text:
- Description
DetailsAmish Poly Bar Stool
Our Finch Poly Outdoor Collection combines a classic style with a modern, eco-friendly poly material that utilizes post-consumer recycled plastic, turning what would normally be waste, into beautiful furniture! This poly lumber is manufactured in an array of beautiful colors and engineered to resist fading, cracking, splintering and developing mold and mildew - so your new outdoor furniture is made for life outdoors. From a quaint woodshop, in the heart of Pennsylvania's Amish Country, to your back yard, our authentic poly outdoor furniture will make just the right statement on your favorite outdoor retreat!
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SKU WV-974-PB GTIN No Weight 30.0000 Fabric Color No Material Poly-Recycled Plastic Warranty 20 Year Residential / 5 Yr Commercial Some Assembly Required Yes Brand Finch Collection No Dimensions 19 W x 19 D x 27 H in Furniture Height Standard Style No Quick Features No Ships Within No Overall Height 27 in Overall Width 19 in Overall Depth 19 in Seat Height No Seat Size No Seat Back No Umbrella Hole No Quickships No Top 10 No Product Type Bar Stools Seating Capacity 1 Person Table Shape Round Country of Manufacture United States Production Time No Features N/A
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text:
President Obama tells Barbara Walters that he is "extraordinarily proud" of having enacted Obamacare. He should be. This has been a core left-liberal agenda item for decades. Obama got it done.
Moreover, his decision to get it done was a courageous one. According to The Promise, Jonathan Alter's book about Obama's first year in office, the president's advisers were opposed to pushing health care reform in 2009, given the parlous state of the economy. But Obama put political expedience to the side and forged ahead.
Obama stuck to his guns even after Scott Brown's election (1) signaled the public's deep dissatisfaction with Obamacare and (2) made its passage extremely uncertain. As a result, barring repeal or blockage, the left's dream of near-universal insurance coverage will become a reality. So too will its dream of extensive federal regulatory control of one-sixth of the American economy. And a foundation has been laid for even greater government control of that sector. Thus, Sen. Thomas Harkin aptly compared Obamacare to a starter home to which "we can build additions as we go along in the future."
It is amusing, then, to witness a series of leftists, including Paul Krugman and Robert Kuttner, proclaiming Obama a grave disappointment to the cause. Kuttner lamented: "I cannot recall a president who generated so much excitement as a candidate but who turned out to be such a political dud as chief executive."
If a political dud is someone whose popularity is low, then Obama qualifies right now. But to the extent Obama's unpopularity stems from anything he did, polling shows that it stems primarily from the enactment of the largest stimulus bill Congress was willing to pass and, to a greatter degree, the enactment of Obamacare.
Because both programs were advocated by the left, it seems churlish of Kuttner, Krugman, and the rest to be throwing Obama under the bus. And, because Obama ignored the advice of more moderate/pragmatic advisers who wanted him to wait on health care reform, it is particularly obnoxious for Kuttner to attack Obama for not being "a fighter." Finally, leftist attacks on Obama's skills are absurd on their face. Obama did not forget how to give a good speech when he became president.
But churlishness is a small price to pay for being able to deny the obvious – a leftist agenda isn't popular with a centrist electorate during, especially when the economy is struggling.
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"Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time." Winston Churchill
"Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof." Inscription on the Liberty Bell

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Electrician allowed to keep BISD contract
Although U.S. Attorney Special Prosecutor Bob Rawls attempted to make Beaumont Independent School District contract electrician Calvin Walker forfeit employment with the school district, federal judge Ron Clark refused to make the stipulation part of Walker's plea agreement with the court Dec. 12.
Walker entered into a plea arrangement with the federal court following a mistrial in December 2011 wherein the BISD electrician was charged with 37 counts of mail fraud, wire fraud, fraud committed on BISD, and tax fraud. As part of the deal, every count of the indictment was dismissed against Walker in exchange for a guilty plea to a single misdemeanor of "failing to timely pay tax."
Walker was initially brought to trial after a federal investigation revealed evidence that the electrician filed fraudulent invoices with BISD. A jury failed to convict Walker, but upon negotiating a plea arrangement with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Walker admitted to the allegations of document tampering. On July 17 of this year, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced a plea arrangement was in the works for Walker. At that time, Walker forfeited more than $3 million in assets to the government to be used for back taxes and reimbursement of BISD overcharges. U.S. Attorney's Office spokeswoman Davilyn Walston said any money left over after taxes and fines were confiscated from the allotment was available to BISD to reclaim since the funds initially came from checks issued to Walker by BISD in response to falsified invoices. Funds from the forfeited money not used for BISD's restitution would be placed into a national fund for victims' compensation, she added.
BISD trustees voted 4-2 on Oct. 18 to forfeit any right to roughly $2 million of the forfeited money. Three months prior, BISD renewed its current contract with Walker to extend through summer 2013.
In the aftermath of BISD's decision to extend the electrician's contract after Walker admitted to falsifying invoices submitted to BISD for payment, the U.S. Attorney's Office asked the court to give taxpayers some relief. According to a proposed Sentencing Memorandum, the U.S. Attorney's Office wanted Walker to forfeit any rights to work on publicly funded projects to go along with forfeiting ill-gotten funding from BISD, specifically requiring that Walker "refrain from performing services for or in connection with public contracts in any manner from any public entity which receives taxpayer funds as its main source of revenue, including school districts, municipalities, municipal utility districts, and counties; or in the alternative, from performing services for or in connection with public contracts in any manner from the Beaumont Independent School District and the City of Port Arthur."
The purpose of the added stipulations was, according to the document, "to promote respect for the law, and to provide just punishment for the offense; to afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct; and to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant." The court was asked to consider the addition due to "the nature and circumstances of the offense and the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need for the sentence imposed to reflect the seriousness of the offense."
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney contended, "Given that the defendant engaged in fraudulent conduct on repeated occasions to generate income as admitted in the factual basis demonstrates that such a restriction is reasonably necessary to protect the public as the defendant will continue to engage in similar unlawful conduct."
Walker's attorney, Dick DeGuerin, argued that Walker's admission to falsifying invoices was not material to the charges for which his client was convicted – namely, failing to pay tax in a timely manner.
"We feel like we were blindsided," DeGuerin told Judge Ron Clark on Dec. 12. "This just damages Mr. Walker's reputation further than what it has already been damaged."
Furthermore, DeGuerin said, requiring Walker to forfeit contracts with BISD would "emasculate" his client's ability to make money.
U.S. Attorney Rawls countered that Walker could take his "'different and unique accounting method to the business sector for awhile."
According to Rawls, it was the U.S. Attorney's position that Walker's conduct was "recurring," dating back to 2003, and only stipulations in place to prevent Walker from conducting business with BISD would allow "some relief for the local taxpayers."
Still, the court ruled that Walker's business dealings with BISD were not under the purview of the court and the BISD Board Of Trustees would be held accountable by the taxpayers.
"While one can understand the frustration, I am bound by what the law is," Judge Clark ruled. "BISD has a board, attorneys, a superintendent. … I don't see that the court should step in as some super-superintendent."
The plea deal ultimately reached with Walker details that he be required to retain a certified public accountant to prepare and file any returns while under probation, will pay in excess of $660,000 in restitution, serve one year probation, perform 400 community service hours, and pay a $60,000 fine and $25 assessment fee.
After effectively securing Walker's future employment with BISD, DeGuerin made a statement regarding the verdict on behalf of his client.
"This was a long, hard thing for Calvin Walker and his family — but it's over," he said. "I think it says a great deal of the government's case that not a single count of the 37 count indictment they were able to prove. This shows confidence in Calvin Walker; he will be able to back and continue to do the great job he has been doing."
Walker said he never knowingly did anything wrong.
"It was never my intent to defraud the IRS, nor was it my intent to defraud BISD," he said. "It's just not what I do."


text: Some LSAT test takers are funnier than others.There is survival kit guy. You are not sure if he is planning on taking the LSAT or spending three days in the woods. This guy brings three bottles of water, a variety of snacks and his entire medicine cabenet into the room. Meditation guy was funny too. I don't know if whatever this guy was doing was relaxing, but biting my lip to not laugh at him was. He didn't throw a rug on the ground, but did everything short of it.Oh, and we had a four cups of coffee girl. You will notice this girl is finishing her last cup in the testing room. She is the one who sprinted out of the room at the break to go pee. Classic.Does anybody have any other stories of funny LSAT test takers?


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Well, it's about friggin' time! Starting this month, a new service will deliver ninja on the time and to the place of your choosing. The name of this new service? Why, Ninja Delivery. So clever.
Don't expect these on-demand ninja to climb walls and assassinate enemies. But who cares when ninja are only a phone call away?
There are, of course, the historical ninja (the real ninja) and the ninja of popular imagination. This service caters to the latter.
Currently, there are only three types of ninja available for hire, reports IT Media. Prices depend on what you have in mind for these folks in black pyjamas.
Ninja Delivery makes it very clear that you cannot order ninja to commit criminal acts (larceny, destruction, or violence). Also, the service does not cover ninjutsu for hire. Instead, Ninja Delivery says things like corporate events or parties are more up its alley as well as surprises for children or a loved one. What better way to say I love you than with a ninja?
Don't think of this as only getting people in outfits and not deadly ninja. You are getting party ninja.
Ninja Delivery [Official Site via IT Media]
Picture: Attila JANDI/Shutterstock


text:
Contact us 24/7: +1 877 678 9627
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- - Italian sizing
- - True to size
Heel measures approximately 25mm/ 1 inch. Created in collaboration with Jefferson Hack, Tod's No_Code collection embodies the celebrated editor's "cutting-edge lifestyle", giving classic shoe designs a seriously contemporary twist. Inspired by the Disco era, these silver lizard-effect leather loafers are the epitome of fabulous flats. We love the iridescent finish and androgynous appeal, and will be wearing ours for 24-hour glamour.
Shown here with: Marc Jacobs shirt, Yves Saint Laurent cuff, Christopher Kane pants, Bottega Veneta clutch.
- - Jefferson Hack collaboration
- - Partially concealed wedge heel measures approximately 25mm/ 1 inch
- - Silver iridescent lizard-effect leather
- - Black rope-effect canvas trim
- - Slip on
Product Code: 325665
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Product Code: 325665


text:
Instagram is testing a feature that allows users of the photo-sharing app to disable or filter comments, NBC News reported.
The tool, now available to select high-volume accounts, could soon be made available to the full Instagram community of 500 million people.
An effort to thwart Internet trolls, the feature lets users block or filter out comments that contain certain keywords.
"Our goal is to make Instagram a friendly, fun and, most importantly, safe place for self expression. We have slowly begun to offer accounts with high volume comment threads the option to moderate their comment experience," an Instagram representative said by email. "As we learn, we look forward to improving the comment experience for our broader community."


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Logistic Regression is a statistical method used to assess the likelihood of a disease or health condition as a function of a risk factor (and covariates). There are two kinds of logistic regression, simple and multiple. Both simple and multiple logistic regression, assess the association between independent variable(s) (Xi) — sometimes called exposure or predictor variables — and a dichotomous dependent variable (Y) — sometimes called the outcome or response variable.
Task 1: Describe Logistic Regression
Before setting up a logistic regression, you should understand the basic concepts and formulas used in Logistic Regression.
Task 2: Setting Up Logistic Regression of NHANES Data
SUDAAN, SAS Survey and Stata are statistical software packages that can be used to analyze complex survey data such as NHANES.
- Key Concepts about Logistic Regression of NHANES Data Using SUDAAN and SAS Survey Procedures
- How to Use SUDAAN Code to Perform Logistic Regression
- How to Use SAS 9.2 Survey Code to Perform Logistic Regression
- How to Use Stata Code to Perform Logistic Regression
- Download Sample Code and Dataset
Task 3: Explain Differences Between SUDAAN and SAS Survey Procedures Logistic Regression Output
Reviewing the output from the SAS Survey Procedures and SUDAAN programs, you may have noticed slight differences caused by missing data in paired PSUs or how the programs handle degrees of freedom.
Contact Us:
- National Center for Health Statistics
3311 Toledo Rd
Hyattsville, MD 20782
- 1 (800) 232-4636
- email@example.com


text:
This April we are spreading the word, quite literally. We have teamed up with our pals at Egg Press to encourage the art of writing (conveniently coinciding with National Letter Writing Month)! The goal is to write 30 letters in 30 days to 30 people who have in some way touched our lives. Here's the best part, we will supply you and your friends with FREEWRITE_ON starter kits, equipped with 4 limited edition letterpress cards designed by Hello!Lucky & Egg Press. Each card sports a back-stamp to guide your recipient to THEIR free kit. Each of us will be sharing our experiences on Instagram & twitter, and we would love for you to join us. We will be hand selecting instagram posts throughout the month of April to be featured here on our blog (#WRITE_ON). Get your free kit here!
*see kit below- available while supplies last.
Thanks and #WRITE_ON!


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The gatekeepers of modern day society have always been highlighting the negatives that the television has done. But one thing that they always fail to realize is the advantages that it brings. There are enormous advantages that television brings to its users; the only concern that needs to be addressed is that there is also a requirement for somebody who uses the opportunities that this medium offers.
Watch Degrassi season 10 episode 37 Jesus, Etc. Part One as it goes on air and see, how this show understands the caliber that this medium holds in reaching out to the masses, and utilizes this efficacy of its to the maximum. The genre on which it focuses itself is that of teen drama and the show, in a wonderful way, deals with the problems that the teenagers of present day face. Degrassi, which is currently running in season 10, can be seen doing through its upcoming episode 37, what can be called as highlighting the problems of the teenage.
The show has very intelligently based itself on a floating timeline and as a result of this, it has given itself the advantage of focusing on issues that are more realistic and pertain more acutely to the teenagers of today. Watch Degrassi and through its season 10, you will see its full episodes, making an attempt to focus on the young adults and their lives.
Degrassi season 10 episode 37 will show you that Fitz has something in his heart that he want to talk about with Clare and Eli. Sav would be shown needing a drummer, while turning to Drew for help. Meanwhile, at the other end of the action, Jenna would be shown preparing for a baby.
This is the part one of the two-episode-long plot. The second part will feature Clare and she will be shown finding out about the religious beliefs that Fitz has. On the other hand, Alli will be shown making an abstinence pledge. Meanwhile, the duo of K.C. and Jenna will decide to go for babysitting job. As this episode is going to be chockablock with drama, its important to watch Degrassi season 10 episode 37 online, after it gets aired on the small screen.
Its an intelligently-crafted series as out of the box, it saw an opportunity where no other show did and used the medium of television to bring forth the concerns that revolve around teenagers and adolescents. Therefore, to watch Degrassi season 10 full episodes is a must for any one who shares the thought process of the show makers and want to culminate his prejudices about the ill- effects of the television.
If you want to get to know more about Degrassi Season 10 Episodes or wanna know more about this show, you can simply follow the link given here. I used to watch all the episodes here.


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NASCAR: Kligerman nabs Truck Series race at Talladega
TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) -- Parker Kligerman thought his NASCAR career was coming to an end two months ago when he was released by Brad Keselowski Racing 11 races into the season.
Snapped up by Red Horse Racing, Kligerman is now a NASCAR winner.
Kligerman picked up his first career victory Saturday in the Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, where he used a push from Johnny Sauter take the lead and hung on as a multi-vehicle wreck ended the race under caution.
"When you get so close to something so many times and don't achieve it, you can take two paths," Kligerman said. "You can doubt yourself, doubt the situation you are in, doubt the people around you. Or, you can keep your self-belief and self-confidence and look at the positives. I feel like switching times, all the things that happened, this team gave me a ton of confidence.
"Halfway through the season it looked like my career was not on the upward slope I had hoped it would be on. I felt like my career was looking at a position was I was probably not going to be a part of NASCAR much longer."
But Red Horse Racing wanted the 22-year-old Kligerman, and he celebrated the team's 300th start by taking owner Tom DeLoach to Victory Lane.
"There is a vindication, because we won. Winning fixes everything," said Kligerman, who inhaled so much exhaust during his victory burnout he "wasn't on solid footing" during the Victory Lane celebration.
It was Kligerman's first win in 44 career Truck Series races. Sauter, who pushed Kligerman into the lead, finished second and was followed by championship contenders James Buescher and Ty Dillon.
Dillon took a one point lead into the race over Buescher, and the margin didn't change. Buescher was content with the points situation, even though Dillon had pushed him into the lead after the final restart.
A spin by Ron Hornaday brought out a late caution, and Jason White was leading with six laps to go on the restart. White was pushed by Kurt Busch into a breakaway lead, but the tandem of Buescher and Dillon caught up and went sailing by on the outside.
That's when it "all kind of fell apart," Buescher said. "Ty hooked up with me and pushed me up to the front, but I think we got there too early."
Kligerman, with help from Sauter, came charging along and raced into the lead, and Buescher could do nothing as he tried to back up to Dillon so the two could hook bumpers and try to push back into the lead.
Then Buescher said he nearly spun in the trioval, and didn't get another chance as drivers jockeying for position started a multi-truck wreck that brought out the caution.
"A third-place run for us in the thick of the championship battle is a good day at Talladega," Buescher said. "Everybody wants to win here, but third place is a lot better than being caught up in one of the big wrecks."
One of those wrecks collected Nelson Piquet Jr., last week's winner at Las Vegas, who thought his result was more about the nuances of Talladega and his attitude than anything else.
"These superspeedways are just complicated," said the Brazilian. "Maybe it's my fault and I was too pessimistic when I got here. I don't like this place, I don't like the way it happens."


text:
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At the heart of the Neighborhood Of The Arts(NOTA) you will find Starry Nites Cafe. A great place to have your next business meeting, or take advan...
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Nestled in the heart of the South Wedge, at the corner of South Avenue and Gregory Street. Only minutes off 490 in any direction. Specializing in...
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204 North Water Street
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The Water Street Music Hall is a large capacity, 7000 square foot entertainment complex featuring two rooms that can be used together or separately...
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text:
This title is included in Audible Escape
A Lacy Souvenir
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Publisher's Summary
A Lacy Souvenir, first in the Series The Cathartic Adventures of Jenna Monteath
Jenna finds a pair of lacy underwear in the back seat of the family Lincoln, and knows they don't belong to her. A virgin when she met her now successful husband, Anthony, they have two beautiful and happy children, and a wonderful home and life, or so it seemed. Jenna soon realizes that sometimes "ignorance is bliss", and at first wishes she could change things back to the way they were.
So absorbed with his career, Anthony was oblivious to his lacking on the home front, that is until Jenna began changing into someone he didn't know. She becomes a more self-assured, an independent woman right before his eyes...or was it behind his back?
Anthony soon learns to like his new wife. She is much more sexually charged, and taking more initiative in the bedroom. Could she be exactly what Anthony needed to light the flame and put the spark back into his marriage, or has he waited until it's too late?
Jenna's many influential friends, turn out to be more than just friends. They lead her on a cathartic adventure of her own repressed emotions, and memories, as she delves into her own needs for self satisfaction. Will Jenna find herself, or find out that she isn't who she thought she was to begin with?
Follow Jenna through this book and the following books of the series, and learn how she changes, and who she becomes.
This series of books marks a new and provocative approach to the typical novella or novel series. It is an interactive adventure for the readers to enjoy, with romantic music to go with the chapter or major event in Jenna's life. There are also discussions about the book both at Amazon, and on the Website at Annelise-Paige.com for those who would like to participate or leave a comment about the book.
This book is romantic in nature and contains erotic content. This book contains sexually explicit material, and is intended for adults 18 years of age or older. This book contains scenes with woman/man, woman/woman, sexual pleasure "toys", voyeurism, anal-digital, and lots of visual fantasies and fanciful daydreaming.
What members say
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- Gloria
- PLANT CITY, FLORIDA, United States
- 05-06-13
Passionate and Racy
What did you love best about A Lacy Souvenir?
It is very wild and passionate love affair
What other book might you compare A Lacy Souvenir to and why?
I have none at this time.
What about Moniece Robinson's performance did you like?
Everything. She did a superb job on this book!
If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Wild, passionate and definitely not boring.
Any additional comments?
I thought the book was terrific but the author has come up with a great narrator for this book with a beautiful voice!
The narrator Moniece, makes this book comes to life when she mixes the voices of Jenna, her staff, Anthony, and her various lovers. She tells the story when Jenna meets her young beau and wants those same feelings to come back. You can actually feel the sadness when Jenna feels they will never share the same love toward each other again.
This is a hot, racy story of Jenna and Anthony who have been married for 22 years with two children. Jenna finds a lacy pair of panties in the Lincoln and thinks the worse. They get humdrum in their marriage.
Jenna explores her own sexuality throughout the book with her wine dealer, best friend, and her sex therapist. She never loses hope that she and Anthony will find love again.
I did an Amazon review several months back when the book came out but until you hear this soft, sexy, humorous voice of Moniece you will never want to read again!
I would recommend this audio book to anyone who wants some spice in their life you will definitely get it.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
- paul
- Timisoara, Romania
- 05-04-13
Exactly what I hoped for
After listening to A Lacy Souvenir I have to say that I am impressed, it`s simply exactly what I expected it to be and more.
Unlike other erotic books, this one actually had a good and realistic plot; an interesting way in which the events took place, and combined with well defined yet colorful characters, placed in well detailed scenarios, this first volume can be considered a masterpiece.
I guess that what I liked most is the way in which everything is presented and narrated: a sufficient level of details and just enough acting to keep me interested and, most importantly, entertained.
Looking forward to the next volume.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
- Kd
- CLINTON, MS, United States
- 05-02-13
Heat but little else
Yes, this is erotica, and some of the erotic scenes--though brief--are common and detailed adequately. And the narrator performs them okay.
The problem is the rest of the story in between the sex scenes and how the narrator reads them. The storyline didn't hold together entirely due, in large part, to at least one inconsistency in retelling an act of voyeurism as the first time and afterwards rehashing another act of voyeurism from childhood. The biggest storyline problem is the logic or rationale--as indicated by the internal thoughts and dialogue--that rides almost entirely on acting in double-standard mode. Finally, the narrator over acts some of the parts, in my opinion. But she doesn't have great words to work with, since she's trying to act bewildered and hurt by her husband when she's living out a double standard for her own behavior with little to no sense of self-awareness. Just all in my humble opinion (IMHO).
5 of 8 people found this review helpful


text:
PHOENIX, March 7 (UPI) -- DeMar DeRozan led a balanced Toronto attack Wednesday that sent the Raptors steadily pulling away for a 98-71 crushing of Phoenix.
Toronto ended a five-game losing streak with what was only its ninth road win of the season in 31 chances.
DeRozan scored 15 points, Amir Johnson had 14 and Sebastian Telfair added 13 for the Raptors, who suffered 21 turnovers in a sloppy game while forcing 28.
Phoenix had won three straight contests, but shot only 37 percent against the Raptors and made a mere eight free throws. Marcus Morris was the lone Phoenix player in double figures with 12 points.


text:
Mission Creek Oakland (MCO) returns in September for a month-long festival packed with shows featuring dozens of local bands and showcasing fifteen venues such as the Uptown Nightclub, The Stork Club, and even AMOEBA BERKELEY!
For the complete calendar, click HERE!
Micachu & the Shapes
Windham Flats:
The festival will feature many exciting bands that were selected from a public call for entries, such as Dempsey, Windham Flat, Coast Jumper, and ++++. Highlights include an all-ages in-store performance from Micachu & the Shapes at Ameoba Berkeley on September 22nd at 2pm, a short film night at Rooz Café, and an art show curated by "Oakland Under $100." Plus, several shows will feature local standup comedians as opening acts! What more could you ask for?!
For the complete calendar, click HERE!
More info on the festival HERE!
Windham Flats:


text:
Bacon Wrapped, Bauscher, Beef, Blue Cheese, Brandon, Buffalo, chef, chicken, Deep Plate, Dip, Executive Chef, Facebook, FL, Grapes, meatballs, Mushroom, Panini, Rene Marquis, Showpieces T792523, siracha, sour cream, steak, Tafelstern, Tater Tots, US Army, Veal
December 2012 Exercise – Rene Marquis, Executive Chef, US Army, Brandon, FL
Man and Foot Ball
– Zesty Beef and Veal Meatballs
– Buffalo Chicken Dip
– Blue Cheese Wrapped Grapes
– Steak and Mushroom Panini
– Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots with Siracha Sour Cream
Do you want to DEEP PLATE? CLICK HERE!
Happy Holidays!


text:
Well, Am just starting to look for a Sound surround preamp. There are a lot of stuff out there to choose from. I am looking for something that I can use for the home theater but also for just music. I am aware of some nice stuff like the Bryston sp1.7, and the Anthem avm20.
I really like the Sp1.7 because it as a analog side that stays totally analog for things like the old turntable. The problem is the price tag. Here in Canada , its sells for $5.500. Thats a lot of money for a preamp.
I was just wondering if anyone would have any recommendation or suggestions.
Its still early in my research and any help would be appreciated.
I know that this is not a Jbl subject but it will be use to drive my 4435, for what its worth.


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1989 Jeep YJ Wrangler - Bah-Hum-MogPosted in Project Vehicles on March 1, 2010
During the last decade we have seen an explosion of TJs on the trails. It isn't surprising, given the torquey factory fuel-injected engines, optional rear Dana 44 axles, and incredibly flexible coil suspensions. If you are going to tear out all of these components and add a V-8 and 1-ton axles, though, it doesn't make sense to buy a TJ unless perhaps you are fond of the car-like dash. Brett Burgard decided to purchase an '89 YJ and use the money he saved on the initial investment to create the Jeep of his dreams.
The YJ features a strong, boxed frame unlike the previous CJ frames, which were notorious for rotting and ripping off shackle mounts. The spring hangers were removed from the frame to make way for the custom coil suspension that uses 16-inch-travel Pro Comp ES9000 shocks and Rubicon Express coil springs frenched into the front frame horns and mounted inboard of the frame in the rear. The front of the frame was removed forward of the spring buckets and replaced with 2x4-inch, 0.250-wall rectangular tubing that serves as an air tank in conjunction with the converted York air conditioning compressor mounted on the engine. The front suspension uses a three-link with one upper on the driver side and a panhard bar to control lateral movement. The rear suspension uses a four-link with triangulated uppers to control side-to-side movement. All of the suspension links are constructed from 2-inch, 0.3125-wall DOM tubing and run 1.25-inch shank 1-inch bore QA1 chromoly rod ends on the lowers and .875-inch shank .750-inch bore QA1s on the uppers. The front axle was pushed forward 12 inches and the rear moved back 10 inches to create a 114-inch wheelbase.
It was necessary to push the front axle that far forward in order for the long-pinion Unimog 404 portal axle to clear the oil pan. The rear axle is a matching Unimog 404 portal. These axles feature 2.13:1 gear reduction hubs and 3.54 gears in the differential for 7.56:1 combined gearing and 21 inches of ground clearance. They also come with air-actuated locking differentials from the factory, meaning that Burgard didn't have to spend any additional money regearing or adding lockers to his new axles. He did add air-actuated switches that are backlit to engage the lockers to confirm when the lockers are on or off. "The biggest cause of breakage on 404 axles is when the locking collar is partially engaged and the teeth strip," Burgard explained.
The axles were not the only thing to be swapped out; the entire factory drivetrain was replaced, from the carbureted 4.2L engine to five-speed tranny and NP231 T-case. Burgard did not shed any tears when tossing these parts in the dumpster, since the new engine is a 5.0L V-8 from a Ford Mustang. The engine is mated to an NP435 four-speed manual transmission with a 6.69 First gear, which required no expensive adapters to connect because it was a factory Ford application. Similarly, a gear-driven, cast-iron NP205 transfer case was bolted to the back of the NP435, although a twin-stick conversion was performed on the transfer case to allow 2WD Low operation. The transfer case routes power through shortened Bronco driveshafts that use 1350 U-joints. Burgard had to do machine work on the portal axles to accept driveshaft flanges, since in the factory application the Unimog axles use a peculiar torque tube design.
This combination produces a crawl ratio of 99:1, even with the paltry 1.96:1 low range of the stout NP205. The gearing is enough to allow the 42-inch Super Swamper IROKs to idle across the boulder patches. The IROKs are mounted on three-piece HUMVEE combat rims that have been recentered and converted to match the 6x205mm Unimog bolt pattern. The tires are steered by a '79 F-150 steering box that is aided by a 1.5x8-inch-stroke hydraulic ram. The box and ram are connected to the Mog axle with a 1.75-inch, 0.250-wall DOM drag link and tie rod fitted with 3/4-inch QA1 chromoly rod ends.
Body and Interior
The introduction of the YJ in '87 saw the first galvanized tub on a short wheelbase Jeep, an attribute that allows them to fend off rust much better than the earlier CJs. Burgard kept the sheetmetal but dumped the top, doors, and the cheesy plastic dash. A new metal dash was created on a Torchmate plasma table that houses Auto Meter gauges and a plethora of toggle switches. Other interior upgrades include the Bestop seats, lap belts, Sony 6x9 speakers, and a custom six-point rollcage. The stock fuel tank was removed and replaced with a 19-gallon JAZ fuel cell behind the rear seat to make room for the relocated rear axle.
Even with axles that are eight inches wider that stock, some cutting was necessary to fit the 42-inch tires. The front fenders were scrapped completely and replaced with tube fenders for more clearance and strength. The front fenders tie into a custom stinger front bumper. In the rear, the fender openings were cut all the way to the rear of the tub and 0.125-inch-thick custom corners were added. A pair of 2.25-inch, 0.250-wall DOM rocker guards span the distance between the front and rear fender openings. After the body modifications were complete, the stock white paint was covered with Ford Shelby Cobra Blue. Burgard did the bulk of the work on the Jeep, including shooting the paint, in his father Robert's garage with the help of his family and friends.
Good, Bad, and What's It For
There is so much ground clearance on this Jeep that Burgard hardly has to pay attention on the trail; catching the differentials on a rock is nearly impossible. All of that ground clearance can get you into some pretty hairy situations though, so a winch added to front of the Jeep for peace of mind probably wouldn't be a bad idea. It lives most of its life on tough rockcrawling trails in the Sierra Nevada like the Rubicon and Fordyce Creek where problems are not uncommon and pavement is miles away.
Hard Facts
Vehicle: '89 Jeep YJ Wrangler
Engine: Ford 302 V-8
Transmission: NP435 four-speed manual
Transfer Case: NP205
Suspension: Custom three-link front and triangulated four-link rear
Axles: Unimog 404 portals
Wheels: Recentered 16x8.5 HUMVEE three-piece beadlock
Tires: 14x42-16.5 Super Swamper IROK
Built For: Ground clearance when climbing over the biggest rocks
Estimated Cost: $12,000
Why I Featured It
This Jeep has a V-8, 42-inch tires, and 21 inches of clearance under the differentials. That is more ground clearance than a stock Jeep has at the frame! It was also built in a normal garage on a realistic budget. With no rearview mirrors and a top speed of 50 mph it wouldn't be my first choice for a daily-driver, but in the rocks, it is hard to beat. -Harry Wagner


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"Saturday Night Live" newbie Jenny Slate marked her Saturday night debut by dropping the f-bomb on air, uttering the four-letter word during a sketch she shared with veteran Kristen Wiig.
Slate, a New York comedian, was performing in "Biker Chicks Chat," playing a foulmouthed motorcycle-driving woman clad in leather, when she dropped the curse word, which slipped by censors and was heard by East Coast viewers of the show.
"You frickin' just threw an ashtray full of butts at my head. You know what, you stood up for yourself and I f***in' love you for that," Slate said to Wiig's fellow biker chick in the skit.
Whether Slate's expletive was intentional wasn't clear, but the actress did puff out her cheeks after the swear word to indicate her embarrassment and apparent regret at her slip-up.
Other "SNL" castmembers to swear on-air include Norm MacDonald, who received a verbal warning for saying the F-word on-air, and Charles Rocket, who dropped the F-bomb in 1981.
It wasn't immediately known if any disciplinary action was taken against Slate.


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Canada's Wireless Code of Conduct aka Protect the Sheep from Themselves
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission may be ringing in 2013 with one of the most ridiculous plans yet.
The Wireless Code of Conduct is a set of guidelines for wireless carriers to adhere to in providing servics to consumers in Canada.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of the complaints and recommendations that make up this code were submitted by Canadian consumers who may not even have the intelligence to dial a cell phone, let alone understand the services that they are buying.
Top of the list: Outlaw 3 Year Contracts
The main reason for even having a 3 year contract is due to the fact that the average Canadian can't afford to pay the full price for a cell phone. Having a 3 year contract allows for the carrier to subsidize the cost of the hardware and pass that subsidization onto the consumer. If the CRTC reall does force carriers to remove the 3 year contract option, consumers are now going to be on the hook for shelling out more dough up front for their phone. Likely to the tune of $200 or more, depending on the type of phone they want to get.
What's funny about the whole contract debacle is the fact that people don't HAVE to get a 3 year contract right now. All carriers offer various contract lenghts, depending on how much you want to pay up front.
Right now, you can get a Windows HTC phone with no contract for $599 from Bell Canada. You can get a Samsung Galaxy S III from TELUS for $650.
A very smart tech chick (hat tip to @followsandi) suggested that if the consumer bought the hardware upfront, there should be a decrease on the monthly service fees, since you don't need to subsidize the cost of the hardware. I'm all for that — and it makes good sense. The downside of that is that it REALLY exposes the carrier's margin models, and unless one of the carriers sees this as a great way to improve transparency with its customers, it's unlikely that this will happen. You never know.
I'd like to see a few more options for pre-payment of hardware —— if I want to put down 50% of the cost of the phone, I'd like to have a different contract length. I expect that I could walk into any wireless store and make this sort of arrangement, and it changes the outstanding commitments I have with that carrier, since commitment is linked to revenue spend. Maybe that's the way to go —- have a minimum spend commitment with a carrier, and when you meet/exceed that commitment, your contract is over, and you're free to change, upgrade or do the hokey-pokey.
Some of the recommendations are reasonable: alerts when you get close to your data limits, or your voice minutes. EASY ways to upgrade or downgrade services on the fly.
But really, those recommendations have little to do with consumer safeguards and more to do with service development of the carriers. I expect that some of these recommendations have a pretty heavy service development cost associated with them. The big carriers may be able to shoulder the capital costs of the system upgrades, but the new entrants are going to be challenged with providing additional service features on products that they're already struggling with.
It's not going to be pretty, and it's not going to be the right thing, but silly consumers —- you're going to get what you get.


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The ASHEVILLE ART TRIO Appearing Wed April 12th 2017 at 7:30pm
$10 in advance
$12 at the door
Jazz Coloring Outside the Lines
When the originators of the venerable Asheville Original Music series—bassist Mike Holstein and drummer Justin Watt—teamed up with pianist Dr. William Bares (Harvard ethnomusicology Ph.D and professor of music at UNC Asheville) five years ago to create a working jazz piano trio, the result was a new musical concept that has blurred the lines between art and entertainment, structure and spontaneity. The Asheville Art Trio has has evolved a sound that combines elements of world music, Americana and jazz. The group joins dazzling classical technique and soulful sounds with an orientation toward beauty that can be described as both consciously artistic and quintessentially Ashevillian.


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How Nebraska Came to the Big Ten
One of the biggest stories in college athletics this past year was Nebraska's decision to move from the Big 12 to the Big Ten. But how did the Big Red make the transition to the Big Ten? Watch now and learn more about the timeline and how the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten.


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LEOMINSTER � The owner of a Leominster diner hit by two fires in two months has been charged with arson in one of the fires.
Jeffrey A. Cordio, 38, of 267 Granite St. was arraigned Tuesday before Judge Andrew Mandell in Leominster District Court on charges of burning a building, burning a building to defraud insurance, arson of a dwelling house and witness intimidation.
Mr. Cordio was released on personal recognizance to appear for a pretrial hearing Jan. 17. As a condition of his release, he must check in with probation once a week in person and once a week by telephone. He was also required to surrender his passport.
Mr. Cordio is the owner of the West End Diner, 270 West St. He was arrested Monday after local, state and federal authorities investigating a Nov. 13 fire in the diner searched his home.
The fire in the two-story building occurred about 4:45 p.m. Nov. 13. It caused extensive damage.
The building was being repaired at the time after a fire on Sept. 9 that badly damaged the upper story.
According to police reports filed with court documents, video surveillance on Nov. 13 showed Mr. Cordio and another person going into and out of the building before the fire. Smoke was visible in the video as the men were inside the building and after they left, driving away in Mr. Cordio's truck.
Police said Mr. Cordio returned to the fire scene one hour after being seen on the video feed.
His actions at the time of the fire contradict statements he made to investigators, according to the police report. He did not report the fire. His excuse for not reporting the fire was he left his cellphone and wallet in the building, but investigators found that he had the phone and wallet on him when he was interviewed after the fire.
After the fire, Mr. Cordio filed a claim with his insurance company, police said.
Contact George Barnes at email@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @georgebarnesTG


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A fully waterproof raincoat with a matte finish. Crafted from knitted polyester, with a rubber-touch coating, Hunter signatures include a back storm flap with iconic Hunter moustache detail, alongside welded seams for full wind and waterproofing.
- Waterproof
- Welded seams
- Sports mesh lining
- Back storm flap with iconic Hunter moustache detail
- Underarm ventilation eyelets
- Knitted polyester with a rubber-touch coating
- Tafeta-lined sleeves
- Hunter top-bind weld at cuff, pocket and back storm flap
- Two lower patch pockets with flaps
- Front closure with signature Core zip
- Hunter stamp at centre back
Size Guide:
- Fits true to size
- Face: 100% PVC
- Back: 100% polyester
- Machine wash at 40 degrees
- Centre back length: 87cm
Heartbeat of the brand, Hunter Original is the home of the Original boot and the world that surrounds it. From city-ready styles to iconic festival essentials, the collection is inspired by Hunter's spirit and heritage of 160 years, taking reference from the Original boot to create weatherproof footwear, outerwear and accessories.
Hunter Original Core Concept is a seasonless collection of weatherproof icons in a rich colour palette.


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Ewan MacLeod necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 175 diseños de 57 diseñadores freelance.
Interactive Energy
Interactive Energy provides rapid application development, support and maintenance services, principally for large companies in the financial sector.
We're different from most software development firms because we actually work directly for the 'C' or 'VP' level executive. We take their vision (e.g. "I need a system that organises our technical support rota and emails me daily with updates") and we create a working-demo in the space of days, before evolving the system with their feedback -- and the feedback of their peers/team -- and then launching it.
We're small, fast, nimble and expert, with a proven track record.
Our target audience are senior employees -- VPs, CEOs, senior managers -- at our clients, along with large service providers who often engage our services. They're accustomed to longevity, certain and predictable business trends and a consistent high level of quality.
Our logo is principally for the web but we'll want to use it on an array of items -- brochures, business cards, T-Shirts.
With that in mind, here are some points to consider:
- Remember our clients work in big companies, so they're accustomed to a certain level of quality. The logo shouldn't be 'busy' or *too* colorful.
- We need to convey that we're positive, confident and enthusiastic -- but we are also responsible, reliable and slightly conservative. You need to be able to look at the logo and think, 'Yes I'd like to do business with those people.'
- We'd like some kind of icon or graphic as part of the logo -- perhaps relating to interactivity, energy, programming, software, control, systems, systematic, technology
- Alongside the icon or graphic, we'd like the words 'Interactive Energy'. Capitalised, sentence case, lowercase, that doesn't matter. Do experiment with position in relation to the icon/graphic.
- Typeface -- we usually prefer bold, easy to read, easy to identify typefaces but we'd welcome your suggestions
- Colors -- probably colors that engender quality, confidence, stability with a bit of excitement and energy.
- The entire logo should able to work in black and white too
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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44FLOOD is a comic book and art collective comprised of superstars Ben Templesmith, Menton3, Kasra Ghanbari, and Nick Idell. Here is an exclusive interview about their first offering, TOME. The artists behind 44Flood will continue to grow and redefine themselves for years to come.
I first approached Ben Templesmith about an interview when the TOME project was announced on Kickstarter. Since then, the project has garnered an unreal amount of support. I initially assumed that Boston Comic Con guest Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night, Fell) had a great new comic for us. I was delighted to be wrong. TOME is an over-sized hardcover sequential artwork anthology with an amazing array of talent from comic artists to painters and other fine artists. Each book ships with an accompanying CD of music. A documentary of the project will be available to backers of the campaign. Oh, and the theme for the book is Vampirism. Their Kickstarter reached its goal and exceeded the expected fundraising by a great magnitude.
I really appreciate your time — I was in publishing for years, the production, layout and proofing of TOME must be taking up most of your time. Did you find that process exhausting?
KASRA GHANBARI: Thanks for the empathy! But actually, no, it's been nothing but joy for all of us. What could be better than having amazing art by people we respect sent to us nearly every day for weeks on end and then figuring out ways to best present it all? Even the more mechanical parts of putting TOME together, like proofing, are an honor. All of us at 44FLOOD are artists that have a keen sense for these sorts of details, and we take the responsibility of putting TOME together dead seriously. We've also been very lucky to work with a world-class printer that's accustomed to dealing with higher-end book designs and production. They've addressed and worked with us on every detail, from tweaking the initial book construction down to the expected humidity during the time period pages are drying.
[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]


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Wholesale ecommerce
Wholesale doesn't have to be hard
Expand your market and sell to high-volume customers through a self-service-experience
A new channel for growth
Password-protected storefront for select customers and negotiated deals
With B2B ecommerce three times the size of B2C, merchants need a simple way to enter the wholesale ecommerce market and provide customers with a self-service buying experience.
Shopify Plus' Wholesale channel makes high-volume selling seamless. Automatically generate a mobile-responsive wholesale storefront with your current branding, no development or coding required. List wholesale-specific products or collections with a click and set custom prices only your most valuable customers will see.
Paul HodgeCEO of Laird Superfood
"Being able to automate the wholesale process changes how we build our team. It prevents us from missing 2 A.M. orders and keeps our customers from having to wait to place an order until we're in the office. It just solves so many problems."
Sell more, sell faster
Automate your wholesale order management
Let wholesale ecommerce customers order when they want, how they want with full pricing and order management transparency. Enable credit card and online payments, or manually receive orders and send an invoice with negotiated discounts for customers that prefer a human touch.
- Allow customers to quickly purchase, track, and reorder
- Create custom price catalogs for individual customers or groups
- Enable fixed-price lists, percentage off, or volume-based discounts
- Review orders before invoicing for negotiated deals
- Use custom pages to share commonly asked information like FAQs and terms
- Automate the customer onboarding experience with account signup controls
James BrooksFounder and CTO of The Elephant Pants
"The Wholesale channel is allowing us to grow quicker than expected. The terms are determined on a buyer-by-buyer basis. As a result, wholesale has doubled for us over the last two months on a per-week basis."
Launch in minutes
Expand into wholesale with simplicity
Use your existing branding, inventory, and customer data to generate a wholesale storefront. Chat with an expert about how to expand your business without worrying about maintenance or update headaches. Find out why simplicity and scalability aren't incompatible directly from our customer stories.
- Set minimum, maximum, and quantity increments per product
- Apply minimum purchase amounts storewide or per customer
- Sync inventory, orders, and customers automatically with your existing admin
- Integrate the systems your business depends on: 3PL, OMS, ERP, and CRM
- Customize navigation and product discoverability with no coding required
Neil StuberBrand Manager at Hurraw! Balm
"As a manufacturer, our only goal is to create quality and functional products. The only experience that should be memorable is the product itself. Shopify Plus provides the most efficient and intuitive platform on the market. It allows us to focus on our priorities… namely, our products."
How can wholesale ecommerce grow your business?
Easy setup and order management
Launch in minutes from your existing store and lower your time to ROI
Automate wholesale with a self-service buying experience
Give customers the experience they deserve with personalized products and pricing
Increase average order value and volume
Sell directly to high-volume clients like resellers, retailers, and white-labelers
Pierre VerrierDirector of Design & Development at Noticed
"The greatest myth around is that it's quite difficult to get your sales channel up and running. Using Shopify Plus and the Wholesale channel is a fast and convenient way to get selling. Give your customers the optimal portal to streamline their ordering process."


text: Loaris Trojan Remover Crack v126.96.36.199 Full VersionLoaris Trojan Remover Loaris Trojan Remover Crack is the antivirus tool for the complete removal of all type of virus and Trojan plus malvare. It cleans and protect PC from them. Majority of the antivirus softwares do not detect the viruses and not completely remove the virus and Trojans. They failed in many cases …Read More »


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Latest News
In-State Advertising
In-State Advertising Rates
In-State rates apply to dealer-list (multi-sig) advertising and advertising containing two or more company logos appearing in The News & Observer, The Cary News, The Chapel Hill News, The Clayton News-Star, The Durham News, Eastern Wake News, Garner-Cleveland Record, The Herald, Midtown Raleigh News, North Raleigh News and Southwest Wake News, and the newsobserver.com network online.
Advertising originating in North Carolina from distributors, wholesalers, jobbers, co-op, bottlers, brokers, local manufacturers, manufacturer's agents, public utilities, associations, or other non-retail advertisers are billed at In-State rates.
Internet service providers and telecommunications service providers of the telephone, paging and wireless industry qualify for In-State rates. Local retailers selling only the product are charged Local rates.
Advertising placed by organizers of transient events, such as seminars or special sales held at locations not owned by the organizers, such as hotels/motels or convention centers, qualify for In-State rates.
Insurance companies with home office in North Carolina are charged the In-State rate. Out-of-state insurance companies are charged the National rate. Local insurance agencies are charged Local rates.
The N&O's reach in Eastern North Carolina makes News & Observer advertising products an essential tool for political advertising ( learn more here).
We can also provide many online advertising opportunities, including exclusive positions, rich media, audience targeting through our Yahoo! partnership, TriangleMom2Mom, e-mail advertising, apartments.com, cars.com, homefinder.com and trianglejobs.com.


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Firefighters in Chicago responded to the largest fire in years last night. According to The Chicago Tribune, at one point a third of the city's firefighters were battling the blaze at a vacant warehouse.
Luckily no one was hurt, but the arctic temperatures the area is experiencing meant the firefighters faced issues like frozen hydrants.
The pictures of the action, however, are made simply stunning because of the ice.
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Hochtief has acquired North Sea Windpower 4-7 projects (NSWP 4-7), from the project developer Enova for an undisclosed purchase price. The projects are located between 160 and 200 kilometres from the island of Borkum in the German North Sea.
The projects will be developed alongside Enova until receiving authorisation from the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH).
Hochtief Offshore was launched in February with a view to acquiring project concessions and progressing them to the point of construction before selling them on.
The deal included the 560MW Nautilus II North Sea project that Ventizz acquired from PNE Wind in November last year. PNE said it will continue to develop the project until approval has been granted.


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Independent book publicist Kathleen Matthews Schmidt, who previously served as director of publicity at Atria from 2006-2010 and spent eight years at Dutton before that, is using her skills and contacts as a book publicist to help the victims of Superstorm Sandy who live on the Jersey Shore. Schmidt has launched a Facebook page, "New Jersey Needs," where people can exchange information about resources available to victims in the wake of the storm. The page also provides information about such things as NJ Transit service, voting, and volunteer opportunities. The page had at press time 1,326 likes and 2,264 Facebookers talking about it.
Of course, being a book publicist, Schmidt is bringing books into the equation. She is working on coordinating a book drive for children's books to hand out to young victims, and collecting essays from writers with ties to the Garden State. The essays will go into a book that she hopes to either self-publish or have published by a press that has expressed "interest" before the holidays. All proceeds from sales of the anthology, entitled To New Jersey with Love, will go towards Sandy relief efforts.
"The last chapter of To New Jersey With Love will be called 'New Jersey in 140,'" she told PW, "I asked people on Twitter to send me one memory from the Shore. The response has been huge." As of press time, Schmidt had received more than 100 responses.
"This is all unfolding quickly," she said. A native of Roselle, NJ, Schmidt has lived in the state her entire life. "Going down to the Shore is in my blood," she explained, "The beaches of New Jersey are my second home. I care about community and I want people to know the real Jersey Shore, not just the poorly portrayed one on television."


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Carrie Demmon's Story
Making Your Lessons Sparkle: Adventures of a Preservice Teacher
As a preservice teacher, writing lessons is daunting yet exciting. I began my first practicum, and I found that I wanted to make my lessons pop or sparkle because, frankly, they were mundane. The students read, wrote on lined paper and drew pictures on printer paper, and shared their work. Looking for ideas to create a more engaging lesson, it was recommended that I look at ReadWriteThink and the literacy lessons they provide.
When I began to explore the website, I was working on a particular second-grade comparison lesson. As I searched the site, I found that ReadWriteThink has so many options! There are many lessons for the different grades, and they are creative and interactive. The lesson that caught my eye was Book Sorting: Using Observation and Comprehension to Categorize Books. It included comparing books that the students were reading, and they used an online, interactive Venn Diagram. I was overjoyed that I found a resource that related to my lesson, and I was excited about the variety that the Venn Diagram could provide. I was not able to use the resource in my lesson, as the school did not have any technology available, but I will definitely remember the Venn Diagram as I gain more classroom experience. From one search to find information for one lesson, I found so much more.
ReadWriteThink is a resource that I will return to as I continue my adventures as a preservice teacher and as I begin my adventures as a licensed teacher. First, each lesson has a technology element. As more and more schools work to integrate technology into the classroom, ReadWriteThink will be an important resource. There is so much variety of technology-based resources in the different lessons. Second, the lessons on ReadWriteThink provide the sparkle element for which I am looking. Whether it is the technology resource or the plan itself, there is something that I can take away from each lesson. Third, the site is easy to explore and is constantly updated with new lessons and ideas. It will always be a site worth exploring. I am excited for my future literacy lessons and know that ReadWriteThink can help me reach my full potential.
Don't be limited to just using the lessons that ReadWriteThink provides; it has calendar ideas and so much more.
Mix and match. Use ideas from ReadWriteThink to create your own AMAZING lesson!


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Kenney politely listened to Guillen's rant before offering a facetious response.
"Ozzie, the rats are part of the Wrigley Field ambience," he said.
Rats or no rats, the Cubs are feeling invincible in their home park, as Saturday's 11-7 victory over the Sox proved before 41,021 at Wrigley.
A nine-run fourth inning that featured four home runs helped the Cubs to their 13th straight win at Wrigley, their longest since a 13-game stretch in 2001.
Jim Edmonds hit a homer off Jose Contreras to start the inning, and Mike Fontenot and Aramis Ramirez followed with two more, Ramirez's three-run shot into the left-field basket his third in two days. Edmonds then book-ended the inning with a solo shot off Boone Logan, joining Sammy Sosa and Mark Bellhorn as the only Cubs to hit two home runs in an inning.
Four homers in the frame tied a club mark set in 1930 and matched in 2000.
Edmonds received salaams from the fans in the center-field bleachers, though he declined to say whether the Cubs-Sox rivalry was different from Cubs-Cardinals.
"I don't know," he said. "I can't say. You guys are going to get me in trouble. Let's leave it at that. You guys already ruined me before I got here, so don't get me in trouble again."
The only one experiencing trouble after Saturday's game was Guillen, who was hearing it from Sox fans for leaving Jose Contreras in during the fourth-inning shelling, one day after taking out left-hander John Danks while Danks looked almost untouchable."I already got a couple of e-mails," Guillen said. "It's my fault again."
The Cubs, he went on, "are better than us. They should be a championship [team]. We're not. I don't know what to say. They kicked our ass. … Tomorrow is another day. We always take it one day at a time. We do. We've got another game. You can't do much about it."
The Sox took an early 4-1 lead off Jason Marquis on two-run homers by Jermaine Dye and Dewayne Wise before Contreras imploded in the nine-run fourth.
"You get nine runs, everyone chipped in somewhere," Derrek Lee said. "It was a good inning for the team."
The outburst allowed Marquis (6-3) to cruise to his fifth straight victory despite allowing five runs on eight hits over seven innings. Carlos Marmol survived another outing of control issues, and Bob Howry got a hook after giving up a run on three hits with a five-run lead in the ninth.
Lou Piniella brought in Kerry Wood for a chance to get a cheap save, and Wood did just that, striking out Nick Swisher for his ninth straight and 19th save of the season.
The Cubs have not lost a home game since May 17 against Pittsburgh and will go for a sweep of Round 1 of the City Series Sunday night, with Ryan Dempster facing Javier Vazquez. While Guillen remains on the lookout for rats, Marquis said the Cubs are thriving on the energy their fans create at Wrigley.
"We know they know we have something special here," Marquis said. "But we have to go on the field and do it. It's nice to be in your own, friendly confines, and hopefully it can be one of those magical seasons."


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Congress has shamefully caved in, yet again, to the gun lobby and abandoned the effort to grant the long-suffering District of Columbia a voting representative in the House. Hopes for passage were high this year, until the historic measure was poisoned in the Senate with an amendment to strip the district's government of its power to enact responsible gun control laws.
Sadly, the district's need for strong controls was dramatized Wednesday when a man the authorities identified as a white supremacist opened fire with a rifle and killed a guard at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The gun lobby galvanized anti-gun control Republicans and timorous Democrats in both houses to stop the representation bill in its tracks. Pleas from district officials about public safety drew no interest from the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi likewise failed to sway Democrats too cowardly to stand up to the gun lobby in next year's elections.
Most disappointing, President Obama showed no appetite to confront the gun lobby and campaign for a clean bill. He had already signaled his weakness when he signed a credit card reform law that included another senseless gun lobby diktat — to allow people to carry loaded guns in national parks.
Representative Steny Hoyer conceded on Tuesday that the votes for passage had evaporated. He noted disagreement among city officials. Some wanted acceptance of the amended measure because the city's chance for a voting representative was unlikely to occur again soon.
The net effect is to maintain the district as a laboratory for Congress's plantation whims. And also, of course, to add swagger to the gun lobby. It does not have nearly the Election Day clout that its supporters, and those who cower before it, fear — but is now free to attach its repressive District of Columbia measure to the next bill that comes along.Continue reading the main story
All Americans, not just residents of the nation's capital, should worry that an obeisant Congress and administration has proved no test for the gun lobby's agenda.Continue reading the main story


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Many people who buy their own health insurance could get surprises in the mail this fall: cancellation notices because their current policies aren�t up to the basic standards of President Barack Obama�s health care law.
They, and some small businesses, will have to find replacement plans � and that has some state insurance officials worried about consumer confusion.
Rollout of the Affordable Care Act is going full speed ahead, despite repeal efforts by congressional Republicans. New insurance markets called exchanges are to open in every state this fall. Middle-class consumers who don�t get coverage on the job will be able to pick private health plans, while low-income people will be steered to an expanded version of Medicaid in states that accept it.
The goal is to cover most of the nation�s nearly 50 million uninsured, but even Obama says there will be bumps in the road. And discontinued insurance plans could be another bump.
Also, it doesn�t seem to square with one of the president�s best known promises about his health care overhaul: �If you like your health care plan, you�ll be able to keep your health care plan.�
But supporters of the overhaul are betting that consumers won�t object once they realize the coverage they will get under the new law is superior to current bare-bones insurance. For example, insurers will no longer be able to turn people down because of medical problems.
Other bumps on the road to the new health care law include potentially unaffordable premiums for smokers unless states act to waive them, a new $63-per-head fee that will hit companies already providing coverage to employees and dependents, and a long-term care insurance program that had to be canceled because of the risk it could go belly up
The Obama administration did not respond directly to questions about the potential fallout from cancellation notices. Instead, Health and Human Services spokeswoman Joanne Peters released a prepared statement saying: �Beginning in October, individuals and small businesses will be able to shop for insurance in the marketplace, where we are already seeing that increased competition and transparency are leading to a range of options for quality, affordable plans.�
For the most part, state insurance commissioners are giving insurers the option of canceling existing plans or changing them to comply with new federal requirements. Large employer plans that cover most workers and their families are unlikely to be affected.
Seen as consumer safeguards by the administration, the new requirements limit costs paid by policyholders, and also expand benefits. That includes better preventive care, and also improved prescription coverage in many cases. The most important feature may be protection for your pocketbook if you get really sick: The new plans limit copayments and other out-of-pocket costs to $6,400 a year for individuals.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners says it is hearing that many carriers will cancel policies and issue new ones because administratively that is easier than changing existing plans.
About 14 million Americans currently purchase their health policies individually, a number expected to more than double eventually because of the new law�s subsidies and one-stop insurance markets. But the transition may not be seamless.
�The impending changes ... have the potential to cause policyholder confusion,� said a recent memo from Iowa Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart to insurers. Though a Republican-led state, Iowa is helping to carry out major portions of the health care law.
Nationally a considerable number of people could be affected by cancellations. Information from insurers is still dribbling in to state regulators.
In Washington state, the changes will affect more than 400,000 people, said Stephanie Marquis, spokeswoman for insurance commissioner Mike Kreidler. Marquis said she expects the premiums for replacement plans to be similar to current ones, but with better coverage.
�Your costs involve more than your premiums,� Marquis explained. �It�s also what you would have to pay out of pocket if you had actually used your health plan.�


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It's Friday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story [1] from a Mark's Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark's Daily Apple community please contact me here [2]. I'll continue to publish these each Friday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!
Hi, my name is Frank Sabia Jr.. My story starts out like most in that for my whole entire life I have struggled with my weight. I ate well as a child and never developed weight issues until my late teens when my eating outpaced my activity. From there it was a slow and steady increase in weight gain. Like a lot of people, I have a desk job and sit all day long. Sometimes my work requires me to put in long hours, frequently sitting for up to 16 hours a day in front of a computer. This only helped to make my problems worse. My sedentary job along with my eating put me on a path to poor health and uncontrollable weight gain.
At my worst, I exploded to a whopping 255 lbs and over 40% body fat with a waist at 44 inches. The shocking thing about this time in my life is that I still worked out 3 times a week yet saw no change.
My diet was a SAD (Standard American Diet) one which was typically high carb, low fat, moderate protein, filled with fast food and processed foods. I felt depressed and ashamed of how bad I allowed myself to become in terms of health. I had trouble breathing, aching joints, acid reflux, high blood pressure and was constantly tired just to name a few health issues. I was morbidly obese and knew I had to do something about it.
That all changed the day I stumbled upon Mark Sisson's Mark's Daily Apple. I had decided to commit myself in not only exercise but also diet. Having to travel frequently for my job I decided to do an at home exercise program that would incorporate body weight movements for both strength training and cardio fitness. During this time I slowly transitioned from my SAD diet to a full Primal Blueprint diet removing all grains, gluten, legumes and dairy. For the first time in my life I was eating whole unprocessed foods and was no longer afraid of fat. This is when I not only started feeling better but looking better. Over a 13 week period I managed to lose 43 lbs of fat, going from a little over 30% body fat to 12%.
Not satisfied with my results, I decided to see how far I could get with this new Primal way of life. I decided to use weights for the first time and mixed in some IF (Intermittent Fasting). Still keeping to a strict Primal Blueprint diet, I was able to enjoy foods I thought were previously unhealthy like bacon, butter and eggs. For the first time I tried coconut and loved it. I became a master Primal chef creating things like gluten free Mexican buffalo pizza. Never having cooked for myself before, I quickly become a whiz in the kitchen converting all my mom's home cooked meals and recipes to Primal friendly versions.
All my illnesses quickly disappeared, the high blood pressure went from stage 1 hypertension to that of an athlete level. Gone was the depression, acid reflux, joint pain, energy crashes, and mood swings. I pushed myself to limits I never imagined possible. I now weigh 167 lbs with a 29 inch waist at 8% body fat while packing on extra muscle in the process. This all took place in a 6 month period. My final numbers were shocking to my doctors and loved ones, 48 lbs of fat lost, 4 lbs of muscle gained, from 30% to 8% body fat and all improved markers of health. My health and fitness-age, previously tested by a sports physician, went from one of a 42 yr old to that of a 28 yr old.
Over a short 6 month period, with the help of Mark's Daily Apple and the Primal Blueprint [3], I finally discovered the art of fit.
I continue on my path to Primal living having completed my first race, through the mud! Grok would be proud!
Thanks for your help, support and continued inspiration.
Yours truly,
Frank Sabia Jr.


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Tied to the Business Cycle: How Immigrants Fare in Good and Bad Economic Times
While the long-run trend has been one of economic progress for immigrants, their short-run economic outcomes show a closer correlation to the fluctuations of the business cycle when compared to native outcomes. In this report, the authors analyze employment and unemployment patterns from 1994 to 2008, and offer possible explanations as to why labor market outcomes for immigrants have been more cyclical—immigrants are overrepresented in education groups that experience the greatest job losses during downturns and are more likely to work in cyclical occupations and sectors; and booming industries disproportionately hire unauthorized immigrants during periods of economic growth.
This report also proposes possible public policy solutions for mitigating immigrants' vulnerability to the business cycle. These include modifying Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) programs, targeting children of immigrants through existing and expanded programs, and providing more federal resources to communities with large numbers of immigrants. In addition, the authors consider the benefits of restructuring immigration policies such that employment-based immigration quotas mirror changes in the labor market.
I. Introduction
II. How Do Labor Market Outcomes and Poverty Rates Compare between Immigrants and Natives over the Business Cycle?
A. Employment and Unemployment
B. Earnings
C. Poverty
III. Why Are Immigrants More Vulnerable to Business-Cycle Downturns than Natives, and Which Immigrants Are Most Affected?
A. Education
B. Race, Ethnicity, and Country of Origin
C. Industry and Occupation
IV. What Can Public Policy Do to Reduce the Disparate Impact of Business-Cycle Downturns on Immigrant Households?
V. Conclusion


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No matter how you want to display your TV, Abt has a TV Wall Mount to fit your needs. Our plasma and LCD TV mounts give you the freedom to position your TV just about anywhere. They come in a variety of styles, including cantilever wall mounts, ceiling mounts, and mounts that tilt, swivel and extend, for your viewing pleasure. Shop our collection of wall mounts from major brands such as Crimson, LG, Sanus and more. Need further assistance? Click "Get Started" below for help finding the exact mount to pair with your desired TV. In addition to being a proud retailer of Appliances and Electronics, Abt offers custom audio and video installations. Contact Abt's Custom Audio/Video Department by phone at 847.544.2307 or send an email to [email protected] for more information on our services.
A TV wall mount is a great item to have with your new flat-panel HDTV. A TV wall mount will allow you to install your new TV against the wall, giving it a nice, seamless look to go along with your home entertainment center. There are different styles of wall mounts to choose from, so be sure to find the one that best fits your needs. A nice addition to your new TV wall mount would be pairing it with a soundbar mount. A soundbar mount will help you situate your soundbar directly under your new TV. The two go hand-in-hand and create an incredible home entertainment center.


text: The Ultra-Chef™ Knives in Cocobolo are classic in design and state-of-the-art in performance. Each blade is 33 individual layers of stainless steel – 16 layers per side plus the center layer of VG-10 Cobalt stainless steel hardened to a Rockwell of 60-62 (AM-UCB is 420J Stainless Steel). These knives are incredibly strong, light in the hand, perfectly balanced and extremely sharp. The handles are made from select Cocobolo, long considered one of the world's most beautiful exotic hardwoods. The Ultra-Chef™ Knives in Cocobolo – arguably, the finest chef's knives made today. Each knife is individually gift boxed.


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Annual award goes to 3rd-generation educator
Award: San Marcos Unified School District Teacher of the Year.
Experience: Fojtasek has taught for 19 years, including 17 at three San Marcos elementary schools. She teaches at San Elijo Elementary.
Education: Bachelor's degree in education, Abilene Christian University; master's in educational administration, Cal State San Marcos.
Family: Married to Neil, their two sons are in their 20s.
Hobbies: Yoga, fitness, reading mysteries and watching "CSI."
When Yvonne Fojtasek was in first grade, her grandfather gave her a copy of the teacher's version of a reading anthology called "On Cherry Street."
"It was like gold to me," Fojtasek said.
She used it to play school with her younger sister in the basement of their home, where she had a chalkboard set up. Fojtasek's mother, and several relatives on her mother's side were educators, including her grandfather.
It's fitting then that Fojtasek chose to follow in their footsteps.
The third-generation educator is San Marcos Unified School District's Teacher of the Year. She will represent the 18,000-student district in the annual San Diego County Teacher of the Year competition this fall.
"It's very humbling," Fojtasek said. "There are so many extraordinary teachers out there. It's such an honor to be representing your school and your district."
Fojtasek, 52, has taught for 17 years in San Marcos. She was at San Marcos Elementary School for one year and then at Alvin Dunn elementary for 13. She transferred to San Elijo when it opened as a K-8 school before moving to San Elijo Elementary when it split off in 2006.
Prior to working in San Marcos, Fojtasek taught high school English and Spanish for two years in Texas and Colorado. She also took some time off to raise two sons and get her teaching credential in California.
Fojtasek said the biggest changes in her field has been the the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and focus on state standards.
Teachers have to figure out how to make learning fun and engaging, she said, while also emphasizing the standards. That's why collaborating with her colleagues has been so helpful, Fojtasek said. In her classroom, students learn standards through making PowerPoint presentations and playing games.
Her students keep her inspired year after year, Fojtasek said, and she makes her job fresh by coming up with new ways to teach lessons.
"It's one of those jobs where you get up each day and know you're going to truly have fun," she said. "The students are so eager to learn. You have incredible teachers to work with. . . . They're an inspiration."
San Elijo Principal Lynda McDonell had high praises for Fojtasek, who she said is respected in the district for being knowledgeable about many facets of teaching.
"You never get the impression from Yvonne that she's done learning how to be a teacher," McDonell said. "In her classroom, you never get the impression that one year is just a rewind of the one before."
This school year, Fojtasek volunteered to teach a combination fourth-and fifth-grade class, after taking that on last year. Combination classes are sometimes needed based on student and staffing ratios.
Fojtasek said she offered because she's comfortable teaching the two groups of students separately but also knows what she can teach them together, such as the scientific method. She has 17 fourth-graders and 17 fifth-graders.
"She's very good at helping us take notes," said Jordan Palka, 11, a fifth-grader. "She's helpful, nice and understanding."
In a combination class, Fojtasek often teaches half the class while the rest are working at their desks or in pairs. Then she switches gears and instructs the other half on something else. Teaching a combination class does require more work, Fojtasek said, but she has enjoyed the experience.
On campus, Fojtasek also coordinates San Elijo's Gifted and Talented Education program. This school year, she guided 32 students through a game that taught them how to invest in the stock market. They won an achievement award from Merrill Lynch, which sponsors the Stock Market Game program.
Off campus, she's part of a select team of district administrators, school board members and teachers who are working on innovative ideas to prepare students for the 21st century. The team started meeting in January.
Even on her free days, Fojtasek's mind doesn't stray far from school. "She tells us she stays up late over the weekend planning lessons," said Priyanka Athalye, 11, a fifth-grade student.
Linda Lou: (760) 737-7574; firstname.lastname@example.com


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Sweeney Todd in New York
Keith Richards made a rare public appearance last night at the New York premiere of Sweeney Todd. As did a fairly friendly Sacha Baron Cohen. Because Sweeney Todd is cool. Because Tim Burton is cool. And of course Johnny Depp is cool. As mentioned before, Stephen King wrote a great article on the art of "cool" for Entertainment Weekly a few weeks ago – click here to read...
Johnny has always been cool. So of course he was cool on the carpet in a polished suit minus his signature blue shades and not even wearing a hat but always always in his busted up boots. He'll probably wear those to the Oscars too. And it'll be ok. Because it's Johnny Depp.
As for the Oscars… it's almost a foregone conclusion he'll be there. The critics have spoken and so far it's been unanimous. Some have called Sweeney Todd Burton's best since Beetlejuice, others have declared it the best movie of the year, predicting not only a nomination but a Best Actor WIN for Johnny Depp. It may be premature. But the point is Sweeney will bring Johnny Back to the Oscars. This is excellent news.
PS. More motivation to see it? Alan Rickman. Period. The end.


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For more information, contact:
Sarah Lubeck
(619) 234-8484
Today, San Diego Mayor Faulconer announced The City of San Diego has been awarded a $1.6 million grant from the Department of Defense's Office of Economic Adjustment to support the resiliency and growth of local defense contractors.
The City of San Diego and key partners, including San Diego Regional EDC, County of San Diego, San Diego Military Advisory Council, East County Economic Development Council and South County Economic Development Corporation – collectively named Propel San Diego – will deploy programs to support the region's defense ecosystem.
Leveraging the grant, the Propel San Diego team will concentrate on economic development strategies for companies expanding in or at risk of leaving the region. As part of this work, Propel San Diego will create a database of all defense firms in San Diego County and deploy an interactive tool to explain and model changes in defense spending activity.
Home to the largest concentration of military assets in the world, San Diego's economy is inextricably linked to the national defense ecosystem. According to SDMAC, the total economic impact of the defense industry is nearly $45 billion.
Defense-related organizations are as diverse as San Diego's key industries and include companies specializing in aerospace, maritime, unmanned vehicles, robotics, autonomous systems, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing and more.
Leveraging DoD support, Propel San Diego programs aim to help San Diego retain highly-skilled talent and create increased stability for defense companies in an increasingly uncertain defense budget world.
Propel San Diego sentiments:
For more information, visit OEA.gov.


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Luke DeCock
DeCock: Hurricanes storming through ACC
For years, Miami's basketball program was often thrilled to draw more than a handful of fans to watch some of the Hurricanes' biggest ACC games. When the team returned to the BankUnited Center from Saturday's last-second win over N.C. State, late into the evening, there were fans at the arena to celebrate a game played somewhere else.
"As the bus pulled in, there was a group of students there to greet us," Miami coach Jim Larranaga said Monday. "There are a lot of people pulling for our team, a lot of enthusiasm on campus and in the community."
The Hurricanes have sold out their past two home games, against Duke and Florida State, and have already sold out Saturday's game against North Carolina (they play Boston College on Tuesday first). That's what happens when a team picked to finish fifth in the ACC by the media and fourth by the coaches is leading the league in February, although even in that preseason voting, there was a general acknowledgement that the ceiling for the Hurricanes – with five returning starters, four of them seniors – was higher.
At 8-0 in the ACC, 17-3 overall, Miami has a two-game lead on Duke atop the ACC standings. The Hurricanes have one glaring loss – at Florida Gulf Coast without Durand Scott, who was suspended – and two others, to Arizona and Indiana State, the latter in overtime, at a tournament in Hawaii. They've been perfect in ACC play, including a blowout home win over Duke as well as wins at North Carolina and N.C. State.
That's no small consideration. In a year when wins on the road in ACC play have proven historically hard to come by, the Hurricanes account for a full third of the ACC's 15 road wins. No one else has more than two.
"We have an older group," Larranaga said. "We do have four seniors in our starting lineup. They've been through the ACC battles for the last several years. They know how challenging it is. They've done a very good job of preparing themselves to play well."
Miami has also benefited from playing to its strengths, while the flaws of the other would-be contenders have been all too apparent.
N.C. State has been as erratic and inconsistent as feared, losing four very winnable games to make it all but impossible for the Wolfpack to win the title they were picked to win in the preseason. North Carolina's inexperience has been telling, whether it's Marcus Paige at point guard or the lack of a proven go-to player on offense. Florida State has been perhaps the ACC's most disappointing team, and is two Michael Snaer buzzer-beaters away from being 2-6 instead of 4-4.
And Duke, which is still probably the most talented team in the ACC and maintains at least a good chance to unseat Miami, saw its one real weakness – a lack of depth – exposed when Ryan Kelly went down indefinitely. The Blue Devils, undefeated on the day Kelly was injured, are 4-2 since then, including that shocking 27-point loss at Miami.
While those teams have fallen apart, relatively speaking, the Hurricanes have picked up the pieces. Even when the Hurricanes lost center Reggie Johnson for a month with a broken thumb, they stayed on task – and Johnson returned just in time to tip in the winning basket against N.C. State.
It's only February, but the Hurricanes have taken care of business. Miami's basketball team is doing what the football team was expected to do when the school joined the ACC (and still hasn't done): filling seats and leading the league.


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The Miami Hurricanes and the Ohio State Buckeyes, two storied college football powerhouses that have recently run afoul of the NCAA, go head to head Saturday night. We'll know by the end of the night which team is superior on the field. But when it comes to losing money as a result of their respective NCAA investigations, which team will be the winner (loser, actually)?
Here's how the teams stack up:
Ohio State
The crime: The Buckeyes came under fire last year when players traded autographs, championship rings, and equipment for cash and services at a Columbus tattoo parlor. Head coach Jim Tressel knew about the incident for months, but failed to suspend any of the offending players.
The price: Ohio State forfeited all of its wins from the 2010 season, and the implicated players – Mike Adams, Daniel Herron, Devier Posey, Solomon Thomas, and Terelle Pryor – were suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season (Pryor left the Buckeyes to try his luck in the NFL). Those players had to repay the illicit benefits: Adams had to pay back $1,000; Herron $1,150; Posey $1,250; Thomas $1,505; and Pryor $2,500, according to an Ohio State press release.
However, most of the financial punishment fell on Tressel, who was fined $250,000 by the NCAA in March and eventually resigned, giving up a $3.3 million yearly contract with a $450,000 maximum yearly bonus – the sixth highest salary in college football. Tressel's contract went through 2014, so that's a loss of approximately $13.2 million, plus bonus money.
The trouble isn't over for Ohio State. Earlier, this month, three additional players – Jordan Hall, Travis Howard, and Corey Brown – were suspended for the Buckyes' home opener against Akron for receiving $200 apiece at an unsanctioned Cleveland charity event. They have been cleared to play in Saturday night's game.
The crime: According to a Yahoo! Sports report released in August, the Hurricanes could be in far deeper trouble than the Buckeyes. Former booster Nevin Shapiro, who is now serving a 20-year prison sentence for his role in a Ponzi scheme, alleges that he provided players with millions of dollars in illicit benefits, including parties, expensive dinners, trips to strip clubs, and, in one case, money for an abortion. Shapiro also claims that he offered "bounties" for injuries to key players on opposing teams.
Owing to the long-running, visible nature of Shapiro's violations, the university could be on the hook for a lack of institutional control.
The price: The true severity of the consequences for the program won't be apparent until the NCAA wraps up its investigation, which could take several months. But the punishments handed down so far have been directed at players, in the form of suspensions and repayment for improper benefits.
According to the NCAA, the most severe punishments went to defensive lineman Olivier Vernon, who was suspended six games and forced to repay $1,200 in restitution for receiving handouts as a recruit. The other implicated players owe less. Ray Ray Armstrong owes $788; Dyron Dye, $738; Jacory Harris, $140; Sean Spence, $275; Travis Benjamin, $150; Marcus Forston, $400, and Adewale Ojomo, $240.
But what does Miami stand to lose in the long run? The University of Southern California' s Trojans, who endured their own scandal last year over players receiving improper payment, were banned from postseason bowl play for two years, and lost an estimated 30 athletic scholarships (10 per year for three years).
The University of Miami's website shows freshman tuition at $36,962 per year, plus fees. So if the football program were to lose 10 full-ride scholarships per year, that's a $369,620 annual loss in money to recruit players.
Then there's the postseason money. The ACC conference, of which Miami is a part, gets an automatic bid to the BCS Orange Bowl, which has a $17 million payout to be distributed among members of the participating conference. If Miami is banned from postseason play, they would lose their share, as well as any payout they would get from a lesser bowl game. If they were eighth place in the ACC conference, the worst possible placing to receive a bowl bid, Miami would go to the Military bowl in Washington, D.C., and receive an estimated payout of $862,500. The payouts only go up from there.
Final Score:
Ohio State: approximately $13, 208, 605, (mostly Jim Tressel's salary).
Miami: $3,931 so far, in player restitutions. But when the NCAA completes its investigation, the losses to the program could be in the millions.