text:
* the version on Belly has an extra verse
Yeah, check it
Yo yeah I smoke weed now I don't give a fuck
And I also tote guns in case my dram pop up
It's crew love I spit two at every few thugs
Fo doves blow dubs holdin eight snub
I hold it down my strip, goin nowhere
Flip two eightballs trick the dough on low gear
The next week two O's gone
Nigga don't prolong
Play the studio and get my flow on
And sell weight on a later base
My older brother kept guns on his waist in case he air the place
And walk straight up on you fuckin crooked niggas
Coming out ya mouth sideways like some rookie niggas
I drink Henny mixed wit nothing
My weed and the dutch is somethin
What you niggas sayin nuttin
It's Bleek, controlling these streets holdin the heat
Reporting for my live niggas just like me WHAT
Ha ha, this is Roc-A-Fella for life
This is Roc-A-Fella for life
[Hook: Jay-Z]
You know it's crew love, Roc-A-Fella till we die
As long as you and I keep it movin like a drive-by
We could stack dough sky-high
Niggas can't touch what they can't feel, real recognize real
Crew love, Roc-A-Fella till we die
As long as you and I keep it movin like a drive-by
We could stack dough sky-high
Niggas can't touch what they can't feel, real recognize real
[Beanie Siegel]
Yo, I set up shop wit nick rocks that'll upset rookies
Make 'em slide like li'l dicks in wet pussy
Open up the whole strip, like Monopoly
Dare one of ya'll to land on my property
Think you get some dough for my community chest?
Blaow blaow two to yo chest
Ya'll niggas can't pass go cuz it cost to pass
Ya'll niggas cheap like Baltic Ave
Type ta land on jail can't pay your bail
Wanna borrow from the bank, nigga what you think
I'm the wrong one to lie to
Shit I'm the man who supply who supply who supply YOU
And ya'll a bunch talk money
I'm tryin to get it down for that motherfuckin boardwalk money
Two-brick money new blue six money
Peru trip money flew in six money
Taj Mahal trips orange chips money
Long dick money all in yo bitch money
Flow like the flu and spit sick money
Peep hotty's Roc-A-Fella wools route
All black mask down wit they tools out
Beanie mack I'll move out
I had niggas runnin from school pickin new routes
Then I'll run and lick a shot make 'em move south
Switch up they last name get a new spouse
Scrambled up some down-payment for a new house
No matter where you go Mack gone find ya
I'm like a shadow nigga I'm right behind ya
I'll blow out ya brains and won't give ya no reminder
Me and my road dog
Been OG's for so long
Spit raw rolled up niggas can smoke on
Shit I let 'em have it you faggots ain't know my status
Fuckin with my mathematics you make us savage
Five nine one six O, light brown
M-E-M-P-H-I-S Bleek put it down
Its crew love, Roc-A-Fella till we die
As long as you and I keep it movin, nigga
Aiyyo I pray to the God MC to bless me
Wit a ill ass flow and sick ass dough
Where it don't make no sense that hundreds and cents and
Thousands of dollars ice freezes my collar
Where I need a turtle-neck to rock my check
And a pair of isotoners to rock my rings
Get the signin bonus know mack toppin them thangs
Flip twice rip that crew then I'm droppin my thang
Nigga it's crew love
This song was recorded for the Belly soundtrack, starring DMX and Nas.
It was released on November 3, 1998 through Def Jam records.
Although the film was poorly received, the soundtrack got generally favorable reviews from critics.
Memphis Bleek said he felt like Beanie Sigel comfortably bested him on this track.
Destruction! That nigga broke down the fucking Monopoly board are you kidding me?


text:
to Dog-Sled.com, the home of Wild
Dog Mushing Company!
Dog Mushing Closes it's Doors
After 6 years of servicing the Park City area, Wild Dog Mushing
has closed it's touring operation and kennel and has moved to
Pennsylvania. We would like to thank all the hotels, businesses,
and individuals who have helped us over the years.
2004 puppies out of 'Egil' are here!
Our first litter of 9, out of Gypsy, arrived August
7 ...and Chloe then had 10 more on the 11th.... 19 puppies are
now on the ground! ...more
feed Eagle Pack to our racing and touring dogs, as well
as to our puppies and cat. Click
here to read about why we choose Eagle and to find a dealer
near you.
Wild Dog Racing - Third Place in Siberia!
Rob Valli finishes third in The Kamchadal International
Sled Dog Race, an IFSS World Cup event, which took place on the
Kamchatka Peninsula, on Russia's eastern Siberian frontier, March
25-28, 2004 ...more
2003 puppies are finally here!
5 days late and literally 7 hours away from a C-section,
Ginger gave birth to 3 pups at 2:30am June 3rd. Click
here to read the whole story in Runt's and Ginger's puppy
photo album.
Race Season
With three wins, three 3rds, and two track records,
Rob Valli finishes the season as the overall points leader in
the Colorado Mountain Musher's 10 dog circuit. Click
here to hear about our racing season
Check out our new shopping section powered by CafePress.com!
Get T-Shirts, Coffee Mugs and other stuff with our 2001 puppy
pictures on them. Order by Phone or Mail with 30 Day Satisfaction
Guarantee. Click
here to start shopping.
Extreme Spring sledding in the high country. Check
this photo out (and others like it) in our numerous photo
and Rick take the German Gold Medal Nordic Relay Team on
the ride of their lives. (click the image for a close up)
Dog Mushing Company gets interviewed by Katie, Matt
and Al on The Today Show on Feb 22, 2002! Click
here to see images from the interview as well as the QuickTime
movie clip.
Check out our puppy
photos from 2001 and see how fast these 10 little dogs are
grew into our main team! (Pictures from when they were just
minutes old, until they were about 17 weeks.)
Q: What do Samsung,
VISA, and NBC
all have in common?
A: They all have either hired Wild Dog
Mushing Company to take their employees dog sledding, or contracted
us for photo shoots and private parties.
Dog Mushing Company takes hosts Art Mann and Brook Burke dog
sledding on E! TV's 'Wild On Sundance' television
special. Click
here to see images from the interview as well as the QuickTime
movie clip.
©2005 Dog Sled

subset: commoncrawl


text:
11 Aug 2012
(Hong Kong) Dragonair today welcomes the Director of Environmental Protection's issuance of a Study Brief for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of a third runway at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).
Dragonair Chief Executive Officer Patrick Yeung said: "This is another important milestone for this key project. Right from the start of the consultation process, we have repeatedly stressed that building a third runway is the only viable option for preserving the international hub status of our airport, and is of vital importance for the four pillar industries and the future economic development of Hong Kong. While we are fully aware of the environmental concerns, we also firmly believe that we can strike a right balance between economic development and environmental protection."
A strong proponent of a third runway at HKIA, Dragonair is of the view that further developing our Hong Kong hub is of great importance to the aviation industry and the local employment market. To take advantage of strong demand in the region, Dragonair has added six new destinations to its network in the past seven months, and will launch service to Kolkata in this winter. To cater to our growth, Dragonair targets to hire 30 pilots and 450 cabin crew this year.
Dragonair welcomes HKIA's commitment to a comprehensive and thorough EIA process and looks forward to participating as the process moves forward.


text:
Appointment at Aon
Aon has appointed Malcolm Forbes-Wilson as corporate product director for the reinsurance and specialty divisions. Mr Forbes-Wilson will oversee Aon's strategy for identifying wordings that are
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The iPhone 6 Plus features a high-contrast 5.5-inch screen that is bright and bold. Optical image stabalization assists with low light photography. GameStop's refurbished iPhone 6 Plus comes with a power adaptor, sync/charging cable, and new Ear Buds.
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Roche and Novartis have been fined in Italy on pricing conspiracy charges, fueling a wider debate across Europe about expenditure, efficiency and off-label prescribing. Reflector reports.
The familiar European battle between drug expenditure and drug efficiency has been given new impetus by the judgement of a competition court in Italy. The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato announced in early March fines of more than $200 million on the local subsidiaries of Roche and Novartis, for conspiring to keep up drug prices by discouraging use of cheaper alternatives.
Since then, the ruling has resonated right across Europe, dragging regulators, lawyers, international officials and consumer associations into a complex fight over money and medication. But this is no routine discussion about generic substitution, where savings might amount to as much as half or three quarters of the value of the original product. Here it is not a matter of safety versus something so insignificant as cents (whether they be Euro cents or US dollar cents). The cost contrast here between the two products is closer to $50 versus $2000.
Following an appeal from local health authorities and consumer groups in Italy, the Italian competition authority concluded that the companies were operating a cartel to limit competition on Novartis' Lucentis eye treatment, by actively deterring use of Roche's, Avastin, which has been shown to have some potential in ophthalmology (and at a much lower price), although it is authorized only as an anti-cancer drug. The Autorità took the position that if the cheaper treatment could be effective in age-related macular degeneration, it should be available for use in preference to the more expensive alternative. Off-label prescribing of Avastin could permit savings of as much as $750 million a year to Italy's health service, it says.
The two companies deny any attempt to manipulate the market, and dismiss reports from the competition authority of incriminating correspondence revealing "specific strategies to artificially distinguish the two products and to unduly influence the choice of doctors and healthcare systems". But questions over whether the companies colluded or not have paled into insignificance as the bigger issue has taken centre stage in Europe: can national authorities require off-label prescribing in order to save money? And if they cannot actually require it, should they nonetheless encourage it in the interests of economy?
For the Autorità, the answer is clear. "An increasing number of independent, comparative studies ...definitively demonstrated the equivalence of the two drugs", it said in its ruling. The Italian health minister, Beatrice Lorenzin, has recently indicated interest in allowing reimbursement of Avastin in ophthalmology, and the ruling has prompted parliamentary questions urging just such a review of policy.
Consumers organizations weigh in
Consumer organizations too, in Italy and at European Union level, are unambiguous in their support for wider off-label prescribing. The Italian consumer association was a party to the call for an investigation into Roche and Novartis, and the European consumers bureau, BEUC, has been energetic in urging intense European scrutiny of the issue. Monique Goyens, its director-general, said: "The unethical tactics of Roche and Novartis to block the cheaper alternative at the expense of consumers are unacceptable. BEUC condemns such anti-competitive practices that put profits before consumers' health." She has written to the Commission — which is responsible for competition policy across the EU — to launch an investigation "to evaluate consumer detriment in all those member states where Avastin and Lucentis are sold". At a time when many member states were facing difficulties in paying for medicines and ensuring access to treatments, restrictive practices of this sort are "even more deplorable", she said.
There are indeed studies that claim some equivalence. The two products are equally effective to treat age related macular degeneration, according to a report from the Comparison of Age-related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials (CATT) research group in ophthalmology, in July 2012, and the results of the IVAN randomized controlled trial in alternative treatments to inhibit VEGF in age-related choroidal neovascularisation, published in The Lancet in July last year.
Goyens also claims adds that "the European Medicine Agency committee for medicinal products for human use (CHMP) agreed that 'detailed safety information provided from the CATT and IVAN studies is reassuring and no evidence can be provided that bevacizumab is systemically more unsafe than ranibizumab and vice-versa'," in its Avastin report in 2012.
But not everyone embraces the concept of off-label prescribing — or the implications of the ruling by the Autorità — so warmly. The Italian drug regulator, AIFA, described the decision as "a landmark ruling for all of Europe", and expressed caution over the possible safety implications. It said the case highlights "a global problem which has forced the European Medicines Agency and all the European agencies to study the risks associated with large-scale off-label use of drugs which have not been researched for specific therapeutic indications".
Off-label prescribing a common practise
The practice of off-label prescribing certainly exists, and there is evidence that in some areas of therapy it is common. A recent paper from the School of Pharmacy at University College London noted that "the medically sanctioned supply of drugs for unlicensed indications continues to be widespread in fields ranging from paediatric medicine to pain management, psychiatric care and cancer treatment."
It cites the use of tricyclic antidepressants for treating conditions ranging from irritable bowel syndrome to neuropathic pain — and the acceptance by the UK health technology assessment body, NICE, of such practices, even in an unlicensed application. It also cites a NICE recommendation to doctors which says: "Consider offering sertraline first because it is the most cost-effective drug, but note that at the time of publication (January 2011) sertraline did not have UK marketing authorisation." But the overall tone of the paper (which was heavily funded by Bayer and Novartis) is cautious: "As and when cost saving...is the primary reason for using medicines for unlicensed indications, the legality of the latter is doubtful throughout the European Union", it says.
James Killick and Pascal Berge of the Brussels office of lawyers White & Case point out, in another recent paper, that medicines can be introduced in Europe only "once they have passed through a strict regulatory process, which aims to protect patient safety, and can only be used outside the limits of their indications under a few narrow exceptions". They too note that recent years have seen a trend among authorities towards promoting unauthorized medicines or medicines used outside the limits of their marketing authorisation on the ground that they are cheaper than the duly authorized drug. But their conclusion is clear: "The promotion of unauthorized medicines or medicines which have not been authorized for the disease in question is bad policy. It entails health risks."
The Commission is being cautious, too. For the moment, it is saying only that it has "taken note" of the Italian ruling. It recognizes that the issue is under discussion in other member states, and it is following those debates because it is "continuously monitoring developments in pharmaceutical markets in Europe".
But there will be no rush to judgement, because the Commission also has some responsibilities for safety in relation to the use of medicines. The Commission's director-general for health, Paola Testora-Coggi, wrote to AIFA after the ruling to express support for the national health agency's concerns over safety. She said off-label use "is a complex area", adding that the commission plans a study into the questions it raises.
So the issue rumbles on — but this longstanding question is being given a sharper edge by this episode in the Avastin/Lucentis debate, and that sharper edge is likely to cut through some of the hesitations that have so far precluded conclusions.


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1st Impressions Ink
43392 W. Wallner Drive
Maricopa, Arizona 85239
Email Us
View Mobile Site
Administrative Login
Display Number: 8559
Made In USA
At 1st Impressions Ink, we combine our strong local presence with a worldwide selection of promotional products and the strength of the Press-a-Print International Network of over 4,000 independent operators to provide you the best in customized marketing solutions. We personally show you how to use custom-imprinted products to effectively promote your company, team or club. Our unique capability to print in very small quantities from our own in-house equipment guarantees quick turnaround, something not available anywhere else. And for much larger production requirements, we have direct access through the Press-a-Print Network to the industry's largest manufacturers. This unique synergy allows us to provide you with a world of promotional options and on-target marketing solutions that produce results. Our professional approach to promoting your company includes: A thorough evaluation of your audience and marketing objectives Developing an effective theme and detailed plan of action A search of our database to determine imprinted items that will best execute your plan Overseeing the success of your promotional plan from start to finish Promotional products deliver lasting value and impact that conventional advertising just can't provide. Long after an advertising message disappears, promotional items imprinted with your logo or message offer a tangible reminder of your company. They are also far more cost-effective and accessible than conventional advertising. Whether you're a Fortune 500 company, a small business, or a nonprofit organization, imprinted promotional products offer an effective marketing solution that is appropriate for you.
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text:
Lindsay Lohan Gets New Tattoo [PHOTOS]
Lindsay Lohan has always been about cool accessories, like Chanel cuffs or her house arrest ankle bracelet. Now she has gotten another accoutrement, this time in the form of a new tattoo that might not be new.
The beleaguered former actress and celeb hot topic shared a photo of herself being inked on Instagram.
She then shared a pic of the finished product, which is a triangle on top of a triangle she already had inked on her body.
LiLo then posted a crude graphic explaining the inking. Take from it what you will. We won't even begin to try breakin' this one down, since something tells us our interpretation will be markedly different than the intended meaning. Just sayin'. We're not cosmic like that when it comes to La Lohan.


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"AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL ALL-STARS" - (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET)
"Kristin Cavallari" (TV-PG, L)
THE ALL-STARS POSE ON STILTS AND REALITY STAR KRISTIN CAVALLARI IS THE GUEST JUDGE - The competition is fierce as the All-Stars meet reality star Kristin Cavallari, who tells them what it takes to be a celebrity personality in Hollywood. The women are tested on their interview skills when they head to entertainment newsmagazine "EXTRA" to meet with host Mario Lopez. During a photo shoot, the women are paired together and must handle the difficult challenge of modeling on stilts. Andr� Leon Tally and Nigel Barker join guest judge Kristin Cavallari and Tyra Banks on the judges' panel for the elimination (#1703).


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Write 150 creative comments
Budget $30-250 USD
I am looking for someone to write creative comments on blogs and post a link to a ecommerce site. The purpose is to refer sales from the comment, and not SEO-related.
Please remember that the main purpose here is to write a comment that will GENERATE SALES! This is key.
- the page you comment on has to be relevant to the industry of the ecommerce site you will promote, so a person reading the article on the page you comment on will at least be interested in buying the products on the ecommerce site. I will provide details about the industry in the comment area.
- each comment should add some value to the discussion, while subtlety stating that you personally have used a service that solves the same problem described in the article; this should be done naturally and should not look contrived; I will also provide some examples of such comments
- each comment must be unique, at least 4-5 phrases long
- no generic/stupid comments please
- the page must be at least PR2 or can be any PR if it is on a established site/blog (established site = min PR5 home page, min 5 years old)
- the page must not already include a link the ecommerce site
- should include just one link near the end of the comment; nofollow/dofollow both allowed; link can be raw URL
- you will use a different name each time
- you will use different "personas" when commenting (e.g. a young guy would say something like "Yo man this hasn`t worked for me but check this out...", old guy would say "I found this very hard to use as it is not...."); personas should vary by age, gender and nationality; this should obviously be reflected in the name.
- need to have very good English skills; you can write in "bad" English only if you`re doing a foreign persona
Please place your bid for 150 such comments.
Also, please mention if you have done similar work and provide some samples.
Once again, this is NOT a SEO-comment-spamming gig. These comments should refer sales !!!
3 freelancers are bidding on average $123 for this job
Hi, I can deliver the required work within the stipulated time. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Hi, this is my first bid on freelancer- I have taken a break from teaching to work from home and have been doing proof reading. I was referred to this site for work by a colleague. I would be happy to do this job for y More
Hello sir! I will perform this task in no more than 24 hours. I have not made exactly this type of work in the past but I have worked as a sales agent so I have experience in pitching a sale ! Thank you!


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George Kovacs Lighting
Ceiling Lights
George Kovacs' pendant lighting, island lights and chandeliers are the epitome of modern contemporary design. These lighting fixtures will create conversation, as well as a lasting impression on your guests. If you have a special space saved for a beautiful statement lighting fixture, the father of modern and contemporary lighting, George Kovacs, is sure to please with unique design and competitive prices.
Wall Lights
George Kovacs offers a wide variety of wall lighting for your home. From swing arm lights to bathroom lighting, the options are endless. Typically offered in etched opal glass, George Kovacs' swing arm lighting can accomplish both style and task lighting. And if you're looking for glass shade accent colors, don't fret, George Kovacs offers it all. Bath vanity lights can highlight retro or contemporary styled bathrooms with clean shapes and multiple light heads finished in chrome and more. The George Kovacs sconce collection offers upward or downward lighting, are available in a variety of shapes, and are often layered with mirror accents or other intricate ironwork.
George Kovacs first made a name for himself with table and floor lamps in the mid 1950's. George Kovacs Lighting also introduced the first American-made halogen torchiere lamp, a lamp on a tall pole with small head and a slender quartz bulb. One of the line's most popular lamps is the Arc Floor Lamp, a floor lamp with a stone base, and arched pole that extends over an area.
About George Kovacs
George Kovacs has set the benchmark for modern lighting design since 1954. Until his passing in 2007, George Kovacs successfully inspired contemporary and modern lighting designs that have stood the test of time and maintained relevancy. George Kovacs' legacy lives on and his influence can be seen in the work of the current team of designers. The George Kovacs collection offers a wide variety of lighting options, including lamps, sconces, and pendant lights, at competitive price points. Brushed stainless steel, chrome, gun metal and polished nickel are but a few of the finishes that are offered in the George Kovacs Lighting collection, ensuring style that will work well in any home, from a modern Manhattan apartment to a contemporary Colorado cottage.
George Kovacs was born in Vienna on Dec. 23, 1926 to Oscar and Ottilia Neuwald Kovacs. A young George Kovacs was one of the many Jewish children placed on what were called "Kindertransport" trains and sent to foster homes in England after the Nazis occupied Austria. Oscar and Ottillia divorced soon after. Ottilia remarried, Fred Rotter, an interior architect, who later taught his young George Kovacs the basics of lighting. When the war ended, the family immigrated to the United States and George began working at a lamp store in Manhattan. He then returned to Europe with his wife in 1953, and rented an attic apartment in a building owned by J. T. Kalmar, a prominent Austrian lamp manufacturer. George Kovacs returned to the United States in 1954 with an agreement to market Kalmar lamps. Soon after, George Kovacs opened the first of a succession of three stores on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Eventually, he opened a lamp factory in Glendale, Queens. In 2000, Mr. Kovacs sold the rights to his brand name to the Minka Group, based in Corona, Calif., and retired.
Ingo Maurer has found great success all over the world, but mostly in Germany and the U.S. After founding and running his own business, Design M., which developed and manufactured his own lamps he developed adjustable lighting elements with halogen bulbs. Creating LED and Organic LED lamps as well as designing lighting plans and installation processes for public or private spaces are among the other accomplishes of Ingo.
Harry Allen was born in 1964 has helped design decorative art sconces that use metal and glass finishes.
Karim Rashid has over 3000 designs in production and has won over 300 awards. He is greatly respected in the design community and is a frequent guest lecturer and universities and conferences globally. He has been featured in literature in magazines such as Time, Vogue, Esquire, GQ, Wallpaper and more.
Robert Sonneman's modern and clean designs have been at the forefront of the design world for over four decades. Beginning his career at George Kovacs, Sonneman learned design techniques that he carries with him today and uses in his own design group. His current lighting collections include over a thousand designs ranging from Warm Contemporary to Ornamental Modernism and Modernist styles.
Alecia Wesner was the director of design for George Kovacs after growing up in suburban Philadelphia and studying architecture and industrial design at Syracuse University. Always being interested in discovering new design techniques, she has found a new career in jewelry design, which is inspired by nature and strong geometric angles and clean lines.
Why Lamps.com loves this brand:
International, highly acclaimed (Time, Vogue, GQ), innovative, award winning designers have produced amazing design at George Kovacs. We love a good team, good credentials, and good design at Lamps.com. Can't you tell?


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THE ORIStory and photos by Master Sgt. Mark C. Olsen 177th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Senior Airman Nate Harris, positions his MJ-1 lift truck as a F-16 Fighting Falcon passes behind him at "Base X".
Personnel Superintendent Chief Master Sgt. George P. Gulya stares across the Personnel Deployment Function area, and focuses on the digital clock - large enough that it can be seen anywhere in the open hangar - counting down the time the group of departing Airmen must clear the area.
The ability of the 177th Fighter Wing Personnel team to process them through the deployment line and on the bus will determine whether the Wing passes the Operational Readiness Inspection. Judging by the expression on Gulya's face, he will personally stuff each of those Airmen on the bus to make that time.
The 3 P's – Planning, Preparing and Practicing
The Air Combat Command inspectors will examine a variety of areas including the deploying personnel and their paperwork, the PDF, logistics, and aircraft generation and regeneration.
The last time the Wing has gone through a Phase I Inspection was in 1996; it is September 2010 - the ORI is scheduled for April 2011.
A major part of the inspection involves delivering to the inspectors "perfect" aircraft – something that is difficult to achieve in the real world. What is testing the crewchiefs and the maintainers' patience is that the Wing has just swapped out their old aircraft for 18 "pre-loved", aircraft. And while these aircraft have more flying hours left on them, they also need a lot of wrench turning and sweat to get them to that "perfect" status.
As the rest of the base goes home at the end of the day, they pass the second maintenance shift coming in. Maintenance is not feeling a lot of love right now.
The date of the ORI creeps closer.
Chief Master Sgt. George P. Gulya addresses a group of Airmen during the ORI.
March drill is here and the PDF is finally functioning the way it is supposed to – Airmen are moving through the deployment line and while it is working, they still can't beat the clock.
Maintenance has achieved great things; the aircraft are in the best shape since they rolled off the assembly line. The double shifts have paid off and maintenance feels the love.
The ORI
Saturday, April 16, dawns with clouds and rain by noon. Maintenance, logistics and security will not be spared from the weather. By 2 o'clock it is raining.
On the flightline, maintainers, crew chiefs and weapons loaders are preparing the aircraft for the inspectors. Despite the rain, everyone remains focused; no one wants to do this again.
In the PDF, the chalk of deploying Airmen moves in. The group is a mix of maintainers, crew chiefs, weapons loaders and security forces troops. Each one gets wanded like they are going through an airport checkpoint.
Weapons Loader Staff Sgt. Sheila Velez-Avila installs a Chaff Module used to counter act radar guided missiles.
Once the group is finished getting wanded, Gulya steps in front of the microphone and in a rehearsed speech, tells them what to expect as they go through the line.
After the Airmen are processed, Himley steps in front of them and announces that they are leaving. As they head out to the buses, Himley turns around and watches; everything is going smoothly. More importantly, everything is on time.
Gulya watches as the last Airman leaves the hangar. He finally cracks a smile.
Sunday, April 17, at Base X, the "deployed" maintainers, crew chiefs and weapons loaders check out tools, fuel their MJ-1 lift trucks, or "jammers" the vehicles used to load weapons on F-16s and prepare for the arrival of the aircraft.
The F-16s arrive and taxi past the crews and pull into their parking spots. Each location has a white square with the Jersey Devil logo in black spray-painted on the tarmac marking the stopping point for the aircraft.
F-16 pilot Lt. Col. Neal A. Snetsky taxis past and flashes the devil horn symbols. All the aircraft have arrived.
The results
Lt. Col. Neal A. Snetsky flashes the Devil sign after landing his F-16 Fighting Falcon at "Base X".
Everyone files in the main hangar; all evidence that the PDF was there is gone. The Wing is joined by the New Jersey Air National Guard leadership. So much hinges on this inspection and solidarity is shown from the top down.
The IG grades the inspection Outstanding, Excellent, Satisfactory, Marginal or Unsatisfactory. Satisfactory is passing but it is also like getting a C.
The ACC inspector begins by making a joke.
"You got a Sat."
The joke falls flat; crickets chirp.
He recovers and says the Wing got an Excellent. He then breaks the inspection down hitting the highlights.
The list of sections receiving an Outstanding rating is long as is the list of individual superior performers - a record 45. Several of the wing's sections are cited as the best seen in the Air Force.
Overall, an incredible team effort says the Inspector.
Airmen of the 177th Fighter Wing participated in Red Flag Alaska 11-2, an air combat training exercise sponsored by the United States Pacific Air Forces and held at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska July 7-22. The exercise was part of the wing's training prior to deploying to Afghanistan this year. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht, 177th Fighter Wing Public Affairs.
|(c) 2011 NJ Department of Military and Veterans Affairs


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A unified digital foundation.
The key to delivering optimal customer experiences.
Your marketing deserves more than digital duct tape. See how a unified digital foundation can give you a competitive edge. Read The Blueprint Redefined ›
Keeping up with your customers.
The market is growing, changing, rapidly expanding. And you're wondering how to keep up. The struggle to keep customers engaged and convert interactions to transactions is real. You're leaving relationships and sales on the table, and you're not sure how to get ahead. If you're like most modern marketers, you've probably found yourself saying things like:
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Sunday's Falcons-Giants game looks a lot like last year's playoff game between the two teams as the home team has taken firm control of the game before the half thanks to some big mistakes by the visitors.
Unfortunately for the Giants, this year's game is in Atlanta. The Falcons lead 17-0 thanks in large part to two Eli Manning interceptions and two Giants failures on fourth down. Manning was picked off on his first pass of the game and later got a pass nabbed by Falcons safety Thomas DeCoud, leading to two short fields and 10 points for the Falcons offense.
The Giants had three chances to get points after driving the ball into Falcons territory, but came up empty all three times. David Wilson was stuffed on one fourth down conversion attempt and Victor Cruz couldn't handle an Eli Manning pass after the two minute warning to kill another drive. Lawrence Tynes also missed a 30-yard field goal, his third miss in as many weeks.
All of those mistakes and failures are a big honking reason why the Giants trail by three scores despite outgaining the Falcons by nearly 70 yards in the first half. Give credit to the Falcons defense as well, obviously, especially for coming up big after surrendering a lot of yards before the Giants' wasted scoring opportunities.
The Falcons offense hasn't been great, particularly a running game that's averaging less than three yards per carry, but it has done enough. Matt Ryan completed his first eight passes and finished the half 10-of-12 for 97 yards and a touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez at the end of an 80-yard drive following Tynes' miss.
That's the only heavy lifting the Falcons offense has had to do at this point. If things remain that way, the Falcons will have a win that quiets some of their doubters heading into the postseason.


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Eagles claim third place victory with thrilling sudden death try
MOSCOW, Russia – The Women's Eagles Sevens team made history Sunday with Captain Vanesha McGee's sudden death score to give the Eagles a third place finish at the Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013.
The Eagles began their Rugby World Cup campaign by defeating Brazil, Fiji and Spain during their Pool C match-ups. In the Cup Quarterfinals they scored two late tries to defeat Ireland 14-5. In the Cup Semifinals they faced eventually champions New Zealand, putting in a brave performance but narrowly losing out 19-10.
The Eagles then played Spain for the second time in the weekend, coming out on top 10-5 in extremely wet and slippery conditions.
The match against Spain was delayed due to lightning near the Luzhniki Stadium, with a torrential downpour making conditions extremely difficult for sevens rugby.
Right from the kickoff Spain knocked the ball on near their 22-meter. After a successful scrum, Christy Ringgenberg chipped over the top for winger Victoria Folayan. The ball went too far and Spain was able to dot it down for a 22-meter drop out.
The tactic of keeping Spain backed into their own territory paid off shortly thereafter. The Eagles were awarded a penalty near the Spanish goal line because of intentional wheeling at the scrum. Jillion Potter made meters with a great carry. Then Kelly Griffin took it forward, with the storming Emilie Bydwell diving over at close range to score.
Kimber Rozier wasn't able to add the conversion, but the Eagles led 5-0.
Following the restart, Rozier was in action again, sliding across the field and finding a hard running Potter on a beautiful line. Potter was clean through to score, but was called back by the referee for a forward pass from Rozier.
Spain had their own scoring opportunity moments later, when winger Barbara Pla made a break on the outside. USA sweeper Folayan was initially fended off, but turned and caught Pla, tackling her superbly into touch to end the action for the half. Eagles led 5-0.
During the opening minutes of the second half both teams struggled with the conditions, with several handling errors.
Spain eventually tied up the match, working some magic from inside their own half. Several excellent passes led to Angela Del Pan touching down for the equalizer. The conversion missed and the score remained 5-5.
Shortly thereafter the fulltime siren sounded, and the match went into sudden death. The procedure is five minutes each way, with the first team to score declared winners.
The Eagles received the restart and worked their way upfield with several phases of possession. The Eagles entered the Spanish half, where Ringgenberg used her step to create an overlap for McGee. Fresh off the bench, McGee raced away beating the sweeper to score a sensational try for the USA.
The Eagles claimed third place at the 2013 Rugby World Cup with the 10-5 win over Spain.
Watch some of the Eagles matches available on USA Rugby's YouTube Channel.
Read all the game recaps on www.usarugby.org/rwc2013 and www.rwcsevens.com. Join the conversation on Twitter
Women's Eagles Sevens | Rugby World Cup 2013 | vs. Spain
1. Jillion Potter
2. Kelly Griffin
3. Vanesha McGee (s)
4. Deven Owsiany
5. Kimber Rozier
6. Christy Ringgenberg
7. Victoria Folayan
8. Kathryn "KJ" Johnson (s)
9. Irene Gardner (s)
10. Emilie Bydwell
11. Nathalie Marchino (s)
12. Ryan Carlyle (s)
Women's Eagles Sevens | Rugby World Cup 2013 | vs. Spain
Tries: Bydwell, McGee
Women's Eagles Sevens | Results
USA 10 Spain 5 (Third Place)
USA 10 New Zealand 19 (Cup Semifinals)
USA 14 Ireland 5 (Cup Quarterfinals)
USA 12 Brazil 7 (Pool Stages - June 29)
USA 31 Fiji 5 (Pool Stages - June 29)
USA 19 Spain 7 (Pool Stages - June 29)
Women's Eagles Sevens | Staff
Ric Suggitt (Head Coach)
JoAnne Kos (Assistant Coach/Team Manager)
Nicole Titmas (Athletic Trainer)
Dr. Lisa Bartoli (Team Doctor)


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Friday, February 02, 2007
Grant was a Slave Owner
Julia Dent Grant came from a slave-owning family and was an apologist for slavery throughout her life and the Civil War. The Grants owned slaves that came from Julia's father and Grant himself was responsible for supervising them. These slaves were not freed until 1865 when Missouri officially abolished slavery.
Grant actually owned one slave himself as well:
Grant himself owned a slave named William Jones, acquired from his father-in-law. At a time when he could have desperately used the money from the sale of Jones, Grant signed a document that gave him his freedom.
Grant freed this slave in 1859.
Robert E. Lee came from a slave-owning family, but upon his father-in-law's death, all those slaves were freed (this was 1862 before the Emancipation Proclamation). In a letter to President Pierce, Lee wrote that "There are few, I believe, in this enlightened age, who will not acknowledge that slavery as an institution is a moral and political evil."
So what is comes down to is the Grant family owned slaves longer than the Lee as the slaves in question were from Julia's family, not Grant's personal slaves. That being said, of course, in that day and age, that meant Grant was in control of them. It is interesting to see that both of these men - the two opposing Civil War generals - were slave owners at one point or another in their lives.
12 comments:
- elektratig said...
I am not entirely sure that Grant had the right to free slaves owned by or through his wife. The law would presumably vary from state to state and over time, but I recall reading somewhere (the Joseph Ellis bio perhaps?) that George Washington could not free the slaves that came under his control through his wife. It is possible that, although Grant had the legal right to control his wife's slaves, he did not have the right to manumit them, at least during her lifetime.
- The Tour Marm said...
Grant, like Lee could manumit them because women were not given the power to. That is why Gen. Lee manumitted those slaves who belonged to his father-in-law, George Washington Park Custis, rather than Mrs. Lee. Even the taxes owed on Arlington Plantation could not be accepted from Mrs. Lee, although she inherited the estate from her father.
George Washington was not permitted to manumit his slaves under existing Virginia law. (One of the Carters of Virginia did.) Most Virginia planters had made provisions in their wills to do so after death.
This should have been done for his slaves upon his death, but Mrs. Washington was embittered by a recent 'defection' of a beloved and trusted slave, Oney Judge, and delayed the manumissions of all the Mount Vernon slaves until after her own death two and a half years later.
What galls me is that so many schools etc. are changing their names from those who were Confederates and former slaveowners. Most of those fighting for the Confederacy did not own slaves; many northerners did.
Not one has changed the name from U.S. Grant.
It's a double standard fueled by ignorance.
- elektratig said...
tour marm is correct that the Washington situation appears different; but doubt remains whether Julia -- and therefore Ulysses -- actually owned the slaves referred to.
tour marm is correct because Martha received her slaves as part of her first husband's estate. She had only lifetime use of them. At her death, the slaves descended to her children by her first husband.
As for the Grants, it appears that Julia received three or four slaves from her father. But it is apparently not clear whether whether she actually received title to them. If she didn't have title to them, Grant didn't either. I've posted on this here.
- Mark Tueting said...
Your quote from Lee seems to imply that Lee was opposed to slavery. Did you actually read the entire document that you linked? Taken in its entirety it is clear that Lee believed that slavery was divinely ordained - a sort of White Man's burden.
Lee did free slaves he inherited - because it was mandated in his father-in-law's will. Mr. Custis instructed that the slaves be manumitted with all dispatch and set an absolute deadline of five years after his death. Lee did not free them with all due dispatch; he freed them only at the absolute deadline.
- Cash said...
Grant owned one slave in his life, William Jones, whom he set free in 1859. Julia had the use of four of her father's slaves. These slaves were all free by 1863. In 1864, the Grants hired one of those former slaves, whose name was also Julia, as a paid nurse.
- Cash said...
Lee inherited his slaves from his mother's will. His mother owned thirty slaves at her death, and these slaves, along with parcels of land, were divided among her children. The Lee brothers, Carter, Smith, and Robert, sold some of the slaves outright and kept others, hiring them out for profit. They paid the back taxes on the land and thus kept title to it. See Emory M. Thomas, _Robert E. Lee: A Biography._
"Most probably Roert chose to invest his share of proceeds from the sale of his mother's slaves and 'hire out' (rent) the women he owned as a result of the bequest. He never saw his land in southwestern Virginia; Carter later lived on the property and tried in various ways to make a living there." [Emory M. Thomas, _Robert E. Lee: A Biography,_ p. 56]
"For the Lees, the move to more spacious space and independent living entailed the employment of more slaves [this was in 1832]. Robert Lee still owned at least four women, part of his mother's bequest to him." [Ibid., p. 72]
The Shirley Plantation Papers collection has receipts from Robert E. Lee to his cousin, Hill Carter, for the hiring out of Lee's slave Billy Gardner. It's not clear when or if Lee freed all those slaves.
When Lee's father-in-law, George Washington Parke Custis, died in October of 1857 he made Lee the executor of his will. Lee thus came to control the Custis slaves. The Custis will specified that the slaves had to be freed within five years of Custis' death. Lee executed the manumissions of most of those slaves by the end of 1862, but a few of them remained enslaved into 1863.
If one is to believe William Mack Lee, he remained a slave throughout the war; however, I've found that account to lack reliability when checked against known facts. Lee had two Custis slaves with him, George and Perry Parks, who were brothers. In 1863 he hired George as a cook and Perry as a servant for $8.20 a month. [R. E. Lee to Mary Custis Lee, 8 Feb 1863] Lee had another servant named Meredith with him as well [R. E. Lee to Mary Custis Lee, 2 Dec 1861] for at least part of the war.
Grant did own slaves. He didn't, however, treat them very badly. Actually, they were rather lucky to have him as their master. He treated them like human beings, which their neighbor's strongly disagreed with.
Grant, in my opinion, did have the right to free his slaves, as long as Julia somehow agreed with it. Also, if it was their rightful property, they had the right to free them, as master have the right to free the slaves.
- jesse noble said...
it is my opinion that whenever a man has the right to cast the shackles of oppression into oblivion he has an obligation to do so.grant as a human being and a christian couldn't by any standard leave a man firmly in the institution of slavery without felling guilt over not seizing the opportunity and righting the wrong of those around him so i say all men have the right but not all man have the courage to do whats right.
- Don Meaker said...
Lee also owned slaves personally, not just in his position as executor of his father-in-law's will. The slaves were listed in Lee's will, one Nancy and her children. He did not update his will, which provided that the slaves would be freed upon his death. The father of Nancy's children is not known. He filed his will in a county different from where he and his wife resided.
- Seeker said...
The only slaves Lee ever freed were those he had to, and even then, he fought it tooth and nail.
Most of his slaves ran away, he was "the meanest man I ever saw". According to his able biographer Elizabeth Pryor, Lee had an "epidemic" of run away slaves.
This despite the promise of torture, and possible death, to the slaves who ran.
The slaves he was supposed to free, Lee tried to sell, over and over. Lee went into court THREE times during the Civil War, to get persmission to sell the slaves.
Meanwhile, Lee rented those slaves out, and sold their children.
How do we know he sold their children? Because after he got the escaped mothers back, and after he had them tortured, he rented the mother(s) out.
He did not give them the children back. Lee regularly separated the mothers from the child, according to Pryor -- or as she called it "separating the family unit".
Then the infant children are NOT listed in Lee's accounts as assets, where other slaves were listed.
What did he do with those babies?
You tell me.
Lee was obsessed with getting the light skinned babies back. Why? Why did Lee's Hunting list focus on the light skinned infants?
You tell me.
And, where did they go? Did Lee sell those light skinned slave girls to the whore houses? LIght skinned female slaves were OFTEN sold to men who purchased them precisely to work as forced sex slaves.
Lee was no more cruel than many slave owners, but he was more cruel than most slave owners of his "class". He only whipped the girls the number of lashes the law allowed. He was very legal and proper in that way.
See the book "Reading the Man" about Lee. The Author, Elizabeth Pryor, loves Lee, and tries her best to absolve him of all guilt and minimize his cruelty, but she does more than anyone to show the truth of the matter.
- ardvarc said...
Lee owned seventy slaves...which he refused to free after his father-in-law died....failing to honor his wishes. Lee had some qualms about the morality of slavery, but he detested abolitionists much more. He had two run-away slaves whipped in his presence. There were 50 lashes for the man, and 20 for the woman...laid on hard, at Lee's insistence. He then sold both of them into slavery in Alabama. They escaped later through confederate lines..and lived to make written statements about their treatment.
Lee has been exalted as a southern saint. He was no such thing. He was disloyal to his country...and even more so...he was disloyal to "the better angels of his (own) nature.". He was a salve owner, and led the insurrection to protect its continuance.
- Seeker said...
Ardvarc --- I detest Lee as much as any rational man who knows what he did --- but let's be clear.
He did eventually "free" the slaves, but...
1) Only AFTER he sold all the children born to the slaves.
2) Only AFTER he failed in three separate attempts to sell the slaves
3) Only AFTER Virginia Courts during the Civil War denied his right to sell the slaves.
4) Only AFTER he tortured some of them for running away, including a young girl 14 years old
5) Only AFTER he paid multiple bounty hunters to chase and capture certain slaves, notably the light skinned slave girls who had given birth to white looking infants.


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Winter Reconnect Order: Maintain electric and natural gas service
What is the Winter Reconnect Order?
The Winter Reconnect Order has been issued by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) on an annual basis. The order allows residential customers who are disconnected or being threatened with disconnection the opportunity to pay a designated amount to have their service restored or maintained.
Who offers the Winter Reconnect Order?
All regulated natural gas and electric companies must comply with the Winter Reconnect Order.
When can the Winter Reconnect Order be used?
The Winter Reconnect Order may be used once during each heating season, which runs from mid-October through mid-April.
How much is a customer required to pay with the Winter Reconnect Order?
Residential customers are required to pay no more than $175 to maintain service under the reconnection order. If the customer's service has already been disconnected, the customer must pay the $175 and possibly a reconnection fee of no more than $36 to restore service.
Customers requesting new natural gas or electric service, who have no previous balance with their utility, may establish service under the winter reconnect order by paying $175, rather than paying the required security deposit. Such customers may have the remaining balance of the security deposit added to their next month's bill.
What is a reconnection charge?
A reconnection charge is one that has been approved by and is on file with the PUCO. The Winter Reconnect Order procedures do not allow companies to charge more than they otherwise are allowed in their filing as a reconnection charge. Any company that does not have a reconnection charge may not assess one. If the company's approved tariff reconnection charge is greater than $36, the balance of the reconnection charge may be billed to the customer the following month.
Who is eligible to use the Winter Reconnect Order?
There is no income eligibility requirement to use the Winter Reconnect Order. Any residential customer who is served by a regulated utility company may use the Winter Reconnect Order, while it is in effect, to establish, maintain or restore service. Customers that have multiple residential accounts may only utilize the winter reconnection order to establish, maintain or reconnect service at the property where they reside.
How does a customer sign up for the Winter Reconnect Order?
There is no sign up required. If a residential customer's service has been disconnected for non-payment or is being threatened with disconnection, he or she may pay the required $175 (plus any applicable reconnection charge not to exceed $36) to the utility company and follow the company's procedures to get reconnected. If paying at an authorized agent, the customer will also need to call the utility with the receipt number to report the payment.
Customers requesting new natural gas or electric service, who have no previous balance with their utility, may establish service under the winter reconnect order by paying $175, rather than paying the required security deposit. Such customers may have the remaining balance of the security deposit added to their next month's bill.
Can the $175 payment be made by an agency?
Yes. If a customer is at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty guideline, he or she is eligible to use the Home Energy Assistance Program (Winter Crisis) funds to pay the $175. For a complete list of HEAP providers please contact 1-800-282-0880.
What if the customer owes more than $175 to the utility company?
If a customer is on the Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP Plus) or wishes to reenroll in the program, the customer is responsible for making any missed monthly PIPP payments if they owe more than $175 in PIPP Plus default. Utility companies must offer payment plan options to non-PIPP customers.
Can the utility company require a security deposit before reconnecting service?
Yes. However, the total amount the company may require a customer to pay, including the security deposit, may not exceed the Winter Reconnect Order amount for reconnection ($175 plus a possible reconnection fee of no more than $36).


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Peer Counseling
Monday through Friday, 6pm to 9pm. Confidential and free.
John J. Wilcox, Jr. Library Hours
Monday - Friday, 12pm to 9pm; Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 5pm
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: December 269th Annual LGBTQ Kwanzaa Collaborative
Later Event: December 28HOLIDAY HOURS


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21 December 2011 at 11.02am | 2 Comments
Earlier this month the Royal Opera House Thurrock Community Chorus gave their Christmas concert at the Ellis Theatre in Thurrock.
The Chorus has been together for just seven months and is made up of members from the area around the Royal Opera House's production workshop. Our youngest member is eight and our oldest member is in her 80s. No auditions are held and anyone with an interest in music and singing is welcome. The range of ability is diverse with some members being extremely proficient singers, and others having no prior experience. Repertoire mixes opera as well as contemporary and choral works.
At the group's debut public performance on Sunday 11 December the Chorus performed a wonderful selection of pieces including a rousing chorus from Verdi's Il Trovatore and a moving piece from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. They also performed extracts from Menizotti's Amahl to a very receptive audience - the title role was sung by two of our youngest Chorus members, Ashley (10) and Blaise (9). Two soloists, Andrew Rees and Nicola Wydenbach, sang a lively duet as well as extracts from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Mozart's Idomeneo and the famous Brindisi from Verdi's La traviata. The climax saw an audience singalong of popular Christmas carols followed by mulled wine and mince pies.
We are actively seeking to increase our membership and are anticipating an exciting programme of events for the coming year. This will not just include some fabulous concerts, one of which will take place in Covent Garden, but also training and skills development for all singers. Newcomers will be able to get help with reading music, breathing and singing technique and more experienced singers will get the opportunity to develop their technique.
An opening evening will be held on 9 January 2012. Please email email@example.com or phone 01708 981200 to find out more.


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Whew. This might be the best Tweet of training camp:
Duane Brown left the field in the AM session after hurting his left ankle during a play. So pretty much that ended up being the news that everyone wanted to know more about in the PM session of practice.
"We are lucky."
According to Gary Kubiak in the afternoon presser, "We are lucky…He's got a bad bruise. We'll be smart with him this week.
Duane Brown added, ""Bone bruise. Got pretty lucky. Pretty sore. Nothing major….Extremely relieved…Day to day."
Think of all the best and all the worst things that have ever happened to you.
<take some time…better to think of the good bits>
At least for me, there's a huge luck/providence component to both the good and the bad. Which is sort of scary but best not to dwell on lest you get fatalistic about life.
There's a huge luck component to NFL injuries though coaches try their best to prevent them. Not sure that there is any data that suggests that there is any one way, or one team that prevents injuries over others. There is a natural tension between getting guys ready and tough for the season yet not working them in a way that risks injury. The Super Bowl becomes a celebration of both excellence and overcoming injury or having good injury luck.
The heat acclimation is one way the Texans try to prevent injuries. Tuesday was the last day they ended camp indoors. For Wednesday camp finished outside, which was particularly good for the visitors from the military that came for the day.
If you go to camp, one of the things you will hear Kubiak yelling is "GET OFF THE GROUND, GET OFF THE GROUND." He doesn't yell to the whole team much, but that is one of the things he wants them all to know. He wants them to prep but he doesn't want to see guys getting rolled up in a pile.
A Semi-Digressive Story
I once got a bone bruise on the outside of my left ankle. I was star-watching in the dark visiting someone's vacation home. Gorgeous. When I got up to go into the house, I fell into a koi pond and hit the outside of my ankle on the wood deck. HARD. I was pretty lucky not to break anything but I used a lot of cuss words, all of the most choice ones, very very loudly. It was one of the most painful, stupid things I've ever done, and my ankle hurt like hades for weeks. Had it checked eventually, x-rays negative, told I had a bone bruise.
Just like Duane Brown. We are so alike. If I were able to play NFL football, I would have been able to play on the ankle, but it would just not be terribly comfortable. Walked around on it the first couple of days, and then it didn't stop my non-NFL workouts. FWIW.
Fortunately, there was no video of me falling in a koi pond and machine-gunning profanity, but instead, I will substitute this:
Taking the team's temperature. (Other than hot).
Right now, the defense appears to be ahead of the offense for the most part. This would make sense given all the returning defensive starters from the end of last year and the substitution of ILB Bradie James who already knows the defense. Oh, and that defense was pretty good last year.
Last year, most of the offense was returning intact other than Vonta Leach. This year, there's plenty of new faces on offense, and they are trying to get a lot of the inexperienced guys extra work.
Should you be concerned about the Texans offense? Nah. I don't think so. Scheme helps some. They have experts on the running game (Dennison et al) and passing game (Kubiak et al). They need some luck (people staying healthy), but think the scheme means that you aren't just trying to out athletic guys and if your key guys are out you are dead in the water. (Jacksonville without MJD? That whole situation is a mess. Like taking someone's crutches away and shoving them).
And there is more time. Coaches are pushing the rookie wide receivers hard in camp with the hope they won't respond as rookies. And the rookies are all saying the right things and putting in the work. They know what they need to do. Now it is just becoming more consistent.
Quote of the Day.
Whitney Mercilus: (on teammates helping each other get better while they compete for spots on the team) "Yeah, it is kind of weird because coming into the League, I was hearing the stigma that veterans, like probably fifth-year and on veterans, they won't teach you anything. It's on your own. Rookies, it's by yourself and you just got to fend for yourself. But here, it's just different. They just want to help us learn and accommodate and just learn this defense flawlessly so we can help them out during the season."
The Texans have a very unselfish team. Makes them easy to root for.
TMI – Some Things You Can't Unsee.
Do NOT read any further if discussions of disturbing things disturb you. You have been warned.
We are now at the point in camp that some of the big questions we have have been asked and answered, and we are just waiting, seeing, watching, hoping nobody gets injured.
So it can be a challenge to share things you don't already know from reading the daily quote sheets. (handy though not complete). I'm reluctant to share the following because once I say it, you may notice it. Or maybe you are a better noticer than me, and already knew this.
I'm standing around watching the team, and hear a TV reporter note that the new Nike uniform pants are more sheer than the old ones. And when they get wet, they are very transparent. They were complaining that it made doing TV interviews a bit of an adventure.
I hadn't noticed. But as soon as this was mentioned, why yes, yes they are pretty darn sheer. You can see very much see exactly what choice a guy has in underthings. They've only been wearing the white pants for a few days when they started putting pads on a few days ago instead of shorts. The Nike uniforms are promoted as being more sheer and lightweight, but I guess that the benefits of sheerness are defeated if guys feel the need to wear compression shorts underneath so as not to look like they are wearing a sumo outfit.
And on that note, I am not sure I want to ask for comments. Not on that. As always, if you have a question about camp or a specific player, please ask, and I will answer it if there is an answer. There's too much stuff that happens every day to write a breakout of everything. So some goes on Twitter. Some goes in the blog posts. And always, some goes in the blog comments.
Previous Related Posts:
Day 1 2012 Texans Training Camp – We made it. Thanks.
Day 2 2012 Houston Texans training camp: Andre, Andre, Andre
Day 3 2012 Texans training camp: Handy things to know
Day 4 2012 Texans training camp: Hello Mr. Duane Brown
Camp Tweets (and other stuff because I am not a robot): @StephStradley


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Kellan Lutz was ready to step out of the "Twilight" and into the spotlight. And after playing a vampire, the next logical step was to take on the role of a Greek demi-god.
At 6'1" and possessed of a toned body shaped by countless dedicated hours at the gym, the 28-year-old actor was eager for something a little left of center after the conclusion of "The Twilight Sage," in which he portrayed the imposing but sweet-natured Emmett Cullen.
After a brief stint playing the sea king Poseidon in 2011's "The Immortals," he finally got his wish playing the titular mythological strongman and son of Zeus in "The Legend of Hercules."
"Hercules was such an iconic figure and such a classic hero for me growing up," says Lutz, who bulked up his already rippling frame to achieve the character's appropriately mythic proportions. "Once I became an actor and I could actually bring to the big screen and portray a lot of these heroes that I used to play growing up in real life, he would have been up there on list: 'If I could be anyone, who would I be?'"
He'd chased various superheroic roles before, including Thor, Captain America and Conan, but fell short of claiming them as his own. "All these characters that I would have loved to have been, but then when Hercules came around, I was like 'Yes!'" he says. "So much passion was there because I always had that dream from a little boy to play him…The great thing about Hercules is that there's so many stories that you can tell about him. There's no right or wrong answer, so unlike Tarzan, where there's a book you can't really sway from too much. With ours, there are a lot of different stories you can do. We did our origin story and we took it a new way."
Lutz joins the pantheon of actors who played the demi-god in the pop culture, including muscleman Steve Reeves, the most famous of the stars of the series of Italian-made "sword-and-sandal" films of the 50s and 60s; bodybuilder and "Incredible Hulk' star Lou Ferrigno, who starred in two 80s-era films; the animated Disney incarnation voiced by Tate Donovan, and Dwayne Johnson who tackles the character later this year in "Hercules: The Thracian War."
Lutz admits he has two favorite incarnations: "Arnold Schwarzenegger – he was Hercules [in the 1969 film 'Hercules In New York,' under the screen name Arnold Strong]. And I grew up watching Kevin Sorbo [on the syndicated TV series 'Hercules: The Legendary Adventures'] – he has the long hair and really just the demeanor of Hercules, and I'm a fan."
He's hoping that audiences embrace his take, which despite the many challenges his Hercules faces is a much sunnier and fun-loving approach, and that the box office will be enough to spur future sequels. "It's already a dream job – I'd be spoiled to do a sequel, as I'd love to," he says, alluding to the famed feats of penance that earned Hercules his immortality in myth. "I'd love to do the Twelve Labors. I think that would be really fun to show next, and to develop more of his God-like strength."
Meanwhile, his role in a second dream job is also heading to theaters in 2014. In "The Expendables 3," Lutz plays the leader of a youthful, rival team of mercenary commandos who clash with big guns Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. "I'm skinnier because of 'Expendables' – they didn't want me so big like I was for Hercules," he chuckles, insisting their was no pec-driven pecking order imposed by the vets. "Everyone was just there to shoot a badass movie, " he says.
He's still eager to take on a full-fledged superhero from the comics-to-screen world. "There's so many characters that I'd love to be a part of," he says. "I love Marvel and I love DC. I really want to play Venom. I really want to play Aquaman. My favorite character was Nightcrawler [from the X-Men] – playing the video game, I always loved playing Nightcrawler. I love superhero movies!"
And Lutz has no qualms about honoring his first fan base with a swoon-worthy role in a romance sometime soon – it's all party of his game plan. "That's why I love Matt Damon," he says of his on-screen role model. "I love my action movies, just like he has his Jason Bourne – I want my own franchise and maybe Hercules can be that. But then he's also wise to do his comedies like 'The Informant,' and I love doing my comedies like 'Stick It' and 'The Comeback.' And doing his 'We Bought a Zoo' or his brilliance in 'The Departed.' I really would love to emulate his career, to have a well‑rounded one."


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Apple: BMO Capital Cuts Target; Ups Mac Unit Forecast, But Lowers Expectations For iPods, iPhones
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BMO Capital analyst Keith Bachman this morning trimmed his price target for Apple (AAPL) to $140 from $160, noting that "EPS upside relative to our and the Street estimates will more likely come from margin expansion, and less so revenue upside, which also warrants a lower multiple, in our view."
Bachman actually upped his EPS estimate for the September 2008 fiscal year to $5.09 from $4.90, but he cut FY 2009 to $6.26 from $6.28. He maintains an Outperform rating on the stock, but says that there is now "clearly less upside...due to fewer revenue catalysts."
Echoing similar recent comments from other analysts, Bachman wrote today that demand for both iPods and iPhones "is weaker than we previously anticipated." He now sees Apple selling 9.5 million iPods and 1.4 million iPhones in the March quarter, down from his previous estimates of 10.5 million iPods and 2.1 million iPhones. For the fiscal year, he now sees 51.1 million iPods, down from 54.6 million, with 7.7 million iPhones, down from 9.3 million. For the calendar year, he now sees 8.5 million iPhones, short of the company's target of 10 million.
On the other hand, he now sees the company selling 2.06 million Macs in the quarter, up from 1.87 million. For FY '08, he goes to 9.4 million from 9.1 million, and for '09, to 11.55 million from 10.99 million.
Apple today is down $2.66, or 2.3%, at $116.80.
Note to readers: The comments on my most recent Apple posts have taken on an alarming, ugly tone. Anti-semitic remarks. Rampant personal attacks against both myself and the analysts who cover the company. Some bozo decided it would be a good idea to post my home address. I have nothing against Apple, but I will continue to report on any information I think may be influencing the stock, whether positive or negative. And if you think I am responsible for the big drop in the stock this year, you are seriously deluded. All that said, I will shut down comments on this post in a flash if the same tone prevails. Let's keep the discussion to the prospects for the company and its stock.


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I firmly believe the three most significant and effective words in our lexicon are; I WAS WRONG. If more executives, politicians, lawyers, activists …. and spouses used these words we would have a more recuperative and stronger civil discourse.
A friend of 50 years chided me recently when he felt that the BasicMan's recent satirical analysis of the political landscape as derived from A Message from the President was more sour grapes than it was satire. Okay, fair point – criticism accepted. But I learned something and it doesn't give me comfort to realize that I'm not sure I know who my fellow Americans are these days. My contention that Romney would win the presidency based on my confidence in the American electorate's discernment and their grasp of reality make me say: I Was Wrong.
I get the idea of winners and losers in the political arena, or any arena for that matter. I understand the logistics, tactics, and strategy that go into playing the game. What I lost track of at some point was what motivates the players; in this case the electorate. Its not enough to say that America is continually evolving socially and that the Democrats understood it and seized the opportunity while the Republicans let time pass them by. While true, it's much more than that.
I reject the notion coming from some pretty smart people that Mitt Romney was a flawed candidate. Mitt Romney was not a flawed candidate, indeed no more than Mr. Obama. Mitt Romney's campaign was flawed. His strategy and his staff did not serve him or Paul Ryan well. Both Romney and Ryan, by all accounts are good men with great resumes, families, and ideas. The problem with them is that they saw the American voter the same way I did … right up to somewhere around 6 p.m. on November 6th.
Its obvious that somewhere in recent history the electorate in general changed – as did the reasons they will cast their vote for one candidate or another. But more consequentially, something else changed – a globally unique perspective of what it means to be an American citizen along with an understanding of the freedoms granted by our constitution. Most importantly, the role government now occupies in our society as opposed to the one the original founders had in mind appears to have changed dramatically as evidenced by the results of the 2012 election.
Ms. Laura Hollis is an attorney and associate professor at a top tier university who recently wrote on this idea in an opinion piece at Townhall.com. Her sense is that the culture has taken a dramatic shift and the new direction does not bode well for our future.
… It's possible that America just has to hit rock bottom. I truly believe that most Americans who voted for Obama have no idea what they are in for. Most simply believe him when he says that all he really wants is for the rich to pay "a little bit more." So reasonable! Who could argue with that except a greedy racist?
America is on a horrific bender. Actually, it has been for some time now. The warning signs of our fiscal profligacy and culture of lack of personal responsibility are everywhere – too many to mention. We need only look at other countries which have gone the route we are walking now to see what is in store. For the past four years – but certainly within the past campaign season – we have tried to warn Americans. Too many refuse to listen, even when all of the events that have transpired during Obama's presidency – unemployment, economic stagnation, skyrocketing prices, the depression of the dollar, the collapse of foreign policy, Benghazi, hopelessly inept responses to natural disasters – can be tied directly to Obama's statist philosophies, and his decisions. What that means, I fear, is that they will not see what is coming until the whole thing collapses. That is what makes me so sad today. I see the country I love headed toward its own "rock bottom," and I cannot seem to reach those who are taking it there ….. (Hollis; Post Mortem 11/8/12)
Is Ms. Hollis being contentious, overly dramatic and way too direct? Our new culture would respond with an emphatic, "absolutely" as they display a total inability to recognize and prioritize economic and social harbingers on the domestic front and corresponding global realities while propping up their icon who refuses to accept responsibility for anything that becomes 'blame-worthy'. To hear them tell it, everything is just fine and proceeding as planned and its only the political opposition that impedes progress. We just need to get onboard with the new normal.
For me, this is so troubling to watch, and even more depressing to put into words. To watch the constitution being persistently gamed both for procedural and ideological advantage, rancorous partisanship becoming increasingly the intractable norm, and emotion fueling essential debate in the absence of logic has become a disservice to Americans in the short term and disastrous to the republic in the long term.
None of this evolution toward the new normal is comforting in the least. Regrettably, I do not hold out as much hope as I once did for the future of our country. It appears the transformation that was promised in 2008 is rapidly taking shape. Call it shrewd marketing, seizing on American's wants instead of their needs to solidify a political future, or simply call it a sense of ignorance, if you must.
I truly doubt the folks that bask in the largesse of this transformation have any clue of what it will take to maintain it. This is why I am having difficulty coming to terms
Filed under: Culture, Politics | Tagged: american cutltural evolution, changing political views, new normal, western center for journalism |


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Question: I'm unable to open the cabinet in the manager's office. I'm just given the message saying it's locked. What am I to do?
Answer: Please tap on the book on the manager's table and flip through its pages to read about Jim and Alice. On one of the book's pages you'll find a key for opening the cabinet.
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Answer: Due to certain technical reasons it is impossible to transfer your game progress from one device to another. Please be informed that we create separate applications for different platforms and even devices in order to provide the best possible experience to the players on each platform. There is substantial amount of work associated with producing a version for this or that device- the screen dimensions, the size of the screen, and the controls are different, and there is a lot of work that goes into redesigning and adapting the user interface. This needs to be done to ensure the best possible experience for the players, and that's why for now we stick to the business model where there is a separate application for each platform.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Question: I have questions regarding Payments. What should I do?
Answer: If you´re having problems with payments, please contact Amazon Appstore Customer Service.
In spite of our willingness to help, we won´t be able to assist you in such requests since Amazon Appstore issues are not connected with our games and are to be resolved by Amazon Appstore Customer Support specialists.
Question: How can I speed up game downloading?
Answer: Downloading of the game is not an immediate process, it takes some time, depending on speed of Internet connection you use and quality of communication. We recommend using Wi-Fi connection for game downloading because there are restrictions on size of downloading files while using 3G connection. These restrictions can be specified within your mobile service provider.


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The future of Marvel's X-line continued to roll out today as the focus of the publisher's MMXI relaunch of the books turned towards "Uncanny X-Force." Writer Rick Remender joined the talk with members of the press along with editors Nick Lowe and Jody Leheup, and CBR News was there with all the news on the future of the black ops book.
The team started out by talking about the teaser centering around May's "Uncanny X-Force" #11 (whose cover by Esad Ribic is on the right). "These characters have been off the board for a while...and we wanted to try something a little different with it," Remender said. "It's tricky because we've announced that they're coming up, but we don't want to spoil too much...we have a group of X-Men and X-Force that will go to the Age of Apocalypse world...it's connected to some of the different arcs we've done in the book."
The writer and Lowe said that the Dark Beast character from the original "Age of Apocalypse" series will play a large role not just in the coming arc but the future of "Uncanny X-Force" as a whole. "This is not just a fun 'Age of Apocalypse' story that will have no bearing on the Marvel Universe. It will have a HUGE impact on the 616," Lowe said. "You do run the risk of telling stories that don't matter," Remender added, noting that he wanted to find a story that was worthy of taking the 616 X-Men cast into the world of Apocalypse.
"I think that there are fans out there going 'This is what Marvel always says...that'll it'll change everything!' but this really does change things," Lowe said.
When asked what sets this X-Force team apart from previous versions of the franchise, Remender said that the fact that the team of five heroes can't talk about their missions makes them a unique, true X-Men family. "People who are taking it upon themselves to assassinate the very evil [of the world]...I wanted to take it upon myself to be true to how that plays out."
Apocalypse himself came up, and Remender confirmed "The version of Apocalypse we know is dead," meaning that after the first arc, the classic take on the character is not coming back, but after long talks with his editors, the writer feels that he'll be able to tap into the villain's mythology from his connection to the Celestials through his obsession with evolution and find a real purpose towards an epic story. "The first 17 issues of X-Force is one big story told in five chapters," he said.
"Apocalypse is not the big bad in this story...he's dead. They killed him," said Lowe. "That does have to have meaning in this X-Force book or any death won't mean anything...The other reason this book is so attractive is that it dances on the skinny branches. It takes a lot of risks, and that makes it very enjoyable to me."
"Early on, we wanted to make sure there wasn't a lot of murder," Remender said. "It's an ethical slippery slope...that has to be give the weight it deserves. And beyond the ethical things we deal with, we have momentum on the book. We went through the first six issues and cut out the fat. Everything was boiled down to its core."
Remender reinforced that the long planning on the series has opened him up to seeding small details in a way that brings the book more in line with his work like "Fear Agent" and "The Punisher." Fans who stick with the series will see payoff from the very first issues even as the scribe remains flexible.
"The Age of Apocalypse world will be defined for you. The rules will be defined," Remender said before adding "I never, ever assume that anybody has read another X-book besides this." As the broad story has been built, only pieces introduced within the story will play a key role rather than simply throwing fan favorite concepts into the mix simply to drum up interest.
"Archangel is not there for a reason, and it's a reason you don't expect." the writer said of the absence of the winged X-Forcer from the book's teaser and cover. He also said that they're looking for a natural way to expand the team membership. "While there are some new members coming up, I don't think people will see it coming."
The issue of Deadpool's role in that family/team dynamic and his recent deflection from pure joking mayhem addict was raised. "People who are constantly joking, it's something of a defense mechanism," said Remender. "When I get into the character, I start seeing a three-dimensional character...killing a kid for me was something he had an issue with. I know this sounds strange, but I do see a bit of vulnerability in Wade. He'd be the one who was up late at night."
An appearance by the Age of Apocalypse version of Nightcrawler came up. "There was more and more to be mined out of [this world]," the writer explained. "Beyond the high-paced version of it, there is a lot of drama here." Wolverine's relationship with the Age of Apocalypse version of Jean Grey and Nightcrawler, and the latter will be a much more violent and active character than fans might expect from Kurt Wagner as this version was raised in hell.
As for how the team makes it to the AoA world and why they go there, "There is something in the Age of Apocalypse or someone in the Age of Apocalypse that they need for some reason. When you're dealing with dimension-hopping, one thing that is incredibly important is to find a way to make it significant," said the writer. "One thing we've spent a whole lot of time doing is that when we knew we had to go there for this mission, we also had to find a way for this to move the story forward.
"Once you see what the results are, they're long lasting. If the dimension-hopping happened too much, it wouldn't work well. It works best on a limited basis."
Continuity came up in terms of where this Age of Apocalypse story fits with previous trips to this world. "It's ten years after the 2005 series. It's been a while. The world has changed and not for the better. The person involved in it is a big deal, and [the mythology of] Apocalypse plays a major role...it puts our team in a tough spot because these are alternate version of their friends, but they've got their own mission as well." Remender added that Jean Grey's role as well as that of the Silver Samurai will help place what fans know of Age of Apocalypse.
Remender's new role as the revitalizer of '90s franchises like "X-Force" and "Venom" was discussed as he said that despite the fact he had moved on to mostly indie comics during the heyday of the '90s and stories like Age of Apocalypse "I was deeply, deeply in the scene when Venom hit and X-Force hit and Deathlok...those things are so incredibly iconic that when I was presented with the job, I immediately had a year's worth of stories. I didn't expect that to be the case, but it was."
As for art teams coming up in the book, three issues by Billy Tan will be followed by Mark Brooks for three AoA issues, and the Jerome Opeña comes back after that to be followed by Remender's recent collaborator Greg Tocchini.
Finally, the writer spoke about stories coming sooner including the appearance of Captain Britain in issue #6. Remender said that because Psylocke falls in a family where one brother is a shining superhero and the other a madman, those relationships were important for him to dig into. "One thing we're going to play with here is how she sees herself in contrast to her brothers," he said.
"Uncanny X-Force" #11 by Remender and Mark Brooks is on sale in May. Tune in tomorrow for more from Marvel's MMXI slate of news.


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Finally I have uploaded my last look for LJFW. I couldn't resist to wear one fo my favorite pants again. Lace bra that is picking out of your blouse is probably one of the quiet trends of spring/summer season. I had this outfit prepared for a long time, but didn't know what to wear over it. Then I found this white, leather, biker jacket in Zara & I knew it would be perfect. It goes perfectly to this look & my personal style. I have some amazing news! My hat collection will be done in 2 weeks & I can not be more excited!!! It will not be as big collection as I wanted, but I will accept orders and believe me that all my hats will be unique.
Photography – Enja Brelih Photography
whole look – Zara / mules – Geox by Patrick Cox / handbag – Chloe / hat – The Blonde Bliss (my design) / bra – H&M
Love, Sara


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