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How about HTC-Highroad-Lotto? Greipel could go back there, if Cavendish is indeed Sky-bound, and take Gilbert with him. Of course that would depend on HTC staying on as main sponsors, or Soapy Bob finding a suitably well-heeled replacement, and the riders not being under contract to Omega Pharma past this year, or not being too expensive to buy out. I can't think of a better way to give Greipel the sprint train he wants, Gilbert the classics team he wants, and for Highroad to continue being the "winningest" team in professional cycling (although potential sponsors are probably more interested in GC contenders for next year's Tour.) Presumably, if Lotto wants to stay in the sport, they'll have to remain only a co-sponsor, otherwise they'd risk suffering the same fate as Unibet did, depending on how ASO decides to interpret French anti-gambling advertising laws.
Quick Step and Omega Pharma have announced that they are to combine forces to create a Belgian superteam that will take to the road for 2012 – but it looks as if they will do so without national champion and world number two, Philippe Gilbert, who has confirmed that communication between himself and his Omega Pharma-Lotto team is now being conducted through their respective lawyers.
It was revealed in April that Omega Pharma and Lotto would be going their separate ways at the end of 2011 having co-sponsored team management company Belgian Cycling Company since 2005.
Lotto, which operates the Belgian state lottery, had disagreed with Omega Pharma over the team's future direction, preferring to focus on home-grown talent, and has reportedly been looking for a co-sponsor to help back such a project.
In a statement released today, Quick Step confirmed that it had joined forces with Omega Pharma/BCC and that from 1 January it would change its name to Team Omega Pharma-Quick Step, with the pharmaceutical business acting as main sponsor for two years with an option for a further year. Quick Step will be co-sponsor for the next three years, with Patrick Lefevre remaining manager.
The companies thereby resume the relationship they enjoyed in 2003 and 2004, when one of Omega Pharma's brands, Davitamon, acted as co-sponsor of the team with Quick Step before joining forces with Lotto in 2005.
The team looks almost certain to be without Gilbert, however, winner of races this season including all three Ardennes classics, the Montepaschi Strade Bianche, Stage 1 of the Tour de France and Saturday's Clasica de San Sebastian.
Speaking to Belgian French-language newspaper Le Soir, Gilbert said: "I regret discovering that Omega Pharma has associated itself with Quick Step through the internet, I would have preferred through respect for my results and the rewards that I bring to my sponsors to have been informed by them personally."
Insisting that "I am the only person who will decide on my next sporting project," the 29-year-old went on to confirm that "so far, Lotto, BMC, Quick Step, and Astana have made me sporting and financial offers that have attracted my interest."
While Quick Step is one of the names he mentions, the evident deterioration of his relationship with BCC may help sway Gilbert's decision against the Belgian team's offer.
He added: "I regret not being able to inform my loyal supporters and the press as regards my decision, but you should know that the last official contact with BCC was undertaken through our lawyers acting as intermediaries."
Gilbert concluded: "I will battle on for these colours that I'm wearing this year right up until the end of the season and also and above all for my fantastic team mates."
Born in Scotland, Simon moved to London aged seven and now lives in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds with his miniature schnauzer, Elodie. He fell in love with cycling one Saturday morning in 1994 while living in Italy when Milan-San Remo went past his front door. A daily cycle commuter in London back before riding to work started to boom, he's been news editor at road.cc since 2009. Handily for work, he speaks French and Italian. He doesn't get to ride his Colnago as often as he'd like, and freely admits he's much more adept at cooking than fettling with bikes.
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I like the idea of a Belgian superteam - a team with Boonen for the flat classics and Gilbert for the hilly ones would be pretty formidable. But finding out about the team merger on the internet is an obvious way to make Gilbert leave - so presumably they don't want him. Is he just too expensive? It can't be the results...
What about Radio Shack ? they have the money and some of their riders are getting a bit long in the tooth ?
Sky ? dont know. He would fit in well with G and Flecha for the classics and also support Wiggins well in the tour etc as proved this year with his performance and what a cracking member of the lead out train for Cav if Cav signs for Sky.
Food for thought me thinks ?
Astana for Gilbert? They need a headline rider, and Kreuziger hasnt shown to be good enough this season to warrant sole leadership. Plus they must have a decent budget going spare, now Vino is out.
Otherwise I'd say BMC - they need to firm up their classics outfit, and with Evans seemingly concentrating on stage racing again after a spell of one day successes starting at the world champs, Gilbert would be a perfect choice to add more victories to the BMC trophy cabinet. IF, having spent a load on Evans, they can afford him...
Astana still have to pay Vino - he is still employed by them and gets a wage. Perhaps they might go for Sagan to team up with Kreuziger as they are both Czech - i think !
Now that Murdoch has a few million spare after he didn't get to buy BSKYB, i dont think money will be a problem for Sky ?


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Seven games into his first season with the Timberwolves, coach Rick Adelman already has reached a grim conclusion.
Adelman admitted Saturday, a day after the Wolves' most troubling loss of the young season, that he's up against the biggest challenge of his 21-year NBA coaching career to transform this team into a winner – or one that can at least execute fundamental phases of his system at both ends of the floor.
"I've never had a situation like this," Adelman said. "The stuff we're trying to run…we're not getting anything compared to what I'm normally used to seeing."
Adelman's high standards are becoming an issue for the Wolves (2-5), who play at winless Washington (0-7) today in the first of three games in three days.
After the Wolves completed a 2-4 homestand Friday night with a demoralizing 98-87 loss to Cleveland, Adelman said he's not sure about his next move. Does he scale his system back even further to simplify things for the players? Or does he stick with his limited game plan and continue to press them on better ballhandling and shot selection?
Either option could be difficult, with most Wolves players performing below expectations.
Forward Michael Beasley, shooting only 39 percent from the floor, is at the top of that list, but he will miss at least the next three games because of a right midfoot sprain. A magnetic resonance imaging exam Saturday revealed no ligament damage, but Beasley needed crutches to get around in the locker room after Friday night's loss.
Beasley was hurt with 1:58 remaining, an injury that will lead to lineup and rotation changes for the Wolves. Adelman was uncertain how his lineup will look for today's game, but rookie forward Derrick Williams figures to inherit more playing time at the small forward spot in Beasley's absence.
If there is a positive to Beasley's injury, Adelman likely will get an extensive look at the 6-foot-8 Williams playing alongside Kevin Love. Williams had been averaging 17.7 minutes before playing a season-high 26 against Cleveland.
"It will be a totally different game for Derrick at small forward," said Adelman, who used Williams mostly at power forward in the first seven games. "He'll have to defend small forwards. We haven't decided yet on what we're going to do."
Adelman has other concerns, too. He has spent much of his time focusing on the team's defense, which has made significant improvement from last season, but the offense has suffered. The Wolves lead the league in turnovers at 18.8 per game, an increase from their league-leading 17.0 miscues last season.
Adelman, who has taken teams to 16 NBA playoffs, is used to seeing a much more efficient offense.
"Our team is really struggling offensively right now," he said. "This is not an excuse, but it's a reality. We haven't had a chance to zero in on anything but pick-and-rolls with the limited practice time. I don't want to put too much new stuff in because we're not doing a lot of things well."
The one category in which Adelman and his staff can take solace is the Wolves' defensive effort. After allowing a league-high 107.7 points per game last season, opponents are averaging 95.9 through the first seven games. Only Miami and Oklahoma City topped 100 points, but the Wolves' combined 37 turnovers helped both teams escape with wins.
Despite the struggles, Wolves players say they are confident that Adelman can come up with solutions before things deteriorate like last season.
"You're going to have bad games," forward Anthony Tolliver said. "The question is, how are you going to respond to it? We'll see what we're made of over the next few games. I know we can turn this around if everybody steps up."
Barea travels with team: Wolves point guard J.J. Barea, who has missed the past three games because of a strained right hamstring, accompanied the team to Washington but Adelman was uncertain whether he would play today.
Follow Ray Richardson at Twitter.com/Twolvesnow.

subset: commoncrawl


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Police: Man trespassed, assaulted officer
Updated 11:36 pm, Friday, March 1, 2013
DANBURY -- A 37-year-old man kicked a police officer while being arrested Thursday afternoon for trespassing at the Courtyard Danbury hotel, a police spokesman said.
Mark Bivona, who has no permanent address, was cuffed and detained on charges of criminal trespassing, assaulting a public safety officer and interfering with the duties of an officer, Det. Lt. Thomas Michael said in a news release Friday.
"I guess he's been on the property of the hotel and been warned to stay away before," Michael said.
Bivona was held overnight on $25,000 bond and was to be arraigned Friday in Danbury Superior Court.
Officers were dispatched to the hotel on Eagle Road just before 1 p.m. to investigate a report of a person inhaling from an aerosol can. They found Bivona in a nearby wooded area, "slumped over the ground with his face into the mud," Michael said.
He stirred when an officer yelled at him to stand up, but instead reached for the aerosol can, police said.
"When the officer knocked the can out of his hand, Bivona began to kick the officer, striking him in lower left leg," Michael said.
Bivona had to be physically restrained before being handcuffed, Michael said.
Police said no one was injured.
email@example.com; 203-731-3350; http://www.twitter.com/ljanyNT


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Explore the Algarve - Stunning Quinta do Lago Holidays
The Algarve is one of the real treasures of Portugal. This beautiful region has a lot to offer visitors and you can enjoy it all from lovely Quinta do Lago estate.
There are a number of luxury villas and apartments set in the heart of this beautiful estate. You will be able to relax and unwind at Quinta do Lago and enjoy the wonderful attractions the Algarve has to offer.
Stunning Locations
The Quinta do Lago estate is a beautiful Mediterranean paradise. This wonderful location is on the south eastern edge of the wonderful Ria Formosa Natural Park. This offers acres of protected land in the Algarve that preserves the amazing natural flora and fauna.
When you holiday at Quinta do Lago you can enjoy the amazing natural habitats including large pine forests and unspoilt lakes. There are two beautiful nature trails around Quinta do Lago that offer an accessible way to explore these wonderful surroundings. This is ideal if you love nature and want to get out and about during your stay.
Activities and Entertainments
There is also plenty to do at the Quinta do Lago estate. This area is known for its fantastic golf courses so if you enjoy the game you will be able to relax out on the green in your spare time. There are also some other great sports on offer including tennis, horse riding, hiking, swimming, windsurfing, sailing and fishing.
- Golden beaches are close by so if you are looking for the best summer beach holiday then Quinta do Lago is ideal for you.
- If you are a shopaholic then you can also enjoy the Quinta shopping centre which offers over 40 shops selling everything from designer clothing through to antiques.
- This is also a great place to enjoy a delicious meal as there are a number of great cafes and restaurants.
Self-Catering Apartments
Self-catering apartments and villas are available in Quinta do Lago. This offers more freedom for couples and families when it comes to dining. You can choose whether you eat out or enjoy a quiet meal in. This can also be a cost effective option if you are on a tight budget for your Algarve holiday.
Michael Reilly - About Author:
Quinta do Lago has a lot to offer visitors of all ages. The stunning landscapes will appeal to nature lovers and there are also plenty of sports on offer for those that enjoy active past times.
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Fabulising February has taken a back seat at the moment, I was just too tired this weekend to create anything new... Must be the weather or something as everyone is saying the same! I might just have to create something in March to make up for it :)
But the time of year has come again to celebrate the Oscars. I have only seen a few of the movies nominated for anything this year (well that's pretty much the same every year tbh) but somehow there was much less of a hype to it this year than normally. I can't quite put my finger to it but it just wasn't the same. Coming up with a menu also wasn't easy let me tell you. All my usual websites didn't have any suggestions whatsoever, but in the end we had a lovely meal that didn't even take that much prep! Now there's a change... So let me show you, the Oscar Party of 2015!
I had the usual decorations up of course... I forgot to take a picture of the Oscar statues, doh!
As I'd only started the (minimal but still needed) prep when I got home from work, we skipped the red carpet and went straight to the show. I'll have to catch up on the red carpet though as I love seeing all the dresses. It was a bit tricky with the food, and the ballot, and the bingo going on at the same time! Let me show you the food I made for the nominees for Best Picture:
The Theory of Everything - blini with caviar (the cheap stuff), and chorizo (because you know, it has everything). This one was so difficult so we just diverted to our usual option. Very yummy though!
American Sniper - Texas Caviar. As the main character is a proud Texan, I had to find a recipe that was the same. This was amazing! I had the leftovers yesterday, it's really really good!
Selma - Southern Broccoli Tomato Salad. MLK loved his greens apparently, so I tweaked this recipe (left out the cheese and the dressing) as a side. It was gorgeous!
Boyhood - Pizza Hawai with BBQ sauce. In the movie they appear to go for pizza etc a lot, so this seemed just perfect, especially with the added BBQ sauce.
This is where the light got turned off so the pics are terrible but you get the idea...
Birdman - Panseared NY Strip with Garlic Butter Sauce Onions. No chicken for this movie, but as it plays in NY, the bf cooked this lovely steak :)
Whiplash - South Style Lima Beans. Another southern dish as jazz is from the south. Apparently so are lima beans, but guess what? They don't sell those here! Or so we found out after hours of shopping... So we opted for butter beans instead which also worked very well.
The Imitation Game - Potato-Celeriac Cakes. The celeriac was left out, but these were really nice! Loved the nutmeg addition :) And the bf saved the day by telling me to add some flour to make it stick together more, it worked like a charm.
The Grand Budapest Hotel - Chocolate Eclairs and Custard Slices. I shamefully admit that I didn't prep this at all and had to go out and BUY dessert. I've never bought dessert for an Oscar party. But making choux pastry in the last minute when I've never made it before just wasn't something I wanted to attempt. And the bf looked everywhere for a Religieuse, but again no luck. These were still very good though :)
I managed to spectacularly lose not only the Oscar Bingo (my square came up at the second to last award!) but also the Oscar ballot. Can you believe I only had 4 points out of 24? Shocking... Must prepare better next year. But as always it was great fun, and I just love how this became a tradition!


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'Tis the midseason
By JOEY KNIGHT, Times Staff Writer
Published December 26, 2007
Maybe it's the fact football season just ended. Or that it has felt like winter around here for only about 30 minutes. In any case, it hardly seems like we're already halfway through the local prep basketball season. Once holiday tournaments wrap up, most teams will have played a dozen or so games, and some of them have been doozies with dazzling performances - and surprise emergences. Here's a look at what we deem the best of the season's opening half.
Midseason boys MVP: Luke Loucks, Sr., Clearwater
Quite simply, the 6-foot-5 FSU signee has been the best player on the area's best team. In an eight-point win Friday against previously undefeated Ridgewood, Loucks (13.6 ppg) scored 19 and created seemingly as many scoring chances for his teammates. "That's why he's going where he's going," Rams coach Gary Anders said.
Midseason girls MVP: Sasha Chaplin, Sr., St. Petersburg Catholic
An Indiana signee, Chaplin (18.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg) recorded consecutive double doubles in mid-December victories against Hillsborough County powers Tampa Catholic (see Best Performances) and Academy of the Holy Names.
Best boys games:
- Ridgewood 70, Land O'Lakes 69 (Dec. 11 at Ridgewood)
With his team's undefeated record less than 20 seconds from being smudged out, Rams senior guard Mike Lawrence weaved his way downcourt and into the Gators' lane for the winning layup with seven seconds to play. We've since discovered Lawrence was playing with a badly bruised hand.
- Armwood 76, Freedom 72 OT (Nov. 26 at Freedom)
Down by 15 with 21/2 minutes to play in regulation, the Hawks staged one of the most furious rallies in recent memory behind 6-foot-5 point guard Adam Sollazzo (see Best Performances), who finished with 39 points.
- Chamberlain 62, Plant 57 4OT (Dec. 21 at Tampa Prep)
Chamberlain coach Doug Aplin only assumed he had seen it all in his 30 years on the Chiefs bench. In this semifinal of the City of Tampa Championship, he witnessed his first four-overtime game. Previously unbeaten Plant led by six (with 1:05 to play) in the second overtime and four in the third before Chamberlain rallied. A pair of free throws from senior Dantavis Adkins (23 points) with 26 seconds to play in the fourth OT finally iced it.
Best girls games:
- St. Petersburg 57, Sickles 55 (Dec. 14 at Sickles)
Three weeks after a 14-point loss to the unbeaten Gryphons, St. Petersburg appeared destined for a similar fate in the rematch. Sickles led by three in overtime, but the Devils again stormed back, winning on Jazmyne Green's layup at the buzzer.
- Academy of the Holy Names 58, Tampa Catholic 57 (Nov. 28 at Holy Names)
News of the Jaguars' rebuilding season was greatly exaggerated, as TC discovered. Leading by a point with 12.5 seconds to play, the Crusaders missed the front end of a one-and-one, setting up Katie Davis' layup with four seconds to play.
- Boca Ciega 52, Lakewood 48 (Nov. 27 at Lakewood)
No team has come closer to challenging the Pirates than Lakewood, which got a 25-point effort from senior Kerah Nelson. The Spartans led by three at halftime, but Nelson managed only four second-half points.
Who are these guys?
Okay, their district isn't nearly as solid as your aunt's fruitcake, but the Springstead Eagles are performing far beyond our expectations. Despite losing nine seniors and their coach from last season's 23-6 squad, the Eagles (11-1) are flourishing under 55-year-old Pat Kelly, who has more than 560 coaching wins in three states.
Who are these girls?
Apparently, we're not the only ones who have been blindsided by Tampa Bay Tech (15-0), which has defeated 13 teams by double-digit margins. Senior Andrea Bridges (15.1 ppg, 2.5 spg) was the lone returning starter from last season's eight-win team, but Blake sophomore transfers Re Re Jenrette (6.4 assists) and Dd Davis (11.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg) have provided other dimensions.
Best boys performances:
- Adam Sollazzo, Armwood(vs. Freedom, Nov. 26)
For one magical night against the Patriots, this senior Hawk was a ball hawk - in a good sense. The 6-foot-5 point guard scored 15 of his 39 in the last eight minutes to rally Armwood from a 15-point deficit for a 76-72 overtime triumph.
- Dante Valentine, Springstead(vs. Hernando, Nov. 30)
The Eagles junior point guard scored 41, including four 3-pointers, in an 89-51 rout of county rival Hernando. Defensively, Valentine had seven takeaways for an Eagles defense that tallied 19 steals.
- Cam Carden, Pinellas Park(vs. Largo, Dec. 18)
We know, we know, Jake Troyli had a game-high 27 in this 81-48 Patriots romp, but Carden's effort was as valiant as Troyli's was prolific. Recovering from strep throat, Carden tallied a double double (15 points, 11 assists, four steals) in a game that helped quiet skeptics who claimed Pinellas Park hadn't played anyone.
Best girls performances:
- Sasha Chaplin, St. Petersburg Cath. (vs. Tampa Catholic, Dec. 11)
Facing one of Hillsborough County's best teams, Chaplin tallied 31 points, 13 rebounds and three assists in a 63-46 romp. Eleven of her points came at the free-throw line.
- Kayli Keough, Land O'Lakes(vs. Ridgewood, Dec. 11)
Seven days after a humbling double-digit loss to Wesley Chapel (the Gators' only defeat), this 6-foot-2 FSU signee made a statement that spanned the entire stat book: 20 points, eight rebounds, seven steals and seven blocks in a 45-34 triumph.
- Charlet Davis, Freedom(vs. Tampa Bay Tech, Nov. 16)
Though her team lost this game 62-51, Davis delivered an astounding performance against an undefeated squad. The final numbers for the 5-foot-7 senior: 26 points, 14 rebounds and six steals.
Boys second-half story lines:
- Rams to riches? Armed with his best assemblage of talent, Gary Anders, the veteran Ridgewood coach, will pursue his first state title.
- Pinellas supremacy: The best team in Pinellas County should be determined next month, when Clearwater, Pinellas Park and Lakewood play one another at least once.
- The Bucs stop ... in Lakeland? Berkeley Prep, which has four players with double-figure scoring averages, will make a serious run at the program's first state title.
Girls second-half story lines
- Spartans-Pirates, part deux: The rematch of the Nov. 27 meeting (see Best Games) is Jan. 8.
- Life after Sthefany: When Sthefany Thomas - the best player in Wesley Chapel history - graduated, the assumption was the Wildcats would suffer at least a slight dropoff. But Warren Jones' team (9-1) appears it has the balance to make a longer playoff run than it did with the Clemson signee.
- Charting Chaplin:We're waiting to see if anyone is capable of stopping St. Petersburg Catholic's imposing star.


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I just received word from Emily, my co-hostesses with the mostest, that we have the go ahead for the next High Noon Craftacular. This will be our holiday show and will be held on Saturday and Sunday November 25 and 26th at the High Noon Saloon. Official applications and additional info will be available soon, but if anyone knows they are interested, shoot me an email and we will get a a list started of pre-applicants (email@example.com).
Thanks Emily for getting the ball rolling!


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This page has been created for students who may have extended absences from school and need to work at home to stay in good standing in Art class. All these projects are designed to be completed at home and require the students to spend at least 3, 80 minute sessions of work time.
There are assignments and resources for all the courses listed on the left. If you have questions please contact Ms.Craig at email@example.com or Ms.Hanson at email@example.com.
Please email your art teacher before you begin one of these assignments.


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Varshalomidze's Advisor Moved to Opposition
Nugzar (Bachuki) Chkheidze, one of the advisors to the Head of Adjara Government Levan Varshalomidze, resigned from the position because of his political views. On August 4, he publicly declared his support to Bidzina Ivanishvili, leader of the Georgian Dream.
"Their main argument is political. I believe that with this political system we will lead the country to total collapse. All constitutional norms are breached and they try to remove the country out of all constitutional frames. I will not allow myself not to take adequate measures," Chkheidze said.
Nobody commented on the issue from the Adjara Government. They suggested us to see the statement on their official website ajara.gov.ge, which states that Chkhaidze was not fired because of his political views.
"Nugzar Chkheidze has been dismissed from his position based on the order of the Chairman of Adjara AR Government since 27th of July 2012 due to frequent violation of his duties and for leaving the office without permission for more than 5 days," official statement of the Adjara government states.
Bachuki Chkheidze said this statement is ridiculous and is not going to claim anything. "Simply, their statement is very ridiculous. Why did they reimburse my phone, transportation and other expenses if I was fired? I am not going to claim anything. I used to go to the office every day."
Bachuki Chkheidze had been advisor to the Head of Adjara Government in the self-governmental issues for the last one year. Before that, he was deputy minister of healthcare in Adjara. For some time, he was head of tourism department of Adjara.
Maka Malakmadze, Adjara
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A few days ago I ended one of my posts by declaring that the present Hungarian government is a far-right formation and that it's time for the western media to recognize this fact. Unfortunately, there are still far too many publications that keep referring to Fidesz and the Orbán government as a nationalistic, right-of-center, or conservative, party and government. I'm afraid they are wrong.
Some observers insist that the Viktor Orbán-led Fidesz has no definable ideology. The Hungarian prime minister is simply an opportunistic populist and a cynic, they claim. Maybe, but I find it striking that on April 26, when Viktor Orbán delivered his speech to the European Parliament in defense of his policies, only members of the far-right parties came to his support. All the others, including members of the European People's Party, condemned his self-declared illiberal state and his systemic degradation of the country's democratic institutions.
A good example of the ideological orientation of the regime is the Hungarian government's embrace of the World Congress of Families (WCF). I already wrote about the forthcoming four-day pro-family extravaganza on May 11, but now that it is over I think we should take a second look.
I will start with some critical foreign reactions to the WCF's holding its eleventh summit in Budapest. Right-Wing Watch called this year's summit "part of a global struggle for achieving the group's goals: restricting legal recognition for LGBTQ people and families, denying women legal access to abortion, and opposing sex education." According to Right-Wing Watch, the organizers "picked Hungary as a way to show support for the government of strongman leader Viktor Orbán, whom WCF calls "the hero of pro-family and pro-life leaders." The short article is accompanied by a long list of participants, including Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King, who last year said that Hillary Clinton wanted to "usher in the Antichrist." The Guardian quoted Lóránt Győri, a political scientist, who said that "this is not normal conservative politics." Because of the WCF's connection to the Russian far right, he believes that "there's a geopolitical angle which is about Russia and the Kremlin trying to sell its message. The Kremlin uses [groups like] the WCF to assert its soft power in central European society." And, most importantly, "by elevating this conference to a state-level event, we now can almost see that Fidesz is positioning itself as a far-right party."
When I first discovered that members of the Hungarian government attended the Moscow Summit in 2014, I thought that perhaps Zoltán Balog and his team had not been fully aware of the ideological make-up of the WCF and its questionable connections to Russian oligarchs. Perhaps they didn't know the unsavory reputation of this group. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. Balog and his undersecretary in charge of family affairs, Katalin Novák, have had close contacts with the group for some time. No mistake here, the Hungarian government surely knew what kind of a group they had invited and sponsored.
Those who follow Hungarian news are only too aware of the reluctance of members of the Orbán government to give interviews, especially to media they consider to be unfriendly. But Balog appeared on RTL Klub's evening news about two weeks before the opening of the Summit, denying that the WCF is a homophobic organization. As far as he was concerned, "an awful lot of stupid stories appeared about 'who's who' among the participants." Any organization the Hungarian government has contacts with is "considered to be a reliable partner." Well, I guess that depends on whom the government considers reliable. Obviously those who share the government's views.
It was not a long time ago that I said a few approving words about Heti Válasz's more independent political orientation and its abandonment of the government propaganda line they had been toeing way after Magyar Nemzet and Hír TV decided to return to acceptable journalistic practices. However, one of their journalists, Szilárd Szőnyi, got into an argument with 444.hu, which had published a long article about the checkered past of the WCF with special emphasis on the fact that "the Congress supported the Russian anti-gay law." Szőnyi admitted that it wouldn't pass muster in the "western world." But, he added, 90% of Russian society supports the law," it has an overwhelming democratic mandate, so I gather there is nothing wrong with it.
A few days later Válasz reported that Philip Zimbardo, the psychologist best known for his 1971 Stanford prison experiment, had distanced himself from the WCF. Zimbardo delivered his lecture not to the gathering of the WCF but to the Budapest Demographic Forum, which was a serious international conference on demographics. The problem was that the World Congress of Families XI, the Budapest Demographic Forum, and the One of Us Pro-Life Conference were all held together under the rubric "The Budapest Family Summit." Viktor Orbán opened the Budapest Demographic Forum while Zoltán Balog and Katalin Novák opened the conference of the WCF. There may have been two distinct affairs held at different venues, but the whole weekend had a distinctively far-right hue which, I'm afraid, overshadowed even the professional gathering of the Demographic Forum.
One of the participants in the WCF gathering was Beatrix von Storch, the AfD member of the European Parliament, who gave a long interview to Magyar Hírlap. Let's keep in mind that she was one of the few far-right EP members who spoke in defense of Viktor Orbán's anti-democratic policies. In fact, she was the one who extended an apology in the name of the European Parliament for the way they treated the Hungarian prime minister.
During the course of the interview she complained that in Germany a conference like this one, sponsored by the government, couldn't be held. The topics the speakers covered couldn't be discussed in Germany. For example, "there was a discussion at the conference about the correlation between the educational attainment of children and their church attendance." That would be a taboo topic. If she organized a conference like that, no government official would think of attending. "In addition, at least 500-1,000 policemen would be needed to defend us against aggressive far-left demonstrators." Von Storch claimed in the interview that her car had been set on fire because she spoke up for "traditional marriages."
As far as the opposition parties are concerned, they paid no attention to the event, with the exception of the Demokratikus Koalíció's László Sebián-Petrovszki, who is the leader of the party's LGBTQ working group. He labelled the concept of "family" propagated by the Family Summit hopelessly out of date. It narrows the concept of family to what the group calls "the natural family," which means a heterosexual couple whose association serves only one purpose: biological reproduction. The demographic message of this family extravagance was utterly unrealistic, and Viktor Orbán's speech about the government's method for remedying the demographic shortfall was based on wishful thinking. To quote Zsuzsanna Makay, a demographer, "1980 was the last time there was a higher birth rate than death rate. To get back to a positive population growth [assuming there is neither immigration nor migration], an additional 30,000 babies [over and above the 2016 birth rate of 93,100] would have to be born every year. This is simply impossible to achieve." The rest is just talk at far-right conferences on family values and reproduction.


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Wolves' Saunders Dies At Age 60The veteran NBA head coach died after a battle with Hodgkins lymphoma.
Cavs, Warriors Should Repeat As Division ChampsThe Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors are two of six projected division winners for the 2015-2016 NBA season.
A Look Back At Odom's NBA CareerLamar Odom's career began and ended with the Los Angeles Clippers, but the star forward won a couple of NBA rings with the Lakers along the way.
Fredette Cut By SpursThe former BYU star has played for four NBA teams since he joined the NBA in 2011.
Thompson Signs Extension With CavsThe holdout, which lasted about three weeks, ended when Thompson agreed to a five-year, $82 million contract.
San Antonio Spurs Waive Jimmer FredetteAlong with Fredette, the Spurs also waived Youssou Ndoye, Keifer Sykes and Deshaun Thomas to trim down its roster.
NBA GMs Predict Cavs To Win TitleIn the annual poll, NBA GMs think the Cavaliers will win the NBA title over the Warriors with LeBron James winning NBA MVP.
Dez Bryant 50-50 Return For Week 7Dez Bryant will evaluate his injury the next two days but could play against the Giants in Week 7.
New Do, New Team For LinThe new Charlotte Hornet has blown up in the preseason and sports a slick, shiny Mohawk.
Karl Wary Of Naming Kings StartersShooting guard and center staring spots are up for grabs for the Sacramento Kings.
Odom's Condition Continues To ImproveLamar Odom, 35, is 'way, way better' on Saturday as he remains in critical condition at a Las Vegas hospital.
New Orleans Pelicans Sign Robinson, McCalebbPelicans add Nate Robinson and Bo McCalebb to roster.
Lamar Odom's Long And Challenging Rise To FameA look inside Lamar Odom's rise to fame and fall from grace.
Rose Likely To Miss PreseasonDerrick Rose is dealing with an injury that could cost him the start of the 2015-2016 NBA season.
NBA Reacts To Odom's 'Fight For His Life'Former teammates and friends expressed thoughts and prayers former Laker Lamar Odom.
Carmelo Anthony Taking Lead in New YorkAnthony wants more accountability for him in the upcoming season.
Spurs' Leonard Wants NBA Titles, Not Individual AwardsLeonard speaks about aiming for championships with the San Antonio Spurs.
Randle Expected To Help Running Lakers' OffenseByron Scott wants Julius Randle initiating the Lakers' offense on the break.
Stephenson Looks Forward To Clippers StintLance Stephenson looks back at his failed Hornets stint and looks forward to his time with the Clippers.
Lamb Can Be 'Really Good' For Charlotte HornetsJeremy Lamb had a forgettable stint with the Oklahoma City Thunder but can find a big role with his new team, the Charlotte Hornets.


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Feb 01,2008
Officials find frozen dead animals in home
by UPI
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Officials removed an estimated 200 neglected animals, almost half of which were dead and frozen, from a Virginia Beach, Va., home.Animal Control officials Tuesday found more than 100 ferrets, a bird, a dog and three cats "living in deplorable, unsanitary and crowded conditions," The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot reported Wednesday.Nearly every living animal in the home was malnourished and dehydrated. Eighty-nine ferrets, a cat, a rat and an otter were found dead in freezers throughout the home and a garage, a police spokeswoman said -- and 61 of the ferrets were euthanized because their condition was so poor.The property owners could not be reached for an interview, the newspaper said, and a man who answered the door said, "Go away!"Teresa Lamarche of the Virginia Beach SPCA said the organization normally doesn't take in ferrets because they should be left in the wild, but she said an exception was made for the surviving ferrets in this case.
© 2008 United Press International. All Rights Reserved.


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LONDON — — Ten seconds. That's all that separated Sarah Groff from an Olympic medal Saturday.
After four years of planning, thousands of hours of training and nearly 34 miles of racing in the Games' most demanding event, the triathlon, Groff could see the finish line — and a medal — just 400 yards away. But she couldn't get there fast enough, finishing fourth in a mad dash to the end that required a photo to separate winner Nicola Spirig of Switzerland fromSweden'sLisa Norden. Both were timed in 1 hour 59 minutes 48 seconds.
Australia'sErin Densham was third, two seconds back — but 10 seconds, less time than it takes most people to brush their teeth, in front of Groff.
"If you don't have a kick, you don't have a kick," Groff said, her eyes watering. "I didn't have it. There's nothing I could do at that point."