracted all different types of people, from high school teenagers, to entrepreneurs, to celebrities.
The mobile app, which is currently only available for iOS, lets people take short, six-second clips and edit them as they record.
Some celebrities, like Kate Upton and Jimmy Fallon, can't seem to get enough of Vine. But they're not the only ones who feel compelled to share random, and sometimes very odd, details of their lives.
Model Kate Upton gives her followers backstage access to her life
Backstage @chrissyteigen is sleepy vine.co/v/bvdeMIharq0— Kate Upton (@KateUpton) February 11, 2013
Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee does a quick light show
The Lights! vine.co/v/b5Q1XrQ7YKE— TOMMY LEE (@MrTommyLand) January 25, 2013
Comedian Jimmy Fallon rocks some sweet yellow shades
Eeeny weeny teeny weeny. #Supersonic vine.co/v/brIhpLr9H59— jimmy fallon (@jimmyfallon) February 16, 2013
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Please follow Business Insider on Twitter and Facebook.


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Homecoming is nothing new for the people who lived in the former Wheat community or attended the Wheat schools. This will be the 81st year of getting together.
Homecoming is nothing new for the people who lived in the former Wheat community or attended the Wheat schools. This will be the 81st year of getting together.
On Oct. 7, we will meet at George Jones Baptist Church in what was known as Wheat. The program will begin at 11 a.m. with A.L. Turpin bringing the message.
Wheat no longer exists except in the hearts and minds of the ones who lived there.
The community was first known as Bald Hill because all the timber was cut to clear the land and build houses, churches and schools. Robertson School was probably the first school in the area.
The first post office was established in 1838. In 1881, the name was changed from Bald Hill to Wheat -- named after Frank Wheat, the first postmaster. Soon this community had churches, blacksmith shops, general stores and conveniences necessary for pioneer life.
By 1870, provisions for land used by churches and schools would be tax free. Seven years later, Poplar Creek Seminary was established and enrollment grew rapidly.
Many families moved into the area when parents learned of the possibility of higher education for their children. Poplar Creek Seminary was the forerunner of Roane College by nine years. Roane College received a charter in 1886 and was accredited by the state as a four-year college and qualified to give normal courses for a teaching degree.
The Rev. George Jones deeded 200 or more acres of land to the schools. The community was made up of three churches -- Cumberland Presbyterian, Methodist and Baptist -- a Masonic Hall, Eastern Star, three stores, a post office, a high school and elementary school.
In 1908, the property was deeded to Roane County Board of Education. The Roane College building was used until the Wheat School was completed in 1916. Soon after the girls' dormitory was built near the school; and the boys' dormitory was located about one-fourth of a mile from the girls' dorm. The boys came to the girls dorm for their meals.
This brought students from other states to Wheat to get their education. Many students took part in sports, as there was a good sports program.
The principal of the school and family lived in the girls dorm and a cook was hired to take care of the meals. Three former students from Wheat High School and Roane College were later elected superintendents of Roane County schools: J.F. Britton of Roane College retired in 1936 after serving 35 years; Edward Williams served from 1956 to 1963 and again from 1966 to 1978; and Auduban Ladd served from 1963 to 1966.
There are so many things to be said of our Wheat community. Perhaps TVA director David Lilienthal, who was guest speaker at the last banquet, said it best when he noted: "The might of our country lies in cooperative efforts of communities like yours, not the cities with the great concentration of population."
It took everyone's effort and love for their neighbors and striving to make our community a better place to live -- that is why Wheat was called a model community. In 1942, residents were notified their homes and land would be taken by the federal government for war purposes. By that time, many of our young men had been called into service as World War II was under way.
One hundred and 57 of our young men were called up to serve their country, and nine of them gave their lives.
The government took 56,200 acres of this tranquil valley, and Wheat was a part of it because it met military requirements for isolation. There was electric power, it was close to water and highways, and it was near railroads. Other communities affected were Scarboro, Robertsville, Bethel and Elza.
Each year, since 1932, there has been a homecoming for the Wheat alumni and friends and neighbors of the Wheat community. In 1947, permission was granted to meet at the George Jones Church for our homecoming. On that first meeting, an estimated 1,000 people or more were believed to have attended.
We will meet again at the George Jones Church to fellowship with friends. Everyone is welcome to attend; and a basket lunch will be held at noon.


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Right now is an interesting time in the gaming industry, especially the gaming peripheral industry. Everyone wants to hop on the hype of the new games coming out this fall and to bring some new things to gamers. In the past, many people would have considered Logitech to be the go-to choice when choosing the best peripherals for gaming (currently typing on one). The problem, though, is that Logitech?s product offerings have been stale at best and pricey at worst. As such, this has opened up a lot of room for other manufacturers to innovate and give people what they want at prices they are willing to pay. If you have been following the industry at all, you would notice that companies like Antec, Thermaltake and Corsair have been slowly coming out with gamer-centric products to fill that void, which brings us to today?s announcement.
Corsair has always been rooted in performance and their approach towards gaming has come purely as a result of the fact that most gamers demand the best performance. In the last year or two, Corsair has brought on people like Ruben Mookerjee to guide Corsair?s consumer component business in the right direction. Ruben was responsible for the worldwide product development of Logitech?s gaming peripherals division which was responsible for the well received G-series of keyboards, mice and headsets. These products were considered to be some of the best gaming products that the world had ever seen and up until now.
?As enthusiastic gamers ourselves, we?ve developed precisely the products we always wanted, with a level of quality we have not seen before,? said Ruben Mookerjee, VP and General Manager of the Components Business Unit at Corsair. ?We?re confident that our Vengeance gaming keyboards and mice will give you a competitive edge. Whether you prefer the immersion and intensity of MMO and RTS, or the adrenaline-fueled combat of FPS, our goal is to help you win.? With Ruben?s help Corsair is announcing a full line of gaming keyboards, mice, and headsets. These Vengeance products are squarely designed with the gamer in mind but at the same time pay very close attention to detail and make sure that no criticism is left unaddressed.
Corsair Vengeance K90 Keyboard, M90 Mouse and Vengeance 1500 headset pictured above
First, Corsair has their Vengeance K60 and M60 keyboard and mouse primarily designed with FPS (First Person Shooters) in mind. These are followed by the K90 and M90 mouse, which carry a much more MMO (massively multiplayer online) and RTS (real time strategy) centric design. All of these products are also followed by the Vengeance line of gaming headsets which include the Vengeance 1100, 1300 and 1500 which as you can imagine go up in terms of features as you move up in models. We will go into great detail about all of these products, including prices, in the following pages. Corsair Vengeance Gaming Keyboards
The Corsair Vengeance keyboards come in two variants. Those are the Vengeance K60 and the Vengeance K90. As we stated earlier, the K60 is more focused on FPS gaming while the K90 is more focused on MMO and RTS gaming. Here we will detail the features of both of them as well as their pricing.
The Vengeance K60 first of all, is a mechanical keyboard (unlike Logitech?s G-series). This means that the keystrokes are not only better but also much more precise which is why they are so sought after in gaming scenarios. In our review of the Thermaltake MEKA G1 we detailed the differences between all of the different mechanical switches and the MEKA G1 used the more gaming centric black switch. Corsair decided that since they were going to do mechanical that they would use the best parts available and they opted for the Cherry Red switch which is one of the rarest types of mechanical switches but also one of the most sensitive as well.
Because of the fact that this keyboard is a mechanical one it also lends to having multiple keys being entered at the same time. With the K60, there is a 20-key roll over (via USB) which means that you can strike 20 keys at the same time if you ever so wish. But in reality, you really shouldn?t have to worry past 10. This is in addition to the fact that the K60 comes with a textured and colored WASD and 1-6 key set (something similar to what we saw on the MEKA G1). On top of that, the keyboard has a variable polling rate ranging from 1ms to 8m with 2ms being the default setting. With all of those awesome additions you would think that this keyboard would already be good enough for gaming but they didn?t stop there. Corsair also opted to include a wrist rest for your hand so that you can avoid wrist cramping when playing games for hours on end. This wrist rest also doubles as a storage unit for the red textured keys.
There are also dedicated media keys and a windows lock key to prevent you from accidentally hitting the windows key while gaming and minimizing your game. This key is absolutely a necessity on any keyboard that would even attempt to call itself a gaming keyboard. And as a kicker, Corsair threw in a solid metal volume roller for adjusting the volume on the fly. This feature is something we have seen commonly on Logitech?s latest gaming keyboards and have wished for on many other brands?. The solidness of the K60 is only further reinforced by the fact that the entire top plate of the keyboard is solid aluminum which not only gives the keyboard a more solid feel, but it also makes it look damn good.
The K90, in reality, is very similar to the K60 but it packs a slightly different set of features that will appeal to a different type of gamer. It has the same mechanical switches, 20-key rollover, polling rate and aluminum top plate, but it also adds some very desired features which could leave you wondering which keyboard you really want to get. The K90 is different in that it adds 17 macro keys to the side of the keyboard. This is extremely useful for anyone that plays an MMO or an RTS so that they can execute their commands in Starcraft 2 without panicking or cast the right spells in World of Warcraft.
On top of the 18 keys, there are also 3 sets of macros which results in the possibility of having 54 different macros on one keyboard. The K90 also adds something that we really wish more mechanical gaming keyboards had backlit keys. With the K90, the keys are backlit which isn?t generally somethi
ng people care about until they realize that they don?t have it. Since this keyboard is a little longer and you will probably find yourself gliding from side to side pretty often Corsair has opted for a full length wrist rest that goes from end to end which ensures maximum comfort no matter where you may be typing.
The K60 is expected to retail for $99 while the K90 is expected to retail at a slightly higher $129. Considering all of the quality components in these keyboards and the overall design, there is very little reason to question the actual prices of these keyboards. If anything, they?re spot on.
K90 sideview, you can see the macro keys are a little lower
Overall, after having taken a look at these keyboards there is nothing to say other than we are having a lot of allusions to other gaming keyboards we?ve seen. The good part, though, is not that Corsair is copying anything, but rather taking the best of everything we?ve ever seen and putting it into two keyboards that are going to be extremely desirable and will probably be very hard to find in stock.
Corsair Vengeance Gaming Mice
Corsair is launching two gaming mice to match along with their gaming keyboards. These will be the aptly named M60 and M90 mice. The Vengeance M60 will feature an ultra high resolution Avago 5670 DPI laser sensor with on-the-fly resolution adjustments and an aluminum unibody design, adjustable center of gravity, programmable lift detection, high-mass scroll wheel and PTFE low resistance glide pads. This is all atop having a 1ms or 1000Hz pollint rate which is honestly expected if this is to be considered an FPS mouse. The M60, since it is geared towards FPS features a Sniper button which allows the user to quickly toggle from high DPI resolution to a high precision mode for more accurate aim. This goes without saying that the mouse itself is designed to be as ergonomic as possible and for long gaming sessions. This mouse is just screaming Battlefield 3 and we?re sure that everyone (including Corsair) knows it.
M60 top to bottom
The Corsair M90 takes many of its cues from the M60, but once again it adds an MMO/RTS angle that makes it a little more attractive for those users. The M90 uses the same sensor and many other features, but the added feature to the M90 is the addition of 15 fully programmable buttons which are managed by Corsair?s Vengeance utility which allows you to control on-board profiles and sensor settings. And based upon these buttons? placement, it looks like their using is going to be very intuitive and easy to use. This allows for a very highly customized gaming experience that enables MMO and RTS gamers to mold their gaming peripherals to their liking. Because of this, you?ll probably find many Diablo 3 and Skyrim users picking this mouse up for their gaming addictions.
Corsair Vengeance Gaming Headsets
Going along the gaming peripheral line of products there is one thing that is missing; a good headset for communicating with your team, clan, guild or whatever you call your group of friends. Corsair has opted to once again go for the best quality and performance by creating some very attractive looking but still very functional products.
The top of their line of headphones is perched atop by the Vengeance 1500 which features a USB connection and delivers 7.1 and 5.1 Dolby surround sound for headphones. The 1500 is driven by high-performance 50mm drivers which ensure a full range of highs, mids, and lows. They are also circumaural which means that they have a closed back and fully enclose your ear. A nice feature with these headphones is that they also allow you to replace the memory foam ear pads in the event that they get dirty or worn over time.
The Vengeance 1500 also features a large and easy to use volume control so that it is easy to control the loudness of the headphones and to mute the unidirectional noise cancelling microphone when needed. Since it is controlled via USB it allows for Corsair to provide software to enable the user to modify the headphone?s sound settings to their desired settings with multiple profiles.
The Vengeance 1300 is very similar to the 1500, but instead of being controlled by USB it is controlled by dual 3.5mm jacks with one being for stereo audio and the other for the microphone.
The Vengeance 1500 will retail for $99 and the 1300 will retail for $79 which is honestly a pretty reasonable price and is extremely competitive with the already existing products on the market. These two headsets don?t necessarily provide anything revolutionary, but we?ll reserve full judgment of these headsets until we?ve reviewed them. If they?re anything like Corsair?s latest audio offerings, we?re probably going to be pleasantly surprised.
That leaves us with the Vengeance 1100, which is the light-weight wrap around headset which is not circumaural but rather sits atop your ear and provides an open environment for your ears. It also features 40mm drivers instead of the 50mm on the 1500 and 1300 models which expectedly will deliver more powerful audio. We would consider the Vengeance 1100 to be more for the casual gamer, especially considering
the very mainstream price of $39. At that price, purely based upon looks Corsair will probably outsell the competition. Although once again we see some allusions to some products we?ve seen in the past.
From what we?ve seen here, it is safe to say that Corsair is not kidding around about joining the gaming peripheral marketing. Considering how involved Corsair already is with gaming and the gaming community it only seems logical that they?d expand themselves into such a direction. And with people like Ruben Mookerjee and his team heading up the division and showing off a solid gaming peripheral line up we think it?s safe to say that Corsair is likely to see a lot of success in their new venture. We will hopefully follow up this article in the coming weeks with reviews of some of these products to give you guys, our readers, and in-depth look at these products and their overall quality and design.


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home | metro santa cruz index | the arts | books | review
SWELL GUYS: Clockwise from top left: Darryl 'Flea' Virostko, Jason 'Ratboy' Collins, Shawn 'Barney' Barron and filmmaker Josh Pomer.
A Westside Story
A homegrown filmmaker tells the sordid tale of Santa Cruz's surf kings
By Curtis Cartier
THOUGH he didn't have a title for it at the time, Joshua Pomer started filming The Westsiders when he was 16 years old. It was the late 1980s, and, armed with a bulky video camera he borrowed from Santa Cruz High, the teenaged Pomer took in his immediate surroundings: Steamer Lane, the Circles neighborhood and the surf-centered antics of his ragtag group of friends. Over the years, Darryl "Flea" Virostko, Shawn "Barney" Barron and Jason "Ratboy" Collins—Pomer's cast and crew—became celebrated pro surfers. Pomer, meanwhile, acquired progressively fancier cameras. What happened in the interim has less to do with surfing or filmmaking than with the trials of life and the bonds of friendship. It also forms the backbone of Pomer's documentary, which premieres Saturday, May 8, at the Riverfront Twin Cinema at 6:30pm as part of the Santa Cruz Film Festival.
"I was a movie addict from a very young age," says the baby-faced, 37-year-old Pomer in classic California slowspeak. "Once I had the camera, my friends, they just became my cast. I was thinking about making this movie way back then. It's like in the 1800s people used to see their lives in a novel. These days, we see our lives like movies."
The film tells the story of Flea, Barney and Ratboy, perhaps the most notable of a sprawling group of teens and young adults who grew up spending more time on the waves of Steamer Lane and Cowell's than at home or at school. Death and drugs stain the early lives of each of the film's protagonists, and much of the movie is spent watching them grapple with their own addictions and losses. There are glorious moments for the trio with triumphant surf contest victories, oversized checks, magazine cover shots and sponsored world tours. There are also gut-wrenching falls from grace as the surfers battle their many demons.
For Barron, a tall, curly-haired artist who suffers from often-severe bipolar disorder and comes across as the group's emotional anchor, it's an accurate description of a huge chunk of his life. It's also a look into how the Westside "used to be."
"The first time I watched the movie, it was amazing and kind of hard to do. It's like looking through a fast-moving window into your own life," he says. Barron grows emotional when he brings up Carl Reimer, the 19-year-old Westside surfer who was shot and killed on April 23, hours after landing his first backside 360 at the Lane. "It's just so sad, you know? In my day, if people wanted to fight, they went somewhere and fought it out—not this shooting people shit.
It's a new world, I guess."
Barron's Westside, however, was no picnic, according to the film. Drugs abounded, fights were constant and an established pecking order meant that young surfers had to prove themselves both in and out of the water if they wanted to be welcome in the neighborhood. In the film, no one embodies the harshness of the scene more than villain-sage Vince Collier. Dubbed the "Godfather of the Westside," Collier is a expletive-hurling beast of a man who, in voice-overs and interviews, candidly recounts how, when he wasn't lording over the surfer pack like the ultimate alpha wolf, he would run drugs for motorcycle gangs and torture debt-owing men in the forest. Pomer says he grew up terrified of Collier, a sentiment the other surfers echo, but that the man showed tough love and drove the group to surf harder and more than the rest of Steamer Lane's hordes while using an iron fist to instill an unshakable code of loyalty among them.
"No one really knew what Vince did when he wasn't with all of us," says Pomer. "When he opened up for the film, all of us were like 'Whoa.' I think he comes out as being pretty scary, but also having a good heart."
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When the credits roll on Pomer's opus, the audience hasn't witnessed a standard surf flick with its wide-angle tube shots, big airs and hot indie soundtrack—though each of those features exists in the film (Pearl Jam's Mike McCready wrote the bulk of its tunes). Instead, they've seen a classic tale of friendship trumping adversity. And for Santa Cruzans, they've been given an essential piece of the puzzle of the city's unique makeup.
"I think the three surfers tell us a lot about Santa Cruz," says Pomer. "Maybe they'll tell people about themselves, too."
THE WESTSIDERS screens as part of the Santa Cruz Film Fest on Saturday, May 8, at 6:30pm, and Monday, May 10, at 11:30am at the Riverfront Twin Cinema, 155 S. River St., Santa Cruz. Tickets are $9, available at www.ticketweb.com and at the door. For more info visit www.thewestsiders.com. For a complete SCFF schedule visit www.scfilmfest.org.
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The Biggest Derby Party in Town runs noon to 8:30 p.m. on Turfway's fourth floor. Admission and parking are free.
From 3 to 8 p.m., Cincinnati party band My Sister Sarah will take the Turfway Park stage.
While they wait for the Run for the Roses, fans can play games for cash prizes and Derby souvenirs and other merchandise. The annual Derby Hat Contest is judged by the crowd, and campaigning by contestants is encouraged.
While most of the Turfway facility is open for first come-first served seating, some reserved seats remain in the Top of the Park, the track's fifth-floor dining room, and in Players' Row on the first floor. Top of the Park, a non-smoking area, offers a buffet for $20 and seating at tables with and without individual TVs. The buffet is available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Players' Row, on the first floor, offers individual handicapping workstations with TVs for $5; smoking and non-smoking sections are available. Reserved seating in the Homestretch restaurant is sold out. Reservations are available by calling (859) 371-0200 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Turfway's gates open at 10 a.m. both Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, players can place advance wagers on the entire Churchill Downs race card for Saturday as well as the Kentucky Oaks/Kentucky Derby Double. Advance wagering is available Friday from about 11:30 a.m. through about 10 p.m.
Three contenders expected to run in the Kentucky Derby (G1) prepped for the big race in the Vinery Racing Spiral Stakes (G3) at Turfway: winner Animal Kingdom, trained by Graham Motion; runner-up Decisive Moment, trained by Juan Arias; and third-place finisher Twinspired, trained by Mike Maker.
Turfway also prepared three fillies for the Kentucky Oaks (G1), which runs Friday. Tuning up for the Kentucky Oaks in the Bourbonette Oaks (G3) at Turfway on Spiral Stakes day were winner Summer Soiree, now also trained by Motion; third-place finisher Suave Voir Faire, trained by D. M. Smithwick Jr. ; and fourth-place finisher Lilacs and Lace, trained by John Terranova II.
On Friday's card simulcast from Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Oaks is the 11th of 12 races and goes off at 5:45 p.m. On Saturday, the Kentucky Derby is the 11th of 13 races from Churchill and goes off at 6:24 p.m. Post time for the first race from Churchill Downs is 10:30 a.m. both days.


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You can't beat a system you can't understand
You can't beat a system you can't understand
Years ago, I lived with my bulldog Virgil Buick in a notalways so-quiet, family-oriented neighborhood. Kids and pets were everywhere, and bicycles and tricycles of every shape and size lay in driveways and curbsides waiting to be run over. And there was always a ballgame of some kind, either in the street, or in somebody's driveway. I think you get the picture.
Everybody knew Virgil; he was a local celebrity. Whenever we went for a walk, kids would follow, sometimes taking turns holding his leather leash. And Virgil — he basked in the attention. He loved those kids as much as they loved him. He was the consummate English bulldog, sporting a Budweiser kerchief in the summer and a thick spiked collar in the winter.
Once in a while, when we were on our daily walk, we'd meet my friend Jack, who lived a few blocks away with his wife and their English bulldog, Cuddles. The first few times Virgil and Cuddles met, she was a little standoffish and tried to hide behind Jack. She didn't know what to make of Virgil. But it was obvious that Virgil was taken by Cuddles. As soon as he saw her, his little tail wagged at a mile a minute, and he'd strut back and forth trying to get her attention.
It wasn't long before she gave in, and they were sniffin', nuzzlin', snortin' and slobbering all over each other as bulldogs are prone to do. Although Cuddles was a little broad along the beam, even by bulldog standards, Virgil liked her, and I guess that's what is important.
Jack and I would often take the dogs for a walk after the kids went to school and we'd have the street to ourselves. Virgil and Cuddles were getting along so well that he even let her play with his Frisbee. And you can rest assured that Virgil let no other dog touch his Frisbee. I don't know why he coveted that Frisbee so much, because he'd willingly share any of his other toys, but not his Frisbee. That was his and his alone. Anyway, we'd walk to the park with the two bullies, as we called them, and they'd chase that Frisbee for hours. They were quite a pair.
All who knew Virgil and Cuddles thought they were an item. Jack and I had talked about that, but at that point, nuptials didn't seem to be on the horizon. Nevertheless, Virgil and Cuddles were obviously very close friends and playmates.
One of Virgil's most fervent fans lived next door in the form of a little 5-year-old girl named Melissa. She had the biggest brown eyes you ever saw, and the sweetest smile that could melt your heart in less than a second. Like most little girls, Melissa liked to play with dolls. Her favorite pastime was to dress them up. So much so, I am sure that when Melissa grew up, she went into the fashion business.
From the time that she was big enough to hold a doll, she dressed everything in sight. Melissa even dressed her cat, as well as every doll she owned, and I found her on the verge of tears when her mother wouldn't let her dress the bird.
A few days before Christmas, Melissa decided to make Virgil her next victim. She convinced her mother that Virgil needed a Santa Claus hat and a large, red velvet bow to tie around his neck so that he could get into the holiday spirit.
Melissa was in the back yard playing with Virgil as she often did, and I didn't think anything about it until he came into the house. He stopped in the doorway and looked at me with the most bewildered expression on his wrinkled face. There he was, my cartoon-tough English bulldog, all decked out in a Santa hat and red velvet bow. He took one look at himself in the floor length mirror and was dumbstruck at what he saw.
I wasn't about to disappoint Melissa and make her cry by removing her handiwork. She thought it would be a great idea to take Virgil for a walk so she could show him off. I thought it might be amusing, so we attached his leash and off we went. The neighborhood kids had mixed emotions. The boys asked, "What'd ya do to him?" They never thought I'd dress him in a red velvet bow. The girls, of course, thought he was cute.
We hadn't walked a block before we saw none other than Jack and Cuddles coming toward us. By the time we met, Cuddles almost tripped Jack by wrapping the leash around his ankles in her efforts to hide behind his legs. She wanted nothing to do with Virgil. I looked at her, and I swear, she was laughing. I looked at Virgil and he just stared at me with his head hung low, and the saddest expression on his face that I had ever seen. He knew he looked ridiculous.
Now his girlfriend shunned him. He was heartbroken and humiliated, all because I didn't take into consideration that he might not like being turned into a holiday attraction for my amusement. It was days before Cuddles warmed up to him again. I guess even dogs have an image to uphold.
Every time I see animals dressed up for the season, my heart goes out to them. There is no reason to make them suffer the humiliation of being turned into a humanized spectacle. They have their standards, and we should be sensitive to the way they feel. Our penchant for making our pets look ridiculous is part of that system that they just can't understand.
That said, we'll see you at the Dog Parade in the village on Saturday, Dec. 17.


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(CNN) - Goat cafes, rabbit cafes, even loneliness-curing Moomin cafes.
The world of the weird cafe has moved on from cats.
And yet, while some of these obscure cafes grab headlines for a few days and then vanish, cat cafes have proliferated around the world, to become if not the most novel, certainly the most enduring craze when it comes to themed coffee houses.
German philosopher Albert Schweitzer reportedly once said: "The only escape from the miseries of life is music and cats."
And so it would appear.
Started in Taiwan a dozen or so years ago with a cafe called Cat Flower Garden, the concept was most enthusiastically embraced in Japan where today there are more cat cafes than anywhere else in the world -- around 150 at the last count.
Now the rest of the world is cat-ching on.
In April the United States saw it's first feline coffee house open in New York, albeit only temporarily, London recently opened its first too and a number of major European cities now also offer purr-fect coffee breaks.
Australia is soon to join the fray as well.
"My partner and I went to Japan 18 months ago -- going to a cat cafe was an amazing experience and we decided to open our own in Melbourne," says Anita Loughran, owner of Cat Cafe Melbourne, which will open in July 2014.
"It's a place where animal and cat lovers can mingle, socialize and be comfortable in a quiet environment that reflects their interests."
Cat cafe 101
For the uninitiated a cat cafe doesn't sound too complicated. It's a regular cafe that happens to have cats walking, or lying, around.
But there are nuances that distinguish this kind of cafe from others.
You often need to book before you arrive, because a) the cats are liable to walk out as you walk in, and b) the ratio of people to cats needs to be controlled.
"We now have a booking system, because 20,000 people wanted to come into a 30-seat cafe all at the same time," says Lauren Pears, founder of Dinah's Cat Emporium in London.
Her website says the cafe is fully booked until October 2014.
Sanitation and health issues also need to be considered, and have put some people off.
"Who wants cat hair everywhere? That would gross me out," says Diana Mullin, a non-customer from Vancouver.
But Loughran says there's nothing to worry about: "As the cats are completely separate from the cafe, this is not an issue. And if people still have their concerns they should actually visit a cat cafe first. We would not be able to open if we weren't super hygienic."
Most cafes also have a look-but-don't-grab policy, to minimize catty stress and potential clawing of customers.
Feline good
After all, the idea is that these cafes provide an almost therapeutic area to chill, as Café Neko owner Takako Ishimitsu in Vienna says.
Though she advises any mother visiting the cafe check her pram before leaving: some of the cats can inadvertently turn stowaway, having sought out the warm softness of a baby carrier.
Thomas Leidner, owner of the Cafe Katzentempel in Munich, says: "The popularity of these cafes is probably due to the fact that many people are not allowed, or are disinclined to have pets in the city, yet they occasionally feel the need for closeness to an animal.
"Life today is busy and hectic, so offering an oasis of calm, where you can relax over a drink and enjoy (vegan) snacks, is important to us."
Pears agrees. "I think a lot of our patrons just enjoy coming to play with them. We also find they tend to make conversation with other patrons. The cafe has a nice community feel to it."
"What could be better than a black Americano, a good book, and a cat curled up beside you (even better if it's on your lap)?" says Sandi from the UK, one of the trend's enthusiastic fans.
"Bliss! The only issue I have is struggling to leave,"
And so the cat cafe continues to spread across the globe.
Look out in the future for KitTea, due to open in San Francisco later this year, and Purringtons Cat Lounge in Oregon hoping to invite people in for a cup before the end of 2014.
Cat cafes to check out
London: Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium, 152-154 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch;+44 (0) 207 729 0953
Munich, Germany: Café Katzentempel, Turkenstrasse 29, Munich; +49 89 2006 1249
Vienna, Austria: Cafe Neko, Blumenstockgasse 5; +43 1 5121 466
Tokyo: Nyafe Melange, 1-7-13 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku; +91 3 5449 4024
Paris: Le Cafe des Chats, 16 rue Michel Le Comte, Marais; +33 9 7353 3581
Budapest, Hungary: CatCafe Budapest, Revay utca 3; +36 2 0617 3301
Madrid, Spain: La Gatoteca, Calle Argumosa 28; +34 9 1622 5831
Dubai, U.A.E.: Dubai Cat Cafe, Jumeirah, Dubai; +971 50 115 4287
Melbourne, Australia: Cat Cafe Melbourne, 375 Queen Street (opening soon)
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I don't know why I forgot about this, probably because I blocked it out. Years ago, when I was in my 20s, healthy and hearty and young, my sister tried to talk me into HAVING A BABY for a young couple in her church, who couldn't have children of their own. [for the record, we come from excellent baby-making stock]I had no objections to that part of it, but I wanted money for it, for the doctor's bills, and for the 'rental' of my body for nine months! (I was dirt poor at the time and struggling) She thought I was horrible and should do it for free. Why didn't she do it? She was still a minor. Yeah. That didn't happen.
I have a question for the crafters: Suppose I were to approach you and ask, 'Would you be interested in doing <commission>? What would you charge?' And after hearing the charge, I said, 'Oh my, I had no idea...I'm afraid I can't afford this right now'. Would you be offended by this exchange? I'm not saying that your time and skill aren't worth the price, more that I didn't know what that price was and now that I know, it's just out of my budget.
I think that would be a perfectly polite interaction (bearing in mind tone, exact wording, etc.). I think the offense comes when someone draws back in horror at the suggested price and then says/implies that the work isn't actually worth that and the crafter must be inflating numbers, and says that their daughter's babysitter's mom's dog-walker could do it for less--or Wal-Mart.
I got around that one once by saying sadly 'yes, I was afraid it would be more than I could afford, but it's so beautiful that I had to ask,' and honour was satisfied on both sides.
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|Episode Description
|Monday, Feb 11, 2013 - 3:00 AM
"A World Without Taxes"
Explore how taxes impact your life. Find out about the importance of federal, state, and local taxes and learn what they pay for. Meet young business owners who sell lacrosse socks and others who serve as swimming instructors and hear how they handle taxes. D
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Clue: Wave function symbols
We have 1 answer for the clue Wave function symbols. See the results below.
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- Telepathy and clairvoyance, e.g.
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- Greek penultimates
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- They're painted on some frat houses
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- LA Times - August 12, 2017
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