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In 1991, OCLC initiated an examination of Internet resources to gain greater insight into the type and nature of resources available on the Internet at that time (there were no Web resources) and to test the suitability and applicability of MARC/AACR2 cataloging for Internet resources. Automated sampling and statistical analyses revealed the type, characteristics and distribution of Internet resources (Dillon, et al. 1993). This study revealed a small but growing body of data, information and knowledge resources of the sort typically collected by libraries.
To determine the potential impact of such resources on library cataloging, OCLC initiated a cataloging experiment. Some 30 catalogers from around the world, whose experience cataloging computer files ranged from 2 to 20 years, volunteered to attempt to catalog a sample of Internet resources. Project staff assembled a sample of 300 Internet resources representing randomly and manually selected resources. Divided into sets of 30, the sample resources were distributed to the catalogers. Thus, each resource was cataloged independently by three catalogers. Importantly, this experiment did not ask whether any particular Internet resource should be cataloged, only if it could be cataloged.
Three key findings arose: (1) with some distinct exceptions, MARC/AACR2 cataloging appeared to accommodate the description of Internet resources; (2) a method of linking the bibliographic record to the described resource seemed desirable; and (3) despite familiarity with computer file cataloging, instructional materials relating to the cataloging of Internet resource seemed warranted.
The first finding was not surprising and provided sufficient confidence to undertake additional cataloging efforts, described below. The publication of Cataloging Internet Resources: A Manual and Practical Guide (Olson 1995) and other reference resources addressed the third finding.
To address the second finding, project staff and advisors, including the Library of Congress, devised and proposed USMARC field 856, "Electronic Location and Access," a field in the USMARC Format for Holdings and Locations. This field, created before the now ubiquitous URL (Uniform Resource Locator), enables catalogers to encode the discrete information necessary to effect a link between a bibliographic record and a remote electronic resource. The subsequent addition of subfield $u, "URL," allows catalogers to encode a fully qualified URL.
Upon the adoption of the 856 field, OCLC developed the InterCat Catalog (http://purl.org/net/intercat) as a proof-of-concept database. Comprised of records for Internet resources extracted from WorldCat (the OCLC Online Union Catalog), the InterCat Catalog demonstrated the union of catalog searching with its host of functions -- keyword and phrase searching, selected index searching and Boolean operations -- with direct Web access to the Internet resources. The basic level of search access we have come to expect for a common book had been extended to a collection of Internet resources. Soon, library system vendors began modifying their products to take advantage of the linking capability of the 856 field, and the Web OPAC was born.
Bolstered by the belief that MARC/AACR2 cataloging could and should be extended to selected Internet resources, OCLC initiated a second Internet cataloging project. Funded in part by the U.S. Department of Education from October 1, 1994 through June 30, 1996, OCLC solicited the voluntary participation of librarians worldwide to identify, select and catalog Internet resources. Resulting bibliographic records were to be in USMARC format, conform to AACR2 rules for descriptive cataloging and contain one or more 856 fields. Participating libraries were to select resources for cataloging as guided by local collection development policies and the expressed or anticipated interests of their respective users. By the end of the project, 231 participants representing nearly all types of libraries had selected and cataloged some 4,707 Internet resources. As of this writing, some 500 different OCLC-member libraries have cataloged more than 16,000 Internet resources representing more than 330,000 individual library holdings.
Three Critical Questions
Cataloging Internet resources raises many critical questions, among which three stand out as fundamental: (1) Are Internet resources worth cataloging? (2) Is traditional MARC/AACR2 cataloging appropriate for Internet resources? (3) What about resources that change location? Addressing these three questions provides an opportunity to discuss many important and related aspects of cataloging Internet resources.
Warrant. Collection development is a significant value-adding function. Before cataloging any Internet resources, libraries should exercise selection processes similar to those extended to material in any other format. That a resource is in electronic format and accessible via the Internet is insufficient for making selection and collection development decisions. Resources that meet a library's selection criteria are candidates for cataloging. A fair rule of thumb might be this: All things being equal, if this resource were in any other media, say, print, would the library catalog it? This question sets aside the resource's format and manner of access and focuses on its content, merit and warrant.
Some years ago the relative merit of Internet resources, at least in terms of library collection policies, may have been in question. Now, some 16,000 bibliographic records later, there is ample evidence that selected Internet resources are on par with library materials in other media.
Whether Internet resources are worth cataloging should no longer be a question. Whether they should be cataloged, however, is still a fair question and one that prompts a healthy and essential self-examination of library practice. In this regard, it is useful to remind ourselves that cataloging has been and ought to be an evolutionary art and practice. This frees us from placing unhelpful limits on a discussion of cataloging Internet resources or from thinking of cataloging only in familiar terms.
Traditional Cataloging Approaches. The benefits of cataloging selected Internet resources are manifest. Catalogers represent a highly trained workforce, with practitioners distributed across library types, subject areas and geographic locations. Moreover, this distributed workforce is linked through common standards, practices and systems that can be applied immediately to the problems of providing improved description and access for Internet resources. USMARC format bibliographic records can be readily exchanged among library systems, which means that the work of one cataloger can be distributed and subsequently incorporated into an infinite number of OPACs. The hallmark of cooperative cataloging, this exchange of bibliographic records leverages and multiplies the value-adding process of cataloging. By incorporating bibliographic records for Internet resources in local OPACs, libraries can provide their users access to an integrated database of resources, and users can find, through a single system, books and Internet resources alike with equal ease. Finally, libraries that catalog Internet resources gain insight derived only through experience that will help mold the future evolution of cataloging.
Libraries and library users alike can realize immediate benefits from cataloging Internet resources using existing standards, practices and systems, and cataloging can exploit and extend the useful economic life of these standards, practices and systems, but at a cost. Libraries that catalog Internet resources may need to divert resources from other activities, and this involves an opportunity cost. Other indirect costs may derive from a loss of productivity during a learning curve, although many libraries report that the learning curve is not as steep or as long as had been feared. Direct costs can arise from the need for additional training, new Web OPAC interfaces or the need for additional staff with systems expertise. All of these costs notwithstanding, however, the cost of cataloging Internet resources is attributable chiefly to the fact that it is labor intensive and requires specialized skills.
Whether the costs of cataloging Internet resources are in line with the benefits of doing so is outside the scope of this paper. Nevertheless, we must imagine that applied technologies will continue to provide new opportunities for cost savings. One immediate and significant cost saving could be achieved if catalogers could reduce the amount of transcription required to create a bibliographic record for an Internet resource. This problem may be particularly amenable to the application of a metadata system -- a simplified but robust schema and syntax that would enable resource creators to record certain basic information (e.g., author name, title, publication date, publisher, etc.) in a way that could be manipulated automatically by some subsequent process. In this scenario, basic bibliographic information may be transferred to a preliminary bibliographic record automatically rather than through manual transcription. Beyond this rudimentary improvement, we can begin to imagine catalogers invoking increasingly sophisticated systems to assist with subject heading assignment or classification. Technological advances along these lines are not likely soon to eliminate the need for cataloger intervention, but the opportunities for improved cataloger efficiency seem palpable.
Other hindrances to traditional cataloging lie in the philosophical underpinnings of the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules. To address these large issues, the Joint Steering Committee for Revision of Anglo-American Cataloging Rules is convening an International Conference on the Principles and Future Development of AACR this fall in Toronto, Canada. An excellent collection of related papers is available at
Cataloging Moving Objects. Libraries add value to Internet resources by selecting, cataloging and integrating the resulting records into local OPACs. But this still leaves open the questions of transience and impermanence. What Internet user has not encountered "Error 404, File not found"? This all-too-frequent error message can signal, among other things, the fact that a resource, once identified by a URL, has moved or ceased to exist.
URLs represent address-specific locations, and encoding them in bibliographic records that are meant to be distributed across systems is problematic. Some would call it a catalog maintenance nightmare, and such a characterization is not far off. Data collected during the OCLC InterCat project revealed that, on average, 3% of URLs in the InterCat Catalog could not be accessed during any given test. An unknown subset of these links failed because the URL had changed (the resource had moved). (Other sources of failure include the remote system or the network, and determining the exact cause of a URL's failure can be difficult.) It soon became apparent that encoding URLs in bibliographic records brought both benefit and liability.
To address this problem, staff from the InterCat project and the OCLC Office of Research developed a working solution: Persistent URLs, or PURLs (http://purl.org). The concept is a simple aliasing system: create a PURL that does not change and associate it with a URL that can be changed as needed. This process is managed by the PURL server. Registered users can create a PURL and establish and maintain the PURL/URL relationship. Maintenance authorization can be carefully controlled and shared with other registered users or groups of users.
The PURL, which itself is a URL in form and function, contains within it all the information necessary to be "resolved" by the PURL server (an expressed protocol, a host name and user-assigned character string). So the PURL, http://purl.org/net/intercat, uses the http protocol to connect to the PURL server (purl.org), which looks for the URL associated with the character string net/intercat. The PURL server returns to the client (typically, a Web browser) the current URL, which the client then executes to complete the connection.
The advantage of this system is obvious: a PURL can occur any number of times (e.g., in multiple copies of a bibliographic record, on Web pages, in an electronic paper, in a bookmark list), yet if the URL for the referenced resource were to change, that change would only have to be made one time using the PURL server. Suddenly, catalog maintenance (and link maintenance generally) is reduced to a single update. Not a perfect solution, but it works.
Looking Ahead
I have alluded to future scenarios already in this paper, but now I would like to focus on some near- and long-term prospects. Initially, any library that has not yet begun to grapple with the host of issues surrounding improved description and access for Internet resources would do well to identify, select and catalog at least one Internet resource. More is to be gained from this relatively low-cost, low-risk enterprise than from reading a thousand papers on the subject (including this paper unless I have successfully motivated you to take some action). Libraries that have started cataloging Internet resources are poised to improve internal processes, such as selection, cataloging workflow or database maintenance, as necessary and to adjust the rate at which they catalog to meet user demand. Again, these actions can bring immediate and widespread benefits both within and outside the cataloging library.
Bibliographic records need not reside only in OPACs. Some libraries are using databases of bibliographic records to drive other applications, such as automatically building Web pages based on database content. Web page links, functioning as database queries, present information to users based on the current contents of the database and order the presentation of that information based on subject or classification information present in individual bibliographic records. The advantages to this approach are manifold, including (1) currency (Web pages built on the fly are as current as the underlying database), (2) the elimination of manually maintained library Web pages and (3) leveraging the intellectual content of catalog records.
Metadata, often cast about as some sort of magical cure, actually holds considerable promise. The Dublin Core (http://purl.org/metadata/dublin_core) represents significant effort building consensus among disparate user groups for a basic set of data elements that facilitate network resource discovery and retrieval. Apart from the element set, which is extensible by definition, work continues apace on a metadata transfer syntax. Once in place, producers of Internet resources will be able to express and associate metadata with the resource. Used by some, this may equate to Cataloging in Publication (CIP) data that book publishers often provide. Used by others, metadata may be little more than a mishmash of uncontrolled fields. No doubt, among those more concerned about the accessibility of their resources, certain "best practices" will prevail. Indeed, the work of the Text Encoding Initiative, under the auspices of the Center for Electronic Text in the Humanities (http://www.ceth.rutgers.edu), exemplifies meta-tagging with scholarly seriousness. Nevertheless, rich content or poor, with the deployment of metadata systems we will have taken another important step toward capturing bibliographic and other information at the time of its creation.
Given metadata as input, we ought to expect a system to be able to give us a preliminary bibliographic record as output, and, for selected resources, a fuller cataloging treatment may be warranted. Even here, we can see systems on the horizon that are moving out of experimentation and into implementation, systems that perform automated indexing, subject analysis, classification and even abstracting. The cataloger's toolkit will certainly be rich, eliminating or reducing certain tasks and leaving the cataloger free for whatever aspects of cataloging (and there will be many for some time) that will remain the domain of the human intellect.
Libraries continue to make significant contributions to the knowledge revolution, and knowledge access management is likely the future domain of libraries and librarians. Such heady times will not arrive in a moment, however, but are more likely to be achieved through continuous evolution. Provided an array of options and constrained by limited resources, the challenge for libraries is to do the "next right thing." Each library will define that next step differently, but usually, the next right thing is not a discontinuous, high risk, high-cost leap. More often, the next change is marginal, and so is the one after that. The risks are lower and the costs more affordable. Cataloging Internet resources, metadata, PURLs -- these represent some changes at the margin that offer significant immediate and long-term benefits.
Lest we watch the waves and ignore the tide, however, we should be open and alert to the continued application of computing technology to information management. Old ways of working are good ways of working only if they continue to make sense. So, too, with the precepts of cataloging.
Think back to a time before the Internet. For many of us, it wasn't that long ago. Consider how far we have come in such a short time. Yet the Internet is still nascent. We are in a time of unprecedented changes, many of which are directly related to recent advances in computing and telecommunications technologies and their rapid and widespread adoption. Libraries will not stay this flood of technology, but, with reasoned action, should expect to do more than just survive.
Dillon, et al. 1993. Assessing Information on the Internet: Toward Providing Library Services for Computer-Mediated Communication. Dublin, OH: OCLC.
Olson, Nancy B. 1995. Cataloging Internet Resources: A Manual and Practical Guide. Dublin, OH: OCLC.


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How to Save $2.2 Billion
Spring 2009 Version
(Editor's note: This is an updated version of a list of cost-savings first proposed by Senior Legislative Analyst Jack McHugh in July 2006. These recommendations combine reductions from current budgets and speculative savings that assume certain policy reforms. It is intended as a plausible illustration of what is possible, not as a precise roadmap.)
When it comes to government spending restraint and Michigan's political class, it's a case of "everybody wants to go to heaven — but not today." Therefore, we see lots of evasive recommendations for "consolidation," unspecified "across-the-board" cuts, slashing the "waste, fraud and abuse line item," etc., but few substantive, big-ticket savings proposals.
Stay Engaged
It's not really all that hard to cut state government spending — if you're willing to think outside the box and if you reject, "But that's not the way we've done it in the past!" You also have to be willing to anger certain special interests (including government employees and their unions) who benefit from the status quo.
If you are willing to do those things, then here's a list of ways to achieve $2.24 billion in savings. Some of these may take a few years to fully implement, but the total also exceeds the expected deficit for next year, and doesn't use a dime of so-called "stimulus" money. Some of these savings figures involve "dynamic" estimates of economies that ripple through the system when competition is injected into government operations, changing the incentives on managers and employees; others come from providing government employee fringe benefits comparable to (generous) private sector plans, or from eliminating non-core functions.
- Change the higher education funding mechanism to a standard "per-pupil foundation grant" in which the money is attached to the students, rather than each university getting an amount determined by legislative maneuvering. As colleges were forced to compete for students, they would "sharpen their pencils," rein in costs and eliminate the kinds of inefficiencies highlighted in recent audit reports. If the effect was that costs fell by just 5 percent, the savings would be: $70 million.
- Eliminate the cash subsidies that this year will transfer $88 million of Michigan taxpayers' wealth to Hollywood film producers, and $131 million next year. These are a political development program, not an economic development program. We'll split the difference between current and next year's costs and conservatively project savings of: $100 million.
- Shift state police road patrols to less expensive county sheriff deputies. With benefits and related expenses it costs more than $100,000 per year to employ a state trooper; most sheriff deputies cost much less to employ. Effect on public safety: Zero. Savings: $65 million.
- Require school employees to pay 25 percent of the amount school employers now pay for their health insurance benefits. This could save: $650 million.
- Eliminate the Michigan State University cooperative extension service and agriculture experiment station to save: $64 million.
- The original version of this list recommended halting the so-called "21st Century Jobs Fund" before it borrowed and spent $400 million. It's too late for that now: All but $33 million was spent before the 2006 election, and taxpayers will be repaying the debt for decades. At the very least, the bleeding can be stanched — current law requires $75 million to be diverted each year for this boondoggle. Skip it and save: $75 million.
- According to a Rio Grande Foundation report, if 5 percent of prisoners are placed in privately managed prisons, the state saves 14 percent on overall prison spending because government-managed prisons have an incentive to "sharpen their pencils." Savings: $154 million.
- Eliminate "History and Arts" subsidies, and cut state library subsidies in half: $35 million.
- In 1999 the Citizens Research Council noted that "a number of changes have occurred over the past decade that have reduced the need for intermediate school districts." Let's help the ISDs catch up by reducing their operations grants: $32 million.
- Cut so-called "20j" payments to affluent schools in half. This extra money is a political response to the fact that under Proposal A certain wealthy school districts benefit less from per-pupil state foundation grant increases than other districts. (They still benefit, though.) Savings: $26 million.
- Cut transit funding in half. By eliminating protectionist regulations that restrict alternatives, empty buses driven by public employee union members can be replaced by private sector innovations like jitneys, commercial van pools, "call-and-ride" services, car-sharing and more. This will improve service for transit users at a much lower cost: $112 million.
- Repeal the "prevailing wage" law that requires above-market rate wages be paid on school construction projects: $150 million.
- Schools can realize huge savings by privatizing non-core functions like transportation, food service and custodial. Many have already done so: The Mackinac Center's most recent survey of school privatization shows that 42.2 percent of school districts already have a competitive contract in place for one of these functions. Some idea of the magnitude of these savings can be seen in the experience of one district that saved the equivalent of $177 per student by contracting out for its custodial needs. Statewide, similar savings would add up to $300 million annually. In the short term, it would not be unreasonable to expect: $100 million.
- Reduce the Merit Award Scholarships by 50 percent. Shockingly, the governor and Legislature have greatly increased these non-need based college scholarships to the point where gradual payments to the high school graduating class could amount to more than $400 million. When families face economic hard times, the first thing they do is cut luxuries. This is a luxury Michigan can no longer afford. $200 million.
- The state spends almost $17 billion on Medicaid and welfare, more than $7 billion of which is from state taxes and fees. Medicaid in particular is a command-and-control monstrosity rife with perverse incentives. Reforming it in ways that give recipients an incentive to economize and take better care of themselves could save hundreds of millions of dollars, while actually giving recipients greater freedom and choice. If just 3 percent of the expense in these two programs could be reduced in this way, the state would save: $210 million.
- Thousands of private-sector workers have given back painful wage and benefit concessions to save their jobs. The average state employee receives salary and benefits worth nearly $75,000, compared to approximately $58,000 in the private sector. Comparisons of specific job classifications produce similar comparisons. State workers should be grateful for their much greater job security and benefits, and more than willing to assume some of the burden through concessions. $200 million.
Total: $2.24 billion.
There is a theme that runs through opposition to every one of these common sense reforms: "That's not the way we've done it in the past."
That's not good enough anymore: Michigan has already passed the tipping point of going from relative decline in population and income to absolute decline. Without major reforms there's nothing to prevent the entire state from going the way of Detroit, with a declining population and an economy that is unable to support a government establishment that often behaves as if they think residents exist to serve the government — not the other way around.
None of the items above would be "devastating" to the state, to "vulnerable populations" or even to any particular interest group. Most people would not even notice that these changes had taken place. The alternative, a major tax hike, will only drive more people out of Michigan and hasten the impoverishment of a formerly rich state economy that in this decade has become a poor one.
Jack McHugh is senior legislative analyst for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a research and educational institute headquartered in Midland, Mich. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author and the Center are properly cited.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Hi, I am a 64 yr old woman who is finally free of religious skeletons. I can now without guilt call myself an Atheist. Because of my "Christian" upbringing ,my thoughts, ideas, opinions became molded for me but not by me, as a result i have never been able to express myself very well . I now hold my own opinions which i would like to articulate on this site but so far feel intimidated with the writings, they all sound so intelligent and im impressed by the way opinions are expressed . The other day a blog on here was a guy expressing his disgust on how stupid some people are when it comes to writing their opinions without proper punctuation ,spelling etc, well i am one of those people, I feel very intelligent inside but cannot express myself well. I guess the point im trying to make is that i found this site interesting but feel very intimated to speak my mind. For now i will just sit back and enjoy the reading.
Views: 1424
Dear Peggy:
Sadly, some here need to be purists in their prose. As is the case with many skills, practice can help improve them.
Many of of us here have extensive education backgrounds. Happily, one's prose can sometimes improve faster that their mathematics or logic skills. As you read, it might become clear that our associates, as theists, need extensive additional composition exposure. IMHO, we are are doing a favor to our dear theists blog mates, by offering our sometimes enlightened response.
For some additional points of interest, a review of the 'cussing' blog might be worth a read.
Speak. It doesn't matter if you can't spell. It's all about free-ranging discussion and experimentation.
Peggy for a person who think they can't write well you are doing perfectly well. Now, concerning the content of your response or of your posts, you need not worry. I know zilch about quantum physics, all I can do is read, learn and internalize after a time I know I will have little knowledge on the subject and can contribute to the discussion. We can't know everything about everything, but your feelings, experiences and thoughts are unique to you and only you can make us aware of them through sharing.
And for your age, to finally become free of religion is almost a Herculean task. So welcome here, chat when you can, post a blog, comment on any of them and have fun. Don't worry about the discussion on grammar that is going on elsewhere on this site, it isn't a crisis.
Express yourself as best as you can and if at the after posting your blog or comment, you discover there is an error, let it pass. Most people will respond only to the content and rarely would anyone start cherry picking on the spelling.
Welcome to TA and have fun.
Notice Blaine, how I let that slide by without any response? I'm getting better, I really am --
Remember Herbert Lom, the inspector from the old "Pink Panther" movies with Peter Sellers. with his little eye twitch every time he heard the name, "Clouseau"? Same effect --
Yes Peggy, I know the guy, or guys in question, and trust me, none of us is as intelligent as we'd like to think we are. You just say whatever you want to say, however you want to say it, and don't feel the least bit intimidated, as that will stifle your expression, which is what I've been complaining about for 25 pages now!
Say what you like, if those lacking common comprehension skills, for whatever reason don't follow you, I'll translate for them in very small words that even they will understand.
Your selection of words, sentences, and punctuation seem to communicate your thoughts perfectly - unless you were actually trying to communicate in Portuguese and spelled everything so horribly that it came out in English!
Don't get too hung up on posting grammatical perfection - it's not necessary. It is, I think, common courtesy to take a second proof reading before posting just to weed out obvious errors, but your message is what matters (to me, at least).
Personally I thought it was the worst written Hungarian I ever read.
I wouldn't touch that with a ten-foot Pole, not to mention a 9-foot Albanian --
At some point you've got to stop being intimidated and jump into the conversation. You've expressed yourself just fine in this post. If you want to improve your ability to express yourself through writing, your grammar, and your spelling, then you've got to practice. You've also got to learn not to sweat the small stuff. Grammar, spelling, and expressing myself through writing doesn't come easy to me; it doesn't come easy to a lot of people. I put a lot of effort into my posts because posting on online forums is great practice. If your writing is atrocious a really good thought/idea might get lost to the reader. If your writing is too pretentious a really good thought/idea might get lost to the reader. A comfortable balance is all anyone is really looking for, no one (unless they are the supreme grammar Nazi of the universe) is expecting absolute perfection. A little effort when writing is greatly appreciated, perfectionism is far from necessary especially on on internet forum.
What SHE said!^
My advice would be that if you have an honest interjection to a forum, post it! Maybe throw a clause in there that says, "Maybe I'm off base but..." or "I'm not very well aquainted with this topic but...". Whatever the case I hope everyone who has a genuine question or comment can post it without trepidation. Afterall, atheist are a hard lot to organize and give an all inclusive group, so let's not let that deteriorate here! :)
Hi Peggy,
Like you, I rarely participate in the conversations, not due to insecurities related my grammar, but because I have never talked extensively about religion, or my opinion of it. I have always seen this as a hot button issue because I am an atheist. When I was young I was always told I would go to hell, I grew tired of people trying to convert me, etc. As a result, I guess I have been in the closet. I wonder if the fact that this is new to you, embracing the identifier of atheist, which holds you back, and not simply your possible shortcomings in communication. I have noticed some very well spoken individuals on here, which was the main reason I joined this site. I really enjoy reading the replies and blogs on here, and finally feel like there are other people out there who think (sometimes) like I do. I guess I was tired of having no voice, so even when I read a fantastic post, I feel validated.
Good luck


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I've been accused by a number of readers of trying to ignore race altogether, to pretend that it's irrelevant that the looters in New Orleans were black, the non-looters of Japan Japanese.
I don't think that race is irrelevant to the discussion. I think it's highly relevant. What I don't buy is that race is the answer. That is, I don't think that black people are intrinsically more likely to loot that white people, all else constant. The thing is, all else is not constant.
Decades of federal policy have made black people more and more dependent on the government. Black educational levels and economic achievement were both rising faster than in the white population back in the 50s. Black families were mostly married father-mother nuclear families. Black civic institutions were strong.
Then came welfare, the Great Society, benefits for mothers without husbands (better benefits than they could get with husbands at home), benefits for doing exactly what you shouldn't do to have a stable family life or to get a good job. Because blacks were the poorest group in America, they were hit first by these programs.
White people haven't been immune. We're just 20 years behind blacks on the curve. The same family disintegration that's devastated black communities has come home to white America. The same lack of responsibility that hit black America is now part of white America. It just isn't as wide spread yet. Small communities are more resistant, as are communities in areas with strong religious and family ties. We probably wouldn't see much looting in Bismark or Fargo or Salt Lake after a Katrina-type disaster.
I submit that race is a factor, but it's not a cause. The problem as I identify it is social irresponsibility and family disintegration due to pervasive and perverse government policies. But before I write an article with my answers, I like for people to think about the problem themselves. I'm a teacher, not a prophet or an oracle. I prefer to make people think about answers rather than give them mine. I'm not convinced that I'm entirely right about this, but I've yet to see anything convincing to the contrary.


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The Miami Dolphins have used the final week of visits with non-local draft prospects to being in a number of first-round candidates, which explains why Central Florida receiver Breshad Perriman is visiting the team's Davie facility on Wednesday.
Perriman, the son of former Hurricanes standout and NFL receiver Brett Perriman, is viewed as one of the fastest receivers in the 2015 NFL draft because of the 4.24 40-yard dash time he ran at UCF's Pro Day.
Perriman, who is compared to Browns receiver Dwayne Bowe, has already visited the Lions, Eagles, Cardinals, Ravens, Panthers, Colts, Raiders and Titans, and worked out for the Giants and Buccaneers this past month.


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Cub Scout Swimming
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
Belt Loop Requirements
Complete these three requirements:
- 1. Explain rules of Safe Swim Defense. Emphasize the buddy system.
- 2. Play a recreational game in the water with your den, pack, or family.
- 3. While holding a kick board, propel yourself 25 feet using a flutter kick across the shallow end of the swimming area.
Sports Pin Requirements
Earn the Swimming belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:
- 1. Practice the breathing motion of the crawl stroke while standing in shallow water. Take a breath, place your head in the water, exhale, and turn your head to the side to take a breath. Repeat.
- 2. Learn two of the following strokes: crawl, backstroke, elementary backstroke, sidestroke, or breaststroke.
- 3. Learn two of the following floating skills: jellyfish float, turtle float, canoe (prone) float.
- 4. Using a kickboard, demonstrate three kinds of kicks.
- 5. Pass the "beginner" or "swimmer" swim level test.
- 6. Visit with a lifeguard and talk about swimming safety in various situations (pool, lake, river, ocean). Learn about the training a lifeguard needs for his or her job.
- 7. Explain the four rescue techniques: Reach, Throw, Row, and Go (with support)
- 8. Take swimming lessons.
- 9. Attend a swim meet at a school or community pool.
- 10. Tread water for 30 seconds.
- 11. Learn about a U.S. swimmer who has earned a medal in the Olympics
- 12. Demonstrate the proper use of a mask and snorkel in a swimming area where your feet can touch the bottom.
Webelos Scouts that earn the Swimming Belt Loop while a Webelos Scout also satisfy requirement 8 for the Aquanaut Activity Badge and part of requirement 3 for the Sportsman Activity Badge.
Help with these requirements
Sports Pin Requirement 5: Classification of Swimming Ability


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Delpha Hoblyn, 97
Delpha Deloris (Madsen) Hoblyn was born August 31, 1913, to William and Margaret (Stender) Madsen at Mason City. She grew up in the Basin area by Mason City. At an early age, she was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith and was a member of the Basin Zion Lutheran Church. Delpha attended grade school at the Basin School and graduated from Mason City High School in 1931. After graduating from high school, she worked for the Doug Mills family. April 27, 1937, Delpha married Ray Hoblyn at Ansley. To this union, four children were born, Robert, Dianne, James and DeLoris. Ray and Delpha lived for 48 years on the Ed Burrows farm west of Ansley where they farmed, milked cows, and raised their four children. In 1984, they moved to a small acreage north of Ansley where they enjoyed retirement. Family was always important to Delpha and she was known as an excellent cook. Anyone that stopped by at mealtime was always welcome to eat with them. It always amazed her family when they would stop by to visit and, in no time, she would have a meal prepared for everyone. She and Ray enjoyed gardening. They would share their bountiful harvest with family and friends whether it would be fresh or canned. She enjoyed her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and, when able, liked to attend their activities. In January 1999, Ray and Delpha moved to the Off Broadway Apartments in Broken Bow. There Delpha enjoyed Bible study, bingo, and other activities. She enjoyed her apartment and the many friends she made at Off Broadway. Ray passed away in November 2003. Due to failing health, Delpha entered Heritage Hall Nursing Home December 28, 2010. She was a loving mother and grandmother and a friend to everyone. Delpha passed away Saturday, March 12, 2011, at the age of 97 at Heritage Hall Care Home in Broken Bow. Funeral services were March 16 at Govier Brothers Chapel in Broken Bow with Minister Kathy Salts officiating. Burial was in the Ansley Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Good Samaritan Hospice. Delpha is survived by her sons, Robert (Nancy) Hoblyn of York, and James (Pat) Hoblyn of Ansley; daughters, Dianne (Art) Anderson of Westerville, and Deloris (Mike) Krantz of Ansley; grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Larry and Rita Hoblyn, Cassie, Jesse, and Jami of York; Brenda and Jeff Coufal, Brittany and Tyler of Lincoln; Tami and Pat Schendt, Drew and Sam of Broken Bow; Lori and Bob Mills, Blair and Blake of Kearney; Vicki and Jon Herrera, Joe, Hannah, and Norah or Wahoo; Kelli and Ryan Bauder of Scotland, S.D.; Katie Hoblyn of Ansley; Heather and Scott Munson, Mika and Teague of Arkansas City, Kan.; and Ryan and Nicole Krantz of Kearney. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Ray; two brothers, Stanton and Wayne Madsen; and sister, Frieda Baxter.


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Trial and Advocacy Program
Program experience, excellence, and guaranteed opportunities for all law students are the hallmarks of the Trial and Advocacy Program at Washington University School of Law. Experienced, full-time law faculty work with accomplished lawyers and judges to teach our courses. The consistent success of the Trial Team and numerous Appellate Moot Court Teams reflect excellence. Students take legal practice and research classes in their first year and enroll in applied lawyering/practical skills as upper-level students. A wide variety of clinical courses are available, allowing students to develop these practical lawyering skills to represent clients as student-lawyers working on real cases in local, state, and federal courts. TAP has earned the Emil Gumpert Award for Excellence in Teaching Trial Advocacy from the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Course Descriptions
At Washington University School of Law, learning how to be a lawyer is valued as much as learning how to think like a lawyer. Students take courses to think and solve problems as lawyers from the first day. Instruction in basic lawyering skills and professional values serve as the foundation for TAP's courses and competitions. Course descriptions are located at our Course Information and Directory page.
Pretrial and Trial Advocacy Basic Courses
- Legal Practice and Research is required for all first-year law students: the writing component is Legal Practice and the required research course is Legal Research Methodologies. Students take both courses each semester in their first year of law school. Although these courses are separate, they are coordinated so that writing projects utilize legal research skills.
- Evidence serves as a prerequisite for Trial Practice & Procedure (as well as other practical skills courses and clinics) and is highly recommended for second-year law students. Topics covered include relevancy and its limits, various policy and efficiency based limitations on the receipt of evidence, the rule against hearsay and the more important hearsay exceptions, rules governing the impeachment of witnesses, privilege and expert testimony.
- Pretrial Practice & Settlement is also recommended in the second year, using the skills learned as first-year students in legal practice and research. Civil Procedure is a prerequisite; however, Employment Discrimination, Employment Law, Evidence, and Professional Responsibility are considered helpful if taken before or at the same time. Students focus on developing the skills necessary for effective client representation at the pretrial stage of litigation—from initial interview through settlement negotiations. Drafting pleadings, arguing motions, and taking depositions along with in-class simulation exercises center around problems based on real cases.
- Trial Practice & Procedure is taken by nearly half of the student body. Students learn and perform various aspects of trying and presenting a lawsuit, including development of a theory and theme, jury selection, opening statement, direct and cross-examination of lay witnesses and experts, the use and introduction of real and demonstrative evidence, and closing argument. Students prepare and conduct two complete trials from voir dire to verdict. Students who have completed Evidence prior to taking this course will be given registration preference and students who plan to take Evidence concurrently with Trial need the permission of the instructor before enrolling; Pretrial is not a prerequisite for Trial.
Advanced Litigation and Appellate Advocacy Courses
- Advanced Trial Advocacy requires Trial Practice & Procedure as a prerequisite (and Evidence is a prerequisite for Trial Practice & Procedure). This course is designed for students who intend to be litigators and provides them with an opportunity to further develop skills learned in the basic Trial Practice and Procedure course as well as learn new trial skills, including the use of computers in the courtroom. The course focuses on techniques used in federal courts and uses actual case and investigative materials from federal criminal cases.
- Advanced Trial Advocacy: Civil is designed for students who have an interest in litigation and provides them with an opportunity to further develop skills learned in the basic Trial Practice & Procedure course as well as learn new trial skills, including integrating state of the art technology into effective trial presentations and focusing on trial techniques. Each week trial practice issues are discussed while students practice aspects of trial work such as jury selection, opening statements, direct and cross-examination, working with expert witnesses, and closing argument. The final class ends with a jury trial.
- Other practice courses such as Civil Rights Litigation, Intellectual Property Litigation, Media Litigation, Securities Law Litigation & Arbitration, Jury Instructions & the Trial Process, Appellate Advocacy Seminar, Appellate Advocacy, and International Tribunals Practice & Procedure blend theory and practice using problem-solving and simulations where students act as lawyers.
Mandatory Applied Lawyering/Professional Skills Courses
- Students are required to take at least one Applied Lawyering / Professional Skills course to graduate. NOTE: Effective with the entering Class of 2016, this ALPS requirement will change to 6 units of Experiential (EXP) credits in designated courses. Students may choose from a variety of ALPS/EXP courses offered every semester, which focus on problem solving in the context of planning and drafting.
- Examples of ALPS/EXP courses are Trial Practice and Procedure; Pretrial Practice and Procedure; Business Negotiation Theory and Practice; Mediation Theory and Practice; Advanced Legal Writing; and many clinical education programs. For a list of courses offered in a given semester, search for courses in WUCRSL by the Attribute ALPS.
(Go to: https://acadinfo.wustl.edu/Courselistings/Semester/Search.aspx.)
Mandatory Applied Ethics Courses
- To meet graduation requirements, students must take one ethics course. The law school offers a variety of such courses that satisfy this requirement. For a list of courses offered in a given semester, search for Ethics courses in Law on WUCRSL. (Go to: https://acadinfo.wustl.edu/Courselistings/Semester/Search.aspx.)
- Visit the Competitions website.
- TAP Overview and Information [view powerpoint]
For more information, contact:
Dorothy Campbell, TAP Coordinator, at 314-935-7964 or at email@example.com or Professor Mike Koby, TAP Director, 314-935-7557, or at email@example.com.


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Ex-NFL lineman Feasel dies at 52
Former NFL offensive lineman Grant Feasel, who was a standout at Abilene Christian before a pro career that included six seasons in Seattle, has died. He was 52.
Article continues below ...
A service for Feasel is scheduled Friday at Legacy Church of Christ in North Richland Hills, Texas. Church officials said he died Sunday, though the cause of death hasn't been revealed.
Feasel played 117 games over eight NFL seasons for four teams.
After being drafted in the sixth round in 1983 by Baltimore, he played 11 games as a rookie for the Colts. He played for Minnesota and Indianapolis in 1984, then didn't play another NFL game until his six seasons with the Seahawks (1987-92), when the center started every game in 1989 and 1990, and all 15 games he played in 1991.


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Washington DC -- My name is Chief Penny Harrington, and I direct the National Center for Women & Policing, a Division of the Feminist Majority Foundation. I am the former Chief of Police of Portland, Oregon, and I was the first woman in the nation to become the chief of police in a major city. I have served as a member of the Gender Equity Task Force, a position appointed by the Los Angeles Police Commission, and I have testified before the U.S. Civil Rights Commission on gender issues and policing. I make this statement in support of the nomination of Bill Lann Lee for Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.
For several years I had the opportunity to work with Bill Lann Lee while he represented women and minorities in employment discrimination claims against the Los Angeles Police Department. As a member of the Women's Advisory Council to the Los Angeles Police Commission, I co-chaired both the Sexual Harassment Committee and the Recruitment, Hiring, and Promotion Committee. The committees identified obstacles to the full utilization of female officers in the Los Angeles Police Department and made recommendations for implementing gender equity.
It is well documented that female officers have been subjected to discrimination within the Los Angeles Police Department for several decades. The Christopher Commission report concluded there was widespread gender bias in the department, which resulted in underutilization of female officers. More recently, the Mark Fuhrman Task Force Report documented a hostile work environment for women and minorities, including the operation of the group, "Men Against Women." I, personally, have interviewed dozens of female police officers working for the Los Angeles Police Department.
Bill Lann Lee represented many of these female officers in the Tipton lawsuit, which involved sex discrimination in hiring, promotion, pay, and assignment. The Tipton lawsuit also claimed sexual harassment and retaliation against female police officers. The evidence in that case included a litany of hostile and offensive acts perpetrated by male officers against their female counterparts. These acts included unwelcome sexual advances and propositions, sexual and racial jokes, offensive name-calling, the posting of sexually suggestive photographs and drawings in the workplace, the touching or grabbing of female officers, and even rape. Many, if not all, of the women's complaints of harassment were ignored or never resolved. Female victims who complained were often retaliated against by failing to advance within the department, threatened with misconduct, or subjected to more of the same hostile behavior.
Throughout Bill Lann Lee's representation of the female officers in this lawsuit, he was recognized as a fair-minded, reasonable lawyer who advanced his clients' interests within the confines of the law. Even the opposing counsel in the Tipton lawsuit, Robert Cramer, wrote that he "respected Bill's candor, his thorough preparation, his sense of ethical behavior, and his ability to bring persons holding diverse views into agreement."
I have known Bill Lann Lee for several years and respect his legal skills and his ethical manner of dealing with people. I wholeheartedly support the nomination of Bill Lann Lee for Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights.
Media Resources:
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FEG announced last night during the weigh-ins for this morning's Dynamite!! show that the impromptu heavyweight match-up between testosterone deficient UFC castaway Todd Duffee and 2010 K-1 OWGP winner and Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem will be for the interim heavyweight belt.
Not sure why it's for the "interim" strap considering DREAM has never had a heavyweight title holder unless of course they're planning on putting together a heavyweight tournament in 2011. Whatever the reason, it's pretty crazy to think that Duffee could experience a career-changing moment a la Fabricio Werdum *if* he can pull off the impossible and beat Overeem.
If that happens, expect Scott Coker to be put on suicide watch after receiving multiple "LOL!" texts from Dana White.


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Renovated two years ago. Clean, moving in condition
† Excluded Feature
See complete school information
439B Newport Way, Monroe, NJ, 08831 is a Condo for sale at $145,000 with 1,150 sqft. 439B Newport Way has 2 bedrooms and 2.0 baths. The property's zip code is 08831 which is in Monroe, NJ
Based on 20.00 % down and a 4.13 % financing rate
Includes Mortage, Insurance, and Tax payments
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The data relating to real estate for sale on this web-site comes in part from the Internet Listing Display database of the CENTRAL JERSEY MULTIPLE LISTING SYSTEM, INC. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than this site-owner are marked with the ILD logo. The CENTRAL JERSEY MULTIPLE LISTING SYSTEM, INC does not warrant the accuracy, quality, reliability, suitability, completeness, usefulness or effectiveness of any information provided.
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The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify properties the consumer may be interested in purchasing or renting.
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text:
CRS-3 In Action Demonstration
Cisco End-to-End 100 Gigabit Solution
CRS-X: Intelligence and Speed
Cisco Carrier Routing System powers some of the world's largest service provider networks.
Contact Cisco
Call 1 800 553 6387
US/CAN | 9am - 9pm EST
Simplify Core Networks
Today's customers expect more from service providers. In addition to traditional connectivity services, customers demand video, voice, VPNs, and IP-rich media content delivery. To meet these demands while controlling costs and optimizing efficiency, you need to converge your core network infrastructure to a Cisco Evolved Programmable Network (EPN).
The Cisco EPN:
- Simplifies architecture for core networks
- Reduces capital and operating expenses
- Helps you deliver current services more efficiently
- Provides scalability and capacity for exponentially growing, bandwidth-intensive broadband services
By adopting a Cisco EPN framework with an intelligent, scalable Cisco IP/MPLS core routing solution, you can realize the full benefit of next-generation services.
Carrier Routing System for Core Networks
The Cisco Carrier Routing System (CRS) series provides industry-leading performance, advanced services intelligence, environmentally conscious design, and system longevity. Each model uses Cisco IOS XR Software, a unique self-healing, modular, distributed operating system. Models include the following:
- Cisco CRS-3, powered by Cisco Flow Array, offers from a single-chassis to a multichassis system up to 322 Tbps.
- Cisco CRS-1, built on the Cisco Silicon Packet Processor, offers from a single-chassis to a multishelf system up to 92 Tbps.
BGP Prefix Independent Convergence (PIC)
The Cisco CRS-3 helps carriers build a foundation for the next-generation Internet. Video, mobility, and data center cloud services are accelerating bandwidth needs and creating dynamic, multidirectional traffic patterns. Cisco CRS-3 offers customers one converged network to address these challenges.
Cisco CRS-3 is the industry's only router that combines:
- Unmatched multichassis scale (up to 322 Tbps)
- Unique core and data center cloud service attributes
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Powered by the Cisco Flow Array, the CRS-3 helps carriers capture growth in video, mobile, and data center cloud services.
Multidirectional Networking
Provide Flexibility and Massive Capacity
The Cisco Carrier Routing System delivers service flexibility, continuous operation, and massive capacity, and can scale up to 322 terabits per second.
Offer Highly Secure, Scalable Services
Cisco XR 12000 Series Routers offer highly secure virtualization, integral service delivery, continuous system operation, and multiservice scalability.
Increase Efficiency and Reduce Expenses
The Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Transport Platform is deployed worldwide and reduces expenses while increasing network efficiency and investment protection.


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Flow-based load balancing is used mostly in layer 2 networks, although in Layer 3 routing, packets can be load balanced per packets or per flow, flow-based load balancing is commonly used with the Local area network, datacenter and datacenter interconnect technologies.
There are two important load balancing mechanisms in layer 2. Vlan-based load balancing and Flow-based load balancing. Understanding the differences of these two is important for network engineers, thus please read Vlan-based load balancing post from here as well.
Load-balancing is probably a wrong term though and load-sharing should be used for stateless devices and I explained the differences between load-balancing and load-sharing here.
Let's look at below figure to understand flow-based load balancing.
Figure -1 Flow based load balancing with basic switch topology


text: Joachim Worringen wrote :- > > No, you are confusing two completely different issues. To support > > OpenMP you need a single address space which spans the processors. > > You are right, this is completely different. However, I did not mean > that connecting nodes of a cluster with a cache-coherent interface > "gives you an SMP", but more precisely "gives the shared parts of the > distributed distinct address spaces nearly SMP-like access > characteristics", with respect to a suitable programming model. ... > With Quadrics, this should be possible in an even more efficient manner > due to the hardware-MMU and -TLB on the adapter. (One caveat, I'm assuming here that the Quadrics' model remains the same as it was when we were all back at Meiko). I think you still do not understand Quadrics' model. There is _no_ shared part of the address space. Access to remote address spaces is never achieved directly by an arbitrary load/store from any CPU, it always requires an access to the communication processor. As I said before the model is of _explicit_ remote store access. You have to generate different instructions to perform a remote access. On the other hand, all remote accesses are fully cache coherent both locally and remotely. The issue of cache coherence of the interface is unrelated to the issue of how you cause a remote store access. > To have a real cc-NUMA-SMP, the integration needs to be higher (HP > X-Class, DG/IBM NUMA-Q, ...), this is for sure. The question is: are > large-scale SMPs as sold by IBM, Sun, ... not the better solution for > such tasks? Quadrics is expensive, and you still have to manage a bunch > of PCs instead a nice, single SMP. But, as I said, Quadrics' doesn't pretend to be a cc-NUMA-SMP at all. Their technology is used to build _big_ clusters which may contain the SMPs as nodes, but certainly scale above the range where the SMPs run out. (See the recently announced HP/Quadrics PNL cluster, or the Compaq SCs at LANL and CEA, for instance). -- Jim James Cownie <jcownie at etnus.com> Etnus, LLC. +44 117 9071438 http://www.etnus.com _______________________________________________ Beowulf mailing list, Beowulf at beowulf.org To change your subscription (digest mode or unsubscribe) visit http://www.beowulf.org/mailman/listinfo/beowulf


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|Boulder, Colo.
|High School:
|Pittsford Mendon (Pittsford, N.Y.)
2013: (Indoor): Finished third in the 3000m with a 10:07.70 at the Harvard Challenge (1/19) … came 39th in the mile at the Terrier Classic (1/25) in 5:07.77 … was part of the 4x800 relay that came first at the Tufts Stampede (2/01) with a time of 9:35.93 … finished first in the Distance Medley Relay in 12:18.87 at the New England Division III Championships (2/16).
Off the Track: Majoring in biology … also competes on the MIT indoor and outdoor track and field teams.
High School: A 2012 graduate of Pittsford Mendon High School (Pittsford, N.Y.) … two-time team MVP … section V class B MVP … NYS Class B Sportsmanship … All-Monroe Country … All-Section V … All-Greater Rochester … All-New York State … captain of cross country and track and field teams … 15-time varsity letterwinner … National Honor Society … Rochester section of the American Chemical Society Award winner … honor graduate … AP Scholar with Honor.
Personal: Daughter of Nancy and Robert Hallock.


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"The reviews poured in like gobs of lye, scorched hair and fat through a drain, after a successful overnight disposal of an accidentally deceased prostitute on a nightclub in Bali. Though people did explain their minor disgust with the initial framework and setup for the story[1]. And there was discussion about the gratuitous nature of the violence; how the entire premise of the game was, perhaps, slightly too much of a racistic, misogynistic, disgusting, outrageous and ridiculous white power-fantasy, even for a first-person video-game.
And thanks to the truly dedicated who played the game to the end, there was a comment or two on how the ending was a bit unfulfilling as far as narcissism-simulators go. A magazine even did a feature on this slight irregularity, with an interview from the lead writer, since the author of this piece thought the game was "a little off"[2]. Here is a game, after all, that would be thoroughly offensive in every way, if it was not wrapped i...
I dont agree, looking through building to see characters outlines beats the puprose.
Fun game, but dont get crazy.
Hmm, while I don't think Far Cry 3 perfected the genre, I believe it nearly perfected "nodal objective markers", by allowing us to comfortably roam the island without being overtly shoved back to the objectives. Overall, the thrill of clearing an outpost undetected cannot be undervalued, and it may be the most fun I've had in a shooter in a long time.
Lol this game is overhyped. Just a damn game nothing that delivers that wow!!! factor.
This game was so underwhelming, so repetitious and empty that i put it down after about 7 hours. I wont get into the mp aspect its atrocious.


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2009-11-18 / People/Social
Pvt. Kawane R. Williams graduates basic training
Army Reserve Pvt. Kawane R. Willliams has graduated from Basic Combat Training at Fort Sill, Lawton, Oklahoma. He is the son of Patsy Williams of Massapequa and a 2009 graduate of Amityville Memorial High School.
You must be an online subscriber to view this story.


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Ron Guth: The 1810 Half Cent is a fairly common date, but only in lower circulated grades. High-end circulated examples, particularly those on glossy, problem-free planchets, are very scarce. In Mint State, PCGS has certified just over two dozen examples, most in the MS-63 and MS-64 grade ranges, and virtually all Brown. The lone exception is a single MS-63 Red-Brown. No full Red 1810 Half Cents are known to exist.
© 1999-2018 Collectors Universe NASDAQ: CLCT


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Bank of America Corp. BAC, -2.70% has been chosen as the financial firm to sell the Los Angeles Clippers, according to a report in Bloomberg on Tuesday, citing two people with direct knowledge of the situation. The team's managing partner Donald Sterling has been forced to sell the team by the National Basketball Association after making racist comments. Sterling agreed last week to let his wife Shelly Sterling sell the team to avoid a potential prolonged legal battle with the NBA. Sterling's wife wants at least $1 billion for the team, according to reports. Bank of America shares were up 3.5%.
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New Food Product Rollout: February 2008
This month's new product rollout features omega-3 buttery spreads from Smart Balance; heart-healthy fire-roasted tomatoes from Hunt's; new dark chocolate from Ghiradelli; pretzel crackers from Town House; and whole grain Lean Pockets from Nestle.
Smart Balance Inc., Paramus, N.J., makes it possible to incorporate the heart-healthy benefits of two types of omega-3 fatty acids (long-chain EPA/DHA and short-chain ALA) into your diet with four new Smart Balance Omega Buttery Spreads.
Naturally free of trans fats, hydrogenated oils and palm kernel oil, varieties include Smart Balance Omega Buttery Spread, Smart Balance Omega Buttery Spread Light, Smart Balance Omega Buttery Spread with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Smart Balance Omega Buttery Spread Light with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They also contain added vitamins A, B6, B12, D and E.
Most American diets are high in omega-6 fatty acids but deficient in omega-3s. Evidence continues to build that omega-3s promote a healthy cardiovascular system and reduce the risk of heart disease. Smart Balance oil blend, developed by nutrition scientists at Brandeis University, has been shown to help improve the ratio of "good" to "bad" cholesterol.
"A lot of science goes into these products," says Steve Hughes, president and CEO.
"But science doesn't necessarily make things taste good. We're equally committed to the flavor half of the equation."
Smart Balance Buttery Spreads have won "Best Taste" awards from the American Culinary Institute three years in a row.
Suggested retail price is $2.35.
Fire-roasted tomatoes in a can
Responding to the ongoing demand for natural foods, Hunt's Tomatoes, a brand of Omaha, Neb.-based Con Agra Foods Inc., introduces two new, 100 percent natural, must-have pantry items: Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes and Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic. Both new varieties – gently roasted over a real open fire – pack a great smoky, Southwestern flavor ideal for adding flavor to everyday meal favorites or creating new, upscale culinary dishes.
Hunt's Tomatoes have triple the health benefits of raw tomatoes. That's because just one-half cup of canned tomatoes contains more than three times the lycopene (an antioxidant that may help prevent heart disease) found in one medium, uncooked tomato. According to scientists, the body absorbs more lycopene from cooked tomatoes than from raw.
Hunt's two new offerings also are on par with America's surging interest in cooking. According to a survey commissioned by Hunt's, 76 percent of Americans say they cook "very" or "somewhat" often, and 36 percent confess to cooking more this year than last. More than half of baby boomers (54 percent), who lead this movement, feel they often cook meals that rival restaurant offerings, and 87 percent are interested in incorporating healthy and all-natural ingredients in their cooking. This passion for experimentation, coupled with a desire for natural ingredients, is leading to a zest for more sophisticated dishes.
"Food is a way for people to connect and share an experience, and tomatoes are at the heart of many dishes," says Cat Cora, chef, cookbook author and star of "Iron Chef America." "Creating a memorable meal starts with using the best ingredients. I rely on Hunt's canned tomatoes because of their premium quality and the fact that I can enjoy fresh tasting, vine-ripened summer tomatoes all year – especially during the fall and winter months when fresh produce is scarce."
Suggested retail price is $1.09-$1.39 per can.
Ghirardelli raises the dark bar
America's obsession with premium dark chocolate is intensifying, a trend marked by rising sales and an appreciation for richer, darker and more sophisticated flavors. To satisfy the cultured palates of dark chocolate enthusiasts, the San Francisco-based Ghirardelli Chocolate Co. adds three new flavors -- Midnight Reverie, Evening Dream and Mint Bliss -- named for distinct and pleasurable everyday moments, to its popular Intense Dark product line launched in 2006.
Dark chocolate lovers nationwide are indulging themselves at a record pace. The category has grown 49 percent from 2003 to 2006, with sales reaching nearly $1.2 billion last year, according to Mintel Intl., which projects continued growth of dark chocolate in the coming years.
"As chocolate lovers' tastes for dark chocolate become more developed, Ghirardelli will continue to create new flavors to satisfy and intrigue their more sophisticated palates," says Fabrizio Parini, senior vice president of marketing. "The expansion of the Intense Dark line will provide a complete range of high cacao percentage dark chocolate products from the milder, more rounded 60 percent Evening Dream, which contains Madagascan vanilla through Mint Bliss (60 percent cacao) to the ultimately intense 86 percent Midnight Reverie."
Suggested retail price is $2.99.
To top or dip no longer the question
No longer are pretzels stuck on the dipping-only side of the snack table. Town House Flipsides, the perfect marriage of the cracker and the pretzel, can hold toppings from cheese to chocolate to any of your favorite spreads and dips. They're the work of Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, Mich., and the Keebler Elves.
Available in Original and Cheddar flavors, Town House Flipsides is the pretzel cracker that party hosts can rely on for any occasion. Yes, now you can enjoy the versatility of a cracker with the taste of a pretzel.
"Pretzels and crackers are two great snacks to serve when entertaining; however, pretzels are hard to top and crackers do not have the taste that pretzel lovers enjoy. Town House Flipsides address both needs," says Raj Joshi, senior director. "They give consumers a truly revolutionary snacking experience and initial taste-test results indicate that consumers have flipped for Town House Flipsides."
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text:
Prior Art On Verizon's VoIP Patents
from the thanks-Dan dept
Daniel Berninger
VP, Sr Analyst
Tier1 Research
Verizon's two name translation patents anticipated by open standards groups
Eric Voit, the author of the two "name translation" patents (6,104,711-filed March 6, 1997; 6,282,574-filed February 24, 2000) in Verizon's patent litigation against Vonage, was not the original and first inventor of the claims in dispute. The 16 lines associated with the two surviving claims assert the invention of "name translation" in the context of VoIP call-set up and termination via a telephony gateway.
See claims and links to patents: http://scratchpad.wikia.com/wiki/Vonage
The topic of "call set up", "name translation", and "telephony gateways" was discussed extensively in the year prior to the first Voit patent by participants in both the two main VoIP open standards development efforts - SIP and H.323.
In particular, the claims in both patents were anticipated by open standards assembled by the VoIP Forum (H.323) in 1996 and published in January 1997 with the participation of members from Cisco Systems, Microsoft, IBM, Nortel, Intel, Motorola, Lucent, and Vocaltec Communications, among others.
See: IMTC Voice over IP Forum Technical Committee, "IMTC Service Interoperability Implementation Agreement", Draft 0.91, January 13, 1997.
The Eric Voit patent applications reflect, in particular, contributions made by VocalTec Communication to the VoIP Forum during 1996 and formally published at the same time as a separate document.
See: O. Kahane and S. Petrack, "Call Management Agent System: Requirements, Function, Architecture, and Protocol," IMTC VoIP Forum Contribution, Seattle, Washington, January, 1997.
The work of the VoIP Forum, publication plans, and disclosure requirements were noted in a correspondence between the VoIP Forum and the ITU Telecommunications Standardization Sector.
See: ITU Telecommunications Standardization Sector, Document AVC-1086, Istvan Sebestyen, December 5, 1996.
Verizon filed another patent application (6,298,062) in the same time period that does reference the Kahane-Petrack paper of January 1997.
The two Voit "name translation" patents address the identical subject matter with the '574 patent specifically labeled as a continuation of the '711 patent. They assert different claims, but they share the same abstract, references, and description sections.
In any case, the notion of "name translation" in "call set up" involving "telephony gateways" was by no means invented by Eric Voit in March 1997.
Noted documents available from: Daniel Berninger, VP, Senior Analyst, Tier1 Research, email@example.com, 202.250.3838


text:
Anton Mauve (Dutch, Zaandam 1838 - 1888 Arnhem)
Snow Storm, ca. 1880
Signed bottom right: A Mauve
Oil on canvas
8 13/16 x 13 3/16 in. (22.4 x 33.5 cm)
Gift of Mr. & Mrs. Robert Morse Woodbury, 1966
Anton Mauve was a leading figure among Hague School painters during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Landscapes by these artists display a particular sensitivity for recording light and subtle atmospheric effects. Mauve's simple yet evocative winter scene may have been painted directly from nature.
This modest winter scene, depicting a few huddled figures forging along a snowy path lined with insubstantial trees, typefies the reticent and meditative character of paintings by Anton Mauve. Mauve's mature works, such as Snow Storm, are delicate and lyrical; his subtle, almost monochromatic palette is suffused with a silvery light. Particularly between 1870 and 1885, Mauve and his colleagues in The Hague strove to realistically capture the muted, watery effects of the Dutch climate, and the endless interactions between land and sky. A contemporary critic described the atmospheric, tonal efforts of Hague School artists:1
The artists try, by preference, to render mood; and they give precedence to tone above color. Hence their almost exclusive rights over the depiction of what is known as "dirty weather."...They have revealed the poetry of grey in a hitherto unprecedented manner. In that grey atmosphere they find the ideal gradations of tone that they are looking for and we must recognize with admiration that they succeed in rendering what people had no idea of before with a fine sensitivity.
The Hague School artists attempted to recreate the natural effects of light and atmosphere by depicting not only isolated weather conditions, but also more subtle seasonal variations. Mauve particularly excelled in rendering the profound silence and desolation of winter, in both oil and watercolor media. In a letter of 1885, Mauve's wife described routine winter outings with the artist: "With unflinching courage we have walked through the snow every day, armed with the paintbox, which seldom remained unused."2 Mauve apparently made small oil sketches from nature on canvases tacked to the inside of his paintbox lid; the completed studies were later applied to wood panels or mounted on stretchers.3 It seems plausible that Snow Storm is one such plein air study, considering its modest size, swift brushwork, and the fact that the painted design extends beyond the edges of the original stretcher (see Technical Data).
Snow Storm probably dates to the latter part of Mauve's period in The Hague; the overall grey tonality and strong one-point perspective suggest a date of around 1880, shortly before the artist moved to Laren. Comparable winter scenes by the artist include the watercolors Old Couple in a New Park, Sunday Morning(about 1874), and Old Coach in the Snow (Philadelphia Museum of Art).4 The spare composition and detached mood of A Dutch Road(ca. 1880; Toledo Museum of Art), which depicts a solitary horseman seen from the rear, similarly focuses attention on the palpable effects of weather and the artist's virtuoso brushwork.5
M. E. Wieseman
The son of a Mennonite preacher, Anton Mauve was born in Zaandam on 18 September 1838. He spent his youth in Haarlem, where he was a pupil of the animal painter Pieter Frederik van Os (1808-1892) from about 1854 until 1857; he also studied with the painters Wouterus Verschuur and Paul Gabriël. Mauve settled in Amsterdam in 1865, and moved to The Hague in 1871. In 1874 he married Ariëtte Sophia Jeannette Carbentus, a cousin of Vincent van Gogh; van Gogh (1853-1890) studied briefly with Mauve in 1881-82. Together with Willem Maris (1844-1910) and Hendrik Mesdag (1831-1915), Mauve founded the Hollandsche Teeken-Maatschappij (Dutch Drawing Society) in 1876. These three artists--along with Jozef Israëls, Jacob Maris, and Johannes Bosboom (1817-1891)--were the leading figures in the Hague School of painting. Works by these artists, produced between about 1860 and 1900, are characterized by a romantic nostalgia for seventeenth-century Dutch painting, and a particular sensitivity for recording light and atmospheric effects. Mauve settled in Laren in 1885, and died on 5 February 1888 while on a visit to Arnhem.
Mauve was a brilliant technician in both oil and watercolor. Primarily a landscape painter, he is best known for his scenes of horses, cows, and sheep in the watery, flat Dutch landscape. Especially during his late Laren period, Mauve's figure paintings are profoundly influenced by the work of Jean François Millet.6
General References
Engel, E. P. Anton Mauve (1838-1888): Bronnenverkenning en analyse van zijn Oeuvre. Utrecht, 1967.
de Gruyter, Willem Josiah. De Haagse School. Vol. 2. Rotterdam, 1969, pp. 61-70.
de Leeuw, Ronald, John Sillevis, and Charles Dumas, eds. The Hague School: Dutch Masters of the 19th Century. Exh. cat., Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1983, pp. 233-55.
With Stevens Art Gallery, Montreal
Collection William Gibbs (until 1945)
Collection Robert Morse Woodbury (from 1945)
Given to the museum in 1966
Sutton, Peter C. A Guide to Dutch Art in America. Grand Rapids, Mich., 1986, p. 213.
Technical Data
In 1974, the canvas was removed from its wooden stretcher and lined onto an aluminum honeycomb panel with wax-resin adhesive. This wooden stretcher may not have been original to the painting, as the painted design extended beyond the edges of the stretcher; the canvas may have been tacked to a wood support and painted en plein air,and only later affixed to a stretcher (see Main Text). There is no cusping associated with visible tacking holes. The wood stretcher bore a label inscribed (in ink) "T.G. 2848 / Going to Church / A. Mauve." Paint is applied in vigorous strokes, with varying levels of impasto. The figures were painted first, and the snowy background then filled in around them. The painting is in good condition, with some inpainting near the upper left corner, and another area at center right. A mastic varnish was removed when the painting was cleaned in 1974; this was not the original varnish, however, as it was found to cover areas of overpaint.
1. Jan van Santen Kolf, "Een blik in de Hollandsche schilderschool onze dagen," De Banier 1 (1875); cited (in translation) by John Sillevis, "The Heyday of the Hague School (1870-1885)," in Ronald de Leeuw, John Sillevis, and Charles Dumas, eds., The Hague School: Dutch Masters of the 19th Century(exh. cat., Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1983), p. 83..
2. Cited (in translation) in Ronald de Leeuw, John Sillevis, and Charles Dumas, eds., The Hague School: Dutch Masters of the 19th Century (exh. cat.,Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1983), p. 240.
3. E. P. Engel, Anton Mauve (1838-1888): Bronnenverkenning en analyse van zijn Oeuvre (Utrecht, 1967), p. 59.
4. Old Couple in a New Park, watercolor, dimensions and location unknown (reproduced in Willem Josiah de Gruyter, De Haagse School, vol. 2 [Rotterdam, 1969], fig. 79); Sunday Morning, ca. 1874, watercolor, 23 x 35 cm, private collection (reproduced in E. P. Engel, Anton Mauve (1838-1888): Bronnenverkenning en analyse van zijn Oeuvre[Utrecht, 1967], no. 67); and Old Coach in the Snow, watercolor, 26.4 x 32.3 cm, Philadelphia Museum of Art, George W. Elkins Collection.
5. Oil on canvas, 50.5 x 36.8 cm, Toledo Museum of Art, Gift of Arthur J. Secor, inv. 22.22.
6. E. P. Engel, Anton Mauve (1838-1888): Bronnenverkenning en analyse van zijn Oeuvre (Utrecht, 1967), pp. 69-70.


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Telusa Veainu has been called into the Crusaders from the Highlanders to cover a wing shortage.
Zac Guildford's self-imposed break from the Crusaders, and the hamstring injury to New Zealand sevens player Kurt Baker, has left Todd Blackadder's team short of wings before the season has started.
Veainu, a member of the Canterbury ITM Cup team, was in the Highlanders wider training squad but has been called in by Blackadder on a short-term contract and been named in the reserves to play the southerners at a pre-season match in Oamaru on Friday.
Canterbury's Johnny McNicholl has recovered from a back injury and takes his place on the left wing.
All Blacks Wyatt Crockett, Luke Romano and Israel Dagg also return after missing the narrow defeat by the Hurricanes in Timaru.
Crockett and Romano take their places as starting loosehead prop and lock respectively, but Dagg has been named in the unfamiliar No13 jersey. Tom Marshall will start at fullback.
Crusaders team to play the Highlanders in Oamaru on Friday, kick-off 4.30pm, is: Tom Marshall, Adam Whitelock, Israel Dagg, Ryan Crotty (c), Johnny McNicholl, Tom Taylor, Andy Ellis, Jordan Taufua, Shane Christie, Luke Whitelock, Dominic Bird, Luke Romano, Pa'ea Fa'anunu, Ben Funnell, Wyatt Crockett. Reserves: Codie Taylor, Adrian Barone, Joe Moody, Jimmy Tupou, Jeremy Su'a, Willi Heinz, Robbie Fruean, Telusa Veainu, Joel Everson, Mitch Graham, Matt Todd, Tyler Blyendaal, Kieran Fonotia, George Whitelock, James Schrader.


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HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The King College Lady Tornado softball team defeated North Greenville University, 4-1, on Sunday in the championship tilt to earn the College's first-ever Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship. The win on Sunday clinches a spot in the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament.
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Freshmen Cora Milliken (Jacksonville, Fla.) and Christina Melcher (Orlando, Fla.) led the Lady Tornado offensively with a combination of timely hitting, strong base running, and one big bomb that shifted the momentum to King's side of the diamond. Hannah Light (Coeburn, Va.) pitched yet another stellar complete-game victory to complete an incredible run in the circle and lead to her being named Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament.
Tied 1-1 going into the bottom of the fifth, senior outfielder Tiffany Harris (Tazewell, Va.) hit a leadoff double against North Greenville starter Rachel Glazebrook. The lineup turnover over to the top where Aubree Hutt poked a floater that fell into shallow center field, scoring Harris from second. After Milliken replaced Hutt at first following a fielder's choice, freshman shortstop Christina Melcher continued to swing a hot stick, belting a two-run homer well over the left center field fence.
Melcher's home run, her third of the tournament, capped off a three-run inning for King and put them ahead of the Crusaders, 4-1. Sophomore hurler Hannah Light continued her incredible run through the tournament by striking out the side in the sixth and then retiring the side in order to complete an incredible line of work that included six strikeouts and only one run allowed over seven innings in the circle.
North Greenville put two on and brought the tying run to the plate with one out in the sixth, the only scare the Crusaders gave following their lone run in the opening inning. After light struck out catcher Amy Nagel looking, she walked back-to-back batters. After a short conference at the mound brought calmness to the first-year Lady Tornado ace, she punched out the next two hitters in succession to end the threat.
The championship is King College's first Conference Carolinas Tournament Championship in just its first year in the league.
Both teams swapped runs in the opening frame to begin play. King plated its first run as a result of Cora Milliken's one-out double and an error by NGU catcher Amy Nagel. Milliken swiped third while Chrissy Melcher was at the plate. Rachel Glazebrook struck out Melcher swinging, but Nagel's misplay on the pitch resulted in Melcher reaching first and Milliken scoring from third.
North Greenville responded in the bottom of the frame with three of its five total hits on the day. Kansas Wofford hit a RBI single, scoring Kimberly Robertson from third.
Glazebrook led the Crusaders with two of the team's five hits, each coming in the first three innings.
After Glazebrook's second hit of the day in the third inning, Light did not allow another hit the rest of the day. She retired 15 of her final 18 batters faced, allowing two walks in the sixth and one runner reaching on an error in the field.
Three King players were named to the All-Tournament team, while Light earned the most prestigious honor when she was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Light pitched all four games for the Tornado, recording every out along the way. She finished the tournament with a 4-0 record, threw 33.0 innings in four starts, struck out 23, and allowed only nine runs while possessing a 1.91 earned run average.
Cora Milliken, Tiffany Harris, and Christina Melcher were among the 13 players named to the All-Tournament team. Milliken hit a team-high .467 in 15 plate appearances while also leading the team with seven hits, four of those doubles. She was one of three players to record RBIs for King, ending the tournament with three. Melcher was the biggest offensive spark, tallying three home runs and a team-best 10 RBI. She hit home runs in three games, two of which gave her team the lead. Tiffany Harris was third on the team in batting average (.385), going 5-for-13 and had 14 put outs in right field.
The win qualified King for its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament. The regional tournament will begin May 4 and go through May 6 at a location to be determined at a later date. More regional tournament details will be provided when available.
All-Tournament Team
MVP- Hannah Light- King College
Cora Milliken- King College
Christina Melcher- King College
Tiffany Harris- King College
Rachel Glazebrook- North Greenville University
Courtney Campbell- North Greenville University
Sarah Armstrong- North Greenville University
Kirstyn Burleson- Limestone College
Jenna Guse- Limestone College
Keeya Turner- Queens University of Charlotte
Chantel Dodge- Queens University of Charlotte
Jaclin Poole- Coker College
Larissa Shannon- Erskine College


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From now on Walking Wounded will be no more. Thank you all for your input and for reading what I had to say. It was real. To continue with me on my journey, head on over here to see my new blog!
Welcome! While here you will be able to take a peek into my life as well as participate in a constructive way during my journey. I hope you find something you can relate to here...


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Molitor brings wealth of knowledge to coaching staff
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It wasn't quite now or never, but Paul Molitor knew if he were to join a Major League coaching staff again, he should do so sooner than later.
"I guess I had my doubts about whether I'd be back in a Major League situation again as the years go by," Molitor said. "But there's still part of me that enjoys putting the uniform on. And the player development role that I had for the last several years, it's been good. The Twins organization has treated me really well since I retired [in 1998]. [General manager] Terry [Ryan] and [manager Ron Gardenhire] said, 'Hey, we have this open position and we think you'd be a good fit.'
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It wasn't quite now or never, but Paul Molitor knew if he were to join a Major League coaching staff again, he should do so sooner than later.
"I guess I had my doubts about whether I'd be back in a Major League situation again as the years go by," Molitor said. "But there's still part of me that enjoys putting the uniform on. And the player development role that I had for the last several years, it's been good. The Twins organization has treated me really well since I retired [in 1998]. [General manager] Terry [Ryan] and [manager Ron Gardenhire] said, 'Hey, we have this open position and we think you'd be a good fit.'
"It was a little bit surprising because I thought if it was going to happen, I thought it might happen last year, when they transitioned a couple of the other coaches. So I had to think about it and think about the commitment and try to be prepared to give what it takes and get the blessing from my family. When it all came together, I realized this might be the last opportunity I had to do that. The personal side of my life is always a big influence for me. I have kids that are old enough, but they're young enough. So it's a good window for me to try to find out if this is still where I want to spend some of my time over the next few years."
Molitor, 57, will oversee the team's baserunning, bunting, infield instruction and positioning while also assisting with in-game strategy. He's a native of St. Paul, Minn., graduating from Cretin-Durham Hall High School, also Joe Mauer's alma mater. He was the third overall pick by the Brewers in 1977 out of the University of Minnesota. In his 21-season career, Molitor hit .306 with an .817 OPS and 504 stolen bases and was a seven-time All-Star. He won a World Series with the Blue Jays in 1993 and was named World Series MVP.
He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004. Over the course of his career, he played every defensive position except pitcher and catcher. He is one of only six players in MLB history -- with Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Eddie Collins, Lou Brock and Ricky Henderson -- with at least 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases in a career. Molitor -- who holds the Twins' single-season record for a designated hitter with a .341 average, 113 RBIs, and 99 runs scored in 1996 -- had been the organization's Minor League infield and baserunning coordinator in 2003, from 2005-10 and again last season while also serving as a special assistant to Ryan. He was the team's bench coach in 2000-01.
The fact that he could help the Twins was without question.
"He's been doing this here in big league camp for probably five years, six years," Gardenhire said. "He's been working in the system. And basically he's doing exactly what he [was] doing, the baserunning a lot of it. He's more involved now with the infield stuff than ever because I've asked him to do that. So his role's kind of expanded because he's on the staff now. And I told him, every area, if you see something, step in. We want to use him as best we can and use every bit of him."
Gardenhire has seen his players respond to Molitor.
"I think we have a lot of players on the big league level who really like the idea of him being up there so they can pick his brain," Gardenhire said. "Pitchers, what he sees, he might be seeing a guy going to his glove a little bit different. Baserunners, first move and all that stuff. So I think that's going to be big for our guys that are up there. And players coming up because they've been with him through the Minor Leagues. It's one of those comfortable things. He can help me a lot with how they do things, some of the way they go about their business because he's been around them a lot more than I have. So we got a lot of bonuses here."
Still, Molitor knows the job will be challenging.
"I think my biggest challenge in the role is to try to help get this organization back in a more competitive situation," he said. "I think we all feel that. And personally for me how I can be a part of that is try to realize what strengths that I have and what experiences that I've gained and try to apply to our players, particularly our young players and some of the veterans too. Without being prideful, I think that you need to believe that you can make a difference. So my biggest challenge is going to be, along with Gardy and the other coaches, is to try to find and recreate a winning culture."
In his previous roles in the organization, he's worked with many of the players now on the Major League team. Even so, some may be unfamiliar with his background. On a recent Interleague trip to Milwaukee, one player was surprised to see Molitor's No. 4 hanging with the Brewers' other retired numbers. The player did not know Molitor had played at the Major League level, let alone put together a 21-season, Hall of Fame career.
Still, there's a comfort level for all involved.
"I think it helps," Molitor said. "I've seen a lot of these guys turn from young men to men and the maturity that takes place progressing through a Minor League system as well as chronologically just getting older, but for a lot of them it eliminates me having to come in as the new guy without any history. If Pedro Florimon trusts me and Brian Dozier trusts me, and if there's any small part of their game that I've maybe helped them, maybe they'll be continuing to learn more."
One of the players Molitor's been working with this spring is Alex Presley, who joined the Twins on Aug. 31 in the trade that sent Justin Morneau to Pittsburgh.
"It's been good," said Presley. "If he has something to say, you listen. He obviously had a great career. So he's one of those guys, you try to pick their brains and see what they got, and try to put some of his philosophies into your game to try to improve as best you can."
Molitor has thought at times about taking his career another step and managing. For now, though, and out of respect to Gardenhire, he's happy with his current role.
"I thought about it at different stages over the past however many years since I retired," he said. "And it's just never seemed like something I had enough commitment to make. Some of it's personal, some of it may be not. But there were a lot of rumors last year around here and it was uncomfortable for me, just because I've been with Gardy for so long, and I don't ever want to be in an awkward situation like that. So this is going to be a year for me to be back as a big league coach and that will be my focus. I don't know what's going to happen next year, three years, four, five. But for now this is the place to be."
Maureen Mullen is a contributor to MLB.com.


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Rosey Posey's Happy Space
Name: Rose, "Rosey Posey" (4)
Location: Japantown, San Jose, California
We wanted to create a room as vibrant, happy, creative, and fun as our 4-year old daughter. Items are thrifted, sentimental, or handmade.
Rose's great-grandmother painted the blue tree. The other paintings are by me (her mother) and Rose. We have limited closet space, so the armoire was purchased and painted for under $100. She picked out all of the items for the design and had a hand in the painting. Rose also picked the vintage wrapping paper for her dresser (a scratched and dented as-is Malm from IKEA). The wall mural includes creatures Rose loves, and her art is on display above her table. The bed was a bargain at $75 on Craigslist. Her father's toybox holds her favorite stuffed friends. She loves playing with her little people, reading, and jumping on her new bed.
Thanks, Apartment Therapy, for helping me to design my daughter's room. I look to you for ideas all of the time.
Thanks, Adrienella! Well done!
(Images: reader Adrienella)


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I plan to apply to King's Ancient Greek Intensive Courses this summer, but I don't know which option is better: 1)To attend Greek Courses for 2 full sections (Beginner's and Intermediate Level respectively) or 2) to attend Greek for one section(3-week) and then goes on to attend Latin for one section?
I have no background in either Greek nor Latin, though I try to self-study Greek currently. I've been admitted by King's MA Ancient History program (2011/12), and I'd like to make some preparation before starting the new semester.......Is anyone here that would like to offer some advice or recommend other successful Greek intensive courses? Thanks~


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Cars, Boats And Much More - Motorcycles Classified Ads in El Paso
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Shoppingbin.com is the best way to find the best deals on eBay.


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Ski Data
Wax Book
Ralph's Blog
SRG News
About Us
Skate Skis
Classic Skis
Fischer RCS Classic NIS
A new paint job on the RCS Classic ski -- but the same high performance from the past. The wax pocket on the 812 construction is long and flat. The result is better grip with less effort and less drag for faster glide. The base material is new with Diamond Tuned Grind for Plus and a finer Diamond Tuned Grind for the cold with less graphite. Both the Plus and Cold come with the NIS plate. Choose Plus for most hard track, hard wax and klister conditions and Cold for dry snow, softer track. The RCS Cold has a new cold base for better wax absorption.
Skis come pre-waxed. Proper fit of the 812 RCS Classic will require Grip Factor and Drag measurement. Flex will not do it!
wEIGHT: 1246; 41/44/44


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Monday, February 24, 2014
Why Go 2 The Salon de l'Agriculture 2014
20 comments:
Well, I just gained about 10 pounds. I can't find goat butter anymore. So sad because no other butter can compare.ReplyDeleteReplies
Goat butter !!!Delete
I never thought to try that...must do
Don't know why my little blurb didn't appear yesterday..But here I am ..saying I bet the aromas were wonderful..ReplyDelete
I love food..etc expos.. so rich!Replies
Downstairs the aromas are heVily goat-sheep-cow.Delete
Upstairs it's beer and sausage and CHEESE!
You always make this Salon sound appealing. Umm. I'd like to try to goat butter, too.ReplyDelete
What an incredibly diverse country! Makes me wonder things like how Land O Lakes got the lock on butter....though the eat local movement is making inroads on the big commercial enterprises.ReplyDelete
- Alli9:02 PM
great cow sketches. Love' em, and aggie fairs, too. I used to sell amusement ride tickets at the Essex County Fair near where we livedin Topsfield, Mass..My father was frequently called on to handle the difficult horses. It was the oldest agricultural fair in the state, and it still goes on.ReplyDelete
LOVE the visit :-) ONE DAY the Sheepfarmer and I will get up there to visit the Salon d'Agriculture. ONE DAY.ReplyDelete
I get you Deb.ReplyDelete
All the years I've been coming to Paris and I only started petting cows last year! A lot of catching up to do !!!
I swear you would have fun wherever you might go -- this is no exception. And it does look fun!ReplyDeleteReplies
What a darling thing to say JeanieDelete
But honestly the Agri Salon is fun for kids of all ages.
Like going to the circus..
It warms the cockles of one's heart it does ;))
Lucky you! Thanks for this wonderful walk through the salon.ReplyDelete