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HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker women's soccer team will battle against the Indians of Catawba College in a South Atlantic Conference matchup this week as part of Coker College's homecoming festivities. The match is set for a 1:30 p.m. kick-off on Saturday (Oct. 5) at the Coker Soccer Field. The match will be broadcast live online at www.cokercobras.com.
The Cobras look to keep on rolling after their 2-0 victory against Converse College earlier this week. Leading Coker in the win was freshman Jordan Roy who scored both goals for the Cobras.
Along with Roy, sophomore Jalynn Fortt has helped lead the offense for the Cobras with one goal and one assist on the year.
Catawba sports a 4-4-1 overall record and are 1-2-1 in conference play. The Indians won their last match against Chowan, and are led by Alex Hulsey and Amy Iwanicki who have three goals apiece.
During halftime of the game Coker College will honor the 1994 Coker College women's soccer team as the 2013 Hall of Fame inductee, and present the Young Alumni Award.
Tickets for the match are $5 for adults, $3 for students and free to all Coker faculty, staff and students.


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Welcome! This is a blog for movie reviews. I have no qualifications, but I love to write and I chose reviews as they are quite fascinating to me. I also cook, take pictures, direct and have a couple of works I would like to share with you - so look around and let me know what you think!
(Pictures featured in the header are courtesy of www.freeimages.com)

subset: commoncrawl


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Savannah-Chatham police have charged two more men with the March 20 death of Achmed Kiwaan Williams and are seeking help from the public in locating them.
Warrants were secured Thursday against Germaine Remond Grant, 23, and Terrell Akeem Nelson, 18, police said.
Grant is described as a black male standing 5-feet-7 and about 120 pounds. Nelson is described as a black male standing 6-feet-2 and about 190 pounds.
Anyone with information on the case or the location of either of the men is asked to call Crimestoppers at 912-234-2020 or text CRIMES (274637). Tipsters remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward.
A confidential Tip Line also is open directly to investigators at 912-525-3124.
UPDATED: A version of this story published online Friday contained incorrect information from a source. Ashley Maurice Hudson, 31, was arrested on April 10 at the house where the shooting took place on unrelated charges. He has not been charged in the homicide.


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Marc writes: "iDriver is an open-source (GPL) PHP framework for developing database-oriented web applications. It currently supports MySQL only, but will likely be ported to other database systems. iDriver makes writing database-oriented applications easy by providing a powerful, extensible set of user interface components. These components provide highly functional user interfaces, with a high level of security checking.
iDriver has been developed by Jared Davis, under the auspices of the University of Nebraska at Omaha Library, and is currently in use at the Library to power numerous patron service applications. The first iDriver-based application, the Research Wizard Editor System, received the American Library Association Gale Group Award for Excellence in Reference and Adult Library Services for 2001, and was cited as 'An excellent example of how professional expertise and technology can be merged.'"


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It looks like your browser is out of date.
To use all features of KLM.com safely, we recommend that you update your browser, or that you choose a different one. Continuing with this version may result in parts of the website not being displayed properly, if at all. Also, the security of your personal information is better safeguarded with an updated browser.
Thanks to recent reforms, Cubans have gained many newfound freedoms: they can go on holidays abroad, buy a new car or... start their own company. Many are taking full advantage of the latter: recently overhauled private restaurants, hip cocktail bars and creative boutique hotels are blossoming in Havana.
Life was very predictable in communist Cuba: everyone was employed by the state and received a meagre monthly salary. Those days are gone and many Cubans now have permission to start their business. They drive tourists around in their vintage cars, organise tours or open up cafés or restaurants. Visitors benefit most from this new economic buzz in the capital. A brief overview: the 3 top new attractions in Havana.
Cuban cuisine is not that celebrated: meals often consist of little more than rice and beans. But a new generation of paladares, the typical Cuban private restaurants, is showing that Cuban cuisine has a lot more to offer. A great choice is Le Chansonnier. Set in a beautiful colonial house with a modern interior, the restaurant is headed by Chef Enrique who treats his guests to nouvelle cuisine a lo Cubano. Start with the octopus carpaccio, followed by a duck breast and caramel flan for dessert. Arguably Havana's best paladar.
Havana's hip locals gather in this former olive oil factory transformed into a gallery, eatery, cocktail bar, cinema and a nightclub. Inaugurated by Cuban musician X Alfonso, this art centre offers a host of activities: there are exhibits, fashion shows, dance performances and pop concerts, but guests can also just sip a mojito at the bar. On weekends, artsy Cubans and tourists dance way into the night. And whether it is opening night or not, there is always a lengthy line outside.
Fabrica de Arte Cubano, corner of Calle 11 & Calle 26, Vedado, Havana,www.fabricadeartecubano.com
Casa Vitrales, in the historic centre of Havana, is a modern and comfortable version of the typical Cuban casa particular (accommodations in a private home). While preserving the old details of this colonial house, the 9 rooms have been equipped with modern conveniences such as box-spring beds and air conditioning. The rooftop terrace is perfect for breakfast or a drink, with wonderful views of the old city. The price is also pretty sweet: a double room starts at 25 euro. For 375 euro you can rent the entire house - with room for 18 people.


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Fighting Force
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Following a slew of shopping days that drew consumers out by the millions, there's a new cleverly named spending holiday on the scene — Giving Tuesday.
Unlike its more consumption-oriented (and wildly successful) cousins Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday aims to persuade consumers to open up either their wallets or schedules for a good cause.
The inaugural event was created by New York City's 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation. It has attracted more than 2,000 partners, both registered charities that have committed to a Giving Tuesday initiative and for-profit businesses or groups that have pledged projects to benefit a charity.
"#GivingTuesday offers America a new narrative, challenging us to think beyond Black Friday and Cyber Monday and reminding us that the spirit of the holiday giving season should be about community and not just consumerism," said Kathy Calvin, the U.N. Foundation's chief executive officer.
As part of the initiative, companies such as JPMorgan Chase, Discover and Microsoft have launched various matching programs related to the holiday, while nonprofits are hosting social media and cybergiving drives along with volunteer events.
The event's trademarked title complete with a hashtag illustrates the far-reaching power that Twitter has in galvanizing support for charitable causes. By mid-afternoon Tuesday, the strategy appeared to be working since "GivingTuesday" was a trending search term on the site, and numerous celebrities and businesses with large numbers of Twitter followers had mentioned the event.
GivingTuesday's website also features resources for would-be givers to investigate charities' ratings and financial information and ideas for ways that individuals and families can get involved in giving.
The nascent charity holiday comes one day after consumers filled their virtual shopping carts in droves to drive Cyber Monday to become the biggest online shopping day ever, according to IBM, which tracks sales. The 30.3 percent rise in Cyber Monday sales also follows a 12.8 percent increase in overall spending over the Thanksgiving weekend, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation.
But with all the holiday spending, are Americans tapped out?
Both retailers and charities see the holiday season as a crucial period for generating revenue although reports from last year point to retailers' winning the race for the American dollar.
Although the National Retail Federation said consumers spent about 5.6 percent more during the 2011 holiday season to total $563 billion, total charitable giving rose merely 0.9 percent during the full year to $298.4 billion, according to a study from The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.
For those consumers who have dug too deep into their wallets, NPR brought to light one Twitter user's (DJ Official) suggestion for another consumer-themed holiday — the day after Tuesday.
"So you have Black Friday and Cyber Monday. What's the day called after you get the bill? Weeping Wednesday," the musician Tweeted.
-By Katie Little, CNBC News Associate
Questions? Comments? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow Katie Little on Twitter@katie_little.


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Watch The ::God Is Imaginary Videos On YouTube ::
II. CONSECRATION OF A FIXED ALTAR At the consecration of a church at least one fixed altar must be consecrated. Altars, permanent structures of stone, may be consecrated at other times, but only in churches that have been consecrated or at least solemnly blessed. We have instances in which a simply priest has performed this rite. Walafridus Strabo, in the Life of St. Gall (ch. vi), says that St. Columban, at that time being a priest, having dedicated the church of St. Aurelia at Bregenz on the Lake of Constance, anointed the altar, deposited the relics of St. Aurelia under it, and celebrated Mass on it. But according to the present discipline of the Church, the ordinary minister of its consecration is the diocesan bishop. Without the permission of the ordinary, a bishop of another diocese cannot licitly consecrate an altar, although without such permission the consecration would be valid. One and the same bishop must perform the rite from the beginning to the end. An altar may be consecrated on any day of the year, but a Sunday or feast day is to be preferred (Pontificale Romanum). It is difficult to determine when the rite used at present was introduced. To the essentials of consecration reference is made as early as the sixth century by the Council of Agde (506): "Altars are to be consecrated not only by the chrism, but with the sacerdotal blessing"; and by St. Caesarius of Arles (d. about 542) in a sermon delivered at the consecration of an altar: "We have today consecrated an altar, the stone of which was blessed or anointed" (Migne, P.L., LXVII, Serm. ccxxx). The ceremonies of the exposition of the relics on the evening before the day of consecration, the keeping of the vigil, the blessing of the Gregorian water, the sprinkling of the altar, and the translation of the relics to the church are the same as those described at the consecration of a church (see IV, below). When the relics have been carried to the church, the consecrator anoints with holy chrism, at the four corners, the sepulchre of the altar (see ALTAR), in which the relics are to be enclosed, thereby sanctifying the cavity in which the venerated remains of the martyrs are to rest, and then reverently places therein the case containing the relics and incenses them. Having anointed with holy chrism the nether side of the small slab that is to cover the sepulchre, he spreads blessed cement over the ledge of the sepulchre on the inside and fits the slab into the cavity, after which he anoints the upper side of the slab and the altar-table near it. He then incenses the altar, first, on every side -- right, left, front and on top -- whilst the chanters sing the antiphon "Stetit angelus"; secondly, in the form of a cross on the top, in the middle, and at the four corners, thirdly, whilst going round the altar three times. After the third incensation, the censer is given to a priest, vested in surplice, who, till the end of the consecration, continues going around the altar, incensing it on all sides, save when the bishop uses the censer. The incense symbolizes the sweet odour of prayer which is to ascend from the altar to heaven, whilst the fullness of the grace of the Holy Ghost, which is to descend on the altar and the faithful, is indicated by the prayers recited after the three unctions which follow. The consecrator then anoints the table of the altar at the middle of the four corners, twice with the oil of catechumens, and the third time with holy chrism. After each unction he goes round the altar once, incensing it continuously, the first and second time passing by the Epistle side, and third time by the Gospel side. Finally, as if to indicate the complete sanctification of the altar, he pours and spreads over its table the oil of catechumens and holy chrism together, rubbing the holy oils over it with his right hand, whilst the chanters sing the appropriate antiphon, "Behold the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field", etc. (Gen., xxvii, 27, 28). When the church is consecrated at the same time, the twelve crosses on the inner walls are now anointed with holy chrism and incensed. The consecrator then blesses the incense and sprinkles it with holy water. Then he forms it into five crosses, each consisting of five grains, on the table of the altar, in the middle and at the four corners. Over each cross of incense he places a cross made of thin wax taper. The ends of each cross are lighted and with them the incense is burned an consumed. This ceremony symbolizes the true sacrifice which is thereafter to be offered on the altar; and it indicates that our prayers must be fervent and animated by true and lively faith if they are to be acceptable to God and efficacious against our spiritual enemies. Finally, the bishop traces with holy chrism a cross on the front of the altar and on the juncture of the table and the base on which it rests at the four corners, as if to join them together, to indicate that this altar is to be in future a firmly fixed and constant source of grace to all who with faith approach it. Then follow the blessings of the altar-cloths, vases, and ornaments of the altar, the celebration of Mass, and the publication of the Indulgences, as at the end of the consecration of a church. Loss of Consecration An altar loses its consecration: (1) when the table of the altar is broken into two or more large pieces; (2) when at the corner of the table that portion which the consecrator anointed with holy oil is broken off; (3) when several large stones of the support of the table are removed; (4) when one of the columns which support the table at the corners is removed; (5) if for any reason whatever the table is removed from the support, or only raised from it -- e.g., to renew the cement; (6) by the removal of the relics, or by the fracture or removal, by chance or design, of the small cover, or slab, placed over the cavity containing the relics. (See also HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN ALTAR.).


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Montana Gas Prices Currently 30 Cents Cheaper Than National Average – Small Spike to Follow This Week
A slow increase in gas prices hit the state this past week.Patrick Dehaan with GasBuddy.com said motorists should be prepared for a gas spike across the state in the next week:
"Across the state of Montana, there was a relatively slow increase of three cents per gallon with averages jumping to about $3.29 across the state," Dehaan said. "That's real comparable to the national average which jumped a little bit more 3.4 cents per gallon here in the last week. Some of the Rocky Mountain states remain the cheapest in the country. We'll probably see another small increase across the state in the week ahead as well."
Dehaan said Montana is one of the few places now that is still seeing prices under last year.
"What we're saying today nationally is the high water mark for this year," Dehaan said. "The same also true for Montana, although, so far, prices remain well under what they did last year. The national average, meanwhile, is 7 cents higher than it did a year ago."
Dehaan said the Montana gas price average is currently 30 cents cheaper than the national average.


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Home Accessories Without the Frills
Before I offend anyone, let me preface this by saying that I am married to a guy's guy who loves all things sports. The last thing he would ever think of purchasing for our home would be throw pillows or candle holders, especially when flat screen TV is also an option. So, when finding decorative accessories for our abode I have to be careful not to drift into girlie territory with flourishes, rosettes, ruffles or pastels.
Luckily, my style tends toward modern, industrial and handcrafted. Here's a roundup of decorative accessories that finish any home's look for the man who has a hard time buying throw pillows or the partners that live with them:
1 - Blackbird (seen with Crane Grellow Desk Lamp, Laird Desk Console and Birch Storage Boxes), available from CB2, $12.95.
2 - Suede Pillow Cover, available in Orange, Peridot and Tan from West Elm, $29.
3 - Gear Candleholder from CB2, $6.95.
4 - Ursa the Bear, available from Gretel Home, $125.
5 - Large Ebony Black Teardrop Vase by Urbana Design, available from Horne, $110.
1 - Industrial Candleholder from CB2, $4.95.
2 - Seafarer Anchor Jute Pillow by Thomas Paul, available from Design Public, $70.
3 - Green Colored Ceramic Vases from West Elm, $9 - $24.
4 - Triangle Pillow, available from Bookhou, $45.
5 - Harry Allen Brush Vase in Chrome (because the husband might be a sports fan, but he's also an artist), available from Design Public, $95.


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Watch The ::God Is Imaginary Videos On YouTube ::
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Ray, why are you going out of your way to misrepresent the views of those with whom you supposedly disagree in this thread?
I always say what I mean. But sometimes I'm a sarcastic prick whose tone can't be properly communicated via text.
I had assumed that your 'rant' was meant to be topical to the thread. Since it was not, I will ignore it.
Your rant was not about "coming out", it was about being an a**hole about one's atheism and how that's a bad thing. You characterized the whole "coming out" thing in terms of atheists going around badgering people about their beliefs.
Since this was clarified not to be the case at several points in the thread, I can only take your attempt to demonize the "coming out" movement in those terms as deliberate.
Yes, this has put me on the defensive. You basically told Jeff7, pre-emptively, not to listen to those of us who are for a broad "coming out" because we advocate the sort of crap you outlined in your post. What can anyone reasonably say to that, other than to point out the misrepresentation?


text: Seller: bigsteveareno29 (3,990) 100%, Location: York, Pennsylvania, Ships to: US, Item: 152750420765 Description This is a great transom window that was salvaged from a Victorian Home. The large piece in the middle is beveled. The border is very colorful with 26 jewels. This is a very pretty little window! The frame is not original. It measures 26 inches wide by 15 tall and .75 inches thick. The glass only is appx 21.75 x 10.5. Overall it is in good condition. There are misc. scratches and dings as it is antique. It could use a good cleaning. There are some tight hairlines. Please look at the pictures carefully. Ref: o/s Shipping. We use FedEx Ground and insurance is included. Standard Handling time is 5 business days as we have items professionally packed. Quoted shipping is to the lower 48 states. Payment Payment should be made within 5 business days unless you make other arrangements in advance. Terms of Sale I accept returns only if my description is inaccurate. For example, if I pull an item from a building that I believe to be original to the house and it is later discovered to be a reproduction, or if I enter an incorrect measurement, I will allow the buyer to return the item. I describe all my items as accurately as possible with descriptions and often pictures of any damage. I try to measure within 1/8 of an inch. About Us My salvage business was born of necessity in 1993 when I started restoring an old Victorian home that had seen better days. I needed doors, staircase parts, fireplace mantles and more, so I contacted the owners of a few local buildings that were scheduled for demolition. I found and purchased all of the things that I needed for my project and lots of extra treasures which I eventually resold. 17 years later this is still my full time job! I salvage whatever I can think can be reused as long as there is room in my warehouse. The warehouse is open for treasure hunting anytime by appointment. Just contact me to schedule a day and time! Thanks for visiting. Steve and Michelle Condition: Please check notes carefully., Original/Reproduction: Original, Age: Pre-1900


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Sandy Springs
Sandy Springs, GA
Welcome to the City of Sandy Springs' Web site. Sandy Springs is home to 98,000 residents who make this Georgia's sixth largest city and the second largest in the metro Atlanta area. Sandy Springs continues to grow. US Census Bureau figures show that Sandy Springs is on the move. In 2007, the median household income in Sandy Springs is $72,682, up from $60,428 in 2000. The median home value is $451,200, up more than $135,000.
Get in
By Plane
Atlanta's principal airport is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport[2], situated approximately 8 miles south of downtown Atlanta.
Hartsfield-Jackson is largely set up as a hub airport for Delta Air Lines, with much of its traffic being transfer rather than arrival or departure traffic. The airport has a single groundside terminal, connected to 6 mid-airport concourses by underground walkways and rail transit. The concourse furthest from the terminal (concourse E) is dedicated to international flights and all immigration and customs formalities are conducted there. Passengers arriving from overseas will need to clear immigration controls, reclaim hold baggage from a baggage carousel, clear customs, check hold baggage back in, ride the underground transit to the main terminal, reclaim hold baggage again from another carousel, and finally exit the airport.
The airport offers a full range of ground transportation services, including taxicabs, airport shuttle vans, and car rental offices.
Hartsfield-Jackson airport is also the terminus of the southern branch of the MARTA rail system (see 'Get Around' below), and for travelers going to locations in downtown, midtown or northern Atlanta this forms a convenient, and at $1.75 per one-way ticket, economic way of getting there. Most MARTA stations have taxi stations to aid completion of the journey, and some hotels have free shuttles which will collect from either the airport or nearest MARTA station on telephone request.
By Train
Atlanta is served by Amtrak [4] 1-800-872-7245. Amtrak's Crescent train runs daily and serves New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans (and vice-versa). Southbound, the train leaves New York just before 3PM, calls at Atlanta at around 9AM and reaches New Orleans by 8PM. Northbound, the train leaves New Orleans at around 7AM, calls at Atlanta at around 8PM and reaches New York by 2PM.
In Atlanta, the Amtrak station is located at 1688 Peachtree St. N.W., which is several miles north of the airport and downtown. Unfortunately, there are no direct connections between the MARTA trains and Amtrak. However, MARTA Bus routes 23 and 110, which can be transferred at the Buckhead Station and the Arts Center Station, stop in front of the Amtrak Station.
By Bus
Greyhound Bus Lines [5], 1-800-229-9424, provides bus service to Atlanta from many locations throughout the United States. Buses arrive at and depart from the Greyhound terminal at 232 Forsyth Street, located in a less affluent neighborhood on the southern edge of the downtown area and directly beneath MARTA's Garnett Station (see 'Get Around' below).
By Car
Atlanta is linked to the rest of the US by the interstate highway network. The principal interstates serving the city are I-75 (serving traffic from Detroit to Florida), I-85 (connecting the Mid-Atlantic to New Orleans) and I-20 (connecting Texas to South Carolina), all of which cross through Downtown.
I-285 (commonly called the Perimeter by Atlantans, and the Atlanta Bypass on overhead signs) circles the city at a distance of about 10 miles out, crossing and connecting with all the above freeways as well as the airport.
Get around
By Transit
Atlanta is served by MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority), +1 404-848-4711, [6], which operates both rapid rail and bus networks in the city of Atlanta and the counties of Fulton and Dekalb.
For out-of-town visitors, MARTA is a convenient way to travel from the airport to all stations on its network. Those who need to travel alone at night, however, may be better served by taking taxis, hotel buses, or renting a car, as the system often becomes empty or rowdy at nighttime, and travel may feel unsafe to those who do not know the city. Most destination stations have Taxi service available for local trips.
The rail network is comprised of two principal lines making up a cross. One line runs north-south across the city, while the other runs east-west. The north-south line runs from a southern terminus at Hartsfield-Jackson airport through downtown and midtown Atlanta, before splitting into two branches running north, one which terminates in north metro Atlanta at the North Springs station and the other which terminates at the Doraville station. The east-west line runs from an western terminal at Hamilton E. Holmes to an eastern terminal at Indian Creek. The Five Points station in downtown Atlanta is the only station where passengers may change trains between the north-south and east-west lines. Trains run from 5 a.m. until 1 a.m. Monday-Friday, and from 5 a.m. until 12:30 a.m. on weekends and holidays. Trains run on all lines every 10 minutes during peak periods, reducing to every 20 minutes on Sundays.
The bus network comprises over one hundred different bus routes, with many routes operating approximately every 20 minutes. Bus service on some lines (generally including the most popular tourist areas) runs from 5 a.m. until 1:30 a.m. Monday-Friday and from 5 a.m. until 1 a.m. on the weekends and holidays.
Note for Weekend Travel: MARTA has a tendency to run slower on the weekends. Typical wait times are 30 minutes for trains and up to an hour for buses. Be sure to accommodate for this.
By Car
If MARTA Rail does not service all the areas you need, cars are the most popular form of transport in order to get around the sprawling city to experience Atlanta's various unique neighborhoods, and renting a car is recommended. Rush hour runs almost continuously but peaks 6-10am and 3-7pm on weekdays and often results in congestion when traveling intown in the mornings and outbound in the afternoons. Downtown/Midtown and major shopping districts such as Buckhead will also get crowded on weekends. Most restaurants and shops in the area offer complimentary or low-cost valet services ($1-3 tip expected) and on the rare occasion where parking is scarce, public lots are usually nearby for a fee. Free road maps are available at [9].
Car Rental Companies:
Alamo Rent A Car [10], Toll free: 1-800-462-5266. Avis Rent A Car [11], Toll free: 1-800-331-1212. Budget Rent A Car [12], Toll free: 1-800-527-0700. Dollar Rent A Car [13], Toll free: 1-800-800-3665. E-Z Rent-A-Car [14], Toll free: 1-800-277-5171. Enterprise Rent-A-Car [15], Toll free: 1-800-261-7331. Hertz Car Rental [16], Toll free: 1-800-654-3131. Thrifty [17], Toll free: 1-800-847-4389.
Get out


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While making dinner plans last week with a friend who lives in San Jose, Costa Rica, he asked an innocent question.
"Hey, did you see what the Phillies did?"
I had no Internet or phone connections during my week-long vacation in Costa Rica, so there was no possible way.
"They signed Cliff Lee," he said.
So this is how I found out, about 15 hours after the rest of the world knew. The next day, I found a copy of of alDía, a Costa Rican newspaper, and flipped to the sports section. The headline read: "FILIS GANARON A LOS YANQUIS."
And that's a good way to start dissecting the ramifications of this signing, beyond the basic fact that the Phillies have possibly assembled the greatest rotation of all time.
This signing cuts deeper than that, though. Adding Lee to ensure a payroll above $160 million in 2011 and at even higher levels in 2012 and beyond officially makes the Phillies a big-market franchise.
And yes, I know you'll say this: But Matt, the Phillies play in the sixth largest market in the country. That doesn't mean they've operated like a big-market baseball franchise. There are differences.
Boston is the ninth largest media market in the country. But we describe them, in baseball terms, as one of the elite big-market franchises because they spend -- and spend freely.
On Dec. 15, when Lee was formally signed and re-introduced, the Phillies became a big-market franchise. They, as the Costa Rican newspaper made sure to point out, beat the Yankees for Lee.
The Phillies broke their guidelines of going beyond three years to a pitcher. They moved the payroll to lengths never before dreamed in Philadelphia.
In 2001, the Phillies' payroll was $41.66 million, ranking 24th in the majors, according to USA Today's salary database. That same season, the Yankees' payroll was $112.29 million -- the first time any team crossed the $100-million mark. Boston's was $109.68 million. Los Angeles was $109.11 million.
In 2007, the Phillies' payroll was $89.43 million, ranking 13th in the majors. They made the postseason for the first time since 1993 that year.
And yes, I know you'll say this: But Matt, the Phillies had the fourth largest payroll in 2010, behind just New York, Boston and Chicago. They were already a big-market team before now. To that, I'll say this: If the Yankees or Red Sox had the chance last off-season to hold both Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, would they have done it?
Now, Ruben Amaro Jr. has corrected that mistake, and with the blessing of ownership, has proven the Phillies are indeed in the pantheon of the Yankees and Red Sox. They are an elite big-market team. They have sold out 123 consecutive regular-season games at Citizens Bank Park. They are reaching revenue totals they could have never dreamed of.
Lee turning down more than $20 million extra from the Yankees is a fantastic Philadelphia story. But the more shocking and important story is the revolution of how the Phillies organization is run has taken the biggest step yet.
Yes, there are actual on-field ramifications to discuss too. We'll tackle some of them here this week and next. Among those topics:
-- How does a 10-man pitching staff sound? OK, fine, 11.
-- Why staying inside for the lefthanded reliever wouldn't be the worst thing ever.
-- Which Phillies free-agent-to-be has had a wonderful off-season? (Hint: He is a reliever and represented by Scott Boras.)
-- The Cole Hamels question: When to sign?
Because we're in the giving spirit: There will be a Phillies chat with yours truly on Tuesday at 2 p.m. here at The Phillies Zone. Come one, come all. Bring your Christmas lists.
Just 56 days until pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater, Fla.


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Address: 6111 Appaloosa Ave, Riverside, Riverside, California, 92509
Phone Number: 951-685-2179
Address: 6111 Appaloosa Ave, Riverside, Riverside, California, 92509
Phone Number: 951-685-2179
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With the latest revelations scheduled to come out within a few hours, we'll have confirmation of the rampant doping throughout the pro peloton during the Lance era. Is it OK if that makes me feel it's a bit disingenuous for Chris Froome to state "This yellow jersey will stand the test of time" without providing some context?
Specifically, that he's thankful for the improved doping controls that allow a clean rider, like himself, to compete and win the Tour de France and further, that he can't say, given the environment of earlier times, if he wouldn't have ended up on such a list himself?
It's one thing that those who were guilty of participating in doping during cycling's dark years stay silent. There's a sense of shame as well as the hope that the focus on Lance Armstrong would distract the public from thinking much of others. But the current generation of "clean" riders… are they actually better people than those who came before? Or seemingly-thankless beneficiaries of a new system that no longer rewards those who cheat?
Chris Froome doesn't come across as an arrogant person, but I think the current crop of cyclists in general lacks a bit of humility when it comes to understanding the changed circumstances in which they engage their chosen sport. It would have been nice, on the podium at the conclusion of the Tour de France, had Chris Froome acknowledged that, and pointed out that riders didn't decide to race clean to save the sport, any more than riders of the past cheated to destroy it.
Despite any revisionist attitude towards doping, he who must not be named (Lance) deserves severe penalties because of the way he destroyed lives, specifically Betsy Andreu and Emma, to protect the lie (that he was clean). Financial compensation to his victims, to an extent that it would be ruinous to the gains he received, is in order. But in the context of the sport, he stole his victories fair & square, just like many before and a few after him. His TdF wins should appear with asterisks, as should the majority of those who won during the period from 1992-2008 or so.


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1-/2-channel transmitter
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'The Patriarchs' series begins tonight
Brownstown First Christian Church will launch a 10-week teaching series on "The Patriarchs: Encountering the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
Developed by Beth Moore, the study focuses on Genesis 12-50. It will be taught by Faye Watson.
The series starts at 7 p.m. tonight.
Vera Baptist spring revival starts Sunday
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Mansion Tours
July 29, 2016 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tours leave from the Tin Top Visitor Center every hour throughout the day. The first tour begins at 10am; The last tour of the day begins at 4pm;
$12 per adult; $10 per child, senior, military;


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TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Thursday 24/06/2010, 15:51
As some said I dropped bridget for gibson and introduce malmoth for lolly and to maintain that damage reduction element I bought veeneyle and put her in over dreen even though 1 damage is usless and 3 damage is ok, because its about balance but has any one got any further ideas about how to improve this deck? Also I am looking to go to a 4/4 deck so which character should I introduce from montana and which one from junkz should be ditched?
TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Thursday 24/06/2010, 22:56
Come on folks please reply
Link your preset properly by typing "preset", then a colon, then the number of your preset at the very end of the url.
Also, I hate to be a grammar nazi, but proper spelling and punctuation goes a long way towards generating replies to your post.
OK, Rant over - but I can't really tell from your post who you have in your deck. I gather it's a Montana/Junkz dual deck, and you have Gibson, Malmoth, and Veenyle... but that's not really enough to go on to give comments.
TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Friday 25/06/2010, 11:36
That link works though, its not a link to montana but a link to the deck, try clicking it, ps I think I only made one spelling error. MY deck includes gibson, malmoth, veenyle, Milovan, Ottavia, Otakool, Ficcanso, Rowdy. I think thats all.
He said punctuation, not spelling. As in full stops and commas, you have a run-on sentence there that makes it a chore to read.
Not having a go, just saying that many people will give up if a post is worded in a difficult way. You'll maximise your responses if you make the extra effort.
And it's generally best to avoid clan names in presets, as when you link them in forums the clan's name takes its default red link and messes up the preset URL. Still clickable if there are any non clan name words, though (purple links).
Anyway... the deck:
Why have you imbalanced this with a 3/4 split when you could use Spiaghi in place of Veenyle? Not only is he a better DR, but he has more power and more chance of an active bonus in a 4/4 split.
The deck is ok, but you're lacking some pretty powerful staples.
Mona and Edd, for example. Also cards like Otakool and Ficcanaso aren't great.
If I were you, and if you can afford it, I'd make the following changes:
Edd 4*
Mona 3*
Otavia/Sharon 3*
Spiaghi 2*
Total 12*
Rowdy 4*
Gibson 4*
Tremorh 3*
Gil 2*
If you can't afford Gil, Dreen will replace him well enough.
TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Friday 25/06/2010, 18:42
Mona is too dear just now I dont want to sell the ongh I just got yet! I was told that otkool was an improvement over what I had before both in terms of damage and his ability, it used to be 3/3/1 with a leader but gibson replaced bridget and I changed another card as well. I was saving up for edd and spiaghi, Veenyle was just a stop gap to take lolly's place in the meantime.
I have used Dreen and shes is very good however I am thinking of going with sentogan over her as he is better against gheist I am trying to build a deck with some reistance to the stop bonus and stop ability clans, at first I was just trying to counter stop bonus clans. Tremoth is also a little dear, so I may go with Onik Instead. Ottavia over Sharon would be good.
TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Friday 25/06/2010, 19:36
Is Taham to "big" for split decks? Cause I want to buy him at some point.
TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Saturday 26/06/2010, 20:05
Hmm Vito is not my cup of tea, Edd is, Hey I have a new preset its quite good with fabio being able to offer resistance vs all stars, if there is a stronger soa card in these two clans than ottakool I would like to know, I want to get onik in my deck but cant figure how to do so and keep a 4-4 split and 25 stars, I want fabio and EDD!
TheDarkOrc10 Hero Dark Order of Assassins Wednesday 30/06/2010, 19:47
montan/junz deck 4.5
Hows this look then?


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Pastor Bob Coy is at the pulpit. And he is not alone. God is with him. As are more than 2000 Bible-toting worshipers. They are seated on folding chairs and theater-style seats in the warehouselike building that is the sanctuary of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale. Like Pastor Bob the congregants are dressed in anything but their Sunday best on this Wednesday night in December: jeans, T-shirts, sandals, halter tops -- even camouflage. The drums, keyboards, and electric guitars have quieted, but the TV sets provided for those sitting in the far reaches of the sanctuary still flicker with Pastor Bob's genial, boy-faced image.
Dressed in khaki pants and a short-sleeve shirt, he is teaching the first book of Samuel, chapter 11. The book has been the subject of his weekly Bible study for three months now, and 20 chapters remain. Pastor Bob is more self-help guru than fire-and-brimstone preacher, and he says today that earthly bliss and eternal salvation are the rewards for those gathered and for anyone else who will follow one simple prescription: Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior.
The service falls well short of full Pentecostal fervor. No one speaks in tongues or heals people with his or her hands. In his trademark high-pitched voice reminiscent of Dana Carvey, Pastor Bob decries the traditional Sunday school view of Jesus Christ as a "very spiritual Mr. Rogers or Captain Kangaroo." He throws in Barney and Big Bird for good measure.
The laughter that follows is long and loud. But the humor masks a darker question Pastor Bob is posing to his mostly 25-to-50-year-old, middle-class, ever-growing flock: Are you willing to become a "soldier" in the Lord's army? "When's the last time there was enough righteous indignation in your heart to do anything?" he asks, castigating them with a smile.
At least one person in the sanctuary tonight is a member in good standing in God's army. Nine years ago Mark Kielar was a 30-year-old millionaire television producer and lapsed Roman Catholic contemplating the purchase of a Rolls-Royce. Instead he read the Bible from front to back, and, somewhere between Genesis and Revelations, he discovered God. Now he hopes to spread the Word of God to the masses. Last October Kielar, in partnership with Pastor Bob and Calvary Chapel, launched Cross TV, a 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week, Christian cable television station.
Cross TV is the logical next step for Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale. Since Pastor Bob, former entertainment director for a Las Vegas casino and a onetime cocaine dealer, arrived in Fort Lauderdale 13 years ago, he's seen his flock grow from three people praying on the beach to a total of about 10,000 congregants who attend six weekly services at the church on Gateway Drive in Pompano Beach. In 1998 about 2300 people came forward during services at Calvary Chapel to be "saved," or accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. On Christmas Eve 17,000 people -- Calvary's congregants as well as friends and family members in town for the holidays -- gathered for a special service at the National Car Rental Center in Sunrise.
And the church continues to grow. In February Calvary Chapel will move to a new building being constructed on a $21 million piece of property on Cypress Creek Road in Fort Lauderdale. The new facility will house a cafeteria, a Borders-size bookstore, athletic fields, and a sanctuary that seats 3400 -- not to mention a fish tank to rival that of Rainforest Cafe. Actually, the building isn't big enough. Plans have already been made to construct yet another building, one that will accommodate 5000 worshipers. After it's built the smaller sanctuary will be converted into a gym and youth center, according to Calvary Chapel officials.
You can't build without money (or at least the promise of it), and Calvary Chapel has plenty. According to its audited financial statements, the church collected $6.7 million in tithes and offerings in 1997. Contributions are expected to total $9 million for 1998. Part of Calvary Chapel's fiscal might is due to entrepreneurial savvy. On its premises the church operates a bookstore, cafe, and cassette tape-sale service that, combined, brought in another $1.1 million in 1997. The SonShine bookstore hawks not only Bibles but also more consumer-friendly items such as "Yo Quiero Jesus" T-shirts and "WWJD?" (What Would Jesus Do?) neckties.
As casual and friendly as Calvary Chapel and its congregants seem, the church is comprised of born-again Christians who, under the local leadership of Pastor Bob, take a hardline view on what's right and wrong. They are literalists when it comes to interpreting the Bible, and, despite denying that he's politically motivated, Pastor Bob does advise his congregants on how to vote when it comes to moral issues, such as abortion and homosexuality.
Still, his methods are appealing. Pastor Bob is extremely likable and, as a result, popular among Calvary Chapel congregants. And the plans that he and Kielar have for Cross TV steer clear of the big-haired, Bible-thumping, send-us-your-money approach that most Christian TV broadcasters practice. Cross TV, they hope, will look much more like MTV than The 700 Club. The Word of God, however, will be heard amid the clamor.
At the moment Pastor Bob Coy is God's conduit, both on TV and in Calvary Chapel. Twice a week his teachings are broadcast on Cross TV. The show is one of the few outright biblical programs in the station's lineup. Otherwise, the blueprint for Cross TV is basically an amalgam of every type of successful secular programming currently available, but with one twist: Jesus. In other words the station offers or hopes to offer: cooking shows in which chefs talk about the Bible while stirring the bouillabaisse, a SportsCenter-like program featuring athletes praising Jesus for their on-field exploits, and dramas that offer Christian solutions to life's toughest problems. One show already on the air, Home Life, is described by Calvary Chapel officials as a kind of "Christian Regis and Kathy Lee." Cross TV will not pound viewers over the head with God but discreetly plead His case.
"There are a lot of people, for one reason or another, that are turned off [by] the church," says Coy. "But there is also, in the heart of every man, a burning desire to know God. If my biblical mandate is to reach those with truth, the best medium for telling truth to the masses would be the television set."
Kielar says that his goal with Cross TV is to marry the technological sophistication of mainstream TV with a sound message. "If you see what they're doing on television, it's mind-boggling: the animation, graphics, high production values," he notes. "The problem is that the content is sorely lacking in terms of anything with any redeeming value. There's nothing spiritually uplifting. There's no mention of God in any tangible, biblical way."
Christian TV, on the other hand, is usually poorly produced and focuses more on money than on God, Kielar contends. "It's often people holding out their hands, looking for money and representing God in a way that isn't biblical," he says.
At this point, though, Cross TV is as much prophecy as practice. It reaches just 45,000 households in northern Broward County, including parts of Coconut Creek, Margate, North Lauderdale, and Parkland. (Cross TV is broadcast on channel 68 by TCI of North Broward.) Both Kielar and Coy refuse to make any bold projection ("Where God guides, God provides" is their oft-repeated motto), but clearly they have big plans for Cross TV.
They're now finalizing an agreement with Zoe Broadcasting Network (ZBN) that will enable Cross TV to be broadcast to approximately 25 million people in the Philippines and eventually the entire population of the island country -- 74 million. To do so ZBN has to pull together $640,000 for an antenna and transmitter, which should happen within the next couple months, according to Kielar and Coy. While it seems odd that Cross TV would attempt to expand internationally before doing so at home, Kielar claims the Philippines deal is a coincidence. The Philippines-based ZBN approached Cross TV, not the other way around, he says. He admits, however, that he and Coy will soon seek other opportunities to expand internationally.
Eventually Kielar would like to see Cross TV producing at least half of what it airs. But the vast majority of the programs now showing have been created elsewhere, either by production companies, such as Gospel Films, or individual producers. Among the shows are: Masquerade, featuring Christian music videos; Just the Facts, which helps teenagers deal with problems like peer pressure and drug abuse; and more traditional religious shows hosted by well-known evangelists such as Chuck Smith, founder of the Calvary Chapel movement. Cross TV, a nonprofit corporation, has mostly limited itself to producing short spots to fill in the programming holes. One recurring feature is called Prayer Update. The one-minute spots list the many sins famous celebrities -- such as Marilyn Manson, Madonna, or Ted Turner -- have committed, then ask viewers to pray for them.
Cross TV may be a nonprofit organization, but it has more technical savvy and resources than the standard start-up charity. Most of the staff and equipment come from WJMK, Kielar's Boca Raton-based production company, which has created nationally syndicated TV series for networks such as CNBC and PBS. Thanks to WJMK's resources, Cross TV has been able to survive with a relatively streamlined budget.
Cross TV also is soliciting potential donors, primarily Christian-focused, grant-making foundations, with a "wish book" of shows it hopes to produce in the future. One such program is Totally Christian Karate Kids Adventures, a kids show in the vein of Power Rangers and Mortal Kombat. Another is I Have an Answer, a Jeopardy-like game show in which all the questions and answers relate to the Bible. Both have yet to be funded.
Another show, In the Light, is billed as a "Christian soap opera." The text in the wish book asks: "What if there was a TV show that depicted everyday life? The joys, struggles and decisions we all deal with, but dealt with by the wisdom of God's word.... Topics can be covered like how to be a proper witness, sexual immorality and what love is, just to name a few."
The book suggests that viewers won't be the only folks affected by the show: "Every week, believers and nonbelievers alike will be exposed to Christianity, be it memorizing lines on set or watching television at home."
Pastor Bob, who sits on Cross TV's board of directors along with Kielar and one other WJMK employee, says that God will determine how quickly the group moves ahead with its plans. "I'm not a businessman in that sense -- forecasting goals for the future," Coy says. "I'm simply a Christian. I hope to follow in the footsteps of my Savior. It's a little different philosophy."
If that's the case, God is leading Cross TV down one very ambitious path, according to Jeffrey K. Hadden, a professor of sociology at the University of Virginia who studies religious broadcasting. He notes that, while many large churches seek TV time, few actually start a station that goes beyond local markets. Cross TV's plans to produce its own shows will be especially difficult to carry out. "That's a long, long row to hoe," Hadden says.
Taking Cross TV to the Philippines -- and possibly beyond -- is actually a natural step for Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale. The church already supports missionaries around the world -- in Liberia, Russia, and Guatemala, to name a few countries -- who are trying to win more converts to Christianity. Their hope is to convince people to become "born again" of the Holy Spirit, and therefore to insure their ticket to eternal life.
Coy seldom uses the term "born again." "Because Jesus coined the phrase, I think I need to embrace it," he says. "But I think what the world has done with it has only led to disappointment and, sadly enough, misunderstanding. A born-again Christian... ought to reflect true Christ-like character. Well then, why is the born-again Christian in popular film presentation portrayed as anything less than an idiot or a madman?"
Those who've been saved at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale are a mixed lot, ranging from laid-back practitioners to zealots. Orsena Bartoloni falls into the latter category. For 18 years the 55-year-old home health aid was a Jehovah's Witness. She left that religious "cult," she says, after members attempted to kidnap her. "I swore I'd never go back to church again," Bartoloni recalls.
But she attended Calvary Chapel for the first time a few years ago on the advice of a friend and has been a faithful worshiper ever since. She was also drawn by the teaching of Pastor Bob. "He doesn't yell and scream like all the other preachers," she says. "I think of him like Jesus. Jesus, I don't think, would scream and yell at people."
Bartoloni keeps a white three-ring notebook, tracking the people she has converted to Christianity. The list runs four pages long. She says she once convinced the man loading her groceries at Publix to accept Jesus as his Savior. And she often talks about Christ with the elderly clients for whom she helps care. "I got two Jewish people once," she says, "but then later they said they didn't believe in Jesus."
Publix is also where Julie Davis discovered the teachings of Pastor Bob, while listening to the radio in the parking lot. (Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale services are broadcast on two local radio stations, WMCU-FM [89.7] and WAYF-FM [88.1], as well as on 140 other stations nationwide.) "He started talking about the books of the Bible and how one is the hot fudge and one is the spinach and one is the meat," recalls the 52-year-old owner of a beauty salon in Lighthouse Point. "And I just sat in the parking lot of Publix, and I listened to the whole teaching. I found out where the church was, and we went, and I was saved the first day."
Davis' husband, Charlie, also age 52, was a little more cautious. He and his wife were lifelong Presbyterians, and he continued to serve as a deacon at their church. But he also began to attend Bible studies at Calvary Chapel on Wednesday nights. A year later, in July 1993, Charlie was "saved." He then tried to convince his fellow Presbyterians that the pomp and ritual of their services was a waste of time. What mattered was having a personal relationship with God, through Jesus. His fellow Presbyterians weren't interested.
The Davises' story is a common one at Calvary Chapel. Many of the congregants come from Roman Catholic or mainline Protestant backgrounds and have long considered themselves Christians. But what they consider an overemphasis on tradition, ritual, and social gatherings, as well as a lack of grounding in the Bible, has turned them away from traditional institutions.
Donald E. Miller, a professor of religion at the University of Southern California, says this kind of rebellion is a nationwide trend. In his book Reinventing American Protestantism: Christianity in the New Millennium, published in 1997, he describes the rapidly growing movement toward Calvary Chapel and other nondenominational religious groups as a "second reformation." "The style of Christianity dominated by 18th-century hymns, routinized liturgy, and bureaucratized layers of social organization is gradually dying," he writes. "But what makes this reformation radical is that the hope of reforming existing denominational churches has largely been abandoned."
As friendly as the Davises and other worshipers at Calvary Chapel seem, their world-view is constricted by the dictates of the Bible. They have little tolerance for people with other beliefs. Homosexuality is a sin. So is abortion. In his study of Calvary Chapels, professor Miller found that more than half of the worshipers at the Calvary Chapel he surveyed identified themselves as either "conservative" or "extremely conservative." Only 8 percent said they voted for President Clinton in the 1992 election. "There is a strong ethic of individual responsibility that resonates with a Republican bootstraps philosophy," Miller told New Times. "Conservative Christians, including Calvary Chapel members, would always attempt to legitimize their moral view with reference to Scripture."
Coy maintains that he keeps clear of politics. But prior to last November's election, he gave his worshipers voter guides assembled by the Christian Coalition. Included on the November ballot were amendments to the state constitution, and Coy explains that he was concerned that the wording of certain amendments was misleading. One amendment, which was passed by voters, defines "natural persons" as "female and male alike." Conservative groups fear that, by eliminating the distinction between the sexes, a government opens the door to allowing homosexual marriages. The Christian Coalition voter guide urged its readers to vote against the amendment.
"If you believe that homosexuals need more rights, I want you to vote your conscience," Coy says he told his congregation before the election. "But if, on the other hand, you believe that homosexuals right now have plenty of rights, and that right now they've got the strongest lobby in Washington, well then vote your conscience there. I'm not here to tell you how to vote. I'm simply telling you that these amendments aren't as they appear to be."
Coy claims that homosexuality is a sin like any other, as evidenced in the Bible from Genesis to Revelations, and is treated as such at Calvary Chapel. It is no different, he says, than someone cheating on their spouse. "The only difference is the object. It's all sin."
The political views of worshipers at Calvary Chapel are influenced in other ways. Posted on the wall at the church is a faxed copy of Citizen Issues Alert, a newsletter put out by Focus on the Family, the conservative Colorado Springs group headed by Christian guru Dr. James Dobson. The missive warns that sodomy laws are under attack in several states and that efforts to pass legislation ensuring equal rights for gays and lesbians are widespread. And among the choices in Calvary Chapel's tape library are conspiratorial right-wing titles such as Taking Liberties: The Legacy of the ACLU and The Sixty Minutes Deception: An Expose of Media Corruption. The latter was produced by Citizens For Honest Government, the same organization that created The Clinton Chronicles, which detailed the President's purported crimes, including abetting drug-dealing and murder.
Before arriving in South Florida 13 years ago, Bob Coy knew more than a little bit about criminal behavior himself. He grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, where his uncle was a Lutheran minister and churchgoing was a regular part of life. But Coy remembers the church of his childhood as more ceremony and social function than actual Bible study. "After 20 years of going every Sunday, I didn't know Matthew from Romans; I didn't know Hosea from Revelations," he says.
Most boys in Eastern Michigan in the '50s dreamed of getting a union job with one of the big-three automakers and living a comfortable middle-class life. Not Coy. "Screw on headlights every day?" he recalled asking himself during a testimony he gave to his congregants two years ago. "Make sure taillights are fit in their position, day after day for 30 years, so I can retire at 45? I'm not gonna do that.... Now what will I do? Well, I want to make money."
Coy went into the music business, and he was a natural from the start. He began as a salesman in a record store in Southfield, Michigan, and was soon promoted to buyer, picking out albums that would, he hoped, become tomorrow's hits. He was so successful that he was soon selling records for United Artists. At the age of 21, he was hired by Capitol Records in Los Angeles, where he shepherded rock stars around in a company car, charging food and drink on the corporate expense account -- and snorting cocaine, according to his testimony.
The meteoric rise didn't last long. Addled by drugs and alcohol, Coy was fired by Capitol after just three years. He moved to Las Vegas, where he landed a gig looking after the properties of wealthy owners. But the entertainment business continued to beckon, so Coy went to work for a casino, which at the time offered an "urban cowboy" motif. When that trend fizzled, Coy came up with a new form of entertainment for the casino: the topless revue.
But he was miserable. "Even after I had the opportunity to taste all that the world has to offer -- whether it be drugs or alcohol or then women -- I found myself saying, man, this does not satisfy," Coy recalled in his testimony.
He had a few false starts with religion. He prayed occasionally, and he married, in an "act of carnality," a born-again Christian woman he'd known for less than a week. By the time Coy traveled across the country to meet her parents in Pittsburgh a few weeks later, they were already headed for splitsville. Coy continued to snort -- and even deal -- cocaine.
Then he found God. After a debauchery-filled Christmas Eve party featuring plenty of alcohol and cocaine, Coy showed up at his brother and sister-in-law's house in Las Vegas the next day with a bottle of booze and a look of desperation. The young couple, who'd recently "gotten religion," had been praying for him. That night, before Coy went to bed, his brother tossed him a Bible. In the early morning hours of December 26, 1980, Coy read the Book of John, chapter 3, verse 16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." And he got religion himself.
Through his brother, Coy found his way to a Calvary Chapel in Las Vegas and began to study the Word of God. The Calvary Chapel movement began in the '60s in Costa Mesa, California, under the tutelage of Chuck Smith. In the early days, it was closely linked with the hippie movement known as the Jesus People, or Jesus Freaks. Smith's philosophy combined intensive study of the Bible with a casual atmosphere that eschewed ritualistic ceremonies like those of Catholicism and mainline Protestant denominations. Today more than 800 such churches exist in the United States, with additional congregations in at least 34 other countries. Florida alone has 25 Calvary Chapels, including five in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Five years after finding God, Bob Coy arrived in Fort Lauderdale with a moving truck and a flock of three. He'd been to Fort Lauderdale only once before, on a high-school spring break trip, and he knew nothing about the city or South Florida. But he was on a mission. Before moving to Fort Lauderdale, a couple from the Las Vegas church had asked that their fellow congregants pray for the establishment of a Calvary Chapel there. Coy was the answer to that prayer.
The first service took place on the beach. But eventually, as Calvary Chapel grew, it found a home, first in a funeral home, then in an elementary school, then behind an Albertson's supermarket -- all in Fort Lauderdale. Coy was able to quit his job selling electronics at JCPenney and work full-time at the church.
In the early days, Calvary Chapel attracted its share of grizzled bikers and others who were no strangers to sin. "To invite somebody to attend Bible studies in a funeral home, [that person] must have been a person that wasn't concerned about outward appearances," Coy says.
Gennarino DeStefano began working at Calvary Chapel as a maintenance man back when the church fronted an Albertson's dumpster. He often made use of his culinary-school background to cook meals for the homeless people who hung out in the area. DeStefano says that, prior to being saved, he grew and smoked dope for 17 years. "Marijuana was my God," he says. "If I was caught without rolling papers in some hotel room, I would tear a page out of the Bible and smoke it."
Today he oversees Calvary Chapel's benevolence ministry as an assistant pastor. Like DeStefano the rest of the congregation has changed considerably. As the group's facilities have become more respectable looking, so have the congregants. Worshipers still occasionally show up in chaps and leather vests (on a recent Saturday night, one leather-clad congregant referred to his Harley as his "rapture vehicle"), but suburban families with Range Rovers have become the norm.
Mark Kielar is no exception. The 39-year-old television producer and father of four lived the luxurious Boca Raton life for years. He drove a Mercedes 500 SL convertible and spent as much as $5000 during a single shopping trip. "From a world perspective, my life was successful," Kielar says in an interview at his office at WJMK. "I had good relationships, good business opportunities, a lot of things were seemingly going my way. But there was a sense in which there was a void still there. Not one that I necessarily felt all the time. But if I really pressed the issue I knew there was something missing."
In an attempt to fill that void, Kielar began closely reading the Bible for the first time in his life. When he got to the Ten Commandments and read the section about not worshiping false idols, he began to ponder what he truly worshiped in his own life.
"It hit me like a thunderbolt that, wait a minute, my God is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as I thought it was," Kielar recalls. "My God is my business, or recreation, or self-pursuits."
A few years ago, Kielar began attending Calvary Chapel on the recommendation of a friend. He was attracted to its back-to-basics, literal approach to Christianity: What the Bible says is the Word of God; everything else, including the political maneuvering that goes on in the Vatican, is heresy.
By 1997 Coy and Kielar had become close friends. (Coy, a father of two, says he wouldn't be surprised if his son grew up to marry one of Kielar's daughters.) While eating dinner with an assistant pastor at Calvary Chapel, Kielar and Coy began discussing the media. Coy was saying that radio was a great way to spread the Gospel when Kielar added, "What about television?"
WJMK had already been transformed by Kielar's religious conversion. Every morning at the WJMK offices, Christian staff members gather and hold an hourlong Bible study. Kielar's office is decorated with framed passages from Scripture and quotations about Christianity. Even his fish tank is adorned with a quotation from the book of Genesis.
More important than WJMK's prayers are its resources, which Kielar knew would help Cross TV get off the ground. Most of the cable station's staff and know-how comes from WJMK, as does much of the funding. Through WJMK, Kielar has contributed almost $700,000, while Calvary Chapel has provided about $100,000, mostly in staff time and equipment costs. The rest of the funding has come from an anonymous Christian foundation, which contributed about $200,000 in 1998 and has pledged an additional $265,000 for 1999. The foundation asked Cross TV not to disclose its name in order to avoid publicity.
Money remains the most daunting obstacle for Cross TV. The projected cost for 26 episodes of In the Light, the Christian soap opera the station hopes to produce, is $1.5 million. The price tag for 13 episodes of Totally Christian Karate Kids Adventures is $78,000. So far there are no takers for either. One potentially substantial source of income -- commercials -- is not yet being tapped by Cross TV. Both Kielar and Coy say they are not philosophically opposed to the idea, but that any product sold will have to be consistent with Scripture -- biblical tapes or books, for example.
Jeffrey Hadden, the University of Virginia professor, is skeptical of the economic viability of Cross TV. He notes that Pat Robertson, overseer of The 700 Club and a religious figure of much greater influence than Pastor Bob Coy, tried something similar with the Family Channel but eventually fell back on the cheaper model of primarily showing reruns. The Family Channel was sold in early 1998 to Fox, the network responsible for Cops, Melrose Place, and other less-than-family-friendly programs.
"All [Cross TV] need[s] is another $100 million from Bill Gates," Hadden jokes. "They'll either have to seriously compromise the quality of what they're doing, or they'll find they just don't have the money to do it."
Whatever the prospects for Cross TV, there is little doubt that the flock at Calvary Chapel will continue to grow -- so long as Pastor Bob is in the pulpit. Although congregants claim that Jesus Christ is their sole target of worship, they idolize Pastor Bob as well. Followers tend to cite his sayings almost as often as parables from the Bible. And on days when he doesn't preach, attendance drops dramatically, according to people who regularly attend the church.
On one recent Saturday night, Pastor Bob is more animated than usual. Dressed in a double-breasted blue suit, pastel green shirt, and flower-print tie, he's once again complaining about the conventional image of Jesus Christ. "Jesus is not coming on the scene as a real nice Sunday school kind of guy," he exclaims. "Jesus Christ is a radical!"
In place of the serene, handsome Savior dressed in flowing robes, Pastor Bob offers another image: the Jesus Christ of the Crucifixion: blindfolded, fitted with a crown of thorns, flogged with a cat-o'-nine-tails, and nailed to a cross to die. He describes this image repeatedly, says Jesus died for our sins. Says it wasn't pretty.
And our Lord and Savior is still being crucified, Pastor Bob continues. What's wrong with Nativity scenes in public places? There's no room for God on the dollar bill? The Ten Commandments have no place in the courtroom? No prayer in our public schools?
And now it's payoff time. Pastor Bob exalts the people who want to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior to come forward. They always do. But for some reason, tonight the aisles stay empty. Nobody steps forward to be born again of the Holy Spirit. An uneasiness fills the sanctuary. People scan the aisles for those hoping to be saved. But the Holy Spirit doesn't seem to be working tonight.
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Then one woman heads toward the front. She is greeted with relieved applause from the crowd. The gates are now open. Five more people quickly follow her. Some are crying; others are smiling. Two more people make their way to the front, holding hands. And another. Nine in all. Not a bad haul for the Lord.
Pastor Bob leads a prayer: "Lord God, I open my heart and invite you inside...."
The next night a similar scene will be repeated. Videotaped for Cross TV, a service led by Pastor Bob will go out to 45,000 homes in Broward County. And, in a few more months, Calvary Chapel services may reach as many as 25 million people in the Philippines. Only God knows if anyone will watch.
Contact Paul Demko at his e-mail address:


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pytacle is a tool inspired by tentacle. It automates the task of sniffing GSM frames of the air, extracting the key exchange, feeding kraken with the key material and finally decode/decrypt the voice data. All You need is a USRP (or similar) to capture the GSM band and a kraken instance with the berlin tables (only about 2TB )
Support of RTLSDR sticks
- Possibility to scan for cells around you
- Changed the code to generate real KCs (but as nobody noticed the wrong KCs i guess you were good with the others
also planning to address hopping channels in the future,
Pytacle – Decrypt GSM Conversations
Internet, Two-Way Radio Communications, WIFI, 3G, etc
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
- Maggot
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 1:23 pm
- Nick
- Respected
- Posts: 182
- Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 9:34 pm
- Location: 127.0.0.1
Re: Pytacle – Decrypt GSM Conversations
Willing to sell complete A5/1 RTs (1.8Tb worth) if anyone wants em.
Post Reply
2 posts • Page 1 of 1


text:
Select Your State:
We do our best to be pro-active so those problems don't develop. If there is a problem, we deal with it swiftly, either through rehabilitation or termination. We can't let a problem agent jeopardize the relationship for all of the Iroquois Members who are doing a good job.


text:
The big guy in the water pitcher-filter market has practically become a common name, like Kleenex. But even Brita's most ardent fans might agree that those plastic containers aren't dinner party elegant.
There's a new player hoping to fill that spot: Soma, a glass carafe with a plastic filter that sits inside it.
The filter, which lasts two months, is biodegradable, made of coconut shell, silk and food-based plastic, the company says. It costs $49 with one filter; additional filters, automatically mailed to subscribers, cost $12.99. It's for sale online and in a few stores, including A+R on North La Brea Avenue.


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Hormone therapy for prostate cancer is also known as
androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).
Prostate cancer cannot grow or survive without
androgens, which include
testosterone and other male hormones. Hormone therapy
decreases the amount of androgens in a man's body. Reducing androgens can slow
the growth of the cancer and even shrink the tumor.
Hormone therapy may be used along with radiation treatment when there is a
high risk of the cancer returning. Or hormone therapy may be used after surgery
or radiation if any cancer remains.
Hormone therapy may also help men who have
cancer that has spread and who cannot have surgery or radiation. It may be used when prostate cancer has spread outside the prostate (metastatic disease). In these cases, hormone therapy reduces pain and helps men live a little longer.1
Hormone therapy may be used to suppress prostate cancer cells, which is reflected in lower levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA).
Hormone therapy may also be used as the main treatment for prostate cancer instead of surgery or radiation. But hormone therapy doesn't seem to help men ages 66 and older who have localized prostate cancer. These men live just as long with active surveillance.2
Taking medicines is one way
to reduce androgens. Another way, used much less often, is surgery to remove
the testicles, also known as an orchiectomy.
Sometimes androgen deprivation (orchiectomy or an LH-RH
agonist) and an antiandrogen are used together for treatment. This targets the testosterone made by the testicles and the adrenal glands. It is called a
combined androgen blockade (CAB). According to research studies, men who had CAB that included flutamide or nilutamide lived longer than the men who had only androgen deprivation therapy.3
Other hormone therapies may include the use of
medicines such as megestrol, estrogen, aminoglutethimide
combined with hydrocortisone, and corticosteroids (prednisone, dexamethasone,
and hydrocortisone).
Research does not clearly show whether starting hormone therapy before symptoms appear allows men to live longer than if they waited until after symptoms appear to start taking medicine.3 Men who start hormone therapy almost always stay on it for the rest of their lives. So waiting until symptoms appear may allow men to delay the serious side effects of hormone therapy.
The side effects of hormone therapy increase with the length of time that a man uses this therapy. Some of the side effects from hormone therapy will go away when a man who
is taking medicine finishes his hormone therapy. For a man who has an
orchiectomy, the side effects of sterility and loss of sexual interest are
immediate and permanent.
Side effects of hormone therapy may
Other side effects may include hot flashes, erection problems and reduced sex drive, breast enlargement, and cognitive impairment. Some men may experience depression.
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects. (Drug
Reference is not available in all systems).
long-term side effects of hormone therapy, even for men taking medicine, are
not known. But hormone therapy has been linked to a higher risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and a shorter life span.3
One large study found that
hormone therapy appears to be linked to a higher risk of death from heart
problems in men who had surgery for localized prostate cancer.4
The side effects of hormone therapy for prostate
cancer often affect a man's quality of life. But there are treatments that can
help with some of the side effects listed above. For example, exercise can help
counteract the loss of muscle mass and will help with fatigue. There are
medicines that can help with hot flashes, nausea, diarrhea, and bone loss. Low-dose radiation before hormone therapy may help prevent breast enlargement. For men
with depression, counseling and medicine may help. For more information, see
the topic Depression.
Above all, talk with your doctor about any
of the symptoms you have while you are taking hormone therapy. Your doctor may
know about a local support group for men who have prostate cancer.
CitationsSaylor PJ, Smith MR (2010). Adverse effects of androgen deprivation therapy: Defining the problem and promoting health among men with prostate cancer. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 8(2): 211–223.Lu-Yao GL, et al. (2008). Survival following primary androgen deprivation therapy among men with localized prostate cancer. JAMA, 300(2): 173–181.Nelson JB (2012). Hormone therapy for prostate cancer. In AJ Wein et al., eds., Campbell-Walsh Urology, 10th ed., vol. 3, pp. 2934–2953. Philadelphia: Saunders.Tsai HK, et al. (2007). Androgen deprivation therapy
for localized prostate cancer and the risk of cardiovascular mortality.
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 99(20):
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September 12, 2012
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine & Christopher G. Wood, MD, FACS - Urology, Oncology
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Sheriff warns of issues with Tannerite
Several recent complaints from county residents about exploding targets prompted the Auglaize County sheriff to issue a statement today warning of the problems they pose.
The targets are designed to explode when shot with a certain caliber rifle. Also known by the name brand Tannerite, the targets are legally purchased at shooting supply stores.
"What we have discovered recently is target shooters are purchasing the mixture and mixing large amounts to make a huge explosion," Auglaize County Sheriff Al Solomon said.
He said some residents have made reports that the subsequent explosions have been large enough to rattle windows in nearby homes.
"Responding to complaints and numerous questions throughout the county, we have discovered there are no laws in effect for possessing or discharging the product," Solomon said, explaining that in some cases they are looking into charges of disorderly conduct on those using it.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has confirmed that Tannerite is legal to possess and shoot and is not a violation of any existing laws.
"We cannot have county residents in their homes being startled by a loud explosion," Solomon said. "They don't know that Tannerite is being set off. They also should not have to tolerate the windows in their home being rattled or debris from an explosion hitting their home.
"I am in no way against shooting and hunting, but there are limits," the sheriff said. "Even some gun clubs in the county do not want this product being discharged at their ranges. In large amounts, it can cause craters in the ground or damage back stops designed for bullets not bombs."
He said he is uncertain on the future of the product.
"I feel that it will be illegal to buy at some point due to the problems it is causing," Solomon said. "If not illegal, it will be limited on the amount you can buy."
Tannerite is sold by the pound now with 1 pound causing a huge explosion when detonated, the sheriff said.
Deputies with the Sheriff's Office have not received any reports of injury caused by the exploding targets, but Solomon said he believes it is only a matter of time.
"Anytime you deal with an explosive, there is a potential for injury," Solomon said. "This explosive you can buy in large enough quantities to shake the ground.
"Again, I am in no way against guns, shooting and hunting, but this product is becoming an issue and I feel people need to be warned ahead of time of the actions we will be taking," he said.
Solomon said all cases related to the exploding targets are to be looked at individually, but if the product being detonated has caused an issue, they will look at sending the case to prosecutors with the Auglaize County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to review for charges.
"I just want to warn residents of the issues and what I see as a problem," Solomon said. "With the issues the United States has with school violence and terrorism, we do not need explosions going off and people wondering what it was that blew up."


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So Design Consultants UK Studio Tour
So Design Consultants are the creative minds behind the graphic design and photography for Herman Miller UK. And now we know it for its inspiring surroundings: a converted barn in Bristol in the southwest of England. In his own words, Creative Director Steve Haskins gives us a personal tour.
Creative Director Steve Haskins: I set up So design consultants in 2000 -- an agency where the focus is to break the boundaries of creative design and deliver a passion for intelligent, individual creativity. We established a small team of focused individuals and created a platform where our aspirations for commercial fine art could be reached, rather than for financial gain.
We have been working with Herman Miller for six years and enjoy the shared passion for good quality and useful design. (I love the SAYLM chair as a piece of design and the way it looks. I always like to relate good to design to inspiration, and the influence of the Golden Gate Bridge to the design of SAYL is obvious.) Our first commission from Herman Miller is still one of our favourite pieces of work. We created a brochure that brought together the heritage of Herman Miller, its roots in design and craftsmanship, and showcased products using beautiful lifestyle photography.
The So studio has always been based on Greenway Farm. We originally worked from an old cowshed with whitewashed stonewalls, a wood-burning stove, and an outside loo. Our state-of-the-art Apple Macs were a great contrast to the rather primitive but inspired surroundings. Quite often I would be on the phone to a client as a lorry load of cows was being unloaded. These surroundings fuel our creativity.
Four years ago, we moved to an adjacent newly converted barn. We worked with the farmer throughout the barn-conversion process to create a light and airy space that's been built to exacting environmental standards. The glass front to the barn means that we can stay in tune with the ever-changing countryside outside. Chickens make a regular visit to our door and we watch the doves return to the Dovecote that is an integral part of our barn roof.
Long library globe lights hang from the 25-foot high ceilings. Custom-made glass and oak trestle desks line both sides of the studio. The glass desktops add to the openness of the studio. All our workstations have Aeron chairs -- the classic design looks fantastic with the simple design of the desks and the designers love them.
The mezzanine floor is our meeting space with a glass boardroom table and supportive seating. Objects of beauty adorn our walls, which link to the heritage of the building: best of breed animals; tools to perform; a vision of creativity. An extensive library of books provides constant inspiration.
We get our inspiration from everything in life. Every day breathes new energy and influences from colour, music, people, things that touch our senses. We live and breath design -- design for life!
(Images: Steve Haskins/So Design Consultants)
Republished in partnership with Lifework
By Amy Feezoe


text:
May 18, 2011
Paul E. Sax, M.D., is director of the HIV Program and Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Quick question: If there were one piece of information -- clinical or lab -- that you would use to determine the quality of care in an HIV program, what would it be? (Choose one.)
Maybe I'm being presumptuous here, but one of these -- virologic suppression -- completely blows the rest of them away. Sure, the others are worthwhile, but data linking them to improved outcomes for people with HIV are either pretty weak (adherence counseling, flu vaccine) or nonexistent (toxoplasmosis serology).
Even the use of PCP prophylaxis for CD4 < 200, which was highly effective and prolonged survival in the pre-ART era, doesn't come close to the benefits of effective ART. One paper even questions whether we need it, provided that the person is on fully suppressive HIV therapy.
The reason? Anything with "HIV" attached to it, you see, is privacy-protected information under Massachusetts Chapter 111, Section 70F, unless the patient provides written informed consent. No exceptions listed.
Which means that people with HIV can't participate in this quality improvement program -- in effect, are discriminated against -- due to a law that in the post HIPAA era should not even be necessary, since all medical information is now considered confidential.
The state law on HIV testing and privacy, by the way, dates back to when HIV was called "HTLV-III", and it's showing its age. Fortunately, revisions to it are in the works that allow for appropriate testing, clinical care, research, and quality improvement.
Stay tuned.
Paul Sax is Clinical Director of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital. His blog HIV and ID Observations is part of Journal Watch, where he is Editor-in-Chief of Journal Watch AIDS Clinical Care.
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text:
After changing Maddon's mind, Balfour locks up win
BOSTON -- Grant Balfour wanted David Ortiz -- and he got what he wanted, retiring the Red Sox slugger to preserve the Rays' 2-1 win in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader at Fenway Park.
The win snapped a three-game losing skid for the Rays (12-16), who moved to 2-4 on their current 10-game road trip.View Full Game Coverage
BOSTON -- Grant Balfour wanted David Ortiz -- and he got what he wanted, retiring the Red Sox slugger to preserve the Rays' 2-1 win in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader at Fenway Park.
The win snapped a three-game losing skid for the Rays (12-16), who moved to 2-4 on their current 10-game road trip.View Full Game Coverage
Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead into the ninth and handed the ball to Balfour in the hopes its closer could get the final three outs. After striking out Jackie Bradley Jr. to start the inning, Balfour gave up a single to Dustin Pedroia. Shane Victorino then dropped a bunt that moved Pedroia to second, bringing Ortiz to the plate.
Manager Joe Maddon then made a mound visit to tell Balfour that he wanted him to walk the Red Sox slugger with the open base. But "Aussie Rage" prevailed when Balfour convinced Maddon to let him pitch to Ortiz.
"I was pretty adamant, I guess," Balfour said. "In the end, he just said, 'All right, just go get it.'"
Maddon could not remember the other pitcher who got him to change his mind, but he allowed that it had only happened once before.
"My method is to make up my mind before you cross the [base] line," Maddon said. "So by the time you're on the other side of the line, you have to be locked in to what you want to do, but [Balfour] felt that strongly about it."
Maddon chuckled about his return to the Rays' bench afterward.
"I came back in and said, 'He wanted the lefty,' so I just went and sat in my corner," Maddon said.
Balfour got ahead in the count 0-2 before Ortiz grounded out to Balfour to end the game.
On Friday night in Chicago, Balfour blew his first save of the season, so earning his fifth save of the season had a soothing feeling.
"For me, it was big, because it's a mindset," Balfour said. "Last game in Chicago, I didn't have the right mindset. I was pitching away from contact. I just wasn't aggressive in the zone. I wasn't aggressive with my pitches. Today, it was a totally different ballgame. … I just like the way I went about my business today. Things were sharp."
Cesar Ramos started for the Rays and had a difficult beginning when Pedroia drew a leadoff walk and scored two outs later on an RBI single by Jonny Gomes.
Despite using 35 pitches, Ramos escaped a bases-loaded jam and overcame an error by first baseman James Loney by retiring Will Middlebrooks on a flyball to end the inning.
"I made a mess in that first inning and luckily I was able to minimize the damage," Ramos said.
Ramos allowed one run on one hit and six walks while striking out six over 4 2/3 frames to receive a no-decision.
Ramos tied a career high for strikeouts in a single game and set a new high for walks.
"Definitely not how you want to draw it up," Ramos said. "But it's frustrating, because if I get half those walks, I'm in the sixth or seventh inning."
Ortiz drew the final walk against Ramos with two outs in the fifth, which prompted Maddon to bring on Brandon Gomes to face Mike Napoli with two on board.
Gomes retired Napoli on a pop out to preserve the Rays' 2-1 lead.
Gomes added a scoreless inning in the sixth before Jake McGee took over in the seventh, allowing a leadoff single to Pedroia. One out later, Ortiz doubled off the Green Monster and Pedroia tried to score from first. However, left fielder Matt Joyce threw a strike to Yunel Escobar, and the shortstop fired the ball to catcher Jose Molina, who tagged out a sliding Pedroia.
The Red Sox disagreed with the call, prompting manager John Farrell to ask for a review, but the call stood. In the aftermath of the decision, third-base coach Brian Butterfield was ejected when he protested the verdict. McGee then struck out Napoli swinging to end the threat.
Each manager viewed the play at the plate differently.
"I thought not only did Dustin beat the throw, beat the tag, but felt like his left foot made some contact with home plate," Farrell said. "Our video internally showed that that was the case, and upon review, the call came back, it stood. Felt like there wasn't conclusive evidence to overturn the call on the field."
Maddon noted: "From what I understand, he never touched the plate and that was a big part of that call from what I understand regarding the review."
Even Molina wasn't sure about what happened. When asked if Pedroia was out, the veteran catcher noted: "I didn't see it. ... I catch it and just swipe."
Joel Peralta pitched a scoreless eighth leading up to Balfour in the ninth.
David DeJesus provided the offense for the Rays. In the third, he homered off Red Sox starter Jake Peavy, curling a blast around Pesky's Pole in right. DeJesus added an RBI in the fourth when he drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk to put the Rays up 2-1.
"That ball was really well struck," Maddon said. "And he didn't have a good history with Peavy coming into the game, either, so it's nice to see that. David's just been working better at-bats. You saw the walk. He's not jumpy right now, the ball's coming to him. He just looks like he did when we got him at the end of last season."
The first game of Thursday's doubleheader was the makeup game from Wednesday night's rainout, which the Rays had hoped to play later in the season. But having played the game, and coming away with the win, changed the tune in Tampa Bay's clubhouse.
"Totally feel much better about it," Maddon said. "It was a great idea to play that game this afternoon. I wish I would have thought of it myself."
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com.


text:
Results from the EU-funded BIONIC EAR project will be presented by the European Commission at this years annual meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB). The meeting opens tonight in San Francisco
The European Union is funding the 4-year BIONIC EAR project with €1.53 million out of a total budget of €2.77 million . BIONIC EAR looks into ways of repairing the inner ear whose hair cells are damaged by trauma, antibiotics or ageing, thus resulting in an irreversible hearing impairment, which affects more than 10 percent of the population. Project partners include the Université de Montpellier II (France), Stockholm's Karolinska Institute (Sweden), the Institute of Neuroscience of the "Centro Nazionale Ricerche" (CNR) in Milan (Italy) and the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland).
The French and Swedish researchers in particular have identified and isolated "progenitor" or adult stem cells from vestibular sensory epithelia (VSE) in mice, which could be differentiated into new sensory hair cells. Electronic stimulation of these cells, connected to the brain, could also help tackle deafness in humans.
Michael Wappelhorst | European Commission
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text:
GameOn Host Jeff Johnson has finally finished Metal Gear Solid 4. Here are his thoughts on areas of the game that could've been left out!
The area that SHOULD have been left out, was Snake NOT shooting himself. Since it was originally intended for him to die there. That would have made for such a sad and epic ending. Though the one in the game isn't all that bad. They did a good job re-writing the story a bit.
I thought that this game did not have enough stealth action. Too many automatic weapons too much shooting. I personally like to play bare handed or just with the knife CQC style like Snake Eater.
i thought the ending was perfect one of the few games to make me cry
I don't like this guy. I feel like he doesn't know what he's talking about.