text: Anyone with a hint of curiosity usually pulls over to admire it's striking aesthetics and forgotten history. At least 30 lines of parallel train tracks fixed with hundreds of industrial railroad cars, sitting idle or abandoned, turns an otherwise polluted wasteland into an artists canvas. It's a haven for photographers and train buffs alike. I also believe it's one of largest active switchest stations in the world, and being in upstate New York it dates back some 200 years. Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to spend the afternoon shooting a training video on it's frosty grounds. This is a shot of the Locomotive Inspection Facility at the CSX Selkirk Yard where locomotives go for quarterly inspections. I shot under, over and along side this mammoth beast. Grease, tar and black soot coated my tripod while in the pit but the vantage point made for amazing footage. The project is due on Sunday so I'm scrambling to get it done – guess my weekend of skiing will just have to wait.


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Taoiseach insists €10bn 'overdraft' won't cost taxpayers
TAOISEACH Enda Kenny has insisted that taxpayers will not be hit with more harsh demands from the EU, IMF and ECB troika in return for a proposed €10bn 'overdraft'.
The Government is seeking the credit line as a precautionary measure.
It is part of the planning for the country to exit from the current €85bn bailout at the end of this year.
Mr Kenny insisted that it would not lead a repeat of the strict conditions contained in the current bailout agreement with the troika – which have led to taxpayers being hit with a property tax this year and water charges next year.
And he dismissed criticisms from Sinn Fein that the overdraft would amount to a "second bailout".
"They would do that, wouldn't they," he said.
Mr Kenny welcomed the support of head of the eurozone finance ministers Jeroen Dijsselbloem for an overdraft facility next year after the country exited the bailout.
Europe's bailout pot, the European Stability Mechanism, has two smaller pots for cash under these circumstances – the precautionary conditioned credit line and the enhanced conditions credit line.
Countries can apply to Mr Dijsselbloem – who is also the Dutch Finance Minister –for assistance, as he manages the pot on behalf of Europe.
The European Commission then decides whether the country meets the conditions.
Junior Minister for Finance Brian Hayes said this overdraft would not contain the type of specific conditions laid down in the current bailout agreement.
But he said the State would have to stick to its overall targets to bring down its budget deficit – which is currently around €12bn.
"That's already in place. we've already signed up to it, it's called the fiscal treaty. Part of that is that each country had to live within its means and had to reduce its current budget deficit," he said.
The Government has not yet reached agreement with the troika on how large the overdraft will be – but Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said he will be looking for €10bn.
Irish Independent

subset: commoncrawl


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The Mariners won't be featured in ESPN's "Sunday Night Baseball" until at least June, if at all.
The network released a schedule for the first part of the season. Not surprisingly, the Boston Red Sox will be featured four times and the New York Yankees three times. The Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants will play twice.
There is a chance the Mariners could sneak into the lineup from June 5-July 3, which the network left open. ESPN has not released a schedule for games after July 17.
Many of the games are rivalries, including Yankees-Red Sox (twice), Reds-Cardinals, Giants-Dodgers and Mets-Phillies.
The broadcast this year will have a much different feel than years past. Play-by-play man John Miller has been replaced with Dan Shulman. Analyst Joe Morgan has been replaced with Bobby Valentine. Analyst Orel Hershiser will return.


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Recipes in this Post
I bought meat to make Beef Stroganoff, but then realized there was not enough meat to make a meal enough for four people. Not only that, my friend had come by with a bottle of white wine, just the thing for Risotto. I thought I could combine the two and make something really wonderful. I was right, and I even had enough for the next day's lunch!
Continue reading


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Bruce Jenner and His Wives
We watched. Even though many of us didn't really want to.
And whether we wanted to watch or not, none of us could really look away for long from Diane Sawyer's two hour interview of Bruce Jenner on ABC, or the promotions leading up to it, or the mediastorm afterward. We couldn't look away even if we wanted to because so many of us have similar stories – and we needed to hear this one, or at least parts of it.
The interview was carefully laid out, to avoid sensational vulgarity and to educate the general public about the experience of being transgender. Some of the more important points included the difference between sexuality and gender. Bruce refers to his inner person as "her", but has not yet made the physical transition, so still accepts being called "he". But his sexuality has not changed – he still desires women.
That clearly can be a problem for a woman who wants a man. Yet, in the interview, he says that if it had been ok with Kris, his third wife, it probably would have all worked out.
This is the type of comment that causes straight spouses to shake our heads and say "WHAT????"
And yet, there are couples who do stay together after a transgender process is complete. They are rare. But it happens. This is a highly individual experience for the spouse. Remember, marriage involves two people.
Diane Sawyer did a very good job of establishing a timeline of disclosures. Bruce told his first two wives during the marriage. In fact, he said began to transition back in the 80s when he was married to his second wife, Linda Thompson. Linda herself confirms this in her excellent article for Huffington Post.
So…if Bruce was growing breasts when he was married to wife #2, well then, what about wife #3, Kris Jenner?
Straight spouses know all too well the interrogation that happens when we disclose the truth about our spouses, or when they come out.
You know, the constant harping on "what did you know and when did you know it? Oh, you HAD to know. " or "REALLY? Are you sure??? How long have you known this? What makes you think this…" Often these phrases are followed up with advice to just get over it, stop dwelling on it, stop talking about it, or just plain "nah, you're wrong". Some of us literally have nowhere to turn. That is why the Straight Spouse Network exists.
We don't care what Kris Jenner knew and when she knew it or what she should have known. Because even when we think we know, we really don't know the full impact of our LGBT spouses' true identities on our lives. People talk a lot more about transgender issues now than they did when Kris and Bruce were married. We hope the media and the general public will treat her with compassion and cut her some slack.
Two of Bruces wives wished him well with statements featured on the broadcast. He was joined by four of his children. Kris had no comment. We understand her desire to not comment at this stage of the disclosure. This is a shattering experience for spouses. It takes years for many of us to truly get to a point where we can sincerely wish our spouses well, as Bruce's first two wives have done.
Linda Thompson commented on how shattering the experience was for her, and how it caused her to question her own sexual worth. This is a woman who first laid eyes on Bruce during his 1976 Olympic Decathalon competition as she watched on TV while in bed with Elvis.
Yes. Elvis.
She went on to become a television actress, a Malibu mom, well known for her fitness and beauty. If this experience causes such an obviously physically beautiful woman to question her sexual worth, imagine what it does to the average wife. None of Bruce's wives are average people – and yet – it takes time to heal. As many of us know, it can take a long time.
The Straight Spouse Network exists to give free, confidential peer to peer support for the heterosexual spouses, ex spouses, and partners of LGBT people. It doesn't matter if they are in or out of the closet. It doesn't matter if they admit what you know. It doesn't matter if you aren't sure and are wondering. If this is an issue in your relationship, we are here for you.
There will be more attention paid to transgender families in the media – there is already a series "TransParent" on Amazon, and a new series is coming to ABC Family. It is our hope that the real story of our families can be told – the path to acceptance and support, the grief process, and all the complicated issues that are present in families of all types are clearly a big part of our story. Much of what we see portrayed in the media is only supportive family members after they've resolved their own feelings, or the destructive emotions of those who disown transgender youth. We are here to support all our families telling their stories, in safety and truth.
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Concealer, Clothes, and the Closet
By Georgia Lynne Pine
Looking back, I should never have ignored that sharp, spinning sensation in my mind when I found concealer under my new boyfriend's bed. If I am honest with myself, and these days I try very hard to always be honest with myself, I knew his explanation wasn't the truth.
"It's from my old girlfriend," he stammered. "I didn't know it was here."
I offered to throw it away. I was right near the garbage can.
"Well, I use it, sometimes, to cover my pockmarks."
But my own father had rugged skin. Clint Eastwood! Pockmarks are masculine. Sexy. Nothing to hide.
Of course, he never looked like he wore concealer. And he still wouldn't throw it away. It was just something he wanted to keep, even though it had no meaning for him and he never really used it and he hadn't realized it was there anyway. I should just hand it to him and forget it.
It was the first of many times that I chose to ignore the voice in my head, and accept the story he told as "close enough to the truth."
Sometimes, my boyfriend was going to lie. And as a good girlfriend, I was going to let him. Because men are fragile and sensitive and their egos can't handle too much direct confrontation. He had that concealer for some reason, and he didn't want me to know why, and for god's sake he had proposed to me. He was committed. He loved me. Right?
A wedding, two international moves, and four children later, I was organizing my lingerie drawer and all my good stuff was gone. The red, lacy panties. The black ones with the narrow straps at the hip. The deep, emerald green. The leopard print. After a few weeks of wondering what the heck happened to all my fancy lady gear, I found it all, in the bottom of the laundry hamper in the basement. Stretched out, covered in dried semen, and rolled in a towel.
My husband emerged from his office–directly off the laundry room–and I confronted him about what I called, "Victoria's Other Secret."
"If you're going to wear women's underwear, the least you can do is buy your own. This is all stretched. And gross. It's gross that you're wearing my underwear to masturbate."
He kind of ducked his head, and smiled, and said it was fun. I shouldn't think much about it.
It wasn't all that fun for me. I had a husband who wouldn't have sex with me, and now all my best underwear kind of felt like it had been stolen. Used. And yet I washed it, and put it back in my lingerie drawer, and got back to the business of raising my children and keeping my questions to myself.
A few years later, he asked me to swap clothes with him, "just to see. Just to try. It could be really sexy."
I was so desperate for him to touch me or look at me or want me, by then, that I was willing to do just about anything he suggested. So, I gave him free access to my closet, and I wore the outfit he chose for me. I can't remember what he wore, that night, but I remember he put me in a pair of his khakis, a yellow, Oxford-cloth shirt and a tie. He let me wear my own loafers, because they were masculine enough.
I spent the entire sex act staring at the top of his head.
Afterward, he asked me.
"Was it hot? Did you like being in men's clothes? We could do it again, if you're into it, sometime. For you."
I told him the truth–that it was neutral, for me. After all, a shirt and khakis are clothes I might wear, anyway. He seemed disappointed, even though he was glad that I was willing to do it because I loved him and it mattered to him (and I wanted my husband to have sex with me, but what was the point of beating that dead horse?) Then he asked another question.
"Was it hot to see me in your clothes?"
He seemed stunned when I said it wasn't. That I had had to try not to see him dressed as a woman, to be able to have sex. That it was gross, but I had been willing to try it because it mattered so much to him.
"Well, fine, then."
He went back to his office, next to the laundry room, where he spent so much of his time. And I went back to the business of raising my sons, and working up the courage to leave my closeted, gay husband.Read More


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Where were you when the Xbox 360 version of BioShock 2 leaked? (Because it just did, you see.)
Five days. We're a whopping five days away from the game's official release date, but BioShock 2, the second truly big game of the year (the other being Mass Effect 2) has now leaked. Well, the Xbox 360 version, that is. It's found where these type of things can be found, and I only mention it for the sake of mentioning it. Me? I'll wait for the Steam version, thank… Read More
Someone call the RIAA: Amazon accidentally sends out Lil Wayne album despite the fact that it's been delayed till February
Oops! As I'm sure you all know, famous rapper Lil Wayne has a new album in the works. It was supposed to come out next week, but was pushed back for whatever reason. No big deal, albums get pushed back all the time. (See: Detox. We'll have flying cars by the time that comes out.) Anyhow, apparently Amazon didn't get the memo since it sent out copies of the album to about… Read More
Leaked: HTC's handset releases for the first half of 2010
If HTC's trying to keep their device releases top-secret, they're not doin' a very good job. While individual leaks seem to be rare, they seem to be making a habit out of bundling up all their upcoming releases into one big presentation, which in turn leaks all over the internet. It happened right at the beginning of 2009 and, sure enough, it looks like the first half of 2010… Read More
ChromeOS spotted with dock and other blurry UI elements
A blurry snapshot of ChromeOS has surfaced showing a new, Mac-like dock and some battery and wireless notifiers in the bottom corner. This OS looks so stripped down compared to other OSes we've used that we're loathe to call it anything more than a shell. However, we all love us some Google so let's just stare at it for a while while we eat our Subway sub. Read More
Windows 7 guarantee program starting June 26 at Best Buy
A leaked memo has outed June 26 as the starting date when Best Buy (and possibly other places, if this is a Microsoft-blessed program) will guarantee a free copy of Windows 7 at its launch if you buy a Vista-based system immediately. The memo itself is actually a bit catty, saying that Windows 7 isn't just a "Vista that works" — cold as ice, Best Buy. But the point of… Read More
Dell Mini 11 revealed in leaked netbook roadmap
Get ready for the Dell Mini 11! Yup, it looks like Dell's laptop roadmap has been leaked, and the Mini 11 features prominently. The Mini 10 also gets some love because, why not? Read More
How did the world get a workprint of X-Men Origins yesterday? Blame terrorists
I was perusing the Internet yesterday and found something unusual: a movie that was to be released on May 1 instead appeared, in very high quality yet with glaring problems. The movie was X-Men Origins: Wolverine and it featured a certain very hirsute Australian actor playing a guy with claws. That's all I'll say. Not to be hyperbolic, we are witnessing the rise of media terrorism. Read More
New edumacational 'Welch' netbooks coming in May from Dell?
Kids! Get ready for back to school already! An anonymous troublemaker leaked these colorful product shots to Gizmodo showing what'll be called the Dell Latitude 2100 series of netbooks. Specs will apparently include all the standard 10-inch netbook fare – 1.6GHz Atom CPU, up to 2GB of RAM, three- and six-cell batteries, sub three-pound weight – and they'll be positioned… Read More
BB Storm 220.127.116.11 firmware leaked
The latest unreleased firmware for the Blackberry Storm (aka le lump of poo) has leaked is now available over at CrackBerry forums. Read More
Best Buy to get pink Instinct, Treo Pro 850 soon?
We already know that these two phones are Sprint-bound in January but BGR is reporting that Best Buy stores will see the Sprint Treo Pro 850 and a pink version of the Samsung Instinct in the near future. A pink version? That's their answer to everything! Read More
New Mac Mini leaked?! No, absolutely not
Macenstein got a hot tip from some mysterious stranger claiming to have found the newest Mac Mini design with the Apple-esque tagline "The world's smallest desktop computer." Read More
Is this Sony's upcoming netbook?
The above image may or may not be a netbook-type computer from Sony. According to some mysterious FCC documents (which, conveniently, I can't find anywhere were found by charliex using something called "the Google") there are two separate model numbers — the PCG-1P1L and the PCG-1P2L – and tests have been performed on Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 3G data connections… Read More
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 to Best Buy on December 7th for $799, unlocked?
It's been a long time coming, but it looks like the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 might almost be here. BGR has some shots of Best Buy's internal stock showing a December 7th in-stock date and an unlocked selling price of $799. That's a lot of coin, so we can only assume that it'll be the greatest phone in the history of cellular telephony, right? Read More
Man arrested in connection with 100 stolen copies of Gears of War 2, Fable II
Some genius stole more than 100 copies of Fable II and Gears of War 2 from a Tennessee warehouse, selling a number of them on the black market. The man, Technicolor employee Rodney Gray, was found with some 31 games on his person; police found several more copies of the games, as well as other DVDs, elsewhere. All told, police found more than $100,000 worth of stolen games and DVDs. Now, is… Read More
Gears of War 2 leaked, all over BitTorrent, Usenet
Wow, Gears of War 2 has now leaked and can be found all over the place. I just checked Usenet, and it's there waiting for you. It's also on private and public torrent sites if you feel like risking a hefty fine (maybe). The game is scheduled to come out three weeks from now on November 7. It can't be too long before Epic and/or Microsoft make a comment about its leak. Read More
LG KC780 promo shots make their way out
Believe it or not, that LG KC780 we saw last week isn't just a really blurry looking handset. GSM Arena managed to scrounge up the above promo shot, offering a much sharper look at the KC780 in all of its 8 megapixel glory. While their source wasn't able to share any new specs, they did mention that LG is internally acclaiming the handset as the slimmest of the 8-megapixel bunch. Read More
T-Mobile G1 specs leaked prior to announcement
Talk about cutting it close. With less than 12 hours before T-Mobile officially pulls back the curtain on the ultra-hyped G1, the floodgates have opened. Images extracted from the depths of T-Mobile's G1 site have begun hitting tip boxes, and now TmoNews has managed to get their hands on a bunch of specs and details. What's known so far: In-store, immediate sales only available… Read More
Nokia E72 and E75 promo video leaked, quickly pulled
Even with the first light of the day just peeking over the hills here on the west coast, today already brings a pair of unannounced hardware leaks: the Nokia E75 and E72. The E75 is a QWERTY slider, shown above on left, while the E72 is a QWERTY candybar, shown on right. Outside of their appearance, not a whole lot is known about these new additions to the E series. One of the forum members… Read More
Nokia E72 and E75 promo video leaked, quickly pulled
Even with the first light of the day just peeking over the hills here on the west coast, today already brings a pair of unannounced hardware leaks: the Nokia E75 and E72. The E75 is a QWERTY slider, shown above on left, while the E72 is a QWERTY candybar, shown on right. Outside of their appearance, not a whole lot is known about these new additions to the E series. One of the forum members… Read More
Verizon's BlackBerry Storm pre-launch details surface
Click image for the embiggened version Further proving that there is at least one VZW employee out there who really likes leaking BlackBerry Storm details, CrackBerry has managed to get their hands on the BlackBerry Storm pre-launch marketing sheet. Now, don't get too excited when you see the words "Launch Date" next to "9/17/08"; Verizon is not going to… Read More


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Recently, we went on a much needed vacation to the Dominican Republic. We stayed in a nice resort in a quiet little town and it was seven days of bliss for us! Interestingly, at the resort we stayed at, they served plantains three times a day, everyday! We found out later on that plantain is a dietary staple in the Dominican Republic, so that made sense why they'd serve it at every meal. The resort had a variety you can choose from, you can have your plantains all different ways – tostones (fried and lightly salted) as a side dish, mashed with onions for breakfast or baked with brown sugar and cinnamon for dessert.
If you are new to plantains, here are some fact about them:
1) They are from the same family as bananas, but they are more starchy and eaten more like a vegetable.
2) They are the pasta or potatoes of the Caribbean.
3) They can be served savory or sweet, depending on the ripeness.
4) An average sized plantain has about 220 calories and is packed with vit C & A, fiber and carbs.
5) They must be cooked before eaten.
Our favorite way of eating plantains is baked with brown sugar glaze. We like eating these sweet plantain bites on their own, but you can have them easily with some vanilla or, even better, coconut ice cream! This recipe is so easy to make and they're somewhat healthier than say a slice of chocolate cake (I think anyway) so try them out and add a little Caribbean flavor to your life! Here's the recipe for you:
- 4 ripe plantains
- ¼ cup of butter, melted
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of all spice (optional)
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Spray lined baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Melt butter. Add in brown sugar, all spice and vanilla and mix until all the brown sugar is dissolved.
- Brush each plantain slice, or both sides, with glaze.
- Baked in oven at 375F for about 15-20 minutes.
To make your plantains ripen faster, put them in a paper bag and leave them in a dark place for a few days.


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You are now in the directory for the port "/usr/mports/devel/p5-Time-Local".
The package name of this port is "p5-Time-Local-1.23.00".
The license for this port is "%%LICENSE%%".
This is the one-line description for this port:
Efficiently compute time from local and GMT time
Please read the "description file" for a longer description and/or visit the web site for futher informations.
If needed, you may contact the maintainer of this port or the port mailing-list.
Go to the top of the ports tree for a summary on how to use the ports collection.
Go up one level | Go to top of ports tree


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Many parents have heard of 504 plans but are confused about how to obtain one for their child. Get the facts on 504 plans and how they can help children with special needs succeed in school with this review.

What Exactly Is a 504 Plan?

Perhaps your child has a learning challenge such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that does not qualify him for an individualized education plan (IEP). Then, a 504 plan might be appropriate. Included in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which bans discrimination against students with disabilities, 504 plans help students participate in school just as they would if they didn't have a learning disability or disorder.

The plan demonstrates how changes to the school or classroom may remove obstacles for these students. These children normally spend the entire day in a mainstream classroom rather than in special education classes. The students considered "disabled" by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are broader than the students eligible for IEPs.

Section 504 does not list which disabilities are included specifically but students with long-term disabilities rather than short-term

The parent can request that the school evaluate their child if the school personnel haven't already suggested such an evaluation. The school can consider diagnoses from doctors, test results, comments from teachers, parents and others to determine if the child has a disability that necessitates a 504 plan.

The Protocol for Obtaining a 504 Plan

The procedure for getting a 504 plan is similar to the one for getting an IEP. Parents, however, should heed good advice about requesting the plan and learn the best way to prepare for meetings regarding the plan. Parents also need to know how to report problems with the plan.

Before parents can obtain a 504 plan for their special needs child, they must first get a team to assess their child, decide with federal laws apply to their child's disability and establish a plan based on those findings. The plan should be tailored to your child's needs and have provisions to measure your child's progress in the classroom each school year. There should be documentation of your child's progress as well.

The Information Included in the Plan

In addition to the information listed above, the 504 plan should also include the services or accommodations the child will receive. For example, the 504 plan of a child with ADHD might specify that the student not be seated next to doors, windows or other sources of potential distractions. The plan should also include the person responsible for overseeing and executing the plan, individualized instruction the student needs or services such as therapy or counseling.

While 504 plans share some similarities with IEPs, they are not as intricate and do not list the yearly goals the child should meet, even if they do contain provisions about monitoring student progress.


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Hydroderm Lip Enhancer
We always see celebrities and famous personalities as having the perfect physical appearance. They have beautiful faces, smooth and flawless skin and of course a healthy and sexy body. Thus, many people are also discovering the different beauty secrets of these people so they too can achieve the perfect physique.
With regards to the body, there are actually many fat reducing solutions that can be used to eliminate fat in the body. An example is the Hydroderm Body Shape. It is known to reduce the cellulite in the body for only a month or two without injections. Thus, you can have a well shaped body in no time.
But, what about the lips? Does Angelina Jolie have a secret to plump and good looking lips?
Click Here To Check Out Hydroderm
As much as celebrities want the perfect plump lips, so does many regular women. Yet, even though Angelina Jolie may come with natural plump lips, you too can also achieve similar full lips without undergoing surgery. The Hydroderm Lip Enhancer is one good solution to provide more beautiful looking lips.
How does the Hydroderm Lip Enhancer works?
The Hydroderm Lip Enhancer works in two ways. First is the increased hydration in the lips. If lips are hydrated, it appears plumper and fuller than usual. Second is the effect it creates below the surface of the lips. The effect of the Lip Enhancer below the lips helps in making the lips look fuller but retaining its softness.
More to these ways is the collagen build up. Basically, Hydroderm produces more collagen into the body compared to other products. Other lip enhancement or skin solutions deliver partial collagen molecules. As a result, partial results are only achieved. But, the Hydroderm skin solutions deliver whole collagen molecule so maximum results are also attained.
The Hydroderm Lip Enhancer also contains The Collagen Infusion Delivery System so whole collagen molecules are generated towards the lips. This adds up to the fullness of the lips as well as to its moisture and youthful appearance.
With The Hydroderm Lip Enhancer, you can achieve the plumper lips you want. The active ingredients found in each Hydroderm products are deemed natural and effective so you need not to worry when using them. These are guaranteed safe and easy to use with lesser risk of complications. However, it is always best to confirm with your doctor first whether to use the skin solution products or not to avoid further complications in the body.Click Here To Check Out Hydroderm


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Light Rain
Animal Shelter Amends Policy To Reduce Kill Rate
The Hendricks County Animal Shelter is making changes after the Call 6 Investigators raised questions about the shelter's 61 percent euthanasia rate.
The shelter will now be open every Saturday, as opposed to every other Saturday, as was the case previously.
The shelter will not be open on Saturdays if there's an adoption event.
This Saturday, the shelter will partner with the Hendricks County Humane Society for an adoption event.
County commissioners announced the changes after receiving dozens of emails from concerned citizens.
"Obviously, the feedback and information we've gotten from people about wanting to make changes, that spearheaded it," said Hendricks County Commissioner Eric Wathen. "We've been working on changes for the past two years."
Allies for All Animals, an animal advocacy group, has been leading the charge for change at the shelter.
"I am pleased they are making changes, and I believe this has been a long process," said Carolyn Slaughter of Allies for All Animals. "I am very appreciative of the public and the outcomes they sent to the commissioners."
Allies for All Animals had expressed concern that the animals aren't allowed outside much, if at all, but that will soon change.
Commissioner Bob Gentry donated a fence for outside the shelter.
"We're asking for donations to help that fence be installed so the animals can go outside and be walked," said Wathen.
"It's long overdue. It should have been done years ago," said Slaughter.
Wathen told RTV6 they are also going to implement a volunteer program and hire a part-time volunteer coordinator.
At a July 24 meeting, county commissioners will consider an ordinance that would allow rescue groups to adopt animals without paying a fee.
"This is what is critical, and other counties have been doing it for a year," said Slaughter.
While animal advocate groups are encouraged, they still say euthanizing more than 1,000 animals a year is unacceptable.
"My biggest concern is the euthanasia rate for Hendricks County is one of the highest, from our research around the state," said Monica Clifft of Allies for All Animals. "Any animal killed unnecessarily is a concern of mine."
Allies for All Animals will hold a fundraiser at Three Pints Brewpub in Plainfield on July 30 and July 31.
Proceeds will go toward vaccinations for animals at the shelter.
More information:: Animal Control Ordinance Amendment


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Is Game of Thrones Too Controversial For TV?
After the conclusion of what I feel was a strong season, I believe it is now time for reflection on a show which has not shied away from controversy. HBO's story telling powerhouse Game of Thrones has become extremely notorious for its presentation of sex and women. this was expected from a network such as HBO. 'The Sopranos' and 'Boardwalk Empire' both have a solid reputation for realism and a strong depiction of sex. GoT following suit was almost inevitable. This season, the scene which has caused a mass media outrage was the rape of Sansa. Many have argued that the show went way too far with the explicit nature of the scene. Joanna Robinson of Vanity Fair has asked:
"Did they really need to go there on Game of Thrones? Did we really need to see Ramsay Bolton rape Sansa Stark?" Robinson later concludes "No, we absolutely did not".
This is not the only growing act of frustration towards the show. Senator Claire McCaskill went to Twitter to express her frustration.
Ok, I'm done Game of Thrones.Water Garden, stupid.Gratuitous rape scene disgusting and unacceptable.It was a rocky ride that just ended.
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) May 19, 2015
These two examples were put to George R.R Martin who defended his original material and the show in telling Entertainment Weekly:
"If you're going to write about war, and you just want to include all the cool battles and heroes killing a lot of orcs and things like that and you don't portray [sexual violence], then there's something fundamentally dishonest about that. Rape, unfortunately, is still a part of war today"
Mark Cassidy of comicbookmovie.com is one of many who support Martin and the show. He has stated:
Of course you don't have to be okay with any of it, but that's the point: Game Of Thrones is a brutal, bleak show where more often than not the weak and the gentle-hearted suffer the most. If that's not for you, then don't watch, but why act as if it's only now veered off into unsavory territory?
Viewers of the show were also in fury after the brutal execution of Shireen. When Stannis Baratheon agreed to the killing of his young 15 year old daughter the internet exploded creating a stigma circulating around the show much like when Sansa was raped earlier in the season. But is this stigma necessary? Many have argued in the its defense that the show is a "revolutionary attempt to honestly portray a character driven story"
I guess the main question here is; Does the show deserve to be negatively judged by those who watch it? Or should those who do negatively judge the show stop watching it and let those who do enjoy the show, enjoy the show?
Please note that to have a view is personal preference, it ultimately comes down to David Benioff and D.B. Weiss to decide as whether the inclusion or the gratuitous nature of the scenes explored above is necessary. But I do believe the audience have a very strong voice on the matter. If you believe the show has gone too far, then should HBO take your opinion into account as the show continues? Then there are those who are relatively neutral on the matter who will tell you to just turn the channel over.
However the way you view the points explored above, I would love to hear from you. Has Game of Thrones overstepped the boundary? We will be discussing some of the best (or worst, depending on your viewpoints) scenes in our next collaboration piece, which should be posted in the next few days so be sure to keep an eye out for the thoughts the HBOWatch writers have on this very issue.
For now, let us know your opinion!
[poll id="34″]


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Finance says Medicare Gold short of funds
Page Tools
Labor had underfunded its Medicare Gold policy by around $726 million over four years, costings from the Finance Department showed today.
Finance said its costing differed from the opposition's estimated financial impact of the policy.
"The estimated cost is higher by $1.9 million in 2004/05, $22.9 million in $2005/06, $370.6 million in 2006/07 and $330.8 million in 2007/08," the department said.
Under Medicare Gold, Australians aged 75 and over would get free hospital care in either a private or public hospital, without having to wait and with their choice of doctor.
Finance said the major difference from Labor in its costings appeared to be related to the higher estimated cost of treating the elderly who currently used private hospitals.
The additional estimate was also a result of costs incurred from people to be treated in the private system rather than public hospitals and some administrative costs, finance said.
The assessment by finance found that the total cost to the commonwealth of the policy would be $5.4 billion in 2006/07 and $5.8 billion in 2007/08.
Labor predicted Medicare Gold, which would take effect from July 1, 2006, would cost $3.7 billion over two years - not taking account of money already going to the states for the treatment of people aged over 75 in public hospitals.
However, after taking account of savings, Labor says the net impact would be $836 million.
The government has claimed Medicare Gold could be underfunded to the tune of $5 billion, while consultants Econtech predicted the Labor figures contained a $2 billion black hole.


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Wednesday 17th April, 2013
10:25am to 11:00am
Rick is vice president of Qualcomm and the founder and general manager of Qualcomm Life, a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated. He is responsible for day-to-day operations as well as leading the company's product development and technology strategy in the wireless health market. Rick is a true champion of healthcare innovation as evidenced by his efforts at Qualcomm Life and in the broader industry. In addition to running Qualcomm Life, Rick oversees all corporate initiatives that drive innovation in wireless health at Qualcomm, including the strategic partnership with Rock Health and the $100 million Qualcomm Life Fund. As an advisor to Telcare, Inc., an early-stage health care device manufacturer, Rick helped the company launch the first cellular enabled diabetes blood glucose meter. Rick is currently an active member of HIMSS and mHIMSS, both non-profit organizations, which are advancing the best use of information and technology for the betterment of healthcare.
Previously, Rick founded and served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of ProfitLine, a business he built up from a one-man show into a $35 million enterprise, with 200 team members and 70 Fortune 1000 clients. ProfitLine made it to the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies for three consecutive years. Rick not only built a new business, but was also the driving force behind a lucrative new telecommunications industry. Following this experience, Rick brought his technology expertise and entrepreneurial spirit to HCL Expense Management Services Inc., a $50 million subsidiary of HCL Technologies, as Chief Executive Officer. In recognition of his proven ability to succeed in business, Rick was awarded the highly coveted Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Rick is also a former Chairman and long-time board member of Big Brothers, Big Sisters of San Diego County and a Chairman of the local chapter of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO). Rick currently serves as a mentor at the Founder Institute and on the Executive Committee of the San Diego MIT Enterprise Forum where he helps fellow entrepreneurs launch meaningful and enduring technology companies. Rick earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and finance from California State University Northridge.
Rick wrote a recent blog entry:
The Outsiders: Why Startups are Crucial to Changing the Broken Health Care System.
Qualcomm Life
Sign in to add slides, notes or videos to this session
United States United States, La Jolla
17th April 2013


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NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – Police have identified the two men who were detained Tuesday after a robbery and pursuit in Norfolk.
According to Norfolk police, officers were notified about a robbery that happened around 11:30 p.m. in the 900 block of Spotswood Avenue. The victim told police that a suspect had approached him and displayed a gun before demanding money.
The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Mark A. Holmes, then fled on foot.
When police arrived on scene, they saw Holmes getting into a vehicle on 21st Street. Police said an officer tried to pull the vehicle over on Colley Avenue, but the driver tried to get away. Other officers responded, and the vehicle was stopped in the 3300 block of Gosnold Avenue, but the driver and passenger both got out and ran.
The men were caught and detained after a brief pursuit on foot.
The driver was identified as 26-year-old Maurice O. Johnson. He was arrested for an outstanding warrant for a felony probation violation.
Holmes was charged with robbery and use of a firearm. Both Holmes and Johnson were being held in Norfolk City Jail without bond.


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Your browser does not support iframes.
HILLSVILLE — Times are too tough for people to give away their hard-earned dollars to con artists, but Carroll Deputy Kevin Kemp has been investigating many reports of scams in the past few months.
Calls or mail that claim that people have won prizes should be treated with skepticism, he said. That old saying, "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is," applies here.
Scam artists use every piece of technology available to trick people out of their money or steal their identity, Kemp said.
By CHRISTOPHER BROOKE
and BRIAN FUNK
Thanks for the award
I am calling in response to, "congratulations to the parents" for the rec ball girls in last Wednesday's paper. I just want to thank them for the award. I greatly appreciate it. I can't help that I am proud of my girl and support her and her teammates.
Placed in nomination
HILLSVILLE — The mild winter should lead to a long summer for students in Carroll County schools.
It appears that this year's trend of minimal frozen precipitation covering the roads could continue, Superintendent Greg Smith said after the school board discussed the topic at its February meeting.
The warmer than usual winter weather comes after at least three years of missing more than 20 snow days each. Smith hopes the pattern continues to hold.
Rebekah Morgan celebrated her sixteenth birthday on Sept. 15, 2011. She had celebrations with friends and family at Rio Grande and also at Cabos in Hillsville.
She is the daughter of Donnie and Penny Morgan and sister to Elijah and Hannah Morgan of Hillsville.
Bob Morgan celebrated his "16th" birthday on Feb. 29. He only gets to enjoy a "real" birthday every four years, as he was born in a leap year.
Isabella "Izzie" Jo Marshall turned three on Jan. 6. Her birthday was celebrated with a Spongebob Square-pants pool party at the Galax Rec Center. She is the daughter of Joseph and Chrissy Marshall and big sister to Cassidy Marshall.
Grandparents are Randy and Kim Bell and Dennis and Opie Marshall. Great-grand-parents are M.C. and Irene Bell, the late Verna Liddle, O'Neal and O'Needa Terry, and the late Virgil and Patty Marshall.
Copyright © 2018
The Galax Gazette is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Galax, Grayson, Carroll, and surrounding areas.


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Alex LeMay and 'Desert Bayou'
The story of Hurricane Katrina is one that we are all familiar with at this point. But, some of its aftermath, such as 600 African-American New Orleanians being airlifted to Utah as part of a relocation program, may not be. Alex LeMay figured as much, and brought the story of these people and their journey to light with his documentary, Desert Bayou. He also brought his compassion for those personal stories and what they reveal about the deeper implications of the Katrina tragedy. But more importantly, he presented us with the story of hope that is contained within that tragedy as well.
Ben: Looking over some of your press material, it seems as if you guys had quite the abbreviated pre-production schedule… Could you talk about how it started as an idea for a project, and then turned into you filming in Utah a mere four days later?
LeMay: Like most feeling human beings, I saw those images on TV, after Katrina, and was absolutely horrified. Being a documentary filmmaker, that's what we do, we go out and try to find the story, or get the story told to us. I had a producer in New Orleans and in the delta region almost immediately, like within 48 hours, and he basically reported back, "Look man, you cannot swing a dead-cat without hitting a documentary film crew down here or a CNN crew or something, this thing is being covered from stem to stern and I think if you come down here, you're going to be one of many." Talking to some of my friends in the documentary film world they were like, look, this story needs to be told, but the 24 hour news channels are doing the best job of it because they have the resources, and they have boots on the ground–they're the ones that are going to do this.
So we heard on page 13 of the New York Times, between the crime blotters and a mattress ad, there was a one-paragraph story about 600 African-Americans being air-lifted to the entirely white state of Utah. "Isn't that bizarre," which is not to slight the New York Times at all, but they sort of made it a cutesy story, because it wasn't really a story yet.
I knew we had something there, but in terms of pre-production, there was none. It was just a gut reaction that, "Hey, there's something there," and after securing some funding I was on a plane to Utah without really thinking this story through. You know, I didn't have a theory about what I thought this film was going to be about, but that made me realize that this was a blessing in disguise. I can let the story unfold in front of me, and all I really need to do is stay out its way.
Ben: Yeah, and it seems like that approach, as well as shifting your focus from the standard 'news reporting' that was happening in New Orleans to the more human story of these folks newly arrived in Utah, really allowed you to take that next step with this documentary…
LeMay: If you notice, this film isn't laden with George Bush bashing and governmental conspiracy because basically at that point, attacking the Bush administration is like punching a kindergartener, its really, really, really easy, you know, they just give you so much to work with that… I'm just going to leave that to The Daily Show.
The hard story was: what was the true price that we paid for Hurricane Katrina? The true price is watching somebody who had nothing in New Orleans go to a place where they didn't necessarily feel welcome, but at the end of the day they found hope in the most unlikely of places. If I had made this a political diatribe, it would've become about people being pigeonholed into Democrat versus Republican and that same old tired political argument that we've heard for the last eight years. That has nothing to do with it. This has to do with the fact that race and poverty have been window-dressed like so many Christmas windows, and Katrina showed that real human toll. This film tries to put a real face on those eight generations of African-Americans in New Orleans, those families that have been there for 200 years. With Curtis and Clifford giving a voice to those generations, what a good thing that did for us, because they deserve it. They should be college professors for doing so, not 7-dollar-an-hour employees.
Ben: Is that one of the reasons that you chose to focus on Curtis and Clifford specifically? Were they just better representatives of the economic and class implications of this story?
LeMay: You know what, no. It was not something that was that well thought out. It was that Curtis and Clifford were passionate about being heard, and saying, "It's broken guys–we gotta fix it." It was almost as if they were waiting for me to get there. And they didn't do it all at once, but I could tell that these guys had something to say. So we went with our cameras, and this is the story that unfolded in front of us.
Ben: Yeah, and it seems like there's a real emotional connection there between you and them that really comes across and allows that story to come out. It's intimate how expressive they get and you really feel that they're showing as much as they're showing, first of all, because they need to, but more so because they feel comfortable enough to do so.
LeMay: You know, if you notice, they come in later on in the film–they don't come in right off the bat. I always like equating making documentaries with some kind of acid jazz, while feature films are more like a four-count rock and roll. It's a measured thing; you can quantify what's going on in a feature edit-wise. But with a documentary you have to improvise at every step of the way. They would just disappear for months at a time, or we'd need to go get some more funding, you know… life would happen in between, and that's why they come on so late in the film. That's one of the reasons that I think the film works structurally, because it goes from the macro view of what these people now living in Utah is going to be like, to more of a micro view, down to literally two people. All of those larger political implications get funneled into the lives of just two people. And I think that at the end of this, both of those places, (New Orleans and Utah), and both of these people will truly benefit from this exchange.


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Comment from the i18n review of: http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-webcgm21-20080917/WebCGM21-Config.html#ACI-fontmap Comment 5 At http://www.w3.org/International/reviews/0811-webcgm/ Editorial/substantive: E/S Tracked by: RI Location in reviewed document: 126.96.36.199 [http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/WD-webcgm21-20080917/WebCGM21-Config.html#ACI-maplist] Comment: "These normalization rules are applicable for font names specified using the characters of ISOLatin1. They will likely be inapplicable for font names specified using other non-Latin characters." What happens in the case of Latin-2 (Eastern Europe), which is similar to Latin1 but contains a few additional characters. Does a single non-Latin1 character cause normalization to be abandoned for the whole string? It seems like the only thing that wouldn't apply to all non-Latin1 font names is converting to lower-case, though that is still a relevant consideration for many other Latin characters outside Latin1, and for Armenian, Greek and Cyrillic. Why restrict to Latin1?Received on Tuesday, 11 November 2008 10:28:54 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 6 January 2015 19:39:41 UTC


text: The British Library The British Library http://sounds.bl.uk/JISC ASR IPR STATUS LIST.xls A Gift From Somewhere, by Ama Ata Aidoo. African Writers' Club;A Gift From Somewhere, by Ama Ata Aidoo;African Writers' Club: BBC Africa Services Collection;Scenes in the life of Ghana C134/155 Item notes : George Awoonor-Williams reads the short story 'A Gift From Somewhere' by the Nigerian writer, Ama Ata Aidoo. Poetry & Prose 1968-02-18 sound Aidoo, Ama Ata Awoonor, Kofi, 1935- (male) 01:10:02 48000 24 0:18:19 48000 24


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Their roster is rotten. The one good thing I can say is that for such a young team, Keith Smart is probably the perfect coach. He's so positive, and that's what they need because their two main guys, DeMarcus Cousins and Tyreke Evans, appear to be clueless. So at least Keith will be upbeat every day in the way he deals with them.
Cousins has all the tools. It's amazing to see the talent he has -- along with the lack of discipline he shows. It's like he always knows better, even though he takes a lot of bad shots. He yells at the referees and doesn't get back on defense. Look, everybody makes those mistakes sometimes, but Cousins seems to do it regularly. He looks as if he has very little control of his temper. It is sad. Whether he's yelling at a ref or dunking on somebody and pounding his chest, he always looks like he's miserable.
The Kings deserve some responsibility for what they're enabling Cousins to become. There appears to be no accountability in the organization. I understand the theory of giving people the space to do their jobs and be professional, but in Sacramento there is no sign of anybody's being in charge. They never learn from their mistakes. They, of all people, draft a guy like Cousins, who needs discipline desperately, and it becomes a very bad situation for him. He really needed to play for someone like Gregg Popovich or Jerry Sloan or Pat Riley or Larry Brown, who would respect his talent by not letting him get away with stuff.
[Chris Mannix: What to expect from the Kings this season]
Evans has no clue how to play. He needs to be moved out of that organization. It has been a disaster because they didn't know where to play him, which is not necessarily their fault -- although we may look back and recognize that it was their fault. They tried him at the point, then at the 2, then the 3; he has never known what he was trying to be, and it has been too much on him. I definitely don't think he's a point guard. Maybe in the end he's just one of those guys who doesn't have a position and nobody knows what he really is. The only sure thing is that he needs to be in a new system away from that whole environment.
He's not a great shooter and he's not a great passer. He's a guy who has played point guard most of his life, but he was a scoring point guard who was so strong that he overpowered guys. He was never really a point guard who can help you win. Maybe his best spot in the end is going to be as a sixth man, your third guard. There's nothing wrong with that -- Kevin McHale and Manu Ginobili were sixth men. He might be a Jamal Crawford type of sixth man. He's obviously got some tools because of his size and strength and what he's able to do with the ball at his size. But what does it tell you about Sacramento that after three years in the NBA he still doesn't know what to do with his talent?
[Rob Mahoney: Evans hasn't earned a big payday ... yet]
I'm not a fan of Isaiah Thomas' because I don't think he's a point guard. I view him as a guy who passes only because he has to. But I also acknowledge that a lot of people in the league like Thomas and would disagree with me. When I watch him drive it inside, I think he's looking to score and the only reason he passes is because he has no choice against the bigger defenders. Between Cousins, Evans and Marcus Thornton, they have a team that doesn't have enough basketballs to make use of everybody, and the last thing they need is a shoot-first point guard.
Aaron Brooks is OK as a backup. He's not a true point guard, either. He's like that third guard who comes in and scores as your backup point, which is sort of like the role I was discussing for Evans in his next life with another team. Brooks is like Thomas in that he'll drive into the paint and he has to pass it because he's too small to score over the big trees. Brooks and Thomas are good as backups, but neither one is good enough to be a starter on a good team.
Thornton is another starter who doesn't have a clue how to play, and he doesn't defend. When they picked him up from the Hornets, he played better than I expected. He started and played well, but they were terrible as a team. He shot the ball every time he touched it. His perfect role is to be a microwave guy off the bench. Maybe he'll get a little bit better defensively, but I don't see big improvement from him as he grows older.
Then they go out and get James Johnson, who was given an entire season to start for a bad team in Toronto and couldn't get it done. It's like they keep adding more of the same to their roster.
Jason Thompson is one of the most overrated players in the league. Last year he had his best year, but he still doesn't do anything really well. He would be fine if he was your second or third big guy off the bench. But he doesn't shoot it great. He's not a very good defender -- he's foul-prone. He's an OK rebounder. He's not an explosive athlete. He doesn't play like he's 6-11. He's another example of how nobody ever gets better in Sacramento.
You have to worry about No. 5 pick Thomas Robinson. Who are his role models going to be? How is he going to improve? Who is going to intervene on his behalf? His approach should be to focus entirely on a guy like Smart, who will stay positive with him every day. That's pretty much the only hope.
[Lee Jenkins: Pacific Division preview]
John Salmons will be coming off the bench, which is fine. But there is no need for him in Sacramento. They have other guys doing what he does. Do you see what I mean about their roster? They have Francisco Garcia, another guy who needs to be moved. He was a big disappointment in the first half of last year and then he played better in the second half. In the right situation with the right team, maybe he can be a helpful player. But he's done in Sacramento because the rotation is so crowded between him and Salmons and their other guys. They have a lot of guys who do the same things and should be coming off the bench to do it.
I'm surprised Travis Outlaw hasn't turned out to be better. He has great length, he can shoot -- he's good from medium range -- and he's really long. He's athletic enough and he can pull a big man out away from the basket and shoot it, or he can post up a little guy to shoot a turnaround jump shot. Maybe he can become more of a 4-man.
It was a nice thing that the Kings gave Chuck Hayes a big contract even after he failed his physical initially [before last season, when a heart exam showed an abnormality], but it was not the best business decision, either. He had a role on a decent team in Houston, but with this team he serves no purpose. He's not going to start. He's really not a center; he's an undersized 4, actually. He needs to be in the perfect situation and this is not it. This team has too many issues to get through before he can begin to make a difference.
Jimmer Fredette will be in Europe in a year or two. He has no future in the league. None. He can't create his own shot, he has a hard time coming off screens for a shot and he's not a point guard. Most of his shots are going to remind you of what he did in college -- he pulls up 6 feet behind the pick-and-roll because nobody will be out that far to guard him. They've tried to put him in the pick-and-roll, but he lacks the size and strength. He is possibly the worst defender in the NBA. I can't think of somebody worse. I'm telling you, Steve Nash is an all-world defender compared to this guy.


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Mary FM
Memphis, TN
Reviews: 2
Average Rating: 4.5
2 reviews
Posted November 05, 2013
great-looking, perfect boots. can't go wrong with Frye
Sizing: True to Size / As Expected
report inappropriate content
Posted March 26, 2013
tight but cute
i ordered these jeans first in a 27, my normal size. they were too tight on the back of my legs and i did not feel comfortable in them considering they are white. i sized up to a 28 and they are still tight, but are much better looking and they have some stretch. overall good jeans especially for the price, but i suggest sizing up.
Sizing: Smaller than Expected
report inappropriate content


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NBA betting has grown in popularity over the last few years as the game is expanding globally, but it is still a game very much dominated by the United States. However, you shouldn't be surprised to see many teams with foreign players not only suiting up in the NBA, but playing major roles.
The one thing you should know about the NBA is that you need a star to win a title nowadays, and sometimes, two or three do the trick. A team needs a player that can grab a game by the scruff of the neck, whether it is offensively and defensively, and in terms of one player dominating a game, you may not find a better place for it than basketball. Keep those teams in mind when making your sportsbook picks.
Follow the season carefully and grade a team's chances based on how consistent they can be, because NBA teams tend to go on runs throughout the season and just get cold at the wrong team, although they can also get hot as well. Experienced teams know how to pace themselves through the run of a campaign (although the lockout-shortened season put some teams under duress), so lean towards those squads for the Finals.
Always remember that the NBA is a league driven by the players more than in any other league, but it's not always a team of the best players that wins. They are the teams that come together at the right time, realize their roles and execute. Tracking teams during the season will help you make the correct picks in the postseason.


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Free UK shipping on everything! Spend £100 for free international shipping.
Cave Johnson's Shower Curtains - Poster
Inspired by the Portal series
Cave Johnson; extroverted, enthusiastic and eccentric dead billionaire. With a research policy being to 'throw science at the wall and see what sticks', it's no wonder he ended up dying from moon rock poisoning.
Not everything died with him though. The 'shower curtain visionary' left behind his legacy of shower curtain R&D, along with their associated marketing materials.
"Our shower curtains now contain 3% less mercury than mercury."
An original video game print created by Dean Walton, this design is available as a high quality photographic paper poster or hand-stretched canvas print in various sizes. Frames not included.


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In today's rapidly changing technology environment, it is important to find a group of qualified and experienced professionals who can help guide your organization through the technology maze. Beall Barclay recognizes that many small- and medium-size businesses depend on technology to manage their day-to-day business needs but may not have the resources to add full time technology support staff to their payroll. To meet this need in the marketplace, Beall Barclay provides outsourced technology support and solutions for businesses like yours.
The Beall Barclay IT team can help you improve your technology systems and processes so you experience less hassle and greater efficiency. Our team of professionals can become your IT department. By utilizing our support services, you can dedicate more time to running your business and spend less time dealing with technology issues.
Our technology services include:
Our certified IT professionals are QuickBooks Pro Advisors and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineers. They are highly trained accounting software consultants and network systems engineers with a great deal of experience who can function as your IT team whenever and as much as you need them.
Implementation of VPN between client offices in Fort Smith, Arkansas and Calgary, Canada
Installation or troubleshooting of broadband solutions.
Migration from Novell to Microsoft Network
Migration from Lotus Notes to Microsoft Exchange
Beall Barclay Supervisor Chris Brown Named the 2017 Outstanding Emerging CPA by the Arkansas Society of CPAs
Beall Barclay & Company, PLC Member Mike Carroll has been named to the Arkansas 200, an Arkansas Business special publication listing 200 Arkansans who influence the way we live, learn and do business in the state.
The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center presents two QuickBooks Payroll workshops on November 16, at Beall Barclay & Company in Fort Smith.
The Spring 2018 issue of Business Owner's Perspectives is now available.
Beall Barclay is excited to bring you the winter edition of Dimensions, a newsletter geared towards the construction industry.
Beall Barclay is excited to bring you the latest edition of Nonprofit Insights, a newsletter geared towards nonprofit organizations.


text: Paçaí Café & Hospedagem is located in the Barra da Lagoa Beach neighborhood in Florianópolis, 6 miles from Ademir Rosa Theater and 7 miles from Alvaro Carvalho Theater. Free WiFi is available throughout the property and free private parking is available on site. Every room at this guesthouse is air conditioned and is equipped with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. Certain rooms feature views of the mountains or lake. The rooms have a private bathroom with a bidet and shower, with a hairdryer provided. The nearest airport is Hercilio Luz Airport, 9 miles from the property.


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Dear MindSpark Blog Subscriber;
In an attempt to streamline and update my website and my blog, I am combining the two. I am taking your emails and subscribing you to the new home of the blog, but it is going to ask you to respond to confirm. If you could do so, there will be no interruptions in your receiving each blog update.
Thanks very much! Sorry for the inconvenience.
Take care–
Diana Kennedy


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Following a resounding primary victory in May, Davidson County Juvenile Court clerk candidate David Smith, a Democrat, was immediately crowned the frontrunner in August's general election.
Smith, a General Sessions Court officer, had accumulated nearly 50 percent of the vote, crushing six others in the Democratic primary, including incumbent Vic Lineweaver, who mustered just 12 percent of the vote.
The hard part was over, wasn't it? Come August, a match-up against a Republican candidate in a decidedly Democratic county would surely give Smith the advantage.
But based on early voting figures, it appears Smith could be in for a real battle with Eric Crafton, the conservative Bellevue council member, known best for his failed English-only push.
As of late Thursday afternoon, 18,154 Davidson County residents had taken part in early voting. Of those, 9,632 had voted in the Republican primary compared to 8,436 who had voted in the Democratic primary. Eighty-six voters chose to cast their ballots in the Metro general election but not in either primary.
Clearly, Republicans have been energized by the state's competitive Republican gubernatorial primary –– and it could give Crafton a significant boost.
"Since I'm the Republican nominee in the general election, obviously I would hope that more Republicans vote than Democrats," Crafton said. "But, I'm also seeking as many Democrat votes I can get because I don't want this to be a race about partisanship. I want it to be about competence."
If turnout on Election Day reflects early voting patterns –– and it often does –– a Smith victory would require a huge chunk of voters in the Republican primary to cross over and vote for a candidate with a "D" next to his name when it comes to the Juvenile Court clerk race.
"I think it concerns all Democratic candidates," Smith said of the early voting numbers. "It seems that the Republicans have taken the lead in the numbers. All we can hope for is that the Democrats are waiting until Election Day to get out and vote."
The Smith camp likely predicted the Republican-turnout factor could present a problem. Throughout the campaign, Smith has cited a group he calls "Republicans for David Smith." Indeed, several notable Republicans have pledged their support for Smith, including former Metro Councilman Adam Dread.
And the early voting figures may not be entirely telling. There are likely some centrist Republican primary voters who, turned off by Crafton's famed English-only drive, voted for Smith instead. And then there are Democrats who may be voting in the Republican primary so they can have a say on the lone competitive gubernatorial race.
"All you can do is keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best," Smith said.
I really hope someone like Eric Crafton is not elected to this or anything. He apparently does not like anyone who is not white or asians who speak english. The juvenile court is predominantly used by people who are not Aryans, so this may mean trouble.
Don't count the dems out, I haven't voted yet. I always vote on election day. It is scary to think of Eric, but the GOP always vote for their party. It doesn't matter who it is.
The GOP doesn't always vote for the party, a whole lot of them voted for Obama. I think even Eric Crafton is too controversial for the smart Republicans. Especially those who want more companies to invest in Tennessee.
I can only hope that Eric Crafton is elected to any office for which he seeks.
@$$goose: may you soon have to eat foie gras.
DOG......I suspect you may be right. We are raising the height of the walls and have a 24 hour patrol paid for by our neighborhood association to keep us safe from the reality of the majority of voters.
foreign investors don't care about local politics,except for tax breaks and the like.
they invest to make money,not spread the milk of human kindness.
This article is so pointless. Considering there's only one candidate (or viable candidate if anyone else is actually running) in the Democratic governor primary, why would ANYONE vote in the Democratic primary? I'm a Democrat and I would vote in the Republican primary if I bother to vote this time, which I probably won't because there's nothing of significance to vote on.
And why would anyone vote politics for a court clerk anyone? That's not a political position and it doesn't matter a hill of beans if the person is a Democrat or a Republican.
Republicans like "Adam Dread", give me a break! Adam Dread
belongs to the Adam Dread party only. You know, the one that
provides that taxpayers pay 75% of your medical insurance for life
after only serving a few months on the Council ! What a country.
Wow surprised that all these partisan comments can politicize a court clerk position. If you don't like Crafton's politics, I would think you would want him to be a court clerk. Silly people, lighten up!
HAHAHAHA, companies that want to invest in TN couldn't care less who the juvi court clerk is.
Smith's big win over Lineweaver in the primary wasn't exactly a high bar to clear.
And referring to Dread as a Republican might have been the funniest thing I've read in all of this.
Dread is a Republican! Wow! That's a laugh! I remember the local Republican Party being up in arms a few years ago when they couldn't get Adam Dread to give them the time of day after they tried to get him involved over and over again....next thing they knew... he had purchased a table at the Dem's annual Jackson Day Dinner and showed up there...Dread sounds like an idiot to me...if he thinks folks are still buying the fact that he's a Republican. Dread's done nothing except pi$$ off everyone in both parties...n either side trusts him! Can you say Arlen Specter?
What Photo Deluxe was trying to say is that the bad publicity over Crafton's "English Only" fiasco was far reaching. I have friends in other states that knew about this. The 24 hour cable news stations took this issue to task. In other words, Eric Crafton does not make Nashville appear to be a friendly place to do business.
If the Republican elect Eric Crafton then the GOP is in real bad shape. However I don't see that many yard signs across the county to support him winning even with a good GOP turn out.
Can you say "Tea Party"? You libs act as if you are the only people on the planet...Crafton is wildly popular with many, many folks in Davidson County. How do you account for the fact 36,000 people supported his English First initiative? Will you arrogantly call everyone with a differing view "Stupid" because your intellectual argument is so vacuous? Many people believe that Crafton is more forward in his thinking than the "Progressives" in the community.
PS - Nemo....Crafton said he's spending his $ on TV, Radio, and mailing not yard signs last week while talking to the CP.
Presentations of falsehoods reveal an inability to address the truth. "He apparently does not like anyone who is not white or asians who speak english" is an example of a blatant disregard for the truth or complete ignorance – take your pick. It is widely known that Eric Crafton is married to a Japanese lady that by the way also speaks English. Mr. Crafton in his candidacy for Juvenile Court Clerk has presented ideas to enhance the role of Juvenile
Court Clerk for the benefit of juveniles that the clerk is meant to serve. This shows forward thinking which would hopefully help juveniles make progress toward becoming good citizens. And shouldn't this really be the goal? If we lose sight of that goal and just want to prevail for political purposes – then what are we to become? We have people giving up their lives for our freedoms and yet we won't surrender an ideology.
And by the way - a check of the how Adam Dread voted in the primary in May shows that he voted "D."
I am a democrat and I want to vote for the most qualified man in any race. This job should have nothing to do with politics but who is most qualified for a $110,000 job. Mr. Smith has no experience beyond working as a bailiff for a judge, no education and no management experience. He would in effect be given a raise from a job that probably pays in the $30's to a job three times higher and be trained by the employees how to do the job. Eric has a BS from Vanderbilt, Naval Officer experience, successful owner of his own company and is a multiterm councilman. What choice is there?
It's very Good when it is believed in the diversity, the opportunity and the belief in a God by justice we them man and women of this beautiful county of Davidson are people of love, passion and voluntary by the others and that is what abounds in the heart of Mr. David Smith, in relation to Mr. Eric Crafton is appears unstable, people, impulsive in his single heart can live hatred and racism and that are not to be a God man, of compassion that we waited for of Mr. Eric Cratón perhaps as judge of the court would commit many injustices for thousands of families who fight with the treatment and educated theses children to if is than it is necessary to analyze well to that people we put in so important and delicate positions as is to be one judge courts, the correct candidate is David Smith
sorry but is the true
That last comment by "Interest of Point?" says it all about Smith supporters....they can't make a cogent or succinct point.
Interest of Point....Are you really Borat and planning to run the Juvenile Court Clerks office if your friend Smith wins?


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The Fantasy Baseball Hall of Fame has spent an unhealthy amount of time identifying the best fantasy seasons, careers, All Stars, and Hall of Famers of the fantasy era. The Fantasy Era began in 1980, and thus many great players of the 1980's fall just short of enshrinement since their careers commenced in 1979 or earlier. Please, blog, may I have some more?Please, blog, may I have some more?
Colby Rasmus goes by the nickname Razz or Razzle-Dazzle, which should make him a favorite here at Razzball, but there's something pricky about him that I don't like. Might be the name, Colby. It sounds like a total douche name, like a character's name in a Bret Easton Ellis novel. Please, blog, may I have some more?Please, blog, may I have some more?


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Poverty is tearing the middle class apart in the hell of the "New Poor"
The horror that saddens us the most is the one closest to us. Alejandro Toledo, commercial director, sensed anxiety while walking through the city center.
"It was on a pedestrian street. I stumbled upon someone I knew that was walking out from a Caritas cafeteria. Many things roamed through my mind. I thought of my little girl who, like all of us, could be in danger of becoming part of the 'new poor'."
Alejandro Toledo, music director of Alejandro Sanz and Marta Sanchez, as well as of advertisements for various brands, decided that something had to be done. He set out to do what he does best: a music video that calls the attention upon a painful drama, that one of many middle class people that lurk close to poverty – explains coordinator of Caritas Javier Hernando.
The music producer discussed the upcoming blurry horizon with the one who lives with the burden of need. Hernando explained to him his labor with the needy. He said that between 2005 and 2007, Caritas Madrid had attended over 182,000 people of all ages and conditions, while between 2008 and 2010, about 322,000 people were attended. He also said that 2011 and 2012 will be detrimental years.
Alejandro Toledo made the video spot at no charge. The protagonist was his own daughter. Why? He thinks that any of us can fall into extreme poverty. That "any" included his daughter, who recorded the spot when she was four years old. This affected him deeply as a parent. It was so personal for him, that he could not shoot the spot with another little girl. He needed to shoot it with his four year old daughter.
About 3,000 "new poor" arrived to Caritas Spain in 2010 – most of them families who went from lassitude to homelessness in the wake of endless unemployment caused by the economic crisis. Most of the cases seen were families, about 74%.
The Co-federal Network of Reception and Primary Care was also flooded by families. All of its dependents were unemployed.
They come to Caritas looking for economic help to meet their basic necessities of housing, food, access to employment and even of buying textbooks. Many young people have also gone back home: they have lost their jobs and their economic potential to afford a mortgage, or young couples who leave their kids to the care of their grandparents, since they have no money to pay for childcare.
The Co-federal Network takes care of the poverty situations of families that face social instability. In 2010, 7.7 million Euros were allocated to combat poverty. It was also established that the investment ratio of the GDP was to be raised in order to reach the European Union average, thus increasing 0.6 percentage points each year from 2010 until 2020.
At the National headquarters of Caritas, the Secretary General of the Spanish Episcopal Conference has given a 5 million Euros donation as a gesture from the Church of Spain. (Translated by Gianna A. Sanchez Moretti)
Author and journalist Clemente Ferrer has led a distinguished career in Spain in the fields of publicity and press relations. He is currently President of the European Institute of Marketing.
Category: Featured Articles, News Headlines, Viewer Articles


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About leviathan
- Birthday 06/12/1982
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Windows 7 x64
NT4 48-Bit LBA?
leviathan replied to BookWorm's topic in Windows 2000/2003/NT4Bookworm, Go to Start > Programs > Administrative Tools > Disk Administrator. That is the NT4 disk partitioning utility. Also, where did that blue screen come from? From the updated file or opening Disk Administrator?
Recommendations for Full Hardware Testing Software?
leviathan posted a topic in Hardware HangoutHello everyone, I am looking for some software that is similar to what Techtool does on the Macintosh. I have some PC's that I would like to test the hardware, but cannot find a program that really goes through everything and gives me a good look at how all the hardware is doing. I would like it to be a bootable software package, like Techtool. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Gouki, how are you going about getting your CISSP? Are you going to go to a review seminar, bootcamp, or self study? I'm a college student, and I don't think I can afford a $4500 bootcamp. I want to start with getting CompTIA A+, Security+, and Network+. Then I'll move into the MCSE + Security+, CISSP, CISM, CCNA, CCSP, and the Certified Ethical Hacker. Self-study seems to be the way I am going to go. Any recommendations on books that you've liked? --Leviathan
Awesome site. Thanks for the heads up.
Any CISSP's?
leviathan posted a topic in General DiscussionDoes MSFN have anyone hanging around with a CISSP? I'm looking to certify and would like to hear about your thoughts about the test, study materials, etc. Any help, suggestions, etc would be greatly appreciated. Thanks --Leviathan
how many monitors could a guy want?
leviathan replied to ripken204's topic in General DiscussionOMG.... well, I just felt my geek level drop. It would be even geeker if each monitor was showing a different DVD. --Leviathan
Who would kick who's a**?
leviathan replied to Zxian's topic in The Poll CenterObi-Wan definately. Now, are they fighting in the Matrix or outside of the Matrix in the "Real World?" Either way for me, Obi-Wan.
Laptop Upgrades
leviathan replied to 3aces's topic in Hardware HangoutHey, I took a look at the system specifications for the Inspirion 5150 and it says the memory in the unit is 200-pin 2.5v DDR333 ram. It says the 5150 has two memory slots, which can handle up to 512 MB in each slot for a total of 1GB. However, the user guide also says it can handle 2GB of ram, so.... yeah. Mwave has a module for about $44.00 USD made by Crucial. Grab two of those to go to 1GB of ram. However, the system uses 128mb of that RAM for the video card in shared memory. As for the hard drive, I like the Hitachi Travelstar 7200 RPM drives. I have one in a Mac Mini and getting the 100GB for a Powerbook. It should boost the transfer rate for your system. There is a 60, 80, and 100 GB model. The 60 from Mwave.com is running at $132.00 USD. However, these thigns run at 7200 RPM, compared to the 4200 or 5400 RPM that you usually find in notebook hard drives. Since it spins faster, that means it will require more power to run, and it will begin to zap your battery faster. So, for about $230.00 or so with shipping, you can get your notebook up in performance a little bit. You can also look at other memory makers, and other hard drives. Seagate also makes a 7200 RPM drive, plus it has a 5 year warranty when you buy from a Seagate authorized dealer. I use nothing but Seagate desktop drives. However, I like Hitachi for notebook drives. Haven't had a problem yet. Anyone like to sound off against me, be my guest. These are just my recommendations. --Leviathan
DriverPack Sound A V5.11.1
leviathan replied to Bâshrat the Sneaky's topic in The General StuffHey Bashrat, I'm having trouble getting this file. [link removed] is showing that 404 Page Not Found Error. Just wondering if anyone else is having a problem. --Leviathan
SP2 and Post-SP2 Hotfixes CD Project
leviathan replied to DLF's topic in Unattended Windows 2000/XP/2003war59312, Thanks a bunch. You can't believe how much blood, sweat, and tears you saved many of us from. I wouldn't have even thought of trying to extract the files from the packages, until I was in frustration looking at the context menu. I'm going to run some tests on the CD I've made and see what happens. I'm going to make a batch file that allows you to start the install rather than go automatically installign SP2. I'd like to keep some control over the starting process of the install. I would hate to drop it in my computer, wondering what CD it was (bad habit of not writing on the CD's) and getting a SP2 install going. Will post results soon. --Leviathan
SP2 and Post-SP2 Hotfixes CD Project
leviathan replied to DLF's topic in Unattended Windows 2000/XP/2003war59312, How about the Microsoft GDI+ Detection Tool, Windows Journal Viewer, Remote Desktop Client 5.2.3790.0, and the KB836528 - Mydoom, Zindos, And Doomjuice Worm Removal Tool? If you have ideas on these tools, we would appreciate any help you can give on figuring out how to make them silent. --Leviathan
SP2 and Post-SP2 Hotfixes CD Project
leviathan replied to DLF's topic in Unattended Windows 2000/XP/2003Hey DLF, Just wanted to thank everyone for jumping in and helping out on this. Your help is really appreciated in making this happen. I'm gonna take a look at some of the RunOnceEx stuff and see if I can help make some heads and tails out of it. Hopefully, we can get something out which will take care of the problem. This would be a great help for DLF and is something I'd like to carry around in case I run across a computer than can't get a format applied to it. Thanks again, --Leviathan


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Coffeehouse Post
Single Post Permalink
RLO said:magicalclick said:*snip*
Magical, I can appreciate what you are trying to say, but the statements as I mentioned before were very coy. There is no "Zune Phone", but if it looks like a duck, it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck. It must be a duck, or in this case a Zune Phone. Now, they were very precise in how they termed everything to let the public think that WP7S was going to look like the shots leaked in 2008 instead of looking like a Zune device. It was brillant strategy, because we were all surprised with the reveal. Although it helped keep the changes secret and surprisingly fresh, it was still misleading and with real consequences to those that bought the ZuneHD. In the end, they let the consumers think one thing and never adjusted that perception until the end.
Do I like what they have done? Yes. Do I like how they treated me as a customer? No. Will I get over it? Maybe.
Wkempf, if they developed the requirement for three buttons after the fact, I hope someone was complaining to high-heaven about shafting current WinMo customers and stiring up a reaction from the Zune community. I don't see what's is so special about having three buttons except as an excuse not to backport to older devices.
Red5, I don't believe the platform will die, I just believe it will be taking a new turn. I have voiced this in other places, but Zune could become PlaysforSure part II in which they let Zune DRM be added to third party players not manufactured by Microsoft. It wouldn't be too hard to turn over the device manufacturing to the same companies doing the phones and thus relieve MS the burden of manufacturing and focusing on the software+services side of things.
With Zune added as part of the Xbox blade, I can feel certain they are in the content distribution business for the long run.
my "Dang.." was more for me having to carry two devices instead of one
Looks like it's official: http://zuneinsider.com/archive/2010/03/31/zune-hd-64gb-coming-april-12.aspx


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Happy birthday to the motormouthed madman of the movies. Yes, Quentin Tarantino turns 49 today and the self-taught filmmaker and most famous former video store clerk ever has a quarter-century of instant classics, fascinating misfires and culture-defining milestones on his filmography.
What's left to do but pit them against each other? We've confined the list to movies Tarantino has directed, written or written and directed, and also to only those that were officially released (Sorry, black-and-white, fire-damaged debut "My Best Friend's Birthday" that only showed at film festivals).
While you're waiting for the Christmas Day release of the Oscar-winning iconoclast's latest, the U.S. slavery revenge epic Django Unchained, cast your vote for your favorite among the Knoxville native's proud and profane output. Then tell us why in the comments.
Sure, we're expecting a groundswell of support for the masterpiece that is Pulp Fiction, but maybe it's a less obvious choice that makes you say, "Oooh, that's a bingo!" Just be sure to vote or we might have to strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger. Metaphorically speaking, that is.


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After a lapse of nearly four decades during which their basketball histories took divergent routes, Loyola Marymount University and UCLA will hook up Friday night at Pauley Pavilion.
It's been 37 years since the two met, in UCLA Coach John Wooden's first season, 1948-49. Reportedly, they haven't played since because of a rift between Wooden and Loyola.
Since then, UCLA and Wooden went on to an unprecedented string of national championships and All-American rosters. Loyola has not had a really good year since 1967-68, when Lew Alcindor was leading UCLA to its second straight NCAA title and fourth in five years.
If their programs moved in opposite directions, there are some similarities these days. Loyola, off to its best start at 5-2 since that 1968 team that won 19 games, is searching for respectability and trying to prove it can play with the better teams on the West Coast. Loyola has not beaten a Pac-10 team since 1977, a stretch of seven games, and hasn't beaten UCLA since 1942.


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I Love Boats
Personal Stories, Advice, and Support 181 People
Boats Are the ShizzleI don't have the first clue about how to use any kind of boat but man, I'd spend the rest of my life on one. It'd be awesome to be a sailor. (Better yet, a pirate.) If I could find a summer job working with boats I'd be happier than a stoned butterfly. One of my dreams is to...
I wish I could find new people to go boatingwith.. I wish I could go boating on a humid days
eyeamalive 51-55, F 1 Jul 28, 2015
Small Boats Are Stuff Dreams Are Made ofThe odd small boat, whether it's one of those long narrow Chinese river boats, a small tug with a one lunger engine, or a Peep Hen, always catches my attention. Something one could live on, but in the same sense as living in a refrigerator carton. I'm not talking yacht class...
onlinegrandpa 61-65 1 Response 0 Mar 12, 2009
i look for a sailing boat : Etap 26,28, 28i, 30, 32, 34, 37, 38 OU Dehler, ouest, sud, Vancouver, eros 30, Evans, la Bavière, Henri Vauquiez, dufour, élisabéthaine, lunatique, Nauticat, Saltram, cruiser rois , Alajuela Tartan, Nicholson, Hallberg Rassy, ??Rival, Hartley, l'endurance, Najad, dynamique,, Finngulf...
steack2 41-45, M 0 Apr 21, 2014
I love my boat seriously the best thing thisside of the Mississippi :)
vsp44 22-25, M 1 Mar 21, 2016
I am trying to get a jobthat will let me sail away . . . I love boats, but what I really love is water
rmcares 26-30, F 1 Response 2 Jul 3, 2015
The Feel For FreedomI have always wanted to own a boat i have watched a lot on them the sailboat enchants my mind the most. So about a week ago I told my dream of building a boat to my brother in law. He said "why not fix up a old one first and learn how one works hands on style first?" I...
Yahlives 26-30 0 Mar 24, 2012
~Clears My Mind~Growing up around the water it has always been apart of my life. I never knew I wanted to make a career out of it until I was older. Working on vessels is something I can't imaging not doing in my life. It seems so natural for me to work out on the water. It calms me and has this...
markiealex 22-25, F 1 Response 2 Nov 18, 2013
I saw this boat and it make me want to be on itnaked just letting the sun hit me skin. So beautiful. Someday I'll have a boat of my own in the waters
MrWiggleWiggleSpankBottom 41-45, M 2 Aug 12, 2015
Boats Are So Much FunI love going out on boats. This weekend we were fortunate to be able to go out on our friend's boat. It feels so nice to be out on the water. It's peaceful and relaxing being with friends and having no need to make unnecessary small talk. We can all be so comfortable with each...
warmsmyheart 51-55, F 7 Responses 1 Aug 2, 2009


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How to Save Your Feet
Consider your feet. It's not often we do unless they are aching after a long day or from flaring bunions in too tight shoes. Yet these small appendages act as the base of support for our body. They are our connection to the earth and in yoga the first foundation we build upon to create stability and balance. As a yoga instructor I have seen all shapes and sizes of feet, and one thing I've witnessed is how disconnected people are from their foundation. With age comes a curling of the toes, a narrowing along the width of the instep, the inevitable inward collapse of the ankles or one foot turning right as if intending to move the body away from where it is headed. All of this makes the process of standing, walking, or even sitting on ones heels more and more of a challenge.
We cushion our feet in padded shoes with thick soles and special inserts. When asked to stand barefoot on the yoga mat the beginning student feels exposed and uncomfortable as if revealing a hidden part of his or herself. Without a fancy pedicure our feet may not look pretty, until a glance around the room shows one foot pretty much looks like another. Stability is the key to a safe yoga practice and this comes from how our feet are grounded in the postures. But stability in a yoga practice is only preparation for creating stability in one's life. By learning to ground ones feet properly you can stand erect with confidence and maintain your balance, even when challenged.
Taking the time each day to work on your feet can be healing for your entire body and mind. Actually, there are classes and workshops that focus primarily on improving the flexibility, strength and steadiness of the feet. There are wooden massage rollers, and knobbly balls to stand on and moan in ecstasy. There is foot reflexology and special shoes to align the feet, which are all well and good, but I have found the simple act of consistent practice to be what has changed my painful, bunion wide feet to a long and broad foundation on which to move through life.
Becoming aware of how you stand on your feet can be a revelation in itself. According to Leslie Kaminoff, author of Yoga Anatomy, "The practice of standing postures in general, and tadasana (Mountain pose) in particular is one of the best ways to restore the natural aliveness, strength, and adaptability of the feet." The following variations on Mountain pose (tadasana) can be done without support, but feel free to use a wall or sit on a firm chair to practice these effective and beneficial feet savers.
Next: 10 Exercises to help your feet
1. Take off your shoes and stand with your feet aligned forward, a hands-width apart, and your weight evenly distributed across the ball of each foot and from the inner to the outer heal.
2. Lengthen your feet from the base of the big toe to the inner heel and from the base of the little toe to the outer heel.
3. Stretch your toes open away from each other and let them rest lightly on the floor.
4. Just let yourself experience the connection you are making to your feet and to the earth.
5. Place your hands on your hips and begin to shift your weight from one foot to the other lifting the right heel and as it lowers lift the left.
6. Simple walking in place helps to strengthen and stretch the foot and Achilles tendon, while strengthening the calf muscles.
7. Come back to tadasana by grounding the four corners of your feet.
8. Pressing into the earth lift your heels slowly and roll up onto the ball of your feet. Then slowly lower your heels to the floor. Repeat this movement 5 times.
9. On the last lift stay and balance on the ball of your feet for the count of 5, then lower to the floor. You can repeat this 5 times as well.
10. Complete by returning to tadasana and standing quietly before moving on with your day.
Related Links:
18 Things Your Feet Say About Your Health
Treat Your Feet Naturally
Epsom Salt Peppermint Foot Scrub


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Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve them – Henry Ford
In this era of fast food and easy-merry-go-life we want to do things instantly. And I am sure after a dull boring day we want instant energy back into our system to do things we would cherish doing – playing a game with our kids, taking your wife for a movie or taking parents to dinner. Some of these are great needs, but sometimes in middle of a busy day we need to be high on energy as we switch between meetings. How can we achieve this never deteriorating stream of energy every single day? So here are some of my best and easy steps I thought to pen down. Let me know if you used any of these methods in your life anytime.
The energy of the mind is the essence of life – Aristotle
- Stretch out: This is the simplest of the lot. Snap away from what you are doing, watch some greenery and stretch and bend your back.
- Step out for a walk: Just like above, this is one of the easiest and most used mechanism by many. Get outside your cubicle and get some fresh air and it helps clear your mind.
- Calling a friend: Sometime we get energy by symbiotic ways. Just calling one of your close friend and listening to their cheerful voice can get us all the energy we need to go for rest of the day.
- Dress for the occasion: If you are at home and not getting all the energy, just by dressing formally can get you in that mindset and you will be able to run the extra mile.
- Listen to music: Cutting yourself of the clutter and listening to some melody from your favorite composer can get you an extra ounce of energy increasing your concentration to do the next task in hand.
- Laugh your way out: There is no substitute to happy mind. Watching some funny videos (on youtube) that can bring a smile can surely rejuvenate the rest of the day.
- Read motivational stuff: This is something I do quite a bit. I keep reading lots of books and it brings back so much motivation that it keep me running.
- Control your breath cycles: If you are into Yoga then a few deep breaths of mini-pranayams can get some new positive energy flowing into your system.
- Snap and help someone in need: They say life comes in circles, so if you create a positive vibes in someone else's life, you are going to get positive energy flowing into your life too.
- Do yourself a favor: The best way to revitalize is to do something meaningful to you. If you do something you have been wanting to do for a long time, it brings back so much of satisfaction and energy back in the system. This can be as simple as taking your Guitar and playing a few strings.
- Savor your success: The best way to boost yourself is to think about your recent successes for not more than 30 seconds. It can bring goosebumps yet reminds you that if you have done things in the past, it is quite possible in future too.
Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.
Understand that everything that happens in life is never good or bad, it is just our perception that makes them good or bad. I am sure you have found your own way to emotionally boost yourself when you get stuck in situation to give yourself that extra bit of energy. Do let me know – "what do you do to make yourself feel better when life puts a U turn and puts you down?". Let me know.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 24th, 2013 at 08:30 and is filed under Personal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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Article Preview
TAFT CAUSES HOTEL DELUGE; Tidal Wave from His Bathtub Floods Bankers in Dining Room.
Special to The New York Times. ();
June 19, 1915,
, Section , Page 6, Column , words
CAPE MAY, N.J., June 18. -- Ex-President Taft, who came here yesterday as the guest of the Pennsylvania Bankers' Association, took a bath in his apartments in the Hotel Cape May. He failed properly to consider the size of the average seashore hotel bathtub, however, with the result that when he got into the tub the water overflowed and trickled down upon the heads of the guests in the dining room.
June 19, 1915
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