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- This event has passed.
Friday Night Gretna "EZ" Ride
September 7 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 7:00pm on Friday, repeating indefinitely
The Westbank now has a weekly social ride! This ride meets at the Rivershack in Gretna at 7PM, and leaves around 7:45. All levels of bikes welcome…It's a Social Ride….Light up your Bike and Ride!
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/243679506006425/


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netwerks needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 108 designs submitted by 30 freelance designers.
Need logo for new website, will be 18+ video sharing,
No nudity, only shadows of people having sex.
Site is geared more a humor, social networking site than sexual.
Like if someone were at a party with a light on the wall etc.you can upload for all your friends to laugh.
Someone would film shadowfucking and then their friends would try and out do it.
Maybe at the bar, in an alleyway, at the beach, behind church or before the movie...
Geared toward a younger crowd college, yound adult humor.
18+ is only because of advertising.
Colors should consist of black, white, grey. These are the general colors of the corporate identify.
Must look good on both white and black backgrounds. 90% of time the logo will appear on black or dark background.
Design should be minimalist.
Should be simple and transfer to print, website, merchandise well.
Maye a graphic with a sillouette or something depicting a shadow.
Throw a color in if you want to an surprise us.
We are going to get a lot of traffic on this contest.
As for the design "you either got it or you don't."
We will provide feedback only on the designs we feel are strong.
If your design fits anything in the "what i don't want" category below we will put a couple words in the feedback it and it will be eliminated immediately.
Files hould be provided in Adobe Illustrator format only.
Good luck and godspeed
We will use the following rating system as feedback:
1 star - Wrong direction, start over with something completely different
2 star - some elements I like
3 star - getting closer but need revisions or a different take on your design
4 star - design is being considered
5 star - made the final cut!
- This site is NO NUDITY and try not to be graphic, the name is graphic enough.
- The MINIMALISTIC - Think what a logo is supposed to convey, the graphic should be simple but state the obvious
do not use the .com in the logo
sneaky, voyeur with a hint of naughty
maybe a little kink factor
seriously,,,get creative and then some...=======================================
7 Logo Design Tips
Keep in mind that a powerful logo design:has a strong, balanced image with no little extras that clutter its look;
is distinctive and bold in design, making it easy to see at a glance;
has graphic imagery that works well with your company name;
is done in an easy to read font;
communicates your business clearly; and
looks good in black and white, as well as in color.
- dont be cheesy
dont be dirty (nada sucio)
no lamers
any graphic must not be crude or offensive
no smut
no clipart
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.

subset: commoncrawl


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May 28, 2010
Rosen glosses over the damning case against Kagame – in the same way he ignores most Kagame critics. He fails to mention that right now Kagame's regime is shutting down newspapers, is kidnapping the homeless and is demonizing and pronouncing Victoire Ingabire guilty. And hours ago in Rwanda, Kagame arrested eminent American law professor, Peter Erlinder.


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March 15, 2008
12 November 1940 – 15 March 2008
The world of photonics has lost a great champion and a pioneer of fibre optics in Australia with the passing of Professor Pak Lim Chu, who died on March 15, 2008, after a year's battle with cancer. An OSA Fellow since 1992, Pak was a leading international photonics research scientist, a pillar of the Chinese Christian Church, a regular contributor to local Chinese newspapers and a former Chairman of the Society for Chinese-Australian Academics.
Pak's was born in Guangdong Province during the Japanese occupation of China during World War II. When Pak was a young child, his father moved to the US in order to find work. In 1949, the year the Chinese Communist Government came to power, his mother moved with Pak to Hong Kong. Thereafter attempts by his mother to reunite the family in the US were thwarted by successive US and Canadian Government immigration services. So, in order to continue his education, Pak came instead to Australia in 1959 by himself and began his long career at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
In 1965 a major milestone occurred that would dramatically affect Pak's future career when Antoni (Toni) Karbowiak, became Chair in Communications in the Department of Electrical Engineering and formed the first optical fibre research group in Australia. Under Toni's supervision Pak researched radiation from corners in surface wave transmission lines for his final year undergraduate project and graduated in 1965. There followed the Master of Engineering degree in 1966 and a Ph.D. in 1971. Pak then moved to a lectureship at the University of Technology, Sydney, before returning to Toni's group two years later. His return to UNSW marked the beginning of his involvement with guided wave photonics for more than 30 years culminating in his Headship of the Optical Communications Group (OCG).
Over the years Pak managed a very productive research group at UNSW, active in both theory and experiment. One of the earliest laboratory developments was a preform lathe and drawing facility for glass fibre fabrication; there followed a simple classical ray tracing method for determining the refractive index profile of a fibre from the fabrication preform. This idea subsequently evolved elsewhere into what is now a standard piece of fibre characterisation equipment found in all fabrication laboratories. Later interests included the non-linear phenomenon of solitons, polymer fibres, fibres doped with rare-earth elements, multi-core fibres, planar waveguides and devices, sensing and particularly the fibre hydrophone, and other diverse fibre applications.
Pak was a traditional academic, fascinated by pure research but with no great interest in the commercial development of these ideas. He supervised numerous doctoral and honours students and also developed the first undergraduate course in Australia in the new optical communications technology.
Pak raised substantial research funds from contracts and consultancies with various government and industry organizations. One UNSW-based collaborative GIRD grant with Siemens Ltd, ANU and the University of Sydney led to the successful development of a practical twin-core fibre coarse wavelength de-multiplexer. Another success was the plasma-based technology used in planar waveguide fabrication that was developed in his group and led to the formation of the CRC spin-off company Redfern Integrated Optics (RIO).
In 1976 Pak organised the first Workshop on Optical Fibres, held at UNSW, which brought together researchers in fibre optics from academic, government and industrial organizations. The workshops rapidly grew in popularity until their size exhausted the ability of volunteers to organise and manage them. In 1983, Pak invited the (now defunct) Institution of Radio and Electronics Engineers (IREE) to take over management of the event. As a result, the first in the long-running series of Australian Conferences on Optical Fibre Technology (ACOFT) was launched in 1984. In later years Pak also became heavily involved in the international series of conferences on polymer optical fibres and in several Asian photonics conferences.
Pak was a popular speaker and the author of almost 500 conference and journal papers. He was a Fellow of several scientific societies including the Australian Technological Society and the Optical Society of America. In 2001 he was awarded the Centenary Medal of Australia for his contribution to optical communications.
In 2001 Pak retired from UNSW and moved to the City University of Hong Kong in Kowloon where he became Professor and Director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre. Pak remained in this position until reaching the University's normal retirement age of 65. Then in 2006 he joined a local company, Cotco Holdings, to continue his photonics interests for the rest of his time in Hong Kong.
Pak is survived by his wife Eva, daughter Evelyn, son Desmond and five grandchildren.
This obituary was contributed by Professor John Love, Australian National University


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The May 3 edition carried profiles of Republican contenders for the U.S. House District 2 position: incumbent Greg Walden of Hood River and Dennis Linthicum of Beatty, in Klamath County. The vote May 20 will determine who runs in the November General election.
Two men and one woman from the central and southern parts of District 2 (the nation's largest Congressional district, geographically): Aelea Christopherson of Bend, Barney Spera of Ashland and Frank Vuillet of Sunriver.
On this page are profiles of all three candidates.
Hood River County Primary Election ballots were mailed Friday by the County Elections Department. Any voter who has not received a ballot should call the Elections Department at 541-386-1442. Ballots must be in the county's hands by May 20 at 8 p.m.
Barney Spera: Reverse the power of money in Washington
Barney Spera knows it is unlikely that he will topple Republican Greg Walden from his Second Congressional District seat — but he is running to get his message out.
"I decided to get involved in this election because I just got angry," said the Democrat from Ashland.
"Money is power and power is money and I have no illusions about unseating Walden. But I would like to get a discussion going."
He is facing off in the May 20 primary election with fellow Democrats Aelea Christofferson, 61, of Bend, and Charles "Frank" Vulliet Sr., 72, of Sunriver.
Spera, 83, worked for Pan American and United Airlines, rising to the rank of senior purser, before retiring after 58 years on the job.
During his career, he was president of Transport Workers Union Local 505 from 1967-76 and International Representative from 1977-78.
He is the only opponent to Walden who has held a public office, serving as a city councilor and then mayor of Millbrae, Calif., between 1972-76.
Topping Spera's list of things to change in America is an increase of the federal minimum wage to $15 or more per hour for all workers.
He said it is immoral for one of the richest nations on earth to have 45 million people living at or below poverty level. He said people should not have to choose between buying food and the prescription drugs they need to stay healthy.
"This is America, it shouldn't be that way," he said.
He said employees really need to earn about $23 per hour to cover the cost of housing, childcare and food in today's world. But even doubling the current national minimum per hour of $7.25 would be an improvement.
"Businesses and corporations pay poverty wages and then spend billions per year in advertising," he said. "I really believe the way to reduce the national debt is to raise wages to a livable level and then people would be paying more taxes and creating more jobs."
He said the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says for every $1 rise in the wage, that individual has $2,800 of disposable income to spend
Spera, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1952-54, is strongly opposed to the "senseless wars" of the Middle East, which he believes have drained needed resources from domestic programs.
"This country would be debt-free and poverty near non-existent if we had heeded President Eisenhower's warning to 'Beware of the military industrial complex,'" he said.
The sovereign freedoms of Americans must be defended, said Spera, and the nation should stand up to dictators and eliminate terrorist groups. But the death of so many innocent civilians in Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Iraq and Afghanistan — as many as four million by some counts — is an unacceptable tragedy.
He does not believe the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, goes far enough. Instead, he contends there should be the "single-payer plan" that most "civilized" countries have adopted in some form or another. Under that system, the government, rather than private insurers, pays all health care costs.
"Every year, almost one million Americans declare bankruptcy because of unpaid medical bills," said Spera, who believes that wealthier citizens should be called upon to cover the costs of providing the less fortunate with coverage.
He also wants to help 11 million illegal immigrants either get into a guest worker program to become citizens. He said Walden and other GOP leaders are blocking a Senate immigration reform bill, which is going to cost them millions of Hispanic and Asian votes in the 2016 presidential race.
Spera climbed Mount Fuji in Japan at the age of 79 and is getting ready to climb Mount Shasta in California in the near future. He would also like to climb the capitol steps in Washington, D.C., to represent struggling families in Oregon and across the nation.
He decided to take on Walden after the 16-year incumbent voted to extend a government shutdown in the fall of 2013 due to stalemated budget talks between Democrats and Republicans.
"More than 800,000 federal workers were sent home without pay and I thought that someone had to run against him," he said.
Frank Vuillet:No more 'yes men' in Congress
Charles "Frank" Vulliet Sr., 72, felt called to run for the Second Congressional seat out of belief that issues at the federal level are so out of control that it is a prime time to replace incumbent Greg Walden.
"I owe it to the country to do what I can to keep Walden from going back another time," he said.
Vulliet, a retired trial lawyer who resides in Sunriver, will face off with fellow Democrats Aelea Christofferson, 61, of Bend, and Barney Spera, 83, of Ashland, in the May 20 primary election. The winner of that contest will go up against Walden or his Republican challenger Dennis Linthicum, 58, of Beatty (profiled in the May 3 Hood River News).
A retired trial lawyer, Vulliet wants to use his experience in preparing complex cases and knowledge of the constitution to "fix" Congress. He said procedural rules are now being used routinely to block or delay legislation and that is not the governance envisioned by the founding fathers.
"I want to allow a substantial minority — 10 to 20 percent — in either chamber to bring legislation to the floor for a vote on reasonable notice," he said.
Vulliet also thinks bills should be restricted to a single legislative subject so people will know how an elected official voted on a particular subject. He said that change would also eliminate "earmarks" tucked into legislation to benefit special interest groups.
He said all elections should be publically financed and there should be more restrictions on donations to candidates.
High on his to-do list, said Vulliet, is dealing with the nation's endless demands for water, not only for consumption but irrigating crops, manufacturing and preserving the ecosystem. He plans to study up on the issues and get ready to craft sound policy that reduces conflicts.
He also believes the lumber industry in Oregon and across the nation should be restored in a way that protects the environment and wildlife.
Third on his to-do list is making sure capital is invested into infrastructure repairs and upgrades that will accommodate commerce and pave the way for greater economic growth.
Last but not least, he want to see more focus put on reducing the federal government's involvement in education and giving states more control of these programs.
Conversely, he thinks states need to be out of the health care business so the federal model can work at greater efficiency, with less bureaucratic duplication and redundancy.
He believes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, makes too many concessions to the insurance industry, which is still generating enormous profits.
"I'm critical of the act because it really wasn't directed toward reducing medical costs," said Vulliet, who favors some type of nationalized health care system.
He does not agree with GOP leaders that health care costs cannot go down without reforming the litigation system so malpractice rates for physicians are not so high. In fact, he said these payments made up only a small part of the medical budget, the profit margins for supplies and prescription drugs are responsible for driving up costs.
"I did civil litigation for 30 years and I can tell you that injured people aren't getting richer," he said.
Not only does Vulliet have plans for changes on the domestic front, he would like to see tensions de-escalate in the Middle East by getting tough on Israel.
He said unless a Palestinian state is granted, Arab nations are not going to live in peace with Israel, which refuses to end one of the region's most intractable conflicts.
"I see a big problem with Israel trying to drag us into conflict," he said. "I think we don't have more peace in the Middle East until we say, 'Knock it off.'"
Vulliet said he was a Republican until 1982, when he saw where the Reagan Administration was taking the country and decided it was the wrong direction. He believes the same dynamics are playing out now and it is time for him to take a stand and get politically active.
He sees it as a plus that he has never before held a public office. He said it is time to send "yes men" like Walden, who has held his position for 16 years, home and get independent thinkers into Congress that bring fresh ideas.
Aelea Christofferson: 'Fiscal Conservative' focuses on jobs
Aelea Christofferson, 61, of Bend, does not see her time on the Cover Oregon board of directors as a detriment to her candidacy for Oregon's Second Congressional District seat.
"I have been working for seven years to get health care for 250,000 uninsured Oregonians — Cover Oregon was not (just) a website and the only thing that failed was getting people signed up," she said.
Last week, state officials scrapped the online marketplace for private and public insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The website was determined to be unsalvageable in spite of a $248 million expenditure.
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, the Republican that Christofferson would like to replace, has called for a federal investigation into the "colossal waste" of taxpayer funding.
In order to take on the 16-year incumbent, she has to beat fellow Democrats Barney Spera, 83, of Ashland, and Charles "Frank" Vulliet Sr., 72, of Sunriver, in the May 20 primary election.
Christofferson said serving on the Oregon Health Fund board and with Cover Oregon to transform the coverage system in Oregon has been rewarding. She said coordinated care organizations are now in place to manage the Oregon Health Plan, the state's version of Medicaid. Teams of physicians, mental health counselors and others now synchronize services that used to be delivered separately and focus more on preventative care to reduce the overall cost of treatment.
"We have increased the number of people who have access to Medicaid and coordinated care is very promising," she said. "It's actually one of my greatest achievements."
She believes the biggest threat to health care is coming from Walden and GOP leaders in Washington, D.C., who are "saying no to sensible proposals that lower costs and improve coverage."
Although she voted for Walden in the past, Christofferson said his days as a moderate are over and she feels his votes "farther and farther to the right" no longer benefit Oregonians.
"Congress is broken and we all know it's broken so we need people who are going to come in and do something different," she said.
She holds a bachelor's degree in political science from California State University and a master's in business administration from Golden Gate University.
Describing herself as a "fiscal conservative," Christofferson founded and ran ATL Communications for 22 years.
Unlike Walden, who she said has spent a career in politics, she professes to have gained leadership experience from the private sector and an understanding of the challenges facing businesses today. Christofferson said true economic growth can only come when the nation is balancing its budget and not burdening industries with unnecessary regulations.
"We can't keep spending money we don't have," she said. "I think everyone's going to have to give on that one. I'm not for tax increases but we are going to have to close the loopholes that affect only the wealthiest Americans."
Christofferson believes the deep partisan divide in Congress needs to be bridged by people, like herself, who are willing to work toward compromise.
For example, she said 50,000 people in Oregon lost jobs when logging was virtually shut down in national forests within the state. She believes managed harvests would protect wildlife habitat while providing struggling families — and counties — with a steady income.
"We can clean up the forest in a way that provides lumber while protecting the environment," she said.
Christofferson said serious discussions also need to take place between federal officials, conservationists and ranchers to protect species such as the sage grouse in a way that also accommodates beef production.
"I'm a pretty moderate Democrat and my faith leads me to protect God's creations but I have also owned a business and know what's needed to sustain jobs," she said.
She believes more focus needs to be placed on job creation and ensuring that high-tech firms and others have the skilled workforce they need to compete in the global marketplace. With 600,000 unfilled jobs in the nation, she would like to see more vocational training programs in high schools to help students succeed in life.
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Woodinville, WAUSA
March 8, 2013
TBI survivor
Help support your Meetup
Science of the Mind provides a forum for those interested in the foundations of awareness: the structure of the brain, the brain/mind connection, awareness, consciousness, cognition, language, memory, learning, interior experience, altered states, and illusion. Where does "brain" end and "mind" begin? How can we understand consciousness and self-awareness? Our discussions may also touch on practices such as meditation and yoga, although the focus of the group is not metaphysics. Join other "curious scientists" to unravel the mysteries of the mind and make new friends over a great cup of coffee or glass of wine.
Our Seattle area gatherings include: public events, lectures, special talks, film viewings, book group discussions, and other events throughout the year. Meetups occur in various venues, like the UW, Seattle Town Hall, public libraries, private homes, as well as at cafes and restaurants for any desired pre or post-event discussions. The group is not related to Ernest Holmes or "Science of Mind."
Anyone is welcomed to suggest a meetup idea or topic pertaining to scientific or philosophical topics related to the mind, with or without an event date and location. RSVP for events you would like to attend and 'RSVP' your interest to support topics that might not yet have a date/location. In between meetups, feel free to contact any of the organizers listed with your thoughts or begin a conversation on the Discussion Board.
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text: The library accepts donations of books and audiovisual materials in good condition. Donations may be dropped off at the library any time during regular business hours. Donations not added to the library's collection are put in the library's book sale. The library does not accept donations of magazines or outdated textbooks and encyclopedias.


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The problem with Railway History, is that any mention of 'railways' or 'trains' always has people jumping to conclusion, frequently of the anorak-wearing type. But railways are just as much about social history as they are about technology, as Sandra Gittins has shown. And this social history really came to the fore in 1914.
I found this book a real eye-opener in more ways than one. I hadn't realised just what an impact railways had had on the war, but also what an impact the war had on the railways. An iconic image in British military history is the eponymous train pulling away from the station loaded with waving troops. More humbling is the spectre of trains pulling back into the same station carrying scores of wounded men.
If the First World War was the first truly industrialised war, then the Railways seem to have been a real force multiplier. The combustion engine had not been developed quite enough to be as significant as it would later become. The German state had built – in a typically German fashion – a complex system of railways that would speed their armies to the western front to enact the Schlieffen Plan, and then across Germany to fight the Russians in the east. The French and British took much longer to perfect their rail networks nearer the front, and the immediate importance of the Great Western Railway was in ferrying troops around country – principally to the embarkation ports for France, and also to the training camps on Salisbury Plain.
Other aspects of the GWR's war I was quite unaware of. It comes as something of a surprise to read that the GWR's engineering works were making munitions and artillery pieces for the Army. The GWR was also crucial in transporting coal from the Welsh mining areas to coastal ports, from where it could be taken to fuel the Royal Navy, which was still overwhelmingly coal powered. The company's ferries were also pressed into service. There were so many train services running on Government service, and so little rolling stock left, that passenger services were seriously curtailed.
As the western front stagnated into static warfare, so infrastructure grew up to service the men and materiel flowing towards the trenches. An important component of this was the rail network. Initially the GWR sent a number of engines and rolling stock, and then built more specificially for the Government for service abroad. Some of these were of completely new designs, to transport aircraft and tanks. Eventually, GWR men were sent to France to both operate the existing rail networks, and to build new ones.
As with most large companies (in 1914 GWR employed in the region of 80,000 people), many employeed joined the forces. Some of these were on an individual basis, but the GWR also contributed men and officers to several Royal Engineers Railway Companies, and also some volunteer infantry units. This was very much in keeping with the 'Pals' ethos; that men who worked together and joined up together would be allowed to fight together. The absence of young men to work the railways led to the employment of women in many roles, and also not a few retired GWR employees.
Sandra Gittins has also included a very impressively researched Roll of Honour, in which most names have been discovered in the CWGC database. I'm working on a similar project at the moment, and its very inspiring to see that someone has gone into such depth. There are also some gallant tales, such as the sergeant and the private who managed to take prisoner 250 Germans between them, form them into a column and march them back to the British lines.
Overall, we are left with a couple of impressions. Firstly, that Railways were such a huge part of life in early twentieth century Britain, and for a large and prominent company such as the GWR, this must have been even more so. Also, we are given a sense of community – not only did companies form the heartbeat of the community, but also that these communities suffered so much from the human cost of war.
The Great Western Railway in the First World War is published by The History Press


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
New York State Rural Schools Association bestows "Appreciation Award" to senator at annual conference
State Sen. Patrick M. Gallivan was honored Monday night with the New York State Rural Schools Association "Appreciation Award" for his advocacy and leadership on behalf of the rural schools and students of New York state. The New York State Rural Schools Association presented the award to Gallivan at its annual conference at the Otesaga Resort in Cooperstown.
"Where a family chooses to live should not determine the quality of a child's education in this state. Being raised and educated in a rural setting myself, I understand that ensuring rural students are given the same opportunities and advantages as students in high-wealth districts is a fundamental responsibility of state government," Gallivan said. "I am proud to have worked with advocacy groups, school leaders and fellow legislators to restore cuts that have disproportionally impacted rural students, and I look forward to continued progress in the years to come."
Gallivan has also emphasized agriculture as an important component of upstate's economic future by introducing and expanding opportunities for agriculture-in-the-classroom in numerous school districts in Western New York.
Bruce Fraser, executive director of the New York State Rural Schools Association, said, "Sen. Gallivan is a champion for the fair distribution of state aid to schools. He recognizes that low property-wealth school districts have been disproportionately hurt by cuts in state aid, making it necessary that any increases in state aid be distributed in a highly wealth-equalizing manner. Sen. Gallivan's willingness to fight for the needs of rural school districts across the state are most deeply appreciated."
Dr. Rick Timbs, executive director of the Statewide School Finance Consortium, and Dr. Michael Glover, district superintendent of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, nominated Gallivan for The Rural Schools Association Appreciation Award. In their joint letter of nomination, Timbs and Glover stated, "In our combined 35 years as superintendents, we have never worked with a more open, transparent or courageous state elected official who advocated for rural schools & the children who attend them."
Created in 1978 and housed at Cornell University in Ithaca, the New York State Rural Schools Association is a statewide organization, representing the interests of, initiating research for, and providing service and information to the small and rural school districts of New York state. Approximately 300 school districts and BOCES units are currently enrolled as members of RSA.


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Coyotes' Bissonnette suspended for 10 gamesNHL.com @NHL
NEW YORK -- Phoenix Coyotes forward Paul Bissonnette has been automatically suspended without pay for 10 regular-season games as a result of being assessed a game misconduct penalty for leaving the bench on an illegal line change to join an altercation during NHL Preseason Game No. 9 against the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night in Glendale, Ariz.
At 12:09 of the first period, Bissonnette was assessed a game misconduct under Rule 70.6, which states: "A game misconduct penalty shall be imposed on the player who was the first or second player to leave the players' or penalty bench during an altercation or for the purpose of starting an altercation, from either or both teams."
The suspension is mandated by Rule 70.10, which states: "The first player to leave the players' or penalty bench illegally during an altercation or for the purpose of starting an altercation from either or both teams shall be suspended without pay for the next 10 regular League and/or playoff games of his team."
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and based on his average annual salary, Bissonnette will forfeit $37,820.51. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
Bissonnette will be eligible to return to the Coyotes' lineup on Oct. 24 at Los Angeles.


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New York man kills grandmother in alleged TV show fight
KINGS PARK, N.Y. – Police say a New York man has killed his grandmother after they argued over what TV show to watch.
They say Clarence Newcomb was arrested Friday at the home he shared with 82-year-old Kathleen Newcomb in Kings Park, on New York's Long Island.
Suffolk County police say a man called them at 4:35 a.m. to report the woman was lying on the floor. Officers say they found her dead.
Medical officials haven't determined how she died. No weapons have been recovered.
Police say 25-year-old Clarence Newcomb told them he and his grandmother had argued over what to watch on TV. Lt. Jack Fitzpatrick says he doesn't know what shows were involved.
Newcomb is in custody and can't be reached for comment. Police say he's unemployed. He faces arraignment Saturday.


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Friday, December 19, 2008
Looney Tunes New Years' Day Marathon on Cartoon Network
According to multiple sources including Toon Zone and Cartoon Network's schedule, Cartoon Network is giving classic cartoon fans one heck of a New Years' present! An all-day (14 hours) marathon of Looney Tunes shorts will air on CN January 1st, 2009. It is unclear whether or not CN and Warner Bros. have reached an agreement permanently, but this is good news for these shorts even if it's only a one-day stunt. While only a small fraction of the schedule has been listed, it appears that the majority of the shorts will be from the original Turner pre-1948 package, but there are also a couple 50's classics thrown in, "Gee Whizzz" and "Bunny Hugged". Also included are some black and white Porky Pig classics: "Porky in Wackyland" and "You Ought To Be In Pictures"...but odds are that they will be colorized versions.
This thing screams "ratings test for possible relaunch", much like the "Scooby Doo, Where Have You Been?" stunt early this past fall. I hope that's the case. Even if it's a one-time stunt, January 1, 2009 will be the first time in nearly four years that kids can tune in to a major TV channel and see Bugs Bunny. I hope they enjoy it as much as I will!
(They'll get bonus points from me for reviving this great intro, too!):
Posted by Matthew Hunter at 7:25 AM
3 comments:
Wow! This article really made my day. I can only hope that this confirmation between CN and WB to show Looney Tunes on CN for one day is true. 2009 is going to be one hell of a year.
- December 19, 2008 at 2:49 PM
that schedule is the site's OLD layout and it says TM & (c) 2003. You sure it's credible? I'm leery about this. I need more credible proof.
- December 20, 2008 at 10:32 AM
- Jon Cooke said...
http://www.zap2it.com/ listings have Looney Tunes as airing all day on Jan. 1, 2009.
- December 21, 2008 at 10:38 AM
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Three years after the massive Gulf oil spill fouled Florida Panhandle beaches, millions of dollars in restitution are being used to build new piers and boat ramps and restore sand dunes.
Though some wanted more money for their communities, Panhandle political leaders and residents are happy that the state and eight counties are about to get a share of the money paid by BP and the companies that made the drilling equipment that failed in April 2010.
Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama are also getting chunks of the proceeds. The federal government recently released the first billion dollars through the Oil Pollution Act, which assesses damages against companies responsible for spills, and billions more could be coming through the act and other court hearings. In addition, BP says it has already spent $3.4 billion in Florida for claims and settlements, tourism promotion and other expenses.
"There were political compromises -- in the end, we were all trying to get the most we could for our communities," said Escambia County Commissioner Grover Robinson IV, who helped developed the distribution plan for Florida's share of the funds.
"The formula is a political formula. Every state and county would like to have more money for their own projects but we have to work together," said Robinson, whose district includes Pensacola Beach. It saw heavy oil at the height of the spill and continues to see tiny tar balls in the surf line.
Escambia County, the only Florida county to see heavy oil on its beaches, needed the help of the state's other counties to secure its portion of the state's funding, Robinson said. Some of funds will be divided statewide while some will be distributed based on the amount of oil that washed ashore.
Texas saw no oil from the Deepwater Horizon but will get a share of one fund for Gulf Coast states. Other Gulf Coast states needed Texas' political pull to secure the funding, Robinson said.
Regardless of how the deal happened, Bahen Privett is just happy it's done. He says the store he manages, Pensacola Kayak and Sail, suffered tremendous losses after the spill as its customers stayed away. But now, $2.2 million from the oil spill restitution is paying for the construction of a public-use boat ramp and park near his shop, which should improve business. "The oil spill wasn't positive, but this is a positive thing," Privett said.
Another trial
The billions from the Oil Restitution Act could be small when compared to damage payments mandated by a New Orleans judge in a trial that is under way. The judge will determine an amount to fine BP and other responsible parties for each barrel of oil that flowed from the blown-out well. Under the Clean Water Act, a polluter can be forced to pay a minimum of $1,100 per barrel of spilled oil. The fines nearly quadruple to about $4,300 a barrel for companies found grossly negligent, meaning BP could be on the hook for nearly $18 billion.
Under the complicated formula agreed upon by the five Gulf Coast states, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida will equally split 35 percent of the total fine and the remaining 65 percent will go to various ecosystem and environmental projects throughout the region. In Florida, eight counties that had the largest impact from the spill will split 75 percent of the state's share.
The popular Okaloosa County tourist town of Destin is planning projects that include harbor and transportation improvements, land purchases and improved water access for the public.
"I believe the compensation will be appropriate, if we get it. If what is supposed to happen happens, I think it will be fair. But we haven't gotten any money yet," Mayor Sarah Seevers said. "We especially want to do things to improve access to the water for people who live here and pay taxes year-round," she said.
Much of what BP pays will be used to protect the long-term health of the entire Gulf Coast ecosystem, environmental experts say. Although the Florida Everglades saw no oil, funding to restore the vast marshland is important because it is breeding ground for birds and fish that populate the entire Gulf.
Eric Draper, executive director of Audubon Florida, said projects to improve sea grasses and other natural vegetation will provide habitat for wildlife throughout the region.
BP restitution funds are being put to use
Three years after the massive Gulf oil spill fouled Florida Panhandle beaches, millions of dollars in restitution are being used to build new piers and boat ramps and restore sand dunes.


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Sleeping on the front porch after a hot summer day was a straight out necessity. The upstairs of the 1940's farm house had turned into a sauna and sleeping in the upstairs bedrooms was not possible. Even after the sun went down, the upstairs seemed to get hotter. Let's look at some ways to cool a house without air conditioning?
Now that I spend time trying to figure out how a home can be more energy efficient, I think back to those hot summer days and wonder two…Continue
Added by Don Ames on August 22, 2012 at 11:30pm — 3 Comments
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- Ferrari
Random spins won't happen again - RaikkonenLaurence Edmondson at the Red Bull Ring June 19, 2014 « No mentality change for Mercedes - Rosberg | Button hopes to overhaul Ferrari with upgrades »
Kimi Raikkonen is still struggling to get to the bottom of his issues with the Ferrari this year, but is confident the random spins in he experienced in Canada will not happen again.
He has been struggling for pace throughout the season, with just 18 points from the first seven races, but said it was difficult to pinpoint exactly what was going wrong.
"We've looked at a lot of things but it is very hard to say what is the reason," Raikkonen said. "Hopefully here [in Austria] we can be a bit more competitive and happy with things and how it goes and get better results."
Raikkonen spun twice on the exit of the hairpin in Canada, once in practice and once in the race.
"When many things came together it can happen, we knew it after practice but probably didn't put enough thought into it, but it will not happen again. We have made a lot of changes since the last race."
Raikkonen is hoping this weekend's Austrian Grand Prix will suit his Ferrari better.
"[The track] is not an awful lot different to Canada, which has long straights and chicanes, and this has long straights and three high-speed corners. But this should be better than Canada - Bahrain and Canada were the most difficult places for us and hopefully we come now and it's pretty good here. But we will see how it goes tomorrow."
Laurence Edmondson is deputy editor of ESPNF1


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Officer critical in coma after California gunfight
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — A San Bernardino policeman remained in a medically induced coma Saturday after he was shot in the head by a man who was then killed by another officer in a shootout, police said.
Gabriel Garcia, 31, was in extremely critical condition at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, police said.
Garcia was responding to treatment and fighting for his life, police Chief Jarrod Burguan said in a post on the Police Department's Facebook page.
Garcia is a highly commended, six-year veteran of the department who has spent much of his career on patrol duty and some time on a graffiti task force, police said. His father, Ron Garcia, is a captain with the department.
Gabriel Garcia was shot once in the head and twice in the upper body on Friday, Lt. Richard Lawhead said.
Garcia and his partner — a trainee on the job for just two months — stopped to talk to a group of people standing outside a home on a cul de sac when one of them pulled a gun and immediately opened fire, Burguan said earlier.
During a shootout, Garcia's partner fired at least 30 rounds and wounded the gunman, Lawhead said.
The shooter, identified by police as Alex Alvarado, 38, of San Bernardino, died at a hospital.
Lawhead said investigators were still trying to determine whether anyone else in the group fired at the officer.
Two other men were arrested and jailed. Jonathan Contreras, 20, of San Bernardino was held on suspicion of attempted murder and possession of an assault rifle and a gun with a sawed-off barrel, police say.
While Alvarado fired the weapons, they were in the possession of Contreras, Burguan has said.
Orlando Cruz, 24, was arrested in connection with outstanding traffic warrants.
Lawhead said he didn't know whether the men had obtained attorneys.
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29 Jan 2013 06:51:24 AM
Ian McCall Has Been Going Through Some Rough Times, You Guys [VIDEO]
Once considered the #1 flyweight in the world, Ian McCall's stint in the Octagon has resulted in a goofy draw against Demetrious Johnson, followed by a non-goofy unanimous decision loss to Demetrious Johnson. If McCall wants to avoid the "UFC bust" label, he'll need a fantastic showing this Saturday when he faces Joseph Benavidez on the UFC 156 main card. But judging from this new video profile from MMASucka, you have to wonder if his head's in the right place. As Uncle Creepy puts it:
"Been going through a lot on a personal note. It'll all unfold sooner or later, but at least I have the gym, that's my happy place at the moment. So as much drama as I've been dealing with at the moment, I have this place to make me happy, and at least I'm focused here…It's all home stuff. I don't live at home anymore, I'm separated, probably getting a divorce. Just stuff like that…I just want to get this [fight] over with, and be free and just be happy, finally — that's how I look at it, get in there and I can be happy — and get it over with so I can fix my life."
A man's upper lip is one of the clearest signifiers of his emotional state, and as I see it, McCall's lopsided moustache in the video is itself a symbol of the opposing forces that are pulling him off the straight path towards success; it's a sign that he's neglecting what's important, not just in his grooming habits, but in his life. Or maybe, his moustache is a psychological anchor, tethering him to the old ways that have blocked him in the past. Indeed, you guys. Indeed.
- Tito Ortiz and Jenna Jameson Have Been Going Through Some Rough Times, You Guys
- Mark Coleman Has Been Going Through Some Times, Brother
- CagePotato Ban: The Phrase 'You Guys' in Headlines, You Guys


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Police are waiting for a warrant to be approved for the arrest of a man who was caught on camera exposing himself and masturbating on a crowded SEPTA bus.
A Temple University Ph.D. student, who did not want to be identified, told police she was sitting on a SEPTA Route 23 bus on Friday when the man sitting next to her began to masturbate in front of her. The woman then she says she took out her phone and recorded the man in the act.
"You know this is on video, right?" the woman asks. "You really wanna do that? I have it on my phone."
In the video, the man continues to expose himself, ignoring the woman's questions.
"Are you crazy?" she then asks. "Do you see how many people are on this bus? Do you see a child behind you? You are disgusting."
The video then shows the man turning towards the woman.
"Are you serious right now?" he asks. "I'm standing here the whole time. Why wouldn't you just say something?"
"Does someone need to tell you not to touch yourself in public on a bus?" the woman replies.
The video then shows the man leaving the bus as more people confront him.
Both the woman and the bus driver later notified police. The woman was also interviewed by officials with the Special Victims Unit who are handling the investigation.
The video quickly went viral after it was shared on the People of SEPTA Facebook page.
Joanna Logan, a passenger on the Route 23 bus, was shocked when she watched the video.
"Shocked, surprised and disgusted," Logan said.
Logan, who has a daughter, says she's most concerned about the fact that a young girl was sitting behind the man.
"It's just a repulsive idea all together," said Charles Brown, a Temple University student. "I don't understand why someone would do something like that."
Police say they know the man's identity but have not yet made an arrest. Detectives submitted an affidavit and are waiting for a warrant to be approved.
The Route 23 bus runs from Chestnut Hill to South Philadelphia. It is currently the longest bus route in the city.


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We take a look at what each playoff contender faces, with three weeks remaining in the NBA regular season:
Cleveland Cavaliers
Potential first-round opponent:Miami, Charlotte, Toronto, Chicago.
Still needs to learn ... How Shaquille O'Neal is going to figure back into the equation upon his return from thumb surgery. Remember, Shaq also is playing for a contract for next season, so a deferential approach in the postseason might not fall within his objectives.
Cleveland is looking to ... Secure homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs (they already have a comfortable edge over the Magic in the East). Considering it went 1-3 against Charlotte, avoiding the Bobcats in the first round would be welcomed, too.
Orlando Magic
Potential first-round opponent: Miami, Charlotte, Toronto, Chicago.
Still needs to learn ... Whether Vince Carter can step up to the challenge and drive a team deep into the playoffs. Carter finally made it to 50 victories for the first time, now can he play as a catalyst as Hedo Turkoglu did during last season's Finals run?
Orlando is looking to ... Avoid complacency over the season's final games, having been practically locked into second in the East for weeks. Avoiding the Heat after a competitive 2-2 regular-season series wouldn't hurt, either.
Boston Celtics
Potential first-round opponent: Milwaukee, Miami, Charlotte, Toronto.
Still needs to learn ... Whether Paul Pierce can make it all the way back from his injuries to re-emerge as the definitive game changer he was during the Celtics' 2008 title run. Without much in the way of a post threat, the Celtics' need Pierce's "A" game.
Boston is looking to ... Avoid finishing as the No. 4 seed in the East, which would mean a likely second-round matchup against Cleveland. Steering clear of a Nos. 4-5 matchup against the surging Bucks wouldn't be a bad idea, either.
Atlanta Hawks
Potential first-round opponent: Milwaukee, Miami, Charlotte, Toronto.
Still needs to learn ... Whether Josh Smith truly is reformed when it comes to stepping away from the jump shot and stepping up with play closer to the rim. There seems to be a degree of regression after playing the right way the first half of the season.
Atlanta is looking to ... Avoid finishing as the No. 4 seed, which could mean a second-round matchup against Cleveland, which annihilated the Hawks in last year's second round. Steering clear of a first-round rematch with the Heat wouldn't hurt, either, after a 1-3 season series.
Milwaukee Bucks
Potential first-round opponent: Atlanta, Boston.
Still needs to learn ... Whether rookie point guard Brandon Jennings and veteran center Andrew Bogut are up to this type of moment, with minimal big-game exposure for either despite their disparate degrees of experience.
Milwaukee is looking to ... Hold its ground at either Nos. 5 or 6 in the East, having already recorded victories over both the Hawks and Celtics. Having come so far so fast under coach Scott Skiles, a competitive series would do wonders to legitimize the franchise.
Charlotte Bobcats
Potential first-round opponent: Cleveland, Orlando, Atlanta, Boston.
Still needs to learn ... Whether Tyson Chandler can stay healthy enough and mesh with the starters after missing so much time because injuries. The Bobcats already were pretty stout defensively without him.
Charlotte is looking to ... Possibly bring an end to the LeBron James era in Cleveland. The Bobcats finished 3-1 against the Cavaliers, a potential first-round opponent. Atlanta would be a consolation prize, with one win and an overtime loss to the Hawks.
Miami Heat
Potential first-round opponent: Cleveland, Orlando, Atlanta, Boston.
Still needs to learn ... Whether Dwyane Wade is capable of lifting the franchise through an entire postseason series like he did in the 2006 NBA Finals against Dallas. The Heat not only haven't won a series since, but have won only three playoffs game since that title.
Miami is looking to ... Get to at least No. 6, if Atlanta finishes No. 3, or No. 5 if Atlanta finishes No. 4, after going 3-1 against the Hawks in the season series and taking the Hawks to seven games in last season's first round.
Toronto Raptors
Potential first-round opponent: Cleveland, Orlando, Atlanta, Boston.
Still needs to learn ... To, uh, play a little bit of defense. As remarkable as it would be for the Raptors to actually advance with the approach they call defense, it would be practically unfathomable for them to advance without a modicum of resistance.
Toronto is looking to ... Salvage any chance of retaining Chris Bosh by just making the postseason. Success has been minimal against the top of the conference, so one-and-done might be as good as it gets for the end of the Bosh era.
Chicago Bulls
Potential first-round opponent: Cleveland, Orlando.
Still needs to learn ... Whether Luol Deng can get himself back on the court and whether Joakim Noah can stay there. Injuries have crippled the Bulls' season and only a turnabout in injury fortune can salvage it at this stage.
Chicago is looking to ... Somehow sneak into the playoffs, if only to somewhat slightly improve its resume to attract a prime-time free agent, which was the sole reason John Salmons' contract was cast aside at the trading deadline.
Los Angeles Lakers
Potential first-round opponent: Portland, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Phoenix.
Still needs to learn ... Whether Andrew Bynum is in or out when it comes to his time on the injured list. Without Bynum, the Lakers came up short in the Finals two seasons ago. With Bynum, they celebrated last season on the Magic's home court.
Los Angeles is looking to ... Catch up to Cleveland or at least stay ahead of Orlando when it comes to overall record. With no guarantees of the Cavaliers making the NBA Finals, it could be another homecourt edge over the Magic in a potential rematch.
Dallas Mavericks
Potential first-round opponent: Portland, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Phoenix.
Still needs to learn ... How to make all the pieces fit when everyone is healthy, be it at center, with Brendan Haywood and Erick Dampier, or in a perimeter rotation that might squeeze out J.J. Barea, DeShawn Stevenson or Rodrigue Beaubois.
Dallas is looking to ... Secure a top-three seed, thereby avoiding a potential meeting with the Lakers until the Western Conference finals. Of possible playoff opponents, Dallas already has lost twice to Portland, a possible opponent in a No. 3-No. 6 series.
Denver Nuggets
Potential first-round opponent: Portland, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Phoenix.
Still needs to learn ... The status of coach George Karl, whose battle with throat cancer has taken him away from the bench longer than initially anticipated. While winning for Karl has become somewhat of a crusade, his presence has driven Denver to this level.
Denver is looking to ... Win its division and secure a top-three seed, thereby avoiding a potential meeting with the Lakers until the Western Conference finals. Avoiding the Suns in the opening round also would help, with two losses already to Phoenix.
Utah Jazz
Potential first-round opponent: San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Dallas, Denver.
Still needs to learn ... Whether it can muster the muscle and physicality to match up with the biggest of big men when the games slow and the play-on rule is in effect when it comes to anything shy of the most violent of interior contact.
Utah is looking to ... To avoid the Lakers' half of the West bracket, which most likely would mean a No. 3 or No. 6 seed. Avoiding Oklahoma City also is in its best interest, with three losses to the Thunder. There are, however, 4-0s against the Blazers and Spurs.
Phoenix Suns
Potential first-round opponent: Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas, Utah, San Antonio, Oklahoma City.
Still needs to learn ... Whether amid all this talk about free agency and opting out, Amare Stoudemire will be able to replicate in the postseason the type of numbers he has been putting up over these final weeks of the season. Focus will be a factor.
Phoenix is looking to ... Overcome its midseason lapse and sneak into a homecourt spot in the first round. The downside of closing at No. 4 or No. 5, though, would mean a possible second-round series against the Lakers, who took the season series 3-1.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Potential first-round opponent: Denver, Dallas, Utah, Phoenix, L.A. Lakers.
Still needs to learn ... What playoff basketball requires. (OK, that's the politically correct thing to say. The reality is that this is a talented, deep roster that is a mere post presence from being as good as anyone this side of the Lakers in the West.)
Oklahoma City is looking to ... Well, frankly, have some fun, with nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain. Fear factor? What fear? There already have been three victories against the Jazz, as well as victories against Nuggets, Mavericks, Suns and Spurs.
San Antonio Spurs
Potential first-round opponent: Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas, Utah, Phoenix.
Still needs to learn ... How effective, if at all, Tony Parker will be when or if he comes back from his hand injury. Manu Ginobili has been carrying a heavy load these past few weeks and who knows how much he will have left for the postseason?
San Antonio is looking to ... Make one final push for a homecourt spot in the first round. Yet save for an 0-4 season series against the Jazz, San Antonio has won against every other top team in the West and hardly would be an overwhelming road underdog.
Portland Trail Blazers
Potential first-round opponent: Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas, Utah.
Still needs to learn ... If this ridiculously timed front-office turmoil will cut into the focus coach Nate McMillan has stressed as his team has persevered through injury. It is remarkable that the front office could be so petty with so much at stake on the court.
Portland is looking to ... Dare we say not avoid the Lakers? There has been some pretty good homecourt mojo over the years against the Lakers. For that matter, there have been two victories so far against the Mavericks. Basically, Portland is looking to become a bracket buster.
Memphis Grizzlies
Potential first-round opponent: Los Angeles.
Still needs to learn ... How to put together a complete season, instead of play in spurts, which is why this unexpected chase likely will fall short. The lack of depth ultimately will do in a team that no one expected to play even one meaningful April game.
Memphis is looking to ... Take advantage of an utter collapse by someone at the bottom of the conference race, something that looks less and less likely, unless the turmoil-riddled Trail Blazers start firing players in addition to team executives.


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The following people were arrested on felony charges by law enforcement agencies in Davidson County, and, unless noted otherwise, were either placed in the Davidson County Detention Center or released from custody and are scheduled to appear in Lexington District Court on the date given:
• Zackary James Rickard, 30, of 201 Arthur Drive, Apt. H, Thomasville, was charged with felony manufacture of marijuana, felony possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver marijuana, possession of marijuana up to one-half to one-and-one half ounces, felony possession of LSD, simple possession of a schedule IV controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony possession of heroin and felony maintaining a vehicle/dwelling/place for controlled substance, $75,000 secured bond, March 27, Thomasville.
• Kentrell Lemark Mason, 24, of 515C Burgess St., was charged with felony possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana up to one-half ounce and possession of drug paraphernalia, $5,000 secured bond, March 26.
• Justin W. Thrift, 26, homeless, was charged with felony larceny, $1,000 secured bond, March 25.
• Alesha Roxanne Johnson, 27, of 398 Trantham Drive, was charged with felony attempting to obtain property by false pretense, $3,500 secured bond, March 18.
• Beatrice M. Shires, 25, of 773 Conrad Sowers Road, was charged with three counts of simple possession of a schedule IV controlled substance, simple possession of a schedule II controlled substance, possession of marijuana up to one-half ounce, possession of drug paraphernalia and felony possession of cocaine, $25,000 secured bond, March 28.
The following larcenies more than $1,000 were reported to the Davidson County Sheriff's Office and the Lexington Police Department:
• A total of $1,600 in cash was reported stolen from a home on Burgess Street between 3:15 and 4:11 p.m. Thursday.


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The Life of Buddha, by A. Ferdinand Herold, tr. by Paul C Blum [1922], at sacred-texts.com
p. 267
ALTHOUGH the Buddha had chastened Ajatasatru's spirit, there were times when the king still gave way to anger. One day, because of a quarrel between a man from Rajagriha and one from Cravasti, he declared war on King Prasenajit.
He collected a vast army. There were foot-soldiers and horsemen; there were some mounted on chariots, others enclosed in towers carried by elephants, and swords and lances flashed in the sun as they marched into battle.
King Prasenajit also assembled his troops. He too had chariots and horses and elephants, and he advanced to meet Ajatasatru.
It was a terrible battle. It lasted four days. The first day Prasenajit lost his elephants; the second day he lost his horses; on the third, his chariots were destroyed; and on the fourth, his foot-soldiers were killed or made prisoners; and Prasenajit himself, defeated and panic-stricken, fled in the only chariot that had been saved in the disaster and escaped to Cravasti.
p. 268
There, in a small, unlighted hall, he flung himself down on a low couch. He was silent, a prey to his melancholy thoughts. He never stirred; he appeared to be dead, except for the tears that coursed down his cheeks.
A man entered; it was the merchant Anathapindika.
"My lord," said he, "long may you live, and may the tide of victory turn!"
"My soldiers are dead," the king lamented, "all my soldiers are dead! My soldiers! My soldiers!"
"Grieve not, O king. Raise another army."
"I lost my fortune when I lost my army."
"King," said Anathapindika, "I shall give you the gold you need, and you will be victorious."
Prasenajit sprang to his feet.
"You have saved me, Anathapindika!" he exclaimed. "I am grateful."
With Anathapindika's gold, Prasenajit raised a formidable host. He marched against Ajatasatru.
When the two armies met, the din terrified the Gods themselves. Prasenajit used a battle array he had been taught by men from a distant land. He attacked swiftly; Ajatasatru had no defense. He, in turn, was defeated, and he was captured.
"Kill me," he cried to Prasenajit.
p. 269
"I shall spare your life," said Prasenajit. "I shall take you to the Blessed Master, and he will decide your fate."
The Master had recently arrived at Jeta's park. Prasenajit said to him:
"Behold, O Blessed One! King Ajatasatru is my prisoner. He hates me, though I bear him no ill will. He attacked me, for some trivial reason, and defeated me at first, but now he is at my mercy. I do not wish to kill him, O Blessed One. For the sake of his father, Vimbasara, who was my friend, I would like to set him free."
"Then set him free," said the Master. "Victory begets hatred; defeat begets suffering. They that are wise will forgo both victory and defeat. Insult is born of insult, anger of anger. They that are wise will forgo both victory and defeat. Every murderer is struck down by a murderer; every conqueror is struck down by a conqueror. They that are wise will forgo both victory and defeat."
In the presence of the Master, Ajatasatru promised to be a faithful friend to Prasenajit.
"And," he added, "let us be more than friends. I have a son, as you know, and you have a daughter, Kshema, who is still unmarried. Will you give your daughter to my son?"
"So be it," said Prasenajit. "And may this
p. 270
happy marriage be the earnest of our happy friendship."
The Master approved. The two kings ever after lived at peace with each other, and Ajatasatru became known for his gentleness.


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GRAMMYs On The Road With Trey Songz And SWV
The Recording Academy Memphis Chapter played host for GRAMMYs On The Road At The 2012 Essence Music Festival held July 5–8 in New Orleans. The Chapter conducted exclusive backstage interviews with artists performing at the festival, including GRAMMY-nominated R&B artists Trey Songz and SWV.
Songz discussed being a part of the Essence Music Festival, his first time performing in New Orleans and his musical start, among other topics.
"I would sing everywhere I [went] … it was just something I loved," said Songz. "I think everybody has a natural love for music. I didn't know whether I was good or not, nobody did."
Hailing from Petersburg, Va., Songz relocated to New Jersey after high school after meeting producer Troy Taylor. His initial experience included appearances on Kevin Lyttle's 2004 self-titled debut album and Trick Daddy's Thug Matrimony, and "About Da Game," which he wrote and recorded for the 2005 Coach Carter soundtrack. That same year Songz released his debut album, I Gotta Make It, which peaked at No. 20 on the Billboard 200. Trey Dey followed in 2007 and peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 on the strength of the Top 20 hit "Can't Help But Wait," which garnered Songz his first GRAMMY nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Songz's second GRAMMY nomination came in 2009 for Best Contemporary R&B Album for Ready. Passion, Pain & Pleasure was released in 2010, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, followed by a five-song EP, 2011's Inevitable. Songz's forthcoming album, Chapter V, is set to be released in August.
SWV discussed how they met, their individual musical backgrounds and creative inspirations, among other topics.
"Pain will make you sing," said SWV's Lelee. "When you're going through [something], it'll make you sing. That's all you have. Music is all you have."
SWV, an acronym for Sisters With Voices, are comprised of high school friends Coko (Cheryl Clemons), Taj (Tamara Johnson-George) and Lelee (Leanne Lyons). The trio released their debut album, It's About Time, in 1992, which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200. The album helped garner the trio a GRAMMY nomination for Best New Artist in 1993. New Beginning followed in 1996 and peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 on the strength of the Top 5 hit "You're The One." That same year SWV earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for "Slow Jams," a track featured on Quincy Jones' 1995 album Q's Jook Joint that also featured Babyface and Barry White, among others. Release Some Tension was released in 1997 and peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200. After disbanding in 1997, the group reuinited in 2005. SWV's latest album, I Missed Us, was released in April and peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard 200.


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"Below is an overview of the 5 best note-taking apps. Whichever Note taking app you chose to use. Stop using the simple Notes app that came with the iPad. It is not good enough to use in class. You need to use all of the other features of the iPad like, drawing, adding pictures and sound. Below is an overview of 5 different Note taking apps. Take this weekend to try out all of them."
Via John Evans


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LCD Universe
When people think about flat, big-screen TVs, they usually think plasma rather than LCD. There's good reason for that - plasma sets were large and widescreen from the get-go, while LCD technology spent most of the past half-decade driving desktop computer monitors. But that situation is changing. Widescreen LCD TVs now come as large as 65 inches (diagonal), and while they still cost more on average than similar-size plasma sets, there are plenty of affordable models to choose from in the 32- to 40-inch range. Larger LCDs also trump plasma on the resolution front: virtually all plasma screens max out at 1,366 x 768 pixels, while many big-screen LCDs bump that number up to 1,920 x 1,080 - theoretically enough to render every bit of detail in 1080i-format HDTV programs.
Nowadays, nearly every TV company offers LCDs, from big names like Toshiba and Sony to a horde of newcomers. So we cherry-picked a mix representing a range of screen sizes, resolutions, and features. Our trio includes LG's 32-inch 32LX1D ($2,300), Westinghouse's 37-inch LVM-37w1 ($2,299), and Sony's 40-inch Bravia KDL-V40XBR1 ($3,500). Could one of these LCDs be your next TV? Let's find out.
What We Think
|Bravia KDL-V40XBR1
|A nice choice in this screen size for casual TV watching, but its just-average picture will have movie fans wanting more.
|1080p resolution for $2,000 (street price)? A true HDTV bargain if you don't mind plain looks and a couple of operational bugs.
|Sony's slick-looking LCD TV raises the bar on features and performance, but they come at a pretty steep price.


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Thank you for choosing to fly with our airline company!
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Airstream to Launch New Interstate at L.A. Show
November 12, 2013 by RVBusiness Comments Off on Airstream to Launch New Interstate at L.A. Show
Jackson Center, Ohio-based Airstream Inc. will be showing for the first time its new Sprinter-based Interstate luxury touring coach during press days Nov. 21-22 as part of the Los Angeles Auto Show.
According to a press release, the Interstate offers "nearly two dozen best-in-class Mercedes Benz features and a renewed commitment to safety and refined luxury."
The company noted that Statistical Surveys Inc. named the Interstate the No. 1 selling Class B motorhome model in the U.S. from January to August, increasing market share in the touring coach segment by nearly 30%.
"The growing number of people who are inspired to get out and on the open road in an Interstate is exponential compared to when we first introduced this exciting product," said Airstream President and CEO Bob Wheeler. "Our focus on 'best-in-class' products and dealer support continues to be our foundation for success."
The Interstate's enhanced hood, fenders, radiator grill, bumpers and Xenon headlights give the unit a more aggressive styling. It is also equipped with new lane keeping and collision prevention assist systems, and parking sensors. The Interstate's cockpit offers a "thicker and lavish steering wheel", the company said, and a Mercedes-Benz badged gear shift control.
Other features include:
• Premium plank-style vinyl flooring.
• 22-inch Samsung TV with Blu-Ray player.
• Magic suede material on walls and trim.
• In-dash Kenwood multimedia system.
• MSRP for the Interstate is $146,300 and $149,006 for the EXT.


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Adelina Sotnikova of Russia had a superb performance in her debut at the European figure skating championships, winning the women's short program Friday.
Meanwhile, Russian champions Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev did just enough to win the ice dance title after finishing second in the free dance.
The 16-year-old Sotnikova, who was 12 when she won her first senior Russian title, landed a triple toe loop-triple toe loop combination, a triple flip and double axel in a routine that earned 67.61 points from the judges.
''Today I'm very happy, I did everything I set out to and it was my first clean short program I did at the senior level,'' said Sotnikova, who beat her previous personal best by 6.29 points. ''Hopefully, I'll skate as well (in the free skate) tomorrow.''
Defending champion Carolina Kostner's chances to earn a fifth European crown dwindled when she fell on the triple toe-triple toe combination, leaving the Italian trailing in second on 64.19 points.
''Apart from my fall I'm very pleased with how I skated,'' said Kostner, who also is the reigning world champion. ''I felt very comfortable with how I skated today. I hope to do better tomorrow.''
Valentina Marchei of Italy placed third on 58.22 while another Russian 16-year-old, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, was fourth. Swedish sisters Joshi and Viktoria Helgesson were fifth and sixth, respectively.
Later, Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov won the free skate with a personal-best 100.16 points. But they had to settle for silver after Bobrova and Soloviev edged their compatriots by 0.11 of a point overall for their first European title.
France's Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat had been favored to win their third straight European title. But they were forced to withdraw before the event after he partially tore an adductor muscle.
''We're a little disappointed with the marks,'' Katsalapov said. ''We won the free dance and we're less than half a point from the gold. So we will have to do it at worlds.''
Bobrova and Soloviev led after Wednesday's short dance, and that was enough to give them a title after they scored a personal best 169.25 for a free dance to ''Tosca'' and music from Ennio Morricone.
''I haven't quite realized it yet,'' Bobrova said. ''We honestly didn't think about how our chances are to win, this would have only disturbed us.''
Italian pair Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte claimed the bronze after finishing third in both sections.
Florent Amodio of France leads the men's competition going into Saturday's free skate. The European bronze medalist won the short program Thursday, when 2006 Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion Evgeni Plushenko dropped out after aggravating a chronic back condition.


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NAHBS 2013 – Adventure touring bikes
By Adam Newman
Riders are always looking for new challenges and new places to ride their bikes. Adventure touring and bike-packing are two of the fastest-growing segments of the industry, and like every year, the North American Handmade Bike Show is setting trends that the rest of the industry is likely to soon follow.
Though adventures can be had on any bike, more and more riders are designing, building, and riding bikes specifically designed around touring or racing on unpaved roads or rough terrain.
Not quite mountain bikes, they often incorporate aspects of cyclocross and traditional touring bikes to make them more versatile. Rigid forks, disc brakes, 29-inch wheels, and soft-sided luggage are common sights.
Here are some of the adventure touring bikes we saw at NAHBS 2013 here in Denver, Colorado.
Moots designed and built this bike for a customer who plans on racing the Colorado Trail Race and then continuing on for even more adventures. Based on a standard Moots mountain bike with with modifications made for geometry and the Rohloff hub. It features full titanium construction, from the frame to the stem, seatpost, and aerobars.
The frame bags were custom made by Revelate Designs and the matching fork was made from steel by Engin Cycles. Those bottle cages on the fork blades will eventually carry stuff sacks, but for now they carry olive oil. The owner met up with a custom leatherworker to create the saddle, based off a Brooks B17. Farrhoots is also the name he dubbed the bike.
English Cycles
English Cycles is named for owner and builder Rob English, who is of course, English. Now based in Eugene, Oregon. English built this touring bike for a customer back in the UK who sews these custom touring bags by the name of Black Rainbow Project.
Built to conquer the Tour Divide Route in 2014, the bike features a Shimano Alfine drivetrain powered by a Gates Carbon belt. Since there is air travel involved to get to the starting line from the UK, the bike uses a detachable rear triangle and can fit in a much smaller box. Up front, the fork was built to hold a rear wheel to use as a singlespeed backup, just in case, and uses English's inverted steerer, which is attached to the stem and clamps to the fork, rather than the other way around in a normal bike. This frees up room on the stem to mount armrests for aero bars. Also integrated into the fork is a small rack to support the handlebar bag.
Cielo is a co-brand of Chris King components, and it continues to expand its line of road, mountain, and cyclocross bikes. New this year is the Overlander, which may look like a mountain bike but is completely designed around bike-packing. It starts out front with a proprietary, non-suspension corrected fork that comes pre-installed with a Chris King inset headset, natch.
Out back you'll find a full compliment of fender and rack mounts, as well as Paragon Machine Works rocker dropouts for any type of drivetrain setup. Here it's been outfitted with a Jones Loop Bar and a full set of frame bags from Revelate Designs.
Stinner Frameworks built this 29er for a customer that is also attempting the Tour Divide. Though builder Aaron Stinner said he would likely run a full frame bag, here it is outfitted with some extra bottle cages for maximum capacity.
Like many Tour Divide riders, the Rohloff hub powered by a Gates Carbon belt drive appears as a simple and robust gearing option.
The frame is fillet brazed from mostly True Temper tubes in Santa Barbara, California.
Builder Dave Wages' Ellis Cycles has won awards at NAHBS shows for the past four years in a row with his road bikes, but this year he shows he's not afraid to get dirty, either.
The Strada Fango is a dirt road adventure bike that is fillet brazed with a lugged bottom bracket shell. The Shimano Dura Ace Di2 drivetrain has been modified with a K-Edge adapter on the rear derailleur that will allow it to work with up a 36 tooth cog.
It can fit up to a 29×2.0 tire.
Unlike the rest of these bikes, Sean Walling has been building this bike for Soulcraft for years, but it fits perfectly with our theme. The Dirtbomb is a true Monstercross bike with room for 700×45 tires that begs to be ridden everywhere. It can be built with flat or drop bars, disc or cantilever brakes, in singlespeed or geared versions.
This model features Paul Comp Mini Moto brakes, Bruce Gordon Rock N Road tires and S&S couplers for traveling.
Kent Eriksen
This bike wasn't in the Eriksen booth, but we saw it wandering around. It has been outfitted with a full set of bike-packing bags from Porcelain Rocket and a Gates Carbon belt drive. If I see it again I'll try to get more info on it.
Coming up next
We'll have more coming from NAHBS all weekend, with collections of fat bikes, city bikes, and some of the really wild and crazy show bikes. Stay tuned.
And don't forget to follow us on Instagram or Facebook to see more behind-the-scenes photos.Tweet Print


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Earth : Asia : East Asia : China : Northwest China : Qinghai : Tongren
Tongren (铜仁; Tóngrén; Tibetan: Rebkong) is a city in Huangnan Prefecture, Qinghai Province.
Get in
Tongren can only be reached road but, given the geography, the drive navigates zig-zaging mountain roads, descends into precipitous valley floors alongside raging rivers and passes though undulating verdant grasslands. Certainly one of the more beautiful journeys of the region and sure keep you looking out the window.
From Xiahe
Though only a little more that 100km away from Tongren the journey takes around 3hrs. One bus per day leaves Xiahe at 7.15AM from the main bus station (¥25).
From Xining
Buses from Xining leave all day long, about every 30mins, from the south bus station, opposite the train station. (¥32.5)
Get around
Tongren is small and flat enough to walk between Longwu Si and the market area. Wutun Si is about a one hour walk away or you can take one of the numerous green taxis plying the route for ¥5 per seat.
Tongren is more of a make your own fun kind of place, if the idle looking locals are any indication.
While the dining options aren't particularly diverse or inspiring, the numerous restaurants offer warmth, large portions and interesting people watching opportunities.
Dried sheep's head is one of the curious delicacies favoured by locals to nibble with a few drinks. It's mostly bone on the outside necessitating a probe of the cavities. Numerous roadside vendors sell them for ¥20 and all will assure you it's delicious.
Numerous cheap hotels (Binguan) in the few blocks next to the Monastery but they can be selective about accepting foreigners. Generally they charge as little as ¥10-30 per bed with basic bathroom facilities and may have early curfews. Bigger, potentially English signed and speaking hotels can be found along Zhongshan Lu and Dehelong Nan Lu that provide more comfort for a higher price.
Get out


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MEBx Password Reset Instructions
|Before you perform any of the following steps, read the Precautionary Measures warning (located in the Resources/Additional Resources section) for your personal safety and to prevent damage to the computer system from electrostatic discharge.
For more information on removing the battery, hinge cover, and keyboard, refer to the Online User's Guide for this system.
|Numbers reference image above:
|Insert Plastic Scribe or Other Non-abrasive Flat-edged Tool and Pry Gently.
|Lift Hinge Cover Up and to the Left to Remove.
|Numbers reference image above:
|Remove Three Screws.
|Rotate the keyboard Forward without Unplugging it.
|Numbers reference image above:
|Coin-Cell Battery Connector
|Coin-cell Battery
|Mylar Cover
Verify the MEBx password has been reset to the default by doing the following:
Restart your computer.
Press and hold <Ctrl> while tapping <P> at the Dell logo screen to enter the Intel Management Engine BIOS Extension (MEBx) screens.
Type in the default password, admin, and press <Enter>.
If the message Password Mismatch appears, the MEBx password reset was not successful and the MEBx password reset process must be repeated.
Article ID: SLN49505
Last Date Modified: 11/14/2010 12:00 AM
Thank you for your feedback.


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Southern Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes are already battling some of the fastest rates of sea level rise in the world, but coastal communities may be sinking faster than previously assumed.
Southern Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes are already battling some of the fastest rates of sea level rise in the world, but coastal communities may be sinking faster than previously assumed.
And a scientific consensus indicates sea level rise will likely increase over time.
In Louisiana, the rapid sinking of land, or subsidence, has accelerated sea level rise. Subsidence occurred faster when levees were built on the Mississippi River to curb flooding. That also prevented buildup of the delta by sediment-rich river waters.
The rate of sea level rise being recorded at Grand Isle would amount to about 3 feet by 2100, said Tim Osborn, regional navigation manager with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Coast Survey. At that rate, coastal communities in Terrebonne will be swamped by the rising tides.
A 2010 NOAA report found that Grand Isle and low-lying coastal communities could be flooded for up to half of every year by the end of the century.
"That particular effort showed that land-based roadways like La. 1 will see pretty severe inundation short term," Osborn said.
But Osborn said the National Climate Assessment, an interagency report, found there are reasonable scenarios that could put sea level rise at 4 feet or higher over the century. Some of the most severe scenarios predict a sea level rise of 9 feet, Osborn said.
Ninety percent of the land in Terrebonne and 89 percent in Lafourche is at or below sea level.
Increased levels of sea level rise ties into the uncertainty of polar ice-melt rates, said Stephen Gill, senior scientist with the NOAA National Ocean Service's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services division.
In the past, NOAA officials have relied on subsidence rates measured at Grand Isle to determine the rate land is sinking across the Louisiana coast.
That level has been recorded at a rate of 6-7 millimeters per year or about a quarter of an inch. But recent Army Corps of Engineers data suggest the rate is likely faster in other areas of the coast, up to 10-11 millimeters per year.
In addition to facing rising seas, the Louisiana coast will continue to experience severe storms, Gill said. And these storms will have increased wave and storm surge impacts as seas rise. That in turn will cause additional stress to coastal wetlands, causing physical loss.
Garret Graves, chairman of the state's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, said the state's master plan for coastal protection and restoration will not be affected by increasing sea level rise rates. In developing the plan, newer and more thorough data were used to determine relative sea level rise rates, Graves said.
The plan vetted hundreds of projects to detail $50 billion in restoration and protection work on the coast over the next 50 years. Released last year, the plan includes input from national and international scientists and uses multiple sea level rise projections that could occur by 2060, including the severest scenarios.
Graves said the plan follows the old adage: "Plan for the worst and hope for the best."
The plan was compiled by evaluating how each project chosen performed under various conditions including sea level rise, subsidence, hurricane intensity and frequency, and other factors. Projects selected remained sustainable and provided benefits under all of these conditions. Most of the projects selected are expected to provide benefits to the coast well beyond the plan's 50-year analysis period.
In the case of river sediment diversions, those projects would continue to create land more than 50 years out. Community hurricane protection projects would also provide protection more than 50 years later.
Graves added that NOAA officials have ignored marsh vertical accretion, the build up of material on the marsh surface, a phenomenon that has allowed healthy marshes to historically keep pace with sea level rise.
In addition, the plan factors in the varying subsidence rates occurring along the coast.
That doesn't mean sea level rise won't be a challenge for coastal communities, Graves said.
Parishes, such as Terrebonne, Lafourche, Plaquemines and St. Bernard, are on the front lines of future relative sea level rise and are some of the most vulnerable areas to its effect.
The planning process found projects at the upper end of the estuaries, closer to existing land, were much more robust in the face of worsening coastal conditions than projects closer to the Gulf. It was a finding that influenced project selection, to maximize their sustainability. The plan also relies more on sediment diversions where river resources are available because they've been shown to continue to build land in the face of sea level rise.
Diversions are planned to send more fresh water from the Atchafalaya River into western Terrebonne, but much of Terrebonne and Lafourche are too far away from the rivers to benefit from major diversion projects.
Graves said adaptive management, a method of reacting to change in the face of uncertainty, is built into the plan and will always play a key role in ensuring projects are robust and effective.
Staff Writer Nikki Buskey can be reached at 857-2205 or email@example.com.


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Let's face it - the Cole Hamels situation is relatively straight forward. You cannot look at his performance over the past five seasons and the free agent market over the past few offseasons and not conclude that he is worth at least $20 million per year of six years on the open market. He is an elite pitcher, and he has every reason to expect that he will be paid like one. The decision is a philosophical one -- how much money is a team willing to commit to a position that can see a career end with one shoulder injury?
Shane Victorino is another story. His career is like an ink blot -- you can see what you want. The only center fielders with a higher OPS over the last three seasons are Matt Kemp (.863), Curtis Granderson (.831), Jacoby Ellsbury (.830), Andrew McCutchen (.822) and Torii Hunter (.815). Victorino checks in with an .800.
As we noted in today's column, Victorino showed last year that he has the potential of producing a huge walk-year performance.
After the 2007 season, Torii Hunter signed a five-year, $90 million contract with the Angels. In the three seasons leading up to his free agency, Hunter hit .279/.335/.487 with 73 home runs and 53 stolen bases. Compare those numbers to the ones Victorino has posted over the last three seasons: .277/.347/.454, 45 home runs, 78 stolen bases. Victorino will be entering his 32-year-old season when he hits free agency, the same age Hunter was when he signed his monster deal. While Hunter's production slipped last season, he still has a solid .279/.349/.465 line with averages of 22 home runs and 13 steals in the first four years of the deal.
Granderson, meanwhile, has a $13 million option for 2013 that is almost certain to be exercised by the Yankees. He too will be entering his 32-year-old season.
Ellsbury and McCutchen are both rising stars who would stray more to the Matt Kemp end of the spectrum than Hunter and Granderson.
Which brings us to Victorino, and the question of where he belongs in the hierarchy of center fielders. Is he in the class of the five players above him in OPS? Does he deserve to be paid like a centerpiece player?
1) What is the minimum the Phillies should expect to pay?
The absolute minimum would have to be a contract similar to the three-year, $31.5 million deal that the Rockies gave Michael Cuddyer this offseason.
The comparison over the last three years:
Cuddyer: .276/.341/.465, 66 HRs, 24 SBs
Victorino: .277/.347/.454, 45 HRs, 78 SBs
The key difference is that Victorino plays a premium defensive position.
2) What is the maximum the Phillies should expect to pay?
Kemp is in a class all by himself, so throw him out. Next up is Carl Crawford, who signed a seven-year, $142 million deal with the Red Sox heading into his 30-year-old season. The numbers over the three years leading up to his free agency:
Crawford: .297/.349/.454, 42 HRs, 132 SBs
Similar power, similar on base, better contact and more steals.
By the numbers, the best comparison is Hunter. But Hunter signed his contract after the 2007 season, so it is tough to use him as a market comparison.
3) Making some sense. . .
If I'm Victorino, I am making the case that I am worth a five-year deal, which would run through my 36-year-old season. Thirty-six appears to be the age at which most teams are comfortable guaranteeing money. The Tigers signed Prince Fielder through the age of 36. The Yankees did the same with Teixeira. Carl Crawford? 36. Jason Bay? 36. Ryan Howard? 36. Matt Holliday and Jayson Werth both signed beyond their 36-year-old seasons.
The target Average Annual Value is where things become open to interpretation. Minimum, I would think, is the $13 million that the Yankees are likely to pay Granderson. Maximum, I would think, is the $18 million per season that the Angels paid Hunter.
Victorino and Michael Bourn will be the top two center fielders on the market. But center field is a position that is in demand. Victorino can also play right field. And he has the skill set of a lead-off hitter. Among the teams that could be looking for that type of player? The Yankees, for one. The Nationals, for another. Perhaps the Marlins. If you are the Phillies, you have to anticipate that there will be a significant market for Victorino, barring an injury or a down season.
If you take the mid-point of Granderson and Hunter you get $15.5 million salary.
Is Victorino worth a five-year, $77.5 million deal? What if he was willing to sign right now for five years and $65 million, which would mean an AAV of $13 million per year?
Assuming it takes an AAV of about $20 million to sign Hamels, a five-year, $65 million deal for Victorino would leave the Phillies with $144 million committed to 10 players for 2013. That doesn't include an arbitration raise for Hunter Pence that will likely be at least $13 million. So that is $157 million for 11 players. Carlos Ruiz's $5 million option? $162 million for 12 players while still needing a third baseman. It is certainly workable, particularly if the Phillies can back Jonathan Papelbon up with six relievers who are all earning close to the veteran minimum. As we have pointed out before, going over the luxury tax is not exactly detrimental for a big market club.
The options for replacing Victorino are hardly plentiful. Maybe John Mayberry Jr. has a big year and emerges as an option. Bourn is the only player similar to Victorino available on the free agent market (B.J. Upton is probably the third-biggest name behind those two).
The worst-case scenario, at least fiscally, is Mayberry failing to establish himself as an everyday player and Victorino having a huge season. At that point, the free agent market could easily view Victorino as an $18-million-per-year player, leaving the Phillies with a very expensive decision to make: Let Victorino walk and enter 2013 with big question marks in 2/3rds of their outfield, or pay a premium price.


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Hawaii defense contractor takes plea deal
HONOLULU (AP) — A former civilian defense contractor in Hawaii on Thursday pleaded guilty to charges he divulged military secrets to his Chinese girlfriend and kept classified documents at his suburban Honolulu home.
Benjamin Bishop, 60, told the court he mentioned a classified conference between U.S. and South Korean officials while responding to an email from the 28-year-old girlfriend.
He admitted to keeping classified documents at his home, including ones outlining the U.S. Pentagon's China strategy and the U.S. military's force posture in Asia and the Pacific. He told U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin Chang he didn't show the documents to anyone, but they shouldn't have been at his house.
Bishop faces up to 10 years in prison on each of two counts. Sentencing has been scheduled for June 26.
Bishop didn't speak at the hearing beyond brief remarks outlining the nature of his offenses. He wore a white prison jumpsuit. His wrists and legs were shackled in chains.
Bishop's attorney, Birney Bervar, told reporters after the hearing the girlfriend was a graduate student in the field of Bishop's expertise. He said they developed a friendship that became romantic.
"He was helping her with her graduate studies and her thesis," Bervar said. Bishop took some documents home "in order to educate himself to help her. He did not give her any documents. He did not show her any classified information."
As for the email, Bishop briefly wrote about a conference that was classified, Bervar said.
"He said too much in an email to her," Bervar said. He reiterated the two were in love and the case was about love and not spying.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson, the prosecutor in the case, said any time classified information is given to someone without a security clearance, the U.S. loses control of that information.
"Because it could have been about love or because it could have been his girlfriend doesn't mean it wasn't damaging or doesn't mean she may or may not have been affiliated with somebody else," Sorenson said. "We don't know that."
Authorities have not released the girlfriend's identity or whereabouts, or said publicly whether they believe she was working for the Chinese government. She was a Chinese national and living in the United States as a student on a J-1 visa, according to the FBI.
An affidavit filed by the FBI last year alleged that she may have attended an international defense conference in Hawaii specifically to target people like Bishop who had access to classified information. The affidavit said they met at the conference and then started a romantic relationship in 2011.
Bishop worked in the field of cyber defense at U.S. Pacific Command from May 2011 until his arrest. Before that, he helped develop Pacific Command strategy and policy. He retired from the U.S. Army Reserve as a lieutenant colonel last August.
Bishop was arrested nearly one year ago at Pacific Command headquarters. He has spent much of the past year in solitary confinement at the federal detention center in Honolulu, Bervar said.
A judge allowed him to move to a halfway house last June while awaiting trial. But he was ordered him back to jail in December after he violated the terms of his release by emailing his girlfriend and writing her a letter.
The specific counts he pleaded guilty to are communicating national defense information to a person not entitled to receive it and one count of unlawfully retaining national defense documents and plans.