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Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) painted an Orwellian vision of health care reform yesterday, claiming that critics of the Democrats' plan could be denied coverage. Citing an unnamed Japanese man who supposedly approached her in Washington, Bachmann suggested that critics of the Japanese government are placed on a "list" and prohibited from receiving medical care under Japan's universal health care system. Saying "a government takeover of health care is the crown jewel of socialism," Bachmann insinuated a similar situation could occur in "our future":
BACHMANN:He said that in Japan, to wait and get health care is almost impossible. You get on a list and you wait and you wait and you wait. But he said this is something people don't know: in Japan, people have stopped voicing their opinion on health care. There are things that are wrong with Japanese health care, but people are afraid of voicing. 'Well why is that,' I asked. [He said], 'Because they know that would get on a list and they wouldn't get health care. They wouldn't get in. They wouldn't get seen. And so people are afraid. They're afraid to speak back to government. They're afraid to say anything.' Is that what we want for our future? That takes us to gangster government at that point!
Watch it (beginning at 0:50):
Other than one individual's account, Bachmann provides no evidence to support her slur of Japan's health care system, let alone any evidence to suggest that the same thing would transpire in the U.S. The Minneapolis Star Tribune's Eric Roper "could not find evidence to back up the claim that Japan withholds health care from government critics." He noted that a recent Washington Post article "describing the pros and cons of the Japanese health system makes no mention of it."
Japan's universal system has been able to keep health care costs far lower than those in the U.S., despite an aging population, allowing Japanese to visit a doctor nearly 14 times a year. Bachmann is also wrong when she claims that wait times make it "almost impossible" to receive care in Japan. As ABC News noted, "waiting lists are not a major problem" in Japan, and patients can even "go to a doctor without an appointment, but may have to sit for a long time in the waiting room."
The Republican National Committee made a similar false accusation last August when it mailed a fundraising appeal that suggested that Democrats might use an overhaul of the health care system to deny medical treatment to Republicans.


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Methods in Educational Research: From Theory to Practice, 2nd Edition
Methods in Educational Research: From Theory to Practice, 2nd Edition
ISBN: 978-0-470-43680-6 May 2010 Jossey-Bass 560 Pages
In Stock
Methods in Educational Research
Methods in Educational Research is designed to prepare students for the real world of educational research. It focuses on scientifically-based methods, school accountability, and the professional demands of the twenty-first century, empowering researchers to take an active role in conducting research in their classrooms, districts, and the greater educational community. Like the first edition, this edition helps students, educators, and researchers develop a broad and deep understanding of research methodologies. It includes substantial new content on the impact of No Child Left Behind legislation, school reform, quantitative and qualitative methodologies, logic modeling, action research, and other areas. Special features to assist the teaching and learning processes include vignettes illustrating research tied to practice, suggested readings at the end of each chapter, and discussion questions to reinforce chapter content.
Praise for the Previous Edition
""A new attempt to make this subject more relevant and appealing to students. Most striking is how useful this book is because it is really grounded in educational research. It is very well written and quite relevant for educational researchers or for the student hoping to become one."" -PsycCRITIQUES/American Psychological Association
""I applaud the authors for their attempt to cover a wide range of material. The straightforward language of the book helps make the material understandable for readers."" -Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation
Related Resources
Request an Evaluation Copy for this title
View Instructor Companion Site
Contact your Rep for all inquiries
Boxes, Exhibits, Figures, and Tables ix
Preface xix
Acknowledgments xxiii
The Authors xxv
1 Introduction to Educational Research 1
Chapter Objectives 1
Educational Accountability and Educational Research 2
Conducting Educational Research 9
Philosophical Frameworks for Educational Research 13
Research Ethics 16
2 Types of Educational Research Designs and Related Major Concepts 23
Chapter Objectives 23
Types of Approaches Used in Educational Research 24
3 Descriptive Statistics 45
Chapter Objectives 45
Characteristics of Data 46
Summarizing Data Using Descriptive Statistics 48
4 Educational Measurement: Archival Data and Standardized Instruments 79
Chapter Objectives 79
Measurement in Education 80
Evaluating the Quality of Standardized Instruments: Reliability and Validity 93
Issues in Finding and Using Standardized Instruments 101
5 Qualitative Measures and Procedures 111
Chapter Objectives 111
Characteristics of Qualitative Measurement 112
Sampling in Qualitative Research 134
6 Qualitative Research 141
Chapter Objectives 141
Research Vignette 142
Understanding Qualitative Research 142
Steps in Designing Qualitative Research 160
Evaluating Narrative Inquiry and Phenomenological Research 169
7 Organization and Analysis of Qualitative Data 179
Chapter Objectives 179
Analysis of Qualitative Data 180
Steps in Analyzing Qualitative Data 180
8 Descriptive Survey Research: Quantitative Research 197
Chapter Objectives 197
Research Vignette 198
Characteristics of Descriptive Survey Research 198
Steps in Conducting Descriptive Survey Research 201
Evaluating Descriptive Survey Research 222
9 Experimental Research 227
Chapter Objectives 227
Research Vignette 228
Understanding Experimental Research 228
Steps in Planning and Conducting Experimental Research 230
Threats to Experimental Validity 241
Single-Subject Research Designs 253
10 Nonexperimental Approaches: Causal-Comparative and Correlational Research 265
Chapter Objectives 265
Research Vignette 266
Causal-Comparative Research 266
Correlational Research 271
Multiple Regression Studies 288
11 Inferential Statistics 293
Chapter Objectives 293
Beyond Descriptive Statistics: Inferential Statistics 294
Steps in Analyzing Data Using Inferential Tests 302
Designs with More than One Independent or Dependent Variable 306
12 Action Research 311
Chapter Objectives 311
Research Vignette 312
Understanding Action Research 313
Steps in Conducting Action Research 321
Data Sources for Action Research 330
Evaluation of Action Research 346
13 Program Evaluation in Education 361
Chapter Objectives 361
Research Vignette 362
What Is Program Evaluation? 363
Types, Approaches, and Models of Program Evaluation 371
Steps in Designing Program Evaluation 375
Program Evaluation Data and Critiquing Evaluation Reports 376
Training and Careers in Program Evaluation 378
14 Identifying and Researching a Topic 383
Chapter Objectives 383
Getting Started 384
Identify a Research Topic 384
Refine Your Topic as You Search 387
Search the Literature 391
Identify and Summarize Key Information from Articles 404
When Do I Have Enough? 406
15 The Research Proposal 409
Chapter Objectives 409
Preparing a Research Proposal 410
References 427
Appendix A 435
Appendix B 469
Index 499

subset: commoncrawl


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Opinion: John Kerry: Secretary of Climate Alarmism
Competitive Enterprise Institute chairman Fred Smith on Secretary of State John Kerry's fixation with climate change as one of the biggest foreign policy threats of our time. Photos: Getty Images
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... Arizona's first or for broad as secretary of state but will he be take this guy seriously when he says the appointments ... we as a nation ... must have the foresight ... and the car ... to make the investments necessary ... to safeguard the most sacred trust weeky for our children ... and our grandchildren ... and that is ... an environment not ravaged by rising seas ... deadly superstorm devastating droughts ... and the other hallmarks of a dramatically changing climate ... welcome back to Opinion Journal why Mary Kissel that are now Secretary of State John Kerry ... instead she gave in recent days outlining his priorities for the office of University of ... Virginia ... competitive Enterprise Institute chairman Fred Smith this year ... Fred's ... climbing team alarm isn't ... here we go again I don't want this is a priority for Mr Kerry did with ... Iran with nukes ... China ... flights in the South China Sea leverage your own or operate the waters around the world ... the Missouri dilemma that might affect the softener get enough you would think you're a congressman today to to to to to ... he is in part from the agreed he has been a prolonged time ... this is this help of why I don't know ... the Israeli issues confronting the new focus on ... the fact that ... the Europeans and to many American analysts ... have suppressed genetically modified ... food production around the world ... of alleviating hunger in Africa might be alleviating some of the heart of sweets in Africa ... we're trying to win ... the Kiowa cargo for the ... next one isn't twenty fifteen ... is the highest in the next two or three years ... focusing on this quixotic attempt ... to force the world into undermined sustainable energy future ... not a good idea well here there is something he could do today about climate change because the State Department ... has to approve the Keystone XL ... the wind in the city known for years the fund is like double the number of Norwegian study so ... I didn't seem to really taken seriously he cares about climate change they don't exist and yet he supposed to award given for ... the money that he can take that idea of what we've achieved in part on drilling and fracking ... eliminating the whole thing of the Rover to run out of something to hope people will think ... and take it to Europe where they're struggling with this kind of question it's it's good for America it's good for your own ... God knows we don't want Europe to be dependent on Eastern Europe and the Middle East turmoil that ... he could do a lot of things that can basically do it they can say look guys ... I've known Grenoble and he sounded like a good idea ... Spain's failed Germany's failed the UK has failed ... maybe ... you could do it with fracking and wait awhile to break into the battery to the lowest system a piece of the Obama administration's larger agenda ... which doesn't focus so much on job creation as it does on waking ... some really loud parts of the last of the fleet many Democrats American don't identify with Steph far left environmental movement ... he's a very low in his cabinet ... when I don't know I don't think we can push this particular thing ... he does when somebody to be taxed to pay for ... I've that it's not alone when he almost are people that the injury in Saturday that ... the new EPA administrator those guys are every bit as greedy and flaky as he has ... a surprising though for State Department person because he exposed to be thinking about stabilizing the world's economy stabilizing conditions so we have less ... need for more and so when he spoke to me the peace equivalent ... to the military ... looks like you've already make energy less available ... you make can teach one after will of the wisp ideals rather than focus ... on what they can do to help their economic growth ... through all of the issues that we've talked about energy but also agricultural Park he also remember will be overseeing the trade debate between the US and EU ... the EU have all kinds of two key environmental rules ... genetically modified fruit trying to make your point runoff of my brother Dan's I don't know but some of the SLA ... and all of those things is he going to represent the ... EU greenie position in the U S trade he does the agent to ... represent ... the U S business and agriculture position ... to God's law ... but have traded the trade embargo policy have I I'm afraid I know I were sitting in Tehran are in Bejing ... I'd be cheering for this guy is great news for them the on off it's great news for American security ... and their presence to chairman Fred Smith thank you so


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Author Notes:
I had never seen a version of this recipe until recently when I looked it up on line. I have made it a lot but all based on the memory of how Jacque Pepin made it on his show. So this recipe is based on his recipe.
This is a great dish for entertaining. It is really quick to make and I have made it ahead of time leaving everything separate and tossing it together just before I put it into individual gratins and pop them into the oven.
You will notice a pound of shrimp serves four people. That might not seem like a lot, a quarter pound of shrimp per person, but you will be adding mushrooms, breadcrumbs and parmesan which will bulk it up. Not only that but you will want to serve a side vegetable and a salad too, which will equal plenty to eat. If you are worried and have big eaters make the shrimp portions six ounces.
I had never seen a version of this recipe until recently when I looked it up on line. I have made it a lot but all based on the memory of how Jacque Pepin made it on his show. So this recipe is based on his recipe.
Serves: 4
pound raw shrimp, size 26-30 is great, peeled and deveined
garlic cloves, minced
cup white or cremini mushrooms, wiped of dirt and julienned
green onions, chopped
3/4 scant
cups bread crumbs
cup parmesan cheese, grated
tablespoons unsalted butter
cup dry white wine
kosher salt and fresh ground white pepper
- Preheat you oven to 400?F.
- Place bread crumbs and the parmesan into a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of melted butter and season the mix with salt and pepper. Mix everything really well to distribute the butter this will help a great deal in getting the top to brown evenly.
- Put the shrimp into another mixing bowl and add green onions, mushrooms and garlic. Toss to combine, season with salt and pepper then combine this mixture with half the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle with the white wine and toss again.
- Fan the shrimp out in individual gratins or one large gratin or casserole. Top with the remaining breadcrumbs.
- Bake for 13 to 20 minutes or until the top is brown and the shrimp are cooked through. If you have over lapped the shrimp a great deal it might take longer to cook and you may need to back the oven down to 375?F so the topping doesn't brown to quickly. Serve.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
More Great Recipes:
Casserole/Gratin|Green Onion/Scallion|Seafood|Shrimp|Entree


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"I was not hungry, I was very hungry. I stole many bikes. I also stole cars. That was how we got by. We did those things on adrenaline, motivation. I came from Rosengard. In Sweden it's considered a ghetto, but for me it was paradise."
Zlatan Ibrahimovic on his childhood
"I didn't sign Mario Balotelli as a political statement. I signed him because he scored two goals against Germany and made them cry."
Silvio Berlusconi
"Has he deliberately chosen a league I am not involved in? I don't know. What is certain is that I will not manage in Germany."
Jose Mourinho
"The way Ronaldo plays, he's the best all-round player in the world. He is a benchmark for every player who wants to be that good, and it's useful to look at other players, watch how they do things and take my game to another level. Look at the way he takes free-kicks – he scores a lot of goals from them. He is obviously doing something right and he is on another level. Can I get there? One day."
Gareth Bale
"I won't receive any salary. My salary will go to a local children's charity in Paris. It's something exciting and something I'm not sure has been done before. It's a very good figure. That's one thing we're very excited about: to be able to give a huge sum to a children's charity in Paris. It's very special."
David Beckham after joining Paris Saint-Germain
"Coaching Real Madrid is one of the three things I would never do in football. The other two would be throwing a game and promoting doping."
Tito Vilanova
"Mourinho is extraordinary. I worked with Wenger, Deschamps, Mancini – great managers – but I've never known anyone like him. If you dress poorly, he mocks you for days! Then he'll buy you a drink, and you'll think he's now your best friend. But if you make a mistake, he'll kill you! Once I got man of the match. He called me and said, 'Manu, you were amazing.' I am full of confidence, I take the ball, I juggle when he wanted us to run. Boom! I feel like a child. He killed me in front of everybody. In the afternoon he called me again and said, 'You played a great game yesterday, but yesterday was yesterday and tomorrow will be another game.'"
Emmanuel Adebayor on Jose Mourinho
"I have to give great credit to Joachim Low. He has developed this team and their football is worth seeing and can be successful. The Germans watching today, they have not seen such attractive football for a long time. We absolutely have the quality to win the World Cup. Spain are still in the way, but one point they will lose and we must capitalise."
Gunter Netzer
"I was almost considered to be a God after I had helped the club stay in Ligue 1 with so few resources. Last summer, in Nancy, I was Guardiola, Mourinho and Ferguson rolled into one. But the ones who kissed me in May knifed me in the back in December."
Jean Fernandez
"I've told my father a thousand times to stop driving taxis, but there's no way [he will listen]. It's really impressive the effort my parents made to enable their three children to become footballers. I remember my mother washing three sacks full of muddy [kit], boots. Now it's time for them to enjoy themselves, they have already worked very hard for us."
Alvaro Negredo, whose older brothers Cesar and Ruben are also professionals in the Spanish lower leagues


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June 2007
Making Education-related Information Available and Understandable
Under NCLB, parents and guardians are offered more information, more choice, and a bigger role in their children's education than in the past. But if the intent of the law is as singular and straightforward as its name, its intricacies can hinder parents in using it to their children's advantage. While education agencies generally have analysts and professional associations to help them understand the law and its ramifications, most parents do not have such resources at hand. This is where the PIRCs come in: ensuring that parents and guardians receive relevant NCLB information in a fashion that makes it meaningful to them, using simplified language to communicate its relevant points as clearly as possible.
A number of PIRCs have published NCLB guides that cover the basics of accountability, school choice, and SES, while also including more time-dependent NCLB information, such as legislative updates, in newsletters that are sent to parents and educators. For a more personal approach that allows parents to ask questions and discuss NCLB, some PIRCs, such as the Indiana Partnerships Center and the PIRC that was operated by the Academic Development Institute (ADI), based in Lincoln, Ill., have offered workshops (e.g., Indiana's "No Child Left Behind, P.L. 221 & You!") that specifically outline parent and educator roles in fulfilling NCLB's parent involvement mandates, such as writing the school-parent compact and engaging parents in developing parent involvement policies. The Utah Family Center, based in Salt Lake City (and as of its 2006 PIRC grant, operating under a new name, Utah Family Partnership Network), includes on its Web site brief, concise descriptions of NCLB terms (e.g., a school report card, school choice, SES) and issues (e.g., testing requirements, what it means to not meet AYP).
Start With Existing NCLB Resources
When it comes to illuminating what NCLB offers for parents, the U.S. Department of Education, SEAs, and others have already developed many helpful publications and Web-based documents. In such cases, there is no need for a PIRC to reinvent the wheel. Instead, PIRC staff can focus their efforts on finding an avenue to get these resources to parents. So, for example, the Indiana Partnerships Center has posted on its Web site an information resource developed by the U.S. Department of Education that briefly, and in an easy-to-understand fashion, describes a school-parent compact, gives directions and a template for writing a compact, and provides question prompts (e.g., "How can we use the compact throughout the school year?") for developing related action steps (e.g., use the compact as part of parent-teacher conferences). This PIRC also has posted a downloadable description from the Indiana State Board of Education of what a local parent involvement policy should include and how and to whom it should be distributed.
Ensure User-friendly Language and Format
Even for highly literate, well-educated parents, understanding how NCLB relates to them and their children can be challenging. For those who are not comfortably literate in English or who have little education, NCLB is virtually inaccessible in its original form, or even through the many articles about it that have been published in newspapers and magazines or via the Web. For these parents, it is essential that relevant aspects of the legislation be presented in easily understandable language and formats. Staff at these highlighted PIRCs suggest, for example, using colorful graphics and charts; keeping communication of basic elements to one page each, if possible; gearing language to approximately a sixth- to eighth-grade level as many newspapers do (based on the education level of their readership); and using a variety of parents, especially those in targeted communities or populations (e.g., those for whom English is a second language), to review materials as they are being developed.
To help parents understand and navigate the legislation, ADI's PIRC developed A Parent Guide to No Child Left Behind,9 which explains parents' rights and responsibilities under the legislation and has been offered in both Spanish and English. The guide's narrative is broken up by colorful textboxes that either provide helpful tips for parents (e.g., how to assist with homework) or suggest questions parents might want to ask local educators. The guide has been disseminated through home visits, workshops, mailings, and downloads from the Internet, and more than 200,000 copies have been distributed to date, both within Illinois and nationwide via Internet downloads.
Similarly, the Indiana Partnerships Center developed and distributes A Parent's Guide to Understanding NCLB & P.L. 221 10 (P.L. 221 being Indiana's education accountability act). This eight-page guide, brightly colored with simple, appealing graphics, starts by very briefly introducing the laws and defining a few key terms (e.g., AYP). But most of its information is displayed in a chart laid out according to key concepts covered by the laws, including, for example, academic goals, teacher qualifications, student assessment, accountability, and school safety. (see fig. 3, Indiana Partnerships Center: Excerpt From A Parent's Guide to Understanding NCLB and P.L. 221, below.) Each row has four columns: NCLB, P.L. 221, "What it means to parents," and "Where to find more information." So, for example, on the general topic of highly qualified teachers, the chart explains what the two laws (i.e., NCLB and P.L. 221) dictate and, then, in the what it means column, explains that parents have the right to ask for information about their children's teachers, including whether they have completed state requirements for licensure and certification, for example. The last column provides the names of (and Web site addresses for) several additional sources of information on the topic. This guide, too, is offered in both Spanish and English.
Figure 3. Indiana Partnerships Center: Excerpt From A Parent's Guide to Understanding NCLB and P.L. 221
In addition to using written materials, the Utah Family Center has packaged NCLB information in two DVDs, one about testing and accountability and the other about SES and school choice under NCLB. To help ensure that the dvds would be easily understood by parents, the written scripts were shown to advisory board members (including parents). Rather than trying to distribute the DVDs directly to individual parents, the center has relied on its own trainers to use them at site council trainings and advisory board meetings and on school boards and community organizations, such as parent-teacher organizations, to reach additional audiences. At the time this guide was researched, the center was working on Spanish versions of the DVDs. In hopes of imparting NCLB-related information in a more engaging and understandable way, the Indiana Partnerships Center has been developing a DVD that highlights parents discussing NCLB together. DVDs are a particularly helpful tool for informing parents who cannot or do not read, and when used with a group of people—at a meeting of a parent-teacher organization, a school staff meeting, or a church-based gathering, for example— they oftentimes prompt questions and discussion that can be addressed or facilitated, respectively, by a PIRC staff member or volunteer.
One method for ensuring that information is presented in a meaningful way for the intended audience(s) is to have it reviewed by members of the targeted group(s). The Indiana Partnerships Center has convened parent focus groups, as well as its parent advisory council, to review materials and weigh in on their relative user-friendliness. Center staff present draft materials and ask participants to weigh in on whether the materials are understandable and interesting. Thus, those who live in the communities for which the materials are intended provide feedback prior to the materials being completed and distributed. IDRA also has its materials vetted, asking community organizations that work with parents in both rural and urban areas (rural southern texas usually includes Mexican immigrants whereas urban areas usually include immigrants from many countries in Latin America) to convene groups of parents to give feedback on whether the information is clear.
Make Performance Data Meaningful
Parents' understanding of how their children's school and district are performing overall is considered an essential component of NCLB. Thus, the law requires that parents receive report cards (i.e., a report card on the school or district, not the child) specifying at the school or district level how students have performed on mandated standardized tests, with student performance broken down by student subcategories, such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and limited English proficiency status. In addition, the parents of children whose school or district has not made AYP must be notified promptly and be informed of their options (e.g., SES, school choice) before the beginning of the school year or term in which choice or SES options will be offered.
To help parents understand performance data, ADI's PIRC developed a workshop that walks parents through a school report card to explain its different components. To make the experience more meaningful, parents are asked to bring their own school's report card. The workshop covers the topics of demographics, academic performance, and AYP. After looking at each section of the report card, parents are informally quizzed on elements of their own school's report card, such as whether the school is making progress toward achieving AYP in math (see fig. 4, Academic development Institute: Excerpted Report Card Guide to Help Parents Understand Student Performance at the School, District, and State Levels, below). As the parents walk through this process they are able to ask the facilitator to clarify information and answer any related questions they might have. This training on reading and interpreting the data has been offered in NCLB workshops conducted by community-based organizations contracted by ADI, as well as in a range of other contexts where it might be useful, such as in setting up school community councils (i.e., ADI's version of school site councils, which deal directly with school policy).
Figure 4. Academic Development Institute: Excerpted Report Card Guide to Help Parents Understand Student Performance at the School, District, and State Levels
Reading Your School Report Card
Part III
Similarly, the Indiana Partnerships Center has developed a guide that walks parents through the Indiana Accountability System for Academic Progress Web site. This Web site includes information on the Indiana academic standards, accountability, professional development, school data (including performance data), school improvement planning, and the state performance profile. The guide is designed specifically to help parents understand the school data portion of the Web site, and it does this by providing a graphic of each relevant Web site page with large red arrows pointing to where parents should click on the screen. Hints like "scroll over bars on this graph to find out how many students took and passed this exam" and little messages—such as "Don't panic!!!"—are interspersed throughout the guide. Finally, the guide includes a phone number to the Indiana Partnerships Center so parents can call with questions. this guide is downloadable from the center's Web site and is distributed at NCLB workshops as well.
IDRA has taken another approach: engaging a group of computer-savvy students from the lower Rio Grande valley—the Youth Education Tekies—to provide computer training and support for their parents and other adults in the community. A chief goal for these students, ranging from sixth grade to college, is to get their adult "students" proficient enough so they can access online information about their children's schools, districts, SEAs, and NCLB. At one of IDRA's leadership training sessions for parents and educators, the Tekies guided participants through the Texas Education Agency Accountability system Web site, where school, district, and state accountability data are posted. Participants were given worksheets instructing them to find their children's school on the Web site, locate particular data about the school, compare different subsets of the data (e.g., performance scores for Latinos and African-Americans), and reflect on their findings. The Tekies coached parents, some of whom had never used a computer, as they carried out the tasks. IDRA's PIRC director says the intergenerational program also is intended to support students' development as active participants in their communities.
Tips for Making Education-Related Information Available And Understandable


text:
The Mets are still obligated to pay him the remaining $21 million he is owed, regardless of if he signs a new contract with a new team, though multiple reports indicate a portion of that money will be deferred over several years.
However, "The 2013 money saved is not significant," Mike Puma writes in today's New York Post, citing a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. In addition, Brian Costa of the Wall Street Journal says, "The Mets gain a modicum of payroll flexibility for 2013."
According to an official who was negotiating with Bay at the same time as the Mets in 2009, Puma explains, "Bay did not want to play in New York and wound up taking the contract because it offered him the most money."
So, let's say the team frees up $1 to $3 million for 2013, that could let them better go after a guy like free-agent OF Melky Cabrera, assuming they're interested in him. Plus, if they can get David Wright to reduce his 2013 salary by building it in to a new deal, it could additionally open up more money...
This was easily the worst free-agent contract in the team's history, if not the worst. The crazy thing is, if I remember right, the Mets really wanted John Lackey to be their big free-agent signing, or 'big splash,' as people kept saying and obsessing over. However, the Mets (and every team not in Boston) insisted Lackey put language in his deal to protect them against his notoriously bad elbow. The Red Sox, pressured having watched the Yankees win a World Series the year before, caved, left that language out of the deal and used most of their off season budget getting a deal done. The Mets liked Matt Holliday more than Bay, but Bay's agent, Scott Boras, managed to get the Cardinals to bid against themselves on a seven-year deal, which the Mets were not interested in doing. So, the Mets essentially overpaid Bay to get a deal done, beating out the Mariners and Red Sox (and a mystery team)... and that was that.
[sny-accordion title="Previous updates about the Mets and Bay parting ways..."]
This is a huge pill to swallow. But it feels as though this is a major turning point for the Mets, and certainly a major statement on the part of the front office. It's clear, based on what Sandy said in the statement, that sub-par performances are not acceptable, and the object is to get better beginning now. Simply put, anyone – be it a Major or Minor League player – was better than Bay and therefore providing greater value on the roster. They were basically playing with 24 players on the roster with him, and that alone was a handicap for them. It's step one in a long process of getting better, and even though the Mets may not be getting immediate salary relief, they get roster relief.
I am speechless. "I am without speech," as Elaine said. This is great news, even if he goes on to revitalize his career. These two sides have to move on, since it's what is best for both parties. Bay needs a new team, a new situation and to put New York behind him… and the Mets needed to not have the pressure of playing him hanging over their heads. The reality is, he just wasn't very good any more. Statistically speaking, he actually hurt the Mets in 2012 more than he helped them. To have a player like that on the roster was causing all sorts of obstacles…
Nov. 7, 7:18 pm: The total payout to Bay will be $21 million – his $16 million salary for 2013, his $3 million buyout for 2014, and the $2 million remaining on his original $8.5 million signing bonus, according to Newsday.
Nov. 7, 4:51 pm: In a post to Twitter, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com says that, according to a source, the money owed to Bay will not be deferred for a long period of time.
However, Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Mets did not save much on their 2013 – the move was more about moving on from a bad deal.
Nov. 7, 2:50 pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post says the Mets will spread the remaining amount owed to Bay over the course of several years, and basically said in a separate tweet the Mets wouldn't have agreed to this deal if it didn't offer them flexibility to invest in the roster now.
Nov. 7, 1:55 pm: Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says Bay will receive his full salary as part of the agreement.[/sny-accordion]


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My first-- and only-- RWA Nationals conference was the one I attended in 1994, at the tender age of thirteen years old. I went with my grandmother, Peggy Hanchar, who thought it would be a great chance for me to see New York and catch a few Broadway shows (my main aspiration at the time being a career in the theatre). I have fond memories of Nationals 2004. I saw the Statue of Liberty, toured NBC Studios (in the hopes that upon running into my bespectacled and braces encumbered thirteen-year-old self, Conan O'Brien would be instantly smitten and we would spend long romantic evenings bonding over our unfortunate gingerness), and met Rosie O'Donnell at the stage door after a performance of 'Grease.' I hated the thought of leaving and as I sat, dejected, on the plane that tore me away from the city that had stolen my heart (upon adult consideration of real estate prices in the city proper, I have since reclaimed said vital organ), my grandmother beside me breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "I'm glad that's over!"
At the time, I couldn't understand why she didn't feel the sense of utter devastation I felt at being whisked away from the magical wonderland that was New York. Now, I understand. She was at that annual drama bomb that is the RWA national conference. I might have caught the matinée of Phantom, but I had missed out on the real melodramatics.
Every year, like Christmas, fall out from conference rains down on hapless and confused RWA members, stoked in recent times by bloggers and email loops. What once, back in 1987, would have been hotly repeated gossip in the ladies room of the conference hotel and discarded with the free promotional pens and bookmarks now lives on in pictures taken on cell phones and posted in online journals.
This year, I am speaking, of course, about the Shomi authors who *gasp* wore short skirts and thigh highs to the Literacy event and, to a lesser extent, the swan hat worn by a popular paranormal romance author.
With the exception of a few blog posts or comments saying, in effect, people can wear whatever they want to promote their books and as long as no ones' tits were hanging out, leave them alone, the reaction to these three individuals has been astoundingly negative. The worst attacks have been against the Shomi authors. The convenient anonymity of the internet has given some incredibly catty individuals free reign to vent their jealousy and personal insecurities on these women. Ridiculous accusations have been thick on the ground: These authors are unprofessional, they only got their book contracts because of their looks and male editor, they have single (double?) handedly tarnished the venerable name of RWA by showing their trampy, trampy faces at the conference at all, etc.
Some are easier to dismiss than others. Yes, the editor of the Shomi imprint is male, and yes, he has, on occasion, been seen surrounded by simpering females at various conferences (and at one notable RWA function was witnessed by yours truly playing pool with a group of middle aged attendees, one of whom openly ogled his backside whilst stroking a pool cue suggestively. It is a nightmarish scene that I cannot ever erase from my memory), but before I was published by Mira, I submitted material to this editor and never once in the submissions process did he request a picture of the author in order to make his decision. If these women are published by Shomi, it's because they wrote a story that appealed to this editor, not because of any favors they gained through their sex appeal and the flaunting thereof.
To say otherwise exposes the accusers as what they truly are: vicious bitches who have broken their leashes, out to attack and destroy anyone who holds what they covet, from professional achievements to youthful, well-toned bodies. And anyone who pretends that these nasty comments stem from anything other than blatant body insecurity brought to a head by the fact that these two women wore sexy clothes, looked good in them and garnered attention over their looks is living in a fantasy.
It's harder to crack the complaints of those who feel that these women (bird hat author included now) have somehow harmed the image of the genre. I have a very strong feeling that these are the same individuals who are fighting the inclusion of Erotica in the RWA definition of romantic fiction. The writers who claw their eyes out wanting to be taken seriously, who vehemently defend romance even when no one is attacking it. To these writers I say: mind what's going on in your own backyard and don't worry about the barbecue next door.
We are genre fiction writers. We make up stories about people who fall in love and have adventures. We entertain people, usually on their lunch break or right before they fall asleep or when they're on the toilet. We are not curing cancer. We are not fighting terrorism. Our work is only important to ourselves, and to our readers for the short time they spend with it. Why the near industry-wide push to ignore that fact and pretend that what we do is of the utmost importance to the world?
What's worse is that these individuals who cry to the heavens about the validity of their literary accomplishments don't just voice their opinions and leave it at that. They want the rest of us in the industry to not only uphold their ideals, but share their views wholeheartedly. And one slip will destroy the genre as a whole.
If you want to believe that your book about a fiery, red-headed daughter of a penniless lord (who has a temper to match those luxuriant tresses) being claimed body, heart, and soul by a sexily battle-scarred knight with anachronistically impeccable hygiene is high art, be my guest. But don't expect me to, and don't expect anyone else to treat their work with the reverence you do yours.
I have to pose this question honestly: Did the Shomi Harajuku girls or swan hat lady actually hurt anyone's livelihood? Will we see a significant drop in book sales over the next year because someone wore thigh highs and pleated skirts rather than business suits to the Literacy signing? I'm willing to bet not. And if they hadn't dressed this way, would a romance novel have won the Nobel Prize for Literature? Again, willing to bet not.
The average romance reader does not buy a book based on what the author wore to what signing. The average (good) librarian doesn't buy a book because they feel the genre is important. The reader buys a book because it seems like a good story. Ditto, the librarian, who buys what her readers want to see on the shelf. If I walked into a book signing wearing sack cloth and ashes, I'll probably not sell too many books that day. But is it going to affect the actions of a person who has never seen me? No. Because they have no idea.
Unless, of course, someone takes a picture of me and posts it to a blog. The actions of these bloggers who widely disseminate the images, then complain that the sartorial faux pas is going to destroy romance make absolutely no sense. If you honestly believe this, why spread the evidence around? No one will know if you don't give them the opportunity to find out. Yes, the Dallas newspaper carried the photo. That is one news paper out of the thousands in the country. And most people wouldn't know it was in the paper if they hadn't found out in the numerous blog posts about it.
The most incredible, mind boggling part of this whole controversy has been the way people have used their personally held beliefs as a license to say horrible, insulting things about these people in a very public forum. This is a business. I want some of the people bashing these authors to think very carefully about what they're doing. Your comments will get around. They might not effect your career. They might only cause a few uncomfortable moments at future
conferences when you run into these individuals and they know the hurtful things you said about them. But there might be an editor out there or an agent who you will want to work with in the future, and they might remember, also.
You are not hurting these authors with your criticism (professionally, at least. I'm sure the experience of being made fun of on numerous blogs for the past few days has been personally hurtful), you're actually giving them plenty of publicity that they can take, laughing, to the bank. But you might be hurting yourself. And you're also making yourselves look like total assholes.


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Do you have Windows Phone 8 (see review)? Okay, well probably not quite yet but if you are about to get one and you have some Bing points sitting by (you know, those things you get for every time you do a search using Bing on your computer), you can use 'em for the Windows Phone Store.
Yup, Bing Rewards has two special Windows Phone 8 offers on hand--one for 170 credits ($1.25) and one for 525 credits ($5). Redeeming them will turn into credits/voucher for the Store, which you can then use to buy Windows Phone apps...
The process is kind of neat and requires Windows Phone 8 because it uses the Wallet feature. After your purchase, you will receive a conformation email with a long code which you then redeem.
On your Windows Phone 8 device, you head to Wallet and tap "Add" to bring up the Microsoft Gift Card. You then simply copy/paste the code there and the OS will take care of the rest by validating the information. It then creates a Microsoft Store Credit in your Wallet which you can then opt to use to pay for apps.
Over all, it's a neat addition and finally brings Microsoft and Store credits to the masses. We can envision picking up Gift Cards at Microsoft Stores as stocking stuffers for the holidays.
Head to Bing Rewards (US only) to get the deal. Thanks, John H., for the tip!


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G-Unit Performance In Canada!
Check out this video of G-Unit touring in Canada 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and DJ Whoo Kid T.O.S in stores july 1st. Courtesy of Thisis50
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New Delhi: Lawyers at a Delhi court on Wednesday vowed they will not defend the six people standing trial for the gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old medical student whose case has shocked the country and provoked a national outcry for safety of women.
Hearings are expected to begin on Thursday at the Saket district courts, where the Delhi Police will formally present a 1,000-page chargesheet against five men facing the charges. The sixth, believed to be a juvenile, would be tried in a juveniles' court, but the police are conducting bone tests to determine his age.
"We have decided that no lawyer will stand up to defend them. It would be immoral to defend the case," said Sanjay Kumar, a lawyer and member of the Saket District Bar Council.
Mr Kumar said the 2,500 advocates registered at the court have decided to "stay away" to ensure "speedy justice", meaning the government would have to appoint lawyers for the defendants. Another lawyer at the court confirmed the boycott.
The brutality and horrific nature of the attack on 'Amanat' (NOT her real name) and her eventual death in a Singapore hospital have led to a wave of protests in Delhi and elsewhere and demands for stricter anti-rape laws.
Amanat died on December 29 after a brave struggle to survive injuries that doctor said were so grievous that her body couldn't endure. She was gang-raped on a moving bus on December 16 and thrown out with her male friend, who was also battered.


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Replacement of the AKAI APN 2 needle, diamond needle
The needle replacements we offer come from quality factories located in Japan and Switzerland. We do not dispute poor quality Chinese needles.
For optimal sound quality, set the recommended needle pressure to the disc. For prolonging the life of the needle, regularly the plates and the needle. The offer of cleaning accessories is available on the gramophone shop website.
Looking for a needle that you have not found in our offer? Contact us. We will check when we will be able to bring it for you.


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Built by the Dutch in 1744, this palace is on an island, off Cochin in the Arabian Sea. The building was once a Governor's palace, for the Dutch and later the home of the British Governors. Your evening boat cruise will take you all around the island. The palace is two-storeyed and contains well-decorated bedchambers and a huge lounge where historical portraits are displayed.
The Jewish Synagogue at Cochin is the oldest Synagogue in the commonwealth countries. It houses some of the scrolls of the Old Testament in the original Hebrew. Built in 1568, it also preserves the grants of privilege that were bequeathed to the Jewish community by the erstwhile Kochi rulers. There are nearly two hundred exquisite hand painted blue Chinese tiles, not one of which resembles any other.
Built in oriental style, the Mattancherry Palace was originally built by the Portuguese and presented to the king of Cochin in 1555. It was later taken over by the Dutch who improved it through extensions and repairs in 1663 AD. Since then it came to be called the Dutch Palace, though at no time did the Portuguese or the Dutch stay there. One of the oldest buildings in Kerala, the Mattancherry Palace is a double-storeyed quadrangular building that is a portrait gallery of the kings of Cochin. In the centre of the building is the Coronation Hall where the Cochin Rajas held their coronations.
St Francis' Church in Cochin is the oldest European-built church in India. Built in 1503 by the Portuguese, it housed the remains of Vasco Da Gama, the famous explorer who was the first European to land on the shores of India. His remains were later removed to Lisbon.
The St. Mary's Church near Chambakulam was established in 1721 by St. Thomas. The Church is said to impart a sense of tranquility and peace to all who enter.
The little island of Pathiramanal on the Backwaters is beautifully named; Pathiranamal meaning "sands of night". The island is a favourite haunt of hundreds of rare migratory birds from different parts of the area. The green island thus forms an ideal place for a break in the journey while on a backwater cruise.
The boats of Kerala are known after their shapes, sizes or purposes. The Chundaanvallam or snake boat takes its name from its stern, which represents the raised hood of a snake, as also from its serpentine length. They have a length of about 60-65 meters and can carry between 100-110 people. Snake boats are the traditional battle vessels of Kerala.
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I did say free FREE FREE!
I am so excited I downloaded it and uploaded the map to mapsource and already installed it on my GPS while I was on Lunch! I walked outside and it picked up the Conway area great! I can post some screen shots later when I remember how, but right now I am completely happy with this find! The street names are a little hard to read, but you can hover over them and it will "pop up" on the screen. I mainly wanted this for offroad caching and now I have it! WooT!
Anyway, I'll try it out on my drive home and see how it works. It was super easy to install, I just clicked download, then I went to where I downloaded it on my pc, clicked the install, and pointed it to where I wanted it to save the image files (my garmin folder), and then waited for it to install. After that I opened mapsource and selected Arkansas Topo in the drop down box Then I selected the areas of AR I wanted to laod and Boom! It was that Easy!!!!
Some info:
* Roads - Nov. 2008 Tiger Data
* Railroads
* Census bureau water data - lakes, rivers, streams, and washes
* POIs
* Borders
* Elevation contours - 5ft, 10ft, 20ft and 40ft intervals (equivalent to or greater than 24k) built from 10m NED data
The Website picture with the Free topo on the LEFT! Pretty detailed huh?
Where is this mysterious site? Why it is here:
All of the states "user created" maps
and last but not least road maps (equivalent to city nav)
~Yay~ :P


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My wonderful toy tester Alex and I arrived just as Susan Boyle was arriving. We hurried in — ahead of her entourage. I heard her — what a distinct voice! We then went to the Green Room which was pretty crowded today. Senator Chuck Schumer was there as was "That Girl" Marlo Thomas. (Or as other people know her- Rachel Green's mother on Friends.) As I was getting hair and make-up done (the best folks on the planet!) , Susan Boyle was rehearsing. Every time she sings, people just stop talking and listen. It's pretty incredible. I kept thinking where she was two years ago–and now all of this fame around the world. She joked with the audience that was already there–she seems to be in the moment and enjoying herself.
My segment today was part of a whip–where they have several experts talk on the same subject. One of the toys we had was the Mindflex Game which Alex demo'ed on air–no small feat when you have a room full of cameras, stage managers and oh yes, millions of people watching at home–but he did it!! I was really so proud of him. As we were leaving –Susan Boyle was about to sing. I asked if he wanted to stay and listen—but he's 11 — and he had no interest. Not really her demographic!


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The stat leaders of Vandalia's fall sports teams are all listed below. Statistics are calculated using stats taken in-person when possible. For other games, coaches reports are used.
Many athletes that spent their high school years in Fayette County have moved on to play for college or professional teams. Below are the athletes who recently made headlines.
Jessica Earnest • Senior • Vanderbilt
•Earnest, a Vandalia graduate, and the Vanderbilt University bowling team open the season on Saturday at the Bulldog Classic in Huntsville, Ala.
ST. ELMO – The Lady Eagles ran an efficient offense and mostly kept Cowden-Herrick's big star out of the equation in beating the Lady Hornets on Tuesday.
Senior Savannah Feezel had nine kills for St. Elmo, while Cowden-Herrick's Micah Jones could only get four kills while being stuck in the back row because of strong serving from St. Elmo during the Lady Eagles' 25-16, 25-16 win at the Egyptian-Illini Conference Tournament.
ST. ELMO – Perry Manley set everything hit her way and just watched as her hitters did the rest of the work against Mulberry Grove on Tuesday.
And she did some serving, too.
The senior setter picked up 25 assists in the match and 10 service points in the first set of a 25-8, 25-10 victory against the Lady Aces in the Egyptian-Illini Conference Tournament.
"She's a good athlete," said coach Elise Asher. "She's really grown and matured into her position, and makes us really good."
ST. ELMO – When the Lady Rams had control of the serve, they looked pretty good.
But when they didn't, it was a different story.
Cowden-Herrick kept the Lady Rams off of the service line in the first and third sets of its 25-16, 16-25, 15-8 victory in the first game of the second day of the Egyptian-Illini Conference Tournament at St. Elmo High School.
In the second set, the Lady Rams (6-11) had 24 serves, which was three more than they had in the first and third sets combined.
ST. ELMO – In their second game of the evening, the Lady Rams were better fundamentally and came away with a lot of kills in a win against Mulberry Grove.
Playing at St. Elmo High School in the Egyptian-Illini Conference Tournament, Ramsey had three players with at least six kills, six players had at least one ace and senior Jenna Hunt was consistent with her sets to help the Lady Rams to a 25-21, 25-15 victory.
"I thought we served better, and hit the ball a little bit better," said coach Kevin Helm.
ST. ELMO – Brownstown opened the 2012 Egyptian-Illini Conference Tournament with a win against Patoka that had almost all of its players getting on the stat sheet.
Nine players had at least one kill, four had at least one ace and four had at least one assist as the Lady Bombers dismantled Patoka, 25-9, 25-15, in the tournament's opening game on Monday night at St. Elmo High School.
Junior Bethany Oberlink led the way for Brownstown (9-17), securing seven kills and six aces, both game-highs.
ST. ELMO – Brownstown was ready for some of what Christ Our Rock Lutheran did, but what the Lady Bombers weren't ready for did them in on Monday.
CORL recorded numerous tip kills against Brownstown in the Egyptian-Illini Conference Tournament at St. Elmo High School, leaving the Lady Bombers scrambling after anticipating a strong attack in a 14-25, 12-25 loss.
The Lady Bombers went 2-3 at the National Trail Conference Tournament at St. Anthony High School.
On the opening night, Brownstown was defeated by South Central, 25-23, 13-25, 12-25, and St. Elmo, 21-25, 10-25.
The Lady Bombers (8-17) picked up the first win against Cowden-Herrick, 25-18, 26-24, last Friday.
On Saturday, Brownstown was 1-1 in the bronze flight, defeating Dieterich, 25-23, 25-17, and losing to Altamont, 15-25, 11-25.
The St. Peter Lady Saints volleyball team recently earned the consolation championship at the Christ Peoria Tournament.
St. Peter was 5-1 at the tournament, beating St. John's-Champaign, Trinity-Springfield, Trinity-Centralia, Trinity-Edwardsville and St. John's-Mattoon.
Emily Chapman was named to the all-tournament team.
Copyright © 2019
The Leader Union is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Vandalia, Il, and the surrounding area.


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Most of us who work at Performance Bicycle take an enormous amount of pleasure from the simple act of riding a bike. Having the physical ability to get out and ride is something we don't take for granted. For those living with Multiple Sclerosis it can be difficult or impossible to go for a bike ride, so at the Bike MS: Historic New Bern Ride 2010 we'll be riding for them.
For the past eight years, Performance Bicycle has supported the National Multiple Sclerosis Society by providing mechanical support and special discounts for cyclists participating in our local Bike MS fundraising events. Again this year, we've organized a team of cyclists who are raising funds and riding under the Performance Velo Club name at one of the fastest growing MS rides in the country, the Bike MS: Historic New Bern Ride 2010, on September 11th and 12th.
Even if you don't have a loved one who has been diagnosed with MS, chances are that someone you know has been affected in some way by this disease. Talk to some of the people around you, and you'll probably encounter at least one person who has a close friend or family member living with MS. By making a donation, or supporting someone riding in a local Bike MS ride, you can make a difference in these lives. Your donations go toward programs, services, and advocacy for the people living with MS in your local community and also help support national research to find the cause and cure of MS. We believe this will be money well spent. If you wish to support the Performance Velo Club team's fund-raising efforts, you can find our team page here.
But Performance won't just be there as a team riding in the event, we'll also be there to support all of the riders with technical support at rest stops on Saturday & Sunday. In addition, we'll also be at the New Bern Convention Center (for the weekend's kickoff expo) on Friday, from 3-6pm, distributing water bottles, nutrition samples and providing safety checks before the big ride.
So if you're headed to New Bern, NC for the ride, please stop to say hello to our tech support crew or any of the Performance Velo Club team members, as they'd love to meet you. Our team will be wearing these stylish new jerseys this year, so they'll definitely stand out in the pack:
As for those of you who aren't from our area here in North Carolina, check out the Bike MS website to find a ride near you. A Bike MS ride is a great way to challenge yourself, have a great time, and, most importantly, raise money to help create a world free of MS.


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A good friend and avid dog lover, upon relocating to Dallas, made an appointment with a new veterinarian to update his two dogs' vaccinations.
A good friend and avid dog lover, upon relocating to Dallas, made an appointment with a new veterinarian to update his two dogs' vaccinations. The appointment date arrived, and he wheeled his doggies up to and into the clinic, which was located at the end of a strip mall.
The company of three seated themselves in a crowded, and strangely dogless, waiting room. The receptionist smiling much more than necessary, said, "Name please?" Our friend, eager to make a good impression answered formally, "This is Mabel June and Mo here for their shots."
The receptionist, now unable to suppress a giggle, said, "Sir this is a dental office. The vet clinic is in the next block."
Whereupon our friend quipped, "Well, since we are here, could you clean their teeth?" Amid sympathetic snickers and outright laughter, he made an awkward retreat toward the exit.
Have you ever said something or done something that you wish you hadn't? Sure you have. All of us have, and our minds take the liberty of reminding us all too often.
Fortunately we are not in the political spotlight. Politicians' blunders are made sport of all over the late-night television circuit, and also cussed and discussed on the news. Possibly Dan Quayle was ridiculed the most. We remember Dan Quayle as the vice-president who taught the world how not to spell potato, with an "e" at the end, at a spelling bee in 1992.
President George Bush's made-up words often made headlines. Because of that the Saturday Night Live coined the word "strategery" for one of their skits of him. It seemed to fit. And of course the current President Obama said, "I have now been in 57 states." Yes, he said 57. It's hard to forget such moments, especially when the news media records and reminds us.
The only person I have to remind me of occasional embarrassing moments is myself, and I have to admit I still blush at the thought of a few. Like when our family of 7 sat down in the third row from the front at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Westfall. The bulletin dropped from my lap onto the floor. I quickly bent forward to retrieve it and whacked my forehead on the pew in front of me. Why didn't I see that coming? And how many others noticed and suppressed giggles?
Or the time I walked into K-Mart in Salina on a rainy day. My feet flew forward and my seat landed firmly on the hard, wet floor. Why is it the first thing one does is look around and see if anyone is looking?
I heard about a woman who asked someone what her sister's name was and then absent mindedly replied, "Oh she was the pretty one, wasn't she?" Oh, to be able to push the "delete" button on misspoken words.
Having done or said something is one thing. But being reminded of it mentally is another. What do we do with thoughts that remind us of our past failures and social blunders?
Recovery from gaffes comes when we do what the Bible says, to forget the past and to "press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Living in the past robs us of blessings available today. Likewise, thinking of the future also robs us of the present. Worrying or imagining how something will turn out is pointless. I'm wondering, has anything ever turned out the way we imagined it?
Our God is the God of today, of the present day. He is the Great I Am, present tense. He created today for you to enjoy. If the mind dwells on the past or the future, today could slip by virtually unappreciated.
I've noticed children know how to enjoy the present. They make everything fun. Dogs and cats don't regret the past or worry about the future. Someone asked, 'Have you ever seen a cat with insomnia worrying about what was going to happen tomorrow?"
I guess my message is to notice where your thoughts are. Everyone makes mistakes, but we don't have to nurse or rehearse our mistakes or those of others. How about enjoying today on purpose! Perhaps by living in the present on purpose we can forget past mistakes and also eliminate any accidental bad memories for the future.
Anna Folkerts is a resident of McPherson.


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November 27, 2010
Wabash rode a 20-1 scoring run at the end of the first half and start of the second in a dominating 60-45 victory in the championship game of the Pete Thorn Tournament over second-ranked Randolph-Macon College Saturday afternoon.
The Yellow Jackets, ranked second behind Wisconsin-Stevens Point in preseason D3hoops.com Top-25 poll, had no answer for tournament MVP Wes Smith. The Wabash senior guard poured in a game-high 27 points one night after scoring 34 against Otterbein in the opening round of the tournament. Smith (left) shot 11-of-20 from the field and just missed a double-double by grabbing nine rebounds.
Wabash improved to 6-0 with the victory, the first time since the 1922-23 season the Little Giants have started a season with six consecutive wins.
Both teams battled early with Randolph-Macon taking a six-point lead midway through the first period on a jumper by all-tournament selection Eric Pugh. Dominique Thomas' three-pointer trimmed the lead to three points, and another jumper by the senior guard made it a one-point game with 7:36 left to play in the first half. A layup by Billy Camion stretched the Yellow Jackets' advantage to three before AJ Sutherlin tied the game with a three-point shot.
The two teams traded baskets, tying the score at 26-26 with 4:15 remaining in the opening period. That's when Wabash pitched a shutout defensively, holding Randolph-Macon scoreless for the rest of the first half. Smith gave Wabash a 28-26 lead with two free throws before Aaron Zinnerman added two free throws and jumper to push the Little Giants' lead to six. Smith added another basket in the final minute, then Sutherlin grabbed an offensive rebound off a Wabash miss and hit a put-back six-foot jump shot just before the horn to put the Little Giants up by 10.
Three quick fouls added two free throws to a Brian Shelbourne jumper in the lane, extending the lead to 14 points. Randolph-Macon (4-1) scored its only point in the first six minutes of the second half when Brandon Braxton connected on one of two free throws. Meanwhile, Wabash continued to score, with Smith accounting for seven of the Little Giants' 10 points in the opening minutes of the final period.
Wabash would eventually open up a 23-point lead with six minutes left before settling for 15-point victory.
Zinnerman joined Smith and Pugh on the all-tournament team. The junior guard tied a season- and career-high with 13 points. Sutherlin (right) added eight points. The interior defense of Nick Curosh, Ben Burkett, and Pete Nicksic held the Yellow Jackets' 6-9 center, Brandon Braxton, to 10 points. Wabash outrebounded Randolph-Macon 41-31 and grabbed 15 offensive boards that led to 15 second-chance points. Braxton was also an all-tournament team selection.
The Little Giants return to action Wednesday with a road game at DePauw University at 7:30 p.m.


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City of Lincoln
Fire & Rescue Department
Traffic Pre Emptive System
As part of the 1995 Fire Department bond issue supported by the city administration and council and approved by the voters, the City traffic engineering division has developed and installed traffic signal pre-empt equipment at approximately 120 intersections to assist fire vehicles to travel more safely when responding. Studies in other communities indicate an improved response time for emergency vehicles by as much as 23%. These studies also indicate that accidents during emergency response at intersections with traffic pre-empt have also been reduced.
Every emergency vehicle is equipped with a device that emits a flashing light, much like a strobe light. Select intersections have sensors mounted on the traffic signal head that receive the flashing light from the approaching emergency vehicle. Once the sensor recognizes the emergency vehicle, the traffic signal head will change to green from whatever color is displaying to traffic. This change is done so that opposing traffic to the direction of emergency travel will receive a red light, thus allowing the emergency vehicle to pass safely.
The purpose of this system is to protect motorists during emergency vehicle response through effective vehicle traffic management. In addition, risk to emergency responders is reduced from other motorist while the emergency vehicle is responding. This system also assists emergency vehicles to get to emergency scenes more quickly.
To see which intersections are under pre-emptive control MAP (416kb).
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Reviewed by EN (age 7) and MF (age 9)
We enjoyed this book because it was funny, like when Anna told a soldier to give her money. Our favorite part was when they had no food so they had to grow their food from seeds. We did not like the illustrations because they were too foggy and kind of boring.
Whoever likes to get a new coat would like this book, because it's all about making a coat. Other second graders would enjoy this book because the words are not too hard. Adults would also enjoy it because they might like to know how to make a coat.


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I've heard of this technique whereby audio goes in one ear and out the other ...Otherwise, I don't know of any nonlethal techniques that don't take advantage of moisture on the skin for conducting
The basic thing I want is two objects that can sent data through the human body. By wearing object A you can sent data to object B by physical touch. My technical skills are not that advanced so I would really appreciate some good advies on how to handle and start this project.
As I said my knowledge about his is very low
...or you already know somebody else has solved the problem and your "project" will just be to copy whatever they did, or you hope you're going to find that somebody has already solved it and you can just copy their solution. The first case is the one which would earn you most credit but your professed lack of technical skills seem to rule that out....
I just like to add that my graduation project it's about building or inventing new technologie,the focus of my project is more on interaction/interfaces design but as I said it would be fun to have somethingworking,I don't want to prove that I'm a engineer, and that I have invented this or that,from a interaction point of point I could simulate everything, but I though it would be more fun if I had something that worked so I though, he why don't I ask people who know something about thisfor some advies and tips, what to consider and so, that's all..so far many of the feedback is on copying stuff and so on.. so please if you have tips or advies like the post on "voltage" thank for that,but please I beg you, don't take the time to write a story on copying stuff... because as I said, I'm asking you for advies and tips thanks to everyone who has given relevant input so far


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Pre-Physician Assistant
Bachelor of Science in Biology or Biological Chemistry (Pre-Physican Assistant Track)
A physician assistant (PA) is a health care provider who practices medicine under the supervision of a physician. The clinical roles of PAs include primary and specialty care in medical and surgical practice settings in rural and urban areas. A PA's duties can include: performing a physical exam and taking a medical history, ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests, diagnosing and treating illnesses, recommending and prescribing medications and drug therapies, suturing wounds, setting fractures, and assisting in surgeries. Our Pre-PA program is designed to help students succeed in gaining acceptance to a physician assistant program after graduating from Evangel.
The Evangel University Department of Natural and Applied Sciences is dedicated to the spiritual, academic and social growth of every student. The department's purpose is to provide an excellent scientific education that is thoroughly integrated with the University's emphasis on the development of strong Christian character. Within this framework, students must contend with new scientific, social, ethical and technological challenges. Students learn to communicate technical concepts clearly and effectively and exhibit analytical thinking and problem-solving skills. Our pre-PA curriculum is tailored to provide the knowledge that students need for graduate school. Most pre-PA students choose a major in biology or biological chemistry. Since most PA programs require extensive medical care experience for admission into their programs, pre-PA students are encouraged to arrange for as many hours of medical care experience as possible. We assist our students in helping to gain these hours, which can include working as an aide or shadowing a physician assistant.
Program Plan (pdf)
|Want to see exactly what classes you will take? The Program Plan (sometimes called a degree sheet) includes all specific requirements - including University proficiencies, Frameworks courses and degree requirements.
Each of Evangel's academic programs is made up of a set of core curriculum, program requirements and electives. The courses listed below are just a small sample of courses that might be taken as a part of this specific program.
|Study of microorganisms and their growth and control. Emphasis on bacteria of medical importance, aseptic lab procedures, and care in the medical environment.
|Human Anatomy & Physiology I
|Introduction to the study of human anatomy and physiology with an emphasis on the roles of homeostasis and pathology and their interactions.
|Human Anatomy & Physiology II
|Second half of the introductory course in human anatomy and physiology with an emphasis on the roles of homeostasis and pathology and their interactions.
|Molecular and Classical Genetics
|Genetics topics that were covered broadly in general biology are studied in depth. Emphasis is placed on linking classical transmission genetics, molecular genetics, human genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics.
|Chemistry related to life processes in plants and animals, including enzymes and metabolism as well as carbohydrate, lipid, protein, and nucleic acid chemistry.
Evangel University's world-class faculty is made up of caring, Christian professionals who are distinguished in their fields and dedicated to the development of tomorrow's Christian leaders.
Natural and Applied Sciences faculty
Dr. Michael Tenneson: Biology professor with a passion for faith and science
Professor of biology Dr. Michael Tenneson has a passion for teaching and mentoring students who aspire to the enter the field of science. He was raised in Napa, California, and recognized early on that he had a special appreciation for the animals he cared for on his family's small farm. He holds post-graduate degrees in […] read more
- Physician Assistant
No special requirements for this program.
General Undergraduate Requirements
The following are general requirements for all students beginning an undergraduate program at Evangel. For more information visit Undergraduate Admissions Requirements.
|Graduation from high school, or having the equivalent of a high school diploma such as the General Education Development (GED) examination.
|Core Subjects
|A minimum of a 2.0 GPA in core college prep classes (English, math, social sciences and science with a lab) or high school final GPA if no college credits have been earned.
|Standardized Tests
|>Entering freshmen should take the ACT or SAT test. The codes for Evangel are as follows: SAT: 6198. ACT: 2296.
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When it comes to life at Evangel, there's always something happening on campus and there are always new lessons to learn, even outside of the classroom...Learn More
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March 22, 2008
Santa Barbara, Calif. - The UC Santa Barbara baseball team (14-7) took the three-game series from the Saint Mary's Gaels (13-7-1) by winning both games of Saturday's doubleheader, 11-4 and 6-0, at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium. The Gaucho bats supplied the power in game one, while their arms led the way in game two.
The Gauchos scored 11 times on 10 hits in an 11-4 win in game one of the doubleheader. UCSB struck early and often scoring one run in the first, six in the second, and one in the third.
Designated hitter Chris Fox manufactured his own run in the first, reaching on a walk in the second at-bat of the inning. Fox proceeded to steal second and third bases, scoring on an Eric Oliver sacrifice fly in the ensuing at-bat.
The Gauchos batted around in the second inning, scoring six runs to break the game open. John DeAlba and Patrick Rose led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Senior catcher Matt McColgan followed with a monster three-run homerun to deep left field, to put the Gauchos in front 4-0. It was McColgan's first long fly of the year. Consecutive singles from Brian Gump and Chris Fox put runners on first and third. A critical throwing error from Gael third baseman Michael Cipolla, allowed Gump and Fox to score. Oliver grounded a ball to third with two out, but Cipolla's throw was wide of first, allowing two runs to cross the plate, putting the Gauchos ahead 6-0. An RBI single off the bat of Mike Zuanich scored the final run of the second inning.
McColgan doubled in his fourth run of the game in the bottom of the third, putting the Gauchos in front 7-0.
The Gaels got on the board in the top of the fifth, courtesy of a two-run homerun from catcher Ian Gordon. Gordon sent a 2-1 Chuck Huggins offering over the left field wall, to cut the score to 8-2.
UCSB countered quickly scoring three times in the bottom half of the fifth, to extend their lead to 11-2. Steve Cook was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, to score the first run of the inning. That brought Gump to the plate, who doubled to right field, scoring McColgan and DeAlba.
Gaucho starter Chuck Huggins (4-1) earned the win in the game going 5.2 innings, allowing four runs on four hits, walking four and striking out four. Huggins' earned his fourth win on the season, good for first on the Gauchos starting staff.
Senior Mike Martin came on in relief of Huggins throwing 3.1 perfect innings, to earn his first save of the year. Martin allowed only one hit in the seventh, striking out three along the way.
McColgan paced the potent Gaucho attack going 2-for-3 with a double, homerun, two runs scored and four RBI. Gump went 2-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI. Fox stole three bases on the game in a 1-for-3 effort.
In game two of the doubleheader redshirt freshman Mario Hollands shutdown the Gaels through six innings, allowing no runs on five hits. Hollands six strikeouts gave him 28 on the year in 30.1 innings pitched. The El Cerrito, Calif., native lowered his ERA to a spectacular 2.08 with Saturday's gem.
Oliver's sac-fly in the third inning plated the first Gaucho run of the game. Zuanich followed suit, delivering a sac-fly of his own, giving UCSB a 2-0 lead.
Cook, a transfer from Santa Barbara City College, hit his first homerun in a Gaucho uniform to leadoff the fifth. Filling in for the injured Matt Valaika, Cook provided stellar defense at second base, making several difficult plays up the middle. On the ensuing at-bat Fox showed his superior bat control, reaching first on a perfectly placed bunt down the third base line. Zuanich drove in his second run of the game, and third on the day, with a double to right center. Zuanich would score later in the inning on a throwing error from Gael shortstop Daniel Alcaire.
An RBI single from Gump in the sixth provided the Gauchos their final run of the game.
Junior transfer Zach Samuels came on in the seventh to close things out, inducing two groundouts and striking out one.
Zuanich paved the way going 2-for-2 with one run scored, and two RBI. Gump went 2-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI.
After dropping game one of the series, the Gauchos stormed back winning both games of the doubleheader to take the series from the Gaels. UCSB resumes play on Tuesday, March 25 as they take on the Westmont Warriors at 2:00 p.m. at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.


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The senior is part of a strong showing by Section 5, that also includes a second-place finish by Penfield's Katie Lembo and third-place by Rush-Henrietta's Mickey Burke
Canandaigua senior Kennedy Jensen earned a 10th place finish in the Class A girls race at the NYSPHSAA Cross Country Championship meet on Saturday at Queensbury High School (Section 2).
Jensen, who ran a 18:02.3, was one of several Section 5 standouts to excel in the 'A' race. Penfield's Katie Lembo earned second place and Rush-Henrietta's Alex Cooper finished in fifth.
Section 5 finished second to Section 3 in team scoring with 296 points. Megan Reilly (Warwick Valley, Section 9) won the race in 17:23.5.
Red Jacket junior Shealyn Doody came in 35th in the Class D girls race finishing in 20:33.4. Doody earned fourth place among the Section 5 runners in the 'D' race, with Keshequa senior Lindsey Piraino leading the area athletes (17th).
Marcus Whitman junior Audrey Button recorded a 39th place finish (19:51.2) in the Class C girls race. Button helped lead Section 5 to a third place finish in the team scoring in Class C (435).
Harley-Allendale Columbia senior Aamir Zain led the Finger Lakes boys athletes, coming in 11th place (16:26.8) in the Class D race. Cal-Mum junior Everett Geiger led the area runners coming in fifth.
The Pittsford Mendon boys team earned the Class B title finishing with 57 points. Rush-Henrietta senior Mickey Burke came in third place in the boys 'A' race (15:07.3).
Girls Swimming
Marcus Whitman led the Finger Lakes League at the Section 5 Class C championship meet on Friday at Bath, finishing in third place with 236 points. Bath-Haverling earned first place (416).
Sophomore Courtney Copper led the Wildcats winning individual titles in the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke. She shattered her previous school record in the 100 breast (1:08.75) by over three seconds.
Cooper teamed with Amelia Stash, Miranda Dunton and Erin Ormsby to earn second place in the 200 free relay (1:48.94). Ormsby earned third place in the 100 fly (1:04.75).
Senior Grace Gallentine led Midlakes scoring a third place finish in the 100 free (59.23). Ellie Jones recorded the top finish for Palmyra-Macedon earning second in the 200 IM (2:19.22). The Red Raiders finished fourth with 223 points.
Boys Volleyball
Victor 3, Hamburg 0
Senior Brannan Perdicho finished with 11 kills to lead the Blue Devils past the Section 6 champion Bulldogs (25-23, 25-23, 25-21) in the Class B Far West Regional on Saturday at Midlakes.
Adam Dake finished with a 36 assists to lead Victor (15-4). Collin Mahan and Kyle Donohoe finished with nine kills apiece for the Blue Devils.
Victor advances to the state championship tournament on Friday at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
Girls Volleyball
Randolph 3, Bloomfield 0
The Section 6 champion Cardinals swept the Bombers (25-14, 25-22, 25-14) in the Far West Regional on Saturday at Sweet Home High School in Amherst. Peyton Robinson recorded 22 assists and three aces and Audra Beechler finished with eight kills and six digs for Bloomfield (21-2).


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Movies: 'Divergent,' 'Bad Words' & 'About Last Night'
Following are Susan Granger's reviews of the latest movies in area theaters:
According to psychologists, one of the most stressful aspects of adolescence is finding acceptance within a peer group. The need to belong has been the basis for popular young-adult fiction like "Twilight," "The Hunger Games," even the "Harry Potter" series.
In a futuristic, sci-fi world, 16-year-olds are divided into five distinctive factions, based on hallucinatory tests and simulations that determine their dominant personality trait. There's Dauntless for the brave, Abnegation for the selfless, Amity for the peaceful, Candor for the honest and Erudite for the intelligent. If you're not born into or choose to join any of these groups, or you've been expelled, you're abandoned to survive on your own in the mean streets.
Problem is: in postwar Chicago, Beatrice "Tris" Prior (Shailene Woodley), the daughter of an Abnegation official (Tony Goldwyn) and a nurturing mother (Ashley Judd), doesn't fit into just one category. According to her examiner (Maggie Q), she's a Divergent, and that's a secret she must guard with her life because the government is determined to eliminate all Divergents as threats to the organized social order.
Although Tris' twin brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort) decides to join the Erudites on Choosing Day, Kris opts for the warrior Dauntless. While she's befriended by Christina (Zoe Kravitz) and mercilessly taunted by Peter (Miles Teller), her initiate instructor is Four (Theo James), who admires her grit. But Tris' most formidable adversary is Jeanine Matthews (Kate Winslet), the ambitious, power-hungry leader of the Erudites.
Based on Veronica Roth's trilogy ("Divergent," "Insurgent," "Allegiant"), it's adapted by Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor. Director Neil Burger is so burdened by the necessary exposition to ensure a future franchise that, despite the betrayals and surprises, a sense of excitement and urgency doesn't kick in until too late.
Having scored in "The Descendants" and "The Spectacular Now," charismatic Woodley proves a formidable heroine, demonstrating admirable athleticism in her ferociously fearless determination to forge her own identity.
Yet, on the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Divergent" is a disappointing 6, seeming a bit stale after other dystopian escapades.
Jason Bateman ("Identity Thief") makes his feature directorial debut and stars in this crude, rude, dark comedy about 40-year-old Guy Trilby, a proofreader with a photographic memory, who takes advantage of a technical loophole in the rules of The Golden Quill national spelling bee and declares his eligibility because he never completed eighth grade.
In the regional competitions, self-righteous parents are understandably angry when abrasive, yet verbally agile Trilby gleefully triumphs over their uber-bright adolescents, many of whom have been studying assiduously for years.
The furious tournament administrator, Dr. Deagan (Alison Janney), and its dignified director, Dr. Bowman (Philip Baker Hall), do everything within their power to disqualify him. Trilby's merciless victories catch the attention of dowdy Jenny Widgeon (Kathryn Hahn), an online news reporter who is curious about his underlying motives. But, then, on an airplane en route to the finals in Los Angeles, Trilby is befriended by a polite, sweetly precocious contestant, Chaitanya Chopra (Rohan Chand), whose father pressures him to win at all costs. Their clandestine evening excursions, which include shoplifting and vandalism, set to the music of the Beastie Boys, form the epitome of inappropriately disreputable fun.
Working from a screenplay by Andrew Dodge, Bateman obviously relishes his antihero's ferocious, foul-mouthed insults and mean-spirited intimidations. Both screenwriter and director credit the Oscar-nominated documentary "Spellbound" (2002) for inspiration and insight into the insular, arcane world of elite spelling bees -- with their elaborate protocols. And the words chosen to test the smartest competitors are among the most obscure, many almost unpronounceable.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Bad Words" is a surprising, subtly subversive 7, the most misanthropic comedy since "Bad Santa."
The idea of the one-night stand that turns into long-term love has been done again and again, perhaps never better than Edward Zwick's 1986 hit, starring Demi Moore and Rob Lowe, which was based on David Mamet's 1974 play, "Sexual Perversity in Chicago." But who can blame Sony for trying to repeat that success with contemporary African-American singles?
Bernie (Kevin Hart) and Danny (Michael Ealy) work at a restaurant supply company in downtown Los Angeles.
One evening in a bar, Bernie and his date Joan (Regina Hall) talk insecure Danny into hooking up with her roommate Debbie (Joy Bryant), a strait-laced executive.
Having been hurt in the past, both Danny and Debbie are wary of commitment, yet they wind up in bed. Soon, they're sharing a communal bath and moving in together. But when Danny decides to change careers and go to work at an Irish pub owned by his late father's best friend (Christopher McDonald), their relationship is seriously challenged.
Screenwriter Leslye Headland ("Bachelorette"), working off Tim Kazurinsky and Denise DeClue's original script, and director Steve Pink ("Hot Tub Time Machine") offer little that's new and different, ditching all subtlety and reducing the structured calendar concept to a cliched sitcom. As a result, while the pace is fast, it lacks flow.
For example, there's that scene where Danny barges in on Joan and Bernie while they're having kooky sex. Wearing a chicken costume, she's clucking like she's laying an egg. The direction is so obvious that one expects a canned laugh track to be inserted at any moment. Then there's all that squabbling -- and who needs a montage of texting selfies?
Hall and Hart, who must be the busiest actor in Hollywood with "Grudge Match," "Ride Along" and this already under his belt in 2014, delineate such playfully bantering, outrageously vulgar supporting characters that they're far more interesting than the story's pivotal couple.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "About Last Night" is a broader, more serviceable 6, transitioning from risque to raunchy.


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Asian stocks tumbled as much as 5 percent on Friday after panic triggered the worst sell-off on Wall Street since the global financial crisis, prompting investors to slash positions and scramble for cash and government bonds.
Fears that the U.S. economy is sliding back toward recession and a recent jump in Italian and Spanish bond yields towards danger levels have driven investors to seek cover.
U.S. stock futures were slightly higher after major U.S. markets fell by 4-5 percent overnight, but employment figures due later in the day could trigger further selling if the jobs picture disappoints.
Complicating matters was that Japan and Switzerland have intervened this week to weaken their currencies, which were considered the safest in the developed world. That has caused some safety-seeking investors to think twice about stashing money there when financial market volatility is spiking.
So far, retail investors were participating in the heavy selling but institutional equity investors in Asia were not completely liquidating their positions, instead continuing to cut riskier bets and protect their portfolios.
"What you're seeing is a shakeout of all the money that was put to work in the hope that 2011 turns out like last year, where you saw a nice bounce around the same time," said a Hong Kong-based multi-strategy hedge fund manager.
"That could still happen but with the losses that people have already taken this year, looks like no wants to take the risk. It's about preserving capital now."
Japan's Nikkei share average fell 3.4 percent to the lowest since the week following the country's massive earthquake and tsunami in March.
The benchmark MSCI index of Asia Pacific stocks outside Japan was down 3.8 percent , with investors selling across the sectors, whether they are defensive or cyclical. The index is on course for the biggest weekly drop since May 2010, when the European debt crisis was flaring up.
"Clearly, it's just a knee-jerk reaction to what's going on," said Michael Heffernan, senior client advisor with Austock Group in Australia. "We're going down simply on the fear that Italy can't pay its debts."
Within Asia, markets with high trade exposure to the West and reliance on commodities looked particularly vulnerable.
Taiwan, where the technology sector makes up about half of the equity market capitalization and depends heavily on exports to developed countries, is a weak point in Asia.
The benchmark stock index in Taiwan led Asia, falling 5 percent .
Europe, where overloaded national balance sheets have bedeviled politicians struggling to grasp the implications, is currently in the eye of the storm.
Italian and Spanish bond yields have kept rising and German bond yields falling, widening spreads the most since the euro was born and causing deep-seated fears about what else policy makers can do to keep the euro zone together.
The European Central Bank resumed buying government bonds after a four-month break and announced new longer-term funding for liquidity-starved banks, investors kept selling peripheral European bonds.
Traders went warily back to the yen. The dollar was down 0.4 percent to 78.83 yen , a day after Japan reportedly spent a record 4 trillion yen ($50.6 billion) to weaken its currency and bolster its export competitiveness.
U.S. 10-year Treasury futures ticked up 6/32 to 128-6/32 , just below the Thursday high of 128-12/32, which was the highest since December 2008. The cash yield was at 2.42 percent , a basis point higher than late New York on Thursday when the 10-year yield hit the lowest since October 2010.
The yield has sank 37 basis points so far in August, as a wall of worry sends investors to the most liquid bond market in the world.
Commodity markets extended heavy overnight losses on fears of slowing demand.
U.S. crude for September delivery fell 1 percent to $85.75 a barrel after plunging as much as 6 percent on Thursday and closing at the lowest since February 2011.
In an ominous sign, gold prices were soft despite the spiraling fears hurting risky markets. Investors were having to sell gold positions to cover losses elsewhere in their portfolios.
Spot gold prices eased $3.71 an ounce to $1,644.19 after hitting a record around $1,681 an ounce on Thursday before losing some of the gains.
"This will not be a quiet day. Liquidity will be at a premium," a sales trader with a European bank said.


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Tiger Woods makes his first start at Riviera Country Club in over a decade, site of where he had his first PGA TOUR start. 22 of the top 30 players in the FedExCup standings will tee it up in Los Angeles.
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