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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama dramatically increased his fundraising last month by finding 317,000 donors who hadn't previously given money to his re-election campaign, a surge that happened around the time of the Republican National Convention. How will Obama spend it?
Obama, who four years ago shattered fundraising records, had been out-fundraised by Republican nominee Mitt Romney for three consecutive months, until August. That's not counting tens of millions of dollars in spending by outside "super" political action committees supporting Romney. Obama's campaign said Monday it pulled in $114 million last month, slightly more than Romney's $111.6 million.
With the extra money, the president can be expected to purchase more television ads, hire more campaign staffers and dump any excess cash into coffers to use if Romney and his super PAC allies, as expected, saturate the airwaves as Election Day approaches.
The competition for money has been a key indicator of support for both candidates, as Romney and the Republicans have enjoyed three straight months of $100 million-plus fundraising efforts. But the possible financial resurgence of pro-Obama super PACs could help counterbalance the flow of GOP cash that's been out-spending Obama on TV since mid-July.
"People were excited about the Democratic convention and the campaign, and there is recognition of how much money special interests are putting into Romney's campaign — especially the super PACs," said R. Donahue Peebles, a major Obama fundraiser in New York. "That all was a rallying call for the president's supporters."
Here's what Obama could be expected to do with his fundraising bounty:
—Boost ad spending. Obama and super PACs supporting him spent more than $180 million since the start of the general election this spring, according to media-buyer data obtained by The Associated Press. But that's far eclipsed by $240 million in ads through the same period, roughly April through late August, from Romney and his supporters.
Those figures show Obama has accounted for much of that spending, or more than $160 million. He spent roughly $42 million on ads in July, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. The super PAC supporting Obama, Priorities USA Action, raised $10 million — one if its most successful months in terms of fundraising.
—Expand paid staff in swing states. Obama is paying more than 800 campaign employees' salaries, according to the most recent financial reports through late July. Romney paid about 355 during that period.
Obama's payroll includes dozens of employees in swing states like Florida, Ohio and Iowa. The payroll cost Obama more than $3 million last month. He could expand existing operations, as groups working against him — notably, the nonprofit group Americans For Prosperity — conduct their own get-out-the-vote efforts in key states like Virginia.
—Sit on the cash. Through July, Obama had a slight cash-on-hand advantage over Romney, about $126.9 million compared with Romney and the GOP's $118.9 million. Romney had about $168.5 million as of Aug. 31. Obama's campaign, meanwhile, won't say how much it had left until it files paperwork next week with the FEC.
This would be unlikely since Obama's campaign has spent much of its money on advertising. In an email Monday to supporters, Obama campaign manager Jim Messina noted that although Obama barely outraised Romney, Republican super PACs in swing states had been outspending Obama's campaign by 2-to-1. Romney's campaign declined to comment for this story.
Obama's fundraising figures bring the total number of donors in August to 1.1 million, slightly raising the average contribution per donor to $58, the campaign said. Officials said 98 percent of donors gave $250 or less, but the increase in average contributions meant the campaign likely received a greater number of contributors giving larger amounts as well.
Follow Jack Gillum on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jackgillum


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For the Jan. 29 Good Life section of Daily Press, I wrote a story about the growth and popularity of music streaming services, companies such as Spotify, Rhapsody and Pandora that allow easy access to cloud-based collections of millions of songs.
In addition to that report, I wanted to offer my own experience with Spotify and Rhapsody. What follows is my look back at my first five months of cloud hopping:
Here's how I knew that my music listening world had been turned upside down -- possibly forever.
Like many obsessive music geeks, I spend time at the end of the year looking back at the new releases that caught my ear. I try to put together...

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome - You've come to LexusOverride.com. Our Mission is to inform customers of the surprising limitations of Toyota / Lexus Navigation systems, which are too frequently hidden by salespersons during test drives. In a nutshell:
1. While the car is moving, you cannot input destinations, dial phone numbers or find things like bathrooms or restaurants. If you want to access the Nav system while moving, buy a Garmin.
2. The passenger cannot access the system either.
3. Lexus denies this is a problem. Lexus denies there are customer complaints.
4. Lexus has refused to address the issue for years.
To date nearly 4,000 Lexus owners (see their comments) have registered their dissatisfaction with us. These customers, who represent well over $100 Million worth of vehicles, are not satisfied. Many will not buy another Lexus and nearly all would not pay for such a poor Nav system. If you already own a Lexus, see how I got my rebate and encourage other owners to join us us as we work to get rebates for you too. We promise not to sell or rent your email, but we will tell you when news happens. If you are currently shopping for a new car, not even Consumer Reports will tell you the downside that so many owners discovered - too late! Please take a moment to view the comments and become informed if you are considering a Lexus.
If you've already bought a Lexus and are looking for the Override for your 2007 - 2010 Lexus car, or recently upgraded your nav DVD, I have bad news for you. Lexus took the Override away but 'forgot' to tell you, the consumer.
Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Jaguar, Mercedes, Dealers: Print the business cards to the left and help inform car buyers - send them to our COMMENTS page so they don't make a 'Lexus mistake'.
Jan, 2010 --It's a New Year and a time to begin again. How will Lexus respond? We'll let you know!
Mr. Templin did not write back. Instead, I received a letter from customer service. There are no plans to allow use of the Navigation system while the car is moving. So trade in your car, steer friends and family to other manufacturers and let Lexus control their ever-shrinking fleet of vehicles.
A recent NY Times article stated " For Car Buyers, the Brand Romance is Gone". I think the author is mistaken. Most car buyers want to identify with their cars and the company that makes them. However, some auto manufacturers like Lexus have alienated their customer base with their strongly defensive legal posture. I sure know that Lexus has made me madder than hell by the way they stonewalled every one of us who wanted a system that worked. Perhaps it's time to get out of that relationship.
A recent horrific accident occurred in a Lexus, in part because the driver did not know how to turn off the moving car. Do you know how to turn yours off? Read here so you know.
2010 Lexus still has no Override. Voice Recognition not a reliable substitute.
The 2010 RX 350 is in showrooms and a short visit to the local dealership reveals Lexus Navigation is still something to avoid. I was not able to test the Nav while driving, but the salesman did tell me that you must rely on the Voice Recognition (VR) while driving. His demo of the VR was done with the car parked in the showroom, the engine off with a quiet interior. No road noise and the radio was off too. Here's how it went:
Me: "I've heard the voice recognition is not very good."
Salesman: " Oh no, the new version 6 is very good. Watch this! Say you are looking for a gas station."
Salesman: "gas station"
VEHICLE: "Destination. Speak your intended destination" <------------Strike 1, it thinks he said 'destination'.
Salesman: " Show chinese food."
VEHICLE: "Please try again." <-----------------------------------------------------Strike 2
Me: "Starbucks"
Salesman: "That won't work, you have to try coffee house," Salesman then finds coffee houses using the new, comfortable but slow pointer interface that has replaced the touch screen. 10 coffee houses pop up. He starts clicking on these, one at a time, trying to find a Starbucks.
Me: "Can I select these to see which might be Starbucks while the car is moving?"
Salesman: "Um, I'm not sure." <-------------------Foul ball.
Me: "How about the phone? can I dial numbers while the car is moving?"
Salesman: "Yes, using the Voice Recognition." <----------------------------Strike 3.
2010 VERDICT: Save a bundle -Buy a Garmin.
Lexus Communications, continued:
First, our letter.
Mark Templin, CEO Lexus USA
19001 S. Western Avenue
Torrance, CA 90501
April 14, 2009
Dear Mr. Templin;
I see that the 2010 Lexus vehicles have not solved the Navigation Controversy, so I thought it time to update you on the status of www.LexusOverride.com and see if there is some common ground on which we can build. The statistics below relate solely to Lexus website and exclude the companion www.ToyotaOverride.com site data.
We now have over 1,000 registered Lexus-owning visitors, more than 50% of whom say they would not have purchased a Lexus if they had been aware of the limitations of the Lexus Navigation system before they purchased their vehicles. These folks are your worst enemy- they steer friends and family to your competitors which is particularly damaging in this tough economic environment.
We have passed the 75,000 visitors mark simply from individual searches. I anticipate that one day we will achieve our 15 minutes of fame and our servers are ready. I cannot say if that will occur before our complaints are taken up by consumer organizations or class action attorneys.
To be fair, I mostly like the quality of my Lexus. However, the navigation and Bluetooth limitations are significant and at least as important is my perception that Lexus just doesn't care about us and our complaints. The thought that every day new Lexus customers find out- too late- these limitations is what keeps www.LexusOverride.com going.
I would like to talk to you about what can be done for the registrants at www.LexusOverride.com and Lexus owners in general to ameliorate this important issue. Like me, many of these owners would like to support Lexus- it is in part a validation that we made good economic decisions ourselves. Lexus could certainly use the additional sales associated with recouping the goodwill of thousands of owners who could again recommend Lexus and Toyota vehicles to new car buyers.
Please feel free to contact me or my attorney if you are interested in addressing the issues raised on our website.
D. B. cc: Mr. John Xxxxx, Esq
Here is Mr. Templin's response:
We received no response.
Lexus cares not about it's customers.
It's 2014 CONSUMER REPORTS ANNUAL SURVEY TIME! Be sure to mention your Navi disappointment.
Lexus Should be More Like Tropicana ( from the New York Times )
"The PepsiCo Americas Beverages division of PepsiCo is bowing to public demand and scrapping the changes made to a flagship product, Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice. Redesigned packaging that was introduced in early January is being discontinued, executives plan to announce on Monday, and the previous version will be brought back in the next month.
Also returning will be the longtime Tropicana brand symbol, an orange from which a straw protrudes. The symbol, meant to evoke fresh taste, had been supplanted on the new packages by a glass of orange juice.
The about-face comes after consumers complained about the makeover in letters, e-mail messages and telephone calls and clamored for a return of the original look."
It was not the volume of the outcries that led to the corporate change of heart, Mr. Campbell said, because "it was a fraction of a percent of the people who buy the product."
Rather, the criticism is being heeded because it came, Mr. Campbell said in a telephone interview on Friday, from some of "our most loyal consumers."
"We underestimated the deep emotional bond" they had with the original packaging, he added. "Those consumers are very important to us, so we responded."
Take a moment and read the TROPICANA approach again: "Those consumers were very important to us, so we responded." Can a Japanese Motor Company learn from a US Beverage Company? Let's hope they will.
An open letter to Akio Toyoda, Toyota's incoming President.
Dear Mr. Toyoda-
As you take the reins, I hope you have in mind a plan to return to the basics that once made Toyota a great company. Customer satisfaction has been taking it on the chin lately at Toyota, costing the Company sales and customer loyalty.
A case in point is the Toyota/Lexus Override controversy. Dissatisfied customer searches have generated over 100,000 visits at our 2 sites (with hundreds of new visitors every day) and we have registered over 1,600 Toyota and Lexus owners who are frustrated, incensed and even enraged over Toyota's handling of the Navigation Lockout Controversy. The lockout was born of litigous fear within the Legal department, instituted in stealth by Corporate and maintained with obfuscation and misdirection if not outright deceit on the part of salespeople at the dealer level. I urge you to take a few moments to review our comments page.
For new and long-standing Lexus customers, our angst comes from the dealer and the Corporate levels. Within Lexus/Toyota the loss of customer focus is widespread. Getting customers back may be possible, but certainly it will take more than just an apology for failed past performance. Many of the folks who register here feel betrayed every day that we drive our Lexus or Toyota. I urge you to find a meaningful way to demonstrate that Toyota is on a renewed path to Customer partnership. That would be a win-win for us all.
Founder, LexusOverride.com
Lexus doubles down on controlling your vehicle!
In a continuing demonstration that your Lexus is not 'your car', Lexus goes big time into taking over your vehicle. A new option called Lexus Insider will send annoying voice messages directly from Lexus ( on whatever it wants) to you while you are in the car.
Q: But, won't that be distracting to a driver? I thought driver safety was the excuse for eliminating the override in the first place.
A: You are easily misled. Allowing the passenger to use the touch screen is very distracting to a driver. However, listening to our targeted ads will be a delight. In fact, you will pay more for this feature.
Q: This sounds like a nightmare! Won't this drive Lexus sales even lower?
A: Stupid you. People like to be told what to do. We are only helping them.
Q: Lexus owners are not stupid. In fact, Lexus owners are fiercely independent- just read the Comments.
A: You misunderstand. I mean that 'future' Lexus owners want to be told what to do. We have changed our target demographic. Lexus has abandoned existing Lexus owners- that should be very clear to you by now based on Corporate responsiveness to the Override..
Q: Hello, Acura? I'm looking to make a trade in.....
12/13/13 ***** It's AUTO SHOW Time! Take our printable LexusOverride.com business cards to your local Auto Show this year!
This is your chance to help get the Override back. Print up some cards - then either pass them out or 'plant' them at the Auto show- at other booths, media covering the show- or just place some in a few cars . You will feel better and it will help us to get the attention that will make Lexus fix the Navigation system!
For ToyotaOverride.com business cards, click here.
12/07/08 The Second *REBATE* of the Navigation Cost ( number 2! ).
This time a neighbor to the north, Canada. Read how they did it here.
11/25/08 LexusOverride.com website is now getting referrals from Acura, BMW and Mercedes salespeople. New car shoppers, please read about the Lexus Navigation limitations before buying your new car.
**10/15/08: I want to report on recent hardware and software 'fixes' that are out there. First I purchased a hardware override that required installation (not too hard if you are handy) but that did not work on the ES350 - the kits are from Japan and there is no ES vehicle there. More recently, I can verify that the "Override DVD" that includes the new map data and the old 5.1 software DOES WORK using the old override sequence (here). It took all of 10 minutes (you have to disconnect the battery for 5 minutes before the install the new DVD). You can find it sometimes by searching eBay or doing a google search (Click Here for the search) . I will not give information on specific sellers- I don't want to get anyone in trouble. The new DVD appears to the be the 'best fix' - but better to tell your friends to buy an Acura or at least skip the $3500 Nav system if they get a Lexus.
09/10/08: We will be evaluating some reported override kits from China and Japan over the next month. Look for updates as we install and try out these units.
09/05/08: LexusOverride.com may be renting a booth at one of the Car Shows this coming year. If you're interested in having it in your town and helping us, contact us.
09/01/08: Lexus confirms 2009 vehicles lack the override. Possible upgrade for 2010.
11/7/07: Lexus calls to explain that removing the override was a 'liability decision' made by 'legal'. But wait! Good news!! There will be a new and improved voice recognition system in the
2009 2010 vehicles. If you own a 2007, or buy a 2008 or 2009 vehicle? Sorry sucker! It seems Lexus doesn't understand how much this is hurting them....
10/17/07: There
iswas hope! Toyota promotes Scion guru to head Lexus. Change in attitudes? Sadly it seems the answer is no. . . .
10/08/07: Update: Toyota user gets $95 ticket for stopping on I95 to use his Nav system.. See below.
10/08/07: Update: Lexus calls to say they are sorry I am unhappy, but they will not offer an override. Then they give me the number for the National Center for Dispute Settlement (NCDS). Humorously, I already went through NCDS back in January-April as instructed by Lexus, but then Lexus petitioned to have my case thrown out after three months of paperwork, etc. In the meantime, we continue to get traffic and sign-ups. Keep informing car buyers before they but a Lexus / Toyota until our cars are fixed and sign up to be informed of potential trade-in's or solutions to the Nav Overrride debacle!
If you want to help restore the Override,
here's what you can do:
1. Sign up to be counted in favor of restoring the override function:
2. Call Consumer Reports 1-914-378-2740 if you agree Consumers would benefit from an article of the Override Controversy by Consumer Reports. Please be nice, CU is our friend that needs to know you think future buyers deserve to be informed of the Override controversy. (So far, CU considers this of insufficient importance to inform car buyers. Call and tell them it is important!
3. Place a review at Autosite , Edmunds, or Consumer Reports .
4. Tell your friends and neighbors how Lexus has ruined the driving experience. They may prefer an Acura, Audi, BMW, Infiniti or Mercedes or perhaps a Tesla
(Click here for Complete Comments Page)
We are currently pursuing the following:
Lexus rebate of Nav cost-
Lexus reinstating the Override
A "Mass trade-in" of Lexus vehicles for another manufacturer.
If you are a 2007 Toyota owner with the same complaint, please visit ToyotaOverride.com where you can be counted and also receive updates on your vehicle.
Various Lexus user forums have discussed possible remedies:
- Returning the vehicle to Lexus.
- Receiving a rebate for the cost of the Nav system.
- Filing a Class action suit.
- A wire cutting hack that voids the warranty…
- Create a hybrid 5.1 / 6.1 DVD -requires buying 5.1 or it is illegal.
- Hiring a programmer to write new software.
- Sometimes it is more dangerous to pull over and stop to use the system.
- Lexus is treating operation of the car like software (even if you buy it, you don't actually own it, you only have a license to use it the way Lexus tells you to use it).
- Lexus made a material change in vehicle operation and potential owners were not notified of that change before buying their cars.
- To sum it up: Lexus is not my mother.
© Copyright 2014, LexusOverride.com All rights reserved.


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Minimal Air
Note the kid in the green helmet who got minimal air (seen in the middle of this photo – bottom right on next two photos). See his reaction to the jump after his and the big air + flip.
Big air
Flip and reaction
What's cool about the Sea Otter Classic is that it brings all bike disciplines together into one venue. The magic is walking around, seeing new product, meeting Bros, and seeing jumps like this or roadies racing or downhillers bombing a hill.
Racing cross too and test riding the Turbo.
More Photos, Video
More photos are lightboxed on G+ and Flickr. Also see video of Raleigh's new CX bike with discs.


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Morning fire damages Poteau duplexes
Two families are homeless following a morning fire at a duplex located on the 500 block of Dewey Avenue in Poteau.Both apartments were occupied at the time of the fire. According to Vernon King, one of the tenants, he woke up and smelled smoke so he woke his neighbor and told him to get out of the house. No one was injured in the fire. Poteau Fire Department was able to contain the fire to the attic of the home.


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May: Prophets and Revelation
"We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God" (Articles of Faith 1:9).
The outlines in this unit will help the youth improve their ability to learn from and teach about revelations of the Lord, including those found in the scriptures and the words of living prophets as well as those that come to the youth as personal revelation through the Holy Ghost. Encourage the youth in your class to ask questions about what they are learning, to seek to learn more, and to teach others what they discover.
Outlines to choose from this month:


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2 Week Specials, Care & Community in Vietnam by Felicity Elsegood
Why choose Vietnam?
Before I travelled to Vietnam I had no idea what to expect. I had always wanted to travel to Asia and experience a completely different culture to my own and yet within Asia there is so much diversity it was hard to pick where I wanted to see. For me, as I knew a little of Vietnam's history, I felt that I should start my travels there. Having already decided that my friend and I wanted to enrol on a care project it was time to decide how long we were to be there. Unfortunately because of the ever-looming A-level exam results day we could only spend 2 weeks in Hanoi - but what a 2 weeks it was!
When we arrived in Hanoi it was after midnight and it was pouring down with rain yet stepping off the plane felt like walking into a sauna. We were met by a Projects Abroad representative and another volunteer on our care project and taken to 'The Friendship Village'- our home for the next 2 weeks. In the dark it was hard to take in my surroundings and exhausted after the journey my friend and I collapsed on the beds and instantly fell asleep.
The next morning we met the Projects Abroad member of Vietnam staff - she was absolutely lovely and helped us if we had any issues. She also knew the ins and outs of Hanoi and showed us around the city, helping us to get our bearings. The first morning was our first taste of the real Vietnam, we had a Vietnamese breakfast to begin with - the coffee was fantastic! We then had our induction where we met the other 3 volunteers on our project. People come from all over the world to volunteer and so not only did we get to experience Vietnamese culture but French, Japanese and Chinese as well!
My Care Placement
The Friendship Village is on the outskirts of Hanoi, a 40 minute taxi ride. It was where we were based for the fortnight and we got to know it and the people living there really well. The village was founded by George Mizo, an American veteran of the Vietnam War who wanted to provide a community for people affected by the Vietnam War, in particular for those affected by Agent Orange. There are many people living in the Friendship Village from small children to adults and so we got to meet a whole range of different people all with differing perspectives which was so interesting.
When we were working in the Friendship Village we did a range of different jobs. Some days we painted the outdoor furniture and the children's play areas and other days we worked in the children's classes. For me this was the most rewarding experience as you could see them learn skills and help their education so that they are better prepared for the future. Despite the language barrier (I only knew a few phrases in Vietnamese) I found we were all able to communicate effectively with the children and their teachers and in doing so we really got stuck in. Sometimes we would sit with the children to keep them concentrated on their work; other times we taught a new bit of maths to them or helped with their writing
Leisure Time
When we were not working in the Friendship Village we were able to explore a bit of what Vietnam has to offer. Some days we went into Hanoi to experience city life - crossing the road in Hanoi is a journey in itself! The streets are full of motorbikes and mopeds and to cross the road you have to just step out and walk - we were told to keep walking as the traffic would move around us! After the initial shock and terror of facing a road with swarming motorbikes it became second nature and made us feel like we were not quite such a tourist.
At the weekend we visited the famous Ha Long Bay which was fantastic! I didn't really know what to expect but from getting on the bus and meeting our fabulous tour guide to stepping on the boat and seeing one of the wonders of the world, it was a really spectacular day. If you do visit Vietnam make sure you go!
During the evenings we would often relax in the Friendship Village or go into Hanoi for an authentic Vietnamese meal. Some nights we also taught an English Class which I really enjoyed. I didn't realise how complicated the English language actually is – we just never stick to any rules!
All in all I had a fantastic time in Vietnam and would really encourage anyone to go. Vietnam has so much to offer and to volunteer on a care project is such a great way to help those who are not as fortunate.
Felicity Elsegood
Этот отзыв - личный опыт волонтера, побывавшего на проекте. Поскольку наши программы постоянно корректируются, исходя из результатов и потребностей на местах, ваши впечатления от проекта могут быть другими. Погодные условия тоже могут отличаться, что имеет значение. Свяжитесь с нами, чтобы узнать все детали.
+44 (0) 1273 007230
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Ned Byall, 84
Ned S. Byall, 84, of Columbia City, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013.Born in Whitley County, Ned graduated from Jefferson Center School. He served in the U.S. Army and went to Radio School in Fort Benning, Ga. He was with the 1st Cavalry Ski Patrol during the Korean War and was stationed in Hokkaido, Japan.Ned, along with his wife, Delores, operated the family farm with the help of their son, Brent. He was a member of Grace Point Church of the Nazarene, Fort Wayne.He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Delores (Adams); children, Maurie (Rosi) Byall, Marsha (Wayne) Bunker, Tammy (Ken) Sipe, all of Fort Wayne, Dave (Jenn) Byall of Warsaw, Brent (Dawn) Byall of Columbia City, Les (April) Byall of Wichita, Kan. and Angie (Brad) Prieditis of Holland, Mich.; sisters, Helen (Bob) Taylor and Patricia (John) Alexander, both of Fort Wayne; 25 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Ned was preceded in death by his parents, Ben and Ruth; and brothers, Harry and Maurice.Funeral service is 2:30 p.m., Sunday at The Chapel, 2505 W. Hamilton Rd., Fort Wayne with calling one hour prior. Pastor Rick Hawks will officiate.Calling is also from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday at D.O. McComb and Sons Covington Knolls Funeral Home, 8325 Covington Rd., Fort Wayne. Burial will be in Greenlawn Memorial Park, Fort Wayne. Memorials may go to Grace Point Church of the Nazarene.To sign the online guest book, go to www.mccombandsons.com.


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Valdespin maturing as teammate, player for Mets
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Upon finishing his fourth year of bachillerato, or high school, in the Dominican Republic, Jordany Valdespin decided to end his schooling altogether and concentrate full-time on baseball. Though Valdespin did not receive a professional contract as a 16-year-old like many top Caribbean talents, his potential was clear.
At 19, he was playing for a local Dominican team when a Mets' scout spotted him, approached him and organized a workout at the team's Dominican complex. Valdespin impressed the baseball men present. The Mets signed him that day.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Upon finishing his fourth year of bachillerato, or high school, in the Dominican Republic, Jordany Valdespin decided to end his schooling altogether and concentrate full-time on baseball. Though Valdespin did not receive a professional contract as a 16-year-old like many top Caribbean talents, his potential was clear.
At 19, he was playing for a local Dominican team when a Mets' scout spotted him, approached him and organized a workout at the team's Dominican complex. Valdespin impressed the baseball men present. The Mets signed him that day.
What followed was a five-year trek to the big leagues, in which Valdespin sprinkled flashes of electric talent amongst moments of maddening immaturity. To harness the former, he has come to realize he must overcome the latter.
"He's gotten a lot better," Triple-A Las Vegas manager Wally Backman said. "We've seen huge improvements from last year to this year. His attitude has gotten much, much better."
Still, the reputation of an immature talent is difficult to shed. Valdespin sometimes wears a T-shirt with his own picture on it. He owns a bright red hat with the lettering "JV1" -- his initials and uniform number -- splashed across the front.
It was a different cap that drew the ire of Mets fans over the winter, when Valdespin tweeted a picture of himself grinning in a black Miami Marlins hat. Upon arriving to camp this spring, Valdespin said his cousin posted the photo without his knowledge or consent. But he never deleted the picture, nor explained why he was wearing the hat in the first place.
Such are the types of actions for which Valdespin has become known. Last August, after he wore a T-shirt to the clubhouse in clear violation of the team's self-imposed dress code, his teammates stole the shirt from his locker, cut tassels into it and wrote on it as a way of teaching him a lesson. An enraged Valdespin began screaming at his teammates when he discovered the altered shirt, complaining later that he felt disrespected.
In those ways and others, he demands attention. If Valdespin notices a photographer shooting pictures during batting practice, he often turns toward the camera and poses. When he hits home runs, he grows animated as he jogs the bases. It all runs counter to baseball's unspoken expectation that young players should be seen but not heard, and is part of the reason why Valdespin initially struggled to reach the big leagues. His history of Minor League disciplinary issues is well known around camp.
In his early days, Valdespin fostered the impression that he cared more about himself than the team. It is a perception he is still working to change.
"I've seen him become a better teammate," Backman said. "I'm not saying he was a bad teammate at all, but you've seen his actions out there just like the players have seen them. And he's calmed down."
Attitude aside, Valdespin's lack of offensive consistency has been equally damaging to his young career. Manager Terry Collins gave Valdespin significant rope as a pinch-hitter last season, in part because of what he did early in the year -- a game-winning, three-run homer against Jonathan Papelbon in Philadelphia, then a string of five home runs over 29 at-bats in early July.
But from July 25 through the end of the season, Valdespin hit .192 with one homer in 109 plate appearances, striking out in almost a quarter of them. His .515 OPS over that span ranked 10th-worst in the Majors among players with at least 100 plate appearances -- two of the nine hitters worse than him were teammates Josh Thole (.452) and Jason Bay (.461).
That will not fly for a player without a clear defensive home. A natural second baseman, Valdespin made a nifty running catch in foul ground Thursday against the Marlins, but will rarely play there as long as Daniel Murphy is healthy. He is still learning the outfield, a job he first began tackling last spring, and the Mets do not view him as a shortstop.
Of course, Valdespin's ability to man all of those positions is a strength -- perhaps his most marketable skill at this point. But without his organization's trust, versatility only goes so far.
"One day you play second, one day you play outfield, it's very different," Valdespin said. "I'm ready for any situation. The only thing I know is helping the team how I can."
"He does bring a lot to the table," Backman said. "He's got power. He's got speed. So he's an asset in that sense."
Though he stopped short of calling Valdespin a future everyday player, Backman did say "it would be interesting to see" his stat line given 500 at-bats. That will not happen this year, with New York's starting and backup infield already crowded, Valdespin will have trouble enough simply making the team. He could easily wind up back at Triple-A.
For now, he will look to continue padding his .350 Grapefruit League average, which includes one home run and one stolen base in seven games. Though Valdespin went 0-for-3 on Thursday, Collins praised what he described as a markedly improved offensive approach.
"He's a real aggressive player, a real aggressive swinger," the manager said, citing reports of increased patience in winter ball. "All of the sudden, he's started working the count."
Improvement is incremental. But when asked what type of player he can ultimately become, Valdespin did not hesitate.
"Like Jose Reyes," he said. "Good player. Good attitude. I can't say I'm going to be like Jose Reyes in a couple years, because I don't know. But the thing is, I keep working hard and see what happens."
Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDicomo.


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I am a huge fan of Teochew food, a southern China regional cuisine. In Southeast Asia, there are a lot of Chinese of the Teochew descent and many of us are familiar with the homey and delicious Teochew dishes.
Today, I am very happy to have Ju at The Little Teochew as a guest writer.
Based in Singapore, Ju is a talented home cook and a mother of three. The Little Teochew is a resourceful food blog with many Teochew, Chinese, baking, and everyday recipes. Please welcome The Little Teochew to Rasa Malaysia as she shares her scrumptious fried radish cake (菜头粿) recipe.
Rasa Malaysia is literally an icon in the flogosphere, while I am just The Little Teochew. So, it is a huge honour for me to be guest blogging today.
When Rasa Malaysia suggested a Teochew dish, I knew what I wanted to make – Chai Tow Kway (Fried Radish Cake or 菜头粿).
If you live in (or have visited) Southeast Asia, you'd know that this is everyday street food, and a beloved breakfast/supper staple of many Singaporeans and Malaysians…
There are two versions of Chai Tow Kway – white and black. I am featuring both, although I personally live for the black version. ;)
I really enjoyed doing up this post because it brought back many happy childhood memories (hence the "old school" feel of my photos). I grew up eating the Chai Tow Kway at Siglap wet market…those were days when people would BYOE (Bring Your Own Eggs!) for the hawker to fry their Chai Tow Kway with, and ate this dish with toothpicks instead of chopsticks or forks.
If you are a child of the 1970s living in eastern Singapore, you will remember this. Ah, nostalgia!
Anyhow, this recipe uses a very high ratio of radish to flour. As my late father would say, "the real deal", where you get to taste the chai tow (radish) and not the flour.
Feel free, though, to adjust the proportions of radish, flour and water. Unlike baking, there are no hard and fast rules to making this, and a little more (or less) here and there will not hurt.
Do remember that increasing the amount of radish and water will yield a more tender texture, while increasing flour will give you more 'bite'.
I hope you'll enjoy making and eating this dish as much as I did!
Latest Recipes:
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Located in the rolling foothills of Sonoma Mountain, Gap's Crown Vineyard is nestled within the Petaluma Gap and benefits from cool air breezing in from the coast. The entire vineyard is 138 acres in total, ranging in elevation from 300 to 840 feet above sea level on rocky, well-drained soils.
Its Pinot Noir rarely faces difficulty ripening, as many of the vines are above the fog line, protected from too-ferocious wind gusts. As a result, the Gap's Crown name has continued to rise in acclaim in recent years. Look for plum, cherry vanilla and bright pomegranate flavors nodding to the wind signature of this esteemed site.
We could never pick a best-loved vineyard – it would be like picking a favorite child – yet we can't help but nurture a special place in our hearts for our own estate. These are the vines that surround our winery; the fruit visible from our Tasting Hall doors and Gallery windows.
The Chardonnay vines, planted in 2010, are our own clonal selection, with five clones translating to a palette of styles while staying true to the varietal character that typifies the grape. Almost a decade older, the Pinot Noir vine rows were once nicknamed Los Fuertes – "the strong ones" – after their ability to withstand the blusters of Carneros, which begin like clockwork each day and impart a wind signature into the wine that could only come from our specific Carneros site.
Larry Hyde and his family have been at the cutting edge of winegrowing practices for decades. You might not guess if you met Larry, who carries himself with a patient kindness and utter absence of ego, that he's been such a significant contributor to Californian viticulture's body of knowledge. He alone has uncovered a wealth of information on clone selections, clone isolations and growing orientations, "just by doing experiments in the vineyard," he says.
The entire Hyde Vineyard, which Larry purchased and began planting in 1979, slopes down to the south east, absorbing all the gentler morning sun and avoiding the late afternoon's risk of burn. The nearby San Pablo Bay's marine influence keeps the area's temperature moderate through the winter, which means an earlier bud break with little threat of frost. Combined with the steady winds drawn inland from the bay, this means a delightfully long and gradual ripening period for the grapes.
In 1981, with degrees in Horticulture and Viticulture/Enology, Houston native Lee Hudson scoured Oregon and Northern California in search of a site to call his own. He found a 2,000 acre property in the little-known Carneros wine region, a historic terrain that had grown vines for over 100 years and served as the location of the first successful American experiments to develop phylloxera-resistant rootstock. Lee seized the opportunity and began to plant Chardonnay.
Today, the charming farmer is a forerunner in Carneros Chardonnay and one of Northern California's pre-eminent growers. Lee's 2,000 acre Hudson Ranch, of which 200 acres are planted to vine, also houses the grower's record-breaking giant pumpkins and heritage pigs.
His lauded craftsmanship and devotion transcend into each vineyard block, which Lee carefully assigns to select Napa and Sonoma vintners. "These are sites of intense, interesting, varietal distinctiveness," Lee describes. We at Ram's Gate couldn't agree more.
Located south of Sonoma, Green Acres was the first vineyard planted by Vittorio Sangiacomo, the forefather of the family who now has one of the longest legacies of high-quality grape growing in Sonoma County. The site is bordered by Sonoma Creek on the east, with Fowler Creek running through the property, resulting in alluvial soils in which the vines grow.
The "Hill" block of the Green Acres Vineyard, from which the fruit for this Ram's Gate vineyard designated wine comes, is planted to Old Wente clone Chardonnay, adored by winemakers for its diversity of berry size, higher skin-to-pulp ratio and resulting complexity imparted in the wine.
Within the portfolio of vineyards from which we source fruit, Bismark Vineyard is unique – not only in that it's the source of Cabernet Sauvignon rather than Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Syrah, but in its altitude, over 2000 feet above Sonoma Valley. This region, located east of Glen Ellen in the Mayacamas Mountains, is distinct enough to have warranted its own AVA in 2013: Moon Mountain District.
On this small, steeply-sloped property, intense sunlight is contrasted by cool air temperatures to ripen its grapes powerfully and evenly. The resulting wines consistently give us a dynamic interpretation of Cabernet, with ripe blackberry bramble, clove and anise notes.
The Durell Vineyard is acclaimed as one of the top vineyards in Sonoma County, and for good reason. Nestled in Sonoma valley's southwesterly hills, the vineyard spans three unique appellations – Carneros, Sonoma Coast and Sonoma Valley – and benefits from characteristics of each. The cooling breezes from the San Pablo bay, the rolling coastal fog and the warm Sonoma Valley temperatures ensure peak ripeness while maintaining vibrant acidity levels.
The portion of Durell Vineyard from which we receive Chardonnay is owned by Bill Price, who purchased the property in 1997 and has committed to growing exceptional quality grapes for small-lot wines ever since. This fruit comes from the "Sand Hill" portion of Durell Vineyard, whose sandy soils and hillside aspect translate to one of the most mineral, saline site signatures of our vineyard-designated Chardonnays.
The fruit for our Durell Vineyard Syrah grows on a southeast-facing hillside parcel owned by avid equestrian and fine wine-lover Ellie Phipps Price. There, the vines grow on a slope protected from the coastal winds, which leads to a seductive, full-bodied and silky smooth mouth-feel.
It's only fitting that the Parmelee-Hill Syrah vines are, in fact, grown on a hillside, though the name of this Sonoma Coast site actually comes from Steve Hill and Gwen Parmelee-Hill, who purchased the site from Ed Durell in 1994 after Steve had been the vineyard manager of Durell Vineyard for 15 years.
The 52-acre Parmelee-Hill Vineyard grows on the protected side of a hill, where the climate is typical of coastally influenced areas: morning fog retreats during warming midday hours. The warmth is commonly broken, however, by intense afternoon ocean winds that quickly drop the temperature. This type of climate tends to be self-restricting, resulting in naturally low-yielding vines producing fruit with intense flavor.
Like so many Sonoma properties two decades ago, Roberts Road Vineyard was once a dairy. That was before the Sangiacomo Family received the opportunity to purchase this parcel of land, located – unsurprisingly – just off Roberts Road near the base of Sonoma Mountain.
Much of this site's terroir is defined by its location in the Petaluma Gap, where coastal winds from the Pacific breeze in, cooling the vines and preventing the fruit from ripening too quickly. Soils are alluvial, a gravely fan due to the presence of Copeland Creek boarding the vineyard to the north. The vineyard is managed by the Sangiacomo family, who has one of the longest legacies of grape-growing in Sonoma County – beginning with 17-year-old Vittorio emigrating from Genoa on his father's advice. Here, the vines are trained in arched canes, which facilitate even ripening.
Located in the rolling foothills of Sonoma Mountain, Gap's Crown Vineyard is nestled within the Petaluma Gap and benefits from cool air breezing in from the coast. The entire vineyard is 138 acres in total, ranging in elevation from 300 to 840 feet above sea level on rocky, well-drained soils.
Its Pinot Noir rarely faces difficulty ripening, as many of the vines are above the fog line, protected from too-ferocious wind gusts. As a result, the Gap's Crown name has continued to rise in acclaim in recent years. Look for plum, cherry vanilla and bright pomegranate flavors nodding to the wind signature of this esteemed site.
Three generations of Bush Crispos live on the eponymous family-owned vineyard, which is nestled on a small plateau in the sprawling Russian River Valley. Audrey Sr. and Fritz Bush were the first generation to discover the site, a place that would soon grow enviable Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in classic Russian River elegance. Today, the second generation, Audrey Bush, Jr. and her husband Chris Crispo, run the show.
The property comprises just 13.5 acres of equal parts Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Grown near a creek bed, which provides excellent drainage, the vines here produce deep, intense, delicious fruit with beautifully balanced levels of sugar and acidity and an enchantingly complex bouquet of flavors.
Within the rolling hillside Russian River site, vine rows at El Diablo Vineyard are planted on both parallel and perpendicular terraces, translating to great diversity, even within a single variety: varying clones, soil types, drainage levels and exposures build complexity into each El Diablo vineyard designated wine.
The vines are tended by Ulises Valdez's vineyard management company, one that grew from the acclaimed grower's sheer determination and passion for place. The Chardonnay is composed of three clones in equal parts, harvested and fermented together to create a clonal profile that varies slightly from year to year. The Pinot Noir rows from which we receive fruit sits slightly higher than the Chardonnay vines, and the resulting wine is highly structured with bright fruit characteristics and wilted floral notes.
Situated in the rolling hills north of West Sonoma County on the border of the Green Valley and Sonoma Coast Appellations, Silver Eagle Vineyard sits well above the valleys of the Russian River, offering its vines a respite from the thick fog that often covers those below. Consistent daytime sun and heat combine with the cool nights from the nearby ocean to build this site's signature terroir.


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A true travel experience starts and ends with peopleDiscover the difference of a guided tour. Learn about our Travel Protection Plan, Loyalty Program, The Gateway and our included Sedan Service
- 5 Reasons to Go Guided
5 Reasons to Go Guided
Go Guided
There are so many benefits to letting someone else take on all the details that come with having The Perfect Trip. See why more and more travelers choose to Go Guided — and why they never go back.
Go Tour Managers!
On Day 1 of your trip, you'll meet a friendly person who sure does know a lot about your tour and the destinations you're visiting. This highly skilled professional is your tour manager…and from the moment you meet this key player on your tour, you'll know you're in good hands. With their rich travel backgrounds, as well as their useful information about language, currency, and all things local, you can relax and enjoy the ride.
Go Culture!
Visiting a destination gives you a taste of the local culture. But imagine actually becoming part of that culture. Staying overnight in an Irish castle like Old-World royalty…feeling the cool waters of the Great Barrier Reef envelop you as you snorkel in its turquoise paradise…or rolling dough with an Italian chef to make the perfect pizza. It's not just about all the iconic spots that will make for the best photos, it's about diving into another world that makes for the best memories.
Go Product Team!
Our product experts are probably on the road right now — scoping out the best of our worldwide destinations. They go, take it all in, and find the moments they love best. Those are the moments they create for you. Those experiences and sights comprise each itinerary and make each one extra-special. Best of all, you don't have to plan a thing. You just need to choose which itinerary best suits you.
Go Social!
Travel is social by nature. Guided travel is extra social. Meet a cast of characters: your fellow travelers, tour manager, driver, local guides and more. The social aspect of guided travel is one of the best parts! Many travelers on our tours have forged lasting friendships. Think of all the wonderful people waiting to meet you out in the world.
Go Worry-Free
Your peace of mind is the most important thing to us. And that starts with our roundtrip home to airport sedan service. Forget taxis, airport fees, or public transportation. We will get you there...and back. And if for any reason you need to cancel your tour, you can do so — right up until the day before departure — and receive a full refund (thanks to our travel protection plan).
- Travel Protection
Travel Protection
You're Covered
That is, if something happens on tour, or if you need to cancel for some reason before your trip departs, you'll get a full refund. Our philosophy: it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
All you need to know about Collette's Travel Protection Plan:
If you need to cancel for any reason right up until the day prior to departure, you'll get a full refund (less the cost of the plan). Plus, you are covered on tour. If you have to stop your trip or return home early, need medical assistance or evacuation, suffer a baggage loss or delay, or are delayed on tour for 12 hours or more, you are covered. It's the kind of peace of mind you cannot put a price tag on
- Loyalty Program
Loyalty Program
Your Passport to Great Travel Benefits
Collette's Passport Club is designed to celebrate our valued travelers, group travel professionals, and travel agents with great tour benefits.
How Does Collette's Passport Club Work?
Travelers who complete a trip with us, along with past loyalty program members, are automatically enrolled in our program. Collette's Passport Club members receive a $150 travel credit (per person) toward the next trip they take within 12 months, or a $100 credit for a trip taken within 13-24 months, along with various other benefits and deals.
- The Gateway
The Gateway
Be a part of the Collette Tour Company Gateway
Keep track of your travel experience on the Gateway. On your personal profile page, tell us where you've been, enjoy a countdown to your tour, see information about the destinations you'll visit, and check out popular travel tips. The Gateway makes your travel experience easy and fun.
Plus, when your tour is over, connect with your fellow travelers to share your pictures and see their pictures. Keep the memories building long after you've returned home.
For group travel professionals, the Gateway also helps them keep track of tour information, bookings, passenger communications, marketing materials, and more. It's like a virtual assistant, saving group planners time so they can focus on the personal service they and their customers enjoy.
- Included Sedan Service
Included Sedan Service
The Difference Starts at Your Door
You've worked hard. You've earned a trip somewhere wonderful in the world. You're here, on this page, because you are already thinking about it.
We believe travel should be easy and convenient, from start to finish. That's why we have introduced our Included Sedan Service:
- Collette's roundtrip sedan service takes you from your home to the airport.
- It's included with all air-inclusive journeys to anywhere in the world.
- It's yet another reason to travel even more.
Not valid on group travel. Included in many U.S. cities within a 50 mile radius of more than 90 airport gateways. Service is available between 51 and 75 miles for a small fee. One transfer per room booking. Additional stops are not permitted on route. For parties of 3 or more alternate vehicles may be used. Other restrictions may apply; call for details.


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Across-the-Board (acrosstheboardblog.com)
This entertainment blog showcases crazy news, pictures, and celebrity gossip. Occasionally, I talk about my life as well. Consider it slapdash if you will, I prefer to describe my actions as... Across the Board. Updated whenever I feel like it.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
1 Comments:
- At 10/08/2008 11:51 PM, Carrie said...
That's awesome!
<< Back to Across-the-Board Blog
About Across-the-Board:
- A.C.B. is an entertainment blog originally created by Ramsey Mohsen but also consists of a team of bloggers; Lee, Celeste, Grace, Chris and Daniel.
» Email tips to us: firstname.lastname@example.com
Find Ramsey online at:
- "You gotta figure steak is safer because you figure no one is sticking their fingers in it"
- "Telescopic is definitely a real word"
- "You know your Mexican if you have a decal on the back of the car with your name- before you even get a license plate."
- "Looks like somebody unplugged the power the DJ booth!"
- "We are opening a new night club- the slogans going to be: Kansas City's premier HARD dance club!"
- "You figure- we probably have the best H-O-R-S-E venue in the nation."
- "I fu*kin' love carving pumpkins!"
- "1 AM @ Chubbys - "You want chicken fried steak? Ewww, I wanna vomit!"
- "If you can stick your fingers in it- and then it gets lost, thats how you know"
- "Yeah dude, she totally has side-ass."
- "I said yes, she said no, she said shut up..."
- "Are you guys really in here folding pocket squares?"
- "Last one there's a Penis Pump!"
- "DooDoo-DooDoo-Doo-Doo!!"
- "Scott the douche!"
- "Daddy! I want my oompa loompa now!!"
- "I guess the city finally did something about the squirrel problem."
- "She's just fat enough- she's probably a freak!"
- "I'm going to take a piss in the back yard. / Well that's fine, but thats the front yard."
- "While playing H-O-R-S-E: "I f*ckin' hate stadium lights (after the motion light comes on)"
- "You'd have a much bigger shaft if you'd do your balls right"
- "So is a unicorn just a horse that has one horn sticking out of its head? Oh."
- "I'd rather massage a chick with pudding."
- "We're getting a cat and we're naming it taint."
- "You should send her a text message and say that you want to rub her down with applebutter"
- "Never send a girl carnations unless you want her to say, 'Crap, I got carnations.'"
- "I've decided photos of girls on boats are sexier than photos of girls on the beach."
- "I'm worried that I'm going to run out of people to ask to be friends on Facebook."
- "Eat it with your hands it's tomato-saucy!"
- "I hate when movies try to make food visually stimulating."
- "She's been living for 16 years in KY jelly./Yeah, that can't be good on your eyebrows"
- "I think pregnant ladies are scary"
- "I think we should wait till it's late./When we get back it will be late./Exactly"
- "The party is at Jerry's Bait Shop! OH-OH"
- "I can't, I have to start studying for a final I have in two days... and I haven't even taken the book out of the saran wrap."
- "I don't have to ask her for permission, I just have to persuade her to let me."
- "You should have paddled him with your penis at his wedding!"
- "Jeez-la-weez!"/Did you really just say Jeez-la-weez?"
- "Listen here bucko!/Did you really just say bucko?"
- "[Ramsey barges into Paul's house and interrupts a group of people watching a serious movie with the lights dimmed], "Paul you're such a damn liar, and you smell like ham" – Drunk Ramsey after the Rascal Flatts concert
- "(calling me from the casino buffet) Dude -- quit screen your calls, I wanted to tell you about the crazy amount of food I ate, I seriously, you're probably going to think this is an exaggeration but it's not. [excited] I ate two steaks, probably about 35 shrimp, a thing of carved turkey, a baked potato crab, a crab rangoon, some fried rice, two rolls, and a teeny piece of pie at the end. Fucking most food I've ever eaten -- this place is fuckin' [short pause] we have got to start coming here on Thursdays! Anyways, I'll be home in a little bit, later bye."
- "Birth control is the best invention ever... [pause], so are condoms"
- "So I've been thinking of taking up smoking as a hobby..."
- "You would of been funny in the 80's"
- "I wonder what T.J. Ford is up to?"
- "You made out with him because you wanted to feel his suede jacket? That's awesome."
- "Júlio… Baptista!! A.K.A. 'the bat'"
- "Fuckin' cock block!"
- "Dude, I'd rather rollerblade on a treadmill"
- "Scott: Craig's List is awesome! Ramsey: Really? What do you look for? Scott: Oh, you know -- snowboards, motorcycles, and bed frames. Ramsey: Wait, what? Dude, that's pretty random shit."
- "Can I have a dollar!!!!!"
- "This is the best day ever! - Andy (from the Bachelor -- yeah, we watched it)
- "My tires will not miss all the pot holes Lawrence, KS has to offer"
- "I'm still pissed none of Paris Hilton's singles were popular"
- "Whoa dude, look... boobs."
- "Feverdo"
- "Take a right, take a right..."
Across-the-Board Blog, keeping you up-to-date on the most random entertaining shit online.www.acrosstheboardblog.com


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Jennette needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 93 designs submitted by 25 freelance designers.
Desert Horse Financial
Desert Horse was formed due to new federal and state regulations that require mobile home lenders and brokers to be licensed as "mortgage" brokers. In PA, mobile homes are titled and treated like vehicles. Mobile home loans were similar to car loans, and we did plenty of these loans over the years with vehicle sales-finance licenses.
When the rules changed, I scrambled to form a new LLC that would be responsible for the lending activities of our mobile home business. We wanted to keep this segment separate from the mobile home dealership.
I had to come up with a name quickly. Arabian horses are a big part of our lives, so that is where "Desert Horse Financial" came from.
Currently, our lending services are focused on manufactured housing. We are a "niche" broker company, as there are only a few brokers that work with mobile homes. We provide lending services to our own customers and those of realtors and dealers in the area. Some people are financing $15,000 homes, while others are financing $150K+ models. The majority of our customers are individuals and families of low to moderate income, looking for economic living. We also want to appeal to realtors and dealers that refer business to us.
I don't want to limit our company to just mobile home lending..........so please no "trailers" in the logo. I would like to see a horse (Arabian type, hence the name!!) head or body in the logo. There are plenty of Arabian pics online that you can reference. Here are some examples:
Can be sort of abstract, as long as it's clear what animal it is. No western cowboy stuff. Can be a silhouette or outline type. I am open to any color at this point. Looking for a sophisticated but not harsh or Wall Street huge company look. Want the logo to have a comfortable feel.
I will be paying close attention to this project and will give good feedback as the designs come in.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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California agriculture is in a "Goldilocks economy" at the moment — it's not too hot, not too cold, but just right, says Mark Clarke, Rabo AgriFinance, Santa Maria.
The veteran of 34 years in real estate investments traced the economy and its trends during the spring outlook conference of the California Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) at Sacramento..
Clarke has worked exclusively in financing agricultural real estate on the central coast of the state since 1994.
Joining him in the reports was Mike Iliff, Fresno-Madera Farm Credit, Fresno, an accredited rural appraiser who draws on 35 years of experience to analyze land values in California's Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.
In summarizing recent trends leading up to the current season, Clarke says California farm land values in general increased dramatically in 2004 and 2005, and although they rose again in 2006, the pace was slower.
"There's generally been a lot of positive news in agriculture over the past three years, and that has translated into ever-increasing values."
But, he added, that hasn't meant ever-increasing income from the land.
Strengthened exports due to the weaker U.S. dollar and relatively low interest rates have also been positives.
Prominent in shaping the market in 2006 were "1031 exchanges" of property. Under Section 1031 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, these real estate property sales allow the seller to reinvest the proceeds to buy a like-kind property and defer capital-gains taxes.
"They've had a significant impact on the agricultural market, and, in fact, on all types of real estate markets during the past several years," Clarke says.
But he expects the trend will diminish during 2007, with fewer transactions due to the weakened residential market.
Supporting his "Goldilocks" analogy, Clarke says the good news includes low interest rates and almonds continuing to be profitable as the market absorbs massive crops. Commodity prices are generally stable and, although dairy feed costs are up, milk prices have also risen. Liquidity is available in both debt and equity markets.
Less positive are concerns with some elements of the wine grape industry — lack of contracts and heavy bulk wine inventories — although generally the industry is stabilizing acreage and is coping with strong foreign wine competition.
The 2007 season has taken some lumps from the January freeze, labor spot shortages in several locations, and E. coli worries in fresh produce.
And Clarke says, "Some folks are starting to remember risk; there is still risk in financial and real estate transactions. For a long time, particularly in residential real estate, we have forgotten about that concept."
His analysis of land values in coastal counties during 2006 indicated North Coast vineyard values continuing upward in Napa and Mendocino Counties and holding steady in Sonoma and Lake Counties. Although demand was strong, sellers were few.
"We saw, for the first time, uncontracted — and, in some cases, unharvested — grapes. This is probably a temporary phenomenon, but is clearly a hangover from the big 2005 crop."
The statewide crush for 2005 was a record 4.3 million tons, while projected figures for 2006 show nearly 3.5 million tons.
The small vineyard market in the region continues to be influenced by the residential real estate market, particularly buyers who want to build a home on a 20-acre vineyard.
The best vineyard properties on resistant rootstock in Napa County are running about $280,000 per acre, up from $200,000 in 2005, while crop values there have flattened, with Cabernet Sauvignon around $4,000 per ton and Chardonnay slightly above $2,000. The lowest prices in the region for vineyards on resistant rootstock are in Lake County, at about $35,000 per acre.
Clarke says demand in 2006 was strong for all types of property along the Southern and Central Coasts. "Generally, produce growers had a better year in 2006 than in 2005. The E. coli issue is significant, and changes will be coming to the produce industry. Costs will be rising, and growers will be trying to figure out how to recover some of those costs in their prices."
Prices for vineyards in the region from Monterey to Ventura are starting to improve, particularly for small parcels.
Open irrigated farmland prices in Monterey County range from about $15,000 per acre for rolling, lower-producing ground to $50,000 for prime, vegetable land from Salinas westward to the Pacific Ocean.
Many in Monterey County, Clarke notes, believe the minimum price for good, level, irrigated land from King City to Salinas is $30,000 per acre.
Adding $20,000 in development costs to each acre for vineyards on this type of land would not be supported by the present value of the grapes produced, so it's not likely more vineyards will go in, he says.
But, in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, where Pinot Noir grapes have brought more than $2,000 per ton, open land suitable for wine grapes has been sold in the $30,000 to $40,000 per acre range for development as high-density (1,500 to 2,000 vines per acre) vineyards. Such development could bring total investment per acre to $75,000.
In the southern inland valleys, movement of dairies from the Chino area elsewhere in the state, via 1031 exchanges, meant that properties sold for as much as $600,000 per acre during 2006, versus a peak of $300,000 the previous year. Lower demand for residential real estate, however, has leveled off prices.
Effects of the 1031 exchange phenomenon were also seen in higher prices of open irrigated land in the Imperial Valley, which reached $6,000 in 2006, twice what they were in 2004.
"A lot of that is driven by what's going on in Yuma, just across the Colorado River, where produce ground has gone for $25,000 an acre because of 1031 exchange money coming out of the Phoenix area," Clarke says.
Land values in Central Valley counties continued to increase to record levels for most crops, although Iliff says the rate of increase has slowed.
At the same time, he says, "demand for ag properties from all types of buyers remains very strong. The fundamentals for most crops continue to be favorable."
But Iliff also warns: "Right now, risks appear to be more at levels that are too high rather than too low. We'll have to see how that plays out."
A sampling of 2006 land values in Central Valley counties shows almonds in Stanislaus and Merced Counties reaching the $20,000 to $25,000 range and stabilization at $12,000 for almonds in counties of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, and Tehama.
Wine grapes in Fresno and Madera Counties rose from just over $8,000 in 2005 to more than $11,000 in 2006.
During the same period, open land in Kings County ascended from about $6,500 to $8,000. Rangeland in eastern Fresno County spiked from less than $1,500 to more than $3,000.
Copies of "2007 Trends in Agricultural Land and Lease Values," which provides charts and narrative for each production region, are available at $15 each from the California chapter of ASFMRA at www.calasfmra.com.


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Ideal for rapid prototyping, ease of disassembly, moving and reassembly. Fun for kids and adults. Solar mounts, wind turbines, hydroelectric, electric vehicles (cars, trains, submarines and more) are just some of the ways to use this system. We develop solutions using microcontrollers in a variety of electro-mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic applications and have many uses for grid beam as a platform for these solutions. Check it out!
Isaacs, Ken - How To Build Your Own Living Structures (Free Download)


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Memorial built by Egill Ólafsson and Kristinn Thor Egilsson in 1998 at Hnjotur to honour the sailors who lost their lives in the seas around Látrabjarg and westernmost cliffs and fjords of Iceland in the twentieth century, as well as the brave locals who selflessly battled to save them from the clutches of the cold seas. Some seamen did survive their ordeal, but many perished in the unforgiving waters, or at the foot of the sea cliffs.
The combination of simple, respectful memorial plaques to crews from Fleetwood, Grimsby, Hull and other UK fishing ports (as well as unknown ships ) is strikingly moving. Short descriptions on each plaque outline the sobering story of each trawler and its fate, reminding visitors just how perilous a journey these fisherman undertook in order to bring home a catch for people like me.
Standing here at 1.30 in the morning, at the very western extremes of Europe, under a almost psychedelic multi-hued sunrise as lenticular clouds formed in the distance, was an intensely emotive experience which will stay with me for many years. Thought-provoking, and yet extremely peaceful and calm. Truly extraordinary.
[This is one of the panoramas from my June 2013 trip to Iceland. You can explore the other views of this incredible country here. https://www.360cities.net/sets/iceland-june-2013 ]


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I haven't blogged much this year, but of cause I have to return with the traditional new year's eve post. I'll be the sixth year now that I do this photo post, the posts from the previous years can be found here.
Unfortunately, unlike during the first years of this tradition, the weather hasn't been on our side. We got frost on boxing day and then some light snow after that, but then it started thawing again and today it's just been grey, wet and foggy. Hopefully the pics won't be too dark and dull. Was aiming for for the serene and melancholic, though you might have to be a fellow november child to really enjoy these silent, fog veiled winter landscapes. (Even I prefer the fog and rain to end with november, though, so the winter months can be white. Frost white or snow white, either is fine, it just has to be white. You need something that lights up the short, dark days.)
One a positive note, though, the warm winter means you can get som fairytale/troll forest pics even after autumn. And it makes those pretty little snowberries more visible.
Last year, I ended the new year's post with a long wish, coloured by what happened in my life. Though aiming for a positive wish, in a way the darkness in the heart that wished it shone through. It reflected perhaps more the lack of direction in my life and the negativity in my mind than anything else. It was a wish for others in my situation and not perhaps for everyone. This year, I'll just cut out the most positive bit for you, in a slightly new version:
So my new year's wish for you is thus: May 2015 be a year filled with dreams that come true, happiness, adventures, courage and many new opportunities. May you wander along your path in life, your north star to follow, be it one you're already on or a new one that is just found. May you create and thrive and grow.


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Europe Is an Innovation Vacuum Say Tech Execs
Europe will not be the birthplace of the next big thing in technology say executives in a report by consultancy KPMG. Ben Rooney examines why they are looking instead to the U.S. and China for tech innovations.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... the the ... she has just published its ... report saying that Europe is ... a law school ... we slept ... then ... why ... it's rather depressing reading this they take the annual report looking at technology confidence report the court ... and one of the questions they asked is about which is a country ... that shows the most ... promise for disruptive breakthroughs that will have a global impact ... and the other was was the next thing in the next big thing come from and that we think using a company or what's that all this and came out because ... it's not surprisingly ... on its domain to buy the U S aam ... that speaks to us ... that in China ... and India and then as they say we just simply Unicom's in Europe that gets a look in ... he is the isthe UK OK aka but thats an adverse shock to me ... is the case said that is because of the debt crisis is that his people on ... investing enough I spoke to ... the roof and report to door and he said when he eats ... eats ... every of the message about your kids go around our body ... the ongoing continuing euro crisis and deals with global executives who last ... won the toss about Europe in what is the message that comes out of Europe ... it's dead it's you know that that that the sluggish economy its work and it's just ... literally every other messages just like that of course is we don't the US is to know about I guess in a way it's not surprising that all of them is once again know and and there's been a slight shifting last year when they did this report and in that exact same question where was the next big thing come from ... China and and the US was absolutely tied twenty nine cents each ... this year U S shot up to thirty seven ... was funny that at times expensive China was born I'll be Apple sells real economy in China ... slowing down ... it is it isn't effective hair ... there was AEI is still better than some of them I ... absolutely ok but India without ... a picture ... this is like shifting his position but it was spurred on ... by the way behind but nevertheless still very very strong that ... I'm the other countries you might expect South Korea Japan ... and the country really that that that ... we can claim as European on is is reminiscent actually did pretty strong about six percent of of of incentives Ospel ... the next big thing would come from Israel which has a great addition for what about what about the UK ... only LBO UK does and its phenomena ... it was was ... was only nine percent of executive last ... through the next big thing is gonna come from the UK ... I'm a bit more depressingly still been ... at least one but I mean ... Gemini is a country which has a tremendous reputation for engineering ... and innovation these are the ... naughty been getting better looking than the equation absolutely nothing ... to store to ALM ... okay it is expected to continue like this essentially the U S ... were added to a doubt that this was a question are they all say said Sue so ... what's the likelihood of all the global center of innovation shifting my mom about last year I'm the and essentially ... selected agree with him some money last year when they lost ... thirty four percent of people for was quite likely that the U S which would would lose its crown ... as the CMS pullback will fail ... so as you is the public's skeptical and I and and is a bit when a one of these cases ... China has ... absolutely ... thank you


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DSRCV Retro Pants - Black/White
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From AlsaProject
I'm User Y2kbug alias Andreas.
My systems – in use:
- Apple Power Mac G4 "Quicksilver" (2001)[1][2] – upgraded to be a Dual 800 MHz
- PowerMac: Texas Instruments TAS3001C
- Self-made midi tower:
- Mainboard: MSI 890FXA-GD70, Realtek ALC889 audio, Azalia 1.0 compliant
My systems – in use, but lent far away:
- IBM Thinkpad R51 1830-DG4
- Apple Power Mac G4 "Mirrored Drive Doors"[3][4] – upgraded to be a Dual 1.42 GHz
- Apple Onboard Audio: Texas Instruments TAS3004 works since ALSA 1.0.19 and Linux Kernel 2.6.30 (bug #2448 fixed thanks to Johannes Berg).
- Apple Power Mac G5 "Late 2005"[5][6] – Dual-core 2 GHz
- Apple Onboard Audio: Burr Brown PCM3052 "Onyx" (analog in- & output, S/PDIF digital output) and Crystal Semiconductor CS84xx "Topaz" (S/PDIF digital input)
Some useful resources:
- ALSA User Info, a good place to start
- The unofficial ALSA Wiki, a good resource for ALSA users
- Gentoo Linux ALSA Guide – now you know which GNU/Linux distro I'm using :-)
- The asoundrc configuration file
Please note: I'm just a regular user with no programming skills at all!
Custom Search


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Just gave a little, I will hit it up again later. Thanks Turbine.
It's funny that some of y'all are preaching for a pay site, yet we had one and the same people ridiculed that site.
I'm not one of "them" that may have ridiculed a pay site. Nothing is really free...and anything that seems to be free is simply being paid for by somebody else.
Done. Hope it helps. Now I can B&*#% without shame. No-one break out a thong, please!
Julius J. Robertson, uh?
To date $1,460
Thank you everyone
Round 2 anyone?
Holding steady at $1,460
Thanks to everyone who wanted to donate and for anyone whose donation got lost in the mail.
To date $1,480
Thank you everyone
To date $1,505
Thank you everyone, still have to meet up with Boomer.
A few days left, any help would be much appreciated.
Sorry we haven't bumped this topic lately.
Time to give people(Boomer???)!!1.
Another bump for Ragin' Pagin'. Get those donations in before the end of the month.
C'mon #CajunNation


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Message Board
Heather Lowell Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Lowell has written!
Author Lowell's Book Reviews
No Escape
Harper Torch, Aug 2004, 7.50 ISBN: 0060542144 In Southern California, DA Prosecutor Tessa Jacobi informs police detectives Veronica Harris and Ed Flynn that LA Waves superstar Quarterback Sledge Aiken raped Midwesterner Kelly Martin. She also informs the two cops that Kelly had numerous credit cards owned by men and a questionable wad of cash. The girl insists she was to give it all to her cousin Jerry who she is living with since she came to H...
When the Storm Breaks
Claire Lambert was on her way home from a dating agency on a rainy night in Washington, D.C. when she chance upon a murder. The murderer wanted to silence her but she managed to get away, but not without any consequences. She lose her memory along with her purse and ID. Now, the murderer knows who she is and where she lives. Detective Sean Richter was the lead detective and while protecting her, sparks flew, although both tried to conquer it. ...
When the Storm Breaks
Harper Torch, Aug 2003, 7.50, 464 pp. ISBN: 0060542128 Afton Gallagher, assisted by her mom Peggy, persuades her friend Claire Lambert to try the computer dating service that they own. It is after midnight by the time they are through providing �Marie Claire� with a bio. Claire heads home to Georgetown taking a short cut to catch her bus. However, she sees a man with a knife killing a woman and the murderer notices her too. Claire flees in te...


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Little Giant Football Team to Serve, Play Game in Panamaby Matt Wilson • May 15, 2006 Share:
Wabash College football players will take off their pads and helmets for a week of sightseeing and projects as 39 Little Giant football players leave today for a service trip to Panama City.
The players, including most of Wabash's starting defense and two of next year's offensive captains, four coaches, History Professor Rick Warner, and Advancement staff member Steve Hoffman will be going on the nine-day trip. Once every three years, the National Collegiate Athletic Association allows teams to make overseas trips. Wabash's last trip was to Austria and Germany. After days of helping locals on farms and visiting local schools, this year's trip will include Wabash football players taking on a Panamanian American All-Star Football team at Balboa Stadium. The players will be contributing to a daily blog about their experience, click here to read their daily activities.
"This is going to give us some time to spend together and give us an experience that I think will be very powerful," Wabash coach Chris Creighton said. "I don't know what is in store for us, but what I do know is that we are spoiled here living in America. And by going on this trip, I hope the players will interact with the locals as much as possible because we don't want these just to be sight-seeing trips."
The first days of this year's trip will be spent working in a remote village in the Panama area where they will help locals farm and provide manual labor. The Wabash group also will visit local schools. On the third day, they will again visit local schools and take a jungle tour. The following day will include a tour of Panama City, putting together a youth football clinic and practice for the football game. After the gridiron clash, Wabash's group will end its trip by visiting the Panama Canal and hanging out on the beach.
Global Football, the same group that organized the trip to Austria, helped prepare for this year's trip.
Wabash players conducted various fund-raisers, including participating in lift-a-thons, to help fund the trip to Central America. Wabash coaches also helped players formulate letters to various businesses in their hometown asking to help fund the trip.
"I wish we would have been able to take the whole team, but the timing and some other issues just didn't work out," said Wabash offensive lineman Patrick Millikan, a Castle High School graduate. "I have been to Central America once, but I don't remember much about it because I was a little kid. I'm just excited to go and help people out and this gives players who might not get to hang out together during the regular season a chance to bond."
Defensive lineman Josh Gangloff, an East Central graduate, has been to Monterea, Mexico, on a mission trip. He considers Wabash's trip to Panama as another mission trip.
"It has been kind of tough with the monetary situation and having to practice all this week to prepare for the trip, but when this opportunity came up I knew I had to do it," Gangloff said. "This is just a great opportunity to go out and play football and help people."
Matt Wilson is a reporter for the Crawfordsville Journal Review.
In photos:
Lower left: Dustin DeNeal warms up prior to Wabash's game three years ago vs. the Vienna Vikings.


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I had a "huh?" moment
It's true that what we see is profoundly influenced by what we know. In effect, our preconceptions act as a filter to the act of seeing. As evidence, I offer this:
I saw the photo and thought, "Cool bike! I wonder who carries Scott in Tulsa?" Then I read the tab up above. It says, "A Prosthetic Limb That Lets Amputees..."
Huh? It was only then that I realized the rider has a prosthesis.
This received the James Dyson Award, a competition for student design that calls for designs that solve a problem. The prosthesis is capable of the complex motion involved in cycling, and besides, the carbon fiber clearly complements the frame. I have to wonder if they offer titanium or steel models too.
Labels: bicycle prosthesis, james dyson award, Scott bicycle


text: This aerial photo shows the two homes that were leveled and the numerous neighboring homes that were damaged from an explosion that sparked a fire and killed two people, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in Indianapolis. Nearly three dozen homes were damaged or destroyed, and seven people were taken to a hospital with injuries. The powerful nighttime blast shattered windows, crumpled walls and could be felt at least three miles away.


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Chocolate-Glazed Brownies
Adapted from Southern Living July 2001
18 brownies
- 1 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup butter or margarine
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 12oz bags of semisweet chocolate morsels, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
Cook first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar melts.
Add 2 cups chocolate morsels and vanilla extract,
stirring until mixture is smooth. Let cool 15 minutes.
Add cooled chocolate mixture to flour, baking soda, and salt
stirring until blended; stir in eggs and chopped pecans (if using) until blended.
Spread brownie batter into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch pan.
Bake at 325° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle remaining 2 cups chocolate morsels evenly over warm brownies, and let stand 5 minutes to soften.
Spread melting morsels over top to cover brownies. (This works much easier than I had imagined) Cool on a wire rack.


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The South Boston Democrat has already had a New Bedford appearance at the Celtic Coffeehouse, won the support of former Mayor Rosemary Tierney and made the rounds to both The Standard-Times and WBSM.
Steve Lynch didn't waste much time getting himself to SouthCoast after he announced he's running for Senate.
Unlike Ed Markey, who almost two months after he announced has yet to find his way to a public appearance in New Bedford, Lynch's staff was blanketing the local media with contacts the very first week.
The South Boston Democrat has already had a New Bedford appearance at the Celtic Coffeehouse, won the support of former Mayor Rosemary Tierney and made the rounds to both The Standard-Times and WBSM.
Lynch has also already done an interview with The Boston Globe aimed at positioning himself as more moderate on abortion rights than his reputation; he did the same thing on gay rights with this newspaper.
Lynch is known as a conservative Democrat in the political universe, but he's already rebranding himself there, too.
"Calling me the most conservative member of the Mass. delegation is like calling me the slowest Kenyan in the Boston Marathon," he told me, in a line he's been using across the state for some time.
That's a far cry from the conservative Democrat image Lynch certainly cultivated early on, including when he ran to the right of an incumbent Southie state rep in 1994 and for Congress in 2001 against three more progressive Democrats.
It's true, Mr. Lynch is far from a knee-jerk conservative — in fact, more than anything, he comes across as a guy who thinks for himself. His Southie background, and its emphasis on family and clan, has served him well in that he's not genuflecting to the "conventional wisdom" of either the liberal or conservative establishments.
In person, the 57-year-old is not a fire-breathing extremist. He's authentic and smart, and someone who very definitely is well-acquainted with the issues and who thinks them through for himself.
Though he voted against Obamacare, Lynch notes that he voted in favor of the House health-care reform act and credibly points out that that bill would have been more likely to force insurance companies to reduce costs.
It's an example of Lynch's willingness to follow his own North Star, regardless of what party leaders want. It's also, of course, an example of the fact that he could not be counted on by Democrats on a party-line vote. He too easily dismisses the argument that Obamacare represented the only chance for national health care in a generation.
While talking to Mr. Lynch, I started off by asking him about the aspect of his character that most impresses me: The guy donated 60 percent of his liver to his brother-in-law. That's not the sort of largesse all of us would be able to step up to.
Lynch, however, didn't swing for the fences with the softball question. He acknowledged the gift wasn't easy but talked about the good husband his brother-in-law had been and the good life he's led since the donation.
Lynch is definitely not without some worrisome blemishes.
He was the pro-bono lawyer for racist teenagers who were harassing an Hispanic dating a white woman. And he aligned himself with a homophobic South Boston group that kept gays out of the St. Patrick's Day parade. He had a problem paying his taxes for awhile.
But Lynch has demonstrated an ability to grow. In recent years, he's received favorable reviews from some civil rights and gay rights groups.
Perhaps more important than anything for SouthCoast, Steve Lynch knew enough about local politics to get himself to this neighborhood quickly. And when he arrived, the former iron worker and union leader was well acquainted with the issues facing us on fisheries, commuter rail and a stagnating blue-collar economy.
Lynch grew up in a housing project and Ed Markey is the son of a milkman so despite Lynch's claim to be the blue-collar candidate in the race, the truth is that both Democrats come from humble roots.
But there's something about Steve Lynch that is well grounded in his roots. This is a guy who's not going to forget where he came from, or who's been his friend.
Jack Spillane is the executive news editor of The Standard-Times and southcoasttoday.com. He can be reached at 5080979-4472 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Editor's Note (Feb. 26, 2013): The Markey campaign says it did hold a New Bedford event at the Celtic Cafe on Feb. 3. The Standard-Times has no record of being informed of a time and place for the event and the campaign acknowledged it has had difficulty with delivery of some emails.


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Here's a wonderful, easy recipe to use up leftover rice. Mine came together in less than 25 minutes. Let it cool a little and you've got a creamy rice pudding to enjoy. It's been so long since I've made this, it was a nice treat to have. (silly me, I've made this before in '08, it's been that long.)
Rice Pudding
slightly adapted from allrecipes
2 cups milk, divided
1 1/2 cups leftover cooked white rice
1 1/2 cups leftover cooked white rice
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup raisins (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon or nutmegIn medium saucepan, combine cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook, stirring over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter, vanilla and cinnamon. Serve warm.
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