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Alternative credit markets, encompassing private, distressed and infrastructure debt, as well as asset-based lending products, have witnessed significant growth in the aftermath of the financial crisis. New private providers of debt financing have stepped into the void left by banks as they retreat from some of their traditional lending businesses in the wake of regulatory change. While European markets have yet to offer the same diversity of financing options as the US, the move towards a less bank-centric model is a marked one.
Executive Summary
Alternative credit assets hold an intuitive appeal for long-term investors seeking yield and diversification in a low-interest-rate environment. Given the growing interest in the market, it is important to consider the risks inherent in private credit, and how investors are compensated for them. In particular, this PDF addresses the following questions:
- What exactly is illiquidity risk?
- How does it manifest itself?
- How is it relevant for long-term investors?
- What is the outlook for premia in alternative credit?
- How do the different market segments vary?
- What is the role of active investment management in generating returns?
SECTION 1: The Changing Landscape of Corporate Borrowing
- The search for yield
- Alternative credit markets
SECTION 2: Premia and Risks in Alternative Credit
Decomposing credit spreads
Default risk in alternative credit
Liquidity and asset pricing
Illiquidity and the "patient invest"
Transactional liquidity risk
Systematic illiquidity risk
- Other risks
SECTION 3: Gauging the Size of the Illiquidity Premium
- How large is the compensation for illiquidity?
SECTION 4: The Persistence of Premia
Implications for the persistence of premia in alternative credit
- What about alpha?


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Jesus is in Jerusalem for one of the great Jewish holy days teaching a group near the Temple when Pharisees brought before him a woman caught in the act of adultery. Their purpose was really to test Jesus, to put him on the spot, so as to ridicule him. John 8:11 records the story. The scribes and Pharisees who brought her said "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?"
These who brought the woman did so to make Jesus say something which would polarize some for and some against him. If he advised showing mercy, he would have been a "flaming liberal." If he had said "Obey the laws Moses gave us and stone her to death," he would have come across as callous. The death penalty left by Moses called for putting to death anyone who worked on the Sabbath, any who practiced sorcery, any who worshipped an idol, any who blasphemed (used God's name in vain)…any who had sex with an animal, any who killed other than in self-defense…any man who has sex with another man…any who commit adultery or incest…any child who disobeys or strikes his parent…any who act as a medium or wizard.
Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the sand. As they continued to ask him what his position would be, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger in the sand." And when they heard this, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest.
Scholars have tried to guess what Jesus wrote in the sand. Was it "Thou shalt not commit adultery or fornication" or "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" or "Judge not that you be not judged?" He bent down and wrote in the sand the second time. What do you think he wrote? This is the only time the Bible mentions Jesus writing anything.
One scholar speculated that he wrote "Where is the man?" If this woman was caught in the act of adultery, there had to be a man but the Pharisees only bring the woman to condemn. It would not have been equal justice to punish one without the other. Was Jesus displaying the double standard we live under even today? Jesus asked the woman where are those bringing charges of condemnation. They were gone. Jesus said "Neither do I condemn thee. Go and sin no more." What a lawyer Jesus would have been. He acknowledged the sin but he offered a new beginning for this woman as he does for us if we really repent.
There is no other record of Jesus writing than this incident, and writing in the sand meant it would not be there but for a few minutes. But the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John should well be written on our hearts.
Then maybe our society would not have double standards and only partial information. How many words of Jesus can you recall from memory. Start with the Golden Rule and the great commandment: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you…Love the Lord thy God with all your heart…soul…mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself!"

subset: commoncrawl


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Lucasfilm announced today that it will have a simultaneous release for both Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith on DVD and Star Wars Battlefront II for the PC, PS2 and Xbox November 1.
The DVD of the final installment of the Star Wars films will include a full-length documentary and two new featurettes. The first short looks deeper into the prophecy of Anakin Skywalker as the Chosen One, while the other deals with the stunts performed in Episode III. Also included will be the 15 part Lucasfilm web documentary.
"Revenge of the Sith gave audiences an extraordinary experience, and we want this DVD to do the same," said Jim Ward, Vice President of Marketing and Distribution for Lucasfilm. "From the beginning of production, George wanted to be sure we chronicled everything that went into the making of Episode III specifically to create an incredible DVD experience. This DVD has literally been three years in the making, and it's going to be a fantastic way to complete the Star Wars saga at home."
Coming out the same day as the movie, Star Wars Battlefront II continues and improves upon last year's title. Battlefront II adds new space combat, playable Jedi characters, and new environments from Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. A new single player campaign will be introduced as players command Darth Vader's elite 501st Legion of Stormtroopers and will be under direct command of the fallen Jedi.
The Revenge of the Sith DVD will include an Xbox demo of two levels from Battlefront II.


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I've had tons of people ask me similar questions, so I thought I'd address them here in the blog.
Here are the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) I've been getting recently. Feel free to comment and dialogue with me about these issues.
What are some benefits of waterbirth?
Laboring in the tub helps most women relax. They love the warm water and floating with no gravity. Being in warm water helps the perineal tissues relax, so you are less likely to tear and need stitches. Water birth is also a gentle transition for the baby. The baby is in warm water in the uterus, and comes out into welcoming warm water- which is a smoother transition than the cold air in a hospital room and a smack on the bottom.
What are the different kinds of midwives in Florida?
There are 2 types of midwives in Florida. The licensed midwife studied for at least 3 years in an approved school, took a national certification exam, and practices midwifery mainly in birth centers and homebirths. They are well versed in natural herbs, vitamins, and homeopathics but cannot write prescriptions, do gynecology past 6 weeks postpartum, or deliver babies in hospitals.
The certified nurse midwife in Florida is licensed as a nurse practitioner and does write prescriptions, do gynecology, and most nurse midwives work in hospitals. Almost 20% of the babies born in Florida are delivered by nurse-midwives. I graduated from the University of Miami as a nurse-midwife, but then worked among licensed midwives for 5 years at a busy birthing center in Miami, Florida. The licensed midwives taught me so much about herbs, homeopathics, and other natural remedies. I taught them a bit about conventional Western medicine and obstetrics.
I feel I've got the best of both worlds: the knowledge about less invasive therapies and treatments perfected over millennium by ancient healers and an in-depth knowledge of advanced pharmacological drugs that usually work quickly and efficiently. I worked as an insider in hospitals for 5 years, and then outside of the hospital since 2004. I know and understand both systems and can help my clients navigate all options so they can determine what meets their needs the best.
What is your philosophy of midwifery care for pregnancy and birth?
I advocate for informed choice, shared decision-making, and the right to self-determination. Too often health care providers in many disciplines, not just obstetrics, seem to believe that there is only 1 right way to treat a condition. If all they see is a diagnosis, they tell a client what to do with little input from the client herself. I think this is the wrong approach. People have different backgrounds, cultural differences, spiritual beliefs, economic realities, and family support systems that influence their decisions.
I try to respect every human being as the ultimate guardian of their own health. Some people may make health care decisions different than ones I would make, but that's ok. Their path is different than mine, and I'm sure we are each learning different lessons. My job is to present options, realistic risks and benefits of the different options, answer questions, and then let the client choose what is best for her particular situation. I value the empowerment that women have when taking charge of their own health, pregnancy, and birth.
I feel that pregnancy, birth, and menopause are normal, physiologic and developmental processes that can have a profound spiritual impact. Women who have felt powerless in their birth choices can feel traumatized, and this can lead to postpartum depression and poor maternal-child bonding. There are support groups for women who feel traumatized by their c-section or by uncaring providers in the hospital. On the bright side, many women report feeling incredibly powerful after birthing naturally and feel ready to conquer the world and achieve their dreams. I want to help women have the option of homebirth and waterbirth.
I realize that some women have a lot of fear about birth and are terrified of birthing without drugs or birthing outside of a hospital. I respect them and hope they have good experiences that lessen their fears. If any of you feel this way about birth, I recommend "Birthing From Within" and some hypnosis sessions before you give birth, and finding a midwife in the hospital who is gentle and respects your wishes.
But I also know that natural birth can be an orgasmic, primal, tender, gentle, noisy, silent, meditative process that teaches a woman a lot about herself, her partner, and the divine connection between all of us. I think women should have options available about where they can birth, how they can birth, and with whom can they birth.
How much does home birth cost in Florida?
Florida has great laws that state that women in Florida have the right to choose where they would like to give birth. All insurance companies in Florida must reimburse for homebirth, birthing center, or hospital birth. By law, they must pay midwives in Florida for their services. If you have insurance and are interested to know what your deductible or co-pay would be for a homebirth, call me for a free consultation at 772-766-LOVE (5683)
A typical homebirth on the Treasure Coast or Space Coast may cost $5000 which usually includes lab work, prenatal checkups, the labor and birth, and postpartum care for 6 weeks after the birth. Most midwives are available 24/7 for telephone consults and usually enjoy long, leisurely prenatal visits where all concerns are addressed. Lactation support postpartum is provided and essential to getting a good start nursing. Most midwives offer to all clients a type of "concierge medicine" where clients are treated like VIPs and have their midwife's cell phone number.
Compare this to typical Ob/Gyn doctors who rush through appointments like Jiffy Lube to maximize profits or pay off expensive school loans. Typical pregnancy visits with doctors like that might be 15 minutes with the medical assistant who checks your belly and hears the baby's heartbeat, and 5 minutes with a hurried doctor who tells you everything's fine and rushes out before the questions can come. I'm not inventing this; ask your friends how long were most of their visits during pregnancy if you don't believe me. I'm not trying to say all doctors are bad. There are the good and bad doctors just like there are good and bad midwives. But the way our profit-driven medical system is set up does not provide for long visits, preventative care, nutritional counseling, or discussions of your emotional or spiritual health. Most docs focus on treating problems if they arise, but do little to tell you how to prevent them.
If you choose a hospital birth and have no insurance, you have to pay a fee to the doctor who cares for you during pregnancy and birth, a fee to the hospital, a fee to the pediatrician, a fee for the anesthesiologist, etc. The more interventions they do to you, the more money they can charge.
Ricki Lake did a great documentary about profit-driven American obstetrics in her 2007 film "The Business of Being Born" in which she shows her homebirth in her bathtub.
I've done some research of prices here in Central Florida, on the Treasure Coast, and the Space Coast regarding the cost of hospital birth. Typical vaginal births run around $10,000-16,000. Remember that most hospitals have a c-section rate of at least 35%, so your chances are 1 in 3 of getting a much higher bill of $20,000-30,000 for a c-section. Don't worry though because you won't have to pay it all upfront, but you will be paying for awhile or it can ruin your credit.
Most homebirth midwives have a transfer rate of less than 15%, while my transfer rate was less than 8% last year. You increase your chances of having a significantly smaller bill by choosing to birth naturally instead of relying on expensive technology. Some people might say that cost shouldn't be a factor when choosing how to birth, but I'm being realistic. Finances are a factor in our lives. It's better to be upfront about potential financial hurdles. The United States pays almost double what other developed countries do for its maternity care because we're doing so many interventions and c-sections. However, that doesn't lead to better outcomes. In the latest study, we ranked 30th in infant mortality. So 29 countries in the world did better than us, including the Netherlands where midwives deliver most of the babies, and about 50% are born at home.


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Educating Ohio's Workforce
How Bluffton and employers partner together to succeed in the global marketplaceAs the United States gears up for the retirement of 20 million baby boomers in the next five years, economic development specialists are forecasting that an educated workforce will be a key component in companies finding and maintaining a competitive edge in the global marketplace. Re-working the traditional pipeline - graduating high school, entering college and graduating college - will be necessary to getting older adults back into the education system and on track to attaining college degrees.
In Allen County and the surrounding region, economic development specialists are working alongside companies and institutions like bluffton to provide current and potential employers with the resources they need, including graduates, to be successful locally, regionally and globally.
In June 2007, in response to the Ohio Senate Majority's higher education budget proposal, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland proclaimed: "The future of job growth in Ohio is investing in our regional strengths and in making sure we have the most educated, highly skilled workforce possible."
Stricklands Comments are echoed today by Jerry Good, a Bluffton alumnus serving as regional economic development director in the Governor's West Central Ohio Regional Office in Lima: "In the coming years, we will see a major shift in employment in this country, meaning we will need to be more efficient with fewer people due to all those retiring. We will need a more highly educated workforce in order to compete globally."
Good currently oversees the economic development activities of eight counties: Allen, Auglaize, Hancock, Hardin, Mercer, Paulding, Putnam and Van Wert. Within those counties, there are 18 economic development specialists working to market the region to potential employers. Additionally, the specialists assist present employers in obtaining resources they need to be successful. Good has noticed an increased interest in workforce education and re-education - and interest receiving much support from Ohio's current administration.
In March 2008, Bluffton President James M. Harder traveled to Columbus, Ohio, and Washington, D.C., to participate in meetings with university presidents and lawmakers, including Gov. Strickland and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown. "This is a time of change and renewed political initiative involving higher education policy at both the state and federal levels," President Harder told the Bluffton board of trustees in April. He is committed to the goal of increasing the number of Ohioans who achieve four-year degrees and are prepared to contribute to their communities and the economy. "Preparing students for productive lives and for responsible citizenship are important parts of Bluffton's education in both the undergraduate and graduate programs," he says.
Workforce education will be the real change agent for companies and organizations in the future, says Good. "There was a day when an individual could achieve a standard of living by using his back. Those days are gone. Today's job growth depends on education and technology for productivity gains. It's about the power of knowledge."
The Allen Economic Development Group (AEDG), a public/private partnership, has been working with government officials of both Allen County and the City of Lima to encourage the expansion and attraction of new businesses to the area. Additionally, the group helps connect employers to employable individuals. Marcel Wagner Jr., president and CEO, and Kristina (Teman '98) Clouse, vice president, are hearing more employers ask not only about the opportunities available in the area for their employees to gain further education, but opportunities for employers to find skilled individuals they can then bring into their companies.
"Training within the workforce is becoming one of the most critical items for attracting and retaining businesses," says Wagner. "The automotive industry alone will soon see its baby boomers retire. That same industry is now requiring workers on its lines to have at least two-year degrees. Workforce education is becoming increasingly important in helping businesses expand."
Clouse has been spending much of her professional time with WorkingEd, an initiative to retain and attract talent to the West Central Ohio region. She works to connect college graduates and those seeking internships with businesses in the region that have employment needs to fill. The initiative is a collaborative effort of AEDG, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the Ohio Department of Development and the Governor's West Central Ohio Regional Office.
"The Web site WorkingEd.com connects employers to area individuals who have college degrees, and not simply college degrees, but skill sets," says Clouse. "We've partnered with companies, colleges and universities like Bluffton, to help employers find qualified employees and educated individuals find quality jobs." The site currently hosts 300 companies and 11,000 resumes.
Because of the changes the job market has seen in recent years, more employers are requiring their employees—new hires as well as incumbents looking to advance within their organizations—to have advanced degrees, says Ted Bible, Bluffton's director of adult and graduate education. "Bluffton has been successful at addressing the scheduling needs of students while also addressing the workforce needs of employers. In addition to educating students for effective leadership, we focus extensively on providing students with improved critical-thinking and communication skills. These skill sets are embedded throughout our adult programs, and students acknowledge that these are the qualities that their employers notice and appreciate most."
In 1990, PRO-TEC Coating Company, the largest automotive supplier of coated-sheet steel from a single location in the United States, began as a joint venture between United States Steel Corporation and KOBE Steel Ltd. of Japan. Its plant location in Leipsic, Ohio, was chosen for a number of strategic reasons: access to Midwestern steel markets, access to rail and motor transportation networks and its proximity to U.S. Steel's production facilities in Gary, Ind., and near Pittsburgh, Pa.
A product of two cultures, PRO-TEC has shaped a distinctive, process-driven manufacturing culture by blending the American steelmaking tradition of U.S. Steel and KOBE's technical and analytical Japanese style with the strong work ethic and family values of rural Northwest Ohio. Its employees—referred to as associates, several of whom are Bluffton graduates—are recognized as the company's greatest asset. In addition to emphasizing the fundamental concepts of ownership, responsibility and accountability, the company relies on a balance of associate education and technological improvements to achieve success.
Eric Franks BCOMP '95, manager of technology and quality assurance, was the first maintenance manager at PRO-TEC when the company began operations in 1993. His transition to quality control in 1995 dovetailed with his time in Bluffton's BCOMP program. "I was purely an engineer from a technical standpoint prior to that," says Franks. "Bluffton's organizational management program broadened my horizons and created an opportunity for me to transition to quality assurance in 1997." Franks is one of seven PRO-TEC employees who have capitalized on the convenience of Bluffton's BCOMP program, each returning to school to complete their bachelor's degrees.
PRO-TEC has always sought to make the education of its workforce a core component, says company President Paul Worstell. "We offer 100 percent tuition reimbursement plus books," says Worstell. "This is why several of our workers have graduated from Bluffton's BCOMP program. Bluffton makes it convenient for our associates to take advantage of higher education." Currently, 71 percent of PRO-TEC's 236 associates have some education beyond high school, and 46 associates have earned advanced degrees while employed at PRO-TEC.
"Employers want their employees to have broad analytical and solution-development skills - skills they develop in our programs," says Dr. George Lehman, director of Bluffton's graduate programs in business and Howard Raid professor of business. "Having a broader knowledge about the world of work adds value to organizations by going beyond the minimum job requirement to design truly innovative solutions to long-standing issues."
Innovation is one reason PRO-TEC was recognized last November as a 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient—one of five companies nationwide distinguished for performance excellence in the areas of leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; human resource focus; process management; and results.
Malcolm Baldrige, U.S. secretary of commerce from 1981 until his death in 1987, was a proponent of quality management as a key to prosperity and long-term strength, especially in an ever-expanding, competitive world economy. The award was envisioned as a standard of excellence that would help U.S. organizations achieve world-class quality. PRO-TEC is one of 72 organizations that have received Baldrige Awards since 1988.
Franks, along with Roxanne Antoine BCOMP '99, Dave Maas BCOMP '00 and Phil Steyer BCOMP '02,who also work in PRO-TEC's quality-assurance department, was instrumental in laying the foundation for receiving the national quality-control award. Since 2001, Franks has compiled three detailed Baldrige applications, documenting PRO-TEC's achievements and improvements based on the criterion. Twice the company received on-site visits by teams of national examiners to clarify questions and verify application information—a rigorous evaluation process that included nearly 1,000 hours of review each time. "The purpose of the Baldrige criteria is to provide companies with a systematic approach," says Franks. "In completing the application, we found many opportunities for improvement. The application process allows us to and solution-development skills—skills they develop continually build. Rome wasn't built in a day. Becoming better is a slow progression."
"Performance excellence is a journey," says Worstell. "It was never about winning an award, but about the benefit we receive from assessing ourselves against broad and balanced criteria. We don't feel like we're that good. We don't feel like we've won something. We go through the Baldrige application processes to receive feedback. The feedback gives us ideas for how we can become better."
As companies strive to continuously improve and be successful in the global marketplace, they recognize more and more that their focus must include producing quality products and emphasizing employee education and training to ensure that each employee knows what he or she needs to know to be successful. "Especially in manufacturing, it's very easy to become focused on quality and profitability," says Worstell. "PRO-TEC is about a balanced approach to leadership, strategic planning, community, business conduct and ethical behavior."
Jerry Good notes that PRO-TEC is a great example of how a focus on people contributes directly to producing quality products. And Bluffton plays an important role by providing attractive programs that current and potential employers and employees are relying more heavily on to educate and re-educate the workforce.
"Having a qualified workforce is imperative to economic development success in this region, the state and the nation," says Good. "Having Bluffton graduates working in a quality-control department of a company that has received a prestigious, national quality- control award speaks highly of the institution. And it says that Bluffton graduates can live here locally and compete with anyone in the world."


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Judge Allows Kentucky To Seize Domain Names
from the bad,-bad-news dept
However, what's scary is in how the seizure is incredibly broad and far-reaching. None of the sites are based in Kentucky. Many of the sites are nothing more than holding pages, rather than actual online casinos. And, the law itself interprets these sites as "illegal gambling devices" which seems like a big stretch. There was some pushback, as people explained to the judge what an incredibly bad precedent this ruling would set -- as it would effectively allow any local law to be used to take possession of any website.
Apparently, the judge doesn't care. Late last week, the judge upheld the original ruling, giving one small out to the various sites. If they implement filters that block access to any IP address in Kentucky, they can keep their domain names. That's backwards. It shouldn't be the responsibility of a website that is just online to use geocoding techniques to comply with every single local law. If that were the case, the internet would ground to a halt, as any website would face so many different liabilities from so many different jurisdictions to make it impossible to comply -- and in each lack of compliance, face a potential seizure of the domain name. This is a bad ruling by any stretch of the imagination, made even more bizarre by the judge's unilateral ruling before a hearing was even held. The whole thing sounds quite questionable, and hopefully will be dumped on appeal.


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Set up Office 2010 desktop programs to work with Office 365 for business
If you signed up to use Office 365 for business, but you already have Office 2010 or Office 2007 installed on your PC and you want to continue using that version, you can set up existing desktop applications like Word 2010 or Outlook 2010 to work with Office 365 for business. You need to install the Office 365 desktop setup to configure your desktop applications and install required updates. Before you run Office 365 desktop setup, be sure that your computer meets the software requirements for Office 365 for business.
The procedures below are for older versions of Office such as Office 2010 and Office 2007. For steps to install the latest version of Office included with your Office 365 for business subscription, such as Office 2016 or Office 2013, see Install Office on your PC or Mac. For Mac, see Install Office on your PC or Mac.
If you have Office 365 Home, Personal, or University, see Install Office on your PC or Mac.
Important: If you're using Office 2013 or Office 2016, you don't need to perform the steps in this article. You're ready to set up email in Outlook.
Step 1: Run Office 365 desktop setup
Download the Desktop Setup Tool for Office 2010 and Office 2007 from the Download Center at, https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=50360.
When you're asked if you want to run the application, click Run, and then follow the instructions.
During setup, sign in again with your work or school account.
Office 365 desktop setup checks your system configuration, and you'll see options for configuring your desktop applications. You can also learn more about the updates that the desktop setup installs.
If some applications have shaded check boxes, they're not available for you to select, perhaps because your admin hasn't set up your account to use them with Office 365. Or your computer may not have the applications installed.
After you select your desktop applications, click Continue to finish up.
When the desktop setup finishes, you may need to restart your computer.
Step 2: Connect your desktop version of Outlook to Office 365
After you have run Office 365 desktop setup, connect the desktop version of Outlook that you're already using to Office 365. You can then access your Office 365 or other Exchange-based email using the desktop version of Outlook, like Outlook 2013, Outlook 2010, or Outlook 2007, or by using the web browser version of Outlook, Outlook Web App.
To connect your desktop version of Outlook to Office 365, see Set up email in Outlook.
If you need to, you can also migrate email and contacts into Office 365.
Troubleshoot the desktop setup tool
You have a connection to the Internet, but the updates are not downloading
Office 365 desktop setup uses the Windows Installer Service to download installation packages (also known as MSI files) for installing updates. Office 365 desktop setup may fail to download future updates if the Automatically Detect Settings option is not selected in your Internet Explorer settings. To enable automatic setting detection, use the following steps:
In your browser, click the Tools icon, and then click Internet options.
In the Internet options dialog box, click the Connections tab, and then click LAN settings.
In the Local area network (LAN) settings dialog box, select the Automatically detect settings check box, and then click OK.
If you continue to experience problems with updates not downloading, you may need to update your proxy server address. To do this, in the Local area network (LAN) settings dialog box, under Proxy server, select Use a proxy server for your LAN, and then enter a valid proxy server address (you can get this from your administrator).
Note: If you are not using Internet Explorer as your browser, refer to your browser's help documentation to download MSI files.
You do not have a compatible desktop program or operating system
If you receive an error message that says you are not running the correct version of a specific desktop application or Windows operating system, you need to upgrade to the required version. To find out which Office desktop applications and operating systems work with Office 365, see Software requirements for Office 365 for business.
You stopped the installation before it could finish
If you stop the installation process before it completes, only some of the required updates may be installed. In this case, we recommend that you run Office 365 desktop setup again to finish installing any remaining updates that are required to connect to and use Office 365. For the desktop setup procedure, see the steps above for using the Desktop Setup Tool.
During the installation, you lost connection to the Internet
If your computer loses the connection to the Internet during the installation process, you can run Office 365 desktop setup again after you regain a connection. To restart the process, see the steps above for using the Desktop Setup Tool.
An update could not be installed because another required update failed
Some of the updates are prerequisites for other updates. If a prerequisite update fails to install, any dependent updates will also fail during the installation process. To fix this issue, we recommend that you run Office 365 desktop setup again. See the steps above for using the Desktop Setup Tool.
You do not have enough space on your hard disk
Before Office 365 desktop setup installs the updates that you need, it checks to see if your hard disk has enough space to complete the installation process. If your hard disk does not have enough space, you must free some space before you can continue with the installation process.
If you are using Windows, you can run the Disk Cleanup tool. Disk Cleanup removes temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and removes several system files and other items that you no longer need. You can choose to delete some or all of the files. To run the Disk Cleanup tool, click Start, and then in the Search programs and files box, type cleanmgr, and press Enter. After disk cleanup is completed, start Office 365 desktop setup again.
One of the service updates is not compatible with your version of Windows
If you receive an error message that says an update is not compatible with your version of Windows, you should upgrade to one of the versions that is compatible with Office 365. For a list of supported operating systems, see Software requirements for Office 365 for business.
Your computer requires an update to the Windows Installer Service
The Windows Installer Service is a required component of Office 365 desktop setup. You must be running the latest version of the service to complete these installations. If you do not have the latest version of the Windows Installer Service, you can download the latest version from the Microsoft Download Center.
If you continue to receive an error message, contact your system administrator for assistance.
You do not have the Windows Update Agent installed on Windows XP
If you are running Windows XP and do not have the Windows Update Agent installed on your computer, some updates will not be installed. To install these updates, install the Windows Update Agent by going to Microsoft Update. When prompted, follow the instructions in the Information bar in Internet Explorer to install the Windows Update ActiveX control.
You receive error messages that say you cannot log on to the Microsoft Update service
To download and install some updates, Office 365 desktop setup needs to connect to the Microsoft Update service. However, in some networks, access to sites and services that are outside of your company's firewall are blocked by the system administrator. If you cannot access the Microsoft Update service, you need to contact your system administrator for assistance.
If you do have permissions to install updates from the Microsoft Update service but still receive this error message, check your Internet connection, and then run Office 365 desktop setup again.
Configuration of Microsoft Outlook fails when Outlook is running
If Outlook is running while Office 365 desktop setup is attempting to configure Outlook, the configuration will fail. To correct this issue, close Outlook and run Office 365 desktop setup again.
Your account does not have the necessary permissions to complete desktop setup
If you receive a message that says that an administrator is required to install updates for your computer, your user account does not have the necessary permissions to complete the desktop setup. Because the updates must be installed before Office 365 desktop setup can configure your desktop applications, you must contact your system administrator for assistance. After the updates have been installed, you can sign in to your account and run Office 365 desktop setup to configure your desktop applications.
You tried to create a log but were unable to do so
If you tried to create a log but were unable to do so because an error occurred, contact your system administrator for assistance.


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Ireland v England, February 10
Heaslip out to banish bad memories
ESPN Staff
February 9, 2013
Heaslip wants Ireland to avoid the feeling of disappointment from losses to New Zealand and England in 2012 © Getty Images
Ireland captain Jamie Heaslip admits that his side will be driven on by the memories of their capitulation to England in last year's match when the sides meet on Sunday.
Heaslip was part of a pack that came under massive pressure and conceded a penalty at the first scrum that Owen Farrell kicked to set England on their way to a 30-9 victory. Later in the match England's dominance was complete when their pack shunted Ireland's scrum backwards to win a penalty try.
"We strive to be a consistently good side and always want to do the jersey proud," Heaslip said. "On that day we were sat in the changing room afterwards feeling that we hadn't done the jersey proud. Not many people in the team could say they'd done a good job. We came off second best and we had experience of that in New Zealand as well. There are tough days in any office. You learn from it and go on.
"I haven't looked back on that England game much; it was pretty grim in the changing room afterwards. It wasn't a proud day to be a professional."
Ireland go into the match following a 30-22 win over Wales in Cardiff on the opening weekend of the tournament. It was a day of mixed emotions for Declan Kidney's team as they raced into a 30-3 lead just after half-time, but were then forced to desperately defend for the rest of the match as the reigning champions threatened a remarkable comeback.
Even so there were impressive starts from wings Simon Zebo and Craig Gilroy. Both were threatening with the ball in hand and Zebo scored the first try of the match, while Gilroy made an important tackle on Leigh Halfpenny as Wales started to haul in their opponents in the second half.
"Simon and Craig definitely have that young exuberance about them and are characters in different ways," Heaslip said. "They're great squad men and great to be around. They're playing some good rugby and that's on the back of a lot of work done during the week."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Communication error please reload the page.


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Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Charles Plosser said unemployment will probably fall to 7% at the end of 2013 and he would favor reducing the Fed's $85 billion monthly pace of bond purchases next month.
"I would like to see us begin to scale this thing back beginning even as early as the next meeting" of the Federal Open Market Committee, Plosser said to reporters after a speech today in New York. The committee is scheduled to meet June 18-19. Plosser doesn't vote on policy this year.
Plosser's remarks highlight a debate within the FOMC on whether to expand or curb a pace of bond purchases that has pumped up the central bank's balance sheet to $3.32 trillion. At their April 30-May 1 meeting, policy makers said they're prepared to increase bond buying in response to changes in the labor market or inflation.
Plosser, who didn't support the start last September of a third round of bond purchases, is more optimistic about growth than some of his colleagues. He expects the economy to expand by 3% this year and next, with the unemployment rate declining to around 6.5% by the end of 2014, he said.
In March, most policy makers forecast growth of 2.3% to 2.8% this year, with a jobless rate at year end of 7.3% to 7.5%. Plosser's forecasts place him as one of the three most optimistic policy makers on growth and unemployment for 2013.
The costs of bond buying exceed the gains, Plosser said. The purchases are "risky" and offer "pretty meager" benefits, he said.
Further Stimulus
If the economy weakened and the central bank needed to provide further stimulus, policy makers will be "kind of limited" in their options, Plosser said.
While the unemployment rate has moved toward the Fed's goal of 5.2% to 6% during the past year, inflation has fallen further from the Fed's long-run target of 2%. Inflation dropped to 1% from a year earlier in March, the slowest since 2009, according to the Fed's preferred inflation gauge.
Still, inflation expectations look "pretty well- anchored," Plosser said.
"We have to defend our inflation target both on the upside and the downside," Plosser said. "As long as inflation expectations remain well-anchored then I'm reasonably comfortable."
Plosser, 64, became president of the Philadelphia Fed in August 2006. He was previously dean of the business school at the University of Rochester in New York state. The Philadelphia reserve bank will next have a vote on policy decisions in 2014.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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I like to read grammar.
Recently I realized it once again.
So I began feeling like reading more
grammar books daily.
I have one book,
E.C.Woodcock's New Latin Syntax.
I like it very much
because it gives a lot of lengthy explanations,
taking pages for each syntactical topic,
not just listing short definitions and sample sentences.
It helps me a lot to understand Latin syntax deeper.
So, please recommend some
similar sort of books to me.
Of course downloadble pdfs are welcome.
But, let me know also of printed books.
(I don't use Google books and Google Play,
since they are inconvenient in my


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It's a dark day in Eagles Nation.
If you have the stomach for it, here's the link to the story on the Denver Broncos' Web site about the signing of Brian Dawkins today. Dawk didn't want to talk about Philadelphia during his press conference in Denver. Aparently, the five-year, $17 million deal boils down to two years and $9 million guaranteed. When the Eagles last extended Dawk's deal in August 2006, he got just $6 million in new money, spread over three seasons. I think we can assume $9 million over two years was way, way more than the Birds had planned on spending on a 35-year-old free safety.
Also, the Eagles confirmed the Lito Sheppard trade with the Jets, for a fith-round pick this year and a 2010 pick that can be anywhere from a second- to a fourth-rounder, depending on how Lito fares. (They couldn't have gotten this a year ago? Of course they could have.)
My take on Dawk: Ultimately, the loss of the longest-tenured Eagle might not harm the defense as much as it harms the psyche of the fan base. Dawkins really did struggle early last season, before a role adjustment helped him dominate down the stretch. But if anybody ever earned the right to grow old gracefully, to net a "reward" contract near the end of his career, it's Dawk. I think public opinion was the main reason Birds management cobbled together Dawkins' 2006 extension; the team was acting against its "precepts" even when Dawk was 33. This time, I think management, in yet another example of the tone-deafness that has long rankled the rank and file, thought a bare-bones offer would be accepted because Dawkins didn't want to leave. If Dawkins didn't want to take a bare-bones offer, well, that would be that.
Value in catering to the fans by giving Dawk a two-year deal, even if you doubt he has two good years left? Why, whatever could you mean? Fan revolt? What's that? Is this like the time the peasants got all upset about not being able to take those long, cylindrical sandwiches into the stadium? How quaint!
Meanwhile, the Eagles officially announced the addition of Stacy Andrews this morning, signed to a 6-year contract that is believed to average about $7 million a year. Eagles coach Andy Reid was coy about whether Andrews will play guard or tackle -- Reid wants to keep his options open, with other o-line signings possible during free agency -- but I have to think the Birds aren't giving a guard $7 million a year, in the long run.
The Jan. 7 ACL surgery that might have made Andrews less attractive in free agency to some teams didn't bother the Birds, Reid said. "We feel very confident about his knee," Reid said.
Later, in a conference call with reporters, Eagles guard Shawn Andrews said the opportunity to play on an o-line with his brother was "a pleasure, an honor, and a gift." He said if Stacy does end up at right tackle, next to Shawn at right guard, they will form "The Great Wall of Philadelphia."
Reid, by the way, announced at the onset of the Stacy Andrews press conference that he would not discuss other situations, including the Dawkins matter. Near the end of the session, ESPN Radio reporter Brian Seltzer tried respectfully to convey to Reid that despite his statement, fans throughout the region would want to know what he had to say about Dawkins. Reid then upbraided Seltzer for disregarding his "rules."
Later, after the Dawkins signing was announced, Reid released this statement.
Shawn Andrews said Dawkins going to Denver would be "definitely a loss to the team and a loss to me personally."
"If I had to pinpoint one guy, since I've been in Philadelphia that I respect as a husband, as a father, as an athlete, a football player, it would be Dawkins. He will be dearly, dearly missed."


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United States 30-man preliminary World Cup roster features 22 US Youth Soccer alums
FRISCO, Texas (May 13, 2014) — Of the 30 players U.S. Men's National Team head coach Jurgen Klinsmann named to the preliminary roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, 22 have ties to US Youth Soccer. The 23 players who will represent the United States this summer in Brazil will be chosen from the 30-man squad.
All 22 players from the preliminary roster who grew up playing soccer in the United States are US Youth Soccer alums, with the other eight players having been raised oversees. Seventeen players in the squad developed their skills as members of the US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (US Youth Soccer ODP), the nation's original player identification program that has continued its tradition of elite competition and player development for more than 30 years.
US Youth Soccer ODP alums include DaMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan, who have both been part of three previous World Cup rosters, as well as Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard, who will each aim to make their third World Cup squad this year.
GOALKEEPERS (3) : ^*Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), ^*Tim Howard (Everton), ^*Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
DEFENDERS (11) : ^*DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), ^*Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), ^*Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), ^Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), ^*Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), ^Clarence Goodson (San Jose Earthquakes), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), ^*Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), ^*DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
MIDFIELDERS (10) : ^*Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), ^*Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), ^*Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), ^Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), ^Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), ^*Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), ^*Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS (6) : ^*Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), ^*Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), ^*Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), ^Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)
*US Youth Soccer ODP participant
^US Youth Soccer Alum
The 30 players on this roster will report to Palo Alto, Calif., on May 14, for training camp. Klinsmann will choose the 23 players who make the final World Cup roster by June 2.
The United States kicks off Group G play on June 16 against Ghana, followed by a matchup with Portugal on June 22 and the final group game against Germany on June 26.
More information on the U.S. Men's National Team preliminary roster can be found at: http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2014/05/12/13/23/140512-mnt-prelim-roster.
More information on US Youth Soccer's programs can be found on USYouthSoccer.org/programs. You can also receive up-to-date news by signing up for emails or following us on social media.


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Reviewed By Ronnie R (Corpus Christi, TX) Reviewed for a 2017 Jeep Wrangler —8/21/2016 10:02 AM
Installed this between the bumper covers on my son's truck. Used the included mounts and bolted it directly to the front mount of the bumper. You can wire this 2 different ways, you can either wire it so you can control the blue led accent or only have it come on when the LED light bar is powered. It requires either a 3 position switch or having the blue directly wired to the on feature of the light bar.


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Throughout the campaign, players will encounter lifelike and adaptable artificial intelligence (A.I.) from enemies as well as fellow soldiers, destructible environments, and stunningly detailed scenery. Additionally, players will be tasked with utilizing a host of new weapons and vehicles in the war to stop the Helghast. Featuring an extensive single-player campaign and thrilling multi-player mode, Killzone 2 delivers a host of new gameplay elements and an intense storyline that will once again drive gamers to join the ranks of the ISA and fight the Helghast...this time on the enemy's home planet. Two years after the Helghast assault on Vekta, the ISA is taking the fight to the enemy's home world of Helghan. The ISA goal is direct: capture the Helghast leader, Emperor Visari, and bring the Helghast war machine to a halt. Assuming the role of Sev, a battle-hardened veteran and a member of the special forces unit known as the Legion, players will lead a group of highly trained soldiers on a mission to take out the Helghast threat. For Sev and his squad, the invasion of Helghan is just the beginning. Tasked with securing Pyrrhus, the Capital City, the team quickly discovers that the Helghast are a formidable enemy on their home planet. Not only have they adjusted to the planet's hostile conditions, they have also harnessed a source of power they can now use against the ISA. Sev discovers his squad isn't just fighting enemy forces - their fiercest opponent may be the planet itself.


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(noun) a tyrannical fascist governing body that commits its atrocities under the falsely altruistic auspices of security and protection, i.e. a fascist nanny state.
other forms (adj): tyra-nannical
other forms (adj): tyra-nannical
Mayor Bloomberg's soda ban is one of his administration's many examples of practicing tyra-nanny.
Obamacare and PATRIOT Act are tyra-nannical.
Obamacare and PATRIOT Act are tyra-nannical.
by harry p. July 01, 2013
buy the domain for your cat blog


text:
No moves after Titans president meets with coach
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Titans president and CEO Tommy Smith had not made any decisions Friday night after reviewing every part of the team with coach Mike Munchak and his general manager.
Smith said in a statement that he planned all along to review every aspect of the team's football operations when the season ended and did just that in his meeting with Munchak and Ruston Webster.
"We had good discussions, but no final decisions were made," Smith said.
Munchak and Webster flew to Texas on Friday morning and met all day with Smith before returning late in the afternoon. Munchak's truck was moved onto the tarmac at the Nashville airport, and he eluded reporters by driving out a different gate.
The Tennessean cited sources Friday that Smith had decided to keep Munchak as his coach for 2014.
Munchak, who has a season left on his contract, is 22-26 since being hired Feb. 7, 2011. His only winning season came in 2011 at 9-7, slumping to 6-10 in 2012. Owner Bud Adams spent more than $100 million in the offseason on 13 new free agents, but the Titans went 7-9 for 2013 with quarterback Jake Locker missing 14 of 32 starts to injuries.
But Munchak has said the Titans are close to being a playoff team needing only a few more players.
Webster said in a statement that they had a good conversation about moving the Titans forward.
"Nothing final has been decided at this point, but we hope to have a decision soon," Webster said.
Munchak said Monday he loves this job and the challenge of bringing the Titans together to win a championship. The Titans have missed the postseason five straight years and haven't won a playoff game since January 2003.
AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org


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Emmanuel College is honored to be named a Military Friendly School for the fifth consecutive year by Victory Media, the premier media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life.
Emmanuel is VA approved and offers flexibility and financial benefits for military and veteran students.
"Inclusion on the 2014 list of Military Friendly Schools® shows Emmanuel College's commitment to providing a supportive environment for military students," says Sean Collins, Vice President at Victory Media and a nine-year Navy veteran. "The need for education is growing, and our mission is to provide the military community with transparent, world-class resources to assist in their search for schools."
The 2014 Military Friendly Schools® list honors the top 20 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America's military service members, veterans, and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus.
For more information, please contact Debra Grizzle at firstname.lastname@example.com or (706) 245-7226.


text:
Dombrock blood group
Pronunciation: dom'brok blud grup
Definition: see Blood Groups appendix.
See Blood Groups Appendix.
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
© Copyright 2018 Wolters Kluwer. All Rights Reserved. Review date: Sep 19, 2016.
Search Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Examples: glitazone, GI cocktail, etc.


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A family business with three generations working in the heart of Sussex, surrounded by countryside and inspired by nature. The Profiles Range is one of our most patriotic suppliers and definitely one of our most successful partnerships, when asked to comment for Cuckooland they said: ''Born from desperation and nurtured with passion, The Profiles Range is our imagination run riot! We love what we do and are proud to be designing and making great products here in England. We are always creating new products and new designs so our range is constantly growing, currently, we have over 700 designs and 50 different products." Wow, that's 35,000 possibilities and the reason why most weathervanes and hanging basket brackets are made to order! For more advice on finding your perfect weathervane, view our complete guide here.
Browse the products on our site and add things to your basket along the way!
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As we get to the end of the year, I find I'm disappointed that products that I was sure someone would deliver didn't actually show up. I even ordered one that was supposed to be here in September, yet I'm still waiting. As we get ready for Christmas week, let's review the products we should have seen this year that never materialized.
iPad mini with Retina Display
You know it is coming, and you'd think that for about a 65 percent premium over other small tablets like the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 (both with arguably better displays) that Apple would have released the mini with their best display. Nope. The iPad mini without the Retinal Display is kind of like buying a Porsche with a VW engine. Granted, they used to make one of those (several actually, including the 914 and 912) but those cars didn't exactly define Porsche. I expected more and sooner from Apple, and didn't get it in 2012.
Car radio with full smartphone integration
I don't mean just a stereo that passes through music from your phone, but that passes through music, video, and apps. I have great navigation on my phone, along with all kinds of music and media services, why not better integrate with them? Not only did automakers fail to build this into cars, we didn't see it in the aftermarket either (outside of some obscure radios in China). We are living in a tablet and smartphone age, but other than Tesla basically building a tablet into their dash and Hyundai giving away an iPad with their cars (and putting the manual on it), car and stereo companies don't appear to be in the same decade. I'm expecting this to be fixed next year (again).
Wireless charging
Actually, I got this with my inductively charged Nokia phone, but what about my tablet and laptop? I'm sick of cords and having to figure out how to plug them in while in dark hotel rooms late at night. I just want to put my device down and have it magically charge, is that too much to ask? Apparently so. I've been told most of the aftermarket products that exist currently suck. If we can get an electric toothbrush to wirelessly charge, why can't we seem to figure out devices like laptops and tablets that actually need it more?
Good in-flight Wi-Fi
Yes, you can get crappy wireless on a plane, but I want to stream movies, and that clearly doesn't work. I'd even – gasp – pay for the movie if I could watch it on my tablet or laptop in a plane without a movie service (the back-of-seat choices you often get suck). Give me Netflix on a plane, and I'd be far less likely to hunt for excuses to avoid the trip. There are a number of ways to solve this problem, and I hope next year at least one airline can find one and implement it.
Flying car
I first sat in a flying car prototype in the 1970s. Back then, they promised a solution was just a few years away, yet here we are approaching 40 years later and zip. Granted, some yoyo did try to strap wings on a Pinto back then and that ended badly (really a Pinto?), but I've been waiting to fly over traffic for most of my life, where they hell is my flying car?
Electric skateboard
Yes, it technically exists, but I actually ordered one of these things at the beginning of the year and has it shown up? No. Apparently it is slated to ship in December or January, but I have my doubts. How cool would it have been to power down and up hills on a Skateboard that was designed to go anyplace? You could put into your trunk, drop your car off for service, and ride home on it. I haven't even received a note from these guys. The ZBoard still looks cool, but I have my doubts whether it will ever arrive.
How about you?
This was my list of missed products, but what's on yours? Did you have a product you were waiting for in 2012 that didn't show up, or one that did show up that missed your expectations? Let us know in the comments below!
The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not reflect the beliefs of Digital Trends.


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Covers for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S
- Always safe shipping including track&trace.
- Many e-readers/tablets look alike. Contact us if you don't know which device you have.
- If you miss something in our collection, do send an email. We're open to any suggestion.
Slimfit protection cover fits the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 9.7
suitable for Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 9.7Kleur:€32.95


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EW has confirmed that embattled indie Killer Joe has set a release date, as Deadline first reported. Matthew McConaughey's trailer-park noir found itself in an appeals imbroglio this March when the MPAA slapped an NC-17 rating on it for scenes involving drug use, nudity, violence, and graphic sexuality, to name a few. Despite losing that fight, Joe will hit theaters unchanged on July 27. Watch the trailer below.
William Friedkin directed the film based on Pulitzer winner Tracy Letts' play. McConaughey plays the title character, a police officer who works overtime as a hitman. A small-time drug dealer (Emile Hirsch) solicits Joe's services to off his mother for her insurance money, and Joe takes a special liking to the dealer's younger sister (Juno Temple). Gina Gershon, and Thomas Haden Church also star.
Read more:
MPAA sticks to NC-17 rating for 'Killer Joe'
Toronto Film Festival: Emile Hirsch finds the humor in 'Killer Joe'


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Hardcover, 440 pages, Simon Pulse, List Price: $19.99 |purchase
Buy Featured Book
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Book Summary
It's 1914 and Europe is on the precipice of war — the German Clankers and British Darwinists are armed with futuristic weaponry and biotechnology; in the midst of the chaos, Alek, a royal and potential threat to the throne, and Deryn, a common Darwinist, meet on the run and forge an uneasy alliance that will dramatically change the course of the Great War and their lives.
NPR stories about Leviathan
Note: Book excerpts are provided by the publisher and may contain language some find offensive.
Excerpt: Leviathan
The Austrian horses glinted in the moonlight, their riders standing tall in the saddle, swords raised. Behind them two ranks of diesel-powered walking machines stood ready to fire, cannon aimed over the heads of the cavalry. A zeppelin scouted no-man's-land at the center of the battlefield, its metal skin sparkling.
The French and British infantry crouched behind their fortifications — a letter opener, an ink jar, and a line of fountain pens — knowing they stood no chance against the might of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. But a row of Darwinist monsters loomed behind them, ready to devour any who dared retreat.
The attack had almost begun when Prince Aleksandar thought he heard someone outside his door... .
He took a guilty step toward his bed — then froze in place, listening hard. Trees stirred in a soft breeze outside, but otherwise the night was silent. Mother and Father were in Sarajevo, after all. The servants wouldn't dare disturb his sleep.
Alek turned back to his desk and began to move the cavalry forward, grinning as the battle neared its climax. The Austrian walkers had completed their bombardment, and it was time for the tin horses to finish off the woefully outnumbered French. It had taken all night to set up the attack, using an imperial tactics manual borrowed from Father's study.
It seemed only fair that Alek have some fun while his parents were off watching military maneuvers. He'd begged to be taken along, to see the mustered ranks of soldiers striding past in real life, to feel the rumble of massed fighting machines through the soles of his boots.
It was Mother, of course, who had forbidden it — his studies were more important than "parades," as she called them. She didn't understand that military exercises had more to teach him than musty old tutors and their books. One day soon Alek might be piloting one of those machines.
War was coming, after all. Everyone said so.
The last tin cavalry unit had just crashed into the French lines when the soft sound came from the hallway again: jingling, like a ring of keys.
Alek turned, peering at the gap beneath his bed chamber's double doors. Shadows shifted along the sliver of moonlight, and he heard the hiss of whispers.
Someone was right outside.
Silent in bare feet, he swiftly crossed the cold marble floor, sliding into bed just as the door creaked open. Alek narrowed his eyes to a slit, wondering which of the servants was checking on him.
Moonlight spilled into the room, making the tin soldiers on his desk glitter. Someone slipped inside, graceful and dead silent. The figure paused, staring at Alek for a moment, then crept toward his dresser. Alek heard the wooden rasp of a drawer sliding open.
His heart raced. None of the servants would dare steal from him!
But what if the intruder were something worse than a thief? His father's warnings echoed in his ears... .
You have had enemies from the day you were born.
A bell cord hung next to his bed, but his parents' rooms were empty. With Father and his bodyguard in Sarajevo, the closest sentries were quartered at the other end of the trophy hall, fifty meters away.
Alek slid one hand under his pillow, until his fingers touched the cold steel of his hunting knife. He lay there holding his breath, grasping the handle tightly, repeating to himself his father's other watchword.
Surprise is more valuable than strength.
Another figure came through the door then, boots clomping, a piloting jacket's metal clips jingling like keys on a ring. The figure tromped straight toward his bed.
"Young master! Wake up!"
Alek let go of the knife, expelling a sigh of relief. It was just old Otto Klopp, his master of mechaniks.
The first figure began rifling through the dresser, pulling at clothes.
"The young prince has been awake all along," Wildcount Volger's low voice said. "A bit of advice, Your Highness? When pretending to be asleep, it is advisable not to hold one's breath."
Alek sat up and scowled. His fencing master had an annoying knack for seeing through deception.
"What's the meaning of this?"
"You're to come with us, young master," Otto mumbled, studying the marble floor. "The archduke's orders."
"My father? He's back already?"
"He left instructions," Count Volger said with the same infuriating tone he used during fencing lessons. He tossed a pair of Alek's trousers and a piloting jacket onto the bed.
Alek stared at them, half outraged and half confused.
"Like young Mozart," Otto said softly. "In the arch-duke's stories."
Alek frowned, remembering Father's favorite tales about the great composer's upbringing. Supposedly Mozart's tutors would wake him in the middle of the night, when his mind was raw and defenseless, and thrust musical lessons upon him. It all sounded rather disrespectful to Alek.
He reached for the trousers. "You're going to make me compose a fugue?"
"An amusing thought," Count Volger said. "But please make haste."
"We have a walker waiting behind the stables, young master." Otto's worried face made an attempt at a smile. "You're to take the helm."
"A walker?" Alek's eyes widened. Piloting was one part of his studies he'd gladly get out of bed for. He slipped quickly into the clothes.
"Yes, your first night lesson!" Otto said, handing Alek his boots.
Alek pulled them on and stood, then fetched his favorite pilot's gloves from the dresser, his footsteps echoing on the marble floor.
"Quietly now." Count Volger stood by the chamber doors. He cracked them and peered out into the hall.
"We're to sneak out, Your Highness!" Otto whispered. "Good fun, this lesson! Just like young Mozart!"
The three of them crept down the trophy hall, Master Klopp still clomping, Volger gliding along in silence. Paintings of Alek's ancestors, the family who had ruled Austria for six hundred years, lined the hallway, their subjects staring down with unreadable expressions. The antlers of his father's hunting trophies cast tangled shadows, like a moonlit forest. Every footstep was magnified by the stillness of the castle, and questions echoed in Alek's mind.
Wasn't it dangerous, piloting a walker at night? And why was his fencing master coming along? Count Volger preferred swords and horses over soulless mechaniks, and had little tolerance for commoners like old Otto. Master Klopp had been hired for his piloting skills, not his family name.
"Volger ...," Alek began.
"Quiet, boy!" the wildcount spat.
Anger flashed inside Alek, and a curse almost burst from his mouth, even if it ruined their stupid game of sneaking out.
It was always like this. To the servants he might be "the young archduke," but nobles like Volger never let Alek forget his position. Thanks to his mother's common blood, he wasn't fit to inherit royal lands and titles. His father might be heir to an empire of fifty million souls, but Alek was heir to nothing.
Volger himself was only a wildcount — no farmlands to his name, just a bit of forest — but even he could feel superior to the son of a lady-in-waiting.
Alek managed to stay quiet, though, letting his anger cool as they stole through the vast and darkened banquet kitchens. Years of insults had taught him how to bite his tongue, and disrespect was easier to swallow with the prospect of piloting ahead.
One day he would have his revenge. Father had promised. The marriage contract would be changed somehow, and Alek's blood made royal.
Even if it meant defying the emperor himself.
Excerpted from Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. Copyright 2009 by Scott Westerfeld. Excerpted by permission of Simon & Schuster.


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Car Video
Minivan vs SUV: Moms Know Best
Let's say you've decided you really need a family car with three rows of seating. The good news is, your choices are limited and you're well on your way to finding that one car that will really work for you. The next big question is, "Minivan or SUV?"
We Ask Moms
We're certain there is a lot of data and engineering speak from track testing a Honda minivan, but we have a better idea. To get to the bottom of the minivan vs SUV debate, we're going to skip the tech talk and ask moms which they prefer and why.
Both Are Appealing
There's no way around this, but minivans are custom-built for trucking families and stuff around day after day. The minivan's box-on-wheels recipe holds more stuff and has kid-in-parking-lot-friendly sliding side doors.
The appeal of the SUV is obvious: It looks big. But most drive like cars. You still get a ton of space inside, and the long hood means you can still look kinda cool even in the pickup lane at your daughter's preschool.
Our Favorite Minivan
To make it a fair minivan vs SUV fight, we opted for the coolest versions of each vehicle we could find. Our minivan was a 2013 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite -- the Cadillac of minivans.
If you like to drive, you'll like the Odyssey. It handles like a sedan, has a powerful V6 and remains luxury-car quiet even on the open highway. If someone stuck an Acura logo on the Odyssey's steering wheel, most buyers wouldn't notice -- the Odyssey is that good. Thoughtful interior features such as power sliding side doors and a backup camera with three angles are just a few of the reasons the Odyssey is our favorite minivan.
A Cool SUV
On the SUV side of the debate we opted for something equally competent, a 2013 Ford Explorer Sport. To give the Explorer a little more of an edge, we went with the Sport model. The Sport model comes with a more powerful turbocharged V6 engine, better brakes and a reworked all-wheel-drive system that helps the big SUV handle better than the nonsport Explorer.
The Explorer Sport definitely keeps the "sport" in Sport Utility Vehicle. We also like the Explorer Sport's tough look and roomy back seat.
Check out the video to see what our moms have to say about minivans and SUVs.


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Common transplanting practices analyzed for impact on lacebark elm
COLLEGE STATION, TX—Landscape trees are increasingly being produced using container nursery systems rather than traditional field production practices. In contrast to field production techniques, successful container production requires a series of transplanting events in which trees are sequentially transferred to larger containers, a practice known as "potting-up" or "up-canning".
Problems can arise when trees are planted either too deep or too shallow at each up-canning. Variability in planting depth (the location of the root collar relative to soil surface, or grade), is of particular concern; optimum planting depth may vary among species and may be dependent on cultural practices and environmental conditions. A new study investigated transplanting practices during container production of the popular landscape tree lacebark elm.
"A lack of knowledge about the effects of common transplanting practices may lead to suboptimal performance of planted landscape trees. Our goal was to determine if transplanting practices during container production through two up-canning events would affect subsequent landscape performance", said Donita L. Bryan of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville and corresponding author of the study. Bryan and colleagues from Texas A&M University conducted their experiments on lacebark elm (Ulmus parvifolia Jacq.), a landscape tree commonly used in urban environments. The study, published in HortScience, investigated effects of planting depth during two successive phases of container production (10.8 L and 36.6 L) and eventual landscape establishment.
The scientists tested whether trees that were initially planted with root collars below grade or above grade, then brought back to grade during successive up-canning or when placed in the landscape, performed as well as trees that were consistently planted with root collars at grade. The experiments also tested whether below-grade planting in containers would exacerbate any adverse effects of below-grade planting in the landscape.
The results showed that tree growth was greater when planted at grade during the initial container production phase and was reduced when planted 5 centimeters below grade. In the second container production phase, trees planted above grade showed reduced growth compared with trees planted at or below grade. During landscape establishment, transplanting at grade to slightly below or above grade produced trees with greater height on average when compared with planting below grade or substantially above grade.
"Correlations between initial growth and final growth in the field suggested that substantial deviations of the original root to shoot transition from at-grade planting was more of a factor in initial establishment of lacebark elm than the up-canning practices associated with planting depth during container production", the researchers concluded.
The complete study and abstract are available on the ASHS HortScience electronic journal web site: http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/45/1/54
Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education, and application. More information at ashs.org
This press release also available on EurekAlert! - view here
Original article:
Planting Depth During Container Production and Landscape Establishment Affects Growth of Ulmus parvifolia
Donita L. Bryan, Michael A. Arnold, Astrid Volder, W. Todd Watson, Leonardo Lombardini, John J. Sloan, Luis A. Valdez-Aguilar, and Andrew D. Cartmill
HortScience 45:54–60. [Abstract][Full Text][PDF]


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TIME, DATE, PLACE: 3 p.m., Sunday, April 6, Strong Auditorium, University of Rochester River Campus.
WHAT: The canonization of John Paul II on April 27, 2014, will be celebrated at the University of Rochester through a blend of music, readings of John Paul's poetry, and excerpts from the book, John Paul II the Story of My Life: Collected Memories.
From his early years as a quarry worker, seminary student, and priest, John Paul II, then known as Karol Wojtyła, was an avid writer of poetry, plays, and essays, his work dating back to 1938. His last poem, Tryptyk Rzymski (Roman Triptych) was written in 2002.
As a way to celebrate John Paul II, poetry and memories will be read in English by Rev. Brian C. Cool and in Polish by Karolina Styczeń.
In addition to and interspersed throughout the readings, musicians from the Eastman School of Music will perform selections from Bach, Chopin, Wieniawski, Beethoven, Dungan, and Gounod. The musicians include Johnandrew Slominski (piano), Emily Helenbrook (soprano), and Petros Karapetyan, (violin).
ADMISSION: The concert is free and open to the public.
SPONSOR: Co-sponsored by the Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies, the University of Rochester department of music, Catholic Newman Community, and the Council of St. Stanislaus Parish.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the Skalny Center at 585.275.9898.


text: Transworld staff photographer Mike O'Meally has been one of the lucky ones who gets to travel the world in pursuit of skateboarding, all the while documenting his experiences with his camera. The images he has produced throughout his career are unforgettable. Awhile back he compiled some of his favorites for a show called Far From Home, which was displayed at the Dactyl Gallery in New York. When we moved in to our new offices it made perfect sense to have those images hang on our walls. These photos show an in depth look at our world through the eyes of a skateboarder. From tragedies to triumphs, these images are as memorable as the people in them. Watch and listen as Mike gives you a personal walkthrough of some of his favorite photos he has ever shot.


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Joss Whedon talks comics, 'Avengers,' 'SHIELD'
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Joss Whedon is the busiest man at Comic-Con.
The multihyphenate visionary talked television on Friday, film on Saturday and rounded out the four-day geek extravaganza by meeting with fans and talking with reporters Sunday at the Dark Horse Comics booth about a new season of his Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic book series, the possibility of a "Serenity" title, and the dual realities of the Marvel film and television worlds.
After saying he can't give too many details about what's going on in all those projects, Whedon did give The Associated Press some insight in a quick interview as Comic-Con swirled around him and fans snapped his picture from afar.
AP: What can you tell us about the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" story?
Whedon: I can't say much about what's going to happen. We're wrapping up Season 9 of "Buffy" and "Angel & Faith," and we've already sort of got a road map for Season 10, which I'm really excited about. Every season we get to come in and find and see a new aspect of what it's like for her and what it's like for anyone that's around her age that's going through life trying to figure it out. She's in her 20s, so she's trying to figure out what the hell she is. We've asked a lot of questions over the last two seasons. Season 10 I'm excited about because it has some very interesting answers for some of them. I can't really say. There's going to be a lot of back and forth between the comics — not so much that if you only like one you won't get what's going on, because I hate that. But they do share a universe, all these characters, and their ability to sort of show up in each other's books is part of the huge fun. And the fact that Giles is now a young boy just makes me laugh and laugh.
AP: You have so much going on in film and TV, you could easily leave the comic books behind. Why do you keep doing them?
Whedon: Dark Horse came to me many years ago and said, "How do you feel about doing new stories with Buffy," and the show had been over for two or three years, and I realized I really, really wanted to. Just writing those voices again, remembering that mission statement of let's tell the story of this girl and the trials of having power and trying to keep her friends together. It moves me. I love this medium. I've read comics my whole life. The idea that we got to create our own little comic book universe, it's very heady. I'm very grateful.
AP: Do you have plans to bring "Serenity" out as a comic book?
Whedon: That's the hope, but there's nothing official yet. It's patchy. "Buffy," the way it lent itself to a musical, lends itself to comic books in a very simple way. "Serenity," you've got to have the exact right sort of notion before I'll even let it go forward. Because it was taken away so fast, I was always leery of getting it wrong.
AP: You could revisit the war, take the characters into the future ...
Whedon: There's a lot you can do. I'm a little busy. I have some other stuff to do. But I have some ideas.
AP: Can the new "Marvel's Agents of SHIELD" television series thrive without the presence of already-known superheros from the Marvel universe?
Whedon: The thing is SHIELD itself is kind of an espionage book. They're all basically spies. Just the idea of these people's lives was fascinating in all its aspects, so if it was a situation where we had to have a superhero of the week, I would never have done the show. That would get old super fast. It's part of the Marvel collective, but there's also a lot more: The idea of dealing with not just the new technology, the alien stuff, and just regular people who are caught up in the wake of this world; the idea that "The Avengers" changed the game for the Marvel cinematic universe, which SHIELD is now a part of. The whole world suddenly found out there were superheroes and aliens and all kinds of wonderful, terrible things, and that's going to have different repercussions for everybody. So there's a lot of different ways to approach every episode."
AP: Samuel L. Jackson told us yesterday he can't believe he's not involved in the new TV series as "SHIELD" Director Nick Fury. Do you see a role for him in the show?
Whedon: We would love to have Sam in the house. If we could work it out, we'd do it in a heartbeat. He's Sam. What are we, new? But we also have the movies and we have TV and we need to make sure there's some crossover, but not so much that people go, "Well, I don't need to see that movie. I saw it on TV." If we do that (Marvel Studios President) Kevin Feige is going to come after me with a pitchfork.
AP: You brought Agent Coulson back to life for the TV series after his apparent death in "The Avengers." Is it possible he'll return for the film's sequel as well?
Whedon: He could. Right now it's not something I'm pursuing because I have so much going on in "Avengers" 2. Finding out that Coulson is alive would be an entire B story. And I already have too much movie. That's better than the other thing.
Follow AP Music Writer Chris Talbott at http://twitter.com/Chris_Talbott .


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A. F. Weaver Collection - 8 Matching Results
Search Results
- [An Aerial View of Downtown Mineral Wells in 1954]
- This is a picture of an aerial view of downtown Mineral Wells (taken from the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, January 1954)at about South Oak Avenue, and looking north-northeast. Some of the buildings identifiable in the picture no longer exist. The Damron Hotel, at the middle left of the picture, burned in 1975. The Oxford Hotel/First National Bank building, one block east [right] of the Damron, near the center of the picture, burned in 1983. It has been replaced by Lynch Plaza. The Hexagon Hotel, in the upper left corner of the picture, (north and above the Crazy) was demolished in 1959. The Convention Center behind the Hexagon was demolished in 1976. Landmarks still standing are: The 13-story (including a Roof Garden) Baker Hotel, dominating the upper right of the picture; The Crazy Hotel (now [2003] a retirement home) at the upper left of the picture; and the old Post Office in the upper middle of the picture (between the Baker and Crazy Hotels), which now [2003] houses the Woman's Club. The building across the street and to the south (this side of the Baker) was demolished to make room for the Mineral Wells Savings and Loan, which in turn was replaced by The First State Bank.
- [Inspiration Point]
- The label on the photograph reads both "Possum Kingdom Dam" and "Inspiration Point". A. F. and Patsy Weaver are shown enjoying the view from Inspiration Point. A.F. Weaver himself took the photograph, using a tripod and camera timer,in the same vicinity where he had proposed to Patsy Weaver years before this photograph was taken. In the early part of the twentieth century,the internationally known evangelist, Billy Sunday, visited Mineral Wells. He was told about an outstanding view from a vantage point south of town. On seeing the vista for himself,the Rev. Sunday remarked it was truly an inspirational view. Since that time the viewpoint has been known as "Inspiration Point". This vista is seven miles south of Mineral Wells off US Highway 281, and approximately 40 miles below the Morris Sheppard Dam at Possum Kingdom Lake. It has been called one of the most beautiful scenic views in Texas. This picture has possibly been used in the course of the advertising of interesting things to see and do around Mineral Wells, which might explain the label attached to the photograph. Similarly captivating is a view from "Observation Point" the Dam at Possum Kingdom Lake. The two vistas, some 20 to 30 miles apart,overlook entirely different stretches of the Brazos, each with its own unique but spectacular view.
- [A Letter Concerning Mineral Wells High School 1953 Graduation]
- A letter is shown here (dated November 27, 2002) from R. B. Shiflet to Bob Bellamy, concerning the Mineral Wells High School graduating classes of 1953 and 1954. It states that the move to the "new" campus occurred during the Christmas holidays of 1953. The letter also describes classroom conditions during this period. Houston School faculty members are mentioned, as well. They included R. B. Shiflet, Mrs. D. R. (Ferne) Hudson and Mrs. Mildred Burnham.
- [Mineral Wells Policemen]
- On back of this photograph is written: "T. Row. L to R. Harry Shuffler, Gilbert Summerfield, L.D. Hill, Bill Patton & Odie Heath 1953 B. Row L. to R. Chief Frank Granbury, B Lain (probably "Blain") Price, John Fletcher, E. Scott Tobey & Alfred A Perkins" The picture was donated to the Mineral Wells Heritage Association on February 12, 1988, by Scott Tobey.
- Nazareth Hospital 25th Anniversary 1931-1956
- We have here a copy of the cover of a booklet marking the 25th anniversary (1931 - 1956) of Mineral Well's Nazareth Hospital. The brochure contains pictures of the religious, medical, nursing and administrative staff, with interior scenes of departments, patients and equipment. The Mineral Wells Clinic was built soon after the current Crazy Hotel opened in 1927 to replace the Crazy Flats that burned in 1925. In 1931, the Holy Sisters of the Nazareth purchased the 46-bed facility for $135,000 and moved into the top floor of the building to live and minister to the patients. The staff began with a staff of six Sisters, one R.N., a janitor, and twelve doctors. They admitted 304 patients, of which 30% were paying patients, 23% were only partial payers, and 47% were charity cases. Eight were neonates. The staff expanded in 1939 to thirteen Sisters, (of which two were R.N.'s, and another was an anesthetist) four Graduate R.N.'s, two Nurses' Aides, a male nurse, a janitor and two handy-men. They had admitted 649 patients, of which 66 were neonates. 53 3/4% paid their way, 17% part-paid, and 29% were charity cases. The hospital ran on three 8-hour shifts twenty-fours a day and seven days a week. All hospital equipment (and the hospital linens) were used three times as long as usual, because of their expense. A Women's Auxiliary was established in 1931 to render all possible assistance to the running of the hospital--especially in defraying the cost of patients who couldn't pay their way.. The hospital was closed in the mid-sixties, and temporarily moved to the Crazy Hotel until the present [2009] hospital was built.
- PALOCADE Palo Pinto County
- Palo Pinto County celebrated 100 years of existence in 1957. Shown here is a picture of the cover of the official program of the pageant that commemorated this milestone in the county's history. Palo Pinto County began with its formation by act of the Texas legislature in 1856, and its subsequent organization in 1857. As part of the year-long centennial observance, a pageant noting significant events in the county's past was presented at the local football stadium. The program itself contains 28 pages of tidbits of history about people, places and events in the county's heritage, along with a schedule of events organized by the official Centennial Committee.
- Points of Interest in and About Mineral Wells
- A photograph of a collage in a Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce advertisement includes a postcard that pictures points of interest in and about the city. Pictured are: An aerial view of Camp Wolters, the Recreation Center showing a theater, gymnasium, and PX, with an inset of the base hospital; Possum Kingdom Dam and part of the eponymous lake; a local beauty queen; an aerial view of downtown Mineral Wells, Texas; Lake Mineral Wells (with the island that was inundated when the dam was subsequently raised); a view from Inspiration Point south of the city; and the Baker Hotel. The text publicizes the various assets and tourist attractions to be found in and around the "City Built on Water." One photograph in the collage is upside-down.
- Young Motor Co.
- A text on the photograph identifies it as "May 1952-Grand Opening after fire of 1951,/ 316 E. Hubbard Street, /Photo by A. F. Weaver." This business was the local General Motors dealership and garage. It became Barnett-Young in late 1960's, and in 1984 after Cecil Young's death it was Barnett Motor Co. The building is adjacent to the Baker Hotel parking garage, and, in 2007, it houses the H & H Tire Company.


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Improving park facilities and constructing an indoor recreational facility were top priorities at the Lexington Parks and Recreation Department's workshop meeting on Tuesday.
Improving park facilities and constructing an indoor recreational facility were top priorities at the Lexington Parks and Recreation Department's workshop meeting on Tuesday.
"A little over a year ago we had an election and the citizens elected a new mayor and several new council members. It looked like a good time to look at what we're doing and the best way to do this is to do a study," said Bruce Davis, parks and recreation director.
Site Solutions of Charlotte conducted a real-time survey for a group of about 50 at the workshop meeting. Prior to this meeting, 3,000 surveys were randomly sent to Lexington residents. Of that amount only 240 were returned. Darrick Williams of Site Solutions said the workshop was a time to include citizens who did not receive the survey and gain real-time comments and reactions to put together a 10-year master recreation plan for the city.
During the public comment section, William Deal, executive director of Tourism Recreation Investment Partnership, said he applauded the effort put forth by the city and the parks and recreation department.
"One thing we see when talk about recreation is we think of fun and games and it is that, but we need to put recreation in its proper perspective," Deal said, noting that recreation facilities can be used for economic development.
Walking trails were listed as the number one activity people would participate in at a public recreation facility. Playgrounds were a close second to walking trails. Deal pointed out that the more opportunities citizens had to use recreational facilities correlated to the overall health of the population, which is a factor industries look at when studying business locations.
Two things that had recently been brought up as an idea under the current city council goals were creating a skate park and a dog park within the city limits. Both those ideas were not supported by the majority in the random survey or the workshop.
Adding to or improving existing facilities was what the people wished to be done with current funding and the majority wanted any additional funding to come from park user fees instead of a tax hike or a general obligation bond.
While the survey requested public input on about 25 different activities, it was not the need that was the question, but the funding for expansion.
"I would have voted for an aquatics center. It would be a wonderful thing here but obviously the cost of that would be high," said Keith Curry, a member of Helping Organize People Effectively.
Another high-cost item the majority of participants would like to see in Lexington was the indoor recreation facility. HOPE has been working behind the scenes, drafting a design and working to gain public support for a multigenerational facility that could potentially be different than a physical activity recreational facility.
Tina Royal, a long-time volunteer for the parks and recreation department, emphasized the need for an indoor recreational center.
"We need an indoor facility to handle all the things we (the parks and recreation department) need to do," Royal said, adding that the department's building is often used to its max as it is now.
But all the discussions eventually boiled down to available funding.
"It's financing," stated Mark Lambros, one of the benefactors of the new Green Needles Park, "It's not getting people behind the idea; it's getting people behind the behind the financial sacrifices that have to be made."
Rebekah Cansler McGee can be reached at 249-3981, ext. 228, or at email@example.com.