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WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said "the political knives" came out when Chuck Hagel faced fellow Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing to be Pentagon chief.
Panetta said he was disappointed that Thursday's eight-hour hearing focused so much on what Hagel, a former Republican senator from Nebraska, had said in the past about Iran, Israel and other matters instead of what he thinks about today's issues, including the war in Afghanistan, the fight against terrorism, and looming automatic budget cuts and their impact on military readiness.
"We just did not see enough time spent on discussing those issues. And in the end, that's what counts," Panetta told NBC's "Meet the Press" in an interview broadcast Sunday.
"It's pretty obvious that the political knives were out for Chuck Hagel," Panetta said.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, noting the lengthy hearing, said on ABC's "This Week," ''give the guy a break. I thought he did pretty good." Reid, D-Nev., said Hagel's party affiliation "should be a plus. We need more."
Panetta said he is confident that Hagel is prepared to succeed him at the Pentagon.
In an appearance on CNN's "State of the Union," Panetta dismissed concerns that Hagel and former Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who was sworn in Friday as secretary of state, agree with Obama's views to the point that they won't challenge the president.
"I've got to tell you, anybody who knows John Kerry and anybody who knows Chuck Hagel ... they push back. Believe me, they push back on the issues," he said. "In the situation room, everybody has to give their honest views. And I think they won't hesitate to give their honest views."
Two Republican senators, Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Mike Johanns of Nebraska, have said they will support Hagel's nomination. Johanns said Saturday his concerns were allayed after Hagel's Senate hearing and after he met with Hagel for an hour.
"Chuck earned this endorsement," Johanns said in an interview with the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal Star.


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By Nick McVey
Big 12 Campus Correspondent
The home run has always been the centerpiece of the softball record books. It provides the biggest draw for fans, giving spectators an opportunity for a free souvenir. As arguably the most documented statistic in the game, one can hardly have a discussion about a batter without asking or being asked about her power.
Youngsters play through situations in their backyard with the common outcome of hitting a game-winning home run. Few players actually grow up to play the part of a real-life power hitter. Many develop different skill sets, leading them to hit for average or race around the base paths. Of the few that do become home run hitters, it is even rarer for a hitter to make her mark in the record books as one of her program's elite power hitters.
For the past four years, Iowa State has been home to not one, but two of these players. Cyclone seniors Erica Miller and Tori Torrescano have emerged as the backbone of the batting order over their careers. At the end of the season, one will finish her career as the all-time home run leader in program history. Torrescano is currently in the lead with 40 career home runs; Miller is sitting on 32 home runs.
Torrescano (San Diego) and Miller (Pomona) grew up within 120 miles of each other in California, first meeting when Tori tried out as a pitcher for Erica's club softball team, which had qualified for ASA Nationals. They became quick friends upon learning that they would be continuing their softball careers together at Iowa State.
Their friendship has only strengthened during their time as Cyclones. The sluggers have common tastes in music and jump at a chance to go to a concert. When it comes to practice and team workouts, the two often partner up, pushing each other to get better and stronger.
"We're great friends. It's great that we're able to push each other and get each other excited about the game," Miller said. "Every once in a while we challenge the other one after getting a hit that now it's the other one's turn. We push each other and have that confidence in each other."
Both admit to a little friendly competition but are quick to acknowledge that it never results in animosity.
"It's nice having [Erica] there with me and the healthy competition we have," Torrescano said. "Sometimes on a team, players are battling constantly and it turns a little negative. It's never been that way for us."
Torrescano holds top Cyclone marks for home runs (14) and RBI's (44) in a single season and is third in doubles (13), slugging over .600 in both her sophomore and junior campaigns. The senior expected to be successful at Iowa State but didn't see herself atop the Cyclone record books. Iowa State head softball coach Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler attributes her success as a power hitter to her swing.
"Tori always seems to get her hands and hips in a good, strong position to hit," Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. "It's very natural for her, and she has a very good feel for her swing."
Miller posted the sixth-best single-season batting average (.364) in program history a year ago and is second only to Torrescano for homeruns (11) and RBI's (40) in a single season. Over her career at Iowa State, Miller acknowledged the pace of Big 12 games as one of the biggest challenges she had to overcome.
"The pace of the game was a tough change for me, catching up to this level of play," Miller said. "When you're batting, you'll probably only get one good pitch to hit, and you have to be ready to take advantage of it."
This season, Miller is doing just that. The Pomona native's batting average is tops on the team at .383, and her slugging percentage (.638) is second to Torrescano (.793).
Hitting is contagious, and the universal mantra certainly holds true for the two Iowa Staters. The two have hit home runs in the same game or successive games numerous times throughout their Cyclone careers. It is an anomaly that can only be explained by the confidence they generate from one another.
"We know when both of us are hitting, then the chances of us winning are much greater," Torrescano said. "If I see her hit the ball, then I know I can and want to hit the ball too. It's a confidence-builder. And of course, we don't want the other one to get too far ahead, especially in the home run race," she added with a smile.
Torrescano and Miller have both received recognition as two of the Big 12's top players. Both were named to the 2012 College Sports Madness All-Big 12 second team, and Miller was also honored as a first team All-Big 12 member in 2012. The power-hitting tandem also succeeds in the classroom, both being selected to the 2012 Academic All-Big 12 first team.
Iowa weather forced both Torrescano and Miller to make adjustments after playing a year-round season in a warm California climate. In Iowa, high school teams play in the summer due to the colder spring temperatures, while in California, high schools play their season in the spring with club teams playing in the summer and fall.
The Cyclone squad has an advantage over many schools to combat the weather. The Bergstrom Football Complex includes a turf playing surface of over 60,000 square feet, providing the team with a place to practice indoors when the weather prohibits it from practicing outside, which is a common occurrence during the Ames winters.
"It's really great having a place to go when the weather gets bad," Miller said. "I have friends at other schools that, when the weather keeps them off the field, they have to practice in the basketball gym. Having an indoor turf field is a huge perk of playing here."
Iowa State continues Big 12 conference play on Friday, April 5th, when the Cyclones travel to take on Oklahoma State.

subset: commoncrawl


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As Christmas Day draws near, the weekends are filling up with performances, parties and good old fashioned holiday cheer. Here are five of the best.
WHERE Wyoming United Methodist Church, 216 Wyoming Mill Road, Dover
WHEN 7 p.m., Saturday
COST $20 to $25
Sometimes, it just doesn't get any better than the classics. And, Christmas music doesn't get any more classic (or famous) than George Frideric Handel's oratorio, "Messiah."
Known as a journey of Christian faith, from the Old Testament into the New, "Messiah" consists of three sections: The coming of Jesus Christ, followed by his death and resurrection and, finally, the familiar "Hallelujah Chorus."
Legend has it that during one of the early London performances of the piece, the final chorus caused King George II to spontaneously rise to his feet in a fit of exaltation. Today's audiences regularly repeat the king's actions and locals will have that chance, too, when the Delaware Choral Society fills the sanctuary of Wyoming United Methodist Church with its collage of heavenly voices.
This looks to be the DCS's singular performance of "Messiah" in Dover and tickets are priced for budget-conscious Christmas lovers: $25 for general admission, $20 for seniors and military and free for anyone younger than 21 years old.
For more information or reservations, call (302) 245-0449 or email email@example.com. Risk-takers may also be able to get tickets at the door if seats are still available.
WHERE The Biggs Musuem, 406 Federal St., Dover
WHEN 5 to 7 p.m., Friday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday
COST Free admission
INFO www.biggsmuseum.org
With so much emphasis on shopping local, why not take it a step further with items that are both local and handmade? Where would you find such things, you ask? The "Delaware By Hand Holiday Market" at the Biggs Museum is a good place to start.
The items featured are the work of Delaware's only online artist guild, Delaware By Hand, a collection of artist and artisan members of the Biggs Museum of American Art.
This year's market will feature fine art selections in jewelry, blown glass, fiber art, woodwork, ceramics, paintings and more.
First, spend time perusing never-before-seen gift ideas on the renovated first floor of the museum. Then, check out the free David Berndt lecture on "Rediscovering Bayard Berndt: A Son's Recollection of a Delaware Painter," which will begin at 10:30 a.m. Finally, replenish your strength for more holiday shopping with lunch at Abbott's Grill Café, also located at the museum.
For more information, visit www.biggsmusueum.org.
WHERE The Schwartz Center for the Arts, 226 S. State St., Dover
WHEN 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday
COST $12 to $25
INFO www.schwartzcenter.com
For the fifth consecutive year, Read-Aloud Delaware has teamed up with the Ballet Theatre of Dover for a fundraising performance of "The Nutcracker."
This year's production will feature Dover's own Paul Janiga as Herr Drosselmeyer, Philadelphia dancer Dillon Shifferly as the Nutcracker Prince, 15-year-old Allison Wilkins as Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy and Dance Conservatory Alumni Sara Biscardi as the Snow Queen.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased at www.schwartzcenter.com or by calling (302) 678-5152.
Read-Aloud Delaware utilizes volunteers of all ages to read one-on-one to children in childcare centers, clinics and shelters serving low income families to help parents prepare children for school.
WHERE Walter L. Fox American Legion Post 2, 835 Bay Road, Dover
WHEN 12:30 to 8 p.m., Saturday
COST $15 at the door
INFO wlfoxpost.org
Normally, fans would need to hit up five or six local establishments to see the familiar faces of Results May Vary, Tripping on Jack, Perception, 13:1, Chainbreak or Elwood. But, a serious cause is bringing them all together at the same venue for one day only.
Ash's Elves, a new group dedicated to eradicating domestic violence following the September death of Ashley Close, is hosting a fundraiser benefiting domestic violence victims who must celebrate the holidays in hiding and at safe houses.
Saturday's fundraiser will feature six bands, lots of food, raffles, auctions and a possible barrel of cheer. Organizers are also asking that people donate toys, clothing and necessities, which will all go to the clients of the Kent County Chapter for Domestic Violence.
For more information, visit www.ashselves.com.
WHERE Town Square, located at Main St. and Camden-Wyoming Ave., Camden
WHEN 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Friday
COST Free
INFO Camden.delaware.gov
A new soon-to-be tradition is springing up in Camden this year. And, it's one that, according to Mayor W.G. Edmanson, will give the folks down in Williamsburg, Va. something to be jealous of, in terms of Christmas cheer.
"Caroling in Camden" kicks off with a ceremonial tree lighting, followed by the sweet, singing voices of lots of small children and most importantly, the collected voice of the whole town.
Feel your heart swell as pre-schoolers belt out kiddie favorites like "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolph." Middle-school students will tackle "The 12 Days of Christmas" while Caesar Rodney High School students take on more complicated songs like "Carol the Bells" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Finally, the mayor, the council and the whole community will cap off the night with "Silver Bells," "Let it Snow" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," which will appropriately lead into Santa's big arrival in Camden by fire truck.
No reservations are required, only a ready voice and Christmas cheer are necessary.


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Bethel signs?softball player
Bethel College softball coach Stacy Middleton signed Kaylen Fike of Ada, Okla., to a letter of intent to play for the Threshers in the 2013-14 school year.?Fike plays for Byng High School, where she is a utility player. She was given the Byng Softball Leadership Award. The team was 16-7 last season.?ōKaylen is a great addition to our campus; she will excel in the classroom and on the field,ö Middleton said. ōHer work ethic and desire to be the best will be an inspiration to our team. I look forward to having her at Bethel.ö?ō I'm really excited about what's in store for me the next few years,ö Fike said.?Fike selected Bethel over Bethany and Oklahoma Baptist.?Fike is a member of the FFA and the National Honor Society. She is on the honor roll.?She intends to major in secondary education at Bethel.
Bethel opens?season 0-3
SHAWNEE, Okla. Ś The Bethel College softball team opened its second season with three losses Saturday at the Oklahoma Baptist Invitational in Shawnee.?Bethel opened the season with a 4-0 loss to Hastings, followed by a 12-8 loss to Dordt and a 7-0 loss to host Oklahoma Baptist.?Against Hastings, Kelly Toll took the loss, allowing three earned runs on eight hits with three walks and a strikeout. Bethel was held to three hits.?Against Dordt, Bethel trailed 7-0 after two innings, but took an 8-7 lead after four innings. Dordt regained the lead with five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.?Mary Sheridan was two for three hitting for Bethel with three RBIs. Sarah Cunningham and Lakin Thompson each drove in a run. Rachel Unruh took the loss. Chelsea Grandstaff closed the game.?Against Oklahoma Baptist, Bethel gave up a run in the first inning, three in the fifth inning and three in the sixth.?Kylee Gragg went two for four hitting for Bethel. Lakin Thompson took the loss, allowing four earned runs with 11 hits with a walk and three strikeouts.?Bethel opens play today at the Friends Invitational at the Two Rivers Youth Complex in Wichita. Bethel plays Mid-American Christian at 10 a.m., followed by Dakota State at 2 p.m. and Southwestern Christian at 4 p.m. Saturday, Bethel plays Nebraska Wesleyan at 8 a.m. and Rogers State at noon.
vs. Hastings?Bethel 000 000 0 Ś0 3 3?Hastings 010 102 x Ś3 8 4?Toll (L, 0-1) and Sheridan; Erlenbusch (W, 2-0) and Stickley.?vs. Dordt?Bethel 006 200 0 Ś8 6 11?Dordt 430 050 x Ś12 10 1?Unruh (L, 0-1), Grandstaff 5 and Sheridan; Kooiker, Beaird (W, 1-1) 4 and n/a. HR Ś D: Vankooten.?vs. Oklahoma Baptist?Bethel 000 000 0 Ś0 4 3?Okla.Bap. 100 330 x Ś7 11 3?Thompson (L, 0-1) and Sheridan; Wilbur (W, 3-0) and McLeod. HR Ś OB: Morris.
Wild set for?season opener
PARK CITY Ś The Wichita Wild indoor football team opens its first season of the Champions Professional Indoor Football League at 7:05 p.m. Saturday against the Oklahoma Defenders at the Tulsa Convention Center.?The Defenders are in their second season, finishing 9-3 in the American Professional Football League, losing in the first round of the playoffs.?Wichita was 8-6 in the Indoor Football League regular season last year, falling to Tri Cities in the Intense Conference championship game.?The Defenders are led by quarterback Rico Watkins, who hit 131 of 217 passes last season for 1,684 yards and 40 touchdowns. He added 406 yards rushing with 18 touchdowns. Defensive back Bobby Blackshire was an All-APFL pick last season with 98 tackles, eight interceptions and two touchdowns.?Wichita will be led by quarterback Rocky Hinds, a newcomer for the Wild. He spent last season with the Nebraska Danger and the previous two seasons with the Bloomington Extreme.


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Grand Terrace Urgent Care
Grand Terrace, CA 92313
Hours of operation
- not available
About Grand Terrace Urgent Care
Grand Terrace Urgent Care is an urgent care center in Grand Terrace, CA located at 22182 Barton Rd.. The hours of operation for this clinic are not known, however most walk-in clinics are open daily and for extended hours. Grand Terrace Urgent Care appears to be individually owned and operated and not part of a larger network of urgent care clinics. There are, however, 2 walk-in clinics within 20 miles of Grand Terrace in cities including Colton and Loma Linda.
As an urgent care center, Grand Terrace Urgent Care provides non-emergent medical care most typically referred to as urgent care services. This category of medicine includes the treatment of allergies, asthma, broken bones and sprains, burns, cold and flu symptoms, ear, sinus and respiratory infections, insect and animal bites, stomach viruses, skin rashes and most other non-life threatening injuries, illnesses and conditions. Additionally common health assessments are typical service offerings including annual and school physicals and Grand Terrace. While this urgent care does offer assistance with immediate health care needs, if you are suffering from a true medical emergency, go to the emergency room in Grand Terrace, CA or call 911 immediately.
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Please update your bookmark accordingly in order to access the desired page and to avoid this redirect in the future. You may click the link above to be immediately directed to the page or you will be automatically redirected in 20 seconds.
| US Dept of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Weather Service
1325 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Page Author: NWS Internet Services Team


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This is a clinical course in which each student is assigned to help represent an indigent defendant in the appeal of his or her felony conviction, under the supervision of attorneys from Michigan's State Appellate Defender Office. The focus of the course is on the completion of an effecitvely written appellate brief on behalf of the client, to be filed in state or federal court. The goal of the course is to develop the student's understanding and skill in all phases of appellate advocacy. The student will review the trial transcripts and lower court records, interview the client in prison (with the instructor), develop a strategy for appeal, conduct legal research, and help draft the client's brief on appeal. Feedback is provided by frequent individual meetings with the instructors, as well as oral argument before a panel of attorneys experienced in criminal law. The course gives the student the opportunity to work on a real case with real consequences for the client. While most directly relevant to those interested in criminal law, its lessons in appellate advocacy should be of general interest. Class size is limited to 12 students to assure individual attention to each student.The Clinic is a 4 credit course and meets the New York Pro-Bono requirement. Students must enroll in the 3 credit clinic and the 1 credit field component, taken concurrently. The 3 credit clinic and 1 credit field component are mandatory graded and ineligible for letter grade conversion to pass ("P") election.The Clinic fulfills the Law School's professional responsibility requirement for graduation, but does not fulfill the New York State Bar ethics requirement.
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No. 7-ranked Bulldogs remain unbeaten in MCHA
The NCAA Division III No. 7-ranked Adrian College men's hockey team completed a sweep of Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association foe Marian, defeating the Sabres 3-1 on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs defeated Marian 6-0 on Friday.
"I thought we played well over the course of the weekend," said Adrian College coach Ron Fogarty. "I thought we played a very solid game today."
Adrian (14-1-2, 10-0-2 MCHA) used a strong defense to shut down the Sabres for most of the game. The Bulldogs were efficient on killing Marian's power plays, forcing the Sabres to go 0-for-6 on the day.
"Our penalty kill defense was very solid all weekend," said Fogarty. "We held them scoreless in 12 power-play attempts over two games. I'm very happy with our effort there."
The game was a defensive battle from the first face-off. Both defenses were aggressive, preventing a chance for an offensive rhythm to get started. Each team came up empty on a power-play attempt, and the Sabres led 8-6 in shots on goal as the first period ended.
The second period proved to be similar to the first. The defenses continued to play great even as the shots really began to fly. The game also began to get more scrappy, with the third double penalty of the game being called with eight minutes left in the period.
It wasn't until the final two minutes that the Bulldogs' offense came alive. An unsportsmanlike conduct call put Adrian at a 5-on-3 disadvantage. The Bulldogs were able to kill off the remaining time on the first penalty. A quick face-off win by Josh Ranalli led to a wide open Kevin Balas in front of the Marian net. Balas beat the goalie with ease, putting Adrian up 1-0 as the period came to an end.
"It's a 60 minute game," said Fogarty. "The goal wasn't incredibly important for us to get, but it gave us momentum heading into the third. We still needed three goals to win."
The third period saw the Bulldog offense get on track . The Bulldogs dominated the opening half of the period, putting in two goals to take a 3-1 lead. The first came from Duston Hebebrand, who sailed a backhand past the Marian goalie as he skated in front of the net. Adrian's third goal came from Zach Graham, who flipped it over the goalie's shoulder to put Adrian up 3-0.
"We've been focusing on the third period all season," said Fogarty. "We needed to fix a few things after the ties with Lawrence, and I think we've done that now. We only allowed Marian three shots in the third period when it was 5-on-5."
The Sabres tried to rally late in the period, scoring with about eight minutes remaining. Marian had several opportunities, but went 0-for-4 on power plays in the third period.
For final two minutes of the game, the Bulldogs held off a frantic offensive attack by the Sabres, ensuring their 3-1 victory.
Ranalli and Shawn Courtney both recorded two assists for Adrian, while Lukas Ciotti added an assist. Adrian goaltender James Hamby made 27 saves for his ninth win.
Adrian College will travel to face MCHA archrival Milwaukee School of Engineering next weekend.


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The gold-mining industry, which has underperformed the precious metal for each of the past six years, is pledging to report costs more accurately as part of its efforts to win back investor confidence.
Barrick Gold Corp. and Goldcorp Inc., the two biggest producers by market value, have begun reporting "all-in sustaining costs" for the first time. The new measure averaged $941 an ounce between the two companies in the fourth quarter. That's 50 percent higher than the $626 average so-called cash cost they disclosed in the preceding three months.
The largest gold companies are seeking to lure investors back to the $300 billion industry after a string of money-losing multibillion-dollar takeovers and over-budget projects. Barrick and its competitors are vowing to focus on margins and to get a grip on soaring production costs, rather than boosting output.
Gold producers "have really done themselves a huge disservice by effectively walking around for the last 12 years promoting the gross margin as opposed to the net or the operating margin," said Joseph Wickwire, the Boston-based manager of Fidelity Investments' $2.9 billion Select Gold Portfolio fund. "The managements and the boards of the gold companies really have no one to blame but themselves for some of the negative sentiment and disappointment."
Earnings statements had previously carried so-called cash costs, based on a standard developed in the 1990s that excludes expenses such as exploration and waste-rock removal.
Margin Compression
The 55-member S&P/TSX Global Gold Sector Index trailed gold each year in 2007 through 2012. The index declined 6.9 percent during that period while gold futures more than doubled. Gold fell 1.2 percent to settle at $1,595.70 an ounce today in New York.
Gold has advanced for 12 successive years, driven at least in part by demand from investors looking for a store of wealth amid concern about inflation. Despite benefiting from that rally, gold producers' margins have come under pressure from rising prices for labor, equipment and raw materials.
The average cash cost of 10 of the biggest gold miners was $694 an ounce in the third quarter, 49 percent higher than in the same period two years earlier, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The average gold price rose 35 percent in the same comparison.
"Everyone was trying to run through the funnel of building these new projects as big as you can, as fast as you can," Kinross Gold Corp. Chief Executive Officer J. Paul Rollinson said in an interview Feb. 13. "There was huge competition for people, competition for steel, competition for tires and spare parts."
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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Services for Gary Keith Hicks, 68, Lone Grove, are Tuesday, March 26, at 1 p.m., at First Baptist Church, Lone Grove. Interment follows at Jimtown Cemetery in Love County.
Born June 28, 1944, in Jimtown, to the late Earl Robert and Jessie (Hallum) Hicks, he passed away Saturday, March 23, 2013, at his home in Lone Grove.
Raised at Jimtown, he attended grade school at Jimtown and Burneyville, graduating high school as salutatorian of Turner High School's Class of 1962. A graduate of Cooke County Junior College, he earned his Bachelor of Business from North Texas State University, Denton, Texas, and did his master's work in journalism at Oklahoma University, Norman. A Vietnam Veteran, he served in Saigon. After returning to the states, he opened the Gary Hicks Insurance Agency in Norman. On Dec. 28, 1974, he married his wife of 38 years, Linda Sue Batchelor, in Dallas, Texas. The couple moved from Norman to Marietta in 1976 to open the first of three pizzerias, Pizzeria of Marietta, Pizzeria of Waurika, and the Pizzeria of Lone Grove. On March 16, 1980, they moved to Lone Grove and on January 5, 1983, they established and published their first edition of The Lone Grove Ledger. In 1985 they added Quality Printing and Graphic Design to their publishing company. A charter member of the Kiwanis Club of Lone Grove, he served on the Kiwanis Texas-Oklahoma District Staff as Ki-Notes editor, from 1994 through 2011. He also served a club president and secretary. A founder of the Lone Grove Chamber of Commerce, he also served this organization as president. In addition, he was a member of the Oklahoma Press Association where he served on the legislative committee. He loved spending time at his farm, with his grandchildren, great-granddaughter, and with his best buddy. A member of First Baptist Church, Lone Grove, his desire was to see 100 people attend Wednesday night services, which came to fruition on Wednesday, March 13 when over 300 people were present.
Survivors include his wife, Linda, of the home in Lone Grove; two granddaughters, Kristin Hicks Underwood and her husband, Lance, of Seminole, and Bethany Hicks, Tecumseh; a grandson, Tyler Hicks, of the home in Lone Grove; a great-granddaughter, Cicily Anderson, Seminole; two daughters-in-law, Ann Hicks, Tecumseh, and Paula Cannon and her husband, Kendall, Dickson; a sister, Maxine Reed, Ardmore; a brother, Glyn Edward Hicks and his wife, Virginia, Marietta; a sister-in-law, Wanda Hicks-Miller, Ponca City; and a host of very special nieces, nephews, and cousins. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Gary Keith Hicks, II; two brothers, Earl Ray Hicks, and Burney Hicks; and a sister, Peggy McIntyre.
Bearers and honorary bearers will be nephews.
Visitation is this evening at Harvey-Douglas Funeral Home from 6 to 7 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Madill Baptist Home for Girls online at www.obhc.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=1216, or mail to 13976 Anthony Lane, Madill, OK 73446. Note donation is in memory of Gary K. Hicks, Lone Grove.
Services are under the care of Harvey-Douglas Funeral Home and Crematory, Ardmore. Condolences may be expressed online at hdouglasfuneralhome.com.


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John Habib's City Sports: Pleasant surprises abound for Manchester Central L.L.JOHN HABIB
July 05. 2013 8:57PM
In March, when the New Hampshire District I Little League presidents held their annual meeting, Commissioner Don Kirkland asked them to submit their bids to host the state tournament.
"We only received one," said Kirkland.
The lone bid was submitted by Manchester Central president Sally Dreckmann, who never expected it would turn into one of the best decisions she's ever made for her league.
"I submitted a $500 bid just to get the ball moving," said Dreckmann. "Not only am I happy we're hosting the state tournament, but we got it at a relatively low price. Usually the bidding for the state tournament gets as high as $1,500 and even $2,000."
Beginning on July 20, Manchester Central, the oldest chartered Little League (1949) in New Hampshire, will host the 11-12-year-old, 10-11-year-old and 9-10-year-old state tournaments.
Weeks after the meeting in March, Kirkland said other leagues around his district started submitting bids to host the state tournament.
"I rejected them all, told them they had their chance in March," said Kirkland. "The state tournament will be held at Manchester Central in the very capable hands of Sally Dreckmann."
Kirkland, a Derry resident, has a working Little League relationship with Dreckmann of 20 years.
"People probably don't remember she worked many years with Easter Seals helping underprivileged kids," said Kirkland. "She's always had that drive and passion to help kids. She's also been very supported of the Jimmy Fund program and she has served as a safety officer for Little League baseball for many years. The job she's done as president at Manchester Central has been outstanding."
The Queen City Rotary Club recently honored Dreckmann with its 2013 Service to Youth Award.
"I was totally surprised because I don't do this for awards," said Dreckmann. Her service to the Central Little League spans 18 total years, the last 14 as president. Her league provides baseball for 300 youngsters, many of them inner city kids who can't afford the registration fee to join the league.
"I've never turned away any kid since my time as president," said Dreckmann. "If a kid can't afford to pay the registration fee, that kid still plays. Every child should experience the chance to play Little League baseball."
This season will mark the third time Manchester Central will host the state tournament under Dreckmann's tenure as president. The previous two were in 2001 and 2003.
In April, Dreckmann invited Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas to throw out the ceremonial first pitch to kick off the league's 64th season.
Weeks later, Dreckmann received a phone call from the Manchester Parks and Recreation Department.
"They told me I needed to move my games from the major field for two weeks (June 11-24)," said Dreckmann. "They told me they needed two weeks to renovate the field for the state tournament. I didn't go to them. They came to me and I suspect Mayor Gatsas made that phone call."
Dreckmann estimated the city spent $15,000 over a two-week period turning Gill Harris Field on Lincoln Street into a first-rate complex.
The trees around the outfield were trimmed. Workers re-painted the foul pole in right field and replaced the left field foul pole with a new one. The baseball lines were widened to four feet and the infield was re-cut, re-seeded and fertilized — something Dreckmann said was never done once in her 18 years in the league.
"They sodded the areas they over-cut in the infield and in the coaches' boxes," said Dreckmann. "They installed an extra sprinkler in left field and last, but not least, they gave us a brand new home plate dish."
The league will also be getting a yellow plastic safety cover that will line the top of the fence to protect players reaching over for any fly ball or popup. Dreckmann also lauded the Rotary Club for grooming, weeding and building a new fence along the walkway entering the field.
"We just had some rain and the new drainage took care of it," said Dreckmann. "I couldn't be happier, it's like a mini Fenway Park."
The beauty of it all is that Central Little League would not have received its facelift had it not been for Dreckmann's lone bid at the Little League meeting in March.
- - - - - - -
ACROSS town, the Manchester West Side Little League will be competing in the state's first 50/70 Intermediate Little League tournament at Cullerot Field.
Kirkland said the best-of-five series between West and Pelham will begin Tuesday in Manchester. West will host Game 2 on July 11 before the series shifts to Pelham for Game 3 on July 12 and a possible Game 4 on July 14. The fifth and deciding game would be played in Manchester on July 16.
Standard Little League fields feature the pitching rubber 46 feet from home plate and the bases 60 feet apart. The 50/70 Intermediate baseball field, said Manchester West president John Ryan, features a pitching rubber 50 feet from home plate and bases 70 feet apart."It's designed to transition players from the standard Little League field to a larger baseball diamond," said Ryan. "I want to thank Manchester Parks and Recreations Department for helping us with this project."
- - - - - - -
IT'S TIME the state Babe Ruth baseball committee combines Districts I, II and III and develops a round-robin tournament. That way each team plays at least four or five games and the top two or four teams advance to the state tournament.
The current setup has many district tournaments either with two or three teams and a few with none. Years ago, district tournaments would have a minimum of four teams and some as many as six.
The 15-year-old Manchester Tom Woodlock All-Stars. coached by Lenny Pappas, will be hosting Londonderry in a best-of-three District II series beginning today at 11 a.m. at Livingston Park. Game 2 is slated for Sunday at 11 a.m. and if needed, Game 3 will follow around 2 p.m.
The 14-year-old Manchester Mickey Hanagan All-Stars. coached by Hanagan, will play Nashua in a best-of-three District II series beginning today at 7 p.m. at Michele Park on 200 Lawrence Road in Salem. Game 2 is Sunday at 4 p.m. and if needed, Game 3 to follow around 7 p.m.
The Manchester 13-year-old Ray Lebel All-Stars will be idle until the state tournament later this month in Rochester. Manchester will be hosting the 13-year-old regional tournament beginning July 27 at Gill Stadium. The team will be coached by Tony Doucet.
Goffstown's Allard Park is hosting both the District III 13- and 14-year-old tournaments this weekend.
Goffstown, Concord and Bow are the 13-year-old tournament teams. Laconia, Lamprey River and Goffstown are the 14-year-old tournament teams. Game times today at Allard Park are 10 a.m. in the 14-year-old tournament and 1 p.m. in the 13-year-old tournament.
Bedford is hosting a best-of-three District I series against Keene beginning today at 7:30 at Riley Field. Game 2 is slated for Monday at 7 and if needed, Game 3 is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m.
"City Sports" is published Saturdays in the New Hampshire Union Leader. Email staff sports reporter John Habib at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Nashua alderman:City needs rail studyBy KIMBERLY HOUGHTON
Union Leader Correspondent
April 08. 2013 10:55PM
NASHUA - A local alderman is recommending that an ad hoc committee be established to help officials fully understand and prepare for the financial costs associated with bringing rail to Nashua.
With an 18-month rail study under way by the state, Alderman Daniel Moriarty, Ward 9, believes now is the time for the city to initiate a similar effort focusing solely on the impact rail will have in the Gate City.
"I think that we are obligated to look into this further," Moriarty said on Monday. "All of us aldermen support rail, but I believe that we really need to substantiate that claim."
Moriarty is sponsoring a proposed resolution that, if approved by the full Board of Aldermen, would form an ad hoc committee to study the benefits and price tag of operating rail services in Nashua. The resolution will be presented to aldermen Tuesday night, when the board will have its first reading of the proposal.
According to the resolution, commuter rail in Nashua is expected to provide benefits to local citizens and businesses, however the operation and maintenance of commuter rail in the city will have associated costs that have not yet been determined.
"The Board of Aldermen should be informed and be prepared to address legislation regarding right of way, financing and administration of commuter rail servicing the citizens of Nashua," says the resolution.
Moriarty is proposing that the committee include three aldermen and two city residents. The group could meet monthly for nine months and then submit a final report to the Board of Aldermen, according to the proposal.
"I still believe that commuter rail is a good thing for Nashua, but we need to get access to all of the information out there," said Moriarty. "Nashua needs to figure out how we are going to pay for this. My intentions are not to make this propaganda, but a neutral effort."
His recommendation comes just two months after the Board of Aldermen voted to spend $1.4 million to purchase two parcels at 25 Crown St. that will be used as a park and ride facility and possibly a train station. The vote took place one week after the Executive Council approved a $3.6 million rail study to determine whether bringing rail back to New Hampshire would be feasible.
Mayor Donnalee Lozeau said previously that once the Crown Street property is acquired by the city, officials will have time to pursue the train station option - after reviewing information from the completed rail study - while moving forward with the commuter park and ride lot.
At the time, Moriarty opposed the land purchase, saying that while he supports rail and would appreciate having a train station, a better location would be near Exit 2 in south Nashua as opposed to the Crown Street site.
He maintains that a lot of upgrades will be necessary to make the Crown Street property feasible, saying there is much more to the project than the $1.4 million land buy, which is being funded with a combination of federal dollars and state toll credits.
According to Lozeau, the location is ideal because it is the only downtown area where there is 800 feet of straight train track that already exists. Still, it could take at least six years for a train station to be operating from the site, as the city will have to overcome several obstacles, the mayor said earlier.
From the time Lozeau began her campaign for mayor, she has voiced support for bringing rail from Boston, Mass., into Nashua. But the mayor doesn't just want a train to travel through Nashua; she ultimately wants to have a train stop in the city so residents can easily take advantage of passenger rail.
If authorized by city officials, the proposed committee will study those various initiatives, specifically focusing on the benefits and costs to the city, according to the resolution.


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The sciatic nerve begins from the lower spine on either side. It travels deep in the pelvis to the lower buttocks. From there, it passes along the back of each upper leg and divides at the knee into branches that go to the feet. Sciatica is an irritation of the sciatic nerve.
Sciatica is caused by irritation or pressure on the sciatic nerve. This can be the result of:
- Herniated disc —the cushions between the bones of your spine bulge and press on the nerve as it exits the spinal column
- Arthritis in the lower back
- Spinal stenosis —narrowing of the spinal canal in the lumbar area
- Spondylolisthesis —slippage of a bone in the lower back
- Cauda equina syndrome —nerve roots at the base of the spinal cord are compressed
- Piriformis syndrome— spasm of piriformis muscle
Risk Factors
Sciatica is more common in men. Other factors that may increase your chance of sciatica include:
Lifestyle and personal health factors, such as:
- Obesity
- Smoking
- History of low back problems
- Anxiety and depression
Occupational factors, such as:
- Heavy manual labor
- Heavy lifting
- Exposure to vibrations
- A job that requires standing for long periods of time and forward bending
Health conditions, such as:
- Fractures in the back
- Tumors
- Infections
- Metabolic problems, such as diabetes
Sciatica causes symptoms that can range from mild to severe. Symptoms may include:
- Burning, tingling, or a shooting pain down the back of one leg
Pain in one leg or buttock may get worse with:
- Sitting
- Standing up
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Straining
- Weakness or numbness in a leg or foot
More serious symptoms associated with sciatica that may require immediate medical attention include:
- Continuing weakness in a leg or foot
- Numbness in groin or the buttocks
- Difficulty walking, standing, or moving
- Loss of bowel or bladder control
- Fever, unexplained weight loss, or other signs of illness
You will be asked about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. Your doctor will pay particular attention to your back, hips, and legs. The physical exam will include tests for strength, flexibility, sensation, and reflexes.
Imaging tests are used to evaluate the affected area:
Your doctor may also need to test your nerves. This can be done with a nerve conduction study .
The goal of treatment is to reduce sciatic nerve irritation.
Treatment options include:
Bed rest is not generally recommended. It may be suggested for no more than 1-2 days in those with severe pain. Activities may be restricted for a period of time and then resumed as soon as possible. Recovery time may be shortened by staying active and exercising.
Medications used to treat sciatica include:
- Over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers
- Muscle relaxants for muscle spasms
- Corticosteroid injections in the back
- Antidepressants or antiseizure medications for chronic pain
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy may include:
- Cold packs or heat therapy
- Stretching and strengthening exercises
- Massage
- Ultrasound treatments or electrical stimulation
- Posture education and appropriate lifting instructions
Alternative Therapies
These therapies have not been proven by scientific studies to have an effect on sciatica. However, some people may find some pain relief from:
Surgery may be done to relieve pressure on the sciatic nerve. This is performed in emergency situations or if other treatments fail. Common surgical procedures are microdiscectomy and lumbar laminectomy .
Sciatica tends to happen more than one time. To help reduce your chance of sciatica:
- Use proper body movement when playing sports, exercising, or lifting heavy objects.
- Practice good posture to reduce pressure on your spine.
- Begin a safe exercise program with the advice of your doctor.
- If possible, avoid sitting or standing in one position for long periods.
- Consider job retraining if your work requires a lot of heavy lifting or sitting.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: EBSCO Medical Review Board Teresa Briedwell, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS
- Review Date: 11/2017 -
- Update Date: 12/20/2014 -


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There were 37 bookings at the San Joaquin County Jail in the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. Monday. At that time, there were 1,427 people held at the jail, which has an official capacity of 1,411. When the jail is full, some inmates may be released early.
There were 37 bookings at the San Joaquin County Jail in the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. Monday. At that time, there were 1,427 people held at the jail, which has an official capacity of 1,411. When the jail is full, some inmates may be released early.
Robbery: A 50-year-old man who answered a knock at his front door on the 3900 block of Round Valley Circle at 6:41 p.m. Sunday was pushed back into the house by a suspect wielding a 4- to 6-inch knife who took his cellphone and jewelry before fleeing on foot toward Quail Lakes Drive.
Person shot: A 59-year-old man living on the 2100 block of East Taylor Street heard banging on his door at 7:37 p.m. Sunday before two men entered his residence. One of the suspects punched him while the other shot him in the leg before the victim pepper-sprayed the suspects and they fled the scene. The victim was treated at a hospital for a non-life-threatening wound.
Robbery arrest: A taco truck parked in a lot on the 3600 block of East Hammer Lane at 10:36 Sunday attracted two juveniles who approached a 29-year-old worker while brandishing handguns and demanding money. The victim handed over an undisclosed amount of cash. Just as the suspects were fleeing, they were spotted by arriving patrol units. Following a brief foot chase, two 15-year-old boys were caught and arrested on suspicion of robbery, resisting arrest and gun charges.
Weapons arrest: A 14-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm during a probation search around 6:40 p.m. Sunday on the 8000 block of Chateau Drive. The search was conducted by officers from the Community Response Team and Countywide Multiagency Gang Task Force.
Stabbing: A 33-year-old man was stabbed around 4:41 p.m. Monday on the 1600 block of West Regal Street. He was treated at an area hospital for non-life-threatening wounds. The victim was uncooperative with officers.
Robbery: A woman, 38, walking home from a party at 4:15 a.m. Monday near Carolyn Weston Boulevard and Manthey Road was attacked by two men on bicycles. One suspect hit her on the head, knocking her to the ground. While one man punched her in the face, the other suspect took her purse. She was treated for pain to her head.
Robbery arrests: Sgt. Toby Will was driving near the 300 block of South El Dorado Street at 2:47 p.m. Monday when he saw a man, 54, chasing a younger man who had robbed him of a gold chain. While Will was arresting Keshon Anderson, 21, on suspicion of theft, Anderson discarded the chain. It was subsequently retrieved by another man who attempted to take it. Will then arrested Fred Merritt, 31, also on suspicion of robbery.
Assault with deadly weapon: A woman and her adult son, 42, had just driven home on the 4800 block of Greensboro Way around 1:30 p.m. Monday when a man on a bicycle rode up and confronted them about driving too fast in the neighborhood. They argued and the man left, returning moments later with five other males who began to beat the son. The man then pulled out a gun and fired four to five shots at the victims, missing them but striking their home once.
The California Highway Patrol did not report activity for the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. Monday.
The Stockton Fire Department responded to 92 calls for service in the 24 hours ending at 8 a.m. Monday, including three vehicle accidents, 69 medical calls and one hazardous material incident.


text:
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The chasm between California's milk producers and processors grew even wider last week when California Ag Secretary Karen Ross again denied a proposal to increase the price of milk used to manufacture cheese.
The level of frustration among producers mirrors their struggle in making ends meet, which has grown steadily more difficult because of a downturn in exports followed by record-high feed costs and milk prices that fail to cover the cost of production.
The widening gap between California's Class 4b cheese milk price and the federal milk marketing orders for Class III cheese milk has been the focus of producer ire.
The California prices for milk used for other purposes correspond with the prices in the federal orders. But producers contend the gap between state and federal prices for cheese milk is due to the value of whey in the state 4b pricing formula. It was disconnected from the marketplace in late 2007.
Processors counter they can't pay a higher whey value, either because they don't have the capability to process the whey stream and recoup the value or they've invested large sums to process and manage what was formerly considered a waste product.
Both agree change is needed, but they don't agree on the formula for that change.
Processors claim the state's pricing system is antiquated and prevents the industry from pressing opportunities in new and expanding markets. Producers say that while expanded processing capacity is needed, the pricing system is sustainable with the exception of pricing 4b milk.
"Given the power of the market to add substantially to farmer prosperity, we should be working together to expand our global reach, instead of relying on an antiquated pricing system that stifles growth and limits revenue," said Rachel Kaldor, executive director of Dairy Institute of California, which represents processors.
The industry needs to work together to create a new market-driven system with high levels of investment and vigorous competition, she said.
Secretary Ross agrees, and said continued adjustments to minimum milk prices, resulting from industry petitions, are inadequate to address the ongoing difficulties in the industry.
She said the state's antiquated pricing system, based on conditions in the 1960s, impairs the industry's ability to meet 21st Century challenges and opportunities in national and international markets.
The state's regulated milk pricing impairs the ability of the industry to rise to the challenge of producing new, value-added products to help milk producers capture more value, she said.
The industry needs to work together to allow producers to improve margins by being responsive to market signals, encourage new innovative products and provide incentives for new technology, construction and more processing capacity, she said.
Structural changes — such as regulatory and tax relief — in California's business climate do need to take place to make the state more attractive to potential processors. But the pricing system is not the problem, said Michael Marsh, CEO of Western United Dairymen.
He said California's pricing system is not outdated and compares well with other pricing systems in the world, including the GDT (Global Dairy Trade), with the exception of how producers are paid for milk going into cheese production.
He said the problem is that the value for whey in the 4b pricing system was disconnected from the market by the previous CDFA secretary in 2007. The losses to dairy families resulting from that disconnect will hit $1 billion next month, he said.
That money has been transferred from dairy farmers to processors in the form of discounted milk. Marsh said the longer it is allowed to continue, the more money processors will make and the more dairymen will lose.
The state has lost nearly 500 dairy operations since that disconnect was made, he said.
"It's a tragedy for dairy farmers in California," he said. "It's been extremely frustrating trying to reconnect the price to markets."
Dairymen have petitioned CDFA repeatedly, but the secretary says she doesn't have the authority to make that change. That's why producers took the matter to the Legislature, he said.
Producers were hopeful they would get some short-term relief from a negotiated agreement with processors, which played into the latest CDFA hearing, but processors testified there was no agreement. Producers will continue to pursue a long-term resolution through the Legislature, he said.


text:
For the best experience on the Abcam website please upgrade to a modern browser such as Google Chrome
Our Abpromise guarantee covers the use of ab157771 in the following tested applications.
The application notes include recommended starting dilutions; optimal dilutions/concentrations should be determined by the end user.
Blocking - Blocking peptide for Anti-SOX2 (GlcNAc S248) antibody (ab136167)
- First try to dissolve a small amount of peptide in either water or buffer. The more charged residues on a peptide, the more soluble it is in aqueous solutions.
- If the peptide doesn't dissolve try an organic solvent e.g. DMSO, then dilute using water or buffer.
- Consider that any solvent used must be compatible with your assay. If a peptide does not dissolve and you need to recover it, lyophilise to remove the solvent.
- Gentle warming and sonication can effectively aid peptide solubilisation. If the solution is cloudy or has gelled the peptide may be in suspension rather than solubilised.
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Shipped at 4°C. Upon delivery aliquot and store at -20°C or -80°C. Avoid repeated freeze / thaw cycles.
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Please note: All products are "FOR RESEARCH USE ONLY AND ARE NOT INTENDED FOR DIAGNOSTIC OR THERAPEUTIC USE"


text:
Conduct disorder is a childhood emotional and behavioral disorder characterized by violating either the rights of others or major norms of society. Children with conduct disorder have difficulty following rules and behaving in a socially acceptable manner.
While no specific cause of conduct disorder has been identified, the following are thought to possibly contribute to the development of conduct disorder:
- Brain damage
- Genetics
Risk Factors
Conduct disorder is more likely in male children younger than 18 years old (generally 7-8 years and older).
The following factors are thought to increase the risk of conduct disorder:
- A history of child abuse
- Poor family functioning
- Family members with substance abuse problems
- Failure in school
- Traumatic life experiences
Symptoms of conduct disorder may include:
- Bullying behavior
- Physical fights
- Use of a weapon
- Physical cruelty to people or animals
- Stealing or lying
- Forced sexual activity
- Deliberate destruction of property
- Serious violations of rules
- Starting fires
You will be asked about your child's symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. Your child may be referred to a mental health professional for evaluation. Diagnosis is based on behaviors that violate social norms or the basic rights of others.
Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for your child. Treatment options include:
Parent Training
Experts can help parents learn to manage their child's behavior and emotional problems.
Behavior therapy and psychotherapy can help children learn to appropriately express and control their anger.
Psychiatric medications may benefit children with conduct disorder when used in combination with some form of therapy.
If you are concerned your child may be at risk for conduct disorder, talk with your child's doctor about early intervention options.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Kari Kassir, MD
- Review Date: 06/2016 -
- Update Date: 05/29/2014 -


text:
It was a good night for the Pratt Lady Greenbacks as they began their 2012/2013 campaign with a 50-46 victory over visiting Garden City Friday night.
It was a good night for the Pratt Lady Greenbacks as they began their 2012/2013 campaign with a 50-46 victory over visiting Garden City Friday night.
Leading by as many as 12 in the first half thanks to some torrid outside shooting, the Frogs had to hold on in the second half to come away with the win.
Both teams were tentative at the outset-first game jitters no doubt. But then Payton Hoeme caught fire, draining a pair of three balls and converting an old-fashioned 3-point play. Breanne Becker popped a three, Stonie Flemming hit a 3 and Whitney Tilley made a pair from the charity stripe to help stake the Greenbacks to a 19-10 lead at the end of the first stanza.
To start the second quarter, Garden City began scoring off their press-breaker, and used defensive pressure of their own to create some transition buckets. The Lady Buffalos had cut the Pratt lead to 22-17 at the 5:00 mark.
Then Jenson Maydew, Amy Olson and Stonie Flemming all converted from behind the arc and Destani Garten chipped in a free throw to help the Greenbacks keep pace the rest of the 2nd quarter, and at halftime the score was 32-25 Pratt.
The first three minutes of the 3rd frame saw Pratt go cold while Garden City was able to score points in transition and cut the gap to just 4. The teams traded buckets for a couple of minutes until Jenson Maydew scored 7 unanswered points herself to extend Pratt's lead to double digits again. Flemming fed Paige Bailey on the pressbreaker, and the lay-in gave the Frogs a 45-36 lead heading into the final quarter.
Still trailing by 9 with under 4 minutes to play, Garden City made a run at the Greenbacks down the stretch.
Pratt bent, but didn't break. Leading 50-44 with 21 seconds to play, Pratt turned it over and Garden City scored to make the score 50-46, but time ran out with the Greenbacks in possession of the ball and the win.
Of the Greenbacks deadly shooting in the first half, head coach Dean Rausch said, "We knew they would play us man and sag, so that gave us some good looks. All our kids can hit the 3, even our post players. It was just one of those things."
Pratt played well defensively, Amy Olson especially disrupting the Buffalo offense with pressure on the point. "We knew #23 (Taryn Temple) was a good finisher," Rausch explained, "and they have a couple good girls in the post. Our kids did a good job on them and then rebounding so they only got one chance."
The Lady Greenbacks travel to Andale next Friday to take on the always tough Indians.


text: If you're hoping to spice up your Cowboys collection with some Dallas Cowboys Mens Accessories, you've come to the right place. The Official Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop has collected a nice variety of Cowboys Accessories and Gifts, so you can show your Cowboys pride in a number of ways. Need great gift ideas for him? Check out our selection of Dallas Cowboys Bags, Watches, Wallets, Keychains, and more! Find the perfect Dallas Cowboys Accessories for you or for that special Cowboys fan in your life.


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Huskers Wrap Up Regular Season at SMU
The Nebraska women's golf team concludes 2012-13 regular-season play by traveling to the SMU/Dallas Athletic Club Invitational Friday, April 5 through Sunday, April 7.
The three-day, 54-hole event will feature 15 teams, including six squads ranked among the top 50 teams in the nation according to the GolfWeek/Sagarin ratings. The talented field includes No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 23 Oklahoma State, No. 24 Notre Dame, No. 34 SMU, No. 38 Denver and No. 45 UTSA.
The Huskers will hit the Dallas Athletic Club course beginning with the opening round on Friday at 8 a.m. NU will attack the par-72, 6,301-yard layout again at 8 a.m. on Saturday, before closing the tournament on Sunday. The final round on Sunday will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the course will shift to a 6,359-yard layout.
Freshman Cassie Deeg will play out of the top spot in the Husker lineup at the DAC, while junior Katelyn Wright will occupy the No. 2 spot. Redshirt freshman Jackie O'Doherty returns to the lineup at No. 3, while junior Steffi Neisen qualified in the No. 4 position. Freshman Hannah Luebke rounds out the Huskers' top five by making her first lineup appearance of the season.
Redshirt freshman Cassidy Stelzmiller also will travel to Dallas with the Huskers and play as an individual outside the NU lineup.
Live scoring for the tournament will be available at www.GolfStat.com.
SMU/Dallas Athletic Club Invite
Location: Dallas, Texas
Host: SMU
Course: Dallas Athletic Club
Par/Yardage: 72/6,301 (days 1 & 2) / 72/6,359 (day 3)
Start Times (All Times Central)
Friday, April 5, 8 a.m. (18 holes)
Saturday, April 6, 8 a.m. (18 holes)
Sunday, April 7, 8:30 a.m. (18 holes)
Nebraska Lineup
1. Cassie Deeg
2. Katelyn Wright
3. Jackie O'Doherty
4. Steffi Neisen
5. Hannah Luebke
Individual: Cassidy Stelzmiller
SMU/Dallas Athletic Club Field (15 Teams)
Denver, Kansas State, Louisville, Marshall, Missouri State, Nebraska, North Texas, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, SMU, UTSA, Wisconsin
Live Scoring: www.golfstat.com
Neisen Leads Huskers at Kansas
Steffi Neisen shot a 79 to tie for second in Nebraska's one-round dual at Kansas on March 20. The Huskers managed a 327 as a team against the Jayhawks at Alvamar Golf Club. KU won the dual with a 317.
Meghan Potee led the Jayhawks with a 76, while Neisen tied KU's Minami Levonowich and Audrey Yowell at 79 in second place. Cassie Deeg managed an 81, while Jackie O'Doherty added an 82. Katelyn Wright (83), Morgan Smejkal (84), Hannah Luebke (84) and Cassidy Stelzmiller (85) rounded out the Husker contingent.
Nebraska added the mid-week dual with the Jayhawks during Spring Break after a competition date opened on the Husker schedule following a first-round rainout at the Clover Cup in Mesa, Ariz., March 8.
Deeg Produces Nebraska's Top Finish at Clover Cup
Cassie Deeg finished with a three-round total of 229 to lead Nebraska to a tie for 13th at the Clover Cup March 9-10. Deeg, a true freshman from Hugo, Minn., managed a three-over-par 75 in the final round to close the 54-hole event at the Longbow Golf Club in a tie for 38th. Her final round followed a second-round 75 Saturday after an opening-round 79.
Junior Katelyn Wright added a three-round total of 234 (77-77-80) to tie for 59th, while Cassidy Stelzmiller added NU's third-best individual finish in the first lineup appearance of her career. Stelzmiller, a redshirt freshman from Placerville, Calif., tied for 68th at 237 (80-78-79).
Junior Steffi Neisen settled for a three-round total of 240 (76-80-80) to tie for 77th, while redshirt freshman Morgan Smejkal rounded out the NU lineup in a tie for 86th at 246 (81-86-79). Fellow redshirt freshman Jackie O'Doherty tied Smejkal at 246 (81-82-83) while playing as an individual outside the Husker lineup.
Nebraska tied for 13th in the 16-team field with a three-round total of 937. Oklahoma won the tournament with a score of 862, while SMU finished a distant second at 880. Tulsa's Kristina Merkle captured medalist honors with a 54-hole total of 210, including a final-round 66. Oklahoma's Chirapat Jao-Javanil finished second at 212.
Former Husker Sheils Earns Cactus Tour Win
Madeleine Sheils captured a tournament title in her first event as a professional golfer, winning the season-opening event at Club West on the Cactus Tour on Wednesday, Jan. 30. The native of Boise, Idaho, fired three straight even-par rounds of 72 on the 6,077-yard layout at Club West to finish the 54-hole event at 216.
Sheils entered the final round in third place at 144, two shots back of Caitlin McCleary and one stroke behind Sadena Parks in a 23-player field. Sheils closed the tournament with a one-stroke victory over Parks, who managed a two-over 74 in the final round to take runner-up honors.
Sheils graduated from Nebraska in December of 2012, after competing as one of the top Huskers on the course for four seasons from 2009 through 2012. Prior to graduation she earned a spot in the final stage of qualifying at LPGA Q-School. She bypassed the final stage to graduate, but did secure her Symetra Tour card.
Wright Named Big Ten Golfer of the Week
After producing the best tournament performance of her career, Nebraska's Katelyn Wright captured her first Big Ten Golfer-of-the-Week award on Oct. 11.
The junior from Incline Village, Nev., carded a career-best 217 over three rounds on her way to a career-best tie for third at the Price's "Give 'Em Five" Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M., Oct. 8-10.
Wright opened the tournament by matching her career best with a 71 on the par-72, 6,319-yard layout of the New Mexico State Golf Course on Oct. 8. She added a second-round 74 on Oct. 9, before closing the tournament with an even-par 72 in the final round to finish at one-over-par for 54 holes. Her tie for third in a 76-player field marked her first career top-five finish.
Wright, who is in her third year in the Nebraska lineup, has shot 80 or better in 22 of her 25 rounds this season.
Neisen, Wright Expected to Lead Huskers in 2012-13
The Nebraska women's golf team is one of the youngest in the Big Ten and the nation in 2012-13. Returning starters Steffi Neisen and Katelyn Wright lead a nine-player Husker roster that is without any seniors. The remainder of the roster consists of seven freshmen, including four true freshmen and a trio of redshirts.
"This year looks to be a rebuilding year on paper, with only two returning starters and no other players with collegiate experience," Nebraska Coach Robin Krapfl said. "But the potential is there for us to become a pretty good team. Steffi and Katelyn will need to provide strong leadership on and off the golf course to help our young team grow and develop."
Neisen has plenty of experience to draw upon as she assumes the role of a leader. The junior from New Prague, Minn., was in the NU lineup for 65 consecutive rounds in her first two seasons. She completed her sophomore season with Nebraska's No. 2 stroke average (76.67) in 2011-12. Her year included a school-record round of 66 at the Mountain View Collegiate on March 23. She notched three top-10 tournament finishes on the year, including a tie for second at the Alamo Invitational, Oct. 30-Nov. 1, when she fired a career-best 214 over three rounds. She closed her second year in Nebraska's starting lineup by tying for 25th at the 2012 Big Ten Championships.
A standout in the classroom and in the community, Neisen was honored as a Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient, while also earning academic All-Big Ten honors. She also captured NGCA Scholastic All-America recognition for the second time.
Wright was also in the starting lineup throughout the 2011-12 campaign. The junior from Incline Village, Nev., competed in all 33 rounds for the Huskers and continued to shave strokes off her game as the season progressed. She started slow and battled some health issues in the fall, but came on strong in the spring.
"I'm really excited to see what Katelyn will do this year. She has the ability to not only be our most improved player, but also one of the most improved in the Big Ten," Krapfl said. "When you take a multi-sport athlete like Katie was, it takes a couple of years to catch up with those players who only played golf. But when that athlete breaks out, great things can happen. With Katie's work ethic, she has put in the time it takes and is ready to break out."
Redshirt Freshmen Make Lineup Appearances in 2012-13
Second-year Huskers Jackie O'Doherty, Morgan Smejkal and Cassidy Stelzmiller all redshirted in their first seasons in Nebraska's program in 2011-12.
O'Doherty, a two-time Nebraska Class A state champion at Lincoln East High School, was a three-time Class A all-state pick in golf. She was also a member of the 2011 Four State Team and the 2010 Nebraska Junior Golf All-Star Team. She was also a competitive swimmer and posted better than a 4.0 GPA at Lincoln East.
"Jackie is a a great student with a wonderful personality and a good work ethic. She has good length, a solid golf swing and possesses a strong competitive side," Krapfl said. "She is coming off a hand injury that had her sidelined much of the summer, but it may be a blessing in disguise because she was forced to only work on her short game."
Smejkal, a Columbus, Neb., native, was a two-time Class A all-state selection and produced a pair of top-five finishes at the state tournament. She was also a member of the Nebraska Junior Golf All-Star Team in 2009 and 2010, and she was a member of the 2010 and 2011 Nebraska Four State Team. She was also an outstanding basketball player who set Columbus High's three-point record.
"Morgan was recruited as an athlete with potential to develop into a college-level golfer, and she has embraced that goal," Krapfl said. "We have had quite a few hard-working athletes in my tenure, and Morgan's work ethic is right up there with the best. You've got to love a kid who gives it her all in everything she does. Not only that, she has also embraced what being a great teammate is all about. Morgan has good length, is meticulous in her thought process and hates to lose. As soon as she can get away from thinking too much and just play, she could develop into one heck of a player."
Stelzmiller was a highly regarded recruit from Placerville, Calif., who had success as a junior player competing in several major events, including the Women's Trans.
"We headed into last season thinking Cassidy could help us right away, and even though I think she could have, I'm glad she elected to take the year off and develop her game. It is exciting to think of how far she can progress in the next four years," Krapfl said. "She has excellent length and a great touch on the greens. With a year of maturity, we are hoping for big things from Cassidy."
Deeg Leads Four True Freshmen on NU Roster
The final ingredients to Nebraska's 2012-13 team come from four true freshmen, including two international players. The freshmen will all be given an opportunity to compete for positions in the lineup.
Cassie Deeg has made an immediate impact. The Hugo, Minn., native owns four top-20 finishes, including a 10th-place showing at the Missouri State/Payne Stewart Memorial, Oct. 15-16. Deeg captured the 2011 Minnesota state title while helping Stillwater Area High School to runner-up team finishes in both 2011 and 2012. She added a third-place individual Class 3A finish in 2012, and was also the Minnesota Women's Match Play runner-up.
Another true freshman with an excellent chance to contribute early is Hannah Luebke. One of the top young golfers in Germany, Luebke became the first European player to sign with the Huskers since Catha Fogelberg (Sweden) in 1997-98. A native of Stuttgart, Luebke is the second German to join the Huskers in history, following in the footsteps of Shirin Hornecker (Munich), who played for Nebraska from 1996 to 1998. Luebke finished second in the BWGW International Match Play and third at the German Youth National Championships. At 6-foot-1, Luebke was also an All-German performer as a middle blocker/outside hitter on the volleyball court in both 2009 and 2010. Luebke was limited during the fall by a back injury.
Huskers Continue to Set the Pace in the Classroom
Nebraska leads the nation with 61 NGCA Scholastic All-Americans since 1989, including two in 2012. Madeleine Sheils capped her outstanding career on and off the course as the fourth four-time NGCA Scholastic All-America award winner in Husker history. Sheils joined Jackie Beste, Allison Stewart and JC Stevenson as four-time Husker NGCA Scholastic All-Americans.
Sheils was joined on the 2012 NGCA Scholastic All-America squad for the second straight year by Steffi Neisen. The junior from New Prague, Minn., takes aim at her third straight award in 2013.
Overall, Nebraska owns one of the richest academic traditions in all of collegiate sports with a nation-leading 302 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans across all teams and all sports. NU also led the nation with 16 NCAA Top Eight Award winners.


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Charles Shaw White Wine is Not Vegan Friendly
|by Trader Joe's
|26717 Palmetto Ave.
Redlands, California, 92374
|Checked by:
|Double checked by:
|Brett, Emily, Jean, Michael, Rifka, Jennifer, Suzie, Susan, Spencer, Betsy, Michael, Eric, Whisky Water, Laura, Ally, Jennifer, Arlo, Dan, Cristina, Shannon, Jared, Donna
|over 7 years ago
Company email (September 2018)
"Thank you for contacting us! [Drive Thru Red Beer] is vegan."
Company email (June 2018)
"...our Charles Shaw Organic Wines are indeed vegan suitable, so we do hope you enjoy!"
Company email (February 2018)
"The Wish Flower White Wine is indeed vegan and is packaged and produced in the United States."
Company email (October 2017)
[sent list of vegan beer]
Company email (July 2017)
[In response to inquiries about Moon X and Le Pepin Pinot Noir 2015]
"This wine is not vegan."
Company email (July 2017)
"The Simpler Wines are NOT vegan, as isinglass (fish bladder) is used as a fining agent."
Company email (March 2017):
"We are pleased to let you know that our Villa Alena Moscato is in fact vegan."
Company email (January 2017):
"Our Trader Joe's Block Cabernet Sauvignon is not vegan."
Company email (January 2017):
"we can assure you that our Pancake Cellars Big Day White Wine is indeed verified vegan."
Company email (July 2016):
"our Trader Joe's Blanc de Blancs French Sparkling Wine is vegan!"
Company email (February 2015):
Our Trader Joe's Block Wine Red Shiraz is Vegan, therefore no animal ingredients are used during the refining process.
Note from Eric (November 2014):
"Their other red, Monastrell, is now also marked vegan on the back label, as of the 2013 vintage."
Note from Eric (July 2014):
"Albero Tempranillo (Spain) is marked 'Vegan' on the back label. (As is Albero Rose.) Apparently it is only sold in the U.S. at Trader Joe's. I've been buying the 2012 and 2013 and they are also labeled vegan."
Company email (May 2014): re: Espiral Vinho Verde Wine
"The must is clarified through cold centrifuge. The yeast used for this wine is a proprietary strain. Unfortunately the information on composition is not available, since we have other wines made at the winery we cannot guarantee that this wine has not come into contact with animal products. For example the plants that process peanuts are bad for people that have food allergies. Then perhaps it's not best for you to consume this product."
Company email (May 2014):
"We are pleased to let you know that all of our Charles Shaw wines are, in fact, vegan!"
Company email (January 2014): re: Trader Joe's Babble Red Wine
"In response, there are no animal derived ingredients, fining agents or sources used in the processing/production of this product. Therefore, it would indeed be suitable for our vegan customers."
Company email (June 2013): [regarding Trader Joe's Petite Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley]
"Unfortunately, this is not a vegan wine, as animal-based fining agents are used."
Company email (June 2013): [regarding Trader Joe's Reserve Chardonnay Napa Valley 2012]
"To answer your question, this wine is vegan - no animal products are used in its processing."
Company email (March 2013):
"The Honey Moon Viognier is produced at one winery location only. Currently our 2012 vintage Honey Moon Viognier does not contain any animal products; however, we have used ingredients such as gelatin, milk, and isinglass in the production of previous vintages. Winemaking reserves the right to add any of these ingredients during the processing to maintain style and quality throughout the year."
Company email (December 2012):
"In response, while we do offer our various product lists, some products in our stores and the selections offered may actually vary somewhat by state and region. The primary reason for this is that we also attempt to source products locally whenever we can, as we also do not ship our products over really long distances. Our lists are also not all-inclusive, and are offered moreso as a guideline of possible product selections.
In response, to your inquiry regarding our possible vegan wine options, we are enclosing a list of possible vegan wine selections below:
Bonterra-Whites are vegan
Castle Rock-All are vegan
Charles Shaw-Reds are vegan *occasionally gelatin is used in the whites' refining processes, but that it is removed from the end product
Cline Cellars-All are vegan
Fetzer-Whites are vegan
Georges Dubeouf-All are vegan
Kendall Jackson-Whites are vegan
Rosenblum Cellars-All are vegan"
Company email (April 2012):
"To answer your question, all of our Vola wines are, indeed, vegan, as no animal ingredients are used and no fining agents are used either. All of our wines under our label are manufactured by a single supplier, so we do not allow any sub-licensing of our products."
Company email, December 2011:
"No animal products are used in the Found Object Carmenere. When there is no fining agent, there is no chance of an animal by product."
Company email about Green Barn Wines, Aug 28 2011:
"These wines are not considered vegan, as they
are processed with benito, which is animal based. These wine are not produced or licensed by any other winery or bottler."
Company Email (firstname.lastname@example.com) about Green Fin which is sold at Trader Joe's. Also see: Bronco Wines
"I am the winemaker for Green Fin. After reviewing your questions, I can insure you that Green Fin is vegan friendly, no animal products were used. Further, to my knowledge Green Fin is not sub-licensed. Let me know if you have any further questions."
Company email: April 2010
"Thank you for your email. Below you will find a list of Vegan Friendly wines.
Brand Types
Bonterra Whites are vegan
Castle Rock All are vegan
Charles Shaw Reds are vegan occasionally gelatin is used in the whites' refining processes, but that it is removed from the end product
Cline Cellars All are vegan
Fetzer Whites are vegan
Georges Dubeou All are vegan
Kendall Jackson Whites are vegan
Rosenblum Cellars All are vegan"
Company email: Feb 2011
"Our Trader Joe's Charles Shaw Red Wine varieties are Vegan. The white wine variety are occasionally processed with gelatin."
Other products by Trader Joe's:
Vegan Friendly
Not Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Not Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Not Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Not Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Not Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Not Vegan Friendly
Not Vegan Friendly
Not Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly
Vegan Friendly


text:
From Aug 2006 - Nov 2013 WeDig provided a live forum for diggers & fans of Vindolanda. It has now been mothballed and will be maintained as a live archive.
Here you will find preserved 7 years of conversation, photos, & knowledge about a site many people love. Vindolanda gets under the skin. (Figuratively and literally as a volunteer excavator!) It's a place you remember, filled with people you remember!
Thanks for 7 great years!
|Viewing Single Post From: Session 4
|May 20 2013, 03:08 PM
Deb, on a mission in the robber trench.
Probably practising for when she meets those robbers.
|Session 4 · 2013
|3:02 AM Sep 19
Find more zetaboards themes at InkDropStyles.com


text:
Avatar Preview
Marcus takes a short trip to Pandora and intends on spending Xmas there too...
It's rare for a whole day to be dedicated to the release of a forthcoming movie. I know that personally I can allocate a title to a day just because the first trailer hits or the movie hits the cinema, but for a filmmaker to do it somehow makes it feel important. And when that filmmaker is James Cameron and he's been away from the big screen for twelve years (beside some of his documentary work anyway), the event ramps up from important to outright exciting.
Having seen the trailer (many times) the day before, I went along to the preview screening with high expectations. Sitting down with friends and putting our 3D glasses on I suddenly got that wave of excitement that only comes with movies you're itching to see. The Twentieth Century Fox rep did a bit of an intro, making sure that we weren't filming with our mobile phones and asking us to feedback what we thought about it afterwards. So here we go... my first impressions of Avatar.
Starting with James Cameron's introduction, in which he lets us know about Avatar Day and how this collection of scenes are all from the first half of the movie and will be spoiler free, he gives us a brief overview of the setting. Telling us about how Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) has been brought to the alien planet Pandora and that it's as beautiful is it is deadly.
New arrivals to Pandora are sitting in a large canteen type room. Silver benches and tables are all lined up and cool scar dude from trailer, Col. Quaritch (Stephen Lang), tells the newbies that as head of security it's up to him to make sure none of them die. He also mentions the Na'vi, the humanoid species who inhabit the planet, and then points outside of the armoured windows and explains how compared to Pandora, Hell is a holiday resort. Jake Sully arrives late in his wheelchair. This had a nice familiar Aliens/Colonial Marines feel to it and was a great place to start. As for the look of the scene, it was bright, sun-lit and clean. The 3D put you in the room with the crowd (which included Joel Moore from Dodgeball) and this was a fine human start to proceedings.
Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) puts Jake in a contraption that looks like an MRI or CTI machine (or for the True Blood fans out there, Vampire Bill's travel coffin). He drags his own legs up refusing her help and seems to have a bit of an 'I'll do it myself' attitude. Having Sigourney on James Cameron mode again was a delight and I'm surprised she wasn't featured in the trailer, as the pairing of Sigourney and Jimmy C again is proper fanboy exciting. Maybe next time. Also the depth of machine's entrance, in which Jake's little pod is going to travel down, had some crazy-effective 3D.
Scientists on cool see-through computer screens (which again looked amazing in 3D) monitor his brain patterns and if those visuals weren't cool enough, when the scientist drags the info onto a handheld monitor it just gets cooler. Jake's brain pattern gets transferred into a Na'vi and Sigourney takes off her lab coat and says that she's going into hers too.
Jake wakes up in the Na'vi body. Scientist/Doctors look down on him and then to check responses click their fingers next to his ears. This totally sells the scale of the Na'vi. Some twelve foot plus blue alien looking photo-realistic next to the human scientist was very effective. As in the trailer, the textures and details in the feet and hands of this thing were astonishingly real and some of Jake's mannerisms in the new body were very subtle. More so was Joel Moore's character (who IMDb is listing as Norm Spellman (as Joel David Moore) whatever that means) waking up in his Na'vi body on the next bed and is told by the doctors to touch his fore finger to his thumb to check responses. That felt very real, even coming from a giant blue alien.
Anyway, Jake sits up and looks happy that he can use his legs in the new body. The scientists keep telling him to take it easy but then he's up on his feet fighting to balance and with a strategically placed tail we avoid seeing his ass crack. He wobbles a bit and then hits the window delivering the only line in the trailer 'This is great' and as he stumbles out of the room, with the scientists panicking, I began to get the sensation that this really was.
Now we jump into full CGI in a jungle setting. Jake in Na'vi form is with the other Na'vi avatars of Dr. Grace Augustine and Norm Spellman. The CG work for Sigourney's character here really struck a cord. She's blue, has a head band, making her look slightly hippy-ish, and despite being a CG alien, the subtle reflections of Sigourney's own features were beautifully captured.
Jake has a gun on a creature best described as a triceratops with a hammerhead shark head. Dr. Augustine is telling him not to shoot, but to stand his ground. The depth of the jungle in 3D was nuts and little details, such as small insects disturbed when the beast moved through the foliage was incredibly effective.
Anyway Jake stands his ground and the big beastie runs away. Jake gets all cocky and shouts stuff like 'Yeah, you'd better run bitch' and 'Next time bring your friends', only to have a bigger beastie, which I believe is called the Thanator (the big, mean roaring beastie from the trailer) slowly creep up from behind and then pounce at Jake. A chase begins, smashing through Bamboo-esq trees and claws barely missing Jake as he ducks and weaves through the debris. He finds his way under the roots of a large tree and unleashes his machine gun at the Thanator, they seem to hit it and it moves strategically to the right to avoid and then sneaks in for another attack, smashing the roots next to Jake. The scene felt pretty damn exciting, with plenty going on, and once again the 3D quality to it really added another level on enjoyment.
Jake is alone at night having problems with some more of Pandora's deadly creatures. You briefly see a glimpse of this in the teaser trailer where he swings the fire torch at some dog sized beasts that in the short flashes look a little like the chestburster that came from the Rottweiler in Alien 3.
Saving Jake with a few arrows all while doing a cool slow motion jump comes Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) a native Na'vi (who, I assume isn't an Avatar for a human counterpart). She scares off the dog like beasties and even puts one of the injured ones out of its misery with a subtle touching sadness. Jake is all hyper and thankful for the save but Neytiri gives him shit about his involvement in the situation claiming that it's his fault these deaths had to happen because of his stumbling through the forest without a care.
Neytiri is by far the most impressive CG character on offer here (and potentially ever), for sheer level of detail and also proves to be a thoroughly believable and likable character. She is a fine mix of beauty, fierceness and sadness and there's so much going on in the performance, with her twitching and emotive eyes, she's impossible not to be enthralled with.
Scene five seems to take place a few moments after scene four and we see Jake and Neytiri walk deeper into the forest. They are surrounded with fluorescent plants and flowers and the depth in the 3D as well as the overwhelming glowing colour in the foliage was very impressive.
Jake now seems to have joined the native Na'vi, with no clothes as such and lots of new markings painted on his body. He edges along the side of a waterfall with the other Na'vi in tow and Neytiri is explaining that he will know when he's been chosen. We see what might choose him when they turn the corner and there's a whole pack of dragon type beasts sitting on the cliff edge.
Jake wanders over, with Neytiri watching as the dragons start to hiss and fly away. That is until one stands its ground and turns to face Jake. Jake hisses at it (as per the screenshot from the trailer) and the dragon hisses back. Jake's been chosen.
Jake hops on top of the dragon and starts to wrestle with it. Think Cowboys/Indians trying to break in a horse. It head buts him and struggles but Jake perseveres and soon gets it on the ground. Neytiri tells him to make the connection now. Jake grabs his long ponytail and holds it next to one of the dragon's antennae, the strands within both weave together and all of a sudden the dragon calms down with Jake on its back. Neytiri says that the first flight has to happen now and leads the dragon off of the cliff. Jake and the beast drop and Jake seems to be able to control it with his mind (after a bit of clumsy practice). It has to be said at this stage in blockbuster cinema the problematic effect of having a humanoid form on the back of a beastie has always looked pretty shoddy from Star Wars to Lord Of The Rings they've all failed, but here it looks fantastic and totally works.
Finally we slip into an extended trailer with more scenes of the battles the movie has to offer and little extensions to what was seen in the trailer. Explosions, more marine stuff (which sadly wasn't featured more in the preview) and plenty to sell Avatar as one of the must see movies of 2009.
As someone who has been following James Cameron's new project with much anticipation ever since rumblings of it first began, I was happy that I got to see this preview footage (which ran about seventeen minutes with the introduction) twice.
I found the teaser trailer to be great though not mind blowing but with the fifteen minute preview (which in all honesty the trailer seemed to be teasing) my first experience with Avatar was a good one. The CGI on first look is staggering, especially on the big screen. The subtle character traits in the animation are top notch and very, very realistic (especially for Neytiri) and James Cameron's Pandora looks to be a world full of wonders.
On a slightly more negative side, I have to admit some of the full CGI shots had me slightly disconnected from accepting this as anything beyond a very, very, very high end animated movie as opposed to a live action one. The Na'vi look incredibly real, but beyond key moments I kept having to remind myself this wasn't an animated movie but something creating the illusion of reality. The one scene in the preview that crossed over the animated characters with the live action counterparts worked wonders though and I'm sure that the full movie with more interactions like this will sell the illusion of the fully animated scenes with ease.
I was left wanting to see much more from Avatar. I can't wait to see long scenes of the military, with all those mecha-suits and hover-ships; they look like they could really bring some incredible visuals. I of course want more of a feel for the story as the teaser trailer and preview have only really hinted at moments (and those moments conjure comparisons with 10,000 B.C., Dances with Wolves and of course Star Wars, while always remaining something new at the same time). Beyond Neytiri and the excitement of seeing Sigourney in another James Cameron movie, I didn't get the chance to warm to many of the characters. I felt Jake came off as a little too typical as the smart mouthed guy on his way to making good by movies end, sort of like a Disney hero, Jim Hawkins from Treasure Planet came to mind in fact.
Overall, I'm in for the Avatar trip. Those blue aliens have won me over with their Nightcrawler/Kaminoan good looks, the action looks top notch, the effects look like they could set a new standard come December (if they haven't already) and the 3D brought a whole new feeling to the scale for this sort of movie. I'm ready for Avatar and Jimmy C's return to cinema after a hiatus which has seemed like forever. Basically, what I've seen here is enough to make the wait for the December 18th release date unbearable. 'This is great!'
Editorial by Marcus Doidge
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