text:
Rochester Middle School
Around RMS
The middle school is conducting a toy drive this holiday season: "Joy to the world! Why don't you bring joy to the world? Families all over the Rochester are struggling. So this Christmas take in part in the Merrier Christmas for all toy/clothing drive. All you have to do is take a star from your teams box, buy a present and then bring the unwrapped present back to your team's box. The presents brought back will be given to families in need all over Rochester. So let's help bring some joy to the world."
The PBIS Universal team has announced that the next PBIS Roll-Out will be introduced to students on Monday, Dec. 3. The title for the roll-out is Mission: Transition and will continue through vacation week.
Step up Week at for eighth graders is the first week of December. Each of the eighth grade teams will be traveling to Spaulding High School during the week, to meet administration, teachers, and students. This is the beginning of the transition process going from middle school to high school. Teams will tour the high in small groups led by high school students.
The 2012-13 girls basketball teams have been selected. Coach Mike Almeida has selected the following girls for the grade 8 team: Emily Rivard, Haley White, Isabella Connelly, Alexa Hussey, Jada St. Laurent, Mackenzie Dias. Madison Provencher, Sierra Rodenhuis, Breana Wells, Deanna Scahill, Abby Turgeon, and Caroline Drew.
Coach Rob Fortier has the following girls on the grade 7 team: River Beasley, Samantha Cormier, Hannah Douglas, Phoebe Downer, Shealeigh Gitau, Montana Gudim, Teanna Howard, Talyn McGarrity, Alicia Oumsang, Jayla Pare, Kimberlee Raymond, Destiny Schrier, and Geana Torres.
The first games of the season are Wednesday, Dec. 5, with both girls teams hosting Barrington Middle School. Meanwhile both boys teams will be traveling to Barrington for their games. On Thursday, Dec. 6, the grade 7 boys and girls team will be hosting Sacred Heart School.
Coach Holly Dupuis has announced the tryout schedule for the 2012-13 Spirit Team. Tryouts are Friday, Nov. 30 at RMS from 5:45 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Spaulding High School Gym from 4 to 7 p.m. Students trying out need to wear clothing appropriate for physical activity. Coach Dupuis and assistant coach Theresa Bergeron will be choosing 20 athletes for the mat and 4 alternates for a total of 24 members. All members will cheer at all of the home Grade 8 games. There will be a couple of competitions at the end of the season. Anyone with questions can contact Coach Dupuis at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Coach Alec Clement of the wrestling team has started practices for the RMS team. They are meeting at 6:00 PM daily at the high school. Wrestling experience is not required. Contact Athletic Director Kevin Hebert for more information.
Clubs and Organizations
The RMS Music Department is preparing for the annual holiday concerts. Mr. Diamond and Mr. Richardson have announced the following schedule for their charges: Friday, Nov. 30 — Combined Rehearsal for grade 8 and 7 students from 9:45-10:30 a.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 5 — Combined Rehearsal from 12:40-1:25 p.m.; and Tuesday, Dec. 11 — Dress Rehearsal for all at Spaulding High School from 8 a.m. to noon. The band concert is Tuesday, Dec. 11, at the SHS Auditorium, 7 p.m. The bands will present a shortened concert for their classmates in the school gym on Friday, Dec. 21.
The Student Council is recruiting eighth graders to attend their first dance of the school year. The council is sponsoring a "White-Out Dance" on Friday, Nov. 30. Cost is $6 per ticket which can be purchased during lunch during the week leading up to the dance.
Nov. 29: Endicott Team Field Trip to Endicott College.
Nov. 29: Parent Group Meeting, 6:30 p.m., in the Library — Competency Based Assessment.
Nov. 29: Student Led Conference Planning Day.
Dec. 11: Band Concert, 7 p.m., at SHS.
Dec. 13: Chorus Concert.
Dec. 14: Progress Reports, Term 2.
Dec. 21: Last day of classes before the Holiday Break.
William Allen School
Kindergarten celebrated an early Thanksgiving Holiday with a Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast. Students dressed as Pilgrims and Native Americans while enjoying a variety of traditional Thanksgiving foods. Thank you to all the families who brought in food and came in to help during the feast.
First graders went to see Annie at the Rochester Opera House. Students enjoyed the classic Broadway musical about Little Orphan Annie and her dog Sandy.
Second graders put on a fabulous play of The First Thanksgiving and sang festive songs for their families. After the show, students enjoyed their own Thanksgiving Feast. Students did a super job!
Thank you to the Rochester Rotary Club and Eastern Propane and Oil for donating a Webster's Dictionary for Students to every third grader in the Rochester School District. William Allen students were treated to a visit by members of the Rotary Club and Eastern Propane to present the dictionaries.
Fourth graders in Mrs. Garland's class are working on writing autobiographies in newspaper format.
Fifth grade students dissected owl pellets in science. They had a great time identify the different bones found in the pellets. Fifth graders started working on their Renewable Energy Projects. Students are required to research a type of Renewable Energy.
You have one last chance to check out the Holiday Book Fair! It will be open Friday, Nov. 30 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the library. Books make great holiday gifts!
Parents and guardians are invited to an informational eSuite workshop on the Imagine it! Reading and Everyday Math websites students use in the classroom and can use at home to enhance learning. A signup form was sent home with students and needs to be returned by Friday, November 30 in order to participate. The workshop is schedule for Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
William Allen School is running a Penny Drive to raise money to revitalize our school sign. Additional money will be donated by the Student Advisory to a local soup kitchen. The school has been divided into two teams for the drive. Team Borish includes kindergarten through grade 2. Team Foley includes grades 3 through 5. The winning team will receive an extra recess. The winning classroom will receive either an ice cream or a pizza party. Students have until Wednesday, December 5 to bring in money donations. Team Borish is currently in the lead with an amazing $472. Team Foley, currently at $341, has one more week to catch up. Thank you everyone for your generous donations.
Please note the PTA Reflections Art Show scheduled for November 28 has been rescheduled to Wednesday, February 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. Details of the event will be sent home to families in January.
The Rochester Holiday Parade themed Cartoon Christmas will be held on Sunday, Dec. 2 at 3 p.m. William Allen School is once again entering a float in the Youth Division. Students wishing to participate in the parade must have a Holiday Participation Form completed by a parent/guardian and returned to school. Students who want to ride on the float must be chaperoned in the parade by a parent/guardian. Students who are not chaperoned will be able to walk in the parade. Contact William Allen PTA at email@example.com for more information.
The Holiday Music Concert featuring students in grades 1 through 3 and fourth and fifth grade chorus will be at 7pm on Tuesday, Dec. 4 in the Spaulding High School auditorium. Students will attend a dress rehearsal at the high school the morning of the concert. Signed permission slips must be returned to school in order for students to attend the morning dress rehearsal.
The Elementary Band Holiday Concert featuring Beginning and Advanced Band students from all Rochester Elementary Schools will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6 in the Rochester Middle School gymnasium. Advanced Band Holiday Concert Dress Rehearsal is Monday, Dec. 3 from 4 to 5 p.m. in the RMS Band Room. Beginning Band Holiday Concert Dress Rehearsal is Tuesday, Dec. 4 from 4 to 5 p.m. in the RMS Band Room.
A reminder that as cold weather winter temperatures approach, students should be dressed appropriately for outdoor recess. Students will go outside for recess as long as the temperature including wind chill is at least 15 degrees according to weather.com.
Chamberlain School
Students in Ms. Rapoza and Ms. Cabral's fifth grade classes completed their Immigration Simulation and Keynote Presentations last week after working hard to research a country from their ancestry. Their first round of presentations was a success. They loved using the Keynotes and all the available features to display the information they learned about their country. The Immigration Simulation started when students were given a colored name tag to designate the language spoken from their country of origin. Students were only allowed to speak to other students with the same colored tag. Once they had their tags, they were given an envelope with money to buy a ticket to America. Then they boarded the 'boat' to Ellis Island and learned about the experiences of immigrants from around the world. Their 'month long' voyage took them into New York Harbor where they saw the Statue of Liberty. They disembarked the 'boat' by class with first class being the first to enter the Processing Center. There, the immigrants (students) were asked a series of questions about themselves and family members. If the immigrants were able to answer the questions successfully, they were sent to one of the remaining stations. The Medical Center checked to make sure they were healthy enough to remain in America. The Physical Center tested their physical strength (push-ups, sit-ups, jump rope, etc). The Psychological Center tested their wits and ability to obtain a job in America. Students who had trouble at any station were given an X on their tag which meant that they had to go to the Detention Center for questioning before they could retest again. The final test was the Citizenship Center where the immigrants had to pass a six question test about our country and say the Pledge of Allegiance. Upon completion of all the
Breakfast with Santa will be held on Dec. 8 from 8 to 10 a.m. in the school's cafeteria.
Thank you to all those who helped make the Harvest Supper a great success. It was a wonderful night with lots of delicious food and great conversation! It was wonderful to see the many food and clothing donations as well as the number of students who wrote letters or drew pictures for our military troops. Thank you PTA for putting together such a great event!
Starting Wednesday, Nov. 28, our school store will be open from 8 to 8:25 a.m. Student council will be helping out during this time. This is a switch from the lunch/recess time that the school store currently is open for. The lunch/recess time posed many challenges with transitions and students who did not have money. We are hoping that this new time will help with these challenges.
Our holiday concert is coming up on Monday, Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. at Spaulding High School. It was decided to change the concert to the high school to make for a very special evening for our students who have been working so hard since September to put together this show. Also, there is ample parking to accommodate all of our families and the night start time will hopefully make it easier for families to be able to attend. Many of the other larger schools also hold their concert at the high school or middle school for the same reasons and have found that it is really quite a magical night for the students. It is going to be a great night! Please make sure to send back your child's permission slip for the dress rehearsal that will take place on the morning of the 3rd.
Valley View Community School
By Kelly Gagnon
Valley View Community School's annual Holiday Concert will take place on Monday, Dec. 17 at 6:30 p.m, at Farmington High School. The program this year is entitled "Flakes." VVCS asks that students participating in the concert arrive, with their parents, at 6:20 p.m. Parent teacher conferences took place on Nov. 19. Parents who were not available to hold a conference are encouraged to contact their child's teacher to review their child's progress in school this year.
There will be an early release from school on Wednesday, Dec. 12. Dismissal will begin at 12:25 p.m.
Nute High School and Library
By Kristina Cerniauskas
Ms. Jane Weymouth has been Nute High School's Student Support Center teacher for four years, and this year she is going to be coaching the N.H.S. Girls' Varsity Basketball team. Throughout Ms. Weymouth's coaching career, she has coached girls' college basketball at Newbury College, Miami North College, Florida Atlantic University, and Franklin Pierce University, and she also coached last year's Nute Middle School Girls' Basketball team.
Julie Donlon will be assisting Ms. Weymouth throughout this year's season, and she will also be coaching the N.H.S. Junior Varsity Basketball team. Julie Donlon graduated from Nute H.S., and she played basketball during all four years of high school. At Nute, she earned a tremendous number of career points, 2,502, the Nute High School record. Julie Donlon received a four-year basketball scholarship at UNH where she continued her career.
These two coaches are looking forward to a successful basketball season, and to win enough games to be able to host a tournament game towards the end of the season. They are also working towards making every player play up to their best ability, and they will advance their skills throughout the season.
The Girls' Varsity Basketball team's returning players are Sophomores Annessa Cummer, Mariah Burke, and Alisha Flanagan, Juniors Michelle Guindon, Jess McCassie, and Brittany Locke, and Senior Abby Flanagan. This year, we will have three more players on the team, Senior Ashley Shipman, and Sophomores Kelsey Taatjes and Erin St. Lawrence.
The Girls' Junior Varsity Basketball team includes Freshmen Jess Corriveau, Brianna Cruz, Deseriea Driscoll, Casey Wachowiak, and Alissa Mitchell and Sophomores Caitlyn Catino, Alex Crossley, and Shania Santoro-Nason. Shannon St. Lawrence and Nicole Flanagan will be swinging up from Nute Middle School to play for the J.V. team.
School news roundup


text:
My father turned 60 about a week ago, so I thought I'd share just a handful of photographs from the day. Of course, there was plenty of food and drink - but this time I decided to focus on the decour.
My mother decided to coincide my Dad's Birthday party with the family's Christmas Party, hence the Christmas party paper crowns. It was a wonderfully noisy, yet a laid back family affair.
Some toy guests invited by the nephews and nieces.
Nephews and nieces posing for the camera.
A very cool gingerbread man flower bouquet adorns my mothers living room. There was also a snow-man bouquet, but I didn't manage to get a picture of that, maybe I'll get to snap a picture of it on New Years Eve.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Personal Training and Fitness
Our personal trainers use their extensive knowledge of current research concepts, methods of sound exercise principles and state-of-the-art equipment to guide you to your fitness goals, and are accredited through the NCCA or have a degree in exercise science (or a related field).
Based on your health and individual needs, our personal trainers will customize and implement a program to fit your goals.
Personal Training Is Perfect For:
- Post-rehab training
- Free weights
- Older-adults training and teen training
- Pre-natal and post-natal
- Sports training and power training
- Weight loss and weight gain
- Functional training
- Balance and stability training
Whether you're looking for a push in the right direction, or need professional guidance on the right exercise plan, our wellness coaches will provide the support you need to help you meet your health and wellness goals.


text:
Do most geothermal heat pump systems get installed with some kind of backup heat?
What are the pro's and cons to sizing a geo heat pump so that you don't need backup heat?
Do most geothermal heat pump systems get installed with some kind of backup heat?
What are the pro's and cons to sizing a geo heat pump so that you don't need backup heat?
jeff I don't know the % that have backup heat. I had it put in mine and when I saw how good the system worked I disconnected it. So for me it was a waste of money. The idea is to size your system for 9o to 95% of your heat need and the 5 to 10% that you might need every 3 or 4 years can be made up with backup that could save you several thousand dollars in the install. To me the big problem is that if you have a problem with your system You want know it until you get your power bill as the backup would make up the heat loss for say low freon. If it happens slowly you would get used to the higher power bills and never know that you had a problem. Also it is hard to burn down your house if you don't have any fireworks in your system. That's just my 2 cents. You will love Geothermal. Curtis
I routinely size the 2 stage geo systems so the first stage operation will handle most all the cooling and heating load with the second stage rarely being used. I will also configure the t'stat so there is no auxillary heat available, the t'stat would have to be manually set to "Emergency" heat in the event of a system shut down.
This allows for maximum energy/cost savings which is the very reason the homeowner has invested in such a system. I also size the loop field with an additional 20% capacity to allow the system to always work at it's maximum efficiency. I never want to receive a phone call from the customer saying the geo system is not performing as intended.
Maybe an electric duct heater in case you loose the pump?
I agree with post 2. Size system to handle 95% of design "coldest day of the year" conditions. You will save money on the install and auxiliary heat will be used on average about 1-4 hours per year.
I turn off my emergency and auxillary heat breakers and only use them when necessary. My compressor went last year and I was able to heat with my backup.
I'm installing a 5 and a 3 Tom Geo in a house and it's 7000 Sq ft. 3500 on main and 3500 in basement. I sized for the house to be 75 at 0 outside on heating and 70 when it's 100 on cooling. Allot depends on how your house is built. I also done a max water temp in summer or 95 and min winter of 35. This makes my loop longer to accept and reject heat. Soil matters too. I'm not installing backup cause it's not need until -3. And the homeowner oppt out of it. You can always install later. I don't see no cons to it. The pros are if your compressor goes out, you still have heat.
If you over size the heat pump you are going to be paying for a system larger than you need for 95% of the time. During the cooling season with an over sized system it will cool the house too quickly and not remove the humidity so it will feel calmy.
In our climate we have a greater heating load than cooling so I size a 2 stage unit for 95% of the heating load and provide some form of auxiliary or backup heat - either gas furnace or electric strip heat. A 2 stage unit allows for the 1st stage to nicely cover the cooling load without being grossly oversized. A single stage unit in my climate would be either (1) on backup all the time in heating or (2) cool very poorly (as in not be comfortable - you could probably hang meat in a house with a grossly oversized AC)


text: A chalk board decal brings a fun dimension to your walls! Enjoy drawing, practicing your letters and leaving messages on these peel and stick decals. Then, wipe them clean and start all over again! Chalk is classic and fun, and these reusable decals bring the convenience of a chalk board to your walls.


text:
American figure skater Evan Lysacek is now an Olympic champion.
Lysacek, the reigning world champion, upset Russian powerhouse and former Olympic champ Evgeni Plushenko to become the first American gold medalist in men's skating since Brian Boitano at the 1988 Calgary Games.
Despite trailing Plushenko by a razor-thin margin after Tuesday's short program, Lysacek edged Plushenko by 1.31 points with a career-best 257.67 after Thursday's free skate. Daisuke Takahashi took bronze, becoming the first Japanese competitor to ever medal in men's skating, NBCOlympics reported. Johnny Weir landed in sixth place and Jeremy Abbott took ninth for Team U.S.A.
"It was definitely my best, and that's what I came here to do," Lysacek said after delivering his technically flawless performance. NBC television footage showed him celebrating the win with veteran coach Frank Caroll, who had never coached a gold medalist -- until now.
Lysacek was the sole American to strike gold on Day 7, following Team U.S.A.'s banner performance on Wednesday.
Skiing star Lindsey Vonn stumbled in the super-combined event and lost her bid for a second Olympic title and the female snowboarders faltered in their bid to dominate.
Vonn, who overcame a shin injury to take a gold medal in Wednesday's downhill final, led Thursday's event after the morning downhill run but fell during the challenging slalom portion.
Her best friend and biggest rival Maria Riesch of Germany won the event and American Julia Mancuso took the silver -- her second of the Games. Anja Paerson of Sweden took the bronze, 1.05 behind Riesch.
Vonn fell behind Riesch at the second checkpoint before missing a gate and losing her right ski. That mishap forced her to take a tumble. Vonn will have several more shots at gold, as she is expected to ski three more times and a favorite in Saturday's super-G.
Later, Australian Torah Bright bested Americans Hannah Teter and Kelly Clark to take gold in the women's snowboard halfpipe event. Teter, the defending Olympic champion had to settle for a silver medal and Clark, the 2002 champion, took the bronze.
Other events that promised medal opportunities for American athletes also did not pan out.
In the Men's 20k individual biathlon, American Tim Burke fell short in his quest to redeem himself for a disappointing finish in Tuesday's shorter event. Emil Hegle Svendsen of Norway took the gold, while another Norwegian, Tora Berger, won the women's 15k individual biathlon.
One day after American speedskater Shani Davis tore up the ice, Canadian Christine Nesbitt found gold in the women's 1,000m.
Both of Team U.S.A.'s hockey teams were in action, although neither played for a medal just yet. The women faced off against Finland, destroying them 6-0, exacting revenge against the same team that beat them in Turin and left the Americans holding the bronze. The men routed Norway 6-1 Thursday afternoon -- setting up a thrilling showdown with mighty Canada for Group A supremacy.
Two American skeleton racers with interesting stories raced in qualifying heats Thursday. Noelle Pikus-Pace suffered a horrific leg injury in 2005 that knocked her out of the last games. She's won a world cup title and given birth to a baby daughter since then, and must climb up from fifth place for a run at the gold. Zach Lund was booted from the Turin games after testing positive for a banned substance that turned out to be in his hair-restoration medicine. He was cleared of any wrongdoing, but had to wait four years for his next shot. Latvia's Martins Dukars held a slim lead over Canada's Jon Montgomery after two heats on Thursday.
The final runs for both men's and women's skeleton races are Friday.
The Vancouver Winter Games are here and Team USA is rocking.
Check out our full coverage


text:
Bankers, Bookies, and Gamblers
As they say, to get the right answer you have to ask the right question. I'm stunned by how often news reports on Wall Street ask the wrong question, as do our politicians. The August 26, 2010, New York Times front page story "Despite Reform, Banks Have Room for Risky Deals" is a case in point.
The article centers on the Volcker Rule provision of the new financial regulation legislation that "sought to prevent federally insured banks from making speculative bets using their own money." The legislation seems to presume that it is OK for banks to serve as bookies who set the odds and hold bets for gamblers (euphemistically referred to in the article as investors) so long as the banks don't put their own money in play.
The main point of the article is that the big Wall Street banks have difficulty making this distinction, because when they accept a bet for which there is no counterparty, they are actually making the counter bet themselves, i.e., assuming the risk by betting against the client. It becomes more than a little awkward when they are loaning the gambler the money used to place the bet in the first place-thus in effect betting against themselves.
Then add in the fact that these same banks get cheap credit from the Federal Reserve, their depositors are federally insured, and the federal government feels compelled to step in and bail them out when their bets go badly wrong. The result is an impossible web of conflicting interests that Wall Street bankers are highly skilled at turning to their personal advantage.
The implicit question addressed in the article is, "Should banks be allowed to gamble with their own money?" This question has been a subject of extensive debate in Washington and in the press. The question we should be asking is, "What is the proper role and social function of a bank?"
When I studied economics years ago, I recall we were taught that banks serve as financial intermediaries. They take deposits from people in their communities, which they in turn loan to local businesses to invest in productive activities that respond to community needs. The bank absorbs a certain risk in the process, for which it is rewarded with a modest profit.
It seems that as a society we have lost sight of the crucial difference between productive investment and gambling, between the banker and the bookie, and between the insurer and the speculator.
Productive investment in a farm, a factory, a restaurant, a retail store, a cleaning service, education, physical infrastructure, and much more increases the real wealth of the society. The proper function of the banker is to convert savings into productive investment. The role of the bookie is to calculate the odds and hold the bets of people who are gambling on the outcome of a race in which they have no other skin in the game. Gambling on which horse is going to win the Kentucky Derby produces no new value for society.
Wall Street defenders commonly argue that Wall Street speculation stabilizes markets and protects real producers and real consumers from disruptive price swings. Beyond the mounting evidence that Wall Street speculation often creates and accentuates price volatility, this represents a failure to distinguish between the function of the insurer, who serves a vitally important social function by pooling risks to folks who have real skin in the game, and that of the speculator who has no other skin in the game beyond the bet placed with the bookie. It is entirely proper for me to take out fire insurance on my home. It is something else entirely when a stranger places a bet that my house will be destroyed by fire in the coming month.
Conventional banking and insurance are beneficial, indeed essential, social functions and they merit the support of public policy. These functions, however, are of little interest to Wall Street bankers who find gambling, bookmaking, usury, financial fraud, extortion, and the inflation of financial bubbles to be more profitable lines of business. With the benefit of massive public bailout funds, Wall Street is back to business as usual. Productive Main Street businesses continue to be starved of credit, however, because Wall Street is not in the business of funding productive investment.
Whether Wall Street banks have a right to engage in purely predatory activities may be subject to debate. Surely, however, reasonable people can agree that such activities should not enjoy the support of public subsidies and guarantees.
Furthermore, we should be able to agree that conventional banking and insurance functions are essential to the health and function of the society and that we must take steps to create and strengthen specialized institutions designed and managed to perform these functions in response to the real needs of healthy Main Street, real-wealth economies.
To get the right answer, i.e., that the proper function of a bank is to channel savings into real investment, we must start with the right question.
The arguments presented here are developed in greater detail in Agenda for a New Economy available from the YES! Magazine web store.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License
David Korten is co-founder and board chair of YES! Magazine, co-chair of the New Economy Working Group, president of the People-Centered Development Forum, and a founding board member of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). His books include Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth, The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community, and the international best seller When Corporations Rule the World.
Comment on Global Research Articles on our Facebook page


text:
Press Release:
LOS ANGELES, CA – July 27, 2011 -The LOS ANGELES COMIC BOOK AND SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION takes place on Sunday, August 21, 2011 and features Special Guests signing autographs:
DAVID HEDISON, known for his starring roles in the 1958 classic version of the Horror/Science Fiction movie The Fly and as Captain Lee Crane in the Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea TV series (the final DVD collecting the series was released this year). David also starred as Felix Leiter in two James Bond Movies.
REB BROWN starred as Captain America/Steve Rogers in two 1979 Captain America CBS-TV Movies, Captain America and Captain America II: Death Too Soon. Reb's also starred in several cult Horror and Science Fiction Movies such as The Sword and The Sorcerer, and guest starred in many classic TV series of the 1970s-1990s.
JUDY STRANGIS starred as Dyna Girl in the classic 1976 Krofft TV series Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, the first and only TV series featuring a Superheroine duo and the show was very similar in style to the Batman 1966 TV series. Judy is also known for starring in the TV series Room 222. 2011 is the 35th Anniversary of Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, so come meet Dyna Girl during this special occasion.
WILLIAM SMITH starred as Conan's father in the original 1982 Movie version of Conan (being released this month on Blu-Ray). Though his role was small it left a lasting impression. William is also known as being one of the best film villains, starring in many cult Horror, Science Fiction, Biker, and Action Movies. William's also known for starring with Clint Eastwood in Any Which Way You Can (just released on Blu-Ray).
Other guests include ALEX HYDE-WHITE, who starred as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic and REBECCA STAAB starred as Sue Richards/Invisible Girl in the Roger Corman produced 1994 Movie, The Fantastic Four. Though this version of the Fantastic Four was never officially released, it has managed to turn up on DVD. SHARON FARRELL starred in the 12th season of the original Hawaii Five-O, and guest starred in many classic TV series of the 1960s-1980s and Horror movies such as It's Alive. FELIX RYAN stars as Spike Skullovitch in the new Nickelodeon TV series Power Rangers Samurai, and he will be signing for free for his charity. All other guests charge a fee for each autograph but it includes a choice of photo.
The LOS ANGELES COMIC BOOK AND SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION also features a great assortment of Dealers with Old and New Comic Books, Toys, Action Figures, DVDs, Trading Cards, Movie Memorabilia, and much more at prices to fit everyone's budget. The Show is located at the Shrine Auditorium Expo Center, 700 West 32nd Street, across from USC College. Show Hours are 10:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. Admission is only $8.00, five years and under are free. Early Premium Admission is only $15.00 which includes full size Movie Posters for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two, Green Lantern, and Sucker Punch. For more information check www.comicbookscifi.com.


text:
Containment of the Sheep Fire grew to 75 percent Wednesday.
Cooler temperatures allowed firefighters to gain ground on a wildfire burning near the mountain community of Wrightwood.
More than 7,500 acres of prime forest land between Cajon Pass and the Mountain High Ski Resort burned over the weekend in the second major blaze to hit the mountain range on the north side of the Los Angeles urban area in five weeks. The Sheep Fire broke out around 2 p.m. Saturday not far west of Interstate 15 at the southern end of the Cajon Pass. The cause was not immediately determined.
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
Wrightwood's 6,000 residents got mandatory evacuation orders at 10 a.m. Sunday, when the blaze came roaring up Lone Pine Canyon from the southeast. Wrightwood residents live in a steep, landslide-prone mountain bowl on a major earthquake fault and in the middle of fire country, and nearly all left when told to do so, according to the California Highway Patrol.


text:
Position yourself to land dream projects. Tap the full potential of your software solutions. Increase your facility, fluidity and capability to maximize the value of your precision software tools.
Here are a few of the training opportunities Ideate has to offer in the coming days:
Civil 3D Fundamentals
Revit MEP Electrical Fundamentals
11.16::San Francisco
BIM Management for Revit Architecture
Know your software. Sign up now!


text:
§4002. Federal prisoners in State institutions; employment
For the purpose of providing suitable quarters for the safekeeping, care, and subsistence of all persons held under authority of any enactment of Congress, the Attorney General may contract, for a period not exceeding three years, with the proper authorities of any State, Territory, or political subdivision thereof, for the imprisonment, subsistence, care, and proper employment of such persons.
Such Federal prisoners shall be employed only in the manufacture of articles for, the production of supplies for, the construction of public works for, and the maintenance and care of the institutions of, the State or political subdivision in which they are imprisoned.
The rates to be paid for the care and custody of said persons shall take into consideration the character of the quarters furnished, sanitary conditions, and quality of subsistence and may be such as will permit and encourage the proper authorities to provide reasonably decent, sanitary, and healthful quarters and subsistence for such persons.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645,
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §753b, (May 14, 1930, ch. 274, §3,
Changes were made in phraseology. The first sentence was incorporated in section 4042 of this title.


text:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is considering naming nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz, one of his science and energy advisers, as the next energy secretary, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.
Moniz, who was undersecretary at the Energy Department during the Clinton administration, is a familiar figure on Capitol Hill, where he has often talked to lawmakers about how abundant supplies of U.S. natural gas will gradually replace coal as a source of electricity.
Moniz is director of MIT's Energy Initiative, a research group that gets funding from industry heavyweights including BP, Chevron, and Saudi Aramco for academic work on projects aimed at reducing climate-changing greenhouse gases.
He did not respond to an e-mail request for comment on Wednesday evening.
Obama gave a speech at MIT early in his first term where he praised the Energy Initiative's research and spoke about the urgent need to address climate change - a cause he has pledged to elevate again as a top priority for his second term.
Obama is in the process of reshaping his energy and environmental policy team.
Earlier on Wednesday he nominated Sally Jewell, chief executive of outdoor retailer REI, to be interior secretary, overseeing the national parks and vast U.S. energy reserves.
He is also expected to name a new leader of the Environmental Protection Agency. Sources told Reuters Gina McCarthy, a top official in charge of air quality at the EPA, is the leading candidate for the job.
Moniz is a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, a group that gives Obama recommendations on the role of science and innovation in the economy.
Moniz would replace Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who announced last week he plans to step down.
Chu had been criticized for ignoring the huge U.S. boom in oil and gas development as he focused on spurring renewable energy.
Moniz would bring scientific acumen to the job, but he also has worked closely with industry and promoted natural gas as a "bridge fuel" to lower carbon pollution while new innovative forms of energy are being developed.
In July 2011, Moniz told the Senate Energy committee that he believes the water and air pollution risks associated with hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking" were "challenging but manageable" with appropriate regulation and oversight.
From his time in the Clinton administration, he has experience managing the department's oversight of a chain of national laboratories and the U.S. stockpile of nuclear weapons.
After Obama made good on a first-term campaign promise to shut down the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site in Nevada, he named Moniz to a "Blue Ribbon" panel that looked for a new approach for storing toxic nuclear waste.
Reporting by Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason; Editing by Paul Simao and Lisa Shumaker


text:
I added slug input field in my custom post type and allow users to edit it at front end. Then, when insert post, I use this:
$wp_insert_post_args = array(
'post_status' => 'publish',
'post_type' => MY_POST_TYPE,
'post_author' => $this->creator_id,
'post_title' => $this->name
'post_name' => sanitize_title( $this->slug )
My custom post type already suports 'title', so, it suppose to auto generate post_name. Now I add $slug as 'post_name' as described above, will woredpress use 'title' to generate 'post_name', or use my 'slug'? will wordpress perform slug exist checking as it does on normal posts, or should I take care of the checking myself?


text:
Our Cash Discount Program offers a way to recoup much of the cost associated with accepting credit cards, while offering a discount to consumers who choose to way with cash.
Motivate & Reward Customers
A cash discount program motivates customers to pay with cash to receive a discount. This is a way to reward and build loyalty with your customers while decreasing your business expenses.
Increase Cash Flows
Offering a cash discount will benefit your business by increasing the amount of cash payment and giving you faster access to a larger cash flow.
Lower Overhead Costs
A cash discount program helps you reduce your credit card processing fees drastically. In addition to incentivizing your customers to pay with cash, you are able to recoup most of the cost associated with accepting credit cards.
Cash Discount merchants are not boarded with TSYS Merchant Solutions/Wells Fargo.
"I have had some bad experiences with some web designers before but this company was Great!!! they returned my emails and phone call promptly and they were very knowledgeable in search engine optimization which was the most important issue for me. Their services are very reasonably priced and they don't try to sell you something you don't need. My company Generates 60% of our new business through our website and I would strongly recommend you give them a call and meet with them to see what they are about."
"My company had been searching for months for a website company to revitalize our website. We had met with several local companies and were very surprised by their high pricing and low service. I met with Premier Business Advantage and found them to be very knowledgeable about what a small business like ours needed. Come to find out, we were not even mobilized. The importance of this in today's technological world is crucial. PBA totally redesigned and mobilized our website. We have seen a significant jump in calls and new clients since the launch of our new site. The service that we have received is personal and change requests are done in a timely manner. I would recommend PBA for all of your marketing needs."
"I have been working with Premier for over a year now and it has been a great experience! They got me to # 1 as far as local companies in my search category. Premier helped me put together my website exactly the way I wanted it and the price was excellent! These guy do a great job and I am very happy with the service I receive!"
"I've never met more amazing people then at Premier Business. They are all so amazing to work with. Their team of amazing designers are so talented, and really put everything they can into your website. They are so quick to make any changes you need done, and the communication is outstanding. I wouldn't go anywhere else to have a web site built. I cant say thank you enough!!!"
"I valued the cooperative manner of the staff who created a comprehensive website which accurately represents our business. Your professionalism and collaboration are appreciated!! Highly recommended."
"Did a great job cleaning up the errors on my digital footprint. Would recommend PBA to anyone."
"Just wanted you to know that everyone that comes in thinks our website is great. Thanks for doing such a wonderful job on it."
"I am thrilled with the work PBA has done to date. They told me after our initial meeting that they could turn around a site for us to react to 10 days after I provided my copy to them, and Premier delivered! We're known for being very particular, and they really did an amazing job of incorporating our preferences and ideas into the site, to say nothing of being a pleasure with whom to work. It's only a first pass, but I can't wait to see the end result!"
"We use Premier at Alliance Credit Union and they do great work and have outstanding customer support. I highly recommend them for all your processing needs!"


text:
A stunning and glowing Beyonce stepped out in New York on Wednesday to launch her new fragrance, Beyonce Pulse. Typically, the superstar artist is a very private person, but when Access Hollywood guest correspondent Jill Martin sat down with her, Beyonce opened up about her other big news (her pregnancy!) and how she came up with the idea to reveal her baby bump at the MTV Video Music Awards last month.
"You know, I dreamt it, actually," Beyonce told Jill of the inspiration behind her pregnancy announcement. "There were so many rumors about me being pregnant every three months for the past couple of years — I thought the best way and classiest way was to just show it.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hollywood's Smokin' Hot Couples
U.S. & World
"And my husband and I have been together for 10 years, so I guess people felt a part of it and it makes me feel really good," she added.
Following Beyonce's big reveal at the end of her VMAs performance, cameras cut to a shot of her husband, Jay-Z, in the audience along with Kanye West, as the two rappers jumped up and down and cheered in celebration.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Celebrity Baby Bumps
Although the proud, soon-to-be daddy's enthusiasm was seen by millions, Beyonce said she missed the endearing moment.
"I couldn't see that in real life, but I did see it on a bunch of TV specials," the 30-year-old singer said. "You couldn't escape it, so it was nice!"
As for motherhood, B said she feels she's been preparing for this moment for years.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: We Like What We See Of Beyonce!
"I just feel like everything I've been through in my life is all for right now," she told Jill. "So hopefully life will continue to get better, and I'll continue to get stronger and be an incredible mother."
Beyonce was solo at the launch party for her third fragrance, but both she and Jay-Z were very involved in creating Pulse.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Beyonce, Zooey Deschanel & More At The Coachella Music & Arts Festival 2010
"I wear it, I live with it for about six months, and we tweak," she revealed, when asked about her creative process. "I make sure it's long lasting.
"And I make sure I get my compliments from everyone — from my fans to my husband," she added with a laugh.
Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Inside The MTV Video Music Awards 2011
PLAY IT NOW: Howie, Piers, Sharon & Nick Discuss The MTV Video Music Awards 2011
More from Access: [ Beyonce Knowles Pregnancies Jay-Z ]


text:
Silicone wristband containing an LED watch. Various sizes available and a range of standard colours with pantone matching available on 500 pieces and above.Price includes a 1 colour print in 1 position.
These fob watches are commonly used by hospital staff, doctors and nurses and can be attached to a uniform using the brooch safety pin attachment on the reverse. The flexible silicone means the analogue clock face can be moved around to suit your angle of viewing the time and can also be removed for hygienic cleaning. Printing is available on the silicone and the watch face.
Lightweight fitness bracelet suitable for all sporting activities. 1 ATM water resistant, waterproof in up to 10 metres of water making this the ideal digital timepiece for swimming, rowing, sailing, surfing or snorkelling. Health-grade silicone material emits negative ions (anions), which provides many health benefits. A great giveaway item for sports clubs, gyms, leisure centres, travel companies, schools or universities! Available in 3 sizes: men's, ladies, children's. Pantone colour matched.
The cookie settings on this website are set to 'All Cookies' so that you have the best online experience possible from our site. Without changing this setting you consent to this. If you wish to opt out click on the 'change cookie settings' link.


text:
Matt Mader, vice president of the Jr. Knights, emceed a community information night about the program Wednesday.
Submitted photo
The Jr. Knights will have an identity, and a strong association with Grayslake North High School.
Submitted photo
- » Stevenson sophs play more like seniors
- » With gladness, Clark looks forward to more Madness
- » Lakes trio evolves and excels together
- » After standing still 6 months, time starts to move for Mundelein's Knar
- » LZs cousin guard combo is a package deal
- » Brunsons brush with fame? Its just getting started
- » Fresh-faced Einloth fitting in just fine at Grayslake North
- » Excellence the norm for Waucondas Swenson
- » Mundeleins Big Four focus on bright collegiate futures
- » Sweet farewell to hoops for Lakes' Clark
- » Building a powerhouse, brick by brick, at LZ
- » Flyin high at Stevenson
- » LZ's Schrader thrilled to be back in backfield
- » Mundelein's Sermeno reverses field
- » Fish clearly a keeper at QB
- More from Patricia Babcock McGraw
Somehow, when you blend some Colts, some Timberwolves and even a few Vikings together, youre supposed to get a bunch of body armor-wearing Knights.
At least thats the hope every year of the Grayslake North High School football staff.
Just call this program Lake Countys melting pot of youth football players.
Most communities in this area have their own dedicated youth tackle football programs that feed directly into their corresponding high schools. Young Blue Devils, for instance, eventually become big Blue Devils at Warren High School. Meanwhile, young Cougars become big Cougars at Vernon Hills High School, and so on.
But until now, the big Knights at Grayslake North High School never had the chance to be little Knights first.
Some have been Colts, and have worn the green and white of crosstown rival Grayslake Central High School. They even played some of their games at Grayslake Central. Others have been Timberwolves from Lake Villa, where the majority of their teammates one day play for Lakes High School. A smaller bunch started out as Vikings from the Antioch youth program.
Earlier this week, the Jr. Knights were born, giving aspiring youth football players in the area, and specifically in the Grayslake North district, another alternative, an alternative that they will be able to more closely identify with in the future.
Were trying to bring kids together in the community so theres not such a drastic difference for them when they get to high school, said Jr. Knights president Keith Horn, who has dedicated the last 14 years to coaching and organizing youth football programs in the area. The unity that the kids experience when they come up together through the same program is what its all about. They help each other and support each other and really get to know each other.
We want them to feel like theyre a part of something, like theyre building towards the same thing when theyre together on these youth teams. When those kids walk through the doors at North for the first time as freshmen, we want them to feel like the school is already their school.
The Jr. Knights will get to know Grayslake North very well. Theyll play their games there, and theyll practice on the grounds, too.
On Wednesday, Horn and a group of about 10 other residents who are helping to get the Jr. Knights off the ground held a community meeting to explain the program in further detail. Official registration for the Jr. Knights will take place on Feb. 23 at the Round Lake Beach Civic Center.
So far, Horn and the other board members have been busy tending to all the details, big and small: signing up for a league, dealing with insurance issues, designing a website and Facebook page, securing venues and even picking out uniforms.
Its been a 24-hour-a-day job over the last six weeks or so, but were really excited because we had a really nice turnout (at the community meeting). There were about 175 people there, Horn said. The reaction weve gotten has been pretty positive. I think people in this community want a different choice and we can give that to them.
The varsity coaches at Grayslake North arent necessarily expecting all of their future players to choose the Jr. Knights this fall. They understand that some allegiances run deep with the other youth football programs in the market.
Its not ideal to have everyone all spread out, but our support of all the programs in the area that involve our kids will go unchanged, said Grayslake North head coach Steve Wood. In the past, weve had our varsity kids go out to the local youth programs and help with evaluations and weve done coaching clinics for the youth coaches. Weve had youth night at the high school for our youth kids, and weve sent our own kids out to help the youth coaches at their practices.
We still plan to be active in the community with everyone and all the programs, but we also really like the idea of creating a specific identity at the youth level for our program.
Not only will the Jr. Knights practice and play at Grayslake North, theyll wear the gold and black that their high school counterparts wear. Theyll also share the Knights logos.
The Jr. Knights, who are hoping to draw between 100 and 130 players for tackle football, will compete in the Illini Youth Football League, beginning in the fall. The organization will also include a cheer program as well as a flag football program, which is hoping to be up and running in time to compete in a spring league.
The Jr. Knights will cater to boys and girls from kindergarten through eighth grade.
Our goal down the line is to make this the actual feeder program for Grayslake North, Horn said. I think youll see better results on the field for the high school. You already see that with other teams in the Fox Valley Conference like Cary-Grove and Prairie Ridge, which both have their own separate feeder programs. They have good varsity programs and I think thats a big reason.
Horn also believes that with more opportunities for playing time and better access to high school role models, kids in the community may become even more excited about playing football.
I think we could see numbers go up, Horn said. It will be easier through the Jr. Knights for the younger players to be around the high school players. The younger kids will get that big brother feel and thats a really great way to encourage kids to go out for football and stay with it.
For more information about the Jr. Knights or the Feb. 23 registration, visit www.northjrknights.org.


text:
Research provides purpose for undergrad's career in neuroscienceMichel Companion | Psychology, Neuroscience, Undergraduate | Neuroscience Program Update: Michel is now a Ph.D. student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
In high school, Michel Companion's goal was to pursue performing arts. "I got into the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York on a scholarship. However, after some thought, I realized that I wanted to change the world, not just entertain it," Companion said. "I knew a few students who went to IUPUI from my hometown of Elkhart, so I applied and made the move down to Indianapolis."
Michel began his freshman year as an English education major, but after volunteering at George Washington Community High School he decided that his abilities might be better utilized in the sciences than in secondary education.
Once Michel made the move to science, everything came together, including his major. "I chose to move into the realm of psychology because of the mixture of science and liberal arts that ruled the field. From there, neuroscience won over my intellect and my interest. I found the mysteries of the human mind fascinating; particularly in the area of drug addiction."
At IUPUI Michel has found many opportunities to explore his interest in neuroscience. Over the last two years Michel has served as an undergraduate research assistant for Stephen Boehm, Ph.D., director of the undergraduate neuroscience program in the School of Science. In Boehm's lab, Michel studies the neuroscience of addiction, looking at genetic and physical traits and their effects on cocaine sensitization.
"My proudest experience in my college career has been my work in the addiction neuroscience lab," he said. "It was not until I joined this lab that I found what truly held my interest."
Michel also has been involved and often taken on leadership positions in many student organizations such as the Student Activities Programming Board, Psychology Club, Apartments on the Riverwalk Council, Delta Sigma Phi fraternity, and the Alpha Lambda Delta and Phi Eta Sigma honors societies.
"Being able to take on a leading role in an organization is one of the most stressful but rewarding experiences. You get to learn a lot about yourself and how to handle stressful and detailed situations."
In his free time, Michel enjoys spending time with his rescue dog, Houston. After graduation, he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical research with a focus on neuroscience. He hopes to be involved in research exploring possible preventative measures for fetal alcohol syndrome.
"My experience at IUPUI has prepared me to be an independent individual," Michel said. "I am able to derive my own ideas and synthesize new ideas from the work of others. Looking at my academic, laboratory, and leadership experience, I would say that IUPUI has helped teach me how to step up and take the reins for a new generation of leaders and innovators."


text:
Problem solving, math, following instructions - is there anything baking doesn't teach? We made our Head Baker and Assistant Baker set to celebrate parents and kids (or siblings) who love baking together. Check out our Baking Rocks collection to see all the color, size, and style options.
Fashionable Garments, Ethically Produced
All of our clothes are designed in Seattle, ethically cut and sewn abroad in Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production-certified facilities so you know they're sweatshop-free and guaranteed free of child labor, and then screen printed with tons of love in the USA.
Sizing and Fit
Our baseball tees run true to size. The fit is relaxed and loose. Your shirt will shrink a little the first time it is washed.
Fabric Content
Baseball tees with grey bodies: 60% cotton / 40% polyester
Black and white baseball tees: 100% cotton


text:
"God is good!" Georgia Washington says it often, like a motto.
"God is good!"
Georgia Washington says it often, like a motto.
She may stumble over words or struggle to recall the facts of her life, but when it comes to expressing her faith, those three words come quickly and easily.
"We are stronger because she sets the example of not giving up," said Margie Shanklin, organizer of a concert honoring Washington Sunday, Nov. 4, at Rockford's St. Paul Church of God in Christ.
Sharing her faith
Washington has been first lady, or the pastor's wife, at the southwest-side congregation since 1981.
Cancer is the most recent attack on her body. But neither the deadly disease nor the high cost of treatment has defeated her spirit.
"It comes from God," she said. "He's good -- very, very good. He takes care of me."
So does Bishop James E. Washington. As pastor of St. Paul and overseer of more than 30 Church of God in Christ congregations in the region, he is spiritual leader for many.
But even he is in awe of how his wife has faced years of illness -- reading scripture daily, attending worship services weekly and staying positive.
"Since 1977 with the lupus, then a heart problem, then the cancer -- I've never heard her complain," Bishop Washington said. "There's always a praise."
St. Paul member and longtime family friend Elaine Wright agrees: "No one knows but her the pain she has endured, and to just bear it for years. ... A lot of us would be having a pity party."
The concert featured current and former members of St. Paul's choir. Michelle Williams, who grew up in the choir before going on to fame with the R&B-pop group Destiny's Child, attended.
Before illness struck, Georgia Washington directed the choir, which has produced a long line of respected soloists, including Renee Kent, who has toured with Williams, and Georgia's daughter Lynn (Washington) Penix, a local headliner.
"It was always about ministry, not just music," said Marilyn Penix, who is also in St. Paul's choir. "She taught that it wasn't about us but the gifts that God has given us."
'Wonderful model for us all'
The impact Georgia Washington has made goes beyond her church walls.
Rockford Ministers Fellowship held a service to relieve the burden of the family's medical expenses in July at Bethel Baptist Church. When she rose to give thanks and to tell her testimony -- "God is good! God is good!" -- it brought many to tears.
"She was delighted that people were responding to her needs, and everybody was touched by her testimony," said the Rev. Charles Threadgill, president of the clergy group.
Threadgill is not surprised she is ministering to others. "People connected with God, that's the way they are," he said, "always looking out for somebody else."
Pastor Bob Griffin of Rockford Renewal Ministries, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago and underwent treatment at Mayo Clinic, said he admires how Washington has faced her test.
"She has a been a strong, consistent, inspiring warrior against physical illness," he said. "She is a wonderful model for us all."
Staff writer Edith C. Webster may be reached at 815-987-1394 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: Siddle, man of the match with nine wickets in the first Test against Sri Lanka, backs Australia's bowling rotation policy [Getty Images]Paceman Peter Siddle has backed Australia's attack to shrug off a glut of injuries that have hit the team's fast bowling stocks ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka starting on Wednesday. Australia, who have won just one of their past four Tests, have enjoyed precious little continuity in their pace attack due to injuries and fatigue, and are set for another reshuffle with Ben Hilfenhaus ruled out of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. Left-armers Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnston, and the uncapped Jackson Bird are vying to join Siddle in a three-man pace attack at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with selectors likely to retain spinner Nathan Lyon. Tough mentality Siddle, man of the match with nine wickets in Australia's last-gasp defeat of Sri Lanka in Hobart on Monday, said the hosts' reserves were strong enough to step up to the challenge. "That's probably been the big thing that we've done well in especially the past 18 months," Siddle told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday. "Whoever's come into the squad they've known what they had to do. "The guys that have come in have shown that they can execute their skills and work with the rest of the players in the squad to maintain that pressure. "That's what the success that we've had in that time has come down to. "The squad has changed a lot with the bowlers, but we've stuck together, we've worked well as a team."Australia have lost young pacemen Pat Cummins and James Pattinson for the home series, and selectors have stoked controversy by adopting a rotation policy to preserve the fitness of the remaining bowlers. Both Hilfenhaus and Siddle were rested for Australia's loss against South Africa in the third Test in Perth, which cost them the series 1-0, while local media have speculated 22-year-old Starc could be dropped for the Melbourne Test despite taking a five-wicket haul in the second innings in Hobart. Siddle backed the rotation policy, however, and said would-be debutant Bird would be well suited to the MCG, where he has taken 14 wickets at an average of 12.07 in two Sheffield Shield games. "It's a very patient ground," 28-year-old Siddle said. "I guess I've had my success a similar way to (Bird) – you bowl nagging lengths and be patient, you bowl tight lines - that's sort of been the go-to here for us. "He's a very similar type to those sort of styles." The third and final Test starts in Sydney on January 3. SOURCE: Reuters Sport Cricket Australia South Africa Sri Lanka


text:
Accenture's vast talent pool provides access to the right skills required to get the work done. Rooted in a strong culture of client service and success, our smart, committed and experienced professionals collaborate as global teams to create solutions with and for our clients.
Having the talent is, however, only half the battle. Our global and multidisciplinary teams are able to work consistently and cohesively because they follow the standards defined by the Accenture Delivery Suite and they stay integrated with a secure technology backbone.
In this way, we can provide clients with exactly what they need to achieve high performance. In addition, we are developing an unparalleled approach to developing our people at huge scale, measuring proficiency and creating career options that foster leaders, experts and specialists.
The result of our delivery approach is that services and solutions are provided to clients at an optimum level of quality, while increased productivity means costs are reduced. Most important of all, clients gain access to the skill sets that are best suited for achieving their business and technology performance goals.
Along with the Accenture Delivery Suite and Accenture Delivery Centers, our highly skilled professionals enable clients to enhance performance through the right skills at the right time and right cost.
Our strategy, digital, technology and operations professionals have world-class business, technical and functional skills. They also have strong communications and people skills for productive cross-cultural collaboration.
We create global multidisciplinary teams with the right mix of complementary skills to deliver what clients require.
Our most important asset? Our people. It's why we invest considerable resources providing continuous training. To extend their business, technical and professional skills, each of our delivery people devote a specified minimum number of hours to formal training each year.


text:
Fly Guys (Feat. Mann) - Penny, Nickel, Dime
So You Think You Can Jerk ARTIST: Fly Guys (feat. Mann) ALBUM: After the Zazz DIRECTOR: Issa Rae
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.


text:
The Silvretta Alps mountain range is home to some of Austria's most challenging alpine twisties, and today it's playing host to a world exclusive drive of epic proportions.
We have our mitts on the baddest Mercedes ever made, an AMG GT-S – nastier even than last year's SLS Black. When it lands in Australia in the middle of 2015, it will be the fastest accelerating offering from the three-pointed star.
Facing off against the Affalterbach special is the 911 GTS, which fuses elements of the GT3 with the DNA of the Carrera S. Boasting flared arches, performance-oriented details and a go-faster cabin treatment, this model is an integral part of a range which stretches all the way from 257kW Carrera to 412kW Turbo S.
For two days we'll punish these dynamic Germans on challenging mountain passes and open autobahns in the ultimate front- versus rear-engine coupe comparo.
Visually and acoustically, the AMG GT-S stands out. It's automotive porn of the highest order. Even its part-throttle exhaust rumble swivels heads. These extrovert antics are mimicked in an imposing cabin that the GT-S has, in essence, inherited from the SLS.
The passenger cell is short and wide, rear three-quarter visibility is compromised and the upright position behind the wheel is defined by the towering instrument panel, wide transmission tunnel and the too-close-for-comfort rear firewall. The interior is garnished with round air vents, a high-definition in-dash colour monitor, a blend of soft leather and matte carbonfibre inlays and a busy centre stack. Externally, the prestige of the low-flung GT-S is owed to the gleaming diamond grille and a pair of piercing triple reflector headlights complete with characteristic LED eyebrows.
To unsuspecting bystanders, the GTS is just another 911. In reality, the latest wide-body iteration wants to be the sportiest model this side of the super-potent halo specials. To stress the GT3 connection it comes with black 20-inch wheels, blacked-out bi-xenons, select aero-kit elements, low-drag mirrors, a made-to-measure rear apron, four black tailpipes and two lines of solid black badging on the bumper below the adjustable tail rudder.
Inside, we find snug sport seats, an alcantara-wrapped helm as well as special GTS cues like new instrument graphics and charcoal aluminium trim. In contrast to the AMG, the 911 has a more spacious cabin and optional rear seats despite its more compact dimensions. While it doesn't take long to get used to the 911's idiosyncrasies, it's hard to pardon the absence of a multi-functional steering wheel and driver assistance systems including blind-spot monitoring and lane departure warning.
What better road to test the accelerative abilities of these German GTS twins than the lightly-trafficked Munich-Lindau autobahn that leads to the Austrian and Swiss border.
Heading toward the nation of neutrality aboard the AMG you can instantly feel, in the small of your back, the kick of the explosive twin-turbo V8, which loads the seven-speed dual-clutch transaxle with a massive 650Nm – on tap between 1750 and 5000rpm – with the Dynamic Plus pack fitted. Its mid-range acceleration is irresistible and you can treat yourself to the full urge of the 4.0-litre 375kW engine all the way to the 7200rpm redline.
From 0-100km/h there is little in it, the more powerful Mercedes pipping the Porsche by a mere 0.2sec, but from there it's a one-horse race. From 100km/h to 200km/h the GT-S is a full 1.1sec faster than the 911, the Mercedes dispatching 0-200km/h (a more representative benchmark) in 12.5sec to the Porsche's 13.8sec.
The 316kW 911 GTS whips up an extra 22kW over the Carrera S, but it only does so above 6300rpm when a vacuum flap opens the second intake tract. Maximum torque is an unchanged 440Nm, though it now takes 5750 instead of 5600rpm to manifest. In a straight line the GTS is only marginally quicker than its lesser-powered sibling thanks to less favourable aerodynamics, slightly higher weight and wider tyres. So, it's worth asking whether the new model is worth the extra cash. The answer is an emphatic yes. On the autobahn a combination of higher revs and later upshifts keeps the 911 in the slipstream of the AMG GT-S.
The ability of the Porsche to carry more torque through the gears allows more momentum and pushing power to play with. At the end of the long straight of autobahn leading to Lake Constance on the Rhine, the Porsche tops out at 307km/h. It is thus almost as fast as the Merc, but it takes quantifiably longer to squeeze out the final 25-30km/h.
Both cars excel on the race track. After all, both cars have honed the dialogue between input and response to perfection and both are wonderfully intuitive when driven hard. On a cordoned-off circuit, the Porsche begs you to hit Sport Plus which firms up the dampers, tops up the gearbox with adrenalin and puts the black box on alert.
Unlike previous generations of the 911, the 2015 911 GTS driven at nine- or ten-tenths won't bite back. Instead, the latest breed displays a high degree of confidence-inspiring adaptability and transparency. Even when shod with extra-wide tyres – in this case 245/35 R20 Pirelli P Zeros up front and 305/30 R20 at the back – the handling is now modular, the breakaway characteristics nicely progressive and the attitude at the limit quite failsafe.
Not available in the 911 is an equivalent to the Merc's Dynamic Select feature which allows you to choose from four different personalities when tweaking steering, throttle response, ride comfort, transmission strategy, engine sound and stability control.
Alternatively, the GT-S lets you put together your own personalised set-up. In Sport Plus and Race mode, the chips will blip the throttle during downshifts, clear the exhaust for maximum noise and speed up the entire throttle-to-wheel chain of command. At the same time, the shock absorbers flex their hydraulic muscles, the steering beefs up, the transmission concentrates on late upshifts and early downshifts and the ESP locks itself in handling mode; AMG-speak for controlled power oversteer. Unfortunately, the Porsche doesn't come with such a risk-reducing stability control setting.
Before heading for the mountains, we stop for petrol and conduct a quick check of fuel guzzling habits. Over 811km the AMG's V8 averaged 15.1L/100km, whereas the 911's flat-six was content with 13.9L/100km. Somewhat anti-climactic, but alas, on to the mountains!
The northern climb to the Silvretta dam and summit – 2037 metres above sea level – favours the Porsche. The climb begins with a series of two dozen first-gear switchbacks. As it gains elevation, the road remains narrow and the terrain becomes tricky due to the low-grip surface that encourages early understeer and late oversteer, as if driving on snow. The approach from the south is better suited to the bigger and brawnier AMG GT-S as most direction changes will happily accept third or even fourth gear – with the exception of a few hairpins near the top.
With ESP in handling mode, the AMG GT-S is virtually unbeatable on the fastest stretches of this panoramic spiral climb. Laying down the full grunt can be a momentary struggle through first- and second-gear kinks, but once it pulls away the Mercedes licks up the road like a hungry lizard.
The 47:53 weight distribution, electronic diff, sticky Pirellis, ground-hugging centre of gravity and aluminium double-wishbone suspension make this car feel agile and alert. You'll want to be in Sport Plus on demanding turf like this. Why? Well, the initially light steering now feels firm and meaty, the gearbox is eager to kick in the next ratio and moderate throttle input is all it takes to attract the engine's attention.
The 911 can't pull off as many dynamic tricks. Furthermore, Porsche puts an extra price on goodies like variable-effort steering, sports suspension and dynamic chassis control (PDCC). Carbon-ceramic brakes cost extra no matter whether you shop at Porsche or Mercedes, and in the case of the 911 you'll also have to spend big for the dual-clutch tranny.
Thanks to the bespoke suspension setting, the fatter tyres and the wider track, though, the 911's front-end sticks through a corner with more vigour than the AMG. At the same time, the rear end carves around in G-force-defying follow-me fashion until ESP eventually flashes its warning. The chassis of the Merc could do with more compliance for added control and confidence. Who would have thought that, when maxxed to the driver's limit, the AMG is more challenging and less composed?
At the dawn of a new era devoted to downsizing, hybridisation, electro-mobility and fuel cells, V8s will soon be condemned as fossils from a wasteful past – so go and get one while you still can. Because nothing sounds like an eight-cylinder; because the blend of generous displacement and eager turbocharging never fails to excite; because a V8 is equally charismatic at a leisurely pace and at full song.
There is no doubt about it: the 3982cc kraftwerk is the soul and essence of the AMG GT-S. A similar hymn of praise can be sung for the flat-six installed in the 911. Now water-cooled, but in this particular application still normally-aspirated, the 3800cc motor makes all the right noises, is connected to the throttle pedal via a live wire and begs to be revved hard to deliver the goods.
Late in 2015, when the new 992 enters the scene, turbos will be mandatory across the range, so it's now or never – unless your pockets go deep enough to afford the GT3.
Purists may prefer the boxer in combination with the seven-speed manual, but in case your left hoof has been numbed into early retirement by too many automatics, the PDK gearbox is a perfectly acceptable substitute to that third pedal.
So what's the verdict? The Porsche 911 GTS is an emotional masterpiece. It combines the physique of the Carrera S with the heart of the GT3 while consciously avoiding the overly radical aspects of the winged warrior. It has nicely weighted steering which is damped and calibrated to perfection. It also has impeccable steel brakes, a wizard chassis engineered for an amazing ride-handling balance, a quick-shift transmission and an infectious engine. In this company, however, it could do with slightly more power and torque, and it needs to unpack its dynamic disciplines.
The AMG GT-S earns its merits as a compelling autobahn stormer, superfast long-distance cruiser and wholly superior SLS replacement with tonnes of street cred. Its transmission is intuitive, the brakes are razor-sharp, and the engine develops an incredible thrust as it storms through the rev range. Quite a touch heavier than the Porsche, the GT-S easily wins the cabin trophy, too. It's more lavishly equipped, has a big enough and more practical boot, and oozes presence.
But the big AMG GT-S coupe needs wide roads, flowing curves, third- and fourth-gear sweepers and well ironed surfaces to shine. Its main weakness is its compromised packaging, while its suspension needs to be calmer at high speeds and smoother on bumpy roads. The Porsche 911 GTS, conversely, is the purer, more focused and more dynamic choice. The dynasty continues.


text:
We took the "grandnephew" to a great playground today. He's four, but the people there who caught my attention were older - 10 years older, 12 years older. They were teens, but while the "teen" spaces in the park - the basketball court, the soccer field, even the skate zone - sat empty, the "Timber Town" playground held them all. Oh sure, two girls, working at being 'too cool,' sat swinging and gossiping, but all the rest, boys and girls, raced through the playground's features playing tag.
|Timber Town, Zeeland, Michigan
And so once again I thought, why don't we have these playgrounds at middle schools and high schools? I know I'm not the only one who asks this - when I brought it up on Twitter, Royan Lee from Ontario mentioned taking his Middle Schoolers on a field trip to a playground, Chris Wejr mentioned how, in his community, when they converted an elementary school into a middle school, they very quickly removed the playground. I understood. Earlier in the day I had passed Holland (MI) New Tech High School (grades 6-12), also a converted elementary. Same thing there, the great playground that had sat behind the building has vanished. Turn 12 kids, and play time is gone, you're an adult now... unless, of course, you want to go to a movie, or choose your own class, or go out at night, or, or, or...
|Secondary school playground design from Superblue Design of London (UK)
check out Knitting Nancy and this climber/shelter
|Check out this "mobius strip" playground piece
|or this "ant farm for all ages"
- Ira Socol


text:
Top flight deals to Grand Rapids (GRR)*
Bahrain(BAH)toGrand Rapids(GRR)
Fly to Grand Rapids with KLM
Together with our global network, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offers flights to Grand Rapids, serving Gerald R. Ford Airport (GRR). We pride ourselves on our top-notch customer service. Have any questions or concerns about your upcoming flight to Grand Rapids? Contact us 24/7 via Facebook, Twitter or WhatsApp for a quick response!
Top Grand Rapids attractions
- Grand Rapids Art Museum: a gallery featuring diverse art from European and American artists and sculptors.
- Van Andel Arena: a 10.834-seat multi-purpose arena which hosts a variety of different events.
- Leonardo da Vinci's Horse statue: a beautiful full-size cast of a horse located in the botanical gardens.
- Meyer May House: a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house built in 1908, considered Michigan's masterpiece.
- John Ball Zoo: a large urban zoo with a range of unusual exhibits, housing a variety of animals from around the world.
What's the best way to get around Grand Rapids?
To move around downtown take the DASH, a free shuttle bus that loops around all the main attractions of the city. You can also take the public bus – "The Rapid", which runs every 15-10 minutes between the hours of 06:30 and 18:30.
What's the weather in Grand Rapids?
During the summer months of May until September, Grand Rapids experiences average temperatures of 22°C (72°F), making these months a pleasant and comfortable time to visit Michigan. If you're planning your trip during the colder winter months, expect it to be very cold – Michigan often gets between 5 and 10 inches of snow over the winter!
Weather in Grand Rapids
Powered by: OpenWeatherMap.org
20 °CWednesday12/08/2020
28 °CThursday13/08/2020
28 °CFriday14/08/2020
28 °CSaturday15/08/2020
26 °CSunday16/08/2020
24 °CMonday17/08/2020
19 °CTuesday18/08/2020
*All amounts are in BHD. Taxes and carrier surcharges included. No booking fee applicable.


text: Good day and welcome to another edition of info bites! This week has seen oil rally on tentative signs of economic optimism and further stimulus announcements, only to retrace on fiscal cliff fears. Meanwhile, natural gas has slid to a three month low as a lack of extreme wintry weather is spurring on both selling and unseasonable storage injections. Snacks ahoy: » read more


text:
Following Tesla Motors' first-ever quarterly profit and a surge in its share price, a bull and a bear squared off on whether the innovative car maker had a future.
"If you're looking at things like discounted cash-flow analysis to make a point-by-point case here, you're probably not focused on the bigger picture," Josh Brown of Fusion Analytics said on CNBC's "Fast Money."
(Watch Video: Morgan Stanley: Too Late on Tesla?)
The California-based manufacturer of electric vehicles posted an $11.2 million profit last week, sending its share price to an all-time high of $97.12. At 1 p.m. ET, the stock traded at $84.17 per share.


text:
Please send all parish information changes to Lorena Gonzalez at .
Masses offered in: English
6306 Kenwood Avenue
Dallas, TX 75214 (Map)
Phone: 214-821-3360
Fax: 214-821-5395
Very Rev. John Libone, V.F.
Parochial Vicar(s):
Rev. James Dorman
Anthony Campise
Kenneth E. Reisor
Website: St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish
Saturday Anticipatory Mass:
4:00 p.m. (English)
7:30 a.m. (English)
9:00 a.m. (English)
11:00 a.m. (English)
12:45 p.m. (English)
5:00 p.m. (English)
7:30 p.m. (English)
Mon: When school is in session
8:00 a.m. (English) Communion Service in Church
9:30 a.m. (English) Mass at Lower School Campus (everyone is welcome)
When school is not in session
8:00 a.m. (English) Mass in Church
Tue: 8:00 a.m., 6:15 p.m. (English)
Wed: 8:00 a.m. (English)
Thu: 8:00 a.m., 6:15 p.m. (English)
Fri: 8:00 a.m. (English)
Holy Days:
Please visit parish website, or call parish office.
Tue: 8:45 - 9:30 a.m.
Thu: 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Sat: 2:45 - 3:45 p.m.
First Fridays 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.


text:
Senor Random's commisson of Grok
Got Grok? show info miscellany
GrokTheMad's first artwork as drawn by Senor Random. Dialup users beware! 216k
Current show schedule
- Sunday Nights: 8pm - 11pm (EDT)
Contact Info
- email: firstname.lastname@example.com
- Generic website: http://djgrok.googlepages.com
- Blog: Not in a million years
- Photobucket: http://s75.photobucket.com/albums/i291/grokthemad/
Contest Info
I love games! And so, I frequently hold listener contests, which some say are difficult but others say are fun. Ambiguity and the inevitable mess up by Grok make them an interesting exercise. All contests are funded by listeners, and donations can be sent to Farmer Joe (#672309). In the case of correct answers by multiple people, chatbot randomly rolls for a winner. My prizes usually consist of random food and booze items in Farmer Joe's inventory.
Current Contests:
I ask you a question, and you answer it. Nothing could be easier. Although my questions can be tricky, or hard. Or make no sense. Or have very little information to go on. It's up to you to figure it out! Send your answers by kmail to GrokTheMad. I eliminate all the incorrect answers and only the winner(s) are left.
What's In The Can?
I put items in my tin can and shake them. Each song you get a guess. You have to guess the what the items are, the correct number of items, and possibly their descriptions (like color, type, etc). I go through the answers and tell you the wrong ones and the right ones until we get it all figured out! Each song we go through without a correct guess by anyone gets you a clue. If you correctly guess an item you win a small prize. At the end of the contest, you must correctly identify all the items in the can plus some descriptor. Wrong answers are eliminated, chatbot randomly rolls the for the winner. Grand Prize for this contest is kept in Farmer Joe's display case (#672309).
Game Show Night!
It has been a while, but this will come back. Soon. We play different game shows like Match Game, I've Got A Secret and Family Feud. Others are in the works as well. This is where we get together a conference bridge and a panel of guests will play either for or against the folks in chat for prizes!
STATUS UPDATE: This is currently on hiatus until I can figure out why my sound quality is so poor. Until I can bring you an acceptable listening experience, I will, unfortunately, need to put this on hold. I will be bringing you other contests though, so stay tuned!
STATUS UPDATE UPDATE Stay tuned, adventurers! I believe I have worked out my sound issues. I am going to be testing things and hope to have this up and running ... soonish. Game shows!!
STATUS UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE' *Sigh* I'm trying, although summer is making things difficult to stay at my comp. This will happen again, by hook or by crook, I promise you.
STATUS UPDATE UPDATE UP...Oh you get it Well, I found a gent in the Netherlands who has solved this problem in a very interesting way. It calls for a different setup than I currently have, and I may need to make a small purchase, but I will get this working by end of Oct 07. Or I will give away everything in my inventory. I am such a liar.
Win The Farm
Every so often, you can Win The Farm! Essentially, the winner of the trivia question gets 200 turns of Farmer Joe to farm wherever they like. The winner gets everything dropped, meat and items! Farmer Joe is ripe with various meat dropping and items dropping things, so he can do very well in most areas. One day, he'll get that ultra-rare, and that winner will be very happy indeed.
Grok began as a DJ on Radio KOL in January of 2006. Although hired in November of 2005, a slot was not yet available in the schedule.
Grok's radio shows are collectively called Groxycore Radio. A particular radio show does not necessarily follow a theme. However, given that a show can contain many different genres of music in a short space of time, the segueway between songs is always important. The shows are usually family friendly, although from time to time things can happen which might cause parents to call out "earmuffs!" for the young chilluns.
Grok's loyal radio listeners are called Groxygenarians. They are distinguished as such by not identifying themselves as Groxygenarians in their player profiles or by any other method, including Grok naming them. They are, therefore, always present but never noticed. Like ninjas. Or tooth plaque.
Grok regularly runs challenging contests for his listeners. These include logic puzzles, trivia with a twist and "what's in the can". Grok also ran the "Great Martini Giveaway" giving away 46, 044 martinis to a number of players. Grok's Saturday shows are sometimes run as a game show with players skyping in to answer questions.
Origin of Grok's name
GrokTheMad's name is frequently questioned as coming from Heinlein's Stranger In A Strange Land. In actuality, it came from needing a name with which to register a character for playing the Kingdom Of Loathing. And being as Grok has only four letters, was easy to pull from an addled brain, easy to type and remember for a lazy, lazy person, it stuck.
The Mad was added later, after wanting a distinguishing feature with which to identify the character, and debating amongst several now forgotten choices. This took about a second and a half of real time.
Grok's Personal Info
Brief History Of Grok
Grok was a semi-professional singer for 10 years, touring the world with two seperate singing troupes. He's got a background in drama, doing dramatic theatre, opera and many, many musicals. His official degree is a triple major in English, Communcations and Social Sciences (oddly enough, called a B.S.) He's a hobbyist writer, having "won" NaNoWriMo several years (but currently on hiatus). His writing works and poetry have appeared in both print (newspapers and books) as well as online (but does that count?)
Grok grew up in Tucson, Arizona, went to high school there and did two years in college at Northern Arizona Univeristy, when they were still the Lumberjacks. Go Jacks! He studied in the Musical Theatre program there, and eventually won the distinction of a nomination for an Irene Ryan award for a minor role in Sondheims's "A Little Night Music."
Finishing up his college at Eastern Michigan University, Grok also had a chance to audition for a spot at the North Carolina School Of The Arts for both Set Design & Stage Management and Acting. However, as the realization settled on him that he did not want to live and work in New York, he gave up that dream and now is happy to play supporting roles and do stage work behind the scenes for his local community theatre.
AT EMU Grok did a DJ stint for 2 years on the local radio station. His future wife also worked on the show as "Chief Engineer" although she never spoke, being the shy type. She could switch carts and discs like a madwoman though. Mrs. Grok still refuses to speak when broadcasting, although her laugh may have been heard once or twice on air.
Grok is a tabletop gamer, playing and running RPG's for many years. Games include: Dungeons and Dragons (original and D20), Champions! (but not FRed, sadly), Mutants and Masterminds, Star Wars, Fudge (various), Legend Of The 5 Rings, 7th Sea, Vampire, Werewolf, Amber Diceless, Deadlands (once), and some crappy home grown stuff. Grok has also LARP'ed quite a bit, and was in a steady monthly outdoor fantasy LARP for 2 years (lightning bolt! lightning bolt!).
Currently between games, although looking to start something up right quick with his bonehead gaming group. Grok loves games of all types, especially card/board games and has attended many gaming Cons (the last one being GenCon 2002). He owns a modded Xbox (31337 mod, software only, bitches, so no Live banz0rz for me!) as well as a PS2 and several handheld Nintendo units. The Xbox 360 has now landed. Look for me on Live as QuickFade. My current obsessions include Rainbow Six: Las Vegas, Viva Pinata and Enchanted Arms.
Grok is a a technology geek, having many computers in various states of disarray. He's proficient with several OSes, loves *NIX, programs in Perl whenever possible and thinks MySQL rulez.
Grok loves to camp outdoors, and the outdoors in general, which is somewhat conflicting with the computer geekiness which more or less requires indoors and electricity. But he makes it work the best he can.
Grok also loves to travel, alone and with family. He's been to 49 of the 50 states (Alaska, she-bitch temptress that she is, shall soon be his) 5 different countries and 2 continents. He's been to the tropics of Hawai'i and The Bahamaian Islands.
Real Life
Grok is an IT manager who works with technology all day, and lurves it and hates it simultaneously. Grok works for an international cement supplier running a data center and being an admin for a Linux farm of 200+ servers. Oh yeah, SAP and Lotus Notes both SUCK.
Distinguishing Features
- Grok was the last hire of outgoing Hiring Director, Faustus Pringle. Faustus is still apologizing to station management as of this writing.
- Grok's musical collection is best described as ecclectic. Other words that have been used to describe it are crappy, reprehensible, second-rate, valueless and omgwtfbbq.
- Grok will never play anything by ICP or Barbara Streisand, and will kill any bastard out there who mashes them up. This rule has been violated for ICP, but never never ever ever ever EVER for Babs. Ever. Never ever.


text:
The workshop demystifies beekeeping and gives guests a taste of local monofloral honeys such as star thistle and wildflower
Customer Reviews
Customer Photos
Report Photo
Report Photo
Error submitting request
Thank you for your response
Customer Photos
What You'll Get
Much like silk, honey comes from an insect and makes for an attention-grabbing evening gown. Make a delicious statement with this voucher.
- Two-Hour Intro to Beekeeping Workshop with a One-Hour Honey and Wine Tasting for One, Two, or Four People
During two-hour workshops, attendees witness the basics of beekeeping, learn how to build a honeycomb foundation and hive, and observe a live bee colony housed in see-through hives to prevent stinging. Beekeepers also illuminate guests on the processes of honey production, pollen storage, and wax building. The experience transforms from a class to a tasting for the final hour, when students are invited to sample wildly different monofloral honeys from specific locales or plants, such as star thistle, wildflower, and black sage. Then visitors aged 21 and older will visit the wine-tasting room to sample wines from the tasting menu for that day, which includes red and white varieties. View the workshop schedule here.
The Fine Print
About Gerard'Z Honeybees
More than a century ago, an industrious farmer named Gerard enlisted the help of bees to pollinate his family estate. Inadvertently, the buzzing insects fertilized a new passion for Gerard, one that would become a family tradition.
Four generations later, Gerard'Z Honeybees' bustling hives create more than a dozen local and monofloral honeys from such plants as star thistle, orange blossoms, and avocado blossoms. Because the honeys are completely raw and natural, they maintain the micro-nutritious qualities often left out of industrial varieties, and they may help allergy sufferers to acclimate to their local pollen varieties.
Gerard'Z holds year-round beekeeping workshops and honey tasting seminars at local wineries, nurseries, and farmers' markets throughout the Bay Area and Central Valley. During the classes and tastings, bee experts demystify the process of maintaining a hive, and people get the chance to taste the difference between clover honey, buckwheat honey, black sage honey, and Doritos honey. Gerard'Z also helps to maintain the delicate honeybee population by finding homes for wild swarms or colonies that have built hives in unwanted places and might otherwise fall prey to exterminators.


text:
Gardein Sizzling Szechuan Beefless Strips - We're not vegetarians, but we love ANY great-tasting food that's easy to prepare and has reasonable stats. Gardein is fast becoming one of our favorite meat-swap companies, and this zesty product is a perfect example of why! A third of the package (including 1 tbsp. sauce) has 205 calories, 7g fat, 365mg sodium, 22g carbs, 1g fiber, 4g sugars, and 11g protein (PointsPlus® value 5*). Find it at Whole Foods and select retailers. South Beach Diet Snack Bars - If you need something sweet to sink your teeth into, South Beach has some new grab-n-go options. In four decadent flavors (we can't stop thinking about the Whipped Peanut Butter), each bar has 100 calories, 3.5 - 4g fat, 85 - 130mg sodium, 14 - 15g carbs, 6g fiber, 5 - 7g sugars, and 6g protein (PointsPlus® value 2 - 3*). In stores nationwide! Garden Lites Pumpkin Spice Soufflé - It's pumpkin season, and the flavor du jour has reached these frozen veggie-packed treats. Each limited-edition 7-oz. soufflé has 190 calories, 2.5g fat, 230mg sodium, 34g carbs, 4g fiber, 20g sugars, and 11g protein (PointsPlus® value 5*). It's a little sweet, a lot satisfying, and easy to heat up on a chilly day. Click to find!
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (a.k.a. the notorious CSPI) has graded the American public on dietary trends from 1970 to 2010, and we're not exactly excelling. Here are some highlights (lowlights?), and ideas for improvement! Dairy: C-. Cheese is yummy, but we're eating WAY too much of it -- the average person eats 23 pounds a year! Cut back, and keep it light. Click for picks that'll get you on the dean's list.... assuming the dean enjoys a good wedge of The Laughing Cow. Meat, Poultry & Seafood: B. The good news is that red-meat consumption is down and chicken chewin' is up. But we're STILL not eating a whole lot of fish. Worry not... Here's a trio of fish dishes to entice you! Sweeteners: D+. Consumption of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup remains through the roof, a big chunk of which comes from soda and sugary drinks. If you need some sugar-free alternatives but aren't into artificial sweeteners, check out all the stevia-sweetened options on shelves. Grains: C. You know what's really startling here? How little we're eating heart-healthy oats! If you find a single serving of standard oats unsatisfying (we get it!), our Growing Oatmeal Bowls will change your mind... and your grade. Overall, we're consuming about 20 percent more calories per day than we did in 1970... an average of 2,535 calories. Click here for a guide to all things calorie related, and click here to download the CSPI's full report.
ATTENTION, ALBANY, NY! A week from Friday (10/18), there'll be a Hungry Girl book signing in your 'hood (on the University at Albany SUNY campus)! Lisa will be answering Qs, giving out prizes and, of course, signing books. Woohoo! Click for the full scoop... ***Excuse us while we take a lap around the office, raising the roof... The newest flavor of Extra Dessert Delights Sugarfree Gum is Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake. Only 5 calories, and it tastes like a cupcake, people! ***In further amazing news, McDonald's will soon be offering side salads, fruit, and vegetables as value-meal sides (instead of just fries). FINALLY! This change comes along with several other health-oriented developments made in partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Thanks, Mickey D's! ***If you're looking to meet a special someone who shares your foodie interests, now's a great time to scope out the newly redesigned SamePlate.com! BTW, "CookingCaveman" is an HG pal, and one we'd totally set up with a friend. (Any takers?) ***Sure, you like to have a glass of wine now and then, but are you pouring more than a single serving (and taking in the extra calories that come with it)? A new study has found that there are ways to outsmart the over-pouring habit. The research suggests using narrower glasses and not holding the glass in your hand while you pour. Cheers! ***What can you expect to see on menus in the coming year? At this year's Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators Conference, several HG favorites were revealed as on-trend ingredients. YAY! Look for cruciferous veggies (like Brussels sprouts, kale, and broccoli), protein superfoods (like Greek yogurt and quinoa), and sriracha hot chili sauce. And that's all we've got. HG out!
A guilt-free steak swap, peanut-butter snack bars, healthier fast food, and more?! Sounds like a good day to click "Send to a Friend!"
Get happy for National Frappe Day, which is today, October 7th. Caramel Apple Frappe, we're coming for you!
SmartPoints® value not what you expected? Click here for more info on how the values are calculated, plus more FAQs about PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® values on our website.


text:
Disrespectful Or People Over Reacting? Cheerleader From The Dallas Cowboys Dresses Up For Halloween As Lil Wayne With Black Face
CBS reports "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Whitney Isleib has inadvertently stepped into a Halloween controversy by reportedly dressing up as soon-to-be incarcerated rapper Lil' Wayne in black-face. Photos of the blonde-haired cheerleader turned hip-hop impresario were posted to Facebook"
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
Comments will only be displayed by verified emails. No Spamming or Racism.