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1.1 This website is owned by Reclaim The Right Ltd, 923 Finchley Road, London, NW11 7PE, and operates under the names Consumer Action Group, Consumer Forums, Debt Action Group and Bank Action Group. It will be referred to here as "The Group".
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Whether the application is an office or an auditorium, a chair must be durable, comfortable and attractive. The Flex Chair answers all of these prerequisites and is available with a wide range of accessories including writing tablets, ganging and numbering systems. The collection is composed of chairs, armchairs and stools with thermos-polymer or upholstered fiberglass reinforced shell. Red Dot Design Award Best of NeoCon 2015 Gold Award
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subset: commoncrawl


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Really, the frustration began at last year's Belmont.
That's when Animal Kingdom, Graham Motion's finest horse to date, was cut off and, while veering away, clipped heels and almost tossed his jockey. It took a thunderous run at the end – the colt's specialty – to place sixth after winning the Kentucky Derby and finishing a close second at the Preakness.
Animal Kingdom was injured in that race, suffering a fracture in his left hind leg that would require surgery. He spent the rest of the year resting and rehabbing.
He returned to the track and won at Gulfstream in February, only to have his planned trip to the Dubai World Cup canceled when a stress fracture in the same leg was discovered.
While many recent Kentucky Derby winners have retired early and been sent off to stud, Motion continues training Animal Kingdom toward a return to the track. The colt jogged "one to two miles" in a field near one of Motion's barns at the Fair Hill Training Center in Elkton on Tuesday.
"He continues to do really well, and has really done everything we've asked of him," Motion said. "We're going slowly with him, and he'll just jog for another week or so and then we can gallop him. But he wasn't sitting around that long this time and hasn't lost as much muscle, so it's easier to bring him back."
As I wrote in my story for Wednesday's paper, a commitment to ride Animal Kingdom in Dubai cost jockey John Velazquez a chance to ride Union Rags early in the year. But thanks to two troubled rides by the jockey who took his place, Julien Leparoux, Velazquez will get his chance aboard the promising colt at the Belmont. Union Rags figures to be among the top two or three horses chosen on the morning line after I'll Have Another, the colt aiming to become the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.
Velazquez, of course, only ended up on Animal Kingdom after his planned ride, Uncle Mo, scratched and Animal Kingdom's planned rider, Robby Albarado, missed a couple of days with a broken nose. So he's hardly a stranger to riding a horse for the first time in a big race, and said his lack of experience with Union Rags won't be a problem.
Motion happens to be close friends with Velazquez – they have children the same age, and spent several years working from the same tracks – and admitted as much before saying he thought Velazquez would fit Union Rags – also trained at Fair Hill, by Michael Matz – well. He thinks the jockey is dynamic enough to handle any sort of horse or race, and that his familiarity with Belmont will be a boon.
"He really does fit any horse," Motion said. "He runs out front a lot but I've seen him be very patient on the grass. The thing is, with the Belmont, it's like any big sporting even. The key for those athletes in big games is just to stay calm. He's one of the best riders in the world, but on a day like that it's about being able to come through. And he does. When the chips are down, when there's all that pressure, he produces."
Much of the horse-race observing world hopes he does. Union Rags was probably the most touted horse coming into this Kentucky Derby prep season -- in part because of his commanding win on the Belmont track last year in the Grade I Champagne Stakes -- and has yet to show why in a big race. He skipped the Preakness and has trained well. Whether he'll like the distance is an unkown, Matz said, but the Barbaro trainer has been a believer in this horse for some time.
Matz, as I wrote the day of the Preakness, can be terse. He told me -- as he has told several other reporters -- that Velazquez was the choice to ride Union Rags because he's "one of the best." He wouldn't say whether he thought the rider and horse were a good pair, or if Velazquez might be the right rider to break Union Rags from his recent habit of moving slowly early if he hits traffic. Maybe that's gamesmanship on Matz's part. He's intensely competitive.


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Read more: Gabrielle Giffords' love story with husband Mark Kelly
Read more: Time to stop the hate rhetoric after Gabrielle Giffords shooting
New York Congressman Joe Crowley, the Democratic colleague and personal friend of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was stunned by her shooting and the massacre that occurred in her Tucson district on Saturday.
"Like most Americans I found out on Saturday afternoon and I was aghast by the whole thing," he told the Irish Voice.
"It was totally shocking and very foreign to see one of our legislators coming under attack. But to see it happen to someone I've been very friendly with over the last five years was shocking in a personal sense."
Crowley endorsed Giffords early on in her first race for Congress in 2006, and the two have been close friends ever since.
"We work closely together and we belong to the same coalition in the house, the new Democratic Caucus. My last conversation with her was on Friday, the day before she was shot. I had lunch with her on Thursday," Crowley added.
Initial reports on Saturday claimed that Giffords had been shot and killed, which had stunned Crowley. "You run the gamut of emotions when you hear a report like that. Now we're still working through getting all the information we can about the shooter's possible motivations and why he did what he did," said Crowley.
Commentators have claimed that the overheated rhetoric that informs much of the country's political debates may have played a part, but Crowley is cautious to point the finger.
"I don't think there's any question that people have been reflecting on the level of rhetoric," said Crowley. "It's not the first time that people have brought this up.
"I don't think it should be taken as a wake-up because people have been lamenting the vitriolic tone in politics, and I think the recent elections were demonstrative of that as well."
But Crowley was at pains not to over-emphasize the rhetoric debate because, he said, politicians have always used war terminology.
"You know, we're going to battle them, we're going to put all our troops out. Those are the kinds of jargon that we've used throughout history," Crowley said.
"But in recent years in the state of Arizona there has been a heightened sense of it with immigration reform and health care bill that passed, and Gabby herself was concerned about it."
Crowley got to witness first hand how raw some political debates have become in Giffords' home state of Arizona.
"I was invited by Gabby to an event in Pima County in Arizona, and the stress and tension was higher than in my own district in New York," he said.
The important question that Giffords' shooting poses, says Crowley, is how can our system fail us so that a person who is mentally unstable is able to purchase and posses a semiautomatic Glock with extended rounds? "How that can happen in the modern world we live in is just beyond me," he said.
Crowley admits he would personally choose not to live in an environment where it's legal to openly carry high-powered firearms. "What state would not want to regulate that a person who is purchasing a weapon is mentally stable?" he asked.
Crowley has been in touch with Giffords' staff but he has not yet contacted her husband or family directly. "I don't think this is the time to reach out. They are getting the counseling and the help that they need. Their focus is on Gabby and her health and recovery," he said.
In regard to his own security, Crowley has taken no new measure in the light of the shootings.
"I don't feel threatened. I have not reviewed my own security and I don't want to talk about my own career at this time. I think Gabby had it right when she described her own job," Crowley said.
"She said a representative is not just a title, it's a job description, and it's what we do. We have to be approachable, it's central to our democracy and that must be maintained."
Read more: Gabrielle Giffords' love story with husband Mark Kelly
Read more: Time to stop the hate rhetoric after Gabrielle Giffords shooting


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This week, we talk about 2NF, 3NF and a bit about normalization vs. denormalization.
Call for papers for Percona Live: MySQL Conference & Expo 2012 is open until Monday, December 5th. The MySQL Conference & Expo is Tuesday April 10 - Thursday, April 12, 2012 in Santa Clara, CA. To submit a paper, first register as a speaker at http://www.percona.com/live/mysql-conference-2012/user/register and then go to My Account -> Submit Proposal.
Book: An Introduction to Database Systems by CJ Date
OurSQL episode 7, which goes over first normal form (1NF).
Wikipedia links:
functional dependency
Schema of airport codes, cities and countries in 2NF:
YOW - Ottawa - Canada
EWR - Newark - USA
BOS - Boston - USA
LHR - London - England
SEA - Seattle - USA
Schema of airport codes, cities and countries in 3NF:
Airport table:
YOW - Ottawa
EWR - Newark
BOS - Boston
LHR - London
SEA - Seattle
And the city table would have entries like:
Ottawa - Canada
Newark - USA
Boston - USA
London - England
Seattle - USA
Brian K. Jones writes about denormalizing, but only if you have to, in A couple of MySQL performance tips.
Ronald Bradford's presentations on Better Indexes Save You Money and Improving Performance with Better Indexes.
Ovias Tariq's blog post with a list of pros and cons about normalization and denormalization.
How Facebook used BigTable and what decision they made to duplicate data
OurSQL Episode 54:Scaling MySQL, where we talk about sharding, and also a Scalebase article on database sharding
Giuseppe Maxia's article about too much denormalization.
Ear Candy
Manual page for Percona patched MySQL variable use_global_long_query_time
Where you can see us
Boston MySQL User Group on Monday, November 14th at 7:00 PM where Mike Frank of Gazzang will present "MySQL Encryption".
The November Seattle MySQL User Group on Thursday November 10th from 7 - 9pm, an unusual day of the week for this meetup, but Sarah moved it to accommodate Ori Herrnstadt, CTO Akiban talking about Renormalize - Solving Performance Problems in MySQL Without Denormalization.
The December Seattle MySQL User Group on Monday December 5th from 7 - 9 pm where Ivan Zoratti of SkySQL will present "MySQL HA Revisited".
Facebook group
e-mail: podcast at technocation.org
voicemail using phone/Skype: +1-617-674-2369
twitter: @oursqlcast
or Tweet about @oursqlcast


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Chalet Hotel Les Anemones Reviews
Our party of twenty four stayed in hotel Anemone from 7th to 14th Jan. Our stay was enhanced by the helpful and friendly staff managed by Holly and Tom, We were delighted by the service and quality of the food and the excellent location of the hotel which is near to amenties and ski areas. We would be grateful if you pass this on to Holly and also advise her Dr Desmond Nutt found his wallet which had slipped into the lining of his anorak. Many thanks Dermot Gordon and Trevor Cooke (organisers of the trip)
Apres Ski: 5/5
Accommodation & Value: 5/5
dermot gordon
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Hotel refurbished. You can no longer put your boots on in your room! Enough space upstairs though. Good food and plenty of it! Bacon baguettes a very nice addition at 4.30 am breakfast on last day. Staff helpful, friendly and courteous at all times.
Apres Ski: 3/5
Accommodation & Value: 5/5
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text:
Definition: See lucky sort.
Author: PEB
If you have suggestions, corrections, or comments, please get in touch with Paul Black.
Entry modified 3 November 2005.
HTML page formatted Tue Feb 12 10:57:43 2019.
Cite this as:
Paul E. Black, "luckysort", in Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures [online], Vreda Pieterse and Paul E. Black, eds. 3 November 2005. (accessed TODAY) Available from: https://www.nist.gov/dads/HTML/luckysort.html


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Not a month goes by that I sit down and review a Clients current Credit Application only to find that it is hopelessly out of date.
Many of my Clients in the Sydney CBD, Eastern and Southern Sydney Suburbs have a "set and forget†approach to their Credit Application Form.
They have failed to understand that there have been many changes to Legislation and Regulations over recent years that have seen their old Credit Application Form heavily outdated and the business exposed to the risk of losing money as a result.
When was the last time you had your Credit Application and Terms and Conditions reviewed by an expert? Are you confident that your current Terms and Conditions are fully compliant and will protect you to the full extent permitted by the law!?
If your business is located in the Sydney CBD, Eastern and Southern Sydney Suburbs I can sit down and show you what is required to bring your Credit Application Form and Terms and Conditions up to date so it complies with key legislation such as PPSA, Privacy Laws, Australian Consumer Laws the list goes on.
Contact me NOW for a free review of your existing Credit Application so you can have "Peace of Mind†knowing that your business and its cash flow will continue to run smoother.
EC Credit Control
1300 640 163


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Palmetto Dunes Resort, George Fazio Course Reviews
|$0 to $25
|$25 to $50
|$50 to $75
|$75 to $100
|$100 and up
Hilton Head Isla SC 29928-5150
All Reviews
Clark Sinclair
Just here on Hilton Head Island, you could probably come up with three or four "Dream 18" type courses with the awesome quality of golf layouts we have here. So to be selected to take part in the "Dream 18: Hidden Gems of South Carolina" - needless to say, we are honored and flattered.
We take great pride in all three of our courses here at Palmetto Dunes (Robert Trent Jones course, Arthur Hills course and the George Fazio course) and it's tough to pick one as any more outstanding than the others. But from our guests, our staff, our members and visiting media - everyone seems to have a special spot in their heart for the 16th hole on the Fazio course.
This hole has everything a great golf hole should have. It's scenic, it's tough, it's fair, it makes you think and most of all, regardless of how you play it, you want to play it again. In fact, more than anything else, to me that is what defines a great golf hole - do people enjoy it enough to want to play it again and again? Here at the Fazio course, we have a definitive "yes!"
Hole No. 16 is a fairly long par 4, measuring 425 from the tips, 416 from the blue tees and still over 400 yards (403 actually) from the white tees. No matter what tees you choose to play, you'll have to hit one of your best drives to clear the bunker on the right, avoid the second fairway bunker on the right and of course, not go into the lagoon that runs all the way down the left side of the hole. The ever-present breeze is typically a cross-wind or even into you, so this will be your most challenging drive of the day.
If you manage to find the fairway (great shot!), you still have to find the green. The long second shot means you'll have to avoid that same lagoon, more water on the right (a pond comes into play about 120 yards from the green and all the way down the right from there) and bunkers left, right and behind the two-tiered green. Sound easy enough?
What I tell golfers to do on the 16th hole is to take a moment as they play it to notice what a great piece of land it is. From the lagoon on the left to the pond on the right, with the large white bunkers and fescue grass helping frame the hole perfectly - it's absolutely pretty as a picture, no matter what your score. As you approach the green, take a look at the island in the center of the pond on the right. It is a wildlife habitat, with several species or birds nesting and feeding there at all times of the year. No matter what your score, you'll find plenty of birdies on this hole.
I've always maintained that a great golf hole means a great memory, not necessarily a great score. It offers options to the player and a unique challenge regardless of what route the player takes to finish the hole. This describes hole 16 perfectly. If you make a par here, it will be the highlight of your round. If you happen to birdie it, it will be one of the highlights of your golf career. But no matter what, you'll walk (or ride) away saying it was fair, fun and you'd play it better next time. I think all golf holes should be so awesome. But unfortunately they're not. Good to know this one is.
PGA of America Championships
Bethpage State Park, Black Course
Farmingdale, New York
Oak Hill Country Club
Rochester, New York
Hazeltine National Golf Club
Chaska, Minnesota
Bluffton, South Carolina
Whistling Straits
Kohler, Wisconsin


text:
Canadian Election Study, 1993: Incorporating the 1992 Referendum Survey on the Charlottetown Accord (ICPSR 6571)
Version Date: Oct 12, 1995 View help for published
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s)
Richard Johnston, University of British Columbia; Andre Blais, University of Montreal; Henry E. Brady, University of California-Berkeley; Elisabeth Gidengil, McGill University; Neil Nevitte, University of Calgary
Version V1
Summary View help for Summary
These data were collected to assess the importance of campaign dynamics and the impact of events in the understanding of election results. The study consists of five related surveys grouped around two main survey components: the referendum surveys and the election surveys. Respondents participated in at least two surveys, but not in all five. The election surveys were completed just prior to and after the October 25, 1993, Canadian election, and consist of campaign period, post-election, and mail-back components. The referendum surveys were completed just prior to and after the October 26, 1992, referendum on the Charlottetown Accord. The Charlottetown Accord contained various proposals, including the separation of Quebec from Canada as a sovereignty, the guarantee of one-quarter of the seats in the House of Commons to Quebec, and recognition of the right of Canada's aboriginal peoples to govern themselves. The major areas of investigation across all surveys were political and social awareness, attitudes, voting intentions, and behavior centered around major issues of representation, job and employment, government spending, taxes, social programs, crime and punishment, and continentalism. Variables assessed public interest in the referendum by asking respondents about the perceived effect of the referendum on their living standards, their vote intentions, predictions of the outcome of the vote, reactions to the results of the vote, knowledge about and opinions of specific provisions of the Accord, and awareness of the stand taken by political leaders, groups, and organizations regarding the Accord. Other variables probed respondents' opinions of the parties and leaders, Kim Campbell's performance in her cabinet job before she became Prime Minister, women and racial minorities, party preference, ideological leanings, vote history, and position on several policy issues. Additional items address general attitudes toward the deficit and higher taxes, abortion, Senate reform, aboriginal people, Canadian unity and Quebec sovereignty, feminists, homosexuals, immigrants, the business community, the media, unions, God, democracy, unemployment, inflation, and pensions. Demographic data collected on respondents include age, marital status, level of education, employment status, income level, religious affiliation, union affiliation, citizenship, ethnicity, language, and gender.
Citation View help for Citation
Export Citation:
Funding View help for Funding
Subject Terms View help for Subject Terms
Geographic Coverage View help for Geographic Coverage
Distributor(s) View help for Distributor(s)
Time Period(s) View help for Time Period(s)
Date of Collection View help for Date of Collection
Sample View help for Sample
A rolling cross-section sample of Canadian citizens 18 years of age or older in private homes who speak one of Canada's official languages in the ten Canadian provinces.
Universe View help for Universe
Adult noninstitutionalized population of Canada living in households.
Data Source View help for Data Source
telephone interviews, and self-enumerated questionnaires
Method of Data Collection View help for Method of Data Collection
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- Johnston, Richard, Andre Blais, Henry E. Brady, Elisabeth Gidengil, and Neil Nevitte. Canadian Election Study, 1993: Incorporating the 1992 Referendum Survey on the Charlottetown Accord. ICPSR06571-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 1995. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06571.v1
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions.
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.


text:
Sinead O'Connor has removed Bono from her rapid line of nasty Twitter fire and is instead blaming the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs for telling her she couldn't speak at a Monday ceremony in Dublin that honored Burmese Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
O'Connor refused to perform at the event hosted by Amnesty International Ireland after she claimed she was told to only sing and not make any remarks.
The controversial performer then took to her Twitter account to launch a series of unprovoked attacks on U2 frontman Bono and fellow Irish humanitarian Bob Geldof, claiming they were responsible for seeking her silence, but on Wednesday she had a change of heart and now wants the matter to be dropped.
O'Connor, sending out hundreds of tweets a day under the name "Sineadoconnor16," claimed on Wednesday morning she heard a rumor that the request to have her sing and not speak came not from Bono and Geldof, but the Department of Foreign Affairs.
"A source tells me rumor is it was dept Foreign affairs who asked colm make the call," (sic), O'Connor tweeted, referring to Colm O'Gorman, the head of Amnesty International Ireland who told her not to speak.
"Have to remember we don't know if us true it was dept foreign affairs .. As colm was afraid to tell me who it was.
"If true that's cowardly they should have called themselves. In fact they shouldn't have even considered asking me!!!
"Point is it was insulting to invite me at all given how whomever it was feels about me. They should just not have asked."
O'Connor then tweeted that as far as she's concerned the controversy she created on Twitter is "over," as she wants to focus on a new report issued by the Irish Health Service Executive about the 196 children who died over a 10-year period while they were in Irish government care.
"I think in respect For the Children concerned in HSE report we should cease arguing about Monday it's over," she tweeted.
Bono and Geldof have taken the high road and refused to comment on O'Connor's charges. She was due to sing her hit "Nothing Compares 2 U" at the show honoring Suu Kyi and claimed on Monday night that Bono and Geldof – who she called a "pair of lily livered cowards" -- attempted to gag her from saying anything else while on stage.
Bono has been a long-time supporter of Suu Kyi and was by her side throughout her brief visit to Dublin on Monday. They had spent the weekend before that at a peace forum in Oslo, Norway. He sang the U2 song "Walk On" in her honor at the concert.
"We know there are many, many other places you could be and we understand the signal your presence here sends out and we are humbled, we are grateful," Bono told the Burmese leader at the event.


text:
Sunday, July 08, 2007
34 comments:
- merlinprincesse said...
And I'm sure he's gonna win!!!! :)
- Sunday, July 08, 2007 10:29:00 PM
- Jack said...
YES!!!! I think I love you Hardwax ;)
- Sunday, July 08, 2007 10:54:00 PM
- md said...
looks like ur chair is pretty big on jack winning too like that chair, very creative but not sure how comfy it be to curl up in and read a book, on a rainy day, lol
- Sunday, July 08, 2007 10:56:00 PM
- HARDWAX said...
Awe Jack, I'm blushing.
- Sunday, July 08, 2007 11:26:00 PM
- AndyDoodler said...
Hahaha- ok- this is a tough one to figure out- it looks like it requires inside information- don't know the candidate, don't know what he's running for or what race- "don't know Jack--- diddly squat." If that's Jack there looking like a red-eyed chair come to life out of some kinda Alice in Wonderland trip- I don't know if I'd feel safe voting for him. I take that back- maybe that's ignorant and prejudiced of me. Is Jack a geek from the circus sideshow? Step right up! You wont believe your eyes! See the human chair- a man made of wood! See his devotee- the matchstick lady hewn from the same tree?
Or is this all about that being a "devotee" can be an act of geekiness?
You always entertain with your amazing work- no sideshow- the main event.
- Sunday, July 08, 2007 11:26:00 PM
- AndyDoodler said...
Oh- your link on the Illfri page doesn't link
- Sunday, July 08, 2007 11:29:00 PM
- studio lolo said...
I feel a little out of the loop on this one. But if Jack is the chair then it seems as though he's 'there for you.' But be careful not to make yourself so small and helpless. A chair is just a chair.
You hurt my head with this one Miri :D
- Sunday, July 08, 2007 11:32:00 PM
- Jack said...
All you Birdbrains (apart from blushing Hardwax who does look splendid in her painting) have FIVE more minutes to VOTE FOR JACK!
- Monday, July 09, 2007 1:55:00 AM
- Jack said...
OK, it's 55 minutes ... but all you birdbrains are so SLOW!
*wink wink to Hardwax*
- Monday, July 09, 2007 2:02:00 AM
- HARDWAX said...
Oh no, nonono, I think I should rush right over to whatsherfaces and not vote again. Because voting for you Jack in virtual paint isn't good enough for a birdbrain, sorry, GEEK birdbrain like me.
- Monday, July 09, 2007 2:07:00 AM
- Jack said...
But I think I love you Hardwax ...
- Monday, July 09, 2007 2:12:00 AM
- HARDWAX said...
Yes, I noticed when I got over that way, 51 minutes left Jack. I begin to believe you may be more of a birdbrain than I had ever really imagined, nevertheless, I didn't vote for you again out of loyalty.
- Monday, July 09, 2007 2:17:00 AM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Monday, July 09, 2007 2:29:00 AM
- Jack said...
MerlinPrincesse said she voted for you Hardwax ... *BWARK!* but I still love you more ...
- Monday, July 09, 2007 2:32:00 AM
- AndyDoodler said...
Ahh-haa- I see- I think-- Jack's a bird? What about the chair? I'm too tired to think or vote(that's what I said in 2000- @#$%!)
Anyhow- you're tagged- but are not obligated to play, of course. http://andydoodler.blogspot.com/
- Monday, July 09, 2007 2:45:00 AM
- HARDWAX said...
Merlinprincess was simply saying[and let's face it, I like the princess, but she may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer] she voted six votes for me, because I WAS NOT CAPABLE OF VOTING FOR MYSELF.
My homage for you, here, now, forever. Ah, Jack, BWARK back at ya.
- Monday, July 09, 2007 3:00:00 AM
- Jack said...
*kiss Harwax*
- Monday, July 09, 2007 3:03:00 AM
- Jack said...
I meant to kiss Hardwax!
Ooops BWHAHHAHHAHHHAAAA
- Monday, July 09, 2007 3:05:00 AM
- HARDWAX said...
Thanks Jack, consider me kissed.
Congrats King Jack8)
- Monday, July 09, 2007 3:20:00 AM
- Jack said...
- Monday, July 09, 2007 3:23:00 AM
- Ces said...
Geesh, all this public smooching, kissing, hugging with a bird. I voted for him seven times.
Hardwax, you are a fantastic artist.
- Monday, July 09, 2007 7:47:00 AM
- Tony LaRocca said...
That chair evil head insect holding thingie is quite wonderful!
- Monday, July 09, 2007 9:51:00 PM
- merlinprincesse said...
NOT THE SARPEST KNIFE IN THE DRAWER? blah! *vomit*Jack is a traitor!!!!
- Tuesday, July 10, 2007 9:48:00 PM
- merlinprincesse said...
sharpest! Just try to speak in French...DEAR... blah again!
- Tuesday, July 10, 2007 9:48:00 PM
- Jack said...
It wasn't ME that said that MerlinPrincesse! I still love you :)
- Tuesday, July 10, 2007 9:55:00 PM
- HARDWAX said...
I insulted you because I was jealous of your loyalty and devotion to Jack, and believed he would love you more because of it, which was ridiculous, since he couldn't possibly love you more than he loves me. Sorry Merlinprincess8\
- Wednesday, July 11, 2007 12:28:00 AM
- Jack said...
Love ME like the world never ends ;)
- Wednesday, July 11, 2007 12:58:00 AM
- Janice said...
I like the dynamics of this composition and enjoyed flitting back and forth to jacks place figuring out the dialogue!
- Wednesday, July 11, 2007 4:39:00 PM
- Ces said...
The truth is, currently, Jack loves me the most.
- Friday, July 13, 2007 7:06:00 AM
- Jack said...
I STILL LOVE YOU HARDWAX! Love ME!
- Friday, July 13, 2007 8:17:00 AM
- the heartful blogger said...
I love this, I could have sworn when I first looked at it, the chair's eyes blinked at me.
- Wednesday, July 18, 2007 8:32:00 AM
- merlinprincesse said...
I think in fact, Jack is a self-centered birdie! Mwahhahhaha!!! He only loves to be loved! *quack* Don't have to apologize, Hardwas! :) HELLCATS never do!!!!
- Sunday, July 22, 2007 1:20:00 PM
- merlinprincesse said...
Oups...I meant Hardwax.. :( I apologize...hehhhe...
- Monday, July 23, 2007 5:03:00 PM
- Jack said...
- Friday, July 27, 2007 7:34:00 AM


text:
Bob Knight not living in past, will auction it
Here are a few things you won't find among the many items Bob Knight is putting on the auction block over the next two months in New York:
The tampon he left in one of his players lockers as a motivational message. The megaphone he kicked before chewing out Indiana's cheerleaders for disrupting a free-throw attempt by another of his players. The vase he allegedly hurled uncomfortably close to a secretary. The garbage can into which he deposited a drunken LSU fan. The folding chair he launched across the Assembly Hall court five minutes into a game to clear up any confusion over what he thought of the officiating.
Just about everything else Knight amassed over more than four decades in the coaching business -- save for some things close pal and late baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams gave him -- will be offered for sale between now and Dec. 5. For those who can't wait, or don't want to pay premium auction-house prices, there's always eBay, where a quick search for "Bob Knight" turned up 616 items Monday night. The opening bids ranged from a high of $1,500 (or best offer) for a basketball autographed by Knight and his former pupil, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, down to 88 cents for a trading card (or 99 cents for the "Buy-it-Now" option).
Speaking over the phone during a layover at the Denver airport earlier Monday, Knight told The Associated Press that he and John Havlicek, the Boston Celtics great who was Knight's teammate at Ohio State, hatched the idea of funding their grandchildren's educations by cleaning out the closets and drawers in their homes. For Knight that included, among other things, his three NCAA championship rings, an Olympic gold medal and even one of his sport coats
"Everybody lives in the past," Knight said. "Not me. ... I've got stuff I didn't even know I had. I don't put anything up in the house. If you came into the house you would think I was a mailman. And I don't even wear rings."
It's hard to imagine Knight needs money, since he segued into lucrative TV work for ESPN as both a studio analyst and color commentator for games shortly after walking away from his last coaching job, at Texas Tech, in the middle of the 2008 season. But we'll know for certain, and soon, whether he's done living in the past. In what appears to be a provocative move, the network has apparently juggled its college basketball lineup for the upcoming season so that Knight will call Southeastern Conference games, including Kentucky's games on the road.
A bit of background is in order. Knight's distaste for the Wildcats' program and their oft-criticized coach, John Calipari, is hardly a secret. In addition to roasting Calipari and his one-and-done approach to recruiting in speeches for months, Knight refused to even mention "Kentucky" by name. Though that ended late in March as the Wildcats sliced and diced their way through the NCAA brackets en route to the national championship, it will be interesting to see whether Knight holds a grudge.
We won't know whether hard-core Kentucky fans do, since ESPN has decided that Knight won't work Kentucky games at Rupp Arena. The network apparently doesn't mind providing some kindling -- imagine a postgame meeting between the two, or a production meeting beforehand -- but it doesn't want to risk the bonfire Knight might ignite simply by showing up courtside in Lexington. Exactly why he agreed to the new assignment remains anyone's guess. The only thing Knight said about the arrangement, according to a statement released by ESPN, is that "I'm looking forward to watching and describing these games."
Even though he turns 72 on Oct. 25, Knight has remained almost as grumpy and controversial off the court as he once was on it. Nearly four years ago, after a career's worth of railing against gambling, he agreed to ride shotgun for announcer Billy Packer on a string of cheesy NCAA tournament specials taped at a sports book on the Las Vegas Strip. Packer explained the choice of locale by explaining at the time, "Bob and I, and a lot of people, want to really experience what this is really like because we do think, next to being center court, this is the place to be."
Right. Because nothing says "March Madness" like scantily clad cocktail waitresses, a heaping buffet, a wall of wide-screen TVs and people wandering aimlessly in the background or standing in line at the windows. Never mind that when Knight was coaching at Indiana and always putting the best interests of the game ahead of his own, he complained about betting lines published in the Bloomington paper this way: "Why don't the newspapers run whores' phone numbers? Is betting on basketball, football or baseball less illegal than prostitution?"
Outside of Las Vegas, the answer is still no. But it serves as a reminder that when the price is right, just about anything can be bought.
Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke(at)ap.org and follow him at Twitter.com/JimLitke.


text:
It is time to let last week's game go. I'm not going to forget that it happened but I can't keep thinking about it or I might never watch another NFL game again. The Cowboys are 0-1. There is now way around that. They lost a game they should have won. And there is a good chance that we'll think back to the Jets game in December and talk about how they Cowboys could really use that victory.
The only remedy for a game like last week is for the team to win. And not only win one game but win several games. If you look at the upcoming schedule it definitely lends itself to the Cowboys getting on a bit of a role. And, in all honesty, the Cowboys need to head into the bye week (week 5) on a 3 game winning streak.
Why is it so important for the Cowboys to streak into the bye? Actually there are several reasons. First and foremost is that the Cowboys needs to re-establish the belief in the team that they are winners. I know they aren't all wallowing in their own misery right now but there is something to be said for someone who believes deep down that they will win when the game is on the line. And that kind of confidence comes from winning on a regular basis.
Look at the game following the week 5 bye. The Cowboys will be playing at New England in week 6. Now I'm not saying the Cowboys can't beat the Patriots. But I am saying that they won't stand much of a chance if they don't go into that game with a great deal of confidence that they can win against any team. Again, that confidence will only come if the Cowboys start winning games in bunches.
Tony Romo needs a winning streak right now more than possibly any player in the league. I know he is a very good quarterback. But he has got to prove that he can consistently perform at a winning level. He did it for 3 and a half quarters on Sunday night. Another half quarter would have been nice. But he needs to play three good games in a row so not only the fans get over the Jets game, but also so that any of his teammates that have a little bit of doubt in Tony can remember why they believed in him to begin with.
Jason Garrett needs to get his team winning on a regular basis. It certainly seems that his players have bought into his system. But he needs to get results in the games or his players might start to develop a little bit of doubt in their head coach. And things can go downhill fast if the coach loses even a few of his players. Winning breeds winning and winning makes players believe in their coach.
I'm not looking past the 49ers on Sunday. The Cowboys aren't talented enough this season to try to sleepwalk against any team in the league. The Cowboys needs to go out and play good football against the 49ers and win handily. And then they need to handle the Redskins at home. Then follow that up with a win against a tough Detroit team. Maybe then we can all start to believe that this team is capable of making a serious run at a playoff spot this season.


text:
If you think Kanye West is proprietary about Kim Kardashian's ass, think again, because he clearly believes it's awesome and is glad she's sharing it with the world.
We're told his response when he saw Kim's Instagram pic was that he loves having a hot chick.
Kanye retweeted the link to the photo and wrote, "HEADING HOME NOW." In case his message isn't clear ... it was put to us this way ... he's proud of it because it's his girl.
Kanye West -- into sharing.
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text:
February 4, 2019, 5:43 pmJosh Hart - G - Los Angeles Lakers
Josh Hart (left knee tendinitis) is listed as questionable ahead of Tuesday's tilt with the Pacers.
Hart's been scuffling of late but could be looking at an expanded role down the stretch if the Lakers empty the roster in an Anthony Davis trade. He's a speculative pickup in deeper leagues and should be on watch lists in shallower formats. If Hart can't play tomorrow we'll see Kentavious Caldwell-Pope take on more minutes.
Source: NBA.com
Fantasy News
February 15, 2019, 3:16 pmKyrie Irving - G - Boston Celtics
Kyrie Irving (right knee strain) is "very, very close" to a return and the Celtics would not be opposed to him playing in Sunday's All-Star game.
Irving made the trip to Charlotte with his personal trainer a the team's physical therapist. Although he's missed the last two games, the Celtics wouldn't mind him participating in Sunday's game and Danny Ainge things that an exhibition contest might actually function as a good workout. Brad Stevens speculated that Irving would've been able to play on Friday or Saturday had the Celtics had a regular game, so it sounds like he won't miss much more time.
Source: Boston Herald
February 15, 2019, 12:42 pmEmmanuel Mudiay - G - New York Knicks
Emmanuel Mudiay (strained left shoulder) is unsure of how he'll fit into the rotation when he returns from his injury.
Mudiay was locked in as the starting point guard but Dennis Smith Jr. has since joined the team. Beyond that, Mudiay is also an impending free agent whose cap hold will be renounced if the Knicks do deliver on their wildest dreams and land two max free agents. He's not going to be a priority for the rest of the season, and a timeshare seems like the best-case scenario here. Mudiay isn't worth holding onto outside of very deep leagues.
Source: New York Post
February 15, 2019, 12:38 pmAnthony Davis - F/C - New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans have fired GM Dell Demps.
Since this news broke it's come out that Demps had been on thin ice in New Orleans for a while now, so it's not as though the Anthony Davis trade discussions — which certainly play a role here — were the root cause. It's more likely that the failure to surround Davis with enough talent that he'd want to stay, at least up until the last season and a half or so, was the bulk of the problem. The Pelicans want a new GM to take the helm and make the call on a final Davis trade, which will change the course of the franchise for years to come.
Source: Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter
February 15, 2019, 12:46 amAnthony Davis - F/C - New Orleans Pelicans
Anthony Davis has been diagnosed with a muscle contusion in his left shoulder after undergoing an MRI.
Davis' injury is reportedly "not too bad" but he didn't return to Thursday's game and the Pelicans might milk any chance they get to rest their star. His participation in Sunday's All-Star game is up in the air and he'll receive treatment over the next couple of days before determining if he can play. To add some fuel to the fire here, Davis reportedly left the building after he got hurt, which is likely to rub his teammates the wrong way considering they picked up a big win over a hot Thunder team. The saga will continue to unfold until the offseason.
Source: Ramona Shelburne on Twitter
February 14, 2019, 10:29 pmJrue Holiday - G - New Orleans Pelicans
Jrue Holiday led the Pelicans in their 131-122 win over the Thunder on Thursday with 32 points on 12-of-27 shooting with five rebounds, seven assists, two steals, three blocks and three 3-pointers.
Holiday crushed the box score tonight and he's going to continue to do so as long as he's on the court. He's the best player on a Pelicans team that might shelve Anthony Davis (shoulder) so an early-round value with some top-15 upside is well within reason.
February 14, 2019, 10:28 pmKenrich Williams - G/F - New Orleans Pelicans
Kenrich Williams scored nine points while corralling a team-high 12 rebounds to go with four assists, a steal, a block and a 3-pointer on Thursday.
Williams went 4-for-7 from the floor and saw 34 minutes of action on Thursday and is also going to benefit from Anthony Davis (shoulder) missing time. His rebounding numbers are most of his value, but he also has the potential to give you a triple-one like tonight. It's baffling that he didn't get drafted as he has the talent to play in the NBA and is a standard-league player as of now.
February 14, 2019, 10:26 pmJulius Randle - F - New Orleans Pelicans
Julius Randle led the Pelicans in scoring on Thursday with 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting while adding 11 boards, six assists, a steal, a block and two 3-pointers.
Randle's been playing well with Anthony Davis (shoulder) out of the lineup and it looks like that run might continue. Keep him out there as he's now an integral part of the Pelicans offense.
February 14, 2019, 10:25 pmAnthony Davis - F/C - New Orleans Pelicans
Anthony Davis scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting with a 3-pointer, four rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block on Thursday against the Thunder.
Davis exited the game early and with how messy the entire Pelicans situation has been we wouldn't be surprised to hear him missing an extended amount of time to heal. The Pelicans have a capable big in Jahlil Okafor waiting and he's the guy you want to pick up if you think Davis is going to miss extra time. There's still no official word from the Pelicans but that should come soon so check back here for more clarity.
February 14, 2019, 10:25 pmE'Twaun Moore - G - New Orleans Pelicans
E'Twaun Moore scored 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting with three 3-pointers, a rebound, three assists and a steal on Thursday.
He briefly left the game with a left knee contusion, but quickly returned to action. Moore was hot tonight in only 17 minutes, but if his role is going to be diminished he isn't worth owning in standard leagues. Darius Miller (35 minutes, eight points, four rebounds, five assists, a steal and two triples) was decent but when gauging who to own it's all about the minutes and usage which favor Miller at the moment.
February 14, 2019, 10:24 pmJahlil Okafor - C - New Orleans Pelicans
Jahlil Okafor scored 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting with eight rebounds and two assists against the Thunder on Thursday.
Okafor might be in line for more minutes now with Anthony Davis (shoulder) dealing with an injury that might sit him out for an extended amount of time. It wouldn't be a bad move to scoop up Okafor as a preemptive move in case the Pelicans decide to rest Davis.


text:
|Bear Onboard,
stretched out over 4 seats for a good 6 hour snooze - unheard of in the past. *Note Bear taped up his Backjoy and it never got lost and surely came in handy for long plane rides.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Paris Revealed
29 comments:
It sounds as if it's worth a trip to CDG airport just to get Paris Revealed. I loved his "Year in the Merde" -- I thought it was great that he could put "merde" on the cover and get away with it!ReplyDelete
Welcome back -- you got out just in time to miss the hurricane here and came back just ahead of the strikes there. Well done1
When I go to Paris, I will have to book my flight at least 6 months ahead so that I can get through the very loooong reading list you have set for me. Another great-sounding read! Why don't I read it now? Because I cannot remember my middle name (without checking my passport) for more than 2 hours.....any current reading will slip right through my brain. ...ReplyDelete
- Lucinda1:12 PM
Bienvenue Bear and Carol!ReplyDelete
Re-entry is always hard to do..
why not start off reading about Paris than catching up on bills etc?
Thanks for the recommendations:-)ReplyDelete
BTW..J is enjoying his Back Joy..mine arrives soon:-)
Cutie patootie that bear:-)
I think this is too funny.... I found the exact same book in the exact same spot on my way out in July. I devoured the book and was so disappointed that I had't read it first! But I will be back in 64 (but who's counting?) days and may read it again before the trip.ReplyDelete
Glad you had a good time!!
And you have to put Laura Florand's new book The Chocolate Thief on your reading list!! She is going to have 4 in her chocolate series, with the next one The Chocolate Kiss coming out in December. She is fabulous! What's not to love... handsome chocolate makers and Paris???ReplyDelete
Bienvenue chez vous ;) Enjoy your book even though you are back home. On your next trip when ever that is, you will have lots of new places to visit. Ask any Parisian where they would go to have a great cup of coffee, it certainly wouldn't be where the tourists went. But it sounds like you enjoyed every minute. Great you were lucky to leave CDG before 'la greve' All flights from Limoges at our tiny airport have been effected today & most of them cancelled. So put your feet up & thank somebody up there, for you missing the hurricane & then possible delays on your return. Enjoy your coming Thanks giving Barbara.ReplyDelete
I never thought I would say I wish I spent more time in the airport however CDG is true feast both for one's eyes and appetite alike! Next time I will follow your lead... 5 hours should cover it! Also, another great book for me to pick-up- thanks Carol !!!ReplyDelete
Great post and SO happy to have found your blog - looking forward to some great reading!ReplyDelete
Oh dear, sometimes I am greatly imperiled by your tantalising posts. I have known of Stephen Clarke for a while now, but never read anything of his. I am most intrigued about his 1000 years of Annoying the French. Paris Revealed sounds fabulous too. So I may have just bought Paris Revealed, and a special kindle edition of Annoying the French Encore on my kindle, and ordered a paper version of 1000 years. I figure Paris Revealed will be handy to have on the kindle for my trip next year. I am jealous of your relaxed flight. I don't think any plane ever leaving Australia has been so empty!ReplyDelete
I like the flight information :) Even I could probably get on a plane that has so few people on it!ReplyDelete
The book looks good, I hope that it gets printed here.
Welcome back, Carol! Even though I'm sure you wish you were still there. Will definitely purchase the kindle edition of Paris Revealed as the paperback version is selling for $366!! What's that all about?? You should have purchased every copy they had at the airport and sold them when you got home to pay for your next trip. I will be in NYC in December so I'm still reading up on everything for that trip - like every where I can purchase macarons. Paris is next year! Bonne nuit!!ReplyDelete
sounds like a terrific book! i hope i can get a copy. Bear looks so cute in his seat!ReplyDelete
Judge in a baguette contest. Now that sounds like my kind of job! Welcome back to you and Bear!ReplyDelete
Welcome home! Peter also writes a monthly article in the "France" magazine titled "How to be French". Always a great read! Check it out www.francemag.com. KatieReplyDelete
Welcome back to NYC, Carol, and many, many thanks for all your fine French reporting.ReplyDelete
I had a peek at Clarke's book over at Amazon and enjoyed reading the sample pages about the various arrondissements. He writes very well.
Hoping that long snooze has helped Bear elude jet lag!
Glad you made it home in style! Nabbing a 4-seat nap is gold and rare these days.ReplyDelete
Love the book idea - I'll add it to my list.
Welcome home, Carol. Glad to hear your flight was uneventful and that you and bear got to snooze through it.ReplyDelete
Mon dieu! my boyfriend bought us both copies of Paris Revealed on the way OUT of France aussi! Pas problem, it is a VERY good read and am now full of bonne idees for my return sejour :) Merci Carol for all the inspiration XReplyDelete
Back home? Loved the flight info, although from London I can take the train... but I still fly:)ReplyDelete
That book looks good. It could have been written by you!
Bear is too cute:)
Hi Bear, glad you had a good trip home. Carol, thanks for the tip about the evening flight...I'll look for the book, merci...ReplyDelete
I hadn't heard he'd written another! Have fun with the Year in the Merde trio. They are hysterical!!ReplyDelete
Thank you as always for sharing your adventures!


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Consolidating presidential nominee paperwork topped recommendations of a White House working group that is calling for the creation of a new so-called smart form for appointees.
The White House and federal agencies could have nominees fill out the electronic core questionnaire, which also would allow Senate panels to add customized questions, but only as needed, according to a new report.
Nominees, federal workers, lawmakers and academics have long complained that detailed and redundant forms—along with aggressive investigative tactics employed by some senators delaying confirmation votes—discourage qualified talent from accepting presidential appointments.
"We take some self-respecting U.S. citizen," said Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who served on the working group, "and the president invites them to come take a position in the federal government of honor and dignity, and suddenly they find themselves immersed in a series of duplicative interrogations from all directions in which they must fill out forms that define words such as 'income' in different ways, all of which is designed to lead them before a committee, not to really assess their qualifications but to see if they can be trapped and turned into an apparent criminal."
As called for under the Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act, which became law in August, the working group's report lays out a plan to streamline the appointment process for 1,152 positions that require Senate approval. The law removed the Senate confirmation requirement for 169 positions.
The report was presented Thursday to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Rules and Administration committees, via a letter from Office of Management and Budget official Lisa Brown.
Retiring committee chairman Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., said a reduction in paperwork would help nominees reach confirmation more efficiently. "As President Obama begins planning for his second term in office, the timing of this report could not be more auspicious," Lieberman said.
Such changes, he added, would "free up the Senate to concentrate on nominees for the most important offices, while the working group recommendations will free up nominees to concentrate on the issues rather than filling out paperwork."
To create the smart form within the next year, the report specifically recommends:
- Questions on White House and Senate forms not duplicate questions on the public financial disclosure form;
- New smart form designers eliminate irrelevant questions such as net worth and investment income;
- Planners vary paperwork for certain part-time positions on boards and commissions that may not require heavy scrutiny;
- Congress implement the recommendations before the new session starts in January.
The bipartisan White House working group, which adopted the recommendations unanimously, consists of former senators; current and former senior White House officials, including directors of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel; current and former directors of the Office of Personnel Management (John Berry and Janice Lachance); representatives from the and the Office of Government Ethics; and the U.S. chief technology officer and federal chief Information officer (Steven VanRoekel). Brown was its chairwoman due to her recent role as acting federal chief performance officer.
The report includes sample changes in questions and a survey of literature on the topic of nominees and paperwork. The working group is tasked with producing, by May 7, 2013, a follow-up report on background investigation requirements.


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Abismo de Pasìon Capítulo 46 Hello Telenovela Lovers!! You can watch Abismo de Pasìon Capítulo 46 Online on March, 26, 2012. Ver Abismo de Pasìon Capítulo 46. This high quality video and sound that just can not let a single day and see the details of this super soap opera, besides that I can download to your computer. Greetings friends. Abismo de Pasìon Capítulo 46 Avance, just follow the link below or see can also see here in the same blog. thanks and greetings.
Abismo de Pasìon: The story unfolds through the reeds of the state of Veracruz, where the shame and resentment that causes a lie forever mark the lives of two families and four friends, known as children: Julia, Paul, John of God and Mireya. Canaveral Passions is a soap opera about the life of Julia Santos, a noble girl and extremely beautiful, Mireya friend and love of Paul and John of God, who lives besieged by rancor and bitterness that his own family has built around them. Julia will have to fight the ghosts that inhabit the mind of his father, Fausto, against the resentment of Dinora Faberman, aunt, and slander against the people that have been invented about her mother and herself. Paul, son of Josefina Montero, is the love of Julia. Both represent the love that is born in the early years and grows over time, becoming stronger. It is a love that must fight against the pressures that try to destroy it, using as a standard moral concepts, morality and family honor. After 15 years, Paul returns to the people, committed to a material and superficial girl, Gina. The reunion with Julia causes an abrupt change in the life of Paul, who, realizing his love for her, major obstacles and even his own mother, whom hatred has made aborresca Julia and her family. Passions Canaveral is the story of four loves, four passions, with strength, courage, nobility and youth, will have to overcome adverse circumstances for the shadows to fade and grow your love, sweet and strong as the cane.
Abismo de Pasìon Capítulo 46 Avance


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The guys at Mega 64 are up to their old tricks again, this confusing the non-gaming public with a live-action performance of hit Nintendo DS rhythm game Elite Beat Agents.
Sometimes I have a hard time figuring out if Mega64' series of live-action video game performances is a work of genius or a work of madness. All I can think as I watch this latest clip is how utterly embarrassed I would be to be out there in public, dancing along to a rhythm game that's only playing in my head. I suppose that's why the Mega64 squad does this sort of thing...so I don't have to.
In the end, I think I had more fun trying to make out the words to Josh Jones original song, which is just enough of Steriogram's "Walkie-Talkie Man" to be recognizable, while still remaining utter nonsense. Hit up the link below to download the song as an MP3!
Elite Beat Agents {Mega 64]


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Encouraged by Avalanche coach Patrick Roy to "have fun," captain Gabe Landeskog was greeted with a funny-looking toy helmet in his locker-room stall Monday morning, and after the ensuing night game against the Winnipeg Jets at the Pepsi Center, Landeskog slapped a team logo on it and put it to good use.
Landeskog presented goalie Semyon Varlamov with the team's first "hard hat," a tradition that will continue with each Avalanche victory. Varlamov made 33 saves in a 3-2 overtime triumph that ended with center Matt Duchene scoring a fluke goal with 2:27 remaining in sudden death of a chippy game between the Central Division foes.
"Now next win, Varly will give it out," Landeskog said of the plastic helmet that looks more like a German army helmet. "A lot of teams do it around the league, and I found it in my stall this morning. Why not give it out to a deserving guy? We obviously know it's a team game, but it gives us something to laugh about. It's such an ugly hat, you know you're going to be embarrassed to wear it the whole (postgame) interview."
Duchene also was deserving after scoring his 21st goal to give Colorado its 89th point with 16 games remaining. He slapped at the puck after a Jets defenseman shot it off him and the Avs improved to 1-1 on their four-game homestand.
"I got in the corner and just, you know, was able to beat Byfuglien out of the corner and he kind of grabbed my elbow and I lost the puck and I don't think Montoya was really ready for it and it came back to me and I kind of just whacked at it and I didn't really know it went in, I just heard the crowd cheer. It was a nice bounce and nice game-winning goal" said Duchene.
The win came at a cost. For the second consecutive game, an Avalanche player was injured on his first shift. Center Paul Stastny suffered a back ailment Saturday against St. Louis. Monday night, right winger P.A. Parenteau went down with a knee injury against Winnipeg and will be lost for the rest of the regular season. Roy said more will be known Tuesday.
Given that the Avs are carrying only 12 forwards, and Stastny didn't dress and Parenteau didn't return, they had just 10 for nearly the entire game against the Jets, using three lines to Winnipeg's four.
More than that, the power play was powerless without Stastny and Parenteau. The Avs went 0-of-6 over 12 minutes with the man advantage.
"We missed two guys that are key parts in our unit. We had different guys playing with different guys out there. They killed it really well. They forced us up ice. I mean, we had some great chances on the power play. Even though we weren't as smooth as we have been, I mean our power play has been outstanding lately. Even last game we didn't get one, but we were real good on it. We will get back on the ice in practice now with our new units and if those guys are both out next game we will move forward, but it happens" said Duchene.
It was 2-2 after the first two chippy periods. The Avs opened and closed the middle frame with goals, and John Mitchell had a hand in both. He scored the first on an intended centering pass to Nathan MacKinnon, and assisted on the second by winning an offensive-end faceoff to defenseman Andre Benoit. Benoit's slap shot with 12 seconds left in the period tied it, erasing the 2-1 lead the Jets built behind defenseman-turned-forward Dustin Byfuglien.
The 265-pound Byfuglien outmuscled Avs defenseman Jan Hejda for a rebound in the paint to produce his first goal, which came on the Jets' first power play, and he banked the puck off goalie Semyon Varlamov from behind the net less than two minutes later.
Mike Chambers: firstname.lastname@example.com or twitter.com/mchambers
Avs recap
• Matt Duchene scored his fourth career overtime goal.
• Duchene's OT winner extended his career-best point streak to eight games (4g/8a).
• The Avalanche improved to 8-2 in overtime (.800%)…Only Anaheim (5-1, .833%) has a higher winning percentage in OT games this year.
• Semyon Varlamov stopped Jim Slater's penalty-shot attempt in the first period…Varlamov has now stopped 4-of-5 career penalty shots against (.800%).
• Slater's attempt was the first penalty shot against the Avalanche since March 6, 2012, when Minnesota's Devin Setoguchi scored against Varlamov here at Pepsi Center.
• Dustin Byfuglien tied his season high with two goals, his second multi-goal game of the year.


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Torah Commentary- Perashat Emor: Priesthood People Peace
by: Mark Kirschbaum on April 25th, 2013 | 3 Comments »
Nietzche was preoccupied with the question of where the "good" came from, and who was responsible for it, that is, what is its "genealogy". Here is his summary statement on the matter:
The judgment "good" did not originate with those to whom "goodness" was shown! Rather it was "the good" themselves , that is to say, the noble, powerful, high-stationed and high-minded, who felt and established themselves and their actions as good, that is, of the first rank, in contradistinction to all the low, low-minded, common and plebian. It was out of this pathos of nobility and distance, as aforesaid, the protracted and domineering fundamental total feeling on the part of a higher ruling order in relation to a lower order, to a "below"- that is the origin of the antithesis "good" and "bad"' (The Genealogy of Morals, Kauffman edition pp 25-26).
Thus, to Nietzche, those who have power are those who create morals for a society. When, as in the ancient times, according to Nietzche's myth, the leadership was in the hands of the aristocratic and noble, there was a different conception of morality than the currently accepted one in bourgeois society, which derives from the ressentiment of the herd, "perverted" towards concepts like pity and shame. The idea that morality as a concept and practice is the result of forces of power in society is developed in Foucault and others. Is this definition of power = morality the case in Jewish thought?
I propose that our perasha offers a test case in reading of these ideas. The way one explains the supplementary prohibitions of the kohanim (I don't like the term "priesthood" loaded as it is with a set of meanings from our European history) in essence situates the concept of an elite within Jewish society.
The textual issues which give rise to this discussion in the commentators is found at the outset of our perasha. Perashat Emor begins with Gd telling Moshe to speak to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon, instructing them not to be defiled by contact with the dead. The word emor, speak, is repeated twice in the verse. The Talmud Bavli, Yevamot 114. explains this duplication as instructing the priests to caution the adults to educate the children as well in the ways of ritual purity, so that the children don't defile themselves either. The Hebrew phrase used to explain this is very concise and leads to several alternate readings "l'hazhir gedolim al ketanim"- translated literally, warn the big regarding the small. The Midrash adds that this repetition of the command Emor, is necessary because of the presence in humanity of an evil inclination, and thus, being easily corruptible, requires its warnings in duplicate.
The Kotzker finds this Midrash's meaning to be adressed to the wrong audience. If a duplicated warning is mandatory for those in a lower state, then duplications should be present in commands relating to the masses, not the priesthood, the spiritual elite, as it is here! So why then is it directed at the Kohanim, instead of towards the masses?
According to the Kotzker, this message of spiritual weakness is specifically directed to the Kohanim as an educational paradigm oriented toward the entire people's transformation. That is, the duplication addressed to the kohanim is meant to teach the body of Israel, that if these people who are so close to the Temple need a special extra precautionary warning, then how much more careful everyone else must be!
At any rate, returning to our original question of valuation of spiritual hierarchies, among the classic Hasidic thinkers, we notice a trend, whereby the status of the Kohen is diminished in favor of the people as a whole. The Tiferet Shelomo notes that the opening verse begins in the plural (say unto them), addressed to the Kohanim, but ends with the singular (shall not defile himself)- here's the verse transliterated:
v'amarta alehem, you shall say unto them, lanefesh lo yitama b'amav, that the kohen should not "yitama", defile himself, among the people.
Spiritual elitism? According to the Tiferet Shelomo, the verse should be read as follows-
..the kohen should endeavor to protect every single soul among the people from falling into a lower spiritual level…
In other words, the purpose of the kehuna as an institution is primarily concerned with elevating the entire people, thus, the subject of the verb yitama (defiled) is not the kohen, but rather is an injunction against letting any nefesh b'amav, a person of the nation, be defiled. Not letting any individual stumble is the primary purpose of the institution of kehuna.
The Sefat Emet (in the sermons from 1877, trl"z) suggests that the level of holiness of the kohen is in a direct relationship to the level of holiness of each individual among the rest of the people. The spiritual level of the kohen is not only some individual attainment, but rather reflects the level of the people as a whole. When the people are led to greatness, their leaders are then great.
The Kedushat Levi, the Be'er Mayim Hayim, and the Noam Elimelech share a more radically egalitarian view. The Kedushat Levi explains that the phrase "the sons of Aharon" is superfluous, after all, we know who the kohanim are descended from. To him, this phrase is meant to keep the kohanim modest. The kohen cannot lord his position over others, as his position is solely a result of lineage, something which one doesn't earn, and can't be said to deserve, so what does he have to be a big shot about? Thus he must fulfil his duties not thinking he is any more special than anyone else as a result (this is exactly the opposite of how many organizations, including contemporary chassidut with its emphasis on lineage, evolved).
The Kedushat Levi thus also reads the double emphasis on the word emor, "say", not just as a teaching for the kohanim, but to all people as a message to keep their speech from becoming defiled.
The Noam Elimelech very aggressively denies the validity of pride about lineage, the person's am, his volk or genitori, which he refers to as a tuma'a, a 'defilement'! He thus rereads the end of the verse transliterated above as "the kohen shouldn't defile his soul with pride about his people". Once freed from reading this passage concerning the priesthood, he rereads the above cited Talmudic teaching regarding "Gedolim al ketanim", warning the great regarding the lesser, in two ways of interest to us:
1. That even those in a lofty spiritual state (gedolim) must be concerned about their own seemingly trivial sins (ketanim).
2. The idea of repetition as in Kierkegaard: When in a high spiritual state (gadlut), the individual must attempt to descend with the lessons of that state back into the quotidian, the everyday. The challenge is to carry the spiritual heights of specific moments of grandeur back into ordinary life and society. It is not a great achievement to feel spiritual when at a point of spiritual high, it is maintaining that moment in everyday life that is the achievement.
The Be'er Mayim Hayim stresses the mutual inter-relatedness of all the strata of the people; there is a mutual responsibility upon every sector of society to not pull the others down. He explains that this teaching intentionally is presented after the Nadav V'Avihu episode, which was a failure not of the masses but of the upper echelons of spiritual society, and thus wonderfully inverts the assumed standard reading of the "l'hazhir gedolim al ketanim" maxim: The ordinary people should not be misled by the sins of the leadership!
In conclusion, let us turn to the teaching of R. Zadok Hacohen, who at the outset seems to teach that the kohanim do have a privileged position, but his inversion of who the kohanim are is most dramatic- to R. Zadok, all of Israel ultimately are the kohanim. According to the Midrash Rabba, this perasha of spiritual nondefilement for the priesthood comes as a reward for the "yir'ah", the awe, with which Aharon, forerunner of the priestly clan, approached Gd when called to the altar (see Rashi on Vayikra 9:7, supported by Malachi 2:5). The Midrash adds that this honor will be bestowed upon all his subsequent generations, even after the Temple is destroyed. But what significance does non-defilement have in the absence of the Temple, when the ritual rites of purification are no longer in existence? R. Zadok explains that even if the physical edifice on Mt. Zion no longer exists, the "Temple" still exists. Where is it? In our hearts, as quoted according to the Midrash Shir Hashirim Rabba. There, Gd is referred to as the heart of the Jewish people; the Midrash's proof text refers to Gd as being "shochen", dwelling, in our hearts; the word "shochen" is etymologically related to the word for the sanctuary, the "Mishkan"- thus there, in our heart, is the Temple, where Gd's presence dwells. As a result of yir'ah, awe before the Divine Presence, the descendents of Aharaon are always ready to enter this Temple, the one alive, beating, and present inside each and every one of us. And in truth, it is not only genetic kohanim who have this ability. We are all described as having this same awe, this yir'ah that enables us to encounter Gd dwelling within us, on the Shabbat, as stated in a halachic context in the Mishna, Demai 4:1, and in the Jerusalem Talmud there. The Zohar states explicitly that Shabbat in time is equivalent to the Temple in space, so that keeping the Shabbat is equivalent to serving Gd in the Temple. Thus, in summary, when we attune to proper consciousness, we are all equivalent to kohanim serving in the Temple- in that Temple within each and every one of us.
Once we have reached a situation of reading whereby the priestly texts regarding Kohanim can be understood as referring to inter- and intra- personal issues, then we are open to lovely readings of the sort presented by R. Hayim of Sanz in his Diverei Hayim. The Diverei Hayim expands a suggestion by the Noam Meggidim that the nefesh, a metonymic term that is usually read as "a person" referred to in the opening verse of Perashat Emor, refers not to the priest but actually means what its literal translation says it is, the "soul" (that is, nefesh is translated as soul rather than person). Verse 21:1 reads: lanefesh lo yitama b'amav,generally translated as "the priest should not become ritually impure among the people". However, in the spirit of the subversion described throughout this essay, the Noam Meggidim and Diverei Hayim democratize the reading to refer to each individual soul. The Divrei Hayim adds a radical translation of the word amav, which is generally read as deriving from the root "am", meaning "the people". However, he suggests that the root here is one with a doubled m, which is the term used for the dwindling flickering of a coal, the dimming light of the ember. Read in this light, the Divrei Hayim reads the verse as follows: When the spiritual achievement of a particular individual (soul, nefesh) has reached a low point (its immui, its dwindling), it should not give up hope and self destruct in despair (lo yitama, giving a psychological spin to the ritualistic term "impurity"). A person should not become depressed even when one feels really down. Rather, every person should realize that even at the lowest point, when one feels one has entirely lost all connection to spiritual life, one can restore ones self to a state of great holiness and wholeness.
Here's an additional reading along these lines, one that transfers the verse into one making reference to more rarified concepts about prayer and consciousness. The Pri Haaretz, R. Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, reads "nefesh" as referring to prayer (the term is used frequently in relation to David, who is viewed metaphysically as the archetype of prayer/shekhina). Prayer, to the Pri Haaretz, takes flight when it is intended as a contemplation of the Divine, as opposed to the "grounded" form of prayer as petition for personal gain. The latter to him is degraded prayer,defiled- "tamei". As such he read our verse as instructing us that the soul/prayer must not be defiled by "amav", the physical drives and desires of the body (with all the components of the physical organism incorporating, as it were, a whole population of desires). Thus the teaching "l'hazhir gedolim al ketanim" is read as " To illuminate (l'hazhir from the root "zohar" meaning to glow), the higher, expanded consciousness (the term "gadlut" is a frequent Lurianic term for higher states of consciousness) into the lower worlds, the lower states of mind (that is the material world, "katnut" read as small mindedness).
We have seen how a seemingly exclusionary set of dry ritualistic exhortations regarding an "elite", have become transvalued into a set of universally normative spiritual and ethical goals and guidelines. In our readings, we look to the "masses" not as the source of ressentiment as did Nietszche, but rather to each and every person at every level and rank as the source of endless spiritual renewal.
As a final thought, there is a lovely reinterpretation by the Tiferet Shelomo of what to me was always a problematic verse. The verse states that "any priest that has a blemish, from the offspring of Aaron, shall not serve…" To the Tiferet Shelomo, the comma is in the wrong place. Aaron's midrashic quality was that of being a peace maker, the midrash tells us how he would strive to bring peace among quarreling people. Thus anyone who has a blemish in this quality of Aaron, a person who was not dedicated to bringing peace to people, peoples, and the world, that person is not fit to lead or serve the community. The highest spiritual attainment for leadership must be the bringing of peace.