text:
Gloomy Market Spurs Bulk Condo Sale in Las Vegas
Las Vegas's $8.5 billion City Center complex has tried for years to hang on to the high value it set at the height of the economic boom there for the condo units, but it said Friday that it is caving in to the market reality and selling a large part of its remaining stock in bulk at cut-rate prices.
City Center co-owner MGM Resorts International said it is selling 427 units at its Veer towers for $119 million – an average of around $278,000 per unit –to a single investor, the financial firm Ladder Capital Finance Holdings LLLP. The prices represent around $300 per square foot.
The move is something of an admission that unlike some other cities that have seen prices perk up, in the long-suffering Las Vegas, the market for luxury real estate isn't getting much better anytime soon.
As recently as April City Center residential executive Tony Dennis said he was confident that the luxury condo market had hit bottom and that the company could get the market moving by cutting prices for a second time by around 25%. At that point prices at Veer were around $315,000, down from the $500,000 initially sought.
The company has sold two units at its Veer tower since April for prices of $461 per square foot and $488 per square foot, according to Applied Analysis, a firm that tracks real estate sales. It also sold two units at its more luxurious Mandarin Oriental tower.
"We found that the recovery that occurred in other markets wasn't as significant or material here," Mr. Dennis said in an interview Friday. "It took longer than I expected back in April, frustratingly so."
Ladder Capital's chief executive said in a statement that the company is "confident about the investment potential of these condos."
"We bought these condos in bulk on a reasonable basis and Vegas is one of the condo markets that has not yet come back, but we think it will," Brian Harris said.
City Center had been marketed during the height of the real estate boom before the recession hit as a lively mixed-use new urban center on the Las Vegas Strip—complete with condos, gambling, shopping and hotels. But the number of condos was scaled back as the economy cooled and because one of the towers was halted by a construction defect. Between the two components that now have condos—the Veer Towers and Mandarin Oriental—there are nearly 900 condos.
Since the opening the company tried to make the properties more enticing by adding services like a concierge and giving owners who bought directly from MGM high-level status in the company's loyalty program, Mr. Dennis said.
City Center, a joint venture between MGM and Dubai World, has taken a $700 million write-down on its condo units. Mr. Dennis said the company will not have to take further losses.
With around 98% of the units at its Veer Towers now complete following the bulk deal, MGM hopes to focus on its 150 remaining higher end units at the Mandarin Oriental.
While the price of the Veer units is far below the original or even recent asking prices, it is still above the prices that condos at some other luxury high-rise towers in Las Vegas are going for, Mr. Dennis said.
"The new energy and new money indicates the tide has turned," Mr. Dennis said.


text:
Using a soft, neutral colour palette, our one-bedroom Premier Suites are furnished in a subtle Oriental style, although all are designed slightly differently. Master bedrooms enjoy a luxurious, comfortable feel with a king bed, walk-in wardrobe and selection of furnishings including beautifully designed side tables. Lying adjacent to the bedroom, spacious living rooms offer space in which to relax with sofas, coffee tables and an intimate dining area. Equally enticing are the generously sized granite bathrooms, which are equipped with walk-in showers, stand-alone baths and elegant vanity areas. In addition, each suite has a guest powder room. Two suites also have private balconies and small kitchens.
Images may not be to scale. Floorplans are for illustrative purposes only and some details may vary from room to room.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
What did we think was at the center of our galaxy?
Scientists now believe there's a supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. But back in the day, we dreamed the galactic center held God's home planet. Or a super-civilization. What else did science-fiction authors think we'd find there?


text:
Beaver dam
PCC volleyball downs GCCC; announces Buck Night.
Soccer teams fall to 0-3
Beaver dam
PCC volleyball downs GCCC; announces Buck Night
The Pratt Community College volleyball team got the season off to a good start, taking a match from Garden City on the road Wednesday night.
After dropping the first game 23-25, the Lady Beavers responded with a vengeance, sweeping the next three games to claim their first victory on the young season. Scores in the final 3 games were 25-18; 25-23; 25-13.
The Lady Beavers continue on the road this weekend, playing in a tournament in El Reno, OK. Their first home appearance will be Wednesday September 4 at the Dennis Lesh Sports Arena at 6:30 p.m. To encourage a large crowd for their home opener, the Lady Beavers and PCC announce that it will be Buck Night— it will only cost $1 to get in to watch the Lady Beavers take on Dodge City.
Soccer teams fall to 0-3
The Pratt Community College soccer teams had a rough road trip out west this week. Both teams dropped a pair of games, one each to Northwest Tech and to host Trinidad CO. The women fell 5-4 to Trinidad and 4-1 to Northwest Tech.
The men's scores were 5-1 in favor of Northwest Tech and 2-1 in favor of Trinidad.
Both the men's and women's squad continue winless, beginning the fall campaign 0-3. PCC will host Coffeyville on Sunday with the women's game at 1 p.m. and the men's game at 3 p.m. the games will be held at the PCC soccer pitch.


text:
From Carlsbad to Chula Vista, San Diego County is crammed with scenic ocean overlooks, unexpected mountains and a healthy serving of Spanish architecture.
read more
With over thirty years of experience, we are a team of photographers offering creative wedding coverage in San Diego and beyond. We look forward to meeting you for a free consultation.
Dawn works with clients to create unique portraits with a fine art flair. Her eye for detail allows her to capture the defining moments of your special day!
At Di-Lanatta's we believe that each wedding is a personal and unique experience. Each album is designed and tailored to tell the story of your day so every special moment and emotion can be relived.
Fresh, candid, lifestyle photography that captures the uniqueness of you.
Romantic and fun wedding images that celebrate the moment.
From beautiful wedding albums to DVD's, CD's and fantastic prints, call Gabriel for a lifetime of memories. He is available for local and foreign weddings.
Beautiful and affordable wedding coverage creating a visual storyline by combining the perfect blend of photojournalistic and classic coverage. We are also excited to offer boudoir photos, and bridal boudoir. Please also visit our boudoir site at htp://www.boudoirphotosandiego.com
Studio M offers an approach toward the unobtrusive; as we observe, rather than direct, the intimate details, quiet moments, joyous outbursts and true emotions throughout your wedding day.
Eastport Photography specializes in inspired stylish wedding and engagement photography in the San Diego and Southern California area. Please visit our website to find out more about us.
Tim's photojournalistic approach artistically captures the spontaneous, natural moments of your wedding day.
We are Shane + Lauren, a husband and wife wedding photography team out of Southern California. We feel honored to capture the most important day in a couples' life and don't take that responsibility lightly! Our style is rooted in film photography upbringings and a love for photojournalism.
L E A F Wedding Photography will transform the way you think about wedding photos by delivering stunning shots that look as if torn from a magazine fashion spread.
Jerry is a photographer based in San Diego specialized in story telling. With his natural and romantic style, his pictures capture the special moments between the loved ones and the love in the air.
Capturing the beauty and memories of your wedding day.
We are a husband/ wife photography team located in San Diego. Weddings are one of the most important days in a person's life and it is crutial to have it documented right. We offer different packages that will fit your needs, vibrant prints and custom leather albums that will wow your friends and family.
Beautiful,artistic images. Spontaneous,candid moments. Capturing your day naturally while making sure you and your fiancee have fun doing it!
Baxter Photography offers excellent wedding packages at affordable rates. Mention this add for a FREE engagement session with your selected package. Serving the greater San Diego area.
Dexter Lo Photography is a Southern California wedding photographer based in San Diego, CA and available for travel worldwide.
A creative approach to documenting your wedding day and capturing your love story that can be seen for years to come. I Visualize. I Capture. I Create.
My business is my name and I offer nothing short of careful service and attention to detail. With 10 years of experience in this business I offer completely free consultations to help guide you.
Well, my real name isn't Parker, but it is what most people call me. I'm a freelance photographer who enjoys capturing life's moments, whether it be personal travels, family moments, and weddings
Photographing Life
Professional photographer specializing in Weddings. I believe every picture I take is a chance to make art, capture beauty and create an image that portrays the uniqueness of the subject's life. I love what I do and have been a wedding photographer for quit some time.
Stunning magazine albums! Bride receives all images and has a website online. Complimentary engagement session. Please call Susan for an appointment at the office.


text:
Asphalt Services in Red Bank
Serving Red Bank and Monmouth county, NJ since 2001
Red Bank, NJ House Concrete Services
Organize a fine and long lasting concrete patio around Red Bank, NJ with the consultation of Pound Concrete masters. Concrete is well adjustable just as we are in applying it for certain projects in our living areas, from building modern lounge areas and backyards to balconies, driveways and pavers. We can develop projects that are not usual or easily change older dull entrances and patios into nice living zones that you can use for parties or kids playing. Our outstanding concrete plans in Carlstadt, Bergen aren't only reasonably estimated but sturdy and wonderful to look at also.
If you and your family still think sidewalks shall be arid, banal, dreary and uneventful, you need to open your eyes and understand how far the world has progressed in building superb concrete pavers in New Jersey, produced of prime materials procurable. Our company's driveway and walkway concepts are not just stylish but tough and sturdy as well. We can give several excellent styles assured to reconstruct your New Milford, Bergen concrete, piscine or front yard plans in delicately elegant spaces. We can work on every type of concrete construction to the most excellent of your imagination. Our Red Bank concrete designs go at a smaller rate than other ingredient in the way that brick, tile or stone and still seems as good-looking, if not as well.
Benefits and advantages of concrete in Red Bank is that it shall effortlessly and conveniently be constructed in any size and format of your need. It can effortlessly and rapidly get every texture necessary to produce unique outcomes besides your house. Sculptures, plant pots and other unique additions and decorations can enhance the design and layout of your real patio. When you have a beautiful but strong and reliable floors made with concrete in Red Bank, by skilled contractors from Pound Concrete, these excellent combos can effortlessly and conveniently.
Why You Should Consider Choosing Pound Concrete for Your Red Bank, NJ Driveway Repair Project
When it applies to concrete contractors in Red Bank, design and tint are very important. You can also select a color for your epoxy flooring that creates a bold statement in your home. We have a lot of colorations for concrete patios and concrete pavers developed to merge completely with your exclusive location. It could rate a little higher to set pavers with color but the variation it creates is indeed worth it. Colored parts also can be used long time if well cared for and preserved.
We recognize every kind of project is special on its own depending on the client's taste and style. As wise and accomplished concrete placers near Red Bank, NJ, we as professionals comprehend and have unraveled all the applicable specifications of working with concrete, along with foundation repair. At Pound Concrete we understand each client's needs in choice of concrete paint, along with the brand of concrete sealer best suited for each job and components for prime concrete mixture for excellent results. We'll give you an accurate value of the full work depending on some things such as the amount of concrete needed and other requirements.
Color stains along with colorants on asphalt in Red Bank, NJ have become genuinely requested not long ago. They have also opened the door for inventive designs for small service roads and patios too. We are experts in this modern type for both outdoor and indoor living area. Our highly experienced specialists will remake your new epoxy flooring into an stupendous masterpiece at the most cheap value.
Get in Touch
Nearby services
- Foundation design and construction in Princeton, Texas
- Asphalt concepts in Pleasant Grove, UT
- Flooring in Burlington, North Carolina
- Concrete patio designs in Waveland
- Concrete production in Parma Heights, 44130
- Flooring concepts in Lockport, New York
- Flooring concepts in Goshen, 46527
- Foundation plan in Wasilla, 99654
- Concrete designs in Rochester, 48308
- Asphalt concrete pavement in Orange Park


text:
The news that Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez and other baseball stars could each be suspended for 100 games by Major League Baseball for ties to an anti-aging clinic has rocked the sports world. Some of our biggest heroes, those we look to imitate every time we step on a summer softball league field, were allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs.
After years of lip service, pro leagues have finally become more aggressive in policing sins against their sport. It makes one wonder: Could Hollywood enact similar policies?
Of course, if movie stars were suspended for their ties to anti-aging clinics, pretty much anyone who works in Hollywood would be out of work, save for small children and Betty White.
But the essence of what baseball want to stop — behavior that that undermines the public's trust — is something Hollywood has an interest in halting, too. So it also could, in response to stars who commit such violations (not performance-enhancing drugs, of course, but the roles that rob us of that trust) consider taking away what matters most to these people.
Consider it a Selig-like crackdown, Tinseltown edition. Vin Diesel would be banned from acting in any movie with a car chase for at least two years and would be allowed to work only in quirky relationship dramas that starred Mark Ruffalo and Jesse Eisenberg.
Josh Duhamel would be banned for an indefinite period, though an exception would be made if he played a slovenly, smelly man no woman wants to get near.
Channing Tatum would be given a partial suspension, one that allows him to work if he keeps his shirt on and recites the Gettysburg Address at least twice in every role.
PHOTOS: Hollywood Backlot moments
If you try to cut corners and take advantage of rules, you're taking advantage of us. So the cast of "The Hangover Part III" would be banned from any movie that featured either Baby Bjorn, Mike Tyson or any film whose audience is more than 30% frat-boy.
And after "After Earth," Will Smith would no longer be allowed to star in movies that are set in a future he then proceeds to save. Ditto for Tom Cruise, who would be banned outright after "Jack Reacher."
Will Ferrell couldn't play the clueless over-the-top alpha male, not even disguised as a magician who looks like Steve Carell. Recent "Die Hard" movies might themselves be construed as a betrayal of our goodwill. So Bruce Willis could star in films only where he didn't play a wisecracking Messiah, and would be prohibited from uttering catch-phrases that contain more than three vowels.
All of this would be hard for us. And it would be hard for them. But it would help restore our trust just a little bit every time we went to buy a movie ticket. And if it means these actors' livelihoods are affected, welll, there's always baseball. We hear there may soon be some roster openings.
'After Earth': What does it mean for Will Smith?
'The Hangover Part III' is bombing at the box office
MLB seeks suspensions of Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, report says
Twitter: @ZeitchikLAT
PHOTOS: Faces to watch 2014 | Movies
ENVELOPE: The latest awards buzz
DOCUMENTARIES: 10 best of 2013, and a new crop in 2014


text:
home | metro silicon valley index | features | silicon valley | feature story
A Tale of Two Tahoes
Today,s assignment: compare and contrast one of Tahoe,s best-known resorts with one of its best-kept secrets
By Curtis Cartier
After the Second or third day of a drizzling winter storm in the valley, it's easy to get a bit down. But for every raindrop that splatters in San Jose, three or four snowflakes drift down around Lake Tahoe. And anyone who's ever stepped into a hunk of carbon-Kevlar and raced down a snowy hill can attest that those snowflakes represent an undeniable opportunity to head to the top of a mountain and put physics to work.
The closest place to us to do just that is a bit more than 200 miles away, in the city of South Lake Tahoe. Once described by a friend as "the bastard child of a one-night stand between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas," this small town with big attitude has massive casinos, 24/7 clubs, world class dining and seven nearby ski resorts.
March is arguably the year's best month for snow sports and possibly the best month for snow. That in mind, we came up with two Tahoe area resorts that, between them, should cover all the bases for both the powder-worshipping snow bum and the nightlife-craving alpine partier.
Photograph by Jenn Ireland
LEAVE 'EM TO HEAVENLY: The variety of slopes and entertainment options at Heavenly draws big crowds.
Heaven and Hell
The view from the top of the Sky Express lift sums up the Heavenly experience. At your feet, the finely groomed snow and epic terrain of a first-rate ski resort stretches out like a wedding dress. Farther down, South Lake Tahoe's skyline, with its round-the-clock casinos, glimmers in the sun and promises a wild night to come. And below it all, the sapphire waters of the region's namesake lie cold and deep, occupying the remainder of the lower horizon and providing a vista equal to any postcard ever sent.
As part of Vail Resorts, a massive company that also owns Colorado parks Vail, Breckenridge, Beaver Creek and Keystone, Heavenly exists in the upper echelon of "destination resorts." These all-in-one vacation smorgasbords pack skiing, lodging, entertainment and food into one, which means less driving and more spending for the visitor. A family on holiday from Japan, for example—of which there are hundreds at any given time—can spend a week skiing, eating, gambling and partying at Heavenly and never stray farther than a mile from their hotel.
Like the town of South Lake Tahoe itself, Heavenly is split in half by the California/Nevada border. The California side of the mountain is home to the breathtaking views that make the resort famous. It's also home to noticeably thicker crowds of skiers and boarders, so plan accordingly. The Nevada side doesn't have as much eye candy, but it's less crowded and has better runs, including heart-racing (but hiking-required) drops into the legendary Milky Way Bowl and the stellar Dipper Express lift.
The tree riding at Heavenly is epic. It's also easy to overlook, with 4,800 acres of cleared terrain available. One of the best tree runs (and my personal favorite), "Orion," is also the most notorious. With its tall pines and steep grade, this intermediate run marks the spot where singer and politician Sonny Bono met his end back in 1998 when he collided with one of the same trees I missed by mere inches.
Heavenly's top flak, Russ Pecoraro, has been avoiding trees his entire career. He was on hand to give his spiel on why the resort is worth an $82-per-day lift ticket.
"Number one, Heavenly is a huge mountain," he explained. "Really, there is something for everybody. I also think the people who come here aren't here to get off the mountain and curl up by the TV. They are here to gamble, watch entertainers and experience all that Tahoe has to offer—not just the skiing."
When it comes to big views, big lodges and big entertainment, Heavenly delivers on all fronts. What comes with it, however, are big crowds, big lines and big prices. On a weekend day, a 10-minute wait in any given lift line is a short one. And if you're on the Sky Express or Tamarack lifts, forget about it. You might as well hike up the mountain.
The hordes on the hill also make for some of the gnarliest traffic ever witnessed. One trip back home took nearly 10 hours, including a 20-mile stretch of Highway 50 that required 4 1/2 hours of stop-and-go torture.
In the end, however, staying in South Lake Tahoe, driving for five minutes to the mountain and afterward waddling a few hundred yards to the casino makes Heavenly synonymous with the complete Tahoe experience.
Photograph by Jenn Ireland
TAKING THE LONG VIEW: Relatively undiscovered, southerly Kirkwood is also a shorter drive from the valley than the other big Tahoe resorts.
The Back Woods
Every Western ski state has at least one mountain that you don't read about in magazine ads or on billboards, a resort off the beaten path that all the locals swear by, if you can get them to admit it's even there. Utah has Powder Mountain, Colorado has Wolf Creek and California has Kirkwood.
A 45-minute drive from South Lake Tahoe, Kirkwood is a snow magnet of a resort that brings skiing and boarding back to basics. It starts when eastbound storms from the Pacific cross with southbound storms from Canada in the skies over Kirkwood, resulting in, quite simply, craploads of snow. In an average year, Kirkwood sees 42 feet of the white stuff fall on its 2,300 rideable acres. As Kirkwood's senior vice president Tim Cohee put it, "We get the best snow and we get the most snow."
We verified Cohee's claim of "no crowds and no traffic" when weekend traffic entering and leaving the resort proved almost nonexistent. "We breathe a different vibe here and we attract a different type of skier than Heavenly or other Tahoe resorts," the boss man said.
Kirkwood has a reputation as a badass resort. Most of the rap comes from two words: The Wall. Just getting onto this legendary trail's chair lift requires that you maneuver around a huge black sign in the lift line that reads "experts only" and is crowned with a skull and crossbones. Halfway up the lift, it becomes clear why: even from 20 feet up the nearly sheer pitch of this double-black-diamond trail is impossible to ignore. But survive the run and you can not only sport the sweatshirts seen around the village that mimic the aforementioned warning sign, you can proudly say you've ridden one of the steepest in-bounds runs in the world.
On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, Kirkwood is also known for its tenderhearted beginners' terrain. The Timber Creek beginners' park is big, it's open, it's separated from the main resort and, most importantly for anyone strapping on skis or a board for the first time, it's almost perfectly flat. In between, Kirkwood has plenty of intermediate runs and a killer terrain park as well. And while it doesn't have the 5-mile-long runs and super-speedy lifts of Heavenly, it has enough narrow chutes, bump trails, open bowls and tree runs to satisfy whatever you're into.
Kirkwood is not a destination resort. There is plenty of lodging and a lot of it is cheap—$99 a night in some cases. But besides a couple bars, a fancy restaurant and all the snowmen you can roll, there's not much for nighttime entertainment. The lodges also leave a little to be desired with a rather bland supply of hot dogs, burgers and pizza, plus a few more exotic dishes offered in the base village. What Kirkwood does have is pure unadulterated skiing and boarding, which, in the end, is what ski resorts should be all about.
Bases& Runs
Vital statistics on two of the jewels in the Tahoe crown
Location: South Lake Tahoe/stateline, Calif./Nev.
Season Length: November through April
Base Elevation: 6,540 feet
Summit Elevation: 10,067 feet
Trails: 94
Lifts: 29
Acres: 4,800
Current Snow Base: 116 inches
Average Yearly snowfall: 360 inches
Adult Day Pass: $82
Adult Season Pass: $329 (with blackout dates), $579 (no blackout dates)
Student Season Pass: $269 (with blackout dates)
Website: www.skiheavenly.com
Photograph by Jenn Ireland
GETTING A LIFT: A snowboarder rides the rail slide at Kirkwood.
Location: Kirkwood, Calif.
Season Length: November through April
Base Elevation: 7,800 feet
Summit Elevation: 9,800 feet
Trails: 65
Lifts: 14
Acres: 2,300
Current Snow Base: 207 inches
Average Yearly Snowfall: 504 inches
Adult Day Pass: $72
Adult Season Pass: $469 (with blackout dates), $599 (no blackout dates)
Student Season Pass: $299 (with blackout dates)
Website: [ http://www.kirkwood.com/ ]www.kirkwood.com
Ski & Snowboard Resources
Any Mountain
1600 Saratoga Ave. #105 (Westgate Mall), San Jose; 408.871.1001.
Big 5 Sporting Goods
3132 Stevens Creek Blvd., San Jose; 408.249.4370.
2249 Tully Road, San Jose; 408.258.5133.
946 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose; 408.578.5455.
1600 W. Campbell Ave., Campbell; 408.871.7249.
721 Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road, Sunnyvale; 408.732.4280.
Boarder Nation
14442 Union Ave., San Jose; 408.377.3577.
Helm of Sun Valley
1111 Saratoga Ave., San Jose; 408.996.7669.
Mel Cotton's
1266 W. San Carlos St., San Jose; 408.287.5994.
The North Face
2855 Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara; 408.553.0190.
Outback Adventures
1158 Saratoga Ave., San Jose; 408.551.0588.
Play It Again Sports
2081 Camden Ave., San Jose; 408.371.4531.
400 El Paseo De Saratoga, San Jose; 408.871.8765.
Sports Basement
1177 Kern Ave., Sunnyvale; 408.732.0300.
Wintersport Warehouse
2605 Lafayette St., Santa Clara; 408.748.0880.
Send a letter to the editor about this story.


text:
It was whilst living in the city of Seoul, Korea when an Iraqi friend introduced me to Middle Eastern dance, that my passion and a lifetime interest in this dance form was created. The opportunity to dance, to travel and also meet other people worldwide who share this interest makes this a hobby and lifestyle I love very much. It is also a hobby which helps to tone the body and help with fitness and health in addition to the fantastic social side of this dance form.h
This dance form is also great for morale and practising it has given me the optimism and the strength to overcome some difficulties in life. In addition, it is also great to feel creative and I have always had a passion for dance and in particular a love for Arabic music.
This site is created to try and offer the whole belly dance and raqs sharqi community one portal where useful information for the dance community is provided including with guides for teachers, students, academics and the media. You are welcome to send in your ideas, questions and media inquiries. I look forward to meeting you at one of the events, conferences or workshops in the UK, Europe and around the world which many of us often attend.
These pages are ones that you have come to this site in search of often and to make it easier for you to find these key pages, here you go:
Do you hold classes or have an annual belly dance event which you wish to have included on this site. We would love to include your events and workshops on this site. Email paula (at) worldbellydance.com doe adding events.
Make sure also to visit our holidays section for reviews of my experiences travelling to countries including Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, Italy and Korea.
Site designed by PromarketingOnline.com who are based in Cardiff, UK.


text:
2017 INFINITI Q60 Spec & Performance
3.0t Premium AWD Specifications and Pricing
4 model years or newer
less than 60,000 miles
clean title history
Optional extended WRAP service contract 7 years/100,000 miles from the original in-service date, plus reunite service
Roadside assistance, trip interruption, towing assistance, car/rental
J.D.Power Rating
Search car listings & find the right car for you
Click here for 2017 INFINITI Q60 3.0t Premium AWD local listings
Car Buying and Selling Resources
Get free quotes from dealers near youGet Dealer Quote
You could save 15% or more
Compare real, custom auto loan offers from up to 5 lenders in minutes!
List your car now on AutoTrader.com
* The J.D. Power Ratings are calculated based on the range between the car manufacturer or car model with the highest score and the car manufacturer or car model with the lowest score. J.D. Power generates a rating of a five, four, three, or two. If there is insufficient data to calculate a rating, "Not Available" is used in its place.
J.D. Power Ratings may not include all information used to determine J.D. Power awards, visit the Car Ratings page to learn more about awards and ratings.


text:
It's been a month since the Obama administration's new online insurance marketplace opened to the public, and it has been nothing short of a train wreck.
In fact, the launch turned into the most famous and substantial I.T. meltdown of all time. The system that cost more than $400 million, and has been publicized as a one-stop marketplace for Americans seeking health insurance, has been an embarrassment. This botched rollout forced into limbo the health insurance of millions of Americans.
But don't be fooled by the technology. The major flaws with Obamacare aren't tech-related. The flaws with the website are just a window into the structural issues with the program itself.
Since the disastrous rollout, the Obama administration has spent weeks putting out alternating theories and tag lines to see which might work. They have tried blaming insurers, then tech contractors and computer maintenance management companies. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius volunteered to take the blame. Then they compared it to Romneycare.
Basically, they are blaming everything but the policy and everyone but the policymaker. Now, the president is positioning himself to be the hero and save Obamacare.
The Obama administration has attempted to "Geico-ize" the purchase of health insurance. We all know the famous Geico slogan, "Fifteen minutes can save you 15 percent."
Buying health insurance isn't as easy as purchasing car insurance. Health insurance is more involved and complicated; it should be done with personal interaction. The online marketplace isn't an ideal fit for a health insurance marketplace.
Members of the young, tech-savvy generation, who are crucial to the program's calculus, don't want to purchase health insurance in the first place. Now, after the program's initial failure, do you think the majority of them are going to go back on and try again? No way! Many will wait for the government to fine them and play a game of "catch me if you can."
I don't blame them.
The administration should have handed this tech project off to Facebook or Twitter or some other established private platform rather than trying to make one from scratch.


text:
Coffee Cake
Member recipe by sianie
ServingsServes 8
This delicious coffee cake is great for all occasions and tastes AMAZING! It is simple and easy to make!
This recipe has been submitted by the Good Food community. Sign in or create a My Good Food account to upload your own recipe creations. Please note that all recipes will be moderated but they are not tested in the Good Food kitchen.
Save to My Good Food
- 150g caster sugar
- 150g butter or margarine
- 3 eggs
- 150g self raising flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp hot water
- 1 tbsp instant coffee (add more if you like it strong)
- For The Icing
- 225g icing sugar
- 100g butter or margarine
- 1 1/2 tbsp instant coffee
- 1 tbsp hot water
- Strawberry jam (optional)
- Preheat the oven at 160C, 325 F,gas 3.Baseline and grease two equally sized sandwich tins. Add the sugar and the butter to a bowl and whisk until very fluffy and a pale cream.
- Wisk the eggs in a mug with a fork and then add them gradually to the mixture with 1 tbsp of flour each time. Make sure you don't use all the flour.
- Add the rest of the flour and the baking powder to the mixture and fold it in gently.
- Dissolve the coffee in the boiling water and add to the mixture still folding. Divide into the sandwich tins and cook for 30 minutes
- Meanwhile Cream the butter and the icing sugar until light and fluffy. Dissolve the coffee in boiling water, making sure you don't add too much water or the icing will be runny and add it to the butter and icing sugar. Whisk and leave in the fridge until the cake is done.
- Once the cakes are done and have been put onto plates spread the icing on the bottom of one of the cakes (leaving around half of the icing for the top) and spread the strawberry jam ont the bottom of the other. Spread the remainig icing ontop of the cake. decorate with cherries or walnuts. ENJOY!
Comments, questions and tips
Sign in or create your My Good Food account to join the discussion.
10th Mar, 2018
I see alot of comment saying the finished result is greesy. I would say that the butter has been melted by addiding the boiling water coffee solution too early. This will seperate the fats from the solids and make them leach out. Im about to try this but I will cool the coffee water down before adding. And yes im a baker. Just incase.
7th Jul, 2016
Well, my mother taught me to fold in the flour so I took no notice of that nonsense thing of adding it gradually with the eggs. Someone obviously has lots of helpers to do the washing up but I just broke an egg straight into the revolving bowl, one at a time. I doubled up on the instant coffee, but not the liquid, and sifted the flour in prior to folding it into the mixture and baking for a good 35 minutes. I doubled the amount of instant coffee in the icing The result was an excellent cake which rose up magnificently and has a taste and texture to die for. No-one else is sharing this!
13th Apr, 2016
I usually love BBC good food recipes but sadly this one was a bit disappointing. I didn't feel that the mixture was enough for two tins, probably to put into one tin. Also, the cakes only raised about 2cm-3cms so even though they are soft, they are hardly proper cakes. I would recommend dooubling the entire recipe or looking for a different one
11th Sep, 2015
For the icing...I used real ground coffee...filtered ( a very strong brew) Then I added about four tablespoons to the icing sugar....once all icing sugar was mixed...you add the butter slowly ...and you won't need all the butter...just enough to give it a good glaze without it going to wet. Using real columbian coffee is much tastier than instant ...(which is not good for you anyway!) but means you need less butter or the mix is too wet.
11th Sep, 2015
For a Gluten Free Version....Replace the flour with Doves Self Raising Flour (or similar) and add a little more flour to thicken it more ( I noticed it was too wet otherwise) Removed the "instant coffee" YUK!...added REAL coffee (I added four tablespoons of freshly ground coffee to hot water- strain to remove bits) Also ...on the lower base I poured a bit of maple syrup on the top...this then oozed into the base! DEVINE... The rest the same as above ...but free range eggs...raw butter....real coffee... SO nice and no gluten!!!! I decorated with chocolate coated coffee beans (not real beans...!)


text:
Beginning in December, 2010, a wave of demonstrations, protests, and revolutions spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Over two years later, the world is still trying to understand what led to this moment, why these events occurred, and how they will ultimately impact the region. By exploring these questions, this workshop will provide teachers with a context and framework for teaching about the Arab Uprisings.
The workshop will feature the following:
- Keynote address by University of California, Los Angeles Professor of History, James Gelvin and free copy of his book, The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know
- Curriculum from the Choices Program at Brown University
- Teaching resources based in the Oregon State Standards and Common Core State Standards
1-2 optional credits available through the Continuing Education Department in the Portland State University Graduate School of Education. 21 professional Development Units available.
This workshop is free. For more information and to register, please click here.
The Middle East Studies Center at Portland State University promotes understanding of the people, cultures, languages and religions of the Middle East. As a National Resource Center for Middle East Studies under the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI program, the Center serves as a resource on issues pertaining to the Middle East through activities that reach students and scholars, as well as businesses, educators, and the media. The Middle East Studies Center supports academic conferences, workshops, cultural events, lectures, and a resource library.
pdx.edu/middle-east-studies | email@example.com | 503-725-4074


text:
- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
- Shop
- E Fund
CONWAY, S.C. (Sept. 17, 2005) - The Lady Buccaneer volleyball team dropped a pair of matches on Saturday, dropping a tough 3-2 decision to Coastal Carolina, and falling to Iowa, 3-1, at the Microtel Inn & Suites Classic, in Conway, S.C.
ETSU, now 6-5 following the weekend, went blow-for-blow with Coastal Carolina in Saturday's opening match, alternating wins in the first four games, before the Chanticleers claimed the match, winning a tight 18-16 deciding frame. The Lady Bucs took games one and three, 30-28, and 30-26, while the Chanticleers came away with games two and four, 30-28, and 30-21.
"Our first game was just a heart-breaker," said head coach Lindsey Devine of the Coastal Carolina game. "But these early season tournaments are all about trying to iron things out. We played hard but just didn't execute in some key moments."
Sarah Buhr (Stockton, Calif.) paced the Lady Bucs with 20 kills, the highest tally by an ETSU player all season. Callie Kiselich (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Jennifer Sartor (Toronto, Ontario) were not far behind, adding 16 kills each. Junior Brittany Kessel (Libertyville, Ill.) also put up double-digits in the kill column with 12.
Both Sartor and Kiselich were nearly flawless offensively, committing only two hitting errors apiece. Kiselich smashed a match-high .500, on 28 attempts, while Sartor also recorded an impressive hitting percentage, tallying .452 on 31 efforts.
Kessel was the top defender for the Lady Bucs, registering a career-high 17 digs, followed by Kiselich with 14. Kiselich had a hand in four block assists, as well as two solo. Senior Sara Scandiffio (Purcellville, Va.) was also a force at the net, contributing three solo blocks, and aiding in three block assists.
Kessel also helped with the setting, dishing out 30 assists. Junior Jennifer Emerson (Santa Clara, Calif.) was ETSU's top setter with 38 assists.
Katherine Jensen led the Chanticleers with 18 kills, as teammate Laura Obert chipped in with 15.
"I'm pleased that we went four games against a Big Ten team," said Devine of the 3-1 Iowa loss. "We're doing a lot of things well, there are just a couple loose ends we need to string together."
ETSU's 30-27 win in game one was the first time in program history the Lady Bucs were able to steal a game from a Big Ten squad.
The Lady Bucs get a short break before hitting the road again on Tuesday, Sept. 20, as they take on the Mocs of Chattanooga, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.


text:
Adonit Jot Flip Stylus And Pen
A case of identity disorder
- Pen has sound-dampening tip
- Includes fine-tipped pen with mobile clip
- Fine-point stylus gives increased accuracy
This Jot Flip Stylus and Pen might make you feel a little bit like 007. It's a nifty tech gadget with a stylus on one side and a hidden pen on the other. Does it explode? No. Can it help you break out of a jail cell? Maybe. Can it help you write a note to M? Absolutely. Plus, you will have the choice of writing it on paper, or on an iPad. Genius! The only thing left to complete the picture is the whole espionage training thing. Hand to hand combat, fluency in a few languages... One step at a time. Might as well start with the pen.
Product Specifications
- Pen and Stylus in one
- With just a flip you can write on paper or a tablet
- Great for professionals
- Materials: Durable Steel
- Dimensions: 9.5 x 1.5 x 1 inch
- Weight: 2.6 ounces


text:
There will be a MANDATORY orientation for ALL LL.M. and Exchange students starting Monday, August 20. On Monday, August 20, there will also be a check-in with the International Center. In order to properly check-in, you MUST bring with you:
Throughout orientation, there will be opportunities to select your courses, as well as review the honor code, and familiarize yourself with the law school facilities. There are many important things that are happening during orientation, so it is important that you attend all orientation events.
Diplomas and composite pictures for the class of 2007 graduates will be mailed to whatever address we (OILP) have on file for you. We expect to mail these important documents later this summer (not before August) so please contact us with the address you want us to use if you think we have an old address for you!
Legal English program: Starting Monday August 6 and continuing through Friday August 17, Professors Kelly Brest van Kempen and Juli Campagna are offering incoming LLM students an intensive primer in common law legal vocabulary and basic terms and concepts associated with the study of law in the US. About 45 students will take part in this special program.
As you graduate and become Chicago-Kent alums, there are a few things to
be aware of:
All kentlaw.edu student accounts will terminate in July 30, 2007 after the July 2007 bar exam. December graduates e-mail accounts will terminate at the same time. The Alumni Relations Office automatically assigns each graduate a kentlaw.alum.iit.edu e-mail for life. This is a web-based e-mail address that is housed on a server at IIT. Details regarding set up and further instructions are as follows:
Chicago-Kent College of Law is pleased to inform you that free (kentlawalum.iit.edu) email service is now active. Your account has been created automatically. No sign up is necessary. Please see below for information on how to access your alumni email account and how to set it up to automatically forward your mail to any address you wish.
If you do not wish to use this email service, Chicago-Kent would still love to stay in touch with you wherever your path may take you. Please send your new email address to the Office of Alumni Relations by emailing email@example.com.
Please be aware that Chicago-Kent alum e-mail accounts are hosted by the Office of Technology Services (OTS) at the Illinois Institute of Technology Main Campus Since the accounts are not part of the Kentlaw system, the e-mail address of your alumni account may be in a format different than what you were assigned at Chicago-Kent.
You may reach your new Chicago-Kent alumnae/i e-mail account by accessing the IIT web portal at http://my.iit.edu/ . Your username and password are as follows:
Username: [IIT UID]
Password: MMDDxxxx
[ Month and day of your birth date + last four digits of your campus wide ID (CWID) ]
If you were born on April 9 and your CWID is 12345678, your password would be: 04095678 .
Your IIT UID and CWID values can be found on the welcome page you see after logging in to Chicago-Kent's Web for Students system via http://webmail.kentlaw.edu/ .
Once you have logged into the my.iit.edu portal, simply click on the red envelope icon for e-mail at the top of the page. Instructions for how to transfer messages from your Chicago-Kent account to your alumni account as well how to setup mail forwarding appear below. A frequently asked questions list along with a complete illustrated tutorial of the e-mail system used by the Chicago-Kent alumni e-mail accounts may be found at: http://ots.iit.edu/newemail/index.html
Keep in touch! The best way to keep in contact with your LL.M. and Exchange student classmates and friends is to visit the Chicago-Kent Office of Alumni Relations and join the Alumni Online Community.
What do "fast track" trade promotion authority (TPA), the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, and US 'takings law' have in common? Well, for one thing, they describe flash points in our political discourse where partisans have staked out ideologically strident positions. For another, they are all topics of very current, heated debate. Finally, when looked at from a small-d democratic perspective, these issues support a remarkable convergence of right and left viewpoints that should make any partisan sit up and take notice.
To read more, please click here.
Main Chicago-Kent event
Academic calendar
CLE calendar
Alumni event calendar
Admissions calendar


text:
The Caddo Herald
June 22, 1928
Pie Supper
The pie supper given last Friday night by the American Legion was largely attended.
It was held downtown on Buffalo street. More than thirty pies were offered for sale and nearly $80 was netted as a result of the selling.
A.N. Leecraft and Dr. J. B. Smith, candidates for the legislature, were new announcements.
Each candidate, before he began his talk, sold a pie at auction. This gave spice and variety to the entertainment. Those who spoke were: Guy A. Crossett, J. B. Smith, A. N. Leecraft, E. B. White, J. H. Lipscomb, Ruel Taylor, Wes Thompson, Ben Risner, Griff Murray, Frank Buford, Tobe Hughes, Harry Neely, John H. Mason, E. P. Goad, A. A. McReynolds, J. A. Shirley, Stanley Williams, Lonnie Rice, E. E. Frazier, J. D. Bayless, and Shearl Shofner.
Everything passed off nicely and the candidates said that this was the best arranged gathering they had attended this year.
Bill Noland was here from Cade Monday and said there would be a pie supper and candidate rally at Cade Friday night, June 29th, to which everyone was cordially invited.


text:
Rounding Third: AL Outlook: Tigers still the team to beat in AL
There are no better words to hear if you are a baseball fan than "Opening Day." Amazing as it seems, the 2013 Major League Baseball season is now upon us.
And as we head toward a new season, it's a familiar team that's still at the top of the class in the American League.
The Detroit Tigers entered the 2012 campaign as huge favorites to win an AL Central title. Well, they won their second straight division title, but it wasn't easy, as the Tigers sat below .500 for most of the first half, and never actually clinched the Central until the final week of the regular season.
Detroit then outlasted the Oakland Athletics in the ALDS before sweeping the New York Yankees in the ALCS. But that offense that carried the Tigers for much of the second half of the year and through the first two rounds of the playoffs disappeared in the World Series and they were swept by the San Francisco Giants in four games.
Now, if you are a fan of another team in the AL you may want to stop reading because as good as the Tigers were a year ago, they may be even better this season thanks to the addition of outfielder Torii Hunter and the return of Victor Martinez, who missed all of last season with an ACL injury.
Of course, the Tigers are led by Triple Crown winner and reigning AL MVP Miguel Cabrera, who had a season for the ages in 2012, leading the league with a .330 average, 44 home runs and 139 RBI. His partner in crime, Prince Fielder, enjoyed his first year in Motown, as he hit .313 with 30 home runs and 108 RBI.
Speaking of Cabrera, there's really no reason to think he won't replicate his average from last year and the lineup additions should net him close to his RBI total from a year ago. If he's able to match his home run production, he may very well repeat as a Triple Crown winner. Let that soak in for a second.
While Cabrera and Fielder hold down the fort from the offensive side, it doesn't get much better on the mound than Justin Verlander, who followed up his MVP and Cy Young season in 2011 with another typical great year in 2012.
There's also a little sidebar story to this year's Tigers. There have been whispers that this could be the final season for 68-year-year-old manager Jim Leyland. His team is better on paper than it was last season.
Is there a better way to end a career than with a championship?
For an insight into the season, here's a brief synopsis and a look at some of the teams which will try to stop the Tigers from repeating as this year's AL champion in power poll form:
2. LOS ANGELES ANGELS: The Angels were supposed to be the "it" team last season, but were unable to overcome a slow start. The one good thing to come out of last season was the emergence of Mike Trout. Now he, Albert Pujols and newly acquired Josh Hamilton pose as intimidating a trio as there is in the league. Pujols took a while to get going last year, but should be better in his second year in the AL. As long as Hamilton doesn't have the same growing pains, the Angels should be back in the postseason for the first time in four years.
3. TORONTO BLUE JAYS: Everyone loves the Toronto Blue Jays. And why not? The team added multiple All-Stars in that monster deal with Miami in addition to the National League's reigning Cy Young Award winner in R.A. Dickey. Not to mention it looks like it could be a down year in the AL East. On paper the Jays look great. But, it's not often that the team who won the offseason actually wins in the regular season. If you don't believe me, just ask last year's Angels. Or better yet look at the Jays' dugout and ask the former Marlins how it worked out for them last season. Point is super teams rarely work. before any games are played, though, the Jays look tough to beat.
4. TAMPA BAY RAYS: Call me crazy, but substance usually wins out over style. Over the course of a 162-game season the Rays just find ways to get it done. Lose B.J. Upton? Big deal, go out and get one of the top outfield prospects in all of baseball in Wil Myers. The Rays are so deep they were able to deal James Shields and some think their pitching staff will be even better than it was last year. I'm tired of picking against them and looking foolish. Evan Longoria will win an MVP sometime in his career. It may very well be this season.
5. OAKLAND ATHLETICS: The Athletics came out of nowhere last year to win the AL West thanks to a furious finish that saw them win their final six games and overcome a four-game deficit with less than a week left in the season. The A's rode a tremendous young pitching staff and a lineup full of mostly castoffs that finished seventh in the majors in home runs. The core of the team is still there, but the A's are hoping Brett Anderson can stay healthy and become the ace they think he can be. Should that happen, there's no reason to think they won't be a factor again in the West.
6. TEXAS RANGERS: It's a brand new era in Texas Rangers baseball, as Hamilton and his Triple Crown-caliber numbers and enormous baggage will no longer be roaming the outfield in Arlington. Instead Hamilton is in Anaheim and the Rangers have a huge hole in the middle of their order. Texas is hoping Lance Berkman can give it a little pop, but the Rangers are going to have to manufacture runs in what is expected to be a tough AL West. It could all go wrong real quick for the Rangers, but then again, they could find themselves back in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
7. BALTIMORE ORIOLES: The Orioles were the surprise of the AL last season. Nobody expected them to do anything and they were in the mix for a division title up until the final day of the season and reached the postseason for the first time since 1997. They return basically the same team as last year so they should once again be near the top in the AL East. Right? Well some people think Baltimore could take a step back. Why? Well, the Orioles were a stunning 29-9 record last year in one-run games and even more remarkable was the fact that they rattled off 16 straight extra inning wins at one point. It's hard to imagine them being that good again in those situations.
8. NEW YORK YANKEES: How bad is it in Yankees land? Well the recent acquisitions of Vernon Wells and Lyle Overbay instantly made them better. Yes, things don't look good on Opening Day. But everyone is forgetting this is a 162-game season. For the better part of the year they are still going to put a lineup out there that includes Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Kevin Youkilis and Ichiro Suzuki. And maybe, just maybe Alex Rodriguez returns at some point in the second half. Yes, they are old, but it's essentially the same lineup that won 95 games a year ago. From top to bottom, there are few better pitching staffs in the league. They are a middle- of-the-road team on April 1. Something tells me they won't be on Sept.1. While everyone seems to be licking their chops over the Yankees' demise, I need to see the body before declaring them dead.
9. KANSAS CITY ROYALS: If you are looking for a sleeper team, look no further than the Royals. For years we have heard how deep the Royals' farm system was. Little by little we have seen the fruits of their labors with the development of Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, Salvador Perez, Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer. General manager Dayton Moore realized the Royals were getting close and this offseason overhauled the starting rotation, acquiring righties James Shields, Wade Davis and Ervin Santana. That group combined with returning right-hander Jeremy Guthrie and lefty Bruce Chen gives Kansas City as talented a rotation as there is in the AL. The pieces are in place and if it's not this year it won't be long before the Royals are contending for a division title.
10. BOSTON RED SOX: This is a team a lot of people, including myself, could be really wrong about. The Red Sox were absolutely miserable last season. Did Bobby Valentine play a big part of that? Probably. But, John Farrell inherits almost the same team that ended last season with 93 losses. The one thing that could make this Red Sox team sneaky good is the fact that Farrell knows this pitching staff. That group was a mess last year. If he can work his magic and Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz and a returning John Lackey get their acts together, the Red Sox might not be all that bad.
11. CHICAGO WHITE SOX: The Chicago White Sox probably overachieved last season in Robin Ventura's maiden voyage into the managerial seas. In first place for 117 days and the better part of the second half, the White Sox crumbled down the stretch and eventually lost control of the AL Central to Detroit with two weeks to go in the season. Chicago should once again be in the wild card mix thanks to what is expected to be a pretty solid rotation headlined by breakout star from a year ago, Chris Sale. Offensively, though, the club is still veteran heavy led by Paul Konerko, Alex Rios and boom-or-bust slugger Adam Dunn.
12. CLEVELAND INDIANS: Fans in Cleveland likely won't recognize the team they see on Opening Day. Gone are Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore and Shin-Soo Choo, a trio that combined to play 25 seasons and 2,655 games in Cleveland. In addition to new manager Terry Francona, general manager Chris Antonetti handed out big money deals to outfielders Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn, as well as infielder Mark Reynolds and right-hander Brett Myers amongst others. If the Indians are going to do anything, though, they need righty Ubaldo Jimenez to be the pitcher the Tribe thought they were trading for in 2011. Either way, though, this team should be better this year than they were last year.
13. SEATTLE MARINERS: Now the Royals are going to be a sleeper team this season, but if you are looking to pick a team really out of the box, check out the Mariners. Yes, we know they have scored the fewest runs in the league the past four seasons. But scoring runs may not be a problem this year, as youngsters Jesus Montero, Dustin Ackley, Kyle Seager and Michael Saunders continue to progress, coupled with the additions of veteran boppers Kendrys Morales, Michael Morse, Raul Ibanez and even Jason Bay. Now if the Mariners are going to do anything in the AL West, they are going to need someone, anyone, to step up after Felix Hernandez in the rotation. It may not be this year for the Mariners, but they are coming.
14. MINNESOTA TWINS: If you are a fan of the Minnesota Twins, there are a few things you can do this season. One, enjoy the play of your rookie center fielder, Aaron Hicks. Two, appreciate the fact that Justin Morneau is healthy and still playing for your club. And, three, give manager Ron Gardenhire a standing ovation every time you are at a game because he won't be there next year.
15. HOUSTON ASTROS: The Astros are set to make their AL debut. If you can name two players in their lineup, you are probably in the minority and the biggest fantasy baseball nerd in your family. This is not a good team. Houston was a last-place team in the NL Central and it will remain a last-place team in the AL West.
BREAKOUT PLAYER: DAYAN VICIEDO, OF, CHICAGO: There is not much youth in the White Sox lineup. The one player who could make an impact is Cuban import Viciedo, who swatted 25 home runs last season. Like most young hitters, he was a little over aggressive at times and managed just 28 walks and a .255 average. However, with a year under his belt, he should be more patient at the plate. Plus, it doesn't hurt that he is surrounded by a couple members in the 400-HR club in Konerko and Dunn.
BREAKDOWN PLAYER: DAVID ORTIZ, DH, BOSTON: This is a lazy prediction. Ortiz is 37 and already going to start the year on the disabled list. But, when healthy, he is still the most feared hitter in the Red Sox lineup. Before he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in July (though he did come back for one game in late August), Ortiz had been on pace to swat 41 homers with 108 RBI. Sluggers like him tend to lose it over night. Call it a hunch, but it could be a long year for Ortiz.
FIRST MANAGER FIRED: RON GARDENHIRE, MINNESOTA: Now Houston's Bo Porter is the easy choice here. But, not even the Astros think he is going to win this year. Texas' Ron Washington and Joe Girardi of the Yankees could be candidates as well, but we are going to go with Gardenhire, who is in the final year of his contract. And barring a miracle, the Twins are headed toward their third straight last-place finish in the AL Central. Gardenhire is so good and has had such a great track record, Twins GM Terry Ryan likely wouldn't fire him midseason. But if he does, Gardenhire will be out of work for about a minute, provided he doesn't want to rest a little. Prediction. Gardenhire manages the New York Mets next season.
PLAYER MOST LIKELY TRADED BY DEADLINE: JUSTIN MORNEAU, 1B, MINNESOTA: When it was learned that Teixeira would miss the first two months of the season with a wrist injury, the knee jerk reaction was that the Yankees would go out and get Morneau from the Twins. He is the ideal candidate to be moved. The Twins are going to be bad and he is in the final year of a six-year, $80 million deal that pays him $14 million this season. There's going to be a lot of names that become hot as the season wears on, but none will be hotter than the former AL MVP.
WILD CARD: N.Y. YANKEES over KANSAS CITY ROYALS ALDS: DETROIT over N.Y. YANKEES; L.A. ANGELS over TAMPA BAY ALCS: DETROIT over L.A. ANGELS
AL MVP - ROBINSON CANO (NYY); AL CY Young - JERED WEAVER (LAA); AL Rookie of Year - WIL MYERS (TAM); AL Manager of Year - NED YOST (KAN); AL Comeback Player - MARIANO RIVERA (NYY)


text:
Expedia-Verified Reviews
Don't miss out on a lower price on this hotel
Get an overview of this hotelRomantic hotel with restaurant and bar/lounge
Popular property highlights
Situated on a lake, this romantic hotel is 10.8 mi (17.4 km) from Upper Spiral Tunnel Scenic Viewpoint and 11.4 mi (18.3 km) from Lower Spiral Tunnel Scenic Viewpoint. Takakkaw Falls and Wapta Falls Trailhead are also within 25 mi (40 km).
Hotel Features
This smoke-free hotel features a restaurant, a bar/lounge, and a spa tub. Free WiFi in public areas and free self parking are also provided. Other amenities include concierge services, a 24-hour front desk, and multilingual staff.
Room Amenities
All 85 rooms boast fireplaces and offer patios and premium bedding. Coffee makers, down comforters, and free local calls are among the other amenities available to guests.
Languages Spoken
Emerald Lake Lodge
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
The hotel offers a restaurant. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. Wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary. Event facilities measure 6997 square feet (650 square meters). This eco-friendly hotel also offers a spa tub, multilingual staff, and gift shops/newsstands. Concierge services and wedding services can be provided. Complimentary self parking is available on site.
Emerald Lake Lodge is a smoke-free property.
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Conference space size (meters) - 650
- Picnic area
- Bar/lounge
- Free parking nearby
- Concierge services
- Conference space size (feet) - 6997
- Gift shops or newsstand
- 24-hour front desk
- Billiards or pool table
- Spa tub
- Restaurant
- Total number of rooms - 85
- Free self parking
- Number of floors - 2
- Free WiFi
- Wedding services
- Free wired Internet
- Smoke-free property
- Multilingual staff
- Fireplace in lobby
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired Internet
Languages Spoken
Free self parking, Free parking nearby
Room Amenities
- Fireplace
- Premium bedding
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Free local calls
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Shower/tub combination
- Iron/ironing board
- Patio
- Access via exterior corridors
- Number of bathrooms -
- Partially open bathroom
- Daily housekeeping
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Down comforter
Where to Eat
Emerald Lake Lodge has a restaurant on site.
Nearby Things to Do
Recreational amenities at the hotel include a spa tub.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Mountain biking nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Snowshoeing nearby
- Cross-country skiing on site
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 4 PM
Minimum check-in age is 19
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Kids stay free! Children 18 years old and younger stay free when using existing bedding.
- Rollaway/extra beds are not available.
- Free cribs (infant beds)!
- Pets allowed for an extra charge of CAD 25 per pet, per night
- Restrictions apply
- For more information contact the property at the number on the booking confirmation
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation. Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property. The policies listed are provided by the property.
Optional extras
- Breakfast fee: CAD 23 per person (approximately)
- Pet fee: CAD 25 per pet, per night
Hotel Name
- Emerald Lake Field
- Emerald Lake Lodge
- Emerald Lake Lodge Field
- Lake Emerald Lodge
- Emerald Lake Hotel Field
- Emerald Lake Lodge Canada
We should mention
Children 18 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation. Guests can arrange to bring pets by contacting the property directly, using the contact information on the booking confirmation (surcharges apply and can be found in the Fees section).
Awards & Affiliations
- Emerald Lake Lodge is listed in the 2011 Condé Nast Traveler Top 100 List.


text:
Motorola's Rick Osterloh Shows Us the Moto X
Rick Osterloh, Motorola's senior vice president of product management, demos some key features of the brand new phone and discuss Motorola's strategy in a competitive smartphone market.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... they were all ... digital and here with Rick Costolo Keith senior vice president of Fox News ... and More Wall and today is that the that we are getting our first official a ... out the Moto X phone reckons the much for talking needs and your welcome some telephone about what's at the Moto X phone apart from all the other in the smartphone to their ... well first off this is the phone the responses you ... and so one of the key capabilities of auto acts ... as the Villa de to talk to it ... just using your thoughts so you can talk to a phone it's ... gotten screen off and ... activated by saying ... ok Google Now ... what time is that ... so you can access ... it operation fightback on hand to get trading answers he can also make phone calls with its like to call someone just by using my boys Corrie for icecream hands free ... operation ... aam ... it also is a phone it's designed for your hands so you can see its unique shape ... it also is really compact ... so this phone can fit in the average user smartphones hands ... in the middle of an added feature where you can see that I'm physically financially ... yes so we have ... we have the capability built into the phone call active display ... me show you how that works ... on ... display ... is something that shows import medication information like time ... and messages that come in ... and just by pressing the screen you can see a little but more ... so in this case there's a text message that come in ... and I can slide up to see more of a text message or I can go down a lot of fun ... stuff I go back out ... it'll go right the message ... you can really quickly interact with new things to come in in years ... we call out active display ... though the final thing it's really cool about Moto X is that ... you can design your own phone ... so if your capability on Motorola dot com ... you can customize the backs of your phone ... you can customize accents what memory house accessories with it a whole number of different combinations ... to give the user an untold number of choices ... in creating their own phone ... very tough market out there in the Apple and Samsung dominating the smartphone ... market in the U S ... and tell me a little bit about what will its anti gun powered boat in smartphones and possibly tablets it's mostly from the technology financing ... with a smile ... on you know in general are strategy is to go try it's all very important very real user problems ... once and then left and salt for a long time ... I'm you know we feel like there's been a lack of innovation the industry and that's mostly driven by ... a lack of imagination about what you could you if you really took on big problems ... so that's that's our approach ... I'm ... we think that were in a ... more focused as the company now ... op mode role in the past pieces make a lot of phones and now we just make a handful of really great fronds of the year ... and that's the sort of ... thing instead he is fewer homes in the future that really focused on improving his experience and having a great user experience it's also very important problems and will we see any of these technologies and even if the day with my wife and two ... a key terminal tablets ... we have we have no plans to announce but that's all we're always looking at ... the ... end of the human brain Astral NPP ... senior vice president content at Motorola I think ... that I think you and your wants thank you very much learned it from ... being ...


text:
FLORENCE, Ariz. — Arizona authorities say the killing of a prison inmate resulted from his cellmate's desire to remain in custody, not from a fight as initially believed.
The Pinal County Sheriff's Office is recommending that prosecutors charge 43-year-old Roberto Venegas-Fernandez with first-degree murder in the Nov. 16 killing of 55-year-old Michael Patrick McNaughton
Both men were prisoners of the U.S. Marshals Service, which has said they were from the San Diego area and housed at a Corrections Corp. of America prison in Florence pending their transfer to the Bureau of Prisons.
Sheriff Paul Babeu (BAB'-you) says Venegas-Fernandez told investigators that he choked and stomped McNaughton because he likes it in prison and was afraid of being released since he has nowhere to go.
A sheriff's spokesman says Venegas-Fernandez doesn't have a lawyer.


text:
Hugh Jackman left Hollywood hardman Russell Crowe battered and bruised on the set of Les Miserables after smashing a block of wood on his back.
The X-Men hunk and the Gladiator actor co-star in director Tom Hooper's new movie musical version of Victor Hugo's classic French novel.
They teamed up to shoot several fight scenes for the film, but Jackman admits he was so determined to make the brawl realistic, he accidentally clubbed his co-star with a lump of wood.
He tells U.K. TV show This Morning, "I was doing scenes with Gladiator - with Russell Crowe. I did get a little over-zealous in one scene where we were doing a little bit of a fight scene and I accidentally hit him with a four-by-two (block of wood) and I was like, 'Did I hit you there mate?', and he was like, 'No, I'm alright, I'm fine'. At the end of the day he takes his costume off and he had this big line right down his back."


text:
Sony this unveiled its first digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera, the 10.2-megapixel alpha DSLR-A100.
Single-lens reflex cameras use a mirror placed between the lens and the film or image sensor to project the image to the camera's viewfinder. The mirror moves out of the way when the picture is taken. They typically support interchangeable lenses and are preferred by professional and serious amateur photographers over the compact point-and-shoot models that dominate the digital camera market.
One of the camera's main features is its use of Super SteadyShot, developed by Sony to compensate for camera movement and reduce the number of photographs that turn out blurry. The technology allows more photos to be taken hand-held with natural light, rather than requiring a flash or tripod, according to the company.
The DSLR-A100 can shoot three frames per second, and can take 750 photos on a full battery charge, Sony said. It accepts both Compact Flash memory cards and Sony's own Memory Stick Pro and Memory Stick Pro Duo, the latter cards requiring an adapter supplied with the camera.
Sony said in July last year that it had begun developing a DSLR model. Competition in the compact camera market is intense and DSLRs typically carry higher price tags and have better profit margins. There is little compatibility between interchangeable lenses from different camera makers, so users are generally reluctant to switch brands once they have invested in several lenses. The DSLR-A100 is the first under Sony's new alpha brand name.
Sony said the DSLR-A100 camera body will be available for about US$900, with the DSLR-A100K kit, which includes the camera body along with an 18-70mm zoom lens, available for about US$1,000. Both will ship in the U.S. in July, the company said.
(Martyn Williams in Tokyo contributed to this report.)


text:
Through The Darkness
But this is how I really feel.
0 Responses
Post a Comment
Newer Post
Older Post
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I'm a wife. I'm a mom. I'm a photographer. I'm a lover of Jesus. My house is a mess, my kids are dirty, we eat take out more often than not. My life is loud, busy and crazy. And that's okay with me.
This is Eric, the man you've been praying for. He's a paramedic. He quilts in his spare time. No, I couldn't make that up :) He has NASH (a form of liver disease, non-alcoholic) and diabetes, but those things don't define him. He's a man of God, an insanely wonderful husband, and the best daddy in the world.. Just ask these guys..
Our daughter Ali, she's 9. She's fiercely opinionated and strong willed. She's a Daddy's girl, but the umbilical cord hasn't but cut from me, either. She's a gymnast, and proud of it. She spends more time upside down or turning flips than she does walking. She's crazy smart, and absolutely sure of it. She is my insufferable little know it all.
Our son Dylan, 7. We lovingly refer to him as Chubs. Or Chubby. Or fat boy. Ahem. He is all boy, as you can see by his crazy wild energy. He has the highest pain
of any child I have ever met. He plays soccer and does gymnastics, but truly he is a gamer, a nerd. He is an avid reader and loves to climb. Not to be outdone by his sister, he's a drama king, but to him, I'm the best mommy in the world.
I'm here to use my voice. So many people can't. In a world of darkness, I just want to help God's light to shine through. I pray that my words are His, and my love is His, as well. This is my journey through the darkness. To start are the beginning of the story, click
Email Me
I love to hear from my readers. Drop me a line at
My Blog List
Kelly's Korner
Sheet Pan Dinners
22 hours ago
Loves of Life
First steps to building the bridge
1 day ago
Net's Notes
Esther's Birthday Party
3 days ago
Tangled Up in Blue
Outside the Tribe
8 months ago
the ramblings of miss aimymichelle
Real-Life Romance by Rhonda Stoppe Party and Prize Pack Giveaway
8 months ago
Beauty in the Breakdown
New Plans
11 months ago
Breaking Through
1 year ago
Profoundly Seth
Save pdf smaller size mac online
1 year ago
Mi Querida Familia
Danny's Rebirth Story
2 years ago
Jaci's Mom
Missing you
2 years ago
The Perch
2 years ago
2 years ago
My Alabaster Jar
My Baby Is One
3 years ago
Shutter Bug and Mommy Love
His mercies are new EVERY morning.
3 years ago
It Just Takes One
Fill {Five Minute Friday}
4 years ago
go blog yourself
Pablove Across America 2013
5 years ago
the space between overlapping differences
Summer Vacation
5 years ago
Living in Jophies Jungle
5 years ago
No Titles
My Most Influential Person of 2012........
5 years ago
The Busy Mama
Top 10 Ways to Keep JOY in Motherhood
6 years ago
Righteous Paths
another move
6 years ago
Postcards from Insanity
6 years ago
Living the Life Abundant
Living in the Sweet Spot
6 years ago
Nine is Fine
Weekend Getaway
6 years ago
The Adventures of Super Muscles
I know...
7 years ago
Prayers for Brent Adams
Miracles Do Happen! I am Proof!
7 years ago
The Worgess Family
7 years ago
The Bloom Book Club
BIG news :)
7 years ago
Lyryn Kay Photography
Gavin and Lisa's Wedding
7 years ago
Greater Than
But if not...
8 years ago
Then Sings My Soul
Mommy Moves Again
Bring The Rain
only believe


text:
|New York Times:
|Greg Miller / Washington Post:
|Stephen Shankland / CNET:
|Nellie Bowles / Re/code:
|Christina Farr / Reuters:
|Ben Thompson / stratechery:
|Rachel Donadio / New York Times:
|Dell Cameron / Daily Dot:
|Matt McGee / Glass Almanac:
|Julie Makinen / Los Angeles Times:
This is a Techmeme archive page. It shows how the site appeared at 11:10 AM ET, June 15, 2014.
The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.
|Alex Wilhelm / TechCrunch:
|Tammy Parker / FierceWireless:
|Alyson Shontell / Business Insider:
|Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
|Caleb Chen / CryptoCoinsNews:
|Mike Rogoway / Oregonian:
|Mike Masnick / Techdirt:
|Roberto Baldwin / The Next Web:
|Florian Mueller / FOSS Patents:
|Martyn Williams / ITworld.com:


text:
posted by Thom Holwerda on Wed 6th Aug 2008 05:57 UTC, submitted by Kaj de Vos
Kristian Van Der Vliet tracked down and fixed the bug that prevented Syllable from booting off a USB device. The project published a new development build that will boot from a USB CD player. This means Syllable can now be installed in a regular way on machines that don't have an IDE CD player, such as the Asus Eee PC and other small laptops. Installing to a USB device, such as a memory stick, is not possible yet, due to further USB bugs that lock up the installation process. These are being investigated. The new development build also has the new Webster browser included.


text:
On Jan. 10, a group of 13 people – nine of whom are from Neosho – will embark on a medical mission trip to the southern part of Senegal, Africa.
On Jan. 10, a group of 13 people – nine of whom are from Neosho – will embark on a medical mission trip to the southern part of Senegal, Africa.
"We will be holding clinic in a little village called Bamacounda," said Cindy Daugherty, director of Open Doors Foundation, Inc., Neosho.
There are multiple churches involved including Neosho's First Baptist Church, which has several people going. There will also be representatives from St. Charles, Mo., and Joplin as well.
"Our American physician that is going is Dr. Ray Woodmansee who has served on our team before and used to be an ER doctor (at Freeman Neosho)," she said. "He is presently working in Branson."
This is the team's seventh year going on the medical mission trip.
"Of course, we do other trips in between but January we always kickoff the year with the medical team," she said. "The main purpose is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we use medicine as a platform to demonstrate His love and to have what we refer to as 'Open Doors.'"
As the medical team, they do a number of procedures while in West Africa.
"The medical team is one, we do medical consultations, we do pharmacy things, we also do dental extractions and we do preventative work with dental hygiene," Daugherty said. "We also go to the hospital and do some of the burn dressing changes and things like that at the hospital. We'll also be going to a local school, doing work with the kids, teaching some of the basics like English and counting, we use Bible stories in order to do that. Our hope in the next year is to build a multipurpose building there on some land that we have purchased. We were able to complete a well there this last year. Now that we have the well, we would like to continue with the building process and so that is one of our goals for this upcoming year."
As far as how many people they help out when they go to the medical mission trip, Daugherty said, "well, just in the clinic alone, we usually treat – that we have official record for – around 1,000 people. Now, that doesn't count the people that we treat kind of behind the scenes, that come to the river house and things like that."
Daugherty said she goes on these trips for a couple of reasons.
"First of all, I feel like it is a call that God has put on my life," she said. "But the main reason is, a lot of people ask the questions, 'Why not here?' 'We have so many needs here, why would you go to West Africa?' My answer to that is that we do have needs here and Open Doors does participate in things here and we are eager to do so. But here, we have all avenues. People can't be refused medical care in case of an emergency. We have Medicare, we have Medicaid, we have Bright Futures that helps, and we have all kinds of benevolent offerings with churches that help people, Crosslines, all of these various avenues. Where in Africa, if you don't have food, you don't have food. If you don't have medical care, you don't have medical care. And the region that we go to, there is one surgeon for 475,000 people. So that pretty much tells you that care is nil. The area that we go to also has the highest infant mortality rate of Senegal, so there are a lot of needs there. We are a faith-based organization and we look at scripture, God always had a balance of preaching and healing. He didn't preach without serving the needs of the people. And so I feel that is what we are called to do."
People can donate to this cause either by medications or by monetary donations.
"It is strictly by donations. The actual team members they pay their own expenses," she said. "So 100 percent of all donations goes to the mission work itself. There is no administrative fees, it all goes to medical supplies or love offerings for the interpreters fees, things like that, gasoline, lodging for the interpreters that will help us. We have two Senegal physicians that will be helping us. We can take donations in multiple ways, we can either take medications, people can also make monetary donations to Open Doors Foundation, it is all tax deductible, we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, they can also go to our website: www.opendoorstoday.org and make a donation online. Since we are getting more restricted by weight, sometimes it is better to do monetary because we can either buy medications over there instead of having to ship them or one of the local pharmacies here helps us get them at a less amount, so we can get more for the same amount of money."
To donate or for more information, contact Cindy Daugherty at 451-6701 or 389-4680.
The majority of the team will be in Africa through Jan. 22, although three will stay through Feb. 3.


text:
Four-Star-Holiday-home in Poland
Nowe Warpno is a small and very nice town in north-west Poland, only 45 kilometers far away from Szczecin, the capital city of region West Pomerania. Nowe Warpno is located uniquely between Nowe Warpno Lake and the Szczecin Lagoon (Zalew Szczeciński). With its many holiday homes of NOVASOL, Nowe Warpno is a perfect holiday location for all people who love the feeling of being far away from everyday chaos: only water, woods and meadows are around you here. And a very cozy town center with beautiful, half timbered city hall build in 17th century. The city center, thanks to the parts of Old Town from 15th century, seems almost as transferred straight from the past into the present days. In Nowe Warpno there's also a harbor for white fleet and the small ships are operating between Nowe Warpno in Poland and Altwarp and Ückermünde in Germany.
The paths along the shore are renovated and offer great place for walks and to admire the surrounding waters. Thanks to its natural conditions Nowe Warpno and its surroundings offer a lot of possibilities to all its visitors who are interested in: horse riding, cycling, water sports of all kind, Nordic walking or just simple, relaxing walking. In Nowe Warpno and around there are two cycle routs through Ueckermünde Heath and around Szczecin Lagoon. Renting one of several holiday homes of NOVASOL in Nowe Warpno and nearby will allow you to use best all the opportunities the region is offering for very nice, peaceful and comfy vacations for you and your family and friends. Also your best pet-friends are welcome to NOVASOL's holiday homes in Nowe Warpno. And although the place is known and loved as a holiday destination in Poland, it is still not very commercial which allow the holiday home guests to feel here this very special kind of holiday freedom. When looking at this very pretty, 4 stars holiday home you can easily call it a designer house as the home itself as well as its interior are arranged in a very nice, modern manner. This cute holiday home is to be found in the small town in the north-west part of Poland – Nowe Warpno. It is located not far away from a the lake Nowe Warpno and Szczecin Lagoon on the very big and neat parcel of 3.000 quadrat meter surrounded by woods and meadows – perfect holiday home for relaxing holidays away from civilization. But still the house offers all the comfort that you need on your vacation – both inside and outside the house. The surroundings invite holiday home guests to a lot of activities including horse riding (15 km away from holiday home in a place called Brzózki), cycling or just going on long walks in the nature.


text:
Donate To Rescue Rescue Volunteer Form Is the English Mastiff Right for You? Family Profile MCOA Rescue Email Contact
Visit RFI On The WWW
"MCOA Rescue/Placement Service exists to aid in placing stray or abandoned Mastiffs in adoptive homes which will provide a high level of care and where the spirit of the MCOA Code of Ethics is observed.
The Rescue / Placement Service may assist Mastiff owners, who for any reason can no longer provide a home for their Mastiff."
In December of 2005 the Mastiff Club of America formed a corporation in the state of Virginia (RESCUE FOUNDATION INCORPORATED) with the goal that this entity would achieve tax exempt (501C-3) status and be a source of income for regional organizations involved in the rescue/placement of English Mastiffs. The internal Revenue Service did approve the charitable organization status.
The RFI is currently chaired (updated in 2011) by Mary Speer and members Don Crumb, Becky Campbell, David Henson, Dr. Bill Newman, Susan Pricket, Lora Myroup, Danna Burnett, Carol Heffley, Diane Lyons, Julia Kriebs, and Toni Hyland.
Their major tasks at this time are to develop a criteria for funding rescue groups, planning the fund raising activities for the National Specialty, planning other means of gathering income and making their presence known to rescue groups, the MCOA membership and the total mastiff community.
There seems to have developed over the past two years a perception that MCOA is out of the rescue business. This is not the case at all.
With the RFI now active there will be support available from a dollar and cents standpoint and there has always been the Rescue Website available for those with questions, needs, or a willingness to take in a mastiff in need.
If any member would like to get involved, contact your MCOA or RFI Board member..or just send money, it takes many dollars to do rescue right. You can contact the RFI Board at the following email address: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Linked by David Adams on Fri 18th Jun 2010 19:17 UTC
Linux Magazine has a profile of Daniel Fore and the Elementary project. Elementary is a Linux distro that's committed to a clean and simple user experience, but it's more than a distro - it's actually a multi-pronged effort to make improvements to the user experience for a whole ecosystem of components, including icons, a GTK theme, Midori improvements, Nautilus, and even Firefox. The work that elementary is doing isn't limited to their own distro, and some of their work is available in current, and perhaps future, Ubuntu releases. The results are really striking, and I think it's probably the handsomest Linux UI I've ever seen.
Thread beginning with comment 430585
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
RE[2]: Come on People
by Aristocracies on Sat 19th Jun 2010 04:01 UTC in reply to "RE: Come on People"
Maybe not identical, but certainly derivative.
That's pretty bad. I'm looking to STOP using OS X in the home -- Everything at work is FBSD and Linux and I've been using FBSD since the 90s in one form or another. This is not what I want to see when I finally pull the trigger.


text:
Patrick Regan has kindly shared the material from his George Heath site with readers of the Victorian Web, who may wish to consult the original. About this memoir of Heath, which appeared in Good Words in March 1871, he writes: "Staffordshire Worthies contains 32 chapters on the famous sons and daughters of the county, ranging from Izaak Walton to Jerome K. Jerome. The Moorland Poet is Chapter 25. The book is a reprint of a series of articles for the Staffordshire Chronicle, which originally appeared from May to December 1910."
Near Lake Rudyard, in the "Staffordshire Switzerland," is the charming village of Horton, in the churchyard of which the most notable memorial is a fine Runic cross on which appears this inscription, the pathos of which is not a little enhanced by its simplicity: —
Erected in Memory
of GEORGE HEATH, of Gratton,
Who, with few aids
Developed in these moorlands
Poetic powers of great promise;
But who, stricken with consumption,
After five years' suffering,
Fell a victim to that disease
May 5, 1869, aged 25 years.
Although dying at so early an age, Heath wrote some sixty or seventy poems, which were collected and published in a book of 350 pages, and met with instant recognition. His death was hastened by a cold caught whilst engaged upon the restoration of Horton church, where he was working at his trade as a carpenter. His writings evinced a deep thoughtfulness, and were usually tinged with a shade of pensive sadness. How the scenes amidst which his brief span of life was spent influenced his pen is seen in a poem beginning: —
Glorious Rudyard, gorgeous picture,
How I love to gaze on thee,
Ever fraught with sunny memories,
Ever beautiful to me.
Whether storms sweep grandly o'er thee
Light or gloom their charms impart,
Ever grand, sublime, majestic,
Ever beautiful thou art.
How sublimely grand the picture
Stretching out before my gaze,
Deluged with the glowing splendour
Of the sun's declining rays
Lies the Lake in tranquil beauty
Like a model mimic sea;
Like a brightly polished mirror
In a frame of ebony.
Other verses carry the eye further afield to where —
Rugged cliffs of mouldering sandstone
Break abruptly here and there,
Like a patch of coarsest fustian
On a robe of beauty rare —
and so the living eye of our "Moorland Poet" surveys in turn each scene of native beauty.
The humble life of the poet, brief as it was, was not without its element of romance; for there entered into it not only the shadowing foredoom of a hopeless disease, but the poignancy of a blighted affection. The broken vows of the loved one he sang at some length in a poem entitled "The Discarded;" and although the passion he had conceived for her was intense, it will be seen from the following lines, extracted from a poem written on his deathbed, and headed, "True to the Last," that he fully forgave her: —
Prop me up with my pillows, sweet sister, and then
Just open the casement, and, close the room door,
And let me look out on the landscape again,
And breathe the pure air of the summer once more.
Then twine your arm round me to comfort and stay,
And wipe the big tears from these deep mournful eyes,
And listen awhile; I have something to say
Ere I pass from this world to my home in the skies.
'Twas summer, sweet sister, bright summer, as now,
And earth wore a mantle of radiant sheen;
A wreath of pure roses encircled the brow
Of the queen of my bosom — you know who I mean.
At twilight we met, 'neath the sycamore's shade,
And there 'twas she whispered those words, 'Ever thine;'
Her beautiful head on my bosom was laid,
And her lily-white hand was clasped fondly in mine.
O God! how intensely and madly I loved!
How wildly I worshipped that beautiful one.
You know how inconstant and faithless she proved,
How basely she left me when summer was gone.
You'll see her perchance when affliction hath chased
The bloom from her cheek and the light from her eye;
When sorrow's dark signet hath silently traced
Deep lines on her forehead, once noble and high.
Then tell her, sweet sister, that all was forgiven,
And all was forgot, but the bliss of the past,
And tell her I wished her to meet me in heaven,
Where all who have loved are united at last.
Such, briefly, was the sad but uneventful career of one whose name Staffordshire is now proud to preserve amongst its honoured worthies. And better far than any estimate of him we are capable of forming, is the critical appreciation expressed by a brother poet of recognised standing — Robert Buchanan, himself a native of Staffordshire, and one who had already carved for himself a niche in the national temple of fame.
It is within the range of possibility that the lesser poet may have been known to the greater; in any case it is certain that an early copy of the "Memorial Edition of the Poems of George Heath, the Moorland Poet," was sent to Buchanan, and that the latter contributed an exceedingly interesting paper upon it to the Good Words for March, 1871. The little volume contained a portrait, a memoir, and 200 pages of verse. The face depicted on the engraving struck Buchanan as revealing "a look seen only on the faces of certain women — faintly traceable in every likeness of Shelley — and almost obtrusive in the one existing portrait of Keats — a look scarcely describable — but it seems there, painful, spiritual — quite as unmistakable as on poor Kirk White's face. Next came the memoir — the old story with the old motto,' Whom the Gods love die young.'
"Is it worth while," continues Buchanan, "tracing once more the look with which we are so familiar, the consecrated expression Death puts upon the eyes and mouth of his victims? — Genius, music, disease, death — the old weary monotonous tune?"
After a characteristic tilt at the corrupt and demoralising school of poetic thought then threatening to overrun this country from Italy and France, the intrepid author of "The Fleshly School of Poetry" proceeds: —
"The stranger who first sent me George Heath's poems, with a letter telling how tenderly some thoughts of mine had been prized by the poor boy in Staffordshire, and how, under God, I had been able to influence him for good, afterwards procured for me, at my particular request, the 'Diary.' It now lies before me — four little volumes purchased by Heath for a few pence, filled with boyish handwriting, in the earlier portions clear and strong, but latterly nervous and weak, and ever growing weaker and weaker. Every day, for four long years of suffering and disease, George Heath wrote his thoughts down here. However dim were his eyes with pain, however his wasting hand shook and failed, he managed to add something, if only a few words; and let those who upbraid God for their burdens read these pages, and see how a poor untaught lad, stricken by the most cruel of all diseases, and tortured by the wretchedest of all disappointments, could year after year, day after day, hour after hour, collect strength enough to say unfalteringly, 'God, thy will be done, for Thou art wiser than I.' "One of his early pieces, entitled 'The Discarded,' written on New Year's Eve, is addressed to the girl he loved, after she had played with his heart, and wounded it cruelly. It is a boy's production with a man's heart in it. Those who are now familiar with the musical ravings of diseased animalism may find freshness even in some of these lines. They were the utterances of a lofty nature, capable of becoming a poet, sooner or later."
This was praise indeed, coming from so high a source. Further on, Robert Buchanan adds a further measure of commendation: "In 1865 appeared a little volume by Heath, under the title of 'Preludes,' consisting chiefly of verses written during the first year of his illness. These poems, like all he wrote, are most noteworthy for the invariable superiority of the thought over the expression. They are not at all the sort of verses written by brilliant young men. Their subjects are local places, tales of rude pathos like the 'Pauper Child' — nevertheless there is truth in the verses. The poor boy is not composing, but putting his own experiences into the form that seems beautiful to him, however unreal it seems to us."
Examining some of Heath's pieces, the greater poet says: "The Poem 'Icarus, or the Singer's Tale,' though only a fragment is more remarkably original than any published poem of David Gray's, and in grasp and scope of idea it is worthy of any writer. . . . Nothing is more amazing to me than to find George Heath, an unusually simple country lad . . . flashing such deep glimpses into the hearts of women. He had loved, and I suppose that was his clue."
Enough has been written to show that the peasant poet of the Staffordshire moorlands was at least a writer of pure and lofty thoughts expressed in the simplest music of a mother-tongue. In some of its features the life-story of the Moorland Poet is not so very dissimilar from that of David Gray, the much beloved friend of Buchanan, of whom more in the next chapter.
Hackwood, Frederick Wm. Staffordshire Worthies. Stafford: "Chronicle" Press, 1911.
Last modified 3 September 2002