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American Cinematheque offers a tribute to Alec Guinness, one of the best known English screen actors, this coming week at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
Guinness, who died in 2000, had a film career that spanned six decades (seven if you count a 1934 uncredited extra part).
His breakout movie was "Great Expectations" (1946) followed by "Oliver Twist" (1948), both based on Charles Dickens novels and both directed by David Lean.
Guinness went on to excel in both comedy and drama, portraying varied characters including eight characters in "Kind Hearts and Coronets" (1949), a detective priest in "Father Brown" (1954) and the warrior knight Obi-Wan Kenobi in "Star Wars."
One of his best known roles is the World War II British officer coping with life in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in "The Bridge on the River Kwai."
The movie, also directed by Lean and filmed in Ceylon, was based on a 1952 novel by French writer Pierre Boulle. It also starred William Holden and Sessue Hayakawa, who was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor.
Guinness won the 1957 Academy Award for best actor, while the film won six Academy Awards including best screenplay from another source, best director and best picture.
The Aero will also screen "Tunes of Glory," said to be Guinness' favorite of his movie career.
American Cinematheque at the Aero: Salute to Alec Guinness: "The Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957) and "H.M.S. Defiant (aka "Damn the Defiant!")" (1962), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15; "Oliver Twist" (1948) and "Great Expectations" (1946), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16; "Doctor Zhivago" (1965), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 17; "Our Man in Havana" (1959) and "Tunes of Glory" (1960), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 21. Most tickets $11; $9 seniors and students. 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. 323-466-3456. www.americancinematheque.com
Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica area
Movies at Burbank Central Library: "Wings" (1927), 2 p.m. Aug. 15. 110 N. Glenoaks Blvd. 818-238-5600. www.burbank.lib.ca.us
American Cinematheque at the Aero: The Best of Recent Belgian Cinema: "The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears" (2013), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 20. Tribute to Eli Wallach: "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22; "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1966), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23. Desperado With a Camera – The Cinema of Robert Rodriguez: "Spy Kids" (2001), 3 p.m. Aug. 23. Most tickets $11; $9 seniors and students. 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. 323-466-3456. www.americancinematheque.com
American Cinematheque at the Egyptian: Desperado With a Camera – The Cinema of Robert Rodriguez: "Sin City" (2005) and "From Dusk Till Dawn" (1996), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15. Turn Up the Radio: L.A. Rock on Film: "Pushin' Too Hard" (2014), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16 (Author Harvey Kubernik signs "Turn Up the Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll in Los Angeles 1956-1972," 6:30 p.m. in the lobby). Directed by Frank Zappa: "Bunny Bunny Bunny" (1987), "Cheepnis" (1973) and "Uncle Meat" (1987), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 17 (Gail and Moon Zappa are scheduled to attend). "Batman" (1989), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 18. Directed by Sam Fuller: "Pickup on South Street" (1953) and "White Dog" (1982), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22. Most tickets $11; $9 seniors and students. 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. 323-466-3456. www.americancinematheque.com
Cinema on the Street: "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15. Free. Bring your own seating. Third Street Promenade, corner of Third Street and Wilshire Boulevard. www.santamonicacentric.com
Crest Westwood: "Monty Python Live (mostly)," 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15 and 17. Tickets $15-$20. 1262 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles. 310-470-1508. www.crestwestwood.com
New Beverly Cinema: Written and Directed by Preston Sturges: "Sullivan's Travels" (1941), 7:30 Aug. 15 and 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16; "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek" (1944), 9:20 p.m. Aug. 15 and 5:10 and 9:20 p.m. Aug. 16. "Rock 'n' Roll High School" (1979) 11:59 p.m. Aug. 16. James Dean double feature: "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955), 2:40 and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 17 and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 18-19; "East of Eden" (1955), 4:50 and 9:40 p.m. Aug. 17 and 9:40 p.m. Aug. 18-19. Music double features: "We Are the Best!" (2013, Sweden), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 20-21 and "School of Rock" (2003), 9:30 p.m. Aug. 20-21; "A Hard Day's Night" (1964), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22 and 3:10 and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23 and "We Are the Best!" (2013, Sweden), 9:20 p.m. Aug. 22 and 5 and 9:20 p.m. Aug. 23. Tickets $8; $6 ages 62 and over and ages under 12. 7165 W. Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles. 323-938-4038. www.newbevcinema.com
UCLA Film & Television Archive at the Billy Wilder Theater: Contemporary Brazilian Documentaries: "Tropicalia" (2012) and "A Night in 67" (2010), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15. Hollywood Exiles in Europe: "The Victors" (1963), 3 p.m. Aug. 16; "Eve" (1962) and "Time Without Pity" (1957), 7 p.m. Aug. 17. Edith Head and Hollywood Costume Design: "The Lady Eve" (1941), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 16. Family Flicks: "Lassie Come Home" (1943), 11 a.m. Aug. 17 (minimum age 8). Tickets $10. Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 310-206-8013. www.cinema.ucla.edu
Cinefamily: Double feature: "Boy Meets Girl" (1984) and "Mr. X" (2014), 7:45 p.m. Aug. 15-16. The Early Surrealism of Bunuel: "Un Chien Andalou" (1929) and "L'Age D'Or" (1930), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 21. Tickets $12. 611 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. 323-655-2510. www.cinefamily.org
Movies on the Farm at Pierce College Farm Center: "Ghostbusters" (1984), after dark Aug. 15. Certified farmers market, 5 p.m. Free movie; bring your own low-back chair or blanket. No outside food. No dogs. Upcoming: "Finding Nemo" (2003), Aug. 22. 20800 Victory Blvd., Woodland Hills. 818-999-6300, Ext. 22. www.piercefarmcenter.com
Family movies at Palmdale Amphitheater: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001), after dark Aug. 15. Tickets $2; free for ages 12 and under. Upcoming: "Finding Nemo" (2003), Aug. 22. 2723 Rancho Vista Blvd. www.cityofpalmdale.org/theamp
Movies at Burbank Central Library: "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (2014), 2 p.m. Aug. 16. 110 N. Glenoaks Blvd. 818-238-5600. www.burbank.lib.ca.us
Movies on the Green at Warner Center Park: "The Sandlot" (1939), after dark Aug. 16. Entertainment, 7 p.m. Free. Upcoming: "Frozen" (2013), Aug. 23. 5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Woodland Hills. 818-704-1358. www.valleycultural.org
Starring Joel McCrea – Movie Night at the McCrea Ranch: The Conejo Community Center and Outdoor Unit present an outdoor screening of "Fort Massacre" (1947), 8 p.m. Aug. 16. Tickets $10. Preregistration required. 4545 Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks. 805-495-2163. www.crpd.org/mccrea
Eat, See, Hear: Outdoor movie series with live musical entertainment and food trucks, Saturdays through Sept. 13 at various venues. "Purple Rain" (1984), 8:30 p.m. Aug. 16. Doors open 5:30 p.m.; band, 7 p.m. Tickets $10; $8 ages 12 and under; $20 reserved seating. Autry National Center, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles. www.eatseehear.com
Silents Under the Stars at Paramount Ranch: "The Last Warning" (1929), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 17. Tickets $6; $3 ages under 12. 2903 Cornell Road, Agoura Hills. 805-370-2301. www.nps.gov/samo
A Feminist Film Screening: Mondays in August: "Dear Comrade" (2013) and question and answer with the director Mady Schutzman, 8:30 p.m. Aug. 18. Reservations advised. Echo Chamber, 1519 Sunset Blvd., Echo Park. www.facebook.com/pages/craftswoman-house
Films at Los Angeles County Museum of Art: "The Jungle Book" (1967), 1 p.m. Aug. 19 ($4). 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 323-857-6010. www.lacma.org
Movies at Panorama City Branch Library: Weekly movie screenings, 4 p.m. Aug. 19. Call for title. 14345 Roscoe Blvd. 818-894-4071. www.lapl.org
Movies at the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles: "Best of Recent German Cinema," Wednesdays through Sept. 24. "Forget Me Not" (2012), 7 p.m. Aug. 20. Free. Upcoming: "Hotel Lux" (2012), Aug. 27. 5750 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. 323-525-3388. www.goethe.de/ins/us/los
American Cinematheque at the Aero: The Best of Recent Belgian Cinema: "The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears" (2013), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 20. Tribute to Eli Wallach: "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22; "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1966), 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23. Desperado With a Camera – The Cinema of Robert Rodriguez: "Spy Kids" (2001), 3 p.m. Aug. 23. Most tickets $11; $9 seniors and students. 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. 323-466-3456. www.americancinematheque.com
Films at Los Angeles LGBT Center's Renberg Theatre: Screening and discussion of "Aban + Khorshid" (2014, short), 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Free but reservations advised. 1125 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles. 323-860-7300. www.abankhoshid.eventbrite.com
Films at North Hollywood Regional Branch Library: Summer adventures is the theme for August movies, 2 p.m. Aug. 21. Call for title. Free. 5211 Tujunga Ave. 818-766-7185. www.lapl.org
Films at the Fowler Museum at UCLA: Screening of "Street Muse: Kenya" (2014, documentary) and discussion by filmmaker Meryl O'Connor and Gull, the American street musician who went to Kenya to share music, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 21. Free admission. Use parking off of Hilgard Avenue at Westholme Avenue. www.fowler.ucla.edu
CSUN Associated Students Summer Movie Festival: "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975), after 8 p.m. Aug. 21. Food trucks, 5:30 p.m. Parking $6. Upcoming: "Superbad" (2007), Aug. 28. Oviatt Lawn, 18111 Nordhoff St. 818-677-2477. www.csun.edu/as
Sharknado 2 – The Second One: Screenings of the 2014 made for television movie, 8 p.m. Aug. 21 at various theaters including: Burbank 16, 125 E. Palm Ave.; Cinemark 22, 2600 W. Avenue I, Lancaster; Cinemark North Hollywood 8, 12827 Victory Blvd.; AMC CityWalk Stadium 19, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City; Regal Valencia Stadium 12, 24435 Town Center Drive and AMC Promenade 16, 21801 Oxnard St., Woodland Hills. Check website for tickets and other venues. www.fathomevents.com
Movies at William S. Hart Regional Park: "The Wizard of Oz" (1939), 7 p.m. Aug. 22. Free. Lawn seating. 24151 Newhall Ave., Newhall. www.friendsofhartpark.org
Movies at Malibu Bluffs Park: CineMalibu presents "The Adventures of Milo and Otis" (1986), after dark Aug. 23. Entertainment, 7:20 p.m. Free. 24250 Pacific Coast Highway. 310-317-1364. www.malibucity.org/cinemalibu
Cinespia at Hollywood Forever Cemetery: "There's Something About Mary" (1998), 9 p.m. Aug. 23. Tickets $14. Lawn seating. Upcoming: "Purple Rain" (1984), Sept. 6. 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. www.cinespia.org
San Gabriel Valley area
Gilb Museum of Arcadia: featuring movies that have been filmed in Arcadia: "The Big Noise" with Laurel and Hardy from 1944, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15. Free. 380 W. Huntington Drive (behind the Community Center), Arcadia. Bring a lawn chair, non-alcoholic beverage. 626-574-5440. museum.ci.arcadia.ca.us
Laemmle Playhouse 7: "Weaving the Past: Journey of Discovery," opens Aug. 15. Filmmaker Walter Dominguez traces the life of his Mexican-born grandfather, who he knew as a Methodist minister and unearths many surprises, changing not only his view of his grandfather, but also his own life. The director, executive producer and other members of the production team will participate in a Q&A session following the 4 p.m. screening Aug. 17. In English and Spanish (with English subtitles). Advance tickets available online at laemmle.com/forms/group-sales and at the box office from 1-10 p.m. daily. 673 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. 310-478-3836. laemmle.com
Regency Foothill Cinema Stadium 10: Flashback Tuesday: Marlon Brando as "The Godfather," 7:30 p.m. Aug. 19. $6. 854 E. Alosta Ave., Azusa. 626-334-6007. regencymovies.com
Pasadena Central Library: 2009's "The Night at the Museum," 1-3 p.m. Aug. 20. 285 E. Walnut St. Free. 626-744-4066. cityofpasadena.net
Inland Valley area
Mood Indigo: The 2013 French romantic fantasy film directed by Michel Gondry, based on French novelist Boris Vian's cult novel "Froth on the Daydream," starring Audrey Tautou and Romain Duris, 10:30 a.m. Aug. 16 and 10:30 a.m. Aug. 17, tickets $8-$11, Claremont 5 Lammele, 450 W. Second St., Claremont, 909-621-5566. www.laemmle.com/films
Who is Dayani Cristal?: A real life drama, directed by Marc Silver, tells the story of a migrant who found himself in the deadly stretch of desert known as "the corridor of death" and shows how one life becomes testimony to the tragic results of the U.S. war on immigration. 7 p.m. Aug. 15, 3 p.m. Aug. 16, 7 p.m. Aug. 17, tickets $5-$9.99, UCR ARTSblock, 3824 Main St., Riverside, 951-827-4787. www.artsblock.ucr.edu
Movies in the Park at Fleming Park: "The Princess Diaries," 8:30 p.m. Aug. 16, free, bring lawn chair or blanket, 525 N. La Cadena Drive, Colton, 909-370-6153. www.ci.colton.ca.us
Long Beach area
Movies in the Park: "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2" screens at dusk Aug. 15, Signal Hill Park, 2175 Cherry Ave., Signal Hill. Free. www.longbeach.gov
Movies in the Park: "Planes" screens at dusk Aug. 20, MacArthur Park, 1321 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach; dusk Aug. 22, Silverado Park, 1545 W. 31st St., Long Beach. Free. www.longbeach.gov
Movies at the Beach: "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" screens at dusk Aug. 19, Granada Beach, 1 Granada Ave., Long Beach. Free. www.alfredosbeachclub.com
South Bay area
King Kong: 1933 monster thriller starring Fay Ray, 8:15 Aug. 15, 2:30 and 8:15 p.m. Aug. 16 and 2:30 p.m. Aug. 17. Old Town Music Hall, 140 Richmond St., El Segundo; tickets $10/$8, cash or check only. 310-322-2592. www.oldtownmusichall.org
LACMA9 Shorts Program: Screenings of "Daybreak Express," "Olivia's Place," "The Sound We See: A Los Angeles City Symphony" and "The Red Balloon." 8 p.m. Aug. 15. Charles H. Wilson Park, 2200 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance. www.lacma.org/artfilmlab


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Longo again worthy of All-Star consideration
ST. PETERSBURG -- Evan Longoria is healthy and picking up where he left off prior to missing much of last season with a partially torn left hamstring.
The 27-year-old third baseman is once again in the middle of the action and bringing an All-Star-worthy performance to every Rays game. Now Rays fans will have the chance to vote Longoria back into the Midsummer Classic as the All-Star ballots for the American League and National League launched on Wednesday.
ST. PETERSBURG -- Evan Longoria is healthy and picking up where he left off prior to missing much of last season with a partially torn left hamstring.
The 27-year-old third baseman is once again in the middle of the action and bringing an All-Star-worthy performance to every Rays game. Now Rays fans will have the chance to vote Longoria back into the Midsummer Classic as the All-Star ballots for the American League and National League launched on Wednesday.
What Longoria brings to the table is well known throughout the Majors and particularly inside the Rays' clubhouse.
"He doesn't even have to be hitting well to improve our lineup," said David Price, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner. "His name being in the lineup, the pitcher knows when he's on deck, when he's in the hole, when he's due up fifth in that inning. They know where Longo is at all times. They probably know where he's sitting in the dugout.
"So it's a good thing to have him in the lineup. It gives everybody else a lot more stuff to hit, because nobody wants Evan Longoria to beat them. You know which guy on each team that you don't want to beat you. You're going to make somebody else beat you. And for us, that's Evan Longoria. It's fun to watch when he's in the lineup how different everything is."
Added Rays manager Joe Maddon: "The manager's intelligence level is directly tied to his players at all moments. And having him play on a more consistent basis would make any manager smarter. That and a good bullpen, I think, really increase a manager's IQ. There's no doubt, him playing often more often makes us all look better."
Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or via your mobile device -- using the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot until July 4 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Fans may submit 25 online ballots during the voting period, but can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, you must be logged into your MLB.com account when you submit any online ballot. If you do not have an MLB.com account, visit mlb.com and register in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.
Fans can also once again participate in the Home Run Derby Fan Poll. Fans will have the opportunity to select three players in each league whom they would most like to see participate in the Home Run Derby. The 2013 Home Run Derby -- part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day -- will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States beginning at 8 p.m. ET on July 15.
The 2013 American League and National League All-Star teams will be unveiled on Sunday, July 7, on the 2013 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show, televised nationally on TBS. Baseball fans around the world will then be able to select the final player on each team via the All-Star Game Final Vote sponsored by freecreditscore.com on MLB.com.
And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the official voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans will vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the official vote determining the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.
The 2013 All-Star Game will be played at Citi Field on July 16. Come to MLB.com for extensive online coverage of the All-Star Week festivities.
The 84th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.
Joining Longoria from the Rays on this year's ballot are James Loney, first base; Ben Zobrist, second base; Yunel Escobar, shortstop; Jose Molina, catcher; Luke Scott, DH; and Kelly Johnson, Desmond Jennings, and Matt Joyce in the outfield.
May 6 is the first day that 2013 All-Star balloting will be available inside Tropicana Field, and June 16 will be the final day.
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com.

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Kraft Foods Gets Naming Rights To Post-Season College Bowl Game
April 15, 2010: Kraft Foods has signed a three-year deal with the San Francisco Bowl Game Assn. to become title sponsor of the annual college football game played at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
The game, played between teams from the Pacific-10 (PAC-10) and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), will be known as the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. Kraft said it would be part of a broader hunger relief program the company plans to launch in September in collaboration with Feeding America, a leading hunger-relief organization.
The game had been known as the Emerald Bowl since its inception in 2002, when Diamond of California acquired naming rights. Financial terms of the deal with Kraft Foods were not disclosed.
Corporate partners include Hyatt, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Macy's, HP, AT&T, EA Sports, Honda, Wells Fargo and a plethora of companies and media outlets in and around the San Francisco Bay Area. The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl will be played January 9, 2011, and carried nationally in prime time by ESPN, which said the game consistently ranks among its highest viewed college bowl telecasts.
"This is a great day for our game," Gary Cavalli, executive director of the the San Francisco Bowl Game Assn., a non-profit group, said in a statement. "We're proud and excited to partner with Kraft Foods, one of the most well-known and highly-respected companies in the world."
According to Cavalli, the game has generated nearly $100 million in economic impact for the City and County of San Francisco since its inception.
Kraft Foods said it plans to leverage the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl to spearhead a national hunger initiative in collaboration with Feeding America, "building upon a decades-long partnership to fight hunger." Kraft also plans to "showcase its power brands on big stages."
"Our strategic approach is to leverage these partnerships to connect our flagship brands to key audiences in a big way," Stephen Chriss, senior director, marketing partnerships, for Kraft Foods North America, said in a statement. "They provide major opportunities for integrated marketing and merchandising platforms that create excitement in and out of store."
Over the next four years, the game will match a PAC-10 representative against the top team in the WAC, twice, with Army scheduled in 2011 and Navy in 2012. Several of college football's top teams have already participated the former Emerald Bowl, including previous national champions USC, Miami and Florida State, as well as California, Boston College, UCLA, Oregon State and Utah.
"This agreement ensures that we have a bright future," said Cavalli. "With Kraft Foods as our title sponsor, and the distinction of being the only bowl focused on a meaningful social cause, we will continue to build the game and take it to the next level."


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Penalties kill Flames' bid to advance to ACHA DII Final Four
March 23, 2014 | Marlborough, Mass.
Liberty University's ACHA Division II men's hockey team was assessed 11 minutes in penalties in the first period against New Hampshire, leading to three power-play goals in a span of five minutes in Sunday's third and final round of pool play at the ACHA DII National Championships.
A five-minute major for slashing seconds after the first goal by freshman forward Austin Spraque opened the door for the Wildcats to net two more scores on five-on-three advantages to seize a 3-0 lead by period's end. New Hampshire later repelled Liberty's comeback bid by adding three more goals at even strength in the final 30 minutes of a 6-2 victory.
Both teams went 2-1 in the four-team pool, but New Hampshire (20-7) clinched the lone bid into Monday's semifinals with the win over the Flames (25-8-1). There was no need for a three-way tiebreaker after top-seeded Grand Valley State University was upset by Northern Arizona in a game played simultaneously Sunday in another of the six rinks at New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass.
The Flames gave up six goals for only the third time this season (all losses) despite a valiant effort and some spectacular saves by Liberty junior net-minder Cary Byron, who made 32 saves.
"Cary was definitely outstanding all weekend," Liberty Assistant Coach Mike Morrison said. "He stood on his head the first two games. Today, a lot of the goals were on special teams and odd-man rushes that he couldn't do anything about."
The Wildcats were particularly potent on the power play. In the first five-on-three opportunity, New Hampshire sophomore forward Zachary Mourad converted the putback of a shot by senior defenseman Zach Bradanick past Byron from point-blank range. Freshman forward Max Turcotte later finished a cross-crease pass from sophomore forward David DeDonato to push the lead to 3-0.
"UNH was a very good team on special teams," Morrison said. "We were looking just to play five-on-five. When we did that in the first two games, we showed we could compete with any team at nationals."
The Flames, who overcame a 2-0 deficit in a 6-2 triumph over Northern Arizona on Saturday, scored twice in a three-and-a-half-minute stretch and appeared to get right back in the game.
With 12:55 left in the second period, Liberty freshman forward Ben Freymond ended the shutout by lifting a left-handed wrist shot from inside the right circle under the crossbar.
After New Hampshire killed a penalty, Flames junior forward Johnny Cotton sent a behind-the-net feed to sophomore forward Josh King, who redirected the puck past New Hampshire freshman goalie Dylan Palmer to trim the deficit to 3-2.
However, New Hampshire responded two and a half minutes later ith an unassisted goal off a faceoff by Spraque, who lifted a wrist shot from deep in the right circle over Byron's shoulder top shelf. The Wildcats then reclaimed a three-goal advantage with 3:05 left in the second when DeDonato scored on a counterattack set up by sophomore forward Bobby Keough's breakaway steal.
"To give up that fifth goal was really devastating because we knew our goals-against average would not carry us (out of the pool in a tie-breaker)," Morrison said. "Unless we won the game, we were out of the tournament."
The Flames had back-to-back five-on-three opportunities in the third period, but came away empty-handed. Liberty Head Coach Chris Lowes then pulled Byron for the final four minutes of regulation and Mourad put the Wildcats' win and semifinal berth on ice with an empty-net score from along the right boards.
It was the final game in the careers of senior forwards Brad Docksteader and Bobby Cervone as well as defenseman Greg Whyte.
"As a senior, we put a lot on (Docksteader's) shoulders," Morrison said, noting he played almost the entire third period. "The guys did the best that they could to try to come back and win the game and we were proud that they made it as far as they did, even to make it to nationals."
On Tuesday, New Hampshire went on to capture the ACHA DII national title with a 5-3 victory over Southeast Region champion Florida Gulf Coast, which dealt the Flames three of their losses this season.


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GateHouse News Service National Budget
For 1/28/09 editions
Here are the top national stories coming today from GateHouse News Service. Stories are available at http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/. Please submit stories below no later than 6 pm local time, unless you have breaking news that is changing significantly.
Contacts: Jean Hodges, (630) 348-3350, (630) 956-8834, firstname.lastname@example.com
Michael Toeset, (630) 348-3356, (630) 835-8870, email@example.com
HELPING YOU BE MORE LOCAL: How the news service can help you with local content.
SUPER BOWL SECTION: 20-page section, half for ads.
SUPER BOWL PACKAGE: Includes links to stories related to the Super Bowl (including features such as food and entertaining), and we'll continue adding to it as we get more in.
VALENTINE'S DAY PACKAGE: Includes links to stories related to Valentine's Day. Check back often because we'll keep adding as we get more content.
NASCAR PREVIEW: 2009 NASCAR preview tab: Can Jimmie Johnson do it again?
OUTDOOR LIVING SPRING SECTION: Lots of fishing, with some cool gadgets, safety and turkey tips.
"STRETCHED:" Section features stories on ways to save and make money in 2009.
SUDOKU: Puzzles 218-252 (covering February) are now posted. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/entertainment/x1589175713/Sudoku-puzzles-218-252
MORNING MINUTES: Note: we're adding a little "today in history" beginning Monday. And we'll still offer Word of the Day, Web Site of the Day and Number to Know. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/morning_minutes
HOME HELP: New technology for your bathroom - weekly home and garden rail, with items on bathroom improvements,
brightening your home decor, shopping for windows and more.
HOME & GARDEN PAGE: Keep it warm
SNOWED IN: 5 family-friendly ways to pass the time when you're snowed in at home
HOLOCAUST FEATURES: After Holocaust horrors, woman reconnects with Jewish faith
GETAWAY: Top 10 romantic ski resorts in the Northeast - Let's face it. Skiing is a romantic activity. There's you and your significant other and snow - and that need for warmth at the end of the day.
Food content:
FANCY SEASONINGS: Are fancy seasonings worth fancy prices?
WHISKS: Silicone improves whisks. Silicone products continue to flood our kitchens with new ideas for old utensils, including the nonscratch whisk. CANTON, Ohio
KATHRYN REM: Get even with an angry Whopper
THE BEER NUT: Sizing up suds for Super Bowl - Almost everyone will be gathered around the TV on Sunday, watching the Super Bowl even if they don't care about either team. MetroWest, Miller, on wire now With photo
SIDELINE THE FAT: Sideline the fat at your Super Bowl party
BOILING POINT: Eat Mississippi style to live extravagantly on little cash
MEREDITH O'BRIEN: 'Goth Mommy' by accident
KELLEY BALDWIN: When all's quiet on the home front
SUDOKU: Puzzles 190-217 are now posted. Sudoku links package can be found here: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x776476232/Looking-for-Sudoku
OSCAR NOMINEES: A look at people and movies nominated for the 81st Academy Awards. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/entertainment/x1621259582/Nominees-for-the-81st-Academy-Awards
LINCOLN LOG: Book brings immediacy to 1865 assassination - Working with writer Barry Dennenberg, award-winning Lexington artist Christopher Bing designed and illustrated "Lincoln Shot: A President's Life Remembered," a gorgeous visual biography that propels readers through the life, times and death of a national icon. MetroWest, Bergeron, on wire now
With photo
BRITT CARTOON: On the economy. Will be posted this evening.
DEIRDRE REILLY: 5 ways Republicans can cope with the next 4 years. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x869015524/Deirdre-Reilly-5-ways-Republicans-can-handle-the-next-4-years
EDITORIAL: Blagojevich circus grows more embarrassing daily - We're beginning to wonder if thing is going to end with a white Bronco rolling down the freeway. The "thing" is Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who seems more like a cartoon character every day, and his going-off-the-rails response to charges of corruption and the resulting impeachment procedures. An editorial from the Galesburg Register-Mail.
EDITORIAL: Tapes show governor put himself first - For two days, Gov. Rod Blagojevich traipsed around New York, telling anyone who will point a TV camera at him that tapes of him from the federal wiretaps, in their full context, will exonerate him. One set of tapes played for the Illinois Senate Tuesday — the only recordings that federal prosecutors will allow to be played for the senators — do not sound all that damning. But the recordings certainly do not help his case, either. An editorial from the State Journal-Register.
EDITORIAL: Is there no end to narcissism in Illinois politics? According to Greek mythology, a cursed Narcissus became riveted by his own reflection in a pond. Apparently unaware that he was staring at himself, Narcissus bent over the water to kiss the image, only to fall in and drown. That splash is threatening to be repeated in Illinois, where sadly the curse - not to mention the joke - is on us. Between Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Sen. Roland Burris, it can be difficult to tell which one has exaggerated his sense of self to more pathological proportions. An editorial from the Peoria Journal Star.
PHIL LUCIANO: Could woman's love of cat have been her undoing? Pooh the cat was a very good cat and a very bad cat. Pooh had the uncanny ability to alert owner Veldalou Renken as to any problems with the ailing 77-year-old's medical equipment. But Pooh also had the nasty, inexplicable habit of biting no one but Renken - which in the end turned out to be her worst health problem of all.
DAVE BAKKE: Students form connection with Yoko Ono - "Hi, Yoko." One after the other, students at Iles Elementary School in Springfield peer into a camera and offer a sometimes-shy, sometimes-boisterous greeting to John Lennon's widow. I wouldn't expect kids this young would know who John Lennon was, much less Yoko, but they know. The interesting thing is that Yoko knows who they are as well. This unusual story begins, as it should, with a song.
FOOTBALL BRIEFS: PFW news on the Chargers, Eagles, Jets, Falcons and Cardinals. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/sports/pro/football/fantasy_football/x959450413/Football-briefs-Chargers-top-priority-is-long-term-deal-for-Rivers
SUPER BOWL SECTION: 20-page section, half for ads.
IS THE GOV CRAZY? Despite bizarre behavior, experts say Blagojevich isn't crazy - SPRINGFIELD – He quotes poets at press conferences, but seldom takes questions. Reporters have seen him grab cell phones from complete strangers, interrupting conversations to say, "Hi, this is the governor." When lawmakers unanimously reject his proposal to tax businesses, he says that's a vote of confidence. Is Gov. Rod Blagojevich crazy? The answer: Not exactly. By Bruce Rushton of the State Journal-Register.
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL: The state Senate has Day 3 of its impeachment trial of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, which is expected include testimony from Auditor General William Holland about troubling audits of several state agencies, and discussion of run-ins between a legislative panel and the Blagojevich administration. By Doug Finke of the State Capitol bureau. Will be updated throughout the day. With the daily Impeachment Watch box.
QUINN PREPARATIONS: Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn is in a delicate spot. He may very well become Illinois' new governor in a matter of days, if Rod Blagojevich gets removed from office, but how does he start preparing for a job he doesn't have? Quinn says he doesn't want to be presumptuous, but he has started making some plans and he says his background in government makes him ready to take over despite the unusual circumstances. By Adriana Colindres of the State Capitol bureau. Will be posted this evening.
LEAD TESTING AND KIDS' BOOKS: Libraries fear lead-testing law may apply to kid's books – (Good to localize: Talk to your library officials about whether they have concerns about the law) PEORIA – Now it's books. For the second time this month, a tempest has erupted in an unlikely arena over the enactment of a new law intended to protect children from dangerous exposure to lead. This time it's library officials and their concern that the new law will apply unnecessarily to presumably lead-free children's books. By Scott Hilyard of the Peoria Journal Star.
PLAYSTATIONS AT SCHOOL: (Good to localize: How are your schools using games and technology to engage kids who are so accustomed to their DS and Playstation games? Talk to school officials in your town) Hand-held Playstations used in reading and math classes - Students at Cohasset's Joseph Osgood and Deer Hill elementary schools are enthused when the PlayStation Portables come out. The two schools have begun using an interactive video-game program called Achieve Now, which uses animated characters, color and music to help students with reading, language arts and math. Ledger, McCarthy, on wire now
With photos
Business / Ag
TV STATIONS STILL GOING DIGITAL: Peoria-area stations still planning to go digital Feb. 17 (Good to localize: check with TV stations in your area about whether they're going ahead with digital based on the Feb. 17 date, and find out what that means for TV viewers): PEORIA – Congress may move the digital deadline back to June 12, but most area television stations say they plan to drop their analog signals on Feb. 17, as previously scheduled. The U.S. Senate approved a bill Monday that would delay the date when TV stations have to start digital broadcasting. That legislation allows stations to stop providing analog transmissions before the new deadline. By Steve Tarter of the Peoria Journal Star. To localize: Check with your local TV stations to see when they're making the switch.
National budget 1.28.09
GateHouse News Service National Budget


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Having trouble dozing off but don't want to reach for sleeping pills? Try these more natural methods instead.
It's one of the more frustrating things in life: The night before an important event or big day, where you desperately need to feel rested, you simply can't switch off and fall asleep. So instead of waking up refreshed, you're frustrated, stressed and groggier than ever - before the day's even begun.
If this sounds like a familiar scenario, you can at least take comfort in the fact you're not alone. The Sleep Health Foundation estimates one in three of us have at least mild insomnia at some point in our lives, and at any given time, approximately 10% of the population's suffering with it.
According to the NHS, occasional episodes of insomnia may come and go without causing any serious problems, but for some people, it can last for months or even years at a time. And sleep deprivation isn't just a recipe for a painful and unproductive Monday morning - it can be also be really detrimental to your health.
Studies have shown that regularly missing out on a solid eight hours' slumber can put you at risk of serious conditions, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes, and chronic poor sleep is also associated with a shortened life expectancy.
When you're tossing and turning all night, it can be tempting to reach for over-the-counter or prescription drugs to help you to drift off. However, if these aren't a suitable option, or you're simply keen to avoid popping sleeping pills, don't despair.
A new school of thinking is turning away from the medicine cabinet, looking instead at more organic and holistic sleep aids. Two powerful weapons in the fight against insomnia are a quiet, comfortable sleep environment and a relaxing bedtime routine, but here are five other natural approaches that can help you on your way...
1. Invest in a sunrise lamp
Getting a good night's sleep could be as simple as changing the lighting in your room. The blue light from electronic devices can delay the release of sleep-inducing melatonin, so make your bedroom a phone-free zone and invest in a sunrise lamp like Lumie's Bodyclock Luxe 700, £170 (lumie.com). It has a bedtime option that mimics a real sunset, gradually dimming the light in your room over a 30-minute period, stimulating melatonin production and its all-important sleepy effect.
2. Bathe in magnesium
Magnesium has long been touted as a homeopathic way to help relieve insomnia. Studies have found it helps decrease cortisol, the 'stress hormone' that can keep you up at night. It also helps muscles relax, to bring on that yawn-inducing feeling at the end of a long day. If you don't fancy swilling it down in capsule form, you could try taking a hot bath with BetterYou Magnesium Flakes, from £3.49 (betteryou.com).
3. Slather on a sleep lotion
Parenting forums and beauty blogs have all been buzzing with the sleep-giving benefits of Lush's Sleepy Body Lotion, £13.95 (uk.lush.com) - some reviewers have even gone as far to claim that it has managed to cure their insomnia completely. The pale purple lotion utilises a potent mix of oatmeal, cocoa butter and lavender water - a natural relaxant with mood-altering properties. Slather on a layer before bedtime, paying particular attention to the neck and temples for a deeper, more fulfilling sleep.
4. Sip on some chamomile tea
A good cup of tea is just what the doctor ordered when sleep won't come - just don't touch the English Breakfast. Chamomile has been used for centuries for its medicinal properties, in particular its ability to help you relax. Just one cuppa of the stuff can have a mild sedative effect, as well as the added benefit of being helpful in alleviating menstrual cramps.
5. Tune into pink noise
You've probably heard of white noise - which is basically a consistent, fuzzy, static sound that has a masking effect, blocking out the sudden changes in noise that can disturb light sleepers. Pink noise goes one step further, slowing down your brainwaves and helping regulate them, giving you a steady, long sleep. Next time you're having trouble drifting off, try filling your room with the sounds of waves lapping on the beach or leaves rustling in the trees - these are nature's pink noise creators (there are lots of apps where you can find them).


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|Active Downtown_Strathmore Real Estate:
|Average Price:
|Highest Price:
|Lowest Priced Listings:
Determining what you want out of your next condominiums living space is a critical step in the condominium buying process. We will work with you every step of the way to ensure your condo purchase aligns perfectly with your lifestyle needs and long term financial goals. One of the most effective and thorough methods of determining what you want is to create a wish list.
Amenities are those building and condominiums features which will make your life more comfortable or convenient. They include things such as an extra parking space, valet parking, a swimming pool or fitness facility.
Trademarks REALTOR®, REALTOR® and the REALTOR® logo controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members. Trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and associated logos owned by Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA.


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Afghan army still far from ready to go it alone
NOOR KHIEL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Among the huge challenges it faces in taking over from the departing U.S. and NATO armies, Afghanistan's new army is up against the myth that its troops aren't Muslims.
Taliban propaganda has sought to plant the notion that because it works with foreign forces, the Afghan National Army must be a heathen one. So when villagers see his soldiers drop to their knees in mid-patrol and recite the daily prayer, they're surprised, says Lt. Col. Abdul Wakil Warzajy, a battalion commander. "Until they see us praying," he says, "they think that we are like the foreigners -- infidels."
From the Soviet invasion of 1979 through the ensuing civil wars, from the rise of the warlords and their militias to the U.S.-led invasion that followed the 9/11 attacks, ordinary Afghans can barely remember having had an army they could call their own.
Once the foreign troops are gone in 2014, Afghanistan's defenses will depend entirely on a force being molded from poorly educated recruits, many of whom complain of feeling under-armed, undertrained and up against an elusive enemy.
An Associated Press reporter and photographer recently spent two weeks with four different units in provinces where the Taliban is strong, and heard of equipment shortages, rifles that jam, and fears that once the U.S. and NATO aircraft are gone, remote and important outposts will become inaccessible and have to close.
And alongside ample evidence that Afghan commanders are working hard to instill discipline and a sense of mission in the new force, there are fears that once the Westerners have left, the country will again splinter into militias ruled by warlords.
At 203 Thunder Corps in eastern Afghanistan's Gardez Province, soldiers have to leave their weapons at the gate. That's because renegades among them could attack NATO soldiers -- 26 killed in 19 incidents this year, by AP count -- but also because in an army that reflects the country's mosaic of rival ethnicities, an argument could escalate into a firefight.
Abdul Haleem Noori, a colonel in his 60s who remembers the old Afghan army of the 1980s, said training used to last months. Now it's six weeks.
"Today we have no discipline. If a soldier doesn't want to go somewhere he doesn't," he said in an interview at the Thunder Corps base. "We should not have been looking for quantity. We should have been looking at the quality of our soldiers but we had to adhere to the timetable of the foreigners and now we are not ready."
U.S. Gen. John Allen, the top commander of U.S. and NATO forces, told the AP that the Afghan army and police force were proving increasingly capable in action. About 90 percent of coalition operations now are partnered with Afghan forces, and Afghan forces are in the lead more than 40 percent of the time, he said in an interview July 22.
The army is likely to number around 200,000 by year's end, but that's not enough, said Lt. Yaldash Roasoli, an Afghan soldier standing outside the 203 Thunder Corps firing range. "Even in 30 years we cannot be ready," he complained. "If you asked me what a tactical maneuver is I couldn't tell you. That is the kind of training we have had."
The new force's commando units have been tested in high-profile Taliban attacks in the past year, including one on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, and have won high praise from the Afghan government and the U.S. ANA commanders say they are beginning to win the trust of villagers, who prefer the soldiers to police.
But Mark Schneider, senior vice president of the International Crisis Group that is tracking Afghanistan's self-defense effort, says overall, a decade of training and $35 billion have fallen short of expectations. "It is going to be a difficult process to enable them to be the hand-off partner" for the departing Western forces, he said in a telephone interview.
For the Afghan army, just identifying the enemy is a difficult task.
As a force moves into the village of Noor Khiel in eastern Logar province, Warzajy, the battalion commander, is wary. A veteran of the civil wars, a former bodyguard to a fabled warlord, he knows when he's in Taliban country, and this is an area where troops have come under rocket fire and automatic rifles are fired from inside village homes.
For now there are no insurgents in evidence, but as Warzajy points out, when his troops move in, the Taliban move out. "Sometimes they don't even leave. They pick up a shovel and say they're just innocent farmers."
The village is a reminder of Afghanistan's 30-plus years of agony. Some of its houses were bombed out long ago as long ago as during the Soviet occupation. A 25-year-old soldier named Qadratullah slips through a gaping shell hole in a ruined house. "I don't know when it was destroyed," he says. "All I know is, it was one of the wars. Always there has been war in Afghanistan."
The troops have set up a checkpoint. A gray-bearded man in a stopped car is gesticulating wildly. He pleads with Sgt. Maseed Ahmed for his son, a shopkeeper, who he says was picked up after two policemen died in a Taliban attack on a checkpost. He insists his son has no connection with the Taliban. Ahmed sends him to the battalion headquarters where he can get help to find his son.
"Sometimes the police just take people for money," Ahmed said. "People don't trust the police but they slowly are beginning to trust that the ANA will help them."
On this operation the soldiers didn't enter any homes. Their job, Ahmed said, was simply "to let the villagers and the Taliban know we are here."
The troops seized a motorcycle festooned with plastic flowers. Ahmed said the Taliban were thought to have used it to transport and plant explosives. A man was arrested along with his son because a second son was believed to belong to the Taliban.
"It sends a message to the rest of the village that family members will be questioned about relatives who join the Taliban," said Warzajy. But he acknowledged such tactics were of limited use. "We might find some villagers who are helpful, but a lot of them are followers of the Taliban and when we get the Taliban they are angry with us."
To his own men he came across as tough but caring as he addressed them before they set off on patrol. A soldier who turned up looking a bit slovenly got a tongue-lashing: "You! Don't you know how to hold a weapon? Remember what you have been trained to do." And to the troops in general: "Be careful how you patrol. In every situation you should know what to do. Follow your training. Be proud."
The shortcomings in equipment and training were evident in the chaotic scene on a night when the Afghan troops were supposed to tie up with U.S. Special Forces for an operation but were late to the rendezvous spot and, lacking night-vision equipment, had trouble finding their American colleagues.
The night-vision goggles are a particularly sore point. A report from the U.S. Defense Department in June said 7,157 sets have been issued to the Afghan army and police but noted concerns that several hundred were unaccounted for. The goggles are designated as "sensitive defense articles" that mustn't fall into enemy hands.
A big worry voiced by analysts tracking the new force's progress is that to build it, the U.S. and NATO embraced militias loyal to anti-Taliban warlords, most of them divided along ethnic lines. Can the army remain a cohesive peacekeeping body after 2014? "In general, I'm quite pessimistic and think the odds are high of Afghanistan returning to violent civil war," said Andrew Wilder of the U.S. Institute of Peace, a conflict-management group.
A former senior U.S. diplomat in Afghanistan, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of his previous posting, anticipated the ANA would cede large swaths of territory to the Taliban, pulling back to defend areas considered critical to the government's survival. He said night raids would almost certainly cease.
Martine van Bijlert of the Afghan Analysis Network, a think tank in Kabul, said the Afghanistan National Army was conceived and built in haste.
After eleven years of the U.S. and NATO presence "you could have trained a pretty good officer core, if you had planned for it and had invested in the longer term," she said. "But in practice, much of the efforts were geared to either quickly getting boots on the ground as auxiliary forces to the U.S. and other international troops or to reaching virtual numbers that could be reported on."
The approach of 2014 "has focused minds somewhat," she said, "but there still is a tendency to focus on optimistic progress reports in the face of a very messy reality."
Allen told the AP that American personnel were putting much effort into training the new army to plan missions, execute them and learn from them, but said he needed 20 percent more training staff than he has. "It's an ongoing request and I don't miss an opportunity to emphasize that we really do need these folks," he said.
Many of the Afghan soldiers interviewed voiced their loyalty to their new army. At the same time most said their reason for enlisting was to get a salary and escape poverty, and they tended to assume that the Taliban's recruits joined for the same reason. Opinions of what would happen after the Western forces left were mixed.
"I just want them to leave because we should protect our own country," said Abdul Basir, a soldier from northern Kunduz province.
But Col. Asif Khan Saburi, who is in charge of training new recruits at 203 Thunder Corps, was concerned for the future.
"We need more time," he said. "It is not the time for the forces to go from here."


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VANCOUVER - The world's birds are literally the canaries in the coal mine and their ongoing decline should serve as a warning signal of a global environment in peril, says an international report on the state of the world's birds.
Globally, one in eight species — 1,313 — are considered at threat of extinction, said the report by U.K.-based BirdLife International. Of these, 200 are considered on the brink.
Nature is a crucial part of Earth's life support system, said Leon Bennun, the group's director of science, policy and information, and the numbers don't bode well.
"Birds are a great window into nature. They're a wonderful indicator of the wider environment," Bennun said.
"Our assessment, unfortunately, shows us that birds are in decline, an indicator that nature itself is not in good shape."
In Canada, progress has been made in reversing the decline of several species, but the report released Thursday said even in this country, more bird species are in decline than are increasing.
"By and large Canada is faring probably better than many other countries," said Jon McCracken, of the conservation group Bird Studies Canada, a contributor to the report.
Although Canada's bird population has dropped about 12 per cent since 1970, waterfowl and birds of prey have seen dramatic recovery, thanks to conservation efforts that included wetland protection and the banning of the pesticide DDT. And there are positive signs in the recovery of the endangered whooping crane, due largely to conservation efforts.
But the report, State of the World's Birds, noted dramatic declines in grassland birds such as killdeers and meadowlarks, Arctic shorebirds and so-called aerial insectivores like swallows and martens.
And there are a small number of species that may have reached a point of no return.
"There are some species that are so critically threatened that it's almost a foregone conclusion that we're going to lose them, despite our best investment of time and money," McCracken said in an interview from Port Rowan, Ont.
The Eskimo curlew, a migratory tundra species hunted into oblivion, hasn't been seen in the wild for 49 years. Once that clock hits 50 years, the bird will be declared extinct.
Few species remain north of the 49th year-round, and on a global scale the situation is worse.
Habitat destruction and degradation, largely related to agriculture, and the effects of invasive species are primarily to blame, said the report that gathered research from scientists and citizens around the world.
In Europe, it said, 40 per cent of farmland species have declined over the past three decades, and in Asia, more than half of all waterbird species.
Pacific species and ocean-going seabirds are experiencing the fastest decline, because of fisheries bycatch and the effects of alien invasive species.
The report identifies more than 12,000 important bird and biodiversity areas that are key to improving the outlook.
The cost of their protection and effective management would be US$58 billion a year. When the cost of conserving all wildlife groups is included, the price tag rises to US$80 billion a year, the report said.
"These numbers sound very large, and they're more than an order of magnitude of the sums that are currently spent on conservation," said Stuart Butchart, head of science at Birdlife International, one of the world's largest conservation coalitions, involving 7,000 local groups.
But compared to the dividends of a healthy environment, from the food we eat to global climate regulation, they are very affordable, he said.
"For example, people spend more than six times as much on soft drinks each year around the world."
Yet thousands of the bird and biodiversity areas identified lack the legal protection necessary, the report said.
There are three such areas under pressure in Canada, said Ted Cheskey, bird conservation manager for Nature Canada.
Boundary Bay, in the Fraser River delta of British Columbia, is home to a range of species and a couple million western sandpipers. It is also a major shipping port with an expansion in the works.
In Ontario, the Prince Edward County South Shore is key coastal habitat where proposed wind energy projects pose the biggest threat to area birds.
And oil and gas exploration in the Arctic threatens birds in the Mackenzie River delta, where it meets the Beaufort Sea. The federal government has issued exploration licenses, and exploration activity could commence next year, according to a Senate committee.
And around the world, there's growing concern about a new generation of pesticides using neonicotinoid insecticides that are killing bees, and could pose a threat to birds.
The numbers are a wake-up call, McCracken said.
"There is a cascading effect and sooner or later you're going to pay for it. If the canary dies, you might not be too far behind."
Also on HuffPost


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America's #1 Source for Local Demolition Experts
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When it comes to finding a highly qualified, extensively trained, fully licensed and insured demolition contractor, look no further than MBR Wrecking. We guarantee to safely oversee any size demolition and concrete removal project you may have. We are the local experts that have been serving residents, contractors, and businesses for years with exceptional demolition and construction services.
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I released the new version 4.5 of jQuery Colorbox today. Check it out
Get it here.
If you have any problems, then please report them at the WordPress Support Forum
4.5 (2012-11-03)
- NEW: Bulgarian translation by Nikolay Zaynelov
- BUGFIX: Zoom overlay does not break floating images any more
- BUGFIX: add CSS class to WP galleries if "add to all" is selected and the gallery is outside of the text area of a post and page
- CHANGE: update Colorbox version to 22.214.171.124
- CHANGE: update jQuery version to 1.8.2 (if selected on settings page)


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Want to automate your customer experience program?
Want to know how loyal customers are? Curious to learn if your patients recommend you to others? Looking to make sure your clients are happy? Calculate your NPS score by asking "The Ultimate Question." You'll learn what your customers think—and a whole lot more.
This Net Promoter Score questionnaire gets you the data you need to quickly understand what customers feel about your organization—and to react to any negative feedback. An NPS score also makes it easy to set both internal performance benchmarks, as well as external benchmarks to compare against competitors in your industry.
Now you can create your Net Promoter survey, calculate your score, and get context for your results—all in one place. How? SurveyMonkey calculates your Net Promoter Score for you! When you get results from your Net Promoter survey, go to the Analyze section, and you'll see a gauge that shows your overall Net Promoter Score. You'll also find a data table with the number (and percentage) of Detractors, Passives, and Promoters among your respondents who are recommending you—and those who aren't—so you can get the detail around how your NPS was calculated.
What is the Net Promoter Score? The Net Promoter Score definition and formula is based on the following idea:
NPS is a highly regarded loyalty metric that people at companies like yours use to collect the customer feedback they need to inform their business strategy. It's seen by many as a better indicator of customer loyalty than traditional customer satisfaction surveys.
Hoping to consistently measure your NPS using surveys? Learn how with "The ultimate guide to running a customer feedback program."
The Net Promoter Score methodology is based on asking customers a single question that predicts the likelihood of both repurchase and referral: "How likely is it that you would recommend this company to a friend or colleague?" Customers rate their answers on a scale from 0 to 10.
The answers customers provide are classified as follows:
Sending NPS surveys to your customers can be really easy if you make a habit of it. Choose important touchpoints (like when you complete a sale), or send surveys by email on an ongoing basis. You can even automate your NPS surveys. See how we can help.
Related: How the NPS varies across industries.
When you ask customers the Net Promoter Score question, you're essentially asking them whether or not they're taking the time to say positive things about your company or brand. Because when it comes right down to it, word of mouth is everything—especially today, as opinions spread faster via social channels and online forums and reviews.
Companies and organizations ranging from small start-ups to some of the world's largest corporations also use the NPS to assess customer satisfaction and track performance because it's:
Progressive Direct, SurveyMonkey, and NPS
Progressive Direct, an online automotive insurance company, was looking for a way to measure happiness at each part of the customer journey, so they turned to SurveyMonkey CX with a focus on customer feedback and their NPS. Nick Bell, head of Product and Services with Progressive Direct, found it helped them quickly and easily collect feedback and understand their customers' pain points.
"The biggest upside that we've seen so far was … almost doubling the response rates over the previous survey we were used to seeing. I think that's related to the easy interface, the ability for us to make the questions simple, and so it's just a more inviting experience."
With the insights obtained from SurveyMonkey CX, Progressive Direct reduced the time it takes to implement business-driving decisions from months to weeks.
Learn how to use NPS to create happier customers and a stronger business.
Although there are pros and cons to using the NPS, getting your score helps you understand how you compare against the competition—and find out what the big brands in your industry are scoring.
While you're continuously monitoring your customer loyalty ratings with NPS to make internal changes to your organization, you can also get external NPS benchmarks to understand if your Net Promoter Score is good or bad.
For example: If your Net Promoter Score is 36, what does that really mean? A score of 36 may not seem great to you. But an NPS of 36 could actually be a strong score when compared with the average Net Promoter Score for organizations in your industry.
With SurveyMonkey Benchmarks, you get context for your Net Promoter Score. Hundreds of companies use our NPS template to measure customer loyalty and improve business outcomes. Our data is diverse, covering everything from small organizations to large corporations and a broad range of industries.
You can also easily integrate data from your NPS surveys with popular apps like Salesforce to improve your customer outreach and support.
Here are 5 simple steps to calculate your Net Promoter Score:
If it makes it easier, the equation for calculating a Net Promoter Score looks like this:
|(Promoters — Detractors)
|x 100
Example: If you received 100 responses to your survey:
10 responses were in the 0–6 range (Detractors)
20 responses were in the 7–8 range (Passives)
70 responses were in the 9–10 range (Promoters)
Calculating the percentages for each group gives you 10%, 20%, and 70% respectively.
Subtract 10% (Detractors) from 70% (Promoters), which equals 60%. Since a Net Promoter Score is always shown as just an integer and not a percentage, your NPS is simply 60.
Need your Net Promoter Score but want to avoid performing these calculations? Let our NPS calculator do all the heavy lifting. You'll just need to put in the number of Detractors, Passives, and Promoters you've collected.
An NPS email is when you embed the NPS question into the body of the email. Once respondents select a rating in the email, a link to the survey opens in another window, allowing the respondent to complete the rest of your survey.
An NPS email has proven to be effective for collecting more responses. Our research team found that simply embedding a question onto the body of the email invitation increases the survey's response rate by 22% and its completion rate by 19%. So as you set out to collect your NPS on a consistent cadence—at least once every 6 months—, use an NPS email to get more quality data.
Pioneered by Fred Reichheld, author of The Ultimate Question, the NPS is a customer loyalty metric that predicts the likelihood of a customer repurchasing from you or referring your company to a friend. Introduced in 2003, Net Promoter Scores can range from as low as –100 (when every customer is a Detractor) to as high as 100 (when every customer is a Promoter).
NPS, Net Promoter & Net Promoter Score are registered trademarks of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain & Company and Fred Reichheld.
Try "The Ultimate Question" to get quick feedback from your customers.Visit Page
Developed in partnership with Zendesk to assess and improve customer satisfaction with your customer service team.Visit Page
Want comprehensive feedback? Ask about different parts of the customer experience and get your NPS.Visit Page
Here are some ideas to ensure that respondents will answer your surveys.
If your survey is short and sweet, there's a greater chance that more respondents will complete it.
Little incentives like small discount or an entry into a drawing can help ensure respondents complete your survey.
With SurveyMonkey Audience, you can purchase access to an audience who meets specific demographic criteria for your survey. It's a great way to get targeted responses from a specific group.
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Check results on the go from any device. Spot trends as data comes in.
Surveys give you more than just answers. Get feedback and new perspectives.
Extract and share insights from your data with your team.


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EDGE Career Center
Senior Mobile Developer
EDGE publishes news and entertainment information targeted to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender community. We are a rapidly-growing company offering benefits for full-time workers and a fun, diverse corporate climate.
The position of Senior Mobile Developer is a Full-Time position.
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Develop and architect new features in our Android and iOS apps
User Interface design as needed
Evaluate and research latest technologies
Explore integration between our framework and third party databases
Shape development culture
Manage a team of developers to come
Bachelors degree in Computer Science, MIS, or equivalent degree
4+ years developing production-quality mobile-based applications; Android experience required, iOS a plus
Excellent problem-solving skills, as well as proficiency in coding and code reviews
Development experience using Java and preferably Objective-C
Strong understanding of Object-Oriented languages/concepts, design patterns, and coding best-practices, e.g. unit testing, re-usability, refactoring, etc.
Independent, self-starter with the drive and passion to learn new tools, languages, and frameworks
Experience with Android and iOS concepts, including databases and leveraging core frameworks
Experience working with automated builds, using Git, and unit/integration testing
Apply now!
To apply, send your resume and cover letter to firstname.lastname@example.com. Please reference job code 000044. NO CALLS PLEASE.


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De-Rust Your Dart
What's one area on '68-'69 Dodge Darts where time (and road salt, water, etc.) has taken its toll? If you guessed front fenders, then take a look at Auto Metal Direct's new reproductions for '68 (seen here) and '69 Dodge Darts. Just like their reproduction '70-'71 Dodge Dart/Demon front fenders, these are also made from heavy gauge steel on AMD's own steel tools, each one has the correct side-marker-light holes (round for '68, rectangular for '69), and they've been repeatedly test-fitted by skilled restoration professionals to ensure they'll fit correctly. These new fenders are licensed Mopar Authentic Restoration Products, and they're in stock at AMD right now, ready to ship to you.
Get it: Auto Metal Direct (AMD) • 866/690-3616 • www.autometaldirect.com
For Full Fuel Flow
Modern Mopar racers: Do you want a fuel pump that flows more fuel than your OEM pump does—but isn't a hassle to install? Then Arrington Performance's new Plug & Play competition single fuel pump system is for you. It replaces your stock fuel pump with a single high-output turbine pump, rated for E85 and high octane race fuels, using the stock fuel-pressure regulators and venturi systems on your factory fuel tank. But it doesn't need an additional wiring harness, because its 15-amp draw safely utilizes your factory wiring. It's rated for 700 rear-wheel horsepower, based on current testing, and it'll run quietly, even when your modern Hemi's under a full load (like when the light goes green).
Get it: Arrington Performance • 866/844-1245 • www.ShopHemi.com
Defend Your Carburetor(s)
Ethanol-blended gasolines are murder on carbureted engines' fuel systems—no doubt about it. But how do you keep that blended-in alcohol from fouling up your fuel lines, or dissolving the rubber parts in your carburetor and fuel pump? Add a bottle of Driven Racing Oil's new Carb Defender Fuel Additive each time you fill your classic carbureted Mopar up. It's specifically formulated with corrosion inhibitors, which work to prevent expensive repairs and diminished performance caused by ethanol-blended pump gasoline and the moisture it attracts. One bottle of Driven Racing Oil's Carb Defender Fuel Additive treats up to 25 gallons of ethanol-blended gasoline, and should be used with each and every fill-up…so your classic Mopar's carburetor(s) and fuel system can function properly.
Get It: Driven Racing Oil • 866/611-1820 • www.drivenracingoil.com


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» You are here: Home » Dildos & Dongs » Realistic Large » Dick Rambone Cock Black Bulk 17" Dildo
Dick Rambone Cock is available in two colors: white and black. Each sold separately. Doc Johnson's Dick Rambone Cock is an enormous dong that will never leave you wanting more. Molded from the eponymous porn star, famous for his well-equipped tool, this monster cock with veined shaft will fill users an amazing fifteen inches deep. Brave the Rambone hands-free with the dependable suction cup base, or partner up for extreme strap-on harness play. For display or for play! Use this guy carefully. This white cock will definitely make you scream. 15 inch Cock, 7 7/8 inches around and 2 1/2 inches thick! Cast directly from the stud's actual erect cock. Molded to capture every awesome detail. Dick's cock measures 17 inches to 18 inches by C 1.5 inches to 2 inches wide. Made using phthalate free, non-toxic materials: Sil-A-Gel, PVC. All new Sil-A-Gel formula. Antibacterial, non-toxic formula. Latex free, Cadmium free. Odorless. Features: PVC, 17" total length, veined shaft, suction cup base. Safe for anal, vaginal, g-spot and prostate massage. Veined shaft. Suction cup base. Dongs, Dildos & Butt Plugs. Dick Rambone Cock Black from Doc Johnson Novelties. Made in America
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Fleet & Facility Operations
- Address:
- 1314 Royal Parkway
- Contact:
- 817-685-1590
- Hours of Operation:
- Mon - Fri: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Fleet Services
Euless Fleet Services is one of the most innovative and highly certified divisions in Tarrant County.
Their customers are the police officers who need their sirens repaired, the firefighters who need a tire replaced on a fire truck, a parks employee who needs a new lawnmower motor and any other department that needs equipment to better serve Euless citizens.
Facility Maintenance
Seeking innovative ways to improve city services, yet never really being in contact with citizens, Facility Maintenance employees ensure that the city is operating properly 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
Their customers are the city employees who request their assistance on items such as building repairs, replacing telephone lines and repairing the heating and cooling systems. They are also responsible for remodeling buildings.


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It's finally here…….The $5 Dinner Challenge!
Your mission…if you choose to accept it…is to challenge yourself to make a wholesome, balanced meal for $??? or less!
Why the ???…Well, $5 works for me and my family. Perhaps your family is smaller…or larger…or you live in a region of the country that has much higher prices than the middle of the Midwest where I live. I'd venture to say that prices in the middle of NYC or SF are much higher than those that I see in my grocery store. I'd also venture to say that it does indeed cost more to feed a family of 8! Or even 6! Especially if teenage boys are involved 🙂
The goal is to set a dollar amount for yourself based on your family size and grocery prices in your region that will CHALLENGE you to make meals for less than that amount! Every one is feeling the pinch on the budget these days. Staying in one night a week and doing the $5 Dinner Challenge will save you hundreds of $$$ over the course of a year! Start with this simple way to save 🙂
I can't wait to read all the inexpensive dinner recipes that you all come up with!
For a complete listing of the guidelines, click here!
It's YOUR turn to make frugal and nutritious meals! Starting next week, every Monday night I will post a Mr. Linky for you to link up your favorite frugal dinner meal from the week.


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8592 Hwy. 1, Ste. 3,
Mansura, LA 71350
318-964-2025 | 800-833-4195 | Fax
Website | Email
Website | Email
Property Description
Bienvenue aux Avoyelles, noted for our French Creole Heritage and Native American Heritage. Located in Central LA, Avoyelles Parish, takes its name from Avoyels Indians. Abundant wildlife and many waterways make this a hunting, fishing, and bird watching paradise year round. A thriving agriculture industry beacons foodie travelers for authenic Louisiana cuisine. Casino action boasts a different kind of wildlife, and a variety of accommodations make for a comfortable stay as you explore!
Disabled Traveler Information
- Handicapped Accessible
Facility Amenities
- Bus Parking
Guest Information
- Family Friendly
- Meeting/Tour groups welcome
- Reservations Suggested
Information/Services Provided
- Area Information
- Maps Available
- Printed guides available
- Restaurant Guide
Internet Connection
- Wireless (WiFi)
Payment Options
- Cash
- Discover
- MasterCard
- Personal Checks
- Visa


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Mayor's Office
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) reports eight cases of flu have been confirmed in Lincoln, and flu activity has begun to increase within the last week. Health Director Judy Halstead strongly recommends that all individuals age six months and older have a flu vaccine as soon as possible if they have not done so already.
Influenza is a highly infectious disease of the lungs that can cause mild to severe illness and lead to death. Flu vaccination is the primary method for preventing influenza, and antibodies that protect against flu virus infection develop about two weeks after vaccination. According to the Centers for Disease Control, current strains of flu viruses are covered by the 2012-2013 seasonal flu vaccine.
Flu vaccinations are especially important for those at high risk of having serious flu-related complications and those who live with or care for people at high risk. These include the following:
Vaccination also are important for the following individuals:
In addition to getting a flu vaccination, individuals can reduce their risk of getting and spreading influenza by following these practices:
The flu vaccine is available and easily accessible in the community. Those needing a flu vaccine should contact their health care providers or find a community flu immunization location. The LLCHD will provide flu vaccine to low-income, uninsured adults and certain uninsured children. To be eligible for a flu vaccine at the Health Department, children must be between age 6 months through 18 years and meet one or more of these criteria:
LLCHD requires appointments for flu vaccinations. For more information, call 402-441-8065 or visit lincoln.ne.gov (keyword: health).


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|Wheels & Tires The place to go for answers on wheel types, tire sizes, offset, wheel patterns and more.
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Understanding brake pad compound to fit your application
Here is a good read copied directly from GRMotorsports
Increasing your braking performance is one of the easiest-and cheapest-ways to lower lap times. By shortening your braking distances, you can stay on the power longer and drive deeper into the corners. This may sound academic, but too many racers take brakes for granted and thus neglect one of the most important aspects of their car's performance. On the track, as well as on the street, good brakes can also be the difference between life and death.
One of the easiest ways to increase your braking potential is to select the right compounds for your brake pads and shoes. Spending lots of time and money retrofitting trick, aftermarket big brakes could be a waste if you haven't first maximized your current brake setup.
Proper pad and shoe selection can make the difference between being a back marker and being a contender. Carbotech Engineering's Larry Narcus-a chemist with 30 years experience in plastics who has since decided to devote his energies to manufacturing better brake pads and shoes-tells of a customer with an Improved Touring Corvair came to him looking for some shoes. Now, if you're familiar with Corvairs, then you know that they have big drum brakes at all four corners. Not exactly high-tech, but according to Larry, they can be made to stop well with the proper shoe selection. Next time out, with the proper shoes in place, the Corvair driver dropped six seconds off his lap times. Think about that: six seconds. How much would you pay to drop that much from your lap times?
Not All Compounds are Created Equal
What's the secret to choosing the right pad or shoe? Obtaining a basic understanding of your needs and then matching them to the proper compounds. It's also useful to listen to the experts (hopefully, the people selling the stuff).
Brake pads and shoes, like a lot of things in this world, are available in a large number of flavors. Some are good, and others are so-so. Understanding this will make life easier. Let's take a look at what kinds of compounds are available:
· Organic: These are the $6.99 pads that you can get at the local parts shop; essentially, you get what you pay for. Organic pads are made up of compressed wood and/or paper, and perhaps some low-grade metal has been thrown in. Their friction coefficient (how well they grip against the rotor or drum surface) is very low, and they can't handle the high temperatures associated with any sort of performance driving. Basically, these pads not appropriate for competition use.
· Semi-metallic: These are definitely a step in the right direction. Expect to find much more metal in the mix (probably iron, but maybe brass or bronze) along with a better binder (what holds the pad together). The friction coefficient is higher (meaning the pads will provide more bite against the rotor) and they will wear better. Semi-metallic pads and shoes are the basic $30/pair-type found down the street. Usually a better choice over organic compounds, but you could do better.
· Carbon-based metallic: This is the good stuff that we'll be talking about today. The price goes up a bit, but performance rises many times over. Carbon and various metals (iron, nickel, brass and bronze) are thrown into the mix, and a better high-temperature epoxy binder holds everything together. The friction coefficient is much higher than semi-metallic pads, and in general they are also less dusty. Carbon-based metallic pads are offered by several companies in many different compound mixes. Hawk, Performance Friction, Porterfield, Cool Carbon and Wilwood (Polymatrix) all offer quality carbon-based metallic pads. Besides selling brake pads, Carbotech and TS Imported can also reline the backing plates from drum brakes with these modern materials.
· Carbon-carbon: Odds are you don't have these brakes (carbon-fiber rotors with carbon-fiber pads), unless you run in FIA races in Europe.
Choosing a Compound
Even carbon-based metallic pads are available in different compounds; choosing the right one may require some research and soul-searching. Basically, you need to match the right pad to your application. If you're worried that no one has pads or shoes for your oddball application, rest assured that some suppliers can do custom installations or reline your existing backing plates.
But how do you know which pad is right for you? Well, since no pad can do it all, you need to look at several different areas of concern when shopping for brake pads and shoes. By discussing these concerns with the different suppliers, you should be able to match your needs to the right product.
· Your first concern should be stopping power. This is measured by a friction coefficient, and the higher the coefficient, the more stopping power available from that compound. However, compounds with very high friction coefficients tend to be hard on rotors and drums, which may not be desirable in some situations (like on the street or in an endurance race). Like most things in life (brake pads included), it's a trade-off where you must look at the whole picture and decide which concerns are most important for you and your application.
· Modulation, the lack of the tendency for the brakes to lock up, is also a high concern for most of us. Modulation helps control the car, as locking up the brakes can put you in a spin. Again, different racers need different degrees of modulation. An autocrosser, to whom every hundredth of a second is valuable, simply cannot afford any lockup. Therefore, lots of modulation is important to him. An endurance racer, on the other hand, can deal with less modulation if it means getting longer pad life.
· Fade resistance is another big factor. Every compound has a temperature range in which it likes to operate; matching the compound to your brake temperature range is crucial. Most racing pads have a 600 to 800 degree window for their operating temperature, while brake temperatures generated by street driving tend to be much lower. So there is no way a great road race pad designed to work under high temperatures is going to stop well on the street. Nevertheless, many people seem to labor under a major misconception as they buy "racing" brake pads for their street cars and, when these pads fail to meet their expectations, they feel cheated. Be honest with yourself and buy wisely.
Likewise, a heavier car is going to generate more heat than a lighter car. By working with your vendor, you should be able to match your driving conditions to the proper compound. Tell them what conditions you race under, what tracks you visit and how hard you are on the brakes.
· Rotor and drum friendliness can also be a factor to some drivers, especially those with older cars. Some compounds, while they'll stop you on a dime, can be very hard on rotor and drum surfaces. If you race a car for which these replacement parts are hard to find, like a vintage Bugatti for example, then having friendly pads and shoes may be a prime concern-perhaps even more important than absolute stopping power. Likewise, a set of pads that will chew up a set of rotors every three hours will be of little use to a racer about to run a four-hour enduro.
· For a lot of us, economics also need to be addressed. However, don't simply look at the final price when shopping for new pads and shoes. If a pair of brake pads costs twice as much as the competition but lasts three times as long, which is the better deal?
· While not a huge concern for everybody, brake dust and squeal can be a factor for some people. If neglected, dust can attack the finish on a set of wheels, quickly turning a prized set of rims into an eyesore. At the extreme end, hot flakes from the brake pads can land on the fenders of a car, singing the paint. Now, a road racer may be willing to pay that price, whereas a street driver may not.
For a lot of people who only drive on the street, squealing brakes can be a major inconvenience. If you don't like being tortured by a set of wailing brake pads, move this consideration to near the top of your list.
· The rate of wear is also something to think about, although it is related to many of the factors we already discussed. But to bring back our endurance driver, it may be the most important factor when selecting new shoes and pads. Again, be sure to discuss this factor with the guys selling the goods.
Speaking of wear, some companies offer slightly thicker pads designed for endurance racing. As a side benefit, these thicker pads seem to handle heat better and provide better braking characteristics. (The more pad material, the bigger the heat sink). While extra-thick pads may seem like the answer to everyone's problems, there is a limit-make the pads too thick, and you'll need thinner rotors, which is not a good move.
Matching the Pad to Your Application
The biggest part of buying brake pads is matching the compound to your application. So, let's take a look at some common applications and what kind of braking compound characteristics they require.
· Though they may seem different at first, autocrossers can require the same compounds as high-performance street drivers. Both need effective cold stopping power and lots of modulation.
In autocross, there is no time to bring the brakes up to the temperatures required by many "racing" brake pads. You need full stopping power right off the line, and you need it right away. Likewise, when out on the street, you also have no time to wait for brakes to heat up, and here the stakes are a lot higher. On the street, your brakes have a lot of time to cool off between stops, so it is important to pick a pad that will be happy to work while cool. For both applications, look for compounds designed to work in the 100- to 800-degree range.
Modulation is also important, both when autocrossing and on the street. It's the kiss of death for an autocrosser to lock up a brake. A skid means lost time, which means the run is junk. With only three or four runs at an event, that can be the end of any chances of a trophy. On a road course, a racer can usually overcome or bounce back from a skid on the same lap; autocrossers, by the nature of their sport, don't have that luxury.
Cost and a lack of audible squeal can also be factors, depending upon the individual. Some of us are also willing to live with more dust than others.
· Track events and drivers schools are gaining popularity; these drivers also need to select the right compounds for their needs. Generally, they will be looking for good modulation and lots of stopping power. The main difference between them and the autocrosser is the temperature range of their brakes. Generally, and depending upon the car, driver and track, they'll need to select a compound that works in the 300- to 1100-degree range.
These pads and shoes require some heat to work properly, so you should strongly consider swapping to these "track pads" before heading out on course-just as you mount sticky tires before an event.
· Road racers, whether they be sedan or formula car drivers, also have to look at more at fade resistance. Stopping power and modulation is still very important, but fade resistance throws a new factor into the equation. This will require a pad that can work in the 400- to 1400-degree range, depending on track, car type, length of event, level of brake cooling and driving style.
As road racing conditions can change from event to event, you may want to consider using different pads for varying conditions. Remember that a track like Sebring is a lot harder on brakes than Roebling Road.
Weather conditions can also cause a change in braking compound requirements. In the rain, you may need more modulation than all-out stopping power. Racers are eager to change tires when faced with rain, but why not brake pads? In some situations, like at last year's rainy ARRC, rain and its effect on stopping power is a deciding factor for many drivers.
Economics and rotor/drum friendliness can also be factors for road racers, especially those running endurance events or driving older cars for which replacement brake parts are getting harder to find. As we discussed before, rotor and drum friendliness may be top priority for a vintage car racer.
I hope this will help some people to understand and help resolve all of the brake pad questions.
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The moon orbits Earth at about $380,\!000 \,\mathrm{km}$ away from it, at around $3,600 \,\mathrm{km}$ an hour.
I was thinking, with light traveling at $300,\!000 \,\mathrm{km/s}$, how close to earth (probably in the $\mathrm{nm}$ range is my guess) would light have to be to Earth to orbit it?
Update: After reading the below answers, here's my reasoning to why I thought it would be in the nanometre range.
I thought that if light was as close as possible to Earth (like, a planck length away or something), Earth's gravity would make it hit Earth immediately, but I forgot that the pull of gravity gets weaker when one is further away from Earth (i.e. at the surface of Earth is still somewhat "far away").


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Fans of ABC's canceled comedy series Don't Trust the B---- in Apt. 23 have something to celebrate this weekend. ABC has made eight unaired episodes of the show available to view online on ABC.com.
As was previously announced after the show was pulled off the air in January, ABC kept its word and posted the new episodes online beginning Friday. They're also available on Hulu and iTunes.
TV Scorecard: What's renewed? What's canceled?
The episodes include what was supposed to be the second season finale, a flashback to when Chloe (Krysten Ritter) first moved into Apt. 23.
Star James Van Der Beek returns to prime time this fall in CBS' Friends with Better Lives.


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Follow RFF News on your cell phone. Text follow rff to 40404 you will receive txt messages with RFF News
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Wonder if they are doing the HOH room?
Certainly, they wouldn't be doing anything with Pandora's box already
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You know, it's funny. We decided to put off looking at Dick Griffin's Fan-E-Mail Shenanigans (TM) for a while, and we felt so much better about the world.
Our heart rate evened out. Our blood pressure returned to somewhere vaguely close to normal. Things were good.
Of course, Dick's mailbag is something that we know have to face eventually, like taxes and changing our bedsheets. You can only put it off so long before the wrong people start to notice.
Anyways, on with the takedown.
Sycophancy rating
This week scores surprisingly low on the butt kissing. There is a rather dull joke about being a "long-time-reader-first-time-writer" from someone in Fredericton (the town the Wit forgot), and another writer invited Dick to imagine himself as the GM. On the whole, there isn't the usual collection of writers exclaiming "I love you Richie!" and "Kiss my taint, Griff!" Maybe there's a Star editor who managed to intervene?
Pompous Pontification
Even if the dittoheads were all busy getting soused on Lakeport, that wasn't going to stop Dicky G from stroking his greazy beard and letting fly with all sorts of self-aggrandizing nonsense.
On Gregg Zaun: Initially, Dick doesn't even answer Gregg Zaun question. (Which begs the question, why even bother with the questions, if this is really just another opportunity for Griffin-bore to wank off publicly?) Instead, he again invokes the signings of Ohka, Zambrano, and Thomson as some sort of stupendously monstrous mistake. This, in spite of the fact that the Jays did pretty much all they could to sign Gil Meche, and Lilly wasn't coming back here at any price. And morover, those signings didn't cripple the team's payroll, and were designed as low-risk, low reward moves.
OK, for real...about Gregg Zaun: When he comes around to it, Dick's whole point is that Zaun wasn't the Jays first choice, but then they screwed it up by not being nicer to Rod Barajas. His point that Zaun's skills might be diminishing is nothing particularly earth-shattering, but his assertion that the master plan for Curtis Thigpen was to turn him into the next Craig Biggio by switching to second is a vast overstatement of the facts. Sure, the Jays tried him out for a couple of games there, but then again, they had Reed Johnson take ground balls at second last year...you can't fault the organization for trying to assess all options.
Uncle Richard, tell us about "real" baseball: Griffin's assertion that the Angels are "cutting edge" for employing small ball gives the Anaheim brain trust way too much credit for what is likely a bit of a fluke. Last year, the Angels struggled to produce any runs, and they addressed this shortcoming by signing noted speedster Shea Hillenbrand. (Oh, and Sarge Junior, sure...because if you're going to enter the post-steroid era, you start with him.) But the truth is, no one foresaw the steep reduction in power that has occurred. A trending back to normal, maybe, but nothing like this.
Five year plans? Griff got no use for 'em. Which is interesting, because neither did J.P., no matter what some douche from Whitby who knows Paul Godfrey's son's college roommate's friend's dealer's ho's kid's kindgarten teacher has heard. It's a figment of your fixated imagination, Dick. Drop it, for the love of God.
The Dave Dombrowski Man-Crush? Do you suppose that Dick had this sort of wood for "Double-D" when he was losing 120+ games as Tigers GM? Dombrowski's Tigers, incidentally, are 2.5 games ahead of the Jays right now. Then again, Dombrowski used to work for the Expos...and hey, did you know that Tricky Dick worked for the Expos too?
Pitching from the stretch? You should probably know what that means if you're a baseball fan. Then again, if you're not a baseball fan, that probably explains why you read Richard Griffin.
"Proven Leader"? Sorry, wasn't this question intended for the Leafs mailbag? We love how the writer drops Dave Winfield's name as an example...I mean, if you're pulling names of great ballplayers out of your ass, why not Roberto Clemente, or Babe Fucking Ruth. Yeah...that's exactly what the Jays need!
Anyways, we're exhausted. Suffice to say, we slogged through, and we learned nothing. Another fine Wednesday, wasted away with the mailbag.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Dick in a Bag - Your Weekly Dick Griffin Takedown
2 comments:
- Drew said...
And what would a griffin column be without a good old-fashioned Citoslurp. Ahhh Cito, the older Griff gets the better you were.
- September 5, 2007 at 11:15 PM
- Razzer said...
Dude I like your site a lot. It's good and funny and refreshing to read people who feel the same way of the Jays. You have also led the way in Dick bashing, but all I got is the title. At least credit the title so I don't look like a douche in retrospect.
- September 6, 2007 at 12:34 AM
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|Send News. Want a reply? Read this. More in the FAQ. News Forum - All Forums - Mobile - PDA - RSS Headlines Twitter
This forum post outlines all the changes in a new patch that's now automatically available for EYE Divine Cybermancy, updating this first-person action/RPG/shooter to version 1.3. The change list is quite lengthy, and it kicks off with this overview:
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text: Sports Decorations > Chicago Bears Flags NFL Team Pennant Set View All Chicago Bears Flags ITEMS Quantity $109.95 Out of Stock Add to Cart IN STOCK Standard & Express Shipping Available Order by 2pm CST (M-F) — Ships Same Day Item ID#: PC-SetWN-NFL Tweet Wish The NFL Team Pennant Set includes all 32 NFL teams to display in your sports room, office or any room. The NFL Team Pennant Set consists of full-size football pennants (12x30 inches) which are constructed of felt and are single-sided screen printed with the current NFL team logos. These Football Pennants are NFL Licensed and are a perfect room decoration for the NFL fan.In addition, all pennants provide a stick sleeve for inserting a pennant stick, if desired. Our pennant sticks are sold in packs of 6.Pennant designs may vary - Please see Team Page for current pennant design. NFL Officially Licensed by Wincraft, Inc. Customers Also Bought... Flag & Pennant Accessories Pennant Stick 6 Pack $6.95 Out of Stock Add To Cart Pennant Frame for Standard-Size Pennants $43.95 Out of Stock Add To Cart