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Hall of Infamous
January 8, 2013 18 Comments
Barry Bonds.
It's not about morality with Barry in the slightest bit. It's not that guys like Barry duped fans into believing they were heroes. It's not that these guys brought shame to America's past time.
I understand that Hall of Fame voting is partly determined by "character" but that isn't why past steroid users should be kept out of the Hall.
This is about the question marks of their numbers. This is about the unknown, the unexplainable and the mystery. We have no idea what these all-time fakes would have done if not for their use of performance enhancers. The question mark surrounding what they have done is enough in itself to deem them unworthy of the Hall of Fame
I'm not exonerating the guys who cut balls with their belts, the spitballers and all kinds of other cheaters, but those guys are already in and that's not going to change.
Steroid users gained a significant advantage. How significant is obviously up for debate but the uncertainty surrounding the level of significance is partly why these individuals should not be in Cooperstown.
People say that the "they cheated" narrative is simplistic and contrived.
I'm tired of the ol' "everybody was doing steroids" narrative. Not everyone was on steroids. This article by Tom Verducci is a microcosm for the steroid era. A considerable amount of individuals were on the juice but there were also many who struggled immensely with the dilemma of whether or not to cheat. Whether or not to gain a significant edge over their competition.
Let's assume for argument's sake that the vast majority of players were on steroids. At least where I come from, majority doesn't mean unanimous. The era was much more complicated than "everyone was doing steroids."
Steroids skew the numbers. To illogically assume that everyone was juicing would be to ignore the historical aspect of the game, where numbers from eras past are still comparable unlike so many other professional sports.
Ken Griffey Jr. has never been associated with performance enhancing drugs. How does he stack up against the Barry Bonds', Alex Rodriguez's and Mark McGwire's of the world? He stacks up incredibly favourably even when ignoring the possibility of PED's. However, without steroids, where does he stand? It's incomparable. I have no idea and neither do you. We could argue into the night but we wouldn't get anywhere.
This is exactly the problem. Ken Griffey Jr. wasn't doing it, at least we don't think so. It isn't fair to him that he is seen on a similar level to those who were clearly able to help their own cause through unnatural means.
What about Hammerin' Hank? The Babe?
The dark cloud that hangs over those who have only been speculated to have taken performance enhancers should be enough in itself to keep a player like Jeff Bagwell out of the Hall of Fame. The absence of an outright admission or positive test doesn't remove the unanswerable questions that will always follow that individual. For a player as good as Ken Griffey Jr. to have avoided any resemblance of a cloud over his head during that dreaded era shows that it wasn't impossible to avoid that kind of speculation and the unanswerable questions.
How immense was the advantage of steroids? Do I really need to go over the same clearly inflated offensive statistics you have probably heard a thousand times again?
Don't tell me that Barry Bonds or Roger Clemens would have been in the Hall of Fame anyway. You don't know that. The fact that the numbers cannot be compared with former and future Hall of Famers because of the lack of knowledge surrounding the true effect of performance enhancing drugs is why no one can be certain of anything.
It's not as if these individuals will be forgotten if they are not put in the Hall of Fame. Being such a big part of baseball history does not justify a spot for them in the Hall of Fame either.
It sometimes sounds like a segment of the people in favour of putting steroid users in the Hall of Fame want to do so only because they are tired of the debate. Personally, I don't even think this should be a debate. Stellar careers were extended and made even greater into old age because of the technology. Fringe Major League players lost careers because other fringe players decided to go the steroid route.
I get that it must have been extremely difficult to choose the clean path. The best want to be the best and without steroids it was very hard to be the best during that era. Still, they knew what they were doing was wrong. Excusing them isn't fair to those of the era who stayed clean and those in the past who weren't exposed to the science of performance enhancing drugs.
Moreover, allowing the steroid era superstars into the Hall of Fame sets a terrible precedent. It opens doors that have no business being opened. No one seems to have considered the grave implications that admitting past steroid users could have on the inevitable future steroid users of Major League Baseball.
Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon have made it pretty clear that steroids are not out of the game for good. Technology is always improving and those who want to or feel as though they need to use will find ways to beat the system. What if a future Barry Bonds or Alex Rodriguez talent is found to have been using performance enhancers 30 years down the line? Welp, there goes your "everyone was doing it" argument.
The thing is, if you put the original Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens or Alex Rodriguez in the Hall of Fame, that means you have to put in the future all-time cheats of the world, doesn't it?
It doesn't have to be this way though. Don't open Pandora's Box.
It will only lead to no good.
Agree? Disagree? Reply in the comments section below or e-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com
Also, you can follow me on twitter @paintstheblack and I will happily return the favour.


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Madonna Daughter Green Hair, Madonna's daughter has shown off her new green hair as she was out and about in New York City this week.
Lourdes, 16, was seen in NYC after dying her hair an emerald green color, according to People magazine.The young fashionista was seen in regular teenage clothes wearing a graphic T-shirt and high waist jeans.
The news comes as Lourdes Leon was reported as allegedly dating Homeland actor Timothee Chalamet. However, other reports claimed that her father does not approve.
The pair were spotted recently in New York City having a dinner date. The young couple was not alone, however, and was joined by Lourdes' father, Carlos Leon.
Madonna has seemingly laughed off the entire incident. A source has said to Radar Online: "Madonna just thinks it's hilarious. Now she secretly gets a kick out of it when Lourdes complains to her about the curfew her dad's imposed and all the embarrassing questions he asks her and Timothee."
"Madonna was the villain because she was very firm when it came to school studies and manners early on, but that's changed as Lourdes has matured," the source added.
Lourdes herself has allegedly spoken about her opinion on her father being "overprotective" reportedly saying that she wants to make sure he does not get too involved, according to The Examiner.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Madonna Daughter Green Hair
Madonna Daughter Green Hair, Madonna's daughter has shown off her new green hair as she was out and about in New York City this week.

subset: commoncrawl


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Download the podcast (You can right-click the link and press "save as" to download the file to your computer.)
Noa Dar in Arnica. Photo by Tamar Lam.
(This podcast was initially produced for Israel Seen in 2008, and the text is amended from my writing on The Winger. You can subscribe to this podcast using the iTunes software by clicking this link to the podcast feed.)
* * *
I had spent many evenings during my Fulbright year taking contemporary dance classes with Shlomit Fundaminsky and Inbal Aloni at Noa Dar's studio in Tel Aviv, but when I entered the building one night for a performance of Noa's Tetris, it was as if I had walked into another world. When I viewed Arnica a month later in the more traditional environment of Tel Aviv's Tmuna Theater, I not only saw Noa's range as a choreographer but was struck by her powerful presence as a performer. After screening more of her work on DVD, I knew I had to meet the woman whose name graced the space where I so frequently took class!
We set up a meeting, and at long last I met Noa in her studio for a stimulating conversation. During our interview, Noa reflected on the development of her movement vocabulary, the evolution of her repertory, her choreographic process, and the relationship of her work to her upbringing on a kibbutz and to the larger Israeli society. It was a really rich discussion that, for me, further illuminated her well-crafted choreography while shedding even more light on the surrounding contexts of Israeli dance and Israeli culture. I hope it will open your eyes as well!
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Noa Dar is currently on tour with Arnica and Tetris in Frankfurt and Münster, Germany, through September 9th. For video clips and photos of these works and more, please see below.


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IFFGD is your resource for reliable digestive health knowledge, support, and assistance about functional gastrointestinal (GI) and motility disorders (FGIMDs). We are a nonprofit that started in 1991. Discover information you need on digestive disorders in adults and children.
Clinical trials and studies are critical to finding more and better treatments. By participating in a study you can help advance research into gastrointestinal disorders and learn more about your condition.
Join digestive health advocates like you in Washington, DC for IFFGD's National Advocacy Event on the Hill, June 24-25, 2019. Together, we can make our voices heard by Congress and pave the way towards greater awareness and new treatments and cures.
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The meaning of the Chinese character "阜" is "mound". In early times, it was written like "山". Many Chinese characters related to mountains have the radical "山"or "阜". When "阜" is a radical, it is generally on the left side. For example, in the characters "阴" (the north side of the mountain) and "阳" (the south side of the mountain), the radical on the left is actually "阜"; it was only after the zhuan style evolved into lishu that "阜" became what it is today, that is, "阝". Now, this radical is called "左耳刀" (an ear on the left).
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An interesting Chinese radical
Discussions on Mandarin Chinese. Do not post requests for translations or advertise couses in this forum.
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An interesting Chinese radical
Welcome to Chinese on the air.com, the award winning new way to learn how to speak Chinese. High quality teaching mode ,flexible student-centered delivery!
Re: An interesting Chinese radical
If you put a hill山 across a hill山 you get the character go there出. The ideogram indicates find a way into the valley between?!
Re: An interesting Chinese radical
_________________________________________ken tao wrote: If you put a hill山 across a hill山 you get the character go there出. The ideogram indicates find a way into the valley between?!
no,not that mean.in Chinese ancient dictionary "说文解字",The ideogram indicates a sapling sprout up soil,you can draw it,and image,that is a symbol。
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WELCOME TO 2012! Oops, sorry, we'll keep things quiet since your brain is probably in a delicate condition right now. Let's talk in a whisper. But seriously, how was your New Year's Eve? Where would you rank it on a scale of one (You died alone of consumption at 11:59 p.m. Your cat started gnawing on your cold, dead toes by 12:02 a.m.) to ten ("Oh my God, wait how did I end up doing a body swap with Oprah? And why is Jon Hamm licking my arm...")?
Did you go to a party or stay in? Were there fireworks? Were they of the sexual chemistry kind or the kind that can blow your face off if you stand too close—or both? Let's hope you weren't one of the many people who cried/passed out/vomited/pissed on the sidewalk last night—but c'mon, whatever you did, spill it. If you can remember any of it that is.
If your antics have left you feeling a little rough this morning, don't say we didn't warn you. You may be suffering what has been known variously throughout history as the bottle aches, the jimjams, bust head, the morning fog, the black dog, or, my personal favorite, crapulence. But don't worry, you're not alone. At this very moment, people around the world are cringing and saying "Guuuuhhhggggh" as they try to pry their eyes open, and in cities all across America there are zombie-like hordes assembling in search of some goddamn coffee and an egg sandwich. Happy New Year!
Image via Alexander Kuzmuk/Shutterstock.


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Also for the optimal screen protection is also supplied a Screen Protector, which was made from specially processed TPU. It is scratch-resistant, dust-proof and anti-fingerprint. The attachment of this protective film on the smartphone display is relatively easy, so you can install it yourself. Thanks to its high-quality design, the narrow and robust film ensures a high touch sensitivity of the screen.
Fit: There are recesses for the camera and microphone in the case, which also fit exactly from the position. The controls remain easily accessible. The side connections for charging cables and headphones are all free and are thus accessible without having to remove the device from the cover.
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Chicken Seafood Gumbo
Chicken Stock
Cut up chicken and remove skin. Save the neck and back to use in the stock. Add all ingredients to a large stockpot, and cover with water by at least 2-3 inches. Salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a low simmer. If you are using a Viking Range or Rangetop, set the burner to vari-low simmer, cover and let simmer over night. If you are using any other range or cooktop product, you may want to keep an eye on this broth. Because of Viking Range and Rangetop's superior simmer qualities, you need not worry about scorching or sticking. The longer you simmer the broth, the more flavor you will obtain from the ingredients. Let cool, and strain all ingredients, set broth aside.
When the stock ingredients have cooled, pick out as much chicken meat as you can, and reserve for the gumbo. This broth can be frozen and used at a later date, or use it immediately in the gumbo.
In a large skillet (I prefer a larger black cast iron skillet) mix the oil and flour together to make a paste. Heat over medium heat stirring constantly. The mixture will start to change colors slowly. It is important to stir constantly so that you do not burn the roux. This process will take anywhere from 30 – 45 minutes.
When the mixture becomes a deep caramel color, you can proceed with the next step in the gumbo recipe. Microwave roux mix or any other quick mix may be utilized in order to save time, but I prefer the true old Cajun way.
Once roux is the dark caramel color, add onion, bell pepper, and 1 bunch of green onions – chopped, garlic, celery and parsley. The roux mixture will immediately thicken. Continue to stir until vegetables become a little soft and clear. Add chicken broth and wine to roux mixture and stir, this will break down the roux. If the mixture is a little thick, water may be added. Continue to add all of the seasonings, except the mint and the other green onions. Taste and adjust seasonings to your own taste preferences.
Add the chicken meat, seafood and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for at least 1 hour. Before getting ready to serve, add the mint and other green onions – chopped. Let sit for about 10 – 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Serve over rice in your favorite soup bowls, along with a good French bread for sopping.
This recipe will feed approximately 20 people, or 10 Cajuns.


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Here I am at the end of my first semester teaching at the PNCA, and I sigh with an air of guarded fulfillment. I taught a materials class with an aim towards illustration, Experiments in Drawing for the Illustrator. Such a bizarre cacophony of content, materials and technique crammed into a couple of months, and simply entering back into the college atmosphere has been a baptism of fire to say the least.
I would've never expected some of the mistiming and thinly spread states of fatigue over the semester, but the great group of focused students I had the pleasure of guiding for a short while, came over as unexpectedly as the Portland Sun on my face before the end of class today.
Fantasy Genesis played a roll as well, with an extra credit assignment. I gave them the same roll that was used for the Cosmic Dragon to spring from, and here's a couple results coming from; Danny Frasier (a very focused junior with an eye towards editorial and expressive inks), and Sara Stanton (like many of my students, coming somewhat from both the worlds of Miyazaki and the Portland Comic scene I'm still discovering) Take a look at these offerings, and hopefully there will be a couple more to show before too long.. Stay tuned


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In this film, recorded in NYC last week during Advertising Week, Bob Greenberg (Chairman, CEO & Chief Creative Officer) & Barry Wacksman (EVP, Chief Growth Officer) provide smart, grounded, food-for-thought around agency model re-invention, and particularly around the role of technology in the emerging shape of agencies, post-recession.
It's of value for a number of reasons. First, because they're talking from experience rather than about theory – always preferable. But second, they're not just talking about themselves or about how great they are (though they are clearly very good within the niche they occupy). And so it doesn't feel preachy. It feels honest and useful. And so no matter whether you're a tiny & groovy start-up with six people or a networked mega-shop, there are provocations here.
The dissection of the very real differences between CAMPAIGNS, PROGRAMS and PLATFORMS is useful, not least when it comes to resource implications, processes and structures. This seems the key take-out. And two numbers have stayed with me: 25% of their headcount are technologists (where do they get *that* much great talent?). They produce 95% of their output in-house.
Their model won't be right for the great majority of agencies – they're still production specialists in many ways – but they at least seem to have a model, and can talk coherently around why it's right for them. They seem to have worked out how technology can work for them, rather than the reverse.
Smart people. Worth watching.


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Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve Its History, Promote Its Values & Celebrate Excellence Everywhere
(Southern Methodist)...Lamar Hunt.. .Continually frustrated in attempts to gain NFL franchise. . . Developed idea, became driving force behind organization of rival American Football League, 1959. . . Founded Dallas Texans, 1960. . .Moved team to Kansas City, 1963, where solid club, organization provided AFL with stability, strength during AFL-NFL war. . .Spearheaded merger negotiations with NFL, 1966. . . Born August 2, 1932, in El Dorado, Arkansas. . .Died December 13, 2006, at age of 74.
In 1959, a young man, totally frustrated in his repeated attempts to gain a franchise in the National Football League, hit upon an idea. The young man was Lamar Hunt, a 26-year-old sports-minded, civic-minded individual who called Dallas home, and his idea, simply, was to form a new professional football league to rival the NFL.
Lamar quickly approached other people who might be interested in owning franchises in a new league and, within seven months, the American Football League was born. The new league was the subject of many a joke in the early days of its existence but its eventual David-and-Goliath-like success in its costly survival battle with the established NFL did more to permanently change the pro football scene than any other event in a half-century of organized pro football activity.
It would be incorrect to say that everything good that happened to the AFL before, during and after the bitter fight with the NFL was Hunt's doing. He was, however, a leader in many of the forceful and daring moves his league made. Once merger talks were under way, Lamar eventually played a significant role in bringing about the agreement that gave the AFL totally equality in the pro football world. By the example of having a solid team and a solid organization right from the start, Lamar gave the AFL additional strength.
His original Dallas Texans team had to battle head-to-head with the newly established Cowboys and, even though the battle was a dead-even affair, Hunt, after three years, wisely moved his team to Kansas City. There the Chiefs became known as one of pro football's finest organizations, both off and on the field. The eventual merger between the AFL-NFL and the resulting successes of pro football are more than even Lamar himself could have thought possible.


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The UN report explained that "due to the Libyan upheaval ... governments in the region are faced with the return of millions of economic migrants, the smuggling of weapons from Libyan stockpiles, terrorist activities, youth unemployment, trafficking in drugs and human beings, and a surge in criminality," the international body summarized in a press release on its findings.
But the international body carefully ignored its own obvious role in creating the tragedy. The UN, of course, first called for the "no-fly zone" over Libya and all measures necessary to "protect civilians" in March of last year. Western powers including the U.S. government promptly interpreted the international resolution as a green light for military strikes and eventually regime change.
Almost incredibly, the UN and some of its member governments are now calling for even more international intervention. To deal with the fallout crisis created by the previous round of failed intervention, a collection of regimes in the region seeking to quash rebel groups joined forces with various UN officials to seize on last week's report, demanding more support from the international body and the regional African Union (AU).
NATO and its Libyan "National Transitional Council (NTC)" ally on the ground — comprised mainly of known terror leaders, former Gadhafi officials, and assorted Islamic extremists — promised throughout the war to take steps to ensure that Gadhafi's massive stockpile of military weaponry did not fall into the wrong hands. But it did — almost from the beginning.
As The New American reported throughout the war and the UN's recent report confirmed once again, everything from machine guns and grenade launchers to anti-aircraft weapons, explosives, and even missiles have made their way out of Libya. Fears also exist about the possible proliferation of chemical agents or other Weapons of Mass Destruction Gadhafi may have hidden.
The UN investigation, which focused on the effects of the Libyan war on the Sahel region of Northern Africa, found that national governments ruling countries such as Chad, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, and others were having trouble dealing with the surge of arms. "The governments of the countries visited indicated that, in spite of efforts to control their borders, large quantities of weapons and ammunition from Libyan stockpiles were smuggled into the Sahel region," the report explained.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told the Security Council on January 26 that the surge in weapons and other problems linked to the Libyan war were exerting pressure on the already-struggling regimes in the area. Terrorist groups and criminal organizations, meanwhile, were using and distributing military weapons smuggled out of Libya. And other arms stockpiles are likely still hidden in the desert for future use.
Pascoe admitted that many of the problems — especially with heavy weapons — were directly attributable to the Western-backed overthrow of the Gadhafi regime. Libya's new NATO-sponsored rulers, however, claimed that many of the concerns already existed before international military forces helped kill the Libyan dictator and topple his government, Pascoe told the UN Security Council.
But not everyone was entirely convinced. The Russian government, which claims it opposed the NATO war against Libya yet failed to block the UN resolution purportedly authorizing it, used the UN Security Council briefing to lecture Western powers and Libya's new regime. Other governments used the meeting as an opportunity to subtly gloat and criticize the NATO war.
The new UN report confirmed that the "real consequences of the Libyan crisis, the real scope of which is only beginning to come to light, are a serious threat to security and stability in the entire region," said Russian envoy Alexander Pankin, noting that his government was particularly concerned over "the uncontrolled spread of weapons in Libya and beyond its border."
Moscow also blasted the new Libyan rulers for failing to properly control the situation and for allowing weapons to flow toward terrorists and criminal organizations. The whole disaster greatly increased the risk of global terrorism, Pankin added during the Security Council meeting.
A representative for the Indian government echoed Pankin's statements, saying that "military operations carried out ostensibly to protect civilians had led to adverse consequences for millions in the Sahel," the UN summarized. He also pointed out that in a relatively short time period some three million people had lost their livelihoods with disastrous implications for the region.
South Africa's envoy emphasized that the UN resolution purporting to authorize military force against Libya was largely responsible for the crisis and for exacerbating existing problems. The new report confirmed his government's views that the NATO war would lead to arms proliferation and more terror, he said.
On the other hand, representatives of Western governments such as France, the U.K., and the Obama administration which participated in the war — like the new Libyan regime they installed — claimed the problems existed prior to NATO's intervention. But even more international intervention would be needed to solve the disasters anyway, they all agreed.
Other serious problems affecting surrounding countries resulted from the NATO regime-change operation as well, explained the UN report detailing the regional fallout from the Libyan war. Investigators working with the UN Inter-agency Assessment Mission to Sub-Saharan Region discovered, for example, that the collapse of Libya led to a mass influx of destitute civilians into neighboring countries.
The conflict and resulting chaos in Libya also dried up crucial remittances sent home by migrant workers from the once relatively prosperous oil-producing nation. According to the UN, a humanitarian disaster has been intensified as North African countries seek to feed and reintegrate the affected populations displaced by the fighting.
But the weapons are among the biggest concern, threatening to affect the security and stability of the whole region and possibly beyond. As always, the UN recommended supranational measures and international support to regimes in the area to deal with the problems.
Meanwhile, inside Libya, the bloody battles are still raging on. Competing militias, Gadhafi loyalists, and assorted armed factions are all vying for power in what some experts worry could easily become a second civil war.
The new rulers — terrorists, Islamists, Gadhafi officials, and a few individuals whom critics have dubbed "Western puppets" — barely hold sway even in the capital, where deadly clashes still continue adding to the death toll. But the new central bank which replaced Gadhafi's state-owned monetary authority is firmly in place.
Outside of North Africa, Western powers have toned down their bizarre celebrations over the alleged "success" of regime change in Libya against their former ally Gadhafi. But many are still openly pushing for more military intervention in the Middle East, apparently — on the surface at least — having failed to learn a lesson from the disastrous results of past operations.
Photo of unguarded mortar shells in Libya: AP Images
Related articles:
Deadly Battles Still Rage in Libya as Rival Militias Clash
UN, Obama Fighting Alongside al-Qaeda in Libya
The Bloody Aftermath of NATO's Libya War
UN Troops Accused of Sex Crimes Worldwide
Libyan Rebels Accused of "Ethnic Cleansing," Black Genocide
"Libyan Rebels" Create Central Bank, Oil Company
Al-Qaeda and NATO's Islamic Extremists Taking Over Libya
UN And Muslim Militias Arrest Ivory Coast President
Libya Rulers Vow "Integration" with Sudan Terror Regime
U.S. Officials Celebrate Killing of Former Ally Gadhafi
UN-backed Forces Slaughter Christians in Ivory Coast
Gadhafi's Gold-money Plan Would Have Devastated Dollar
Islamist Attacks in Nigeria Take Deadly Toll
UN-Backed Troops Wreak Havoc in Africa
Violent Muslim Terrorists Demand Christians Leave Northern Nigeria


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1968 Dodge Charger - 21st-Century Muscle
A '68 Charger that embodies muscle for the ages
"A Charger was the first car I ever went 100 mph in." Pat Flaherty, referencing his childhood ride in his dad's old '68 Hemi Charger.
Bill Brownlie's design crew that created the second-generation Charger made what some have called a few errors in its execution; indeed, the styling itself proved to be anathema in the function department when NASCAR's pilots took the beasts above 160 mph. Nonetheless, that clean, deeply-inset grille and the flying buttress rear window still look good standing still. It will always remain classic.
Let's take a look at Pat Flaherty's Charger from this esthetic point of view. Chargers have come in a lot of colors, but for this rendition, Pat chose to use a silver hue, originally mixed for Mercedes, with PPG supplying the pigment and John Lanza doing the actual hard work of handling a run-free spray gun. Coupled with the chrome accents, black grille and Scat stripe, and red taillights, the car looks beautifully clean and raw.
According to Pat, "My dad always had cars around, but by far the best was his '68 Hemi Charger; he bought it new in 1967. It was the first car I ever went 100 mph in. It was B5 blue, and he raced it at the now-closed 75-80 Dragway and won a lot of class trophies."
This Charger began life as a standard 383 example. The car's rework had been started by a police officer in Colorado, who decided it was going to take too much cash to bring it back to life. The sheetmetal replacement work had been finished, but the car was apart. In early 2006, Pat brought it home in pieces, and did just about all of the remaining work except the driveline and paint in his home garage.
Inside, the Charger got red vinyl skins from Legendary Auto Interiors, while the dash was sent out to Just Dashes for a full rebuild, including the factory tachometer. Pat installed a shift light as well, so he would know instantly when the engine is up in its 7,000-plus redline zone. A set of Autometer gauges mounted in a custom panel are positioned in the dash above the console to monitor the vital signs, and Pat gives a special thanks to Gary's Wheels in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, for the excellent appearance on the OE steering wheel.
Pat admits he enjoyed the handiwork more than anything; the car was a project that involved his sons Nick and Kurt, and he is already deciding what to do with his time now that this masterpiece is done.
Fast Facts:
'68 Dodge Charger
Car Owner: Pat Flaherty, Edgewater, Maryland
Mopar Power
- Engine: Hemi power is a special breed; this engine began around fresh Mopar Performance pieces and a custom brew of specialized parts by Ray Barton Racing Engines. The Hemi displaces a total of 472-inches thanks to a stroker crankshaft. The package has a dyno sheet that shows 711 horsepower and a redline of 7,300 rpm; to appreciate all this horsepower fully, you would need to be cruising on the Autobahn. Pat chose to stick with the classic inline quads, using Edelbrock's latest version of the classic AFB, with Barton's crew porting, polishing and bench-flowing the top end. The internals are of Barton's own selection, and we can't get a lot of details, but with 711 horsepower, the right choices were made. The camshaft is a solid lifter design, and Barton's patented redesigned rocker gears tops off the valve train. MSD supplied the distributor and 6AL box, and the battery remains mounted under the hood. A complete 3-inch ceramic-coated tti exhaust system from headers to S/S tips rounds it out. It idles calmly until you get your foot into it...
- Transmission:
- Differential: A 4.10 ring in a DTS-built Dana is bulletproof enough for the car to have no problems out back; DTS also supplied the axles and did the rear disc install on the housing.
Sure Grip
- Suspension: In keeping with a more modern theme, Pat decided to give the car a few 21st century touches. For that, 2-inch drop spindles by Fat Man Fabrication, and two inch lowering springs courtesy of Just Suspension, with the one-inch tire variance giving the car a rakish look without the aggressive rear-lifted sometimes seen in this application. Giving the thoroughbred some highway functionality are Strange gas shocks.
- Brakes: Wilwood multi-piston discs are "hanging out" on all four corners
- Wheels and Rubber: To rake the car, 17-inch Wheel Vintiques Magnums up front and 18-inch Wheel Vintiques Magnums out back wrapped in road-worthy Nitto tires keeps it stuck to the interstate.
High Impact
- Body: The Colorado body had already undergone some sheet-metal replacement, and John Lanza did the final prep before hitting with the spray gun.
- Paint: Lanza used PPG's 1990 Mercedes Silver to make the Charger into a platinum-appearing sculpture.
- Interior: After finishing the disassembly, the dash was re-done by Just Dashes, the wheel by Gary's, and the interior supplied by Legendary. Pat put it all together at home, adding a set of AutoMeter gauges and a shift light.


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I thought I was the world's shallowest book blogger. I thought I was alone. Then I caught up with a few of my best blogging pals a couple of weekends ago at the Walker event and we got onto the topic of boys. Well, to be more precise, hot YA authors. Hooray, I thought to myself, I'm not the only one who's prone to perving over hot Goodreads profile pictures, Lynsey from Narratively Speaking is as bad as me. Sarah from Feeling Fictional is as bad as me. Don't even get me started on Andy from The Pewter Wolf but, boy, he is definitely as bad as me. It must be an Essex thing.
And thus, we've spent a fair bit of time discussing those YA authors who are, shall we say, aesthetically pleasing. Do you know what? There are a lot of them. Enough, perhaps, for a Mr YA 2012 pageant. Definitely. But then I realised people would almost certainly look down on me for objectifying these fine figures of men.
Surely they should be judged on their wonderful use of language rather than their banging abs, you might say. Well, yes, certainly having a way with words is the most important box to tick. I'm just saying, it's nice to have a pretty face to gawp over every now and then. Does this make me shallow? And superficial? Probably. But then most of you are just as bad as me, I know it. Deep down you all have that one writer who makes you come over all peculiar (bet you wondered where I was going with that last sentence).
So, hottie YA authors, I salute you. Thank you for your cheekbones and wolfish good looks. Thank you for your gorgeous books but thank you for your lovely faces, too.
(NB. This isn't one of the YA hottie authors. This is actually Rob Lowe. I have a need to post pictures of him at regular intervals or I get sad)


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IRONMAN 70.3® Augusta Training Plan (EXPERIENCED, 24 Weeks)
David Glover, MSE, MS, CSCSAll plans by this Coach
24 Weeks
Refund Policy
This plan is protected by our Refund Policy and may, with the author's approval, be exchanged for a plan of equal value from the same author.Still have questions about this plan?
Plan Description
Commit. Train. Perspire. Believe. Overcome. Achieve.
When you cross the finish line of an IRONMAN 70.3® triathlon, you've accomplished something very special.
Designed for EXPERIENCED triathletes who have completed multiple Half IRONMAN races, the primary goal of this training plan is to prepare you to EXCEL in YOUR IRONMAN 70.3 Augusta RACE.
Crafted by USA Triathlon-certified coach and former pro triathlete David Glover, MSE, MS, CSCS, this plan encapsulates his passion for the sport, his experience from dozens of Half and Full IRONMAN distance finishes (5 overall wins, 8:51 PR at IRONMAN distance) and his success coaching hundreds of triathletes.
Starting 24 weeks before your goal race, this plan begins with a 6-week prep period (6-7.5 hrs per week) then progresses through three base periods and one build period (13.5 hrs max per week) prior to peaking and tapering. Following the prep period, each week typically contains 3x swims, 3x bikes and 3x runs plus 1 BRICK run. You will build up to: 3,000 yards (or meters) swimming, 3.5 hrs biking and 2 hrs running. Your long ride is Saturday, long run is Sunday and off day is Monday. Although not necessary, we recommend using a heart rate monitor in conjunction with perceived effort; you may use a power meter as well.
Prior to using this plan, you should be able to complete the following workouts:
• Swim: 300 meters or yards continuously
• Bike: 60 minutes
• Run: 45 minutes
Purchase of this plan includes our comprehensive 40+ page Triathlon Training Guide, which explains how to use your training plan plus email access to David Glover at any time for questions that you may have about this plan.
For more information about this plan, please DOWNLOAD the Description Document.
Questions? Please visit us on the web at enduranceworks.com or email David directly at: email@example.com.
Please note:
• You can reuse this training plan for future races.
• IRONMAN®, IRONMAN 70.3® and IRONMAN Triathlon® are registered trademarks of World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).
Average Weekly Breakdown
|Weekly Average
|Longest Workout
|2:51 hrs
|2:00 hrs
|2:18 hrs
|1:00 hrs
|4:08 hrs
|3:30 hrs
|Workouts Per Week
|Weekly Average
|Longest Workout
|2:51 hrs
|2:00 hrs
|2:18 hrs
|1:00 hrs
|4:08 hrs
|3:30 hrs
Training Load By Week
This plan works best with the following fitness devices:
- Heart Rate Monitor
Sample Day 1
300 easy CHOICE
4 x 50 FR (fast Z5, easy Z1), r15s
2 x 100 FR start easy and build to Z4, r20s
100 FR easy Z1, r60s
Main Set:
1 x 1000 FR time trial - as fast as you can but pace yourself, r60s
See "Swimming Field Test" at http://www.enduranceworks.net/resources/ to calculate your swim training zones.
C/D: 200 easy CHOICE
Sample Day 1
Z2. Include 8 x 30s pick ups mixed in - accelerate to a fast cadence (no bouncing in the saddle) to get your muscle fibers to fire faster.
Sample Day 2
Z2. Nice and smooth. Keep upper body relaxed.
Sample Day 3
Field test to set your training zones for the bike.
Download and follow "Cycling Field Test" protocol at http://www.enduranceworks.net/resources/ to calculate your bike training zones using power, heart rate or perceived effort.
Your training zones may change over time.
Sample Day 4
100 FR easy and relaxed, r10s
2 x 100 Float Kick Drill, r10s
2 X 50 FR Steady
Main Set:
300 FR steady Z2 pull, r30s
6 x 50 FR steady Z2 (maintain same pace across all 6), r10s
300 FR steady Z2 w/ Paddles, r30s
4 x 50 FR (25 Fast, 25 Easy), r15s
C/D: 300 FR easy with Pull Buoy focusing on long, gliding strokes
View swim drill videos: http://www.enduranceworks.net/resources/swim-drill-videos/
Sample Day 4
Z1/Z2 easy run. Nice and relaxed.
Sample Day 5
W/U 10' to Z2. Include 6 x 15-20" fast spinning (easy gear at 100+ rpm) mixed in.
Maintain a steady Z2 effort over the duration of the ride. Include 4 x 1' standing Z2/Z3 mixed in.
Make a note of what you eat and drink during your ride.


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New telescope dedicated on HaleakalaUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Associate Director
Gareth Wynn-Williams, (808) 956-8807
Institute for Astronomy Director Rolf Kudritzki described the dedication of PS1 as "a historic event, since Pan-STARRS is the most important University of Hawaii telescope project in 30 years." PS1 achieved "first light" in late June, when engineers obtained test images of a number of stars.
The telescope's mirror is only 71 inches in diameter, much smaller than the twin Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea, whose mirrors are nearly 400 inches each. What will make PS1 unique is that it will be equipped with the world's largest digital camera, which is currently under construction at the UH Institute for Astronomy's Manoa headquarters. This camera will contain 1.4 billion pixels--about 300 times more than is found in a typical commercial digital camera. Each night PS1 will produce about 2000 gigabytes of data, most of which will be sent by optical fiber to be analyzed at the Maui High Performance Computing Center in Kihei.
Once the telescope is operational, the PS1 survey will survey the whole sky every few days to find celestial objects that change or move. In addition to discovering millions of asteroids, some of which might pose a danger to Earth, PS1 will collect data to be analyzed by Hawaii astronomers and an international consortium. The data collected will help answer questions in areas of astronomy ranging from our solar system to the entire observable universe.
In his speech at the dedication, Kudritzki noted that PS1 is the first astronomy project to be constructed on Haleakala following the guidelines established in the Haleakala High Altitude Observatory Site Long Range Development Plan. Kahu Charles Kauluwehi Maxwell Sr. provided the "sense of place" training for all PS1 construction personnel, and he also served as the cultural monitor who oversaw all construction.
According to Hawaiian oral history, the ancient Hawaiian astronomers and their students studied the sky from Puʻu Kolekole on the summit of Haleakala. The culmination of the dedication ceremony was the blessing of the building by two of Maxwell's grandsons and the untying of the maile lei, an act of respect, an expression of sense of place, and an explicit acknowledgment of the ancient Hawaiian astronomers who first observed the universe from Haleakala.
The telescope and its enclosure were built by EOS Technologies, based in Tucson, Arizona and Canberra, Australia. The primary and secondary mirrors were developed through the efforts of Corning Inc., Rayleigh Optical Corporation and Evaporated Metal Films Inc.
Fore more information, visit:
- Pan-STARRS project
- PS1 image gallery
- UH Institute for Astronomy
- Haleakala in Hawaiian Culture
- PS1 Dedication Web page
For more information, visit: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/press-releases/PS1_dedication/


text: Chelsea's momentum was halted when Ivanovic, above, was red-carded for tripping Ashley Young and then Torres was shown a second yellow for diving [Reuters]Javier Hernandez's controversial winning goal gave Manchester United a dramatic 3-2 victory against nine-man Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. The result ensured Alex Ferguson's side reduced the gap on Roberto Di Matteo's English Premier League leaders to just one point, but the Blues were left fuming at the performance of referee Mark Clattenburg. Chelsea had recovered from falling behind to a David Luiz own goal and a Robin van Persie strike to level through goals from Juan Mata and Ramires when Branislav Ivanovic was sent off for a 63rd-minute foul on Ashley Young. More contentious, though, was the second yellow card shown to Fernando Torres five minutes later, after the referee had decided the striker dived following a challenge by Jonny Evans. Replays suggested there had been contact between the two players and the decision sparked fury on the Chelsea bench that led to a touchline altercation between Ferguson and Di Matteo's staff. Worse was to come for the home side, with substitute Hernandez clinching victory in the 75th minute with a close-range finish from what appeared to be an offside position. Thrilling encounter The events of the final half hour ensured the match ended in controversy but before that it had already been a thrilling encounter. The pre-match handshake between Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole, together with the absence of John Terry - who is serving a four-match ban for racially abusing Ferdinand's brother, Anton - removed a potential flashpoint. But the subsequent 90 minutes more than made up for it. It was United who started the game with the greater urgency and were clearly driven by the motivation to keep Di Matteo's side within their sights at the head of the table. While United quickly got into their stride, attacking fluently down their right-hand flank, Chelsea's defence looked disjointed and nervous, and the absence of Terry was telling. Results & fixtures Saturday 27 OctoberAston Villa 1-1 Norwich Arsenal 1-0 QPRReading 3-3 Fulham Stoke 0-0 Sunderland Wigan 2-1 West Ham Man City 1-0 SwanseaSunday 28 OctoberEverton 2-2 LiverpoolNewcastle 2-1 West BromSouthampton 1-2 SpursChelsea 2-3 United Petr Cech was called into action after less than three minutes when van Persie drilled in a stinging left-foot shot from outside the area. But the home goalkeeper had no chance of preventing United taking the lead 60 seconds later after Wayne Rooney had worked his way to the byline and pulled back for van Persie, whose shot crashed off the post and into the net via the back of Luiz. The second came just eight minutes later after another lightning move down the United right. Goalkeeper David De Gea started the move by rolling the ball out to Ferdinand and it ended with van Persie sweeping the ball home from Antonio Valencia's low cross. Momentum shift Chelsea looked in desperate trouble, while United were rampant. Slowly, though, the home side worked their way back into the game and when they were finally able to play to their strengths in the attacking third, the momentum of the game shifted dramatically. Suddenly it was De Gea who was the busier of the two keepers and the young Spaniard kept his side in it before Mata eventually halved the deficit shortly before the interval. Rooney fouled Eden Hazard on the edge of the United area, allowing Mata to curl a precise free-kick around the wall and beyond the reach of De Gea. Di Matteo's side continued where they had left off after the break and were level eight minutes into the second period when Ramires headed home from Oscar's cross. At that point the game was perfectly poised, before an incident-packed five-minute spell left Chelsea with nine men and United poised for victory. Ivanovic was first to see red in the 63rd minute when he tripped Young as the United winger was bearing down on goal after being played in by van Persie. And when Torres followed five minutes later, it was always going to be an enormous task for Chelsea to hold on. But their sense of injustice was further fuelled by Hernandez's strike after the Mexico forward turned home Rafael's drilled cross. Earlier Everton and Liverpool drew 2-2 at Goodison Park while Tottenham Hotspur moved into the top four with a 2-1 victory at struggling Southampton. Newcastle United beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at home. SOURCE: AFP Sport Football Latin America Mexico


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For some years now, during the Fridays in Lent, I have been only consuming what I've grown myself in my garden. You can read about my previous Homegrown Fridays here. I know from experience that this takes some concentration and dedication each Friday that I do this. We usually have something at a meal that comes from our garden or from a farmer we know personally, but limiting the meal to only what I've grown means no dairy products, no vinegar on the greens, and no olive oil. Also, this time of year if I've run out of potatoes and onions I have to buy them from the grocery store—something I'm not happy with. Last year, in spite of being terrifically busy writing Grow a Sustainable Diet, I kept to the Homegrown Fridays eating only what I had grown. This year I am deep into writing another book—Seed Libraries and other means of keeping seeds in the hands of the people. I really want to keep the momentum going on this newest book and decided to be kinder to myself and not be so distracted on Friday. Also, maybe if I back off a little on my self-imposed rules, others will find it more doable. Last year on my Homegrown Fridays 2013 post I invited comments from anyone who had tried the same thing and had no takers.
I'm still sticking to eating something that I've grown at each meal on the Fridays in Lent, unless I'm traveling and eating away from home. This year, however, the meals might also include some other ingredients. The stored staple crops I have available are the same as before—sweet potatoes, cowpeas, corn for cornmeal, garlic, peanuts, and maybe hazelnuts and walnuts. There are also greens from the garden, eggs from the chickens, dried and canned produce, and mead. Check my past Homegrown Fridays for examples of meals from only these ingredients.
This year I have some new additions. We made grape juice from our grapes in 2013. Not a lot, but some to save for Homegrown Friday breakfasts. Breakfast is still by the old rules. I have cornmeal mush cooked in water, rather than milk. The honey I put on it is a gift from my friend Angela's bees (okay, so I bent the old rules a bit for breakfast since it's not my honey). Our bees did not survive the winter in 2013 and, being so busy, we didn't replace them. However, new bees are arriving this week. Yeah!
I tried a new corn in 2013 and find I like the taste a little better than Bloody Butcher. Floriani Red Flint corn didn't yield as well as my tried-and-true Bloody Butcher that I've been growing for more than twenty years, so I'll be working with it to see what I can do. I'll be planting both varieties in 2014. When I first planted Bloody Butcher I had also planted a yellow variety that I don't remember the name of. Bloody Butcher did much better than the yellow corn, so that's what I stuck with. Since Floriani Red Flint and Bloody Butcher are both red corns, I was surprised at the difference in color when I ground them into cornmeal. You can see in the photo that Floriani Red Flint is yellow and the Bloody Butcher cornmeal is purple, which I was already familiar with.
Changing the rules gives me the opportunity to tell you about my dried tomatoes in olive oil. When I dry tomatoes in my solar dryers, sometimes there are ones that aren't quite dry when the rest are. I put the not-quite-dry ones in a jar of olive oil that I keep in the refrigerator, adding tomatoes as I get them. An easy and tasty dish is to sauté a cut-up onion in the olive oil from that jar, along with some of the tomatoes. Add some cooked cowpeas until they're heated through and there's lunch. I often refer to those tomatoes as flavor bites and add them to scrambled eggs and quiche.
If you've enjoyed following my Homegrown Fridays, you are going to love reading Blessing the Hands that Feed Us by Vicki Robin. If her name sounds familiar, you may know her as co-author of Your Money or Your Life. I read Blessing the Hands that Feed Us when it came out in January this year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Robin limited her diet to what was grown within 10 miles of her home for a month! It all began when a friend wanted to find someone to feed from her garden for a month and Robin, who refers to sustainability as an extreme sport, offered to give it a try. Before starting on this adventure she put some thought into it and decided to widen her diet to the ten miles to include dairy, eggs, and meat, but the bulk of her meals came from her friend's garden. She allowed what she referred to as exotics—oil, lemons and limes, salt, a few Indian spices, and caffeine–which enhanced her meals. Giving yourself limits like this doesn't so much limit you as it does open your heart and mind to so many more issues at hand. If you include exotics, how are the workers responsible for growing them and bringing them to you being treated? How is the soil that grows these things being treated? The food you get from local growers—how is it grown and are the growers getting a fair return for their labor, knowledge, and care? Is the treatment of the soil your food is grown in building the ecosystem for those living nearby and for the earth community at large?
One of the things that Robin brought up in her book was that as we go forth in these changing times we need to be operating out of love and not fear. I talked about that same thing in Grow a Sustainable Diet. Both books also talk about community. We do not live in a vacuum, needing to provide all of our own needs. Yes, on Homegrown Fridays I explore what it would be like if my diet only consisted of what I'd grown myself. I do that to bring my own focus to what is really important to me and examine what I really need. It deepens my appreciation for what I eat all the other days of the year and for the people and the land that supply what I can't. When Angela gave me that quart of honey last summer, I truly valued it, knowing that my homegrown supply from the previous year would be running out. My Lenten Homegrown Fridays begin the thought process about what it would take to go forth in a peaceful, loving way that treasures all of life.


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The Big 3 networks' evening newscasts probably turned in their worst ratings week since TVs became a household staple during the week of May 18.
Last week (at NewsBusters; at BizzyBlog), based on the ratings for the week of May 11, I noted that the shows' combined audience had plunged a stunning 25% from their late January post-inauguration peak to a level barely above the 20 million mark.
At the time, I thought that we wouldn't see a sub-20 million week until sometine during the summer.
Well, it's not summer yet, and they're below a combined 20 million already. What's more, the results are even worse in the coveted 25-54 demographic.
Here's a comparison of the week of May 18 to both the previous week and the same week a year ago (Source: Media Bistro - May 18, 2009; May 11, 2009; May 19, 2008):
The excuse that last week was down only because of the upcoming Memorial Day weekend doesn't fly. Last year's drop from May 12 to May 19 (not charted above) was only 480,000 (230,000 in the 25-54 demo). This year's May 11 to May 18 drop of 830,000 (460,000 for 25-54) was much higher off of smaller base.
The trend within a trend, at least year over year, is that NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams and ABC's World News Tonight with Charles Gibson have been losing viewers, while Katie Couric's CBS Evening News appears to have bottomed out. Brian and Charlie are coming down to Katie's level at a surprisingly fast clip. NBC has lost 30% of its lead over CBS; ABC's lead has dropped by over 40%.
Media Bistro, the source of the data, seems oddly ignorant of the precipitous downward slide, nonchalantly telling its readers only that "All three networks were declined week-to-week in both categories," and that "Year-to-year, the only program to gain viewers is the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric." That's light treatment indeed of year-over-year 9.4% and 12.4% drops at NBC and ABC, respectively, as well as 18%-plus drops at the two networks in the 25-54 demo.
Networks execs nevertheless surely know that their former crown jewels are fading, and quickly. Perhaps it will occur to one or more of them that viewers are tiring of their years of insufferable bias, or of their more recent almost all-Obama, all-the-time obsession. Nah -- If they haven't figured it out by now, they likely never will.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.


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Come visit Aunt Butchies of Brooklyn, a cornerstone in the Staten Island City community, and enjoy a dine in experience you will never forget with outstanding Italian dishes and legendary desserts.
The dining room has a warm and inviting atmosphere, as well as a full service bar. The dining room accommodates up to 120 people and is available for private parties.
Call us or make a reservation online!
4864 Arthur Kill Road, Staten Island, NY 10307


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6315 Peneplain Avenue
Las Vegas, NV 89139
Added 18 Days Ago
Please create an account to save your search. We will notify you as soon as a new property matches your criteria.
Type anything you want here and we will see what we can find in the property descriptions. Maybe a name of a golf course you want to live by or a term like fixer upper.


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In a situation, you have a broken game stop gift card
If you discover that the game stop gift card is harmed, you require to get in touch with assistance. In order to avoid illegal activities, get in the card number only on the main website of the vendor.
HOW TO CHECK EXPIRATION DAY game stop gift card
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To check the balance of the game stop gift card, you will certainly require a one-of-a-kind card number that is on the back of the certificate. You ought to go to the suppliers site as well as enter a distinct card number in the area. If you have any concerns or problems, you can utilize the contact telephone number found on the back of the game stop gift card.
WHERE TO CHECK game stop gift card
Also, examine the game stop gift card is possible both on the site and straight in the store. Discover the addresses of neighboring stores can be found on the main site of the vendor.


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While I am typing this Geoffrey Todd Smith is trying to push his car out of a snow mound on Lake Street. While you are reading this he is probably listening to the Melvins and devising a new way to make your eyes shift and throb in effulgent glory.
While many folks will be eating ribs and chicken wings and watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, others will be attending Here's Looking at You Looking at Me Kid at Chicago's Hyde Park Art Center. A large wall installation piece crafted by Geoffrey, featuring over 900 of his hand cut, signature, pointy patterned dots.
Mr. Smith will also be one of three featured exhibiting artists in conjunction with Western Exhibitions at this year's NEXT art fair in Chicago. After having a successful solo exhibition, Geoffrey Todd Smith Will Romance You When He Is Good and Ready, at WX in Fall of 07', being dubbed one of Chicago's most collectible artists by Chicago Magazine, and being exhibited all over the place, Geoffrey Todd Smith is shaping up to be one of Chicago's most promising artists.
My work is an expression of my experiences, memories and interests. I am compelled to make images to communicate visually with the viewer. I love engaging in a nonverbal conversation with the viewer that elicits a tangible response to abstract information. I have always liked to dazzle myself! If I don't think it looks cool why should I expect you to?
I try to choose titles that create a mood and capture the rhythm of the image. They are often humorous and they frequently use tongue twisters to re-enforce the optical challenges of the images. They are not intended as illustrative devices. I would compare it to the relationship of titles to instrumental music.
Wet stones, snow falling in front of pine trees, ominous weather, looking through tree branches without the leaves, negative space, the evocative potential of simple perspective, artificial symbols for naturally occurring phenomena (fire, lightning, water, etc.), cold temperatures, annoying sounds, repetition of form, unusual color combinations, order/disorder, puzzles, old videogames, sticker collections
I tend to travel through life without a lot of bold moves. I work hard on my artwork and try to put it in front of people that will connect with it. To this point, every opportunity I have had to show my work has evolved from individuals seeing my work and offering me a hand. I try to return the favor to younger artists when I see something in there work. Usually pass their name along to someone who may provide an opportunity. My road is a slow road.
I think contemporary artists are often guilty of following trends because of a perceived window for success. I don't think geographical artistic differences are as prevalent as they once were. Access to images has sped up through the Internet. Chicago is not as far away as it was. Consequently, more people have access to an artist online than in person. This changes the viewing of an art object but I think that is figuring into the art making process. You become aware of how you will be viewed through reproduction.
There was a very small line drawing of an Olmec head in a book called Mumbo Jumbo by Ismael Reed. I read that book in 1992 and I will never forget that little illustration. So simple. It looked like it weighed a couple tons.
An Apartment Drawer- big enough for me to live in at an affordable price. I don't need too much space. I hear the Japanese have something similar... Nerf Cars- soft crashes.
Less: Religion. In fact, no religion. Guns, racists, people who interrupt when I am talking, people who say, "It's always been that way."
More: Education, compassion, public transportation, willingness to listen, people who say," It doesn't have to be that way!"
I have been listening to: (new stuff) The Animal Collective- Strawberry Jam, Jens Lekman- Night Falls on Kortedala, Sunset Rubdown- Random Spirit Lover. (old stuff) Bob Dylan- Blonde on Blonde, Galaxie 500- Today, Smog- Knock Knock, Yo La Tengo- Painful
Television: Mad Men- a great t.v. show. Sexy, sharp, wickedly funny and sad. America's Next Top Model- a must watch in marathon form. I like to see a whole "cycle" in one sitting.
Dead Artists: Oyvind Fahlstrom, Paul Delveaux, Rene Magritte
New Artists: Garth Weiser- his show in Chicago at Kavi Gupta was very good. Sterling Ruby- When I saw his large installation in New York I was confused and it felt right!
Artists to revisit: Ray Yoshida- especially his collages, Mary Heilmann- not that she needs my help!
Chocolate Cream Puffs: My girlfriend made some.
Grey Goose Martini with blue cheese stuffed olives! Get fucked up!
Terry Boers and Dan Bernstein: Weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on Chicago a.m. sports radio 670- The Score. Interesting and critical sports radio with a sense of humor. "Meatball" fans be damned!
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Location: Castle Manor Nursing & Rehab
SINGING BAND today at 3 PM at Castle Manor in National City. Experience the joy of lifting the hearts of shut-ins through Bible-readings and songs. See Cindy or Rachel for more information. All are welcome! For Address and Directions:
Castle Manor Nursing & Rehab
541 S V Ave
National City, CA 91950
(619) 791-7900
Click HERE for Directions.


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Banner Printing
Printing High Quality Custom Vinyl Banners for Indoor and Outdoor Use
Banner4Sale.com has provided full color banner signs using our vinyl banner printing technology for all types of different customers all across the country. Whether you need a trade show banner, a banner for inside your business, or a banner sturdy enough to be displayed outside of your store, Banner4Sale.com offers high-resolution, high-quality banners in full color and for a much lower price than your local sign or print shop. Make a strong impact and make sure that your message is getting across to your target audience. Whether you are announcing events to parents with a school banner, supporting your team with a college banner, or presenting new products and services with a business banner, beautiful full color printing is certain to catch more attention than a banner full of plain, boring text. Our vinyl banners are also more durable than other materials, and will be around to share your message for a long time. Our support team is completely in-house and will be happy to assist you with all of your customer service needs. Please Note: As of January 1st, 2018 UPS and FEDEX have changed their oversized fees. As a result, ALL banners over 84" (7') on their shortest side will be folded and shipped in a square box.If your banner is between 49" (4'1") and 84" (7') on the shortest side, there is a $75 surcharge to ship rolled. Please make sure to check the "Ship Rolled" option when checking out. All banners over 84" (7') can ONLY ship folded in a square box.
Custom Vinyl Banners$15.00
2 FT x 5 FT Vinyl Banner$23.50


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Almost 3 months ago, Mocavo.com announced that any content put onto the website would be "free forever." In checking at the time of this post, they presently have 178,182 collections on their website. The bulk of the collections on the website fall into the "histories" category but that category contains a wide variety of different publications. The collections also include a fairly sizable number of yearbooks and directories. It looks to me that if this acquisition trend continues, Mocavo.com will shortly become one of the top commercial online genealogical database providers along with Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, and findmypast.com (D.C. Thomson Family History). Along with FamilySearch.org, it looks like developments in the coming year may force me to talk about the big five genealogy companies rather than the big four.
It is very interesting to review the records appearing on Mocavo.com, I am finding collections of records that I had never heard of previously. For example, the Arizona Historical Prison Register Index, 1866 – 1966. Fortunately, I did not find any of my ancestors in this particular index. Hmm. Maybe I should change that statement, as a genealogist perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to find someone in the index.
Keep an eye on Mocavo.com


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Hi guys! I have created a program that is designed to ask students multiple equation questions. The program will only be designed to ask single digit numbers. I have managed to create the questions and a random number generator, but i want this program to constantly loop, any ideas on how to implement a loop?
Heres my code:
import java.util.Scanner; public class SubtractionQuiz { public static void main (String[] args) { int number1 = (int) (Math.random() * 10); int number2 = (int) (Math.random() * 10); System.out.println("What is" + number1 + " * " + number2 + "?"); Scanner input = new Scanner(System.in); int answer = input.nextInt(); if (number1 * number2 == answer) System.out.println("You are correct!"); else System.out.println("Wrong!"); } }
Thanks in advance!


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City of West SacramentoHome Menu
Parks & Recreation
West Sacramento Parks & Recreation consists of four separate functions: a Parks Division, Recreation Division, Early Learning Services, and our Tree Program. The Parks Department provides recreation and leisure opportunities with its park facilities and recreation programming. These programs are designed to help local residents improve their overall health and quality of life.
Department Highlights
Summer Registration Postponed
Given the uncertainty of the current COVID-19 situation, the West Sacramento Parks and Recreation Department summer program registration, which was scheduled to begin mid-April has been postponed until further notice. The Parks and Recreation Department will continue to monitor and assess the current situation and will open summer registration when appropriate. Check out the West Sacramento Parks and Recreation Facebook page for further updates.
Recreation Center Pools - Closed Until Further Notice Effective 3/17/20
Summer Pool Hours (Upon re-opening):
Monday-Thursday 1:15-5:15pm
Friday 2:00-7:00pm
Saturday & Sunday 12:30-5:30pm
Help avoid lines by:
1. Renewing your Rec Center pass in advance!
2. Update all waivers on your account.
3. Bring your Rec Card or Key Ring Rewards app for quick check in at the side gate!
Click here for detailed pool schedules.
- Special Events - See COVID-19 Public Guidelines
- Rentals: Parks & Facilities - See COVID-19 Public Guidelines
- Latest Map Showing All Of Our City Parks and Public Facilities


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A smart moove by the bistro- to qualify for 1-for-1 mains, one has to add $3.90 to the mains to get a "set" comprising of:
The set also comes with coffee or tea.
Below are the 1-for-1 mains we tried.
I found the food to be not really good here but it has a nice al fresco porch and cheap beer, making it a cosy chill out spot as long as this is not dinner. LOL. Service was pretty good though!
If you're keen to try them, please call the bistro to enquire regarding the promos mentioned here.
The Cartel Bistro
I12 Katong
Tel: 6636 3327
Chew On This:
The soup comes on a metal stand that elevates the bowl up a bit so one won't have to bend too low to slurp up soup.


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All of the required approvals have been received, so the AMD acquisition of ATI is now a done deal. In fact, ati.com now redirects to AMD. As part of its official announcement that the two have now become one, AMD also took the wraps off of "Fusion," a new project that aims to integrate the CPU and GPU on a single piece of silicon. According to AMD, Fusion will "provide the best customer experience in a world increasingly reliant upon 3D graphics."
"With the anticipated launch of Windows Vista, robust 3D graphics, digital media and device convergence are driving the need for greater performance, graphics capabilities, and battery life," said Phil Hester, AMD senior vice president and chief technology officer. "In this increasingly diverse x86 computing environment, simply adding more CPU cores to a baseline architecture will not be enough. As x86 scales from palmtops to petaFLOPS, modular processor designs leveraging both CPU and GPU compute capabilities will be essential in meeting the requirements of computing in 2008 and beyond."
Technical details on Fusion are scant right now. According to AMD, we won't see the fruits of the project until late 2008 or 2009. We do know that Fusion will eventually show up on all of AMD's platforms, from consumer electronics and laptops to desktops and servers.
Fusion will likely appear in AMD's quad-core processors first. Earlier this month at the Microprocessor Forum, AMD talked about Barcelona, its upcoming quad-core CPU. All four cores are integrated onto a single die and share 2MB of on-die L3 cache, and Barcelona should provide a degree of die- and system-level integration that will make it very competitive with Intel's own quad-core offerings.
With Fusion, it's very likely that one of those four cores will have GPU capabilities, leaving the other three for general purpose computing. It's even possible that AMD will go with two GPU cores and two CPU cores on a single die.


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Saturday, July 11, 2009
Hey Now! A "W"!
Well, not exactly, but the Jays did manage to end the slide, even if for a day. The first positive contribution from Dellucci (groundout RBI!), a great effort from Franchise Cecil (6 scoreless!), and a bullpen that just might be slotting back into effective form with the return of Downs in the closer role were all reasons to smile. Well, maybe not a smile. Call it a half-hearted grin.
It was a strange mix of emotions that I was feeling during Friday's 2-0 victory over the Orioles....content to win a game, but unable to shake the doom & gloom surrounding the club - or maybe more accurately, the fanbase.
No, these are not easy times for Blue Jay fans. A team falling out of contention. The face of the franchise on the block. Professional baseball player Scott Rolen now rumored to be joining him, and we've seen the end of his hit streak to boot.
There was this tidbit from SI's Jon Heyman, where he (half-heartedly) suggests that fan backlash just may have Jays' brass thinking twice about moving the Doc, but as much as I'd like to believe that making my personal grief public is assisting in stopping the machine, the rumour mill is sure to continue churning until July 31. For my own personal sanity, I think I'm just going to ignore it all for a few weeks.
(I'm such a fucking liar.)
7 comments:
- MK Piatkowski said...
They should be damn well worried about backlash. Trading Doc for prospects? Screw that. We have prospects. Why isn't anyone talking about the value-add he brings to the pitching staff? Our youngsters are doing well and a lot of that can be attributed to watching Doc.
And damn it, Doc should be going into the Hall of Fame as a Jay. Screw the organization if they fuck it up.
- July 11, 2009 at 1:53 AM
- Navin Vaswani (@eyebleaf) said...
I stand firm: if Doc refuses to sign an extension, we have to trade him.
Cecil = boners.
Dellucci = SHITTIEST MOTHER FUCKING LEFT FIELDER EVER.
Travis Snider cannot return soon enough.
Pennant. This shit ain't over yet; I don't give a fuck.
- July 11, 2009 at 2:30 AM
- Voodoo Matt said...
What the hell am I doing up this early? It's 4 AM over here. I blame David Delucci. His ground outs to 2nd cause insomnia.
Thank Doc that Bret Cecil found some poise on the mound. He really has the ability to be something special.
- July 11, 2009 at 6:04 AM
Dodger scouts at Doc's last game.
Wasn't a "prospect" involved in their Manny deal? and wasn't the yanks first rd pick involved getting Mark Teixeira, don't they already have a depleted farm system? How good of a prospect can the sox possibly have being that they've been near the best in MLB for a decade now? So, is this hope that all our trading partners don't have pieces needed for ma boy roy? unfortunately with JP running things I'm not so sure.
Also, Did anyone see what Wells is hitting away from the dome? a MLB 5th best .337? WTF? We need home boners too!!
- July 11, 2009 at 9:22 AM
- Ian Hunter said...
I can't believe Rolen might be on the block too. This week of rumours just keeps getting worse and worse.
- July 11, 2009 at 9:52 PM
Good news-ish.... this is what I've been reduced to. Cheering for Doc to not get traded to one of the axis of evil members. FYI, i guess the jays wanted the ghost of Ruth in return.
- July 12, 2009 at 8:32 AM
Doc starts!!! ??????!!!!!
- July 12, 2009 at 9:26 PM


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The overall interest in Yoga overtime has steadily increased every single year. With that said you can see in the below graph from Google Trends that since 2004 the Yoga Instructor trend has been increasing every year to it's current level which is the highest it's ever been. This is great news for yoga instructors and the amount of pay they can receive in their positions. With people's growing fascination with finding a healthy way to keep their bodies healthy and better in tune with the environment it only looks more and more promising for Yoga Instructors to build a solid career with good wages.
The Average pay for Yoga Instructors can depend on the type of training and certifications they have worked hard to get. The most recognized institution for Yoga Teachers & Instructors is the Yoga Alliance which offers the standards for professional training. There are multiple different levels which can effect a yoga instructors salary. A 200 Hundred Hour and 500 Hour training program for nationally recognized certification programs. Once a Yoga Instructor has went through a 200 Hour Training program they can register as RYT 200s with the Yoga Alliance. The next step up in training and certification is the 500 Hour certification program for Yoga Instructors. It's this program that is 200 Hours with an additional 300 hours of advanced standards that gives this person the potential be become an RYS 500.
In addition to the RYT 200 and RYT 500 classifications for teachers there are also specific training programs for teaching yoga to children and parents that are prenatal. These classifications come with their own unique type of training and allow a Yoga Instructor to show their credentials by using the RCYS (Registered Children's Yoga School) and the RPYS (Registered Prenatal Yoga School). All of these different classifications can increase the salary an experienced instructor of Yoga principals can expect to make in a year's time.
The highest paying jobs for yoga instructors and teachers are ones that have went through full certification and have built up a good practice or work for a well established yoga facility. Starting pay for a trained yoga instructor is in line with fitness trainers and instructors in the general market for those types of health related professions.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics offers a detailed analysis for Fitness Trainers and Instructors showing the overall job market outlook for people in this line of work. The calculations and salary surveys were done in 2010 and come out to an average for Fitness Trainers and people involved in things like Yoga instruction making a median wage of $31,090 a year in annual pay. This amount comes out to around $14.95 an hour for a typical 40 hour work week in training people in either gyms, country clubs, health centers or studios. The total number of jobs available in this market are around 251,400 in the United States and the field is expect to grow around 24% which is much faster than most careers. The growth rate for Yoga Instructors and other health and fitness related instructors is really good and the job market will add around 60,400 additional positions from 2010 to 2020 in the US.
If you are training to become a Yoga Teacher or Instruction then you will want to know the best paying states for you to get the most for your efforts. Below we list the state by state salary of Yoga Instructors all across the US. You will notice that some states pay much more for Instructors due to the increased demand and available income from Yoga students in those states. So if you're asking yourself how much a yoga instructor can make it's really not just about the training and whether you have an RYT 200 or RYT 500 but also which state you live in.
Top 7 Highest Paying States for Yoga Instructors
- Mississippi – $47,000
- New York – $47,000
- Virgin Islands – $46,000
- Washington – $46,000
- Massachusetts – $46,000
- California – $45,000
- Georgia – $44,000
Listed below is information that is specific to Yoga Instructor job salaries that you can expect to receive in that state area. Our state by state breakdown allows you to see which state is best to get a job as a Yoga Instructor. The salary information provided below is off of real-world job listings for Yoga Instructors and the pay offered for those jobs. We source Indeed, Simply Hired, PayScale and GlassDoor.com. The information provided by Indeed about their process for collecting salary averages is as follows: "Indeed Salary Search is based on an index of salary information extracted from over 50 million job postings from thousands of unique sources over the last 12 months. Many job descriptions don't contain salary information, but there are enough that do to produce statistically significant median salaries for millions of keyword, job title and location combinations – in fact, most job searches you are likely to think of. As new jobs are added each day, the Indeed Salary Search index is automatically updated with fresh salary data, so the salary results are as up-to-date as they could possibly be."
American Samoa
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Virgin Islands
Washington DC
West Virginia


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San Rafael must get a handle on pedestrian deaths
June 30, 2014 1 Comment
Four people have suffered violent, brutal deaths in San Rafael in the past nine months. Each one was entirely preventable, each one caused by what should have been a simple mistake that happened to have been made in traffic.
Traffic is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, and San Rafael's wave of pedestrian deaths shows the city is not immune.
Rather than try to reinvent the wheel, San Rafael should take a page from cities that have adopted Vision Zero, a plan to cut annual pedestrian and bicycling deaths to zero, returning what is a too-routine fact of life into the shock that it really is.
If it does, it will follow the far-more congested cities of Chicago, and San Francisco, but especially New York.
New York's pioneering transportation director, Jeanette Sadik-Khan, laid the groundwork during the last mayoral administration. Many of New York's roads had overly complicated intersections or simple dead spaces of asphalt, which confused drivers and pedestrians alike, and she adopted a Keep It Simple approach to make these notorious streets safer.
Sadik-Khan directed her staff to clearly define pedestrian space, driver space, bicycle space and the areas where they need to share.
She expanded the use of the Leading Pedestrian Interval, which gives pedestrians a head-start on walk signs, and reconfigured intersections to allow for more direct pedestrian crossings.
Though the city's drivers at first complained about a so-called "War on Cars," the result was actually smoother-flowing traffic and — shockingly — faster drive times through Manhattan.
Safety, too, went up dramatically, with some intersections posting a 45 percent drop in injury crashes.
A report from her office summarizes the approach: "The fundamental characteristic of the successful projects is that they create the opportunity for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists to move through the street network simply and easily, minimizing the unexpected, the confusing, and the potential for surprises."
In other words, make the street easy to use by minimizing complexity and allowing people to go where they want to go.


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HONG KONG (Reuters) - Foreign investors have started rebuilding their China equity portfolios, tempted by low valuations after two years of market underperformance and signs economic growth may be stabilizing.
They have pumped nearly $4 billion into Chinese equity funds in the past two months alone, trying to get in early on what they hope will be a sustained rally.
But sentiment looks to be running ahead of fundamentals. There are clear risk signals for the Chinese market — including sluggish earnings, rising corporate debt and retail investors looking for other opportunities — even if the broader economy gathers strength.
"Valuations are attractive and fears of a major slowdown in China seem to be waning, while China still promises growth faster than the rest of the world," says Paul Gillis, professor at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management.
"But most of the problems affecting Chinese stocks — accounting fraud, the variable interest entity and regulatory stand-offs between the U.S. and China — have not gone away and still need to be solved."
Illustrating that growth does not translate into equity gains, the MSCI China stock index has fallen more than 40 percent since its launch in 1992. Over the same period, China's nominal GDP has increased by 15 times.
The shift in foreign investor attitudes is clear.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch's global survey of fund managers, covering 248 managers with $695 billion of assets under management, found confidence in China's economy was at a three-year high.
In October, Chinese shares listed in Hong Kong, known as H-shares and the main gateway for foreign investors into China, jumped 7.6 percent to easily outpace other regional benchmarks.
"I think most fund managers are looking at the fundamental mismatch in their portfolio between their direct exposure to China and the role China plays in the global economy, often very little versus one hell of a lot," said Michael McCormack, executive director at China-focused fund consulting firm Z-Ben Advisors.
"Investors are now trying to rebalance that."
One attraction is valuations. The MSCI China index, the most popular benchmark for China funds, has consistently underperformed Asian markets over the past two years, following a stellar run where it nearly tripled in value between October 2008 and November 2010.
The index trades on a forward price-to-earnings multiple of 9.2, cheaper than Brazil on 9.9 and India on 13.2, and a lure to investors hoping to get in early on another substantial upswing. The H shares are at price-to-book ratios around four times lower than in 2007, according to Thomson Reuters data.
Those valuations and signs the economy is improving — Thursday's flash PMI reading showed the first expansion in manufacturing in 13 months — have piqued interest, and it seems investors are worried about missing out on riding the recovery.
Data from fund-flow tracker EPFR Global shows inflows into China equity funds accounted closed in on $4 billion over the 10 weeks to mid-November, and accounted for more than half of the flows in Asia ex-Japan funds in the week to November 15.
" has bottomed out and found a new level, so people don't want to be negative about China anymore," said Stuart Rae, chief investment officer of Pacific Basin Value Equities at AllianceBernstein.
The company's $879 million Asia ex-Japan fund, launched in November 2009, is now overweight China for the first time, said Rae, who also manages its US$150 million QFII China fund.
As Beijing's new leadership settles in, the stock market's fundamentals are back in focus and they could make the recent enthusiasm seem premature, said Simon Grose-Hodge, head of investment advisory for South Asia at private bank LGT.
For one, there is unlikely to be a repeat of anything remotely like the 4 trillion yuan ($640 billion) stimulus package that guided the Chinese economy through the 2008/09 global financial crisis.
Instead, there may be smaller, more targeted spending plans that don't make cheap credit available across the board.
And longstanding issues for investors, such as transparency, reform of state-backed companies, corporate governance and regulator interference in the market, have yet to be properly addressed despite some positive noises from authorities.
So while the H-shares in Hong Kong are showing signs of life, China's domestic stock markets are languishing near three-year lows and on the nose with retail investors.
Two-thirds of Chinese companies that have posted third-quarter earnings missed expectations, according to Citi Private Bank. Profits fell an annual 5.8 percent, and analysts, on average, are still cutting earnings expectations for next year.
Leverage has soared above comfortable levels, with Beijing-based consultancy GaveKal-Draganomics expecting corporate debt to hit 122 percent of GDP by the end of the year, up from 108 percent at end-2011.
Rising non-performing loans (NPLs) pose a risk for the banks, a hangover from cheap credit as part of the 2008/09 stimulus. Goldman Sachs & Co estimates the NPL ratio is more than six times the official reported rate of 0.97 percent.
Further, China's industrials were owed more than 8 trillion yuan in net receivables at the end of September, up 16.5 percent from a year earlier, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
HSBC says the annual pace of profit growth of non-financial companies in the CSI 300, which tracks the performance of China's A-share market, has been falling for the last three quarters, while the quality of earnings — measured as the ratio of free cash flow to net profit — is in negative territory.
The CSI300 is down 7 percent this year, following a 25 percent drop in 2011 and a 12.5 percent fall in 2010.
"Five years back in 2007 the (Chinese) market was one of the most expensive and now it's cheap on a par with Korea — it's one of the cheapest markets in Asia," said Pacific Basin's Rae.
"There is lots of stuff that's cheap — some has recovery potential but then some is cheap for a reason."
($1 = 6.2345 Chinese yuan)
Additional reporting by Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by John Mair


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Tuesday, January 07, 2014
Sports News
father watches match despite ban
Send a link to a friend
[January 07, 2014]
SYDNEY (Reuters) — The presence of
his banned father watching from courtside boosted Bernard Tomic's game
as he opened the defense of his Sydney International title with a 6-3
6-0 demolition of eighth seed Marcel Granollers on Tuesday.
"Having my dad there is a very good feeling," Tomic told reporters
after the victory over his Spanish opponent.
"Obviously winning my first title here gives a lot of memories to
me. I'm happy the way I played today. Having my dad there for the
first time in a while, it's good.
"I know his ban will finish very soon, in a few months, and back to
helping me. I'm happy. I played very good. Felt very good. I'm happy
to be back playing like this."
Former taxi driver John Tomic has not watched his son play since he
was banned last May from all ATP events, which includes next week's
Australian Open, after he was charged with head-butting his son's
former training partner Frenchman Thomas Drouet and breaking his
He was convicted and sentenced to eight months' imprisonment by a
Spanish court for assault last September though was not required to
serve jail time because his sentence was under two years in length.
While he is banned from receiving accreditation, which entitles him
into official areas, he was allowed to buy a ticket as a member of
the public at the discretion of the tournament director.
"The ATP has banned John Tomic — as is public knowledge — which
excludes him from getting credentials and being in other
accreditable areas," Sydney International director Craig Watson told
Australian media.
"There is nothing that prohibits the events agreeing to John
being in public areas of the ground, and I've agreed to allow
that to happen."
[to top of second column]
Australian Open organizers have already said he would not be
entitled to purchase a ticket for Melbourne Park, though the
younger Tomic said that would not be a problem.
"Obviously he can't come in (at Melbourne)," Tomic said.
"But that's fine. I'll see him at home. If there is anything I
need to hear, he'll tell me. It's very good.
"He's the one that you taught me to play like this. Spent hours
with him that I probably won't spend with no one in my life.
"He knows me the best."
The lanky 21-year-old, who won his first ATP Tour title at
Sydney last year, has taken Croatian Velimir Zovko on as his new
co-coach while his father serves the remainder of the ban.
The ATP is expected to consider whether to lift the ban in May.
(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington;
editing by John
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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The Operations, communicating with space
Satellites stay in contact with Earth by means of a ground-station network. Engineers send commands to correct their trajectories, manoeuvre them into different orbits, and operate their instruments. The satellite transmits back to Earth not only the scientific data that it is gathering, but also the 'housekeeping' information needed by the operators to check the satellite's performance.
The scientific data from all astronomy and Solar System missions arrive from the ESA's European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, near Frankfurt, Germany. ESAC has a number of antennas with modern electronic telemetry, telecommand and ranging equipment that allows commands to be sent to control the satellites and their payloads, as well as the scientific data to be received on the ground. The ESAC antennas currently support Cluster, ESA's four-satellite flotilla in studying Earth's magnetic field, together with Integral and XMM-Newton, Metop-A, as well as the ATV and the International Space Station.
Cebreros Deep-Space Antenna
ESA's next generation of astronomy and Solar System missions is highly ambitious. Designed to open up new frontiers in space exploration, many of them will be placed very far away in space, not even orbiting Earth. To communicate with these deep-space missions, ESA is building-up a new network of deep-space antennas.
The powerful new 35-metre antenna at Cebreros in Ávila, Spain, is currently one of two ESA deep-space ground stations, the other being at New Norcia in Australia. Cebreros provides routine operations support to Venus Express, Herschel and Planck and back-up support to Mars Express and Rosetta, as well as other agencies' missions. Other interplanetary missions will follow, including BepiColombo.
Three decades of reaching into space
ESAC was founded in 2004 on the Villafranca site, which officially opened in 1978 as VILSPA (from VILlafranca SPAin), one of ESA's original satellite tracking stations. VILSPA, operated remotely from the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, Germany, has been responsible for providing telemetry, tracking and command support to ESA as well as non-ESA satellites(in chronological order): the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE), OTS-2, GOES, Marecs-A, EXOSAT, ECS-1, Marecs-B2, ECS-2, ECS-4, ECS-5, Meteosat-1, Olympus, Hipparcos, Giotto, Italsat-1, ERS-1, Meteosat-2, Meteosat-3, the Infared Space Observatory (ISO), ERS-2, Italsat-2, SOHO, XMM-Newton, Cluster II flotilla (Cluster I, II, II y IV), Eutelsat-W3, Envisat, Eumetsat MSG-1, Integral, SMART-1, TC-1, BIRD, TC-2, Eumetsat MSG-2 and Metop-A.
The station has also hosted the Science Operations Centres of IUE – which operated for more than 17 years and is still one of the most prolific astronomical satellites ever launched – and ISO, the world's first true orbiting infrared observatory, which made more than 30 000 scientific observations.


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Love love love this Disco Dot Mini Tote by self-taught San Fran design extraordinaire, Jen Hewett. The combination of leather straps and hand-printed linen is pure perfection.
Check out more of Jen's Winter 2013 collection here.
P.S. I stumbled across Jen's work on Lisa Congdon's blog, which is currently getting some much-deserved recognition for taking up the fight against a company that appears to have quite the track record of profiting off the creativity and hard work of others. Read more about it here and here.


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"It's really fun," she said.
Ella, from Port Medway, NS, competed at the Lumberjack World Championships, in Hayward, Wis. from July 20 to 22.
Now 14, Ella competed in the amateur division in the U13 age group.
"You put a big cedar or synthetic log in the water, and in my division they put carpet around it for better traction, and then there are two people on the log, and it's usually best three out of five," said Ella, explaining the sport of logrolling.
The object is to cause an opponent to fall of the log. In the middle of the log is a line, which neither competitor can cross. If either opponent crosses the line, she or he is disqualified.
The length of a match depends completely on who's competing, said Ella. Because people in her age group tend to be a little bigger and can spin the logs faster, matches go more quickly. Younger children, because they're lighter, tend to have longer matches.
Ella has grown up participating in logrolling. Charmaine Stevens, Ella's mother, grew up doing the sport as well. That's how Ella was introduced to the activity. Ella said initially she wasn't very good at the sport, but as she got older she improved.
For Ella, competing in the sport isn't challenge-free. She gets nervous before events, which she said is difficult. And as far as physical challenges, Ella said one of the hardest things is back stepping.
"When you're on the log, it can either go frontward or backward," she said. "Back stepping is when you're running backward, which is very hard, and front stepping is when you're just running."
Now that the championships are over, Ella hasn't been practicing as much, but when she does practice she sometimes goes to her friend Grace Perry's house in Barrington. Another place she practices is Hibernia Campground, where there are also logs.
In the winter, when Ella is not logrolling, she continues to stay active by snowboarding and dancing.
During the logrolling season, Ella usually goes to two competitions at Hibernia Campground. She also normally competes at the Wild Axe Lumberjack AXEperience in Barrington.
Ella said she plans to continue to go to competitions and would at some point like to become a professional logroller.
This weekend, Ella is set to compete in the Woodsmen competition at Hibernia Campground in South Brookfield, NS. She plans to compete in logrolling, axe-throwing, sawing, and canoeing. The Woodsmen event is from Sept. 1 to 4.