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What's in a name….????
By Mike Adams
After reading the chat boards for the past few years (yes, I am a "lurker". But, after seeing how people who supposedly talk to each other regularly over the net choose to treat each other, I have come to the conclusion that it is best to remain on the sidelines.) I have become increasingly confused and concerned by all the fuss over by what name a marble is known or where it came from.
I started collecting marbles in 1984. Back then, there were handmades and machinemades. That was pretty much it for machinemades except for bricks, Akro oxbloods, guineas and slags. How far we have come. Seems like with every new dig or some other marble find, we are desperate for a name by which to call them.
The confusing part is that people seem to rush to name each sub class of marble, no matter how minute the difference. The reasons can be many. Here are two:
FAME - They want to be the person who named a marble.
FORTUNE - "Everybody" knows a named marble sells for more.
I guess I can understand the fame part. However, names are usually determined by consensus, not just one person. Fortune would be relative. Eye appeal has always been the primary driver for these little gems. Condition would be the next consideration. Rarity? Well, a rare ugly marble is ….an ugly marble. Hype though, cannot be overstated in a volatile market where there is a mad scramble for a "new" marble.
I have had many marbles in my sale/trade box over the years that, when someone asked "what kind of marble is that?", I'd answer "it's a twenty dollar marble". If I didn't know who made it or what to call it, I'd just assign a price based on, you guessed it, eye appeal. Never had trouble letting those marbles go and usually got a good laugh over them. I have yet to regret selling or trading one of them for fear of being taken.
What is interesting is how some names have stuck and others haven't. Marble collectors use a mix of names that the original companies used and others that were made up along the way.
When you say "popeye" most collectors know what you are talking about. However, Akro Agate called them "tri onyx". That name was even a play on MF Christensen's use of the word "onyx" for their marbles we call "slags"… and MFC used it to compare favorably with the German imports. The same logic applies to the use of moss agate, cornelian and carnelian. These two companies understood marketing much better than some of those who came after them.
My dad called brown
benningtons "walnuts". You can
understand why when you look at them, but the name never caught on.
To my knowledge, there is no evidence that Christensen Agate ever used the name "cobra" or "cyclone". My understanding is that both of these names appeared at about the same time due to original boxes having the word "bloodies" or "agate" marked out and a hand written "C" instead. What did the "C" stand for? Who knows?
Conversely, there is a
classification system for National Line Rainbows (NLR) and Rainbos that came out
according to type. Example:
type 2 NLR vs., type 1.
Although I still see this used from time to time, it never really seemed to
catch on. Superman,
Miller was thought to be a classification of NRL that was made on the earliest Peltier machines. While that has been pretty much debunked, most collectors still refer to swirley NRLs as Millers. (Note: there does seem to be crusade underway to change this, although I'm not sure why.)
Akro Agate Imperials are having an identity crisis as well. First, they were thought to come in a presentation box labeled "Imperials". That has been determined to be incorrect. So what? Akro didn't use the names "Popeye" or "oxblood" for their marbles either. Do those get thrown out as well? We now know "Imperial" is a collector name, not a company name
Marble King. Now there's a company with more names given to its marbles than you can count. Some of them by the company, most not.
And the best for last. Vitro Agate. First, there were blackies, whities, all reds, yellow jackets, conquerors and victorys, (named by the company). Then collectors came up with "parrots", "parakeets", "buttermilks", "aquamarines" and the old stand by "mystery patches" became "superiors". But then something happened that really has not been all that unusual in marble collecting. Somebody found the old company brochures and records. Suddenly, "parakeets" were "tiger eyes". Oops. That's the collector name of a particular Master Made Marble sunset, isn't it? Ironically, within the present day marble collecting community the term "elite" had become in vogue for colorful older style Vitro marbles. Sounds a lot like "du-lite and "tri-lite" (from the company records) doesn't it? Talk about coincidence! Pre-Vienna vs. post-Vienna (the fire, of course) production gained new meaning.
So….let the discussion begin. Do you use the collector term or the company term for the style of marble? Marble companies made toys for children, not pocket watches. Pocket watches were intended to last for generations. Their records are for the most part meticulous. Marbles, on the other hand, were playthings that were lost, broken or thrown away in the span of a season. There just isn't that much to go on. We haven't found all the original records yet. Maybe we never will. That still leaves a lot to figure out.
Now to what has me concerned. When these type of issues arose in the past (popeyes vs. tri onyx) they seemed to sort themselves out by consensus as to what was the most popular name to use. I'm sure there were some ruffled feathers but the point is: it ended without too much bloodshed. Maybe it's the advent of the Internet and the ability to instantly communicate one's thoughts but, it sure seems like there is a lot of animosity over things like "naming a marble", or a certain marble's authenticity…the list goes on. As long as the discussion, human and electronic, remains on subject I believe it has merit. I and my friends do this on a regular basis. The key is, we remain friends. We disagree from time to time, but we don't personally attack each other over it. Maybe it's because a computer screen cannot give you the inflection in a person's voice or the look in their eyes, but the behavior I've seen has degraded with others taking sides and then the discussions seem to take a nasty turn. People's names who aren't involved are dragged in as "experts". "Who was where", "who's friends with who"…and on it goes. "Where's the cullet?" has replaced "Where's the Beef?" Never have quite seen the logic in that one. Ever seen Peltier green galaxy cullet? Is anybody questioning their authenticity? "Where's the same run marbles?" I've seen numerous singular examples of cobras and guineas. Nobody has questioned them. All this over the name of a marble or where a marble originated from.
Maybe it has something to do with people not wanting to be cheated out of their good marbles. Maybe it has something to do with wanting to get in on the ground floor and clean up. Or maybe it is trying to find a standard you can trust e.g. a name or provenance, in order to "buy with confidence" without being duped. Well, marble collecting isn't all that precise. It gets complicated when you have:
1. Marble companies playing off of other marble companies or German import names.
2. Marble companies packaging or selling another company's marbles or having sketchy
written records.
3. New discoveries of marble advertising, company records, digs and other information.
Experimental runs.
Remember the 1 ¼" blue and orange corkscrews on the front of the
Akro Agate book? Akro's size charts don't even show a 1 ¼" marble.
5. Marble collectors racing to see who can "name that marble"
I don't believe you should try to apply science to an imprecise science such as marble making. Rather, just maybe remembering why you got into this hobby in the first place would help. I have seen people who are out for a quick buck or power trip come and go. I wasn't sorry to see them move on either. Most people I talk with like marbles as much as I do and know enough to realize they don't know everything there is to know either. We enjoy each other's collections; not covet or envy them. The pursuit of learning something new about a marble company remains exciting. In 2005 I saw three original boxes that, to my knowledge, had never been seen before. All in a space of two months!! Testing your theories out on each other should not be cause for concern of being attacked or ridiculed. Of course, being respectful and open to alternative views when you share them is the first step.
Along the way, we may find out that some of our original conclusions weren't quite correct or just completely wrong. That is cause for a laugh, not a public lynching. This is supposed to be fun.


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Fuji F10
I bid welcome to the next generation of cameras – the CSE (Compact System Cameras) – curiously enough, based upon the original first compact cameras – the Eurpoean Leica series. I'd like to introduce, in particular, the Fuji Finepix X series – X-10, X-S1, X-100 and the X-1Pro.
At first, I was hesitant to try out this new line of camera, as it seemed more like a computer that takes pictures than the cameras with which I was familiar. But it did not take me long to recognize the superior quality of these small compact systems and the results they could produce. The fact they greatly resembled and felt like the original Leica film cameras was an added bonus.
I started with the Fuji X10, which I took out on a hike in the local trail park.
I am quickly impressed with this small camera and am excited again about the results I know customers will get and the ability to easily control the output with exemplary results. The features are so practical and diverse that it is hard to concentrate on one in a brief format such as this.
I took this camera for a walk in my favorite spot in Sydney, the Baille Ard Trail at the end of Terrace Street. I wanted to test the Dynamic Range of this camera - to see how close it could get to film. That meant trying out the "film simulation feature" that is exclusive to these cameras. Fuji manufactured three special Fujichrome films that were revered in the industry, along with Kodak's Kodachrome. The colour slide films Velvia (Vivid colour, National Geographic style), Astia (Soft characteristics great for portraiture), and Provia (for general scenics). I had to try these out. The light in the park is always different, with still some snow, dappled light through the trees, and both glistening and dark water from the brook, this would challenge the claims. Well it excelled. With the setting on Velvia, a saturation film mode, proved it is possible to have a digital sensor that challenges the mature technology of film. Detail in highlight and shadow, blacks and snow, textures in the dog's fur, all in the same shot! Amazed me.
With the Astia setting for skin tones, I took pictures of Anita using its four-power zoom at full & close range, in shadow, in open sunlight let's push it. When we got home and opened the file, done in RAW, and blew up the image for skin tones, Anita proclaimed,"Holy Cow". The balance of the skin tone was so close to the standards for Adobe skin tones, that only a very slight 10 yellow was the difference between the Cyan, Magenta & Yellow adjustments to obtain the perfect skin tone. Next was the eye, we could count the eyelashes at 8 feet from the subject with the Fujinon F2.8 Aspherical Lens on the camera.
It is clear we are back to camera manufacturers making and tasking the digital experience and maturing it in this special line of cameras. Dropping the prism, mirror box, focal plane shutter to spending more on an exemplary lens and metering system is where we are going, and I am excited. There is more, if you wish me to comment further on this and other emerging cameras, please drop me an email or drop up to the second floor of Quality Cameras & Computers, downtown Sydney.
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subset: commoncrawl


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It's the big day, folks! The story about our latest "Factor of 7" (Latte Love) where we bought $107 worth of coffee for unsuspecting customers at Starbucks has appeared in the Fort Benning Bayonet. This is truly a blessing from God. AMERICA!
Check out the awesome write up here. (I am excited, can you tell?)
Also, a huge thanks to Cheryl Lynn Rodewig for meeting us at Starbucks to document the story.
Please be in prayer for God to move in the hearts and lives of all who read this story. Remember, words without action are essentially dead.
And on one more awesome note… don't be shy about sharing this story with your friends/family etc… And if you do, please comment here for your last chance to win your own Latte Love in the form of a Starbucks Gift card. The contest ends at 9pm (EST) TONIGHT!!
Loving our Jesus Caffeine,
"The Message is as true among you today as when you first heard it. It doesn't diminish or weaken over time. It's the same all over the world. The Message bears fruit and gets larger and stronger, just as it has in you." –Colossians 1:5-6 (MSG)


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You can use your phone to go paperless at home and work
Time was when you had a large desk – a messy one at that. You printed papers or had thick files that sat in almirahs. You waded through them to find the stuff you wanted, and they cut more trees so you could do this.business Updated: Mar 22, 2014 00:20 IST
Hindustan Times
Time was when you had a large desk – a messy one at that. You printed papers or had thick files that sat in almirahs. You waded through them to find the stuff you wanted, and they cut more trees so you could do this.
Think again now. From a 6 foot by 2 table to a trendy iPad connected to the Internet (cloud, as they say now), the office has come a long way in a journey that involves less and less paper — if only you can apply your mind to do it that way. Here's what you need to get there.
1 A Good Camera: No, you don't even have to buy a cool shooting device or an expensive DSLR. A camera phone will do, thank you. Use it now, not for "selfies" to upload on Facebook but to click a visiting card, an invoice, a bill or even a handwritten note. The new camera phones have strong picture resolution to catch most of the text details. There, you have eliminated lots of paper – and more important, storage that occupies real estate.
2 A Document Scanner: If your camera is not up to clicking the document you want to store – let us say it is a huge certificate or legal document – you can use a good scanner. You can consider buying the Fujitsu Snap Scan or my favourite, the Neat Connect. These scanners have slots built in for receipts, papers and visiting cards, so that you can scan them at a go, and they can scan both sides at one time. Sadly both are not available in India, and cost you about $500 (about R 30,000), plus shipping and taxes. The best part is you can link these scan devices to the cloud.
A cheaper alternative is HP's all-in-one multifunction printers that come now with a scanner that needs no separate PC link. You can simply scan to your phone or tablet – and that too wirelessly. No hassles of booting or testing the scan quality. At `7,600, the HP3545 offers a great starting point in the journey to a paperless office.
3 Evernote or Microsoft One Note: Though I am a big Evernote user, Microsoft One Note just went free last week — and it offers similar features. These electronic note apps (that you can download) can take the images you clicked or scanned. The photo can now also get comments and tags to help you sort and track them as per need. You can also create folders to make a collection of all the documents related. Since the documents are now pictures, Evernote and One Note will also do optical character recognition for you and help you make these searchable – just like you Google something on the Net. You can use tags such as bill, lunch, receipt or name of the person associated with a document. You are, well, sorted now. Evernote and One Note also allow you to share your notes with auditors or accountants.
4. Cloud Storage: Parking space on the Net can be very useful. Evernote and Microsoft One Note will also back up your data, but since your data is now in digital format, you can always store these images on Dropbox.com or Box.net, or simply your Google Drive.
Postscript: You are ready now for a paperless office culture, but remember, there is more to this – because you have to change your behavioural pattern to make things easier in the long run. This is what we call "life hacking" – the business of building your habits.
Try and make sure you ask for every paper you get in electronic form, be it your utility bill or a shopping mall receipt. And yes, do it for your credit card and bank statements to complete the circle.
(The writer is a technology expert who calls himself the Big Geek)
First Published: Mar 22, 2014 00:16 IST


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- diamondsbathnbodyAsked on April 16, 2012 at 07:43 AM
I will like for my customer to be able to fill out form with having to login into Facebook.How do I remove the Facebook link.Page URL:
- JotForm SupportidarktechAnswered on April 16, 2012 at 09:25 AM
Hi there,
Since your form is currently integrated to Facebook then it'll give you facebook button everytime you'll add submit button to your form. To restore the default submit button, simply remove the said integration to your form. Here's how:
1. Open your form on the form builder
2. Click Setup & Embed tab
3. Click Integrations
4. Select Facebook
5. Remove Integration
6. Save your form
Please check this screen:
Hope this helps. Let me know if the problem still persist after that. Thanks.


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Subte is software for generating GTFS transit data. This data can then be used with trip planners like Google Transit or Open Trip Planner. Subte, named after the underground metro in Buenos Aires, was created to aid in creating GTFS for the BJCTA Max Bus system in Birmingham, AL, and was designed around the online stop cataloger I developed. The software is still very tailored towards my needs, but could be a good starting point for anyone else wishing to create GTFS data from scratch.
Getting the Code
Subte is released under the GPLv3 or later. I have not yet made official released, but you can branch the code from my public bzr repository. For information on bzr, please see their website.
bzr branch http://bzr.line72.net/subte/master subte-master
I have only tested this software on linux, specifically Fedora 18. Subte is written in python, and you will need the following dependencies:
- python
- gtk3
- clutter-gtk
- gobject-introspection
- libchamplain-gtk
- python-dateutil
- python-exif
- cogl
All these can be installed using yum


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Boston announces moves in baseball operations
BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox today announced several personnel moves in the baseball operations department:• In Baseball Operations, Brian O'Halloran and Eddie Romero were each promoted to Executive Vice President/Assistant General Manager; Zack Scott was promoted to Senior Vice President/Assistant General Manager; and Raquel Ferreira was promoted to Senior
BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox today announced several personnel moves in the baseball operations department:
• In Baseball Operations, Brian O'Halloran and Eddie Romero were each promoted to Executive Vice President/Assistant General Manager; Zack Scott was promoted to Senior Vice President/Assistant General Manager; and Raquel Ferreira was promoted to Senior Vice President/Major and Minor League Operations.
• Also in Baseball Operations, Brian Abraham was promoted to Director, Minor League Operations; Joe McDonald was promoted to Director, Baseball Analytics; Mike Regan was promoted to Director, Baseball Administration and Special Projects; Marcus Cuellar was promoted to Coordinator, Player Personnel; Alex Gimenez was promoted to Coordinator, Major League Operations; and Patrick McLaughlin was promoted to Coordinator, Florida Baseball Operations/Minor League Video.
• In Amateur Scouting, Justin Horowitz was promoted to Crosschecker, Special Projects; Matt Davis was hired as Area Scout, Ohio Valley; and JJ Altobelli was hired as Area Scout, Southern California.
• In International Scouting, Todd Claus and Rolando Pino were each promoted to Co-Director, International Scouting; Chris Becerra was hired as Special Assistant, International Scouting; and Mike Silvestri was hired as International Crosschecker.
• In Sports Medicine Service, Brandon Henry was promoted to Major League Assistant Athletic Trainer.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski made the announcement.
O'Halloran has been elevated from Senior Vice President/Assistant General Manager, the title he held beginning January 2015. The Weymouth, Mass., native is in his 17th year with the Red Sox organization. In his role, O'Halloran assists Dombrowski in Major League operations, including player acquisitions, contract negotiations, roster management, MLB rule compliance and the day-to-day management of the baseball operations department. O'Halloran began his time with the Red Sox organization as a Baseball Operations Assistant in 2002 and has served the club as Director of Baseball Operations (2006-10), Vice President/Baseball Operations (2011), and Vice President/Assistant General Manager (2012-14).
Romero assumes his new role with the club after serving as Senior Vice President/Assistant General Manager since October 2016. A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Romero is in his 13th year with the Red Sox organization. As Vice President, International Scouting, a role he served through the 2016 season, he oversaw the club's amateur scouting coverage in Latin America in addition to the Pacific Rim and Europe, while also assisting with the team's domestic amateur scouting operation. Since joining the organization, Romero has played a significant role in the signings of Red Sox international prospects such as
Scott was promoted after two years as the Red Sox' Vice President/Baseball Research & Development. In that role, he oversaw the club's analytics and baseball systems development to provide decision support to baseball leadership in all areas of the operation, and also built software tools to deliver analytical insights and improve workflows. The Natick, Mass., native is in his 15th year within the Red Sox organization, having also served as Director, Major League Operations and Assistant Director, Baseball Operations during his tenure.
Ferreira has been in the Red Sox organization for 20 years, most recently serving as Vice President/Major and Minor League Operations beginning in December 2016, when she became just the third female Vice President in a baseball operations department in Major League Baseball. Over her career, Ferreira's work has been focused on overseeing the baseball operations budgets and club's Major and Minor League operations. She also heads the club's player immigration program and was instrumental in establishing the Boston Red Sox Rookie Development program, which began in 2004. The Cumberland, R.I., native has also served the club as Vice President, Baseball Administration (2015-16); Senior Director, Minor League Operations (2011-14); Director, Minor League Operations (2008-11); and Director, Minor League Administration (2002-07).
Abraham has been promoted to Director, Minor League Operations after serving as Assistant Director, Player Development from 2015-18. A native of Worcester, Mass., Abraham also spent 2013-14 with the Red Sox as a Major League Staff Assistant. Prior to joining the organization, the Holy Cross graduate spent six years with the Toronto Blue Jays (2007-12), primarily working in advance scouting and video operations.
McDonald will be entering his seventh season with the Red Sox organization after spending 2015-18 as Baseball Operations Analyst. A native of Malden, Mass., McDonald was hired by the Red Sox as a baseball analytics intern in 2013. Prior to joining the organization, the 2011 Boston College graduate was an intern in both the New York Yankees' (2011) and Detroit Tigers' (2012) baseball operations departments.
Regan was promoted to Director, Baseball Administration and Special Projects after serving as Assistant Director, Baseball Administration beginning November 2016. A native of West Roxbury, Mass., Regan began his career with the Red Sox in 2010 as an intern in the Baseball Operations department. He has also served as Coordinator, Baseball Operations from 2014-16 and Assistant, Baseball Operations from 2012-13. A graduate of Trinity College, Regan was the captain of the school's Division III National Championship baseball team in 2008.
Cuellar is entering his fifth year with the Red Sox, having served as an intern in Baseball Operations and International Scouting in 2015, as an intern in Dominican Scouting Operations in 2016, and as Assistant, Player Personnel in 2017-18. A native of Modesto, Calif., Cuellar earned his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2007 and completed his master's degree there in 2014.
Gimenez was elevated from Assistant, Baseball Operations, a position he held since December 2016. Gimenez joined the Red Sox organization in the role of Assistant, Professional Scouting in October 2015 after serving as an intern in Major League Baseball's Labor Relations department for a portion of that season. A native of Miami, Fla., Gimenez began his career in baseball with Cleveland as a Business Analytics intern in 2014. He is a 2015 graduate of Cornell University, where he earned a degree in industrial and labor relations.
McLaughlin is entering his fifth year in the Red Sox organization, having served as Minor League Video/Florida Baseball Operations Assistant from 2017-18, as an Advance Scouting intern in Boston in 2016, and as a Player Development intern in Fort Myers, Fla., in 2015. Prior to joining the Red Sox, the Oregon State University graduate and Carmichael, Calif. native was a the Assistant Director of Baseball Operations at Oregon State.
Horowitz has been promoted from his position as an area scout assigned to Southern California, a role he had held since 2015. A graduate of Georgetown University in 2013, Horowitz began his Red Sox career as an intern in the baseball operations department in 2012. The La Jolla, Calif., native is entering his seventh year in the organization.
Davis will serve as Area Scout, Ohio Valley for the Red Sox after spending the past five seasons as Pitching Coach at Miami University in Ohio. Davis oversaw the Redhawks' 2018 pitching staff, which had two pitchers selected in the 2018 June Draft for the first time since 2007. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Davis played collegiately at Ohio State University prior to being selected in the seventh round of the 2003 June Draft by Cleveland and playing seven professional seasons (2003-09), including two in the independent Northern League.
Altobelli was hired as an Area Scout, Southern California after serving as a part-time scout in the region during the 2018 season. Prior to his time scouting for the Red Sox, Altobelli spent the 2016-17 seasons as an assistant coach at California State University, Fullerton. A former University of Oregon infielder, Altobelli was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 18th round of the 2013 MLB Draft and played 48 games that year for Rookie-level Johnson City.
Claus has been with the Red Sox for 14 years, most recently in the role of Global Scouting Supervisor since December 2016. Prior to his time in that role, he served as Latin American Coordinator and International Crosschecker from 2010-16, as manager of the Class-A Sarasota Red Sox in 2004, and as manager of the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs from 2005-06. In 2007, he became a Major League advance scout. A graduate of the University of North Florida with a degree in management, Claus spent 12 seasons in the Angels organization prior to his time with Boston, including three seasons as an infielder in the club's Minor League system.
Pino assumes his new role after two years as Coordinator, Latin American Scouting, and five years prior to that as an International Crosschecker. Prior to joining the club, Pino spent 11 seasons as a scout with coverage in both Florida and Puerto Rico for the Cubs (2003-09) and Pirates (2010-11). A second-round Draft selection by the Chicago White Sox in 1982, the Cuban-born Pino played parts of nine Minor League season with the White Sox (1982-87), Blue Jays (1988), Twins (1989), Braves (1990), and Brewers (1990). He then spent 12 years as a coach and manager in the Blue Jays organization before beginning his scouting career.
Becerra joins the Red Sox organization after most recently serving as the New York Mets' Senior Director, International Scouting. He began his Mets career in 2011 as an Area Supervisor in Southern California following his work as an Area Supervisor for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2008-10, covering Northern California, Northern Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana in 2008-09 and Orange County in 2010. A 2005 graduate of Sonoma State University, Becerra was an assistant coach at Santa Rosa Junior College from 2001-04. He also played at Santa Rosa, earning Junior College All-American honors in 1997 prior to being a member of the 1999 College World Series-qualifying Oklahoma State University baseball team.
Silvestri joins the Red Sox after serving as a pro scout for the Kansas City Royals during the 2018 season. Prior to his time with the Royals, Silvestri served as the Atlanta Braves' Director of Latin American Scouting from 2014-18, as a special assignment domestic/international crosschecker for the New York Mets from 2011-14, and as the Los Angeles Angels' Florida Area Supervisor from 2002-06 and East Coast Crosschecker from 2007-10. Prior to his positions with Major League clubs, Silvestri was the head baseball coach at Monsignor Pace High School in Miami, Fla., from 1995-99 and the head baseball coach at Broward Community College from 1999-01.
Henry moves to his new role after three seasons as Minor League Athletic Training Coordinator. Prior to his time in that position, Henry spent nine seasons as an athletic trainer for Class A Short-Season Lowell (2007-08), Class A Greenville (2009), Class A Advanced Salem (2010-11) and Double-A Portland (2012-15), earning 2008 New York-Penn League Athletic Trainer of the Year honors. The 12-year organizational veteran earned his bachelor's degree at Xavier University in Ohio and his master's degree from West Virginia University.


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This weekend I moved, and while that has presented a lot of change into my life, and a lot less time on my hands, I have managed to visit a few trucks in the last week, including two new ones.
On Tuesday afternoon of last week, I scouted out a new truck on its lunch run, Say Cheez. Kyle and I met there for lunch and were excited to try out the latest grilled cheese truck in the area.
They had a few different vegetarian options. Kyle went for the veggie melt. I didn't get to try it because it had eggplant in it, but he said it was tasty.
I went with the jalapeno popper, wanting a little spice. It had so much cheese in it that it required two lactaids, but it was worth it. It tasted just like jalapeno popper appetizers without the jalapenos being too overwhelming.
For dessert, Kyle got the bread pudding. I had one bite and enjoyed it but was too full for something so sweet. Kyle is a huge bread pudding fan and can be rather snobby about if it's done right. I'm happy to say Say Cheez's bread pudding made the cut!
On Thursday, I saw that 333 was going to be at eBay, and they were serving Indian food that week. I was interested to see what their new Indian specials would be, so I headed down for lunch. When I got there, I was surprised to see Spice Hut Gourmet in the same location. I hadn't actually seen their truck in person since Kyle had just picked some up on the way home from work once, so I snapped a photo of it.
I still wanted to get my meal from 333, but I thought I'd try a little something from Spice Hut too. I went with the veggie crisp, not quite knowing what to expect. It ended up being similar to a samosa, but longer, with more vegetables, and not as filling. It was just perfect for a snack before the rest of my meal.
At 333, I went with the paneer tikka bento box. It included rice and some veggies in a yummy sauce. Like most Indian food, it was very filling, and I was able to save some of it for part of my next meal. I'm happy to say it was just as yummy cold a few hours later.
On Friday, I ventured to Moveable Feast Willow Glen for the first time in a few weeks. It was nice to be back and on such a lovely day!
I decided to have something I hadn't had in awhile, a burrito from Tacos de Los Altos. I think I posted a photo of one of their burritos here last summer, but they have since added a lot more choices. I got mine with a wheat tortilla and black beans, to be on the healthier side. Delicious!
I got my dessert to go so I could share some with Kyle, so I decided to buy two Fairycakes. I ate the tuxedo and brought the peanut butter cup home to Kyle.
On Sunday morning, the day after our move, Kyle and I found ourselves in our new house with empty cupboards. We quickly realized we had to go out for breakfast, and called the two closest Bill's Cafes to see what their wait times were. The Bascom one was shorter by five minutes, so we headed in that direction. On the way, we spotted a food truck in the parking lot of Antonella's on the corner of Park and Naglee. Kyle spotted that it was called Waffle Amore, and that was enough for us to pull over immediately and change our breakfast plans.
I asked a few questions and found out that they plan to be at this location every Sunday morning and will be hitting the streets more thoroughly as well in the near future. Their menu consists of two types of waffles, the liege and the brussels, and a bunch of toppings. Each waffle comes with one topping free, and any additional toppings are a dollar. The one topping we hadn't heard of was the Speculoos spread, and they were happy to give us a sample to try. It tasted sort of like a sweet graham cracker spread. We placed our order and sat down in their adorable personalized chairs that were set up.
After a short wait, we got our food, and I must say, both waffles were absolutely delicious. I can't wait to try more from these guys. I got the liege waffle with nutella on top, and Kyle got the brussels with the aforementioned Speculoos spread.
On a non-truck related note, yesterday I celebrated my one year anniversary of being a vegetarian. Here's to many, many more! And I will leave you with a quotation from the book that turned me into a vegetarian (as I have been doing all over the internet lately).
"Just how destructive does a culinary preference have to be before we decide to eat something else? If contributing to the suffering of billions of animals that live miserable lives and (quite often) die in horrific ways isn't motivating, what would be? If being the number one contributor to the most serious threat facing the planet (global warming) isn't enough, what is? And if you are tempted to put off these questions of conscience, to say not now, then when?" ~Jonathan Safran Foer, Eating Animals


text:
Video 431- While out for a walk in a mall, Natalie, Lauren and Nicholas decided to sing "Ring a round the roses" together and do the actions.
Video 432 - While waiting for her skin-prick test at the allergist's, watch Lauren quickly figure out this puzzle. Honestly, I think she's a genius!
Lauren and I heading out to visit the doctor. If I wear my sunglasses out, she insists on wearing hers, too.
Lauren's not quite sure what to make of what Lisa yee-yee is doing to her. But she goes along with it anyway...
Ashley's cousins (and sister) all insisted on taking turns carrying her. Here Victoria proudly looks after her baby cousin.
Proud older sist, Natalie needed a turn, too.
Nicholas is also a proud older cousin.
Smile, Michael! Michael totally understands that Ashley is younger and smaller than he is and held her carefully.
Great pic of Vanessa and Ashley. Even Ashley is looking at the camera with a small smile.
Finally, we got around to making, baking and decorating a Christmasy gingerbread Snoopy house with Natalie and Lauren. Thanks "uncle" Alvin!
Lauren was super excited and happy to be decorating hers as well. I had to help squeeze the icing, but she eagerly put the candies on it. Of course she ate while decorating, too.
Ashley has become so much fun. She consistently smiles at people who talk and play with her now.
Another recent tantrum from Lauren. She pulled the hood down and refused to come out.
More cutie smiles from Ashley.


text: I am beyond excited to DJ for my first time in New Orleans, LA on June 20th. I'll be at Latrobe's On Royal for the IPW 2016 Party. This is for the U.S. Travel Association's yearly convention. I was hired by the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau. Big thanks to them. I can not wait to get back in this amazing city. It's one of my favorite places in the world.


text:
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Latest electronic version
of Lottery Insights
The WEEK in REVIEWA
Weekly Snapshot of the Top Lottery and Gaming News
Lottery Standardizes Operations with Seven Day Drawings
LINCOLN, Nebraska (October 21, 2016)
Starting Nov. 6, the Nebraska Lottery will hold drawings for the
Nebraska Pick 5, Nebraska Pick 3 and MyDaY Lotto games Monday through Sunday,
seven days a week.
Currently, drawings for the three
Nebraska-exclusive Lotto games are held six nights per week. Powerball and Mega
Millions drawings are held twice per week, and 2by2 drawings are held every
night. Players can buy and redeem tickets for all games Monday through Sunday.
The upcoming schedule change will help players more-easily schedule their
ticket purchases and increase in-store traffic for Lottery retailers.
Offering seven day draws is
a goal weve been working towards for some time, said Lottery
Director Brian Rockey. The majority of lotteries in the United States
offer daily drawings, and were excited to offer this convenience for our
players and retailers here in Nebraska. Standardizing drawings will provide us
with some operational efficiencies, and in addition, we expect to generate more
proceeds for good causes across the state.
Proceeds from the sale of Nebraska
Lottery tickets benefit the environment, education, the Nebraska State Fair,
and compulsive gamblers assistance. The Lottery anticipates that an additional
$360,000 a year in additional proceeds could be generated by moving to seven
day draws.
To prepare for the change to seven
day draws, the amount of drawings that can be purchased in advance for Nebraska
Pick 5, Nebraska Pick 3 and MyDaY has been temporarily changed. The maximum
number of drawings that can be purchased on a multi-draw ticket decreases by
one after each successive drawing. Beginning Sunday, Nov. 6, players will again
be able to purchase tickets for up to 12 weeks of drawings (84 draws). Complete
information on the multi-draw phase out is available at the Nebraska Lottery
website, nelottery.com.
The mission of the Nebraska Lottery
is to generate proceeds for good causes while providing quality entertainment
options to Nebraskans. Over $617 million has been raised for the Nebraska
Lotterys beneficiary funds since the Lottery began in 1993. All 93
counties in Nebraska have benefited from projects funded with these Nebraska
Lottery proceeds.
CONTACT: Neil Watson, Phone: (402)
471-6120, Mobile: (402) 560-4580, E: email@example.com.
SOURCE: Nebraska Lottery.
York Lottery Wins Industry Awards for Creative Advertising Campaigns &
Player Outreach
Awards for #Unclaimed,
Dog Wedding, Get Drawn Together, Youd Make
a Way Better Rich Person Ads & Play by Play Digital
NEW YORK, N.Y. (October 20, 2016) --
The New York Lottery recently received four Lottery industry awards from the
North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) for its
#Unclaimed missing millionaire campaign, the Dog Wedding Quick Draw
ad, the Get Drawn Together campaign and the new Play by Play
digital newsletter for Lottery players. In addition, the 4As advertising
agency trade association awarded the Lottery with a Gold Jay Chiat Award for
Strategic Excellence for the Youd Make a Way Better Rich
Person campaign.
The New York Lottery is a
worldwide brand showcasing the Empire State because of innovative, creative and
influential advertising, said Dana Idema, Director of Advertising for
the New York State Gaming Commissions Division of the Lottery.
The Lottery and our
advertising partner McCann New York are proud of these recognitions and we will
continue to produce groundbreaking campaigns that capture the worlds
The Lotterys #Unclaimed
campaign earned the Hickey Award for its creative search for a missing
millionaire. An unknown player purchased a Cash4Life ticket worth
$7,000,000 from a Brooklyn deli in July 2015 but never came forward to claim
the jackpot prize. The guerilla marketing campaign involved canvassing the
Brooklyn neighborhood around the Milky Way Deli with fliers to try to find the
winner of the lucky ticket as well as a social media video to draw attention to
the missing ticket.
NASPL judges recognized the
Lotterys Get Drawn Together campaign that demonstrated
how ordinary Lottery players get drawn together in social
situations to play Quick Draw (examples here and here). The campaign, which was
cited for its outstanding advertising and business communication achievements,
featured a Dog Wedding television commercial and a
Muffgels radio spot that inspired a recent craze for a cross
between a muffin and a bagel.
The final NASPL award won was for a
new Play by Play digital newsletter to Lottery players spotlighting topics such
as new instant game promotions and a new mobile app. The newsletter is emailed
monthly to nearly 400,000 Lottery players.
In addition to the four NASPL top
awards, the New York Lottery was a finalist in six additional advertising
categories for its Quick Draw and instant game products. This is the tenth
consecutive year the New York Lottery has won NASPL awards. A full list of
award nominees and winners may be found here.
With nearly 500 entries from 43
lotteries across North America, this years awards were judged by more
than 25 creative directors from lotteries and their advertising agencies.
The 4As, the leading trade
association representing the advertising agency business, awarded the Lottery
and McCann New York with the Gold Jay Chiat Award for Strategic Excellence in
its Regional Strategy category for the Lotterys Youd Make a
Way Better Rich Person campaign (example here). The campaign showed
hyperbolic examples of some of the eccentricities of the already-rich, and how
New Yorkers could do a better job with their millions of dollars.
The Lottery was one of only eight
brands from around the world to win a Gold award. The Jay Chiat Awards honor
strategic thinking and recognize advertising professionals who develop
breakthrough insights and initiate creative campaigns that inspire both
consumers and business around the globe. The judging panels were comprised of
top industry leaders.
About the New York
The New York Lottery continues to be
North Americas largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.30
billion in fiscal year 2015-2016 to help support education in New York
State. The Lotterys contribution represents 14 percent of total
state education aid to local school districts. New York Lottery revenue is
distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to
distribute other state aid to education. It takes into account both a
school districts size and its income level; larger, lower-income school
districts receive proportionately larger shares of Lottery school funding.
About McCann New York
McCann New York is a unit of both
McCann Worldgroup, a leading global marketing service company, and McCann, the
worlds largest advertising agency network. McCann Worldgroup also
includes MRM//McCann (digital marketing/relationship management), Momentum
Worldwide (total brand experience), McCann Health (professional/dtc
communications), CRAFT (global adaptation and production), UM (media
management), Weber Shandwick (public relations), FutureBrand
(consulting/design), ChaseDesign (shopper marketing) and PMK-BNC
(entertainment/brand/popular culture). McCann is #3 on the 2016 Ad Age A-List
and McCann New York is a Creativity Innovators Standout.
About NASPL
The North American Association of
State and Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) was founded in 1971. Evolving from an
informal exchange of information among three pioneering lottery directors, the
organization has now grown into an active association representing 52 lottery
About the 4A's Jay Chiat Awards
for Strategic Excellence
Now in its 20th year, the Jay Chiat
Awards are global awards recognizing the best strategic thinking in marketing,
media and advertising around the world. The 4A's is the catalyst for bringing
together the right people in the right places at the right time to address the
advertising industry's most critical business issues. It provides leadership,
advocacy, guidance and community to its members and the industry at large, with
proprietary access to the people, information and tools needed to make smarter
management decisions. Its mission is to help agencies become more
CONTACT: Communications, T: (518)
388-3415, E: firstname.lastname@example.com.
SOURCE: New York Lottery.
Banknote Receives Extension on Instant Game Contract From Massachusetts State
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Canada (October
24, 2016) -- Pollard Banknote Limited (TSX: PBL) (Pollard Banknote)
is pleased to announce an extension to its contract for instant game tickets,
game designs, and marketing services with the Massachusetts State Lottery.
Under this agreement, Pollard Banknote will continue to provide the Lottery
with instant products and related services until October 2017.
Pollard Banknotes relationship
with the Massachusetts State Lottery began in 1999. Through the years, the
company has worked with the Lottery to help strengthen its instant game
portfolioparticularly the development of its Crossword category, which
accounted for approximately 14% of the Lotterys instant ticket sales in
FY 2016. Pollard Banknote helped the Lottery launch its first $2 Cashword
ticket in 2007, and subsequently leveraged its category management expertise to
assist in the introduction of $5 and $10 Cashword games in the Massachusetts
market. Most recently, Pollard Banknote designed and printed the Lotterys
current $5 Crossword game on the market, 20X Cashword.
Our partnership with
Pollard Banknote has contributed to our overall performance as one of the
worlds most successful lotteries, said Michael Sweeney,
Executive Director, Massachusetts State Lottery. We particularly
appreciate their flexible and responsive customer service and the valuable
assistance they have offered in building our extended play portfolio. The
continued sales growth of our Crossword category has helped us meet our goal of
maximizing the net profit that we deliver to the Commonwealth for all cities
and towns in Massachusetts.
Pollard Banknote values
this opportunity to continue our long-standing relationship with the
Massachusetts State Lottery, said Brad Thompson, Director, Sales
& Marketing, Pollard Banknote. We will continue to work with the
Lottery to develop market-specific strategies that will leverage Pollard
Banknotes unique and innovative products to foster sales growth in the
The Massachusetts State Lottery was
established by the legislature in 1971 in response to the need for revenues for
the cities and towns of the Commonwealth. Each year, the Massachusetts State
Lottery returns money to the Commonwealth to help aid local communities. The
Lottery is the Commonwealths single largest source of unrestricted local
aid, returning $989.4 million in net profit to the state in FY 2016.
About Pollard Banknote
Pollard Banknote is a leading
lottery partner to more than 60 lotteries worldwide, providing high quality
instant ticket products, licensed games, and strategic marketing and management
services for both traditional instant games and the emerging iLottery space of
web, mobile and social channels. The company is a proven innovator and has
decades of experience helping lotteries to maximize player engagement, sales,
and proceeds for good causes. Pollard Banknote also plays a major role in the
charitable pull-tab and bingo markets in North America. Established in 1907,
Pollard Banknote is owned approximately 73.5% by the Pollard family and 26.5%
by public shareholders and is publicly traded on the TSX (PBL). For more
information, please visit our website at
For more information CONTACT:
Doug Pollard Co-Chief
Executive Officer Telephone: (204) 474-2323 E-mail:email@example.com
John Pollard Co-Chief
Officer Telephone: (204)
474-2323 E-mail:firstname.lastname@example.com
Rob Rose Chief Financial
Officer Telephone: (204) 474-2323 E-mail:firstname.lastname@example.com
SOURCE: Pollard Banknote.
Kambi Group Plc's Third Quarter 2016 Result
MALTA (October 21, 2016) -- Kambi's
result for the third quarter (July - September) 2016 will be announced on
Wednesday 2 November, at 07:45 CET.
You are invited to participate in a
report presentation at 10:45 CET with the CEO Kristian Nylén and CFO
David Kenyon. The presentation will be held in English via a telephone
conference and can also be accessed via an audiocast using the link below.
Questions can be asked on the
telephone conference or sent via the audiocast link. Numbers for participation
in the telephone conference:
Link to the audiocast:
About Kambi
Kambi is a provider of premium
sports betting services to licensed B2C gaming operators. Kambi Group plc is
listed on First North at Nasdaq Stockholm. Our services encompass a broad
offering from front end user interface through to odds compiling, customer
intelligence and risk management, built on an in-house developed software
platform. Kambi's 13 customers include Unibet, 888, Paf, 32Red and Napoleon
Games. Kambi employ more than 450 staff across offices in Malta (headquarters),
Bucharest, London, Manila, Stockholm and Sydney.
About Kambi (www.kambi.com).
Kambi utilises a best of breed
security approach, with guiding principles from ISO 27001. Kambi is eCOGRA
Kambi Group plc is listed on First
North at Nasdaq Stockholm under the symbol "KAMBI".
The Company's Certified Advisor is
Redeye AB.
Disclaimer: The information in this
report/press release is such that Kambi Group plc is required to disclose under
the Swedish Securities Market Act.
CONTACT: Kambi Group plc., Kristian
Nylen, Chief Executive Officer, T: +44 7764 161 055 or Anna-Lena
Åström, Head of IR & Corporate Communications, T: +44 7834 626
SOURCE: Kambi Group Plc.
International Announces Receipt of ISO 9001 Certification
EDGEWATER PARK, New Jersey (Tuesday,
October 25, 2016) -- After an extensive analysis of its quality systems and
processes, Smartplay International, Inc. is proud to announce successful ISO
9001:2008 certification of our Quality Management System, effective October 21,
External auditing was completed by
Perry Johnson Registrars, Inc. an internationally recognized registrar,
accredited by ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) and the United
Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) among others.
ISO 9001:2008 focuses on achieving
customer satisfaction, improving the focus on the customer, providing excellent
leadership, team involvement, and a management system approach.
By realizing this certification,
Smartplay sends a clear message to lotteries and the gaming industry
marketplace that the products we manufacture are produced under a system which
is held to the highest standard. In achieving ISO 9001:2008 compliance,
Smartplay assures customers of their commitment to consistent delivery of
quality products and services
Smartplay President David Michaud
stated, I am extremely proud of Smartplays personnel for the
commitment, diligence and teamwork they have demonstrated to achieve this
certification. Our focus on quality and service extends throughout our entire
organization and this achievement serves as official recognition of the
processes which support our corporate goal of customer satisfaction.
Smartplay has been in business for
23 years and has distinguished itself in the gaming marketplace as the premier
manufacturer of high quality, reliable and robust lottery solutions and
services to our clients.
While Smartplay employees are
delighted at this initial achievement, we plan to use the continual improvement
process and press forward to meet compliance for ISO 9001:2015.
Established in 1993, Smartplay is
dedicated to the creative design, development and manufacture of lottery
drawing equipment. The product line has evolved over the years in response to
clients needs by incorporating the latest technology. Smartplay has
maintained international leadership in the area of lottery drawing machines and
customized game show equipment. Smartplay is consistently chosen above other
manufacturers due to a reputation for quality and reliability. Smartplay is
proud to be the choice of the worlds most prestigious lotteries.
CONTACT: Mariana Mokritski,
Marketing, T: +1 609 880 1860, W:
SOURCE: Smartplay International,
Inc., Edgewater Park, NJ USA.
Lottery Warns Citizens of Mega Millions® Scam
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (October 25,
2016) -- The Florida Lottery is warning citizens of an advance fee lottery scam
involving MEGA MILLIONS® and invoking fake notices from the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) to the
public claiming they have won prizes.
The notice advises individuals that
they have won a MEGA MILLIONS prize and requests they wire transfer thousands
of dollars to the scammer in order to secure their winnings.
In further efforts to appear
legitimate, the documentation sent to the victims includes
memorandum/stationary from the FBI and FDIC that serve as letters of
authentication. In a recent scam, a photo claiming to show three FBI agents was
sent in an attempt to further prove its validity.
The Florida Lottery joins the FBI
and the FDIC in urging the public to remain vigilant to this scam and others
like it. Florida Lottery players will never be required to transfer funds
to secure their winnings for MEGA MILLIONS or any other Florida Lottery game.
For more information and to find other tips to protect yourself, please visit
flalottery.com. To report a lottery scam, consumers should contact the Florida
Lotterys Division of Security at (850) 487-7730.
The Florida Lottery is responsible
for contributing more than $30 billion to education and sending more than
750,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The
Florida Lottery reinvests 98 percent of its revenue back into Florida's economy
through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Florida retailers and
transfers to education. Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than
$52.4 billion in prizes and made more than 1,900 people millionaires. For more
information, please visit www.flalottery.com.
CONTACT: Florida Lottery
Communications, T: (850) 487-7727.
SOURCE: Florida Lottery (www.flalottery.com).
Holiday Instant Games on Sale, Lottery Promotes Responsible Gift Giving and
MIDDLETOWN, Pennsylvania (October
25, 2016) -- The Pennsylvania Lotterys new holiday-themed instant games
are now on sale, offering millions of dollars in prizes and extra chances to
win through the Secret Santa Second-Chance Drawings.
The new games are: $1,000,000 Snow
Bank ($20), Trim the Tree ($10), Frosty Ca$h ($5), Freezin Greetings
($3), Unwrap the Cash ($2) and Merry Money ($1).
Plus, the Secret Santa Second-Chance
Drawings will award a sleigh-full of cash prizes: $10,000; $50,000; and
$100,000; plus numerous Secret Santa prizes.
Players may enter non-winning 2016
holiday-themed instant games and/or winning and non-winning tickets for most
draw games (excluding Millionaire Raffle). Eligible draw game tickets carry an
Official Entry Code.
Enter through the online VIP Players
Club at palottery.com or use the Lotterys official mobile app to quickly
and easily scan tickets to enter. Submit qualifying tickets by January 5,
Visit palottery.com for entry,
prizes, rules and drawing information. Mailed entries are not accepted. Prizes,
including top prizes, are subject to availability at the time of purchase.
Continuing its promotion of
responsible play, the Pennsylvania Lottery has again teamed with other state
lotteries and the National Council on Problem Gambling to remind players that
lottery games are not suitable for children. Whether buying a ticket for your
own enjoyment or to give as a gift, players in Pennsylvania must be 18 or
About Us: The Pennsylvania
Lottery remains the only state lottery to direct all proceeds to programs that
benefit older residents. Since ticket sales began in 1972, it has contributed
nearly $27 billion to fund property tax and rent rebates, transportation, care
services, prescription assistance, and local services including senior centers
and meals.
Players must be 18 or older. Please
play responsibly. Call 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) for help with a
compulsive gambling problem.
Visit palottery.com for winning
numbers, rules, chances of winning, and to join the VIP Players Club for second
chances to win. Install our official mobile app, like us on Facebook and follow
us on Twitter.
SOURCE: The Pennsylvania
LotSynergy Announce Second Successful Sports Lottery Terminal Procurement
Programme from Henan
HONG KONG, SAR (October 25, 2016) --
The Board is pleased to announce that Lottnal, a subsidiary of the Company, has
recently won a bid for Henan Sports Lottery Administration Centres
2016 Sports Lottery CTG Terminal Procurement Programme. This is the
second time in which Lottnal has won a single batch bid with sales volume over
a thousand terminals from the province of Henan.
The Board of Directors (the
Board) of China LotSynergy Holdings Limited (the
Company, together with its subsidiaries, collectively referred to
as the Group) is pleased to announce that Guangzhou Lottnal
Terminal Company Limited (Lottnal), a subsidiary of the Company,
has recently won a bid for Henan Sports Lottery Administration Centres
2016 Sports Lottery Computer-Generated Ticket Game (CTG)
Terminal Procurement Programme.
This is the second time in which
Lottnal has won a single batch bid, with a total procurement of over 1,000
units of terminals, from the province of Henan.
Lottnals Sports Lottery CTG
terminals have been highly praised by its customers ever since Lottnal won its
first bid, with a total procurement of 1,000 terminals, from the province of
Henan in July 2015.
A second win in the supply of Sports
Lottery CTG terminals, the only tender this year in Henan Province, reflects
the Groups technological strength, high quality products, sustainable
innovation and professional services.
Henan, a leading province in
Chinas Sports Lottery space, where lottery sales recorded continuous
growth in recent years on the back of a series of reform measures including
sales network expansion, management regime enhancement and innovation of
technical support.
In 2015, Henan provinces
Sports Lottery ranked among the top five provincial markets with lottery sales
exceeding RMB 10 billion.
Sales of Sports Lottery in Henan
province grew 20.7% year-on-year to reach RMB 7.6 billion in the first eight
months of 2016, far exceeding the 12.3% growth of China Sports Lottery market
and the 6.1% growth of overall Chinese lottery market.
In the future, the Group will
continue to provide high quality products and services to Henan Sports Lottery
Administration Centre by taking advantage of the Groups vertically
integrated business model, endeavor to develop its business ranging from CTG to
new media lottery and strive to make contributions to the Henans Sports
Lottery market.
SOURCE: China LotSynergy Holdings
and Markets Authority Launches Investigation Into Online
From: Competition and Markets
LONON, U.K. (October 2016) -- The
CMA has today announced it is investigating whether online gambling firms are
treating their customers fairly.
This follows concerns raised by the
Gambling Commission about potential breaches of consumer law, including
misleading promotions and unfair terms, being used by firms to block
players payouts.
The Competition and Markets
Authority (CMA) is today issuing Information Notices under consumer protection
legislation requiring evidence from companies as a first step to establishing
whether enforcement action is required. It is also asking people who use
gambling sites and have experienced such issues to provide us with further
Nisha Arora, CMA Senior Director for
Consumer Enforcement, said:
Gambling inevitably
involves taking a risk, but it shouldnt be a con. Were worried
players are losing out because gambling sites are making it too difficult for
them to understand the terms on which theyre playing, and may not be
giving them a fair deal. We are now investigating to see whether firms are
breaking the law.
Around 5.5 million Britons gamble
online and they must be treated fairly. Weve heard worrying complaints
suggesting people may be lured into signing up for promotions with little
chance of winning because of unfair and complex conditions. Were now
working closely with the Gambling Commission to examine this more
Sarah Harrison, Gambling Commission
Chief Executive, added:
We expect the gambling
industry to ensure terms and conditions are not unfair. However, operators are
still not doing enough. I continue to have concerns that many of these appear
to bamboozle rather than help the customer make informed choices.
Gambling, by its very nature, is
always going to involve risk but customers must have faith that if they win,
they will not end up feeling that the deck is stacked against them because of
an obscure condition that they did not properly understand.
We approached the CMA to work
with them to address issues in the gambling sector and we are delighted to have
agreed a joint programme of work to ensure terms are fair and
Online gambling has grown by around
146% since 2009 and now more than 5.5 million people regularly log on to sports
betting, gaming and casinos using gambling websites. The initial CMA review of
the £4 billion-a-year sector has highlighted examples of potentially
unfair treatment that require more comprehensive examination. In particular,
the CMA is concerned that players may be losing out as a result of:
This investigation is part of a
joint programme of work with the Gambling Commission to tackle issues around
fairness and transparency in the gambling industry. The investigation may lead
to further action, such as enforcement action, or guidance being issued by the
CMA or the Gambling Commission, to secure improved compliance across the remote
gambling sector.
All information relating to this
investigation can be found on the case page. This also sets out how people can
get in touch with information on the concerns identified above.
About The CMA
The CMA is the UKs primary
competition and consumer authority. It is an independent non-ministerial
government department with responsibility for carrying out investigations into
mergers, markets and the regulated industries and enforcing competition and
consumer law. For CMA updates, follow us on Twitter @CMAgovuk, Flickr and
SOURCE: Competition and Markets
Authority press release.
in Las Vegas Highlights Significant Week for Gaming
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 21,
Dear Gaming Colleague:
A final presidential debate in Las
Vegas, a potential NFL stadium near the Strip and the growing momentum of the
sports betting conversation propelled the gaming industry into the national
spotlight this week.
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas
and the city took center stage on Wednesday during the third and final
presidential debate of this historic election.
Nearly 70 million Americans tuned in
for the debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, giving those in
attendance and millions watching the opportunity to see how Las Vegas has
transformed itself into an entertainment destination for millions of visitors
each year.
In a CBS This Morning interview this
week, Jim Murren, American Gaming Association (AGA) board chairman and MGM
Resorts International chairman and CEO, said, Ive seen an
industry playing defense, go to an industry thats proud of its heritage
and proud of its role in the economy here.
An op-ed in the Las Vegas
Review-Journal emphasized that Wednesday nights event was a signal of
gamings emergence into the mainstream:
Interestingly enough, when gaming
executives speak out, gambling is never an issue. Instead, the focus is on
high-priority policy issues including the national debt, government spending,
trade, immigration, health care and even the Iran nuclear agreement. Its
another sign of gamings emergence from the political sidelines into the
public mainstream.
In advance of the debate, a
reception co-sponsored by AGA attracted some of the biggest names in national
politics, and media and a post-debate panel discussion gave AGA members and
industry stakeholders an insider view as political experts weighed in on what
we learned from the debate and the implications the election could have on
Las Vegas also grabbed the attention
of sports fans this week after the Nevada Legislature and Governor Sandoval
approved funding for a new stadium.
The stadium has the potential to
bring an NFL team to Las Vegas, further signaling that sports betting and
professional sports can coexist in a safe, regulated marketplace.
AGA will be taking this national
debate on sports betting to the 2017 South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in
Austin, Texas.
Announced this week, AGA, in
partnership with leading industry experts, will participate in a
first-of-its-kind panel discussion on regulated sports betting.
A renowned forum for
soon-to-breakthrough issues, its clear that sports betting is nearing its
tipping point.
The AGA will continue to build on
this momentum in the months ahead.
The industry is thriving and has
grabbed a piece of the national spotlight, allowing us to tell our unique
story, push for a more rational approach to sports betting law and build gaming
champions across the country.
Geoff Freeman
President and CEO
American Gaming Association.
the Gift of Winning This Holiday Season with New Scratch-Off Games from the
Florida Lottery
TALLAHASSEE, Florida (October 25,
2016) -- Today, the Florida Lottery launched a new family of holiday-themed
Scratch-Off games.
The four new games, $2,000,000
HOLIDAY MILLIONS, $500,000 HOLIDAY MILLIONS, $50,000 HOLIDAY MILLIONS and
$10,000 HOLIDAY MILLIONS, offer more than $126 million in cash prizes and
feature more than 13 million winning tickets!
The HOLIDAY MILLIONS family of
Scratch-Off games make great stocking stuffers, or can be the perfect gift all
on their own when you wrap them in our special holiday envelope!
All Lottery retailers are expected to have these new tickets in stock and
available for purchase within 72 hours.
For a limited time, players also
have the chance to win up to $50,000 in the Lotterys 12 Days of
Giveaways Holiday Facebook Contest! Beginning Thursday, December 1,
through Monday, December 12, players can upload a photo of themselves with one
of the new HOLIDAY MILLIONS Scratch-Off tickets to the 12 Days of
Giveaways app located on the Florida Lotterys official Facebook
page. One winner will be randomly selected each day during the contest period
to receive free HOLIDAY MILLIONS Scratch-Off tickets with the possibility of
winning a top prize of $50,000! Visit www.flalottery.com for more information.
Scratch-Off games are an important
part of the Lotterys portfolio of games, comprising approximately 65
percent of ticket sales and generating more than $734 million for the
Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) in fiscal year 2015-16.
The Florida Lottery is responsible
for contributing more than $30 billion to education and sending more than
750,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. The
Florida Lottery reinvests 98 percent of its revenue back into Florida's economy
through prize payouts, commissions to more than 13,000 Florida retailers and
transfers to education.
Since 1988, Florida Lottery games
have paid more than $52.4 billion in prizes and made more than 1,900 people
millionaires. For more information, please visit
New Report
Highlights Robust Anti-Money Laundering Measures in Canada's
Expert says casinos are
"unattractive" for money laundering
TORONTO, ONTARIO (October 24, 2016)
- Canadian casinos have strong safeguards in place to deter and prevent
potential money laundering activities. This is one of several conclusions made
by international anti-money laundering expert and criminal lawyer Christine
Duhaime in a newly published Question and Answer document titled "Casinos
& Money Laundering."
Prepared on behalf of the Gaming
Security Professionals of Canada, the document outlines the facts around money
laundering and details the preventative measures, controls and technology that
the industry has in place to comply with federal anti-money laundering laws and
deter casinos being targeted for money laundering. The author reviewed the
practices of the industry and notes:
"In order to prevent casinos from
being targeted by criminals for money laundering, Canadian gambling
jurisdictions have implemented robust countermeasures, including policies,
procedures and training that allow for the detection and reporting of such
transactions, which in turn deters criminals from using casinos for money
The Q&A provides an overview of
the regulated gambling landscape across Canada, along with information about
the checks and balances that are in place to mitigate against financial crimes.
The author finds that, to date, there are no known cases in Canada where a
person has been convicted of a money laundering offence involving a casino. The
document concludes:
"Virtually every transaction at a
casino in Canada is video recorded, making casinos one of the highest risk
locations to potential money launderers. Canada's strict enforcement of
anti-money laundering law ... the presence of security and surveillance
personnel at casinos, and the inability of criminals to complete large
financial transactions anonymously with cash, chips or by converting currency
or electronic funds transfers, makes Canadian casinos unattractive to would-be
money launderers."
The Casinos & Money Laundering Q
& A is available on the GSPC website.
About the author:
Christine Duhaime is a global lawyer
and Certified Financial Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Specialist. Christine
is frequently consulted to advise on complex and emerging legal issues in
connection with financial crime, terrorist financing and money laundering risk
mitigation and compliance. She advises financial institutions, securities
brokers, law firms, accounting firms, gaming companies, FinTechs, digital
currency companies and regulatory agencies. For more information, visit
About Gaming Security Professionals
of Canada (GSPC):
GSPC is a not-for-profit
organization that focuses on ensuring the safety, security and integrity of the
Canadian gaming industry, while providing a forum for members to communicate,
educate and share best practices. For more information, visit gspc.ca.
Duhaime Law
Christine Duhaime
Gaming Security
of Canada (GSPC)
Gerald Boose
Executive Director
SOURCE: Gaming Security
Professionals of Canada.
Technologies Association Statement
SYDNEY, Australia (October 26, 2016)
-- The Gaming Technologies Association (GTA) today said legal action against
Aristocrat regarding the design of poker machines operating in the Australian
market ignores clear facts about the strict legal and compliance obligations of
the Australian gaming industry.
Im advised the claim
will be vigorously defended. Australia has one of the most stringent regulatory
environments for poker machines in the world. Regulators impose comprehensive
conditions on every aspect of poker machine design and operation, GTA
Chief Executive Ross Ferrar said today.
Poker machines are designed
to be entertaining and are a legitimate recreational activity that many
Australians enjoy responsibly.
We look forward to
contributing to a sensible debate about these issues and dispelling the myths
underpinning this action, Mr Ferrar said.
INQUIRIES: GRACosway, T: 02 8353
SOURCE: Gaming Technologies
Association (GTA).
Announces Its Participation in World Lottery Summit, Singapore
GURGAON, India (October 27, 2016) --
Skilrock Technologies is delighted to announce its participation in the World
Lottery Summit 2016 to be held in Singapore from 6th to 9th November.
The World Lottery Summits had been
providing a unique platform for global who-is-who of the industry representing
lottery operators, WLA partners, and suppliers from around the world to gather
under one roof to exchange knowledge and share experiences.
Mr. Sujit Lahiry, Executive Director
of Skilrock Technologies said, It gives me an immense pleasure to be a
part of Skilrocks 8th consecutive appearance in WLS since the year 2000.
WLS 2016 is also special for us as we are returning to Singapore after 10 years
since WLS 2006.
We look forward to meeting
our friends & colleagues from the lottery industry during WLS 2016 where we
are showcasing several additions to our product portfolio, including innovative
and game changing solutions for improving Responsible Gaming and much
Date: 6th - 9th November 2016
Venue: Marina Bay Sands
About Skilrock
Skilrock Technologies (SUGAL &
DAMANI GROUP) is a leading technology solution provider for the lottery and
gaming industry. Skilrock is a Software Products & Services company
specializing in technology solution for lottery & gaming industry. It is
part of $2 billion Sugal & Damani Group, who are leaders of Indian
lotteries & gaming market.
Skilrock has a rich portfolio of
games and gaming platform suitable for every jurisdictions across the globe.
The innovative WEAVER Gaming Platform encompasses RETAIL, iGAMING & SELF
SERVICE channels. More than 120,000 retail touch points and over 3 million
iGaming players across 18 jurisdictions have been serviced using Weaver
Platform covering Lotto, Keno, Bingo, Instants, Sports, Poker, Rummy, Casino
and Slots.
For More Information CONTACT:
email@example.com | Visit
SOURCE: Skilrock Technologies.
International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR)
Conference, Sydney 2016
SYDNEY, Australia (October 25, 2016)
-- Liquor & Gaming NSW is proud to be hosting the International Association
of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) annual conference in Sydney, which runs from 31
October to 3 November 2016.
Sydney will host the event on behalf
of all Australian gaming regulators and is being held at the ParkRoyal Hotel in
Darling Harbour.
The IAGR conference brings together
regulators from all over the world to discuss emerging issues, trends and
changes impacting the gaming industry and regulation of the sector.
It is an important opportunity for
regulators to collaborate and share ideas on how to effectively regulate the
gaming industry and prepare for future changes.
The event is open to the public and
media, and registration will remain open throughout the conference. The program
comprises keynote presentations and panel sessions on a range of topics,
Gaming Laboratories International
(GLI) and the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL) will also deliver
half-day programs at the conference.
Currently, over 180 delegates have
registered to attend the event, including top executives and senior staff of
regulatory bodies from Australia and the Oceania region, Africa, Europe and the
United States.
To register, visit the
IAGR website.
the Dates for Australasian Gaming Expo 2017
SYDNEY, Australia (October 10, 2016)
-- Tuesday 15th to Thursday 17th August are the dates for the 2017 Australasian
Gaming Expo to be held at the new International Convention Centre Sydney,
located at Darling Harbour.
Featuring more than 250 exhibitors
across 19,000 square metres of exhibition space, the Australasian Gaming Expo
is easily the biggest event of its type in Australia and one of the world's
All indications are that the
exhibition will again be full to capacity with a wide range of companies
showcasing the worlds best gaming and related equipment and services.
It follows on from AGE 2016 Gaming
Expo when we saw 6,813 visitors attending over the three days establishing a
new record for attendance, since the show first started 27 years ago.
We're excited about the event's
future at ICC Sydney at Darling Harbour. Almost 100 exhibitors covering
two-thirds of the exhibition floor have already committed to exhibit at the AGE
The new event website is already
operational at www.austgamingexpo.com and plans are extremely advanced for an
even bigger and better event.
Event owner and operator, the Gaming
Technologies Association, will again add to the fun by offering a surprise trip
for 2 to Las Vegas for visitors at each day of the Expo, which was won in 2016
by Ron Kent from the Vikings Group ACT, Peter Smith from Springvale RSL
Victoria and Daniel Grady from Wests Leagues Club.
The Australasian Gaming Expo is a trade exhibition, for management
representatives of Gaming Industry Organisations only including government,
regulatory, research and support bodies, clubs, hotels, casinos, resorts and
similar Hospitality Industry venues.
Trade suppliers are not eligible to
attend the event unless exhibiting.
The Gaming Technologies
Associations primary members are Ainsworth Game Technology, Aristocrat
Technologies, Aruze Gaming Australia, Scientific Games, Ebet Limited, IGT
Australia and Konami Australia.
Interplay Multimedia
Pty. Ltd. disclaims all liability for information provided within
Lottery Insider Data supplied by named sources.Associated Press content
is Copyrighted by The Associated Press. All other news articles are owned
by their respective publishers.


text:
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The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here's a high level summary of its overall blog health:
The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.
Crunchy numbers
A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2010. That's about 26 full 747s.
In 2010, there were 130 new posts, not bad for the first year! There were 209 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 67mb. That's about 4 pictures per week.
The busiest day of the year was February 15th with 219 views. The most popular post that day was The Waste Land……..
Where did they come from?
The top referring sites in 2010 were merseyworld.com, flickr.com, mail.live.com, digg.com, and en.wordpress.com.
Some visitors came searching, mostly for citroen berlingo, citroen berlingo 2010, berlingo, berlingo 2010, and harthill copse.
Attractions in 2010
These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.
The Waste Land……. February 2010
4 comments
To Berlingo or not to Berlingo….that is the question……. March 2010
4 comments
What's it all about?…..The Prisoner….an explanation……as such! March 2010
2 comments
We've only gone and bought ourselves a Berlingo! March 2010
1 comment
Harthill Copse is felled……. February 2010
7 comments


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Dana Brooke, dad, NXT TV tapings at UCF in Orlando during WWE Royal Rumble Weekend
Dana Brooke is a top WWE NXT Diva, but it took a severe ankle injury to eventually land the former gymnast in a WWE Performance Center ring, and she couldn't be happier.
"Here I am now," she happily said. "It's just amazing where life takes you. I never thought in a million years I would be here."
Once a very promising gymnast on the cusp of making the U.S. Olympic team -- vying for gold around her neck -- now she looks, trains, works to capture gold around her waist.
"Ever since I was a little girl, I was always flipping all over my house," said Brooke, 27, a native of Ohio. "[Gymnastics] started when I was 2-years-old. My mother [Robin] took me to the Mom & Tot classes at the Johnson's Gymnastics Center in Valley View, Ohio. I was bouncing around there, at home, in my backyard, and I became a gymnast for 18 years."
Competing at a very high level, she traveled the world for meets, including Junior Olympics in 2001. She even made the U.S. national team with the bigger Olympics in her sights.
"Then a career-ending injury happened, where I had reconstructive surgery on my right ankle," she noted. "It was devastating to me. I didn't know what I was going to do."
Gymnastics consumed her childhood and formative years. Life revolved around gymnastics, and she loved it.
"I always wanted to be active, and I always wanted to perform," she said. "That's why I loved gymnastics. The floor event was absolutely my favorite because it was my time to shine. I competed in all the events. A lot of gymnasts pick one or two, but I wanted to do it all and give everything -- as I always do -- 100 percent."
One step from the Olympics, Brooke's gymnastics' dreams ended.
"Back in 2001, when I went to Junior Olympics, it was because I was not old enough to compete in the Olympics," she recalled. "If the ankle injury did not occur, the [Olympics] was it. That was my initial goal.
"I tried to come back after my ankle injury, but my doctor said, 'You're not going to be able to compete like you want to,' and that was just heart-breaking to me...With my career-ending injury, I just didn't know where it was going to take me."
A driven athlete, Brooke turned to diving, winning a district title for Holy Name High School, a private Catholic school in Parma Heights, Ohio.
"To be honest, diving was boring to me," she said. "I needed something a little bit more challenging."
The 5-3 Brooke opted for bodybuilding and fitness. She entered the bikini division.
"It was just another pretty face winning," she said. "It was like putting ducks in a line and then finding which one presented herself the best."
Brooke wanted more. It's not what you see but rather what you see her do.
She then registered in the fitness category.
"There you had a two-minute routine, strength routine, and I thought, 'That's it. That's my ticket to fame,'" Brooke said. "Everything to me was in fitness. Your body looked great. You worked out. You trained, and I brought gymnastics back into it with these two-minute fitness routines with a theme. I felt good. I felt like everything was back into my life."
A pleased Brooke obtained her International Federation of BodyBuilding & Fitness (IFBB) pro card in fitness in 2012.
Brooke won several championships at National Physique Committee (NPC) events to help earn that pro card. She then placed 12th at the 2013 European Arnold Classic and 13th at the 2015 edition of the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, Ohio.
"I traveled all over the world competing and getting a lot of sponsorships," she said. "and I wanted to inspire other people."
Not giving up after the ankle injury, trying other doors, is inspiring. Along the way, a new career emerged out of the blue.
"By the gift of God, WWE fell into my lap," Brooke said.
In 2013, WWE offered her a developmental contract.
As a youth, Brook enjoyed watching it with her father, Bruce.
"I used to wrestle with my stuffed animals," Brooke said. "Every Sunday in my basement, we would set up cushions in our basement, and I would have a manager and call him The Wizard."
No where near as intense as the famed Stu Hart Dungeon, nor was Ernie Roth in her corner, but it was fun.
"I'm just living everything that I've hoped and imagined," said Brooke who enjoys the athleticism, competitiveness and entertainment offered from sports entertainment.
Her opportunity in WWE started with one of her bodybuilding/fitness trainers, Mike Davies, in Columbus, Ohio.
"He loves wrestling," she said, "and we were competing [in fitness] all around. Canyon Ceman, who is [the senior director of talent development for WWE], goes to a lot of the fitness events and goes to the Arnold Classic to scout."
Ceman, a former pro beach volleyball player, served as the Chief Financial Officer of the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP). The Arnold Classic -- now known as the IFBB Arnold Sports Festival, named after bodybuilding legend and WWE Hall of Famer Arnold Schwarzenegger -- is an annual multi-sport event of professional bodybuilding, as well as separate strongman, physique, fitness, figure, and bikini weekend expo in Columbus, Ohio.
Through Ceman and Davies, Brooke attended a two-week WWE tryout in Tampa.
"I fell in love with it," she said. "I went to Full Sail and met Sara [Amato], who is currently my trainer. I met Triple H."
Full Sail Live at Full Sail University in Winter Park, near Orlando, houses WWE NXT TV tapings and NXT specials. Amato, also known as former standout wrestler Sara Del Rey, is the head women's trainer at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando and a producer for WWE NXT. Paul Triple H Levesque is the Executive Vice President (Talent/Live Events/Creative) for WWE and founder of NXT.
"One thing I wanted to bring into the industry is that fitness kind of correlates with wrestling with the way you train, the way you eat, the way you prepare your body," she said. "It's all in the same realm of health. I found that to be a very big correlation between fitness, bodybuilding and wrestling, and with that, I want to inspire everyone."
Davies said via email: "Going back and fourth from fitness to the world of pro wrestling is a very natural progression for Dana. The athleticism required for both are paralleled and the type of training I have put her through prepared her to excel at both.
"The trick is in the dieting. Her demanding schedule for wrestling, the travel and the physical nature all work against her in competitive fitness. Side effect of lack of sleep, bumps and bruises and the stress of preforming in the ring all take a negative toll on her body. Thirty-three percent of her score in the competitive fitness world is based on her body. The symmetry, condition, etc."
Brooke perseveres. She is not only athletic, beautiful and inspiring, but she is also educated. She earned a bachelor's of science degree in 2011 in fashion, merchandising and design with a minor in business administration from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. WWE Superstars Dolph Ziggler, also from Ohio, wrestled NCAA Division I for Kent State.
"I worked for a while with my fashion degree," she said, "but I would always look at the clock. I can't do a 9-5 job. I always want to be active."
Sports entertainment fits perfectly. Fashion is another element of WWE through ring attire, merchandising and special events wear.
"I do love fashion, and it kind of correlates into who [NXT Diva] Dana Brooke is as a total diva, because I still love to be fashionable," she said. "So Dana Brooke is an extended version of who I really am."
In high school, Brooke also performed on the dance team and was a cheerleader.
"I never wanted to cheer or dance. I wanted to be in gymnastics," she said, "but I was talked into it to tumble for my cheerleading team and the dance team. I only knew one or two cheers to do on the football field. So they would just say '[Dana] go tumble or hit a tumbling pack.' That was my thing in high school."
That was one of her things in high school. She also served as vice president of the student body.
"I often go back there," she proudly said, "and they're very proud of me."
With Brooke, Ziggler and The Miz, the state of Ohio is well represented in WWE.
"It's a small world," she said. "Dolph Ziggler's high school [St. Edward High School] was our rival, and my neighbors actually grew-up with Mike The Miz, and they went to Normandy [High School in Parma]. I knew of him, because we would watch 'The Real World' [on MTV] when Mike was there."
Greatest current NXT/WWE sports entertainer hailing from Ohio?
Brooke confidently said. "Dana Brooke, and I will prove that in 2016."
She added: "[WWE] feels like home... and it's amazing what Ohio breeds."
For Brooke, her parents had something to do with that.
"They've played a very active role in my career," she said. "Without them, honest to God, I would not be at where I am today in my career. They are my No.1 fans, which scares me [smiling] because my dad just retired, and he wants to come down now all the time [to Orlando], but I can't wait to have him with me by my side through the rest of my NXT/WWE career."
Dad is planing to attend the special NXT TV tapings on Friday, Jan. 22 at the CFE Arena on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando during Royal Rumble Weekend.
- NXT at UCF
To drop kick-off Royal Rumble weekend, NXT TV tapings are Friday, Jan. 22 at the CFE Arena on the campus of the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
NXT women's champ Bayley defends her title against No.1 contender Carmella. Also, Samoa Joe faces Sami Zayn with the winner earning a future title shot against NXT champ Finn Balor. More TBA.
Tickets ($20, $30, $40, $75) are available at Ticketmaster.com.
For information and tickets, go to
The CFE Arena, home of the NCAA Division I UCF Knights basketball team, offers a 10,000 seating capacity.
To see NXT in a city near you, check
- NXT on WWE Network
WWE NXT is 8 p.m. EST Wednesdays on WWE Network.
- Pro Wrestling On The Web
YouTube jim varsallone (jimmyv3 channel)


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Wedding at Fairview Farm Events; Powhatan, Virginia
I am so excited to share this gorgeous barn wedding with you today! This awesome couple, Missi and Paul, booked me about one year ago and I remember falling in love with them immediately! They are full of laughter, smiles, and just so down-to-earth. I remember loving how they were approaching their wedding day with such a carefree approach and simply wanted it to be a celebration of their love! You might actually remember their amazing in-home engagement session I blogged awhile back... check it out HERE.
Their choice for a mid-November wedding was simply perfect for Virginia weather! The weather was crisp (but not too cold) and the sun was shinning brightly. One of my favorite moments of the whole day was their "First Look" right before the ceremony. They were both so excited to see each other and when Paul turned around to see Missi, he started to shed a few tears. It was so sweet and touching... I teared up behind the camera! I think the images say it all...
The ceremony and reception were simply amazing as well! The decorations, flowers, and details were all so perfect. The dessert table was out of this world too... the cupcakes were something out of Heaven! One of my favorite details of the evening was the Alchemy Coffee truck that they had come out to serve hot coffee to all the guests. It was a special detail that meant a lot to them and expressed one of their favorite activities... drinking coffee!
I am absolutely so happy for Paul and Missi! They are the most amazing couple... and the best news is that they recently announced they are expecting! They will make incredible parents and wish them years of happiness and laughter!
Love you both, Paul and Missi! xoxo


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Send email
Send a wink
Life is short to be bogged down by anxiety and stress. Lets get get together.
Harnywell , 34 years old
West Palm Beach, United States
Seeking man age from 39 till 60
I speak: English, German
Relation type: Long term or marriage
My living situation: Live alone
My marital status: Single
Kids: None
About kids: Definitely
My height: 5' 6" (1.68 m.)
My weight: 125 lbs. (57 kg)
My hair: Black
My eyes: Hazel
My body type: About average
My education: Graduate degree
My speciality: Economics
My job: Other
My hobby: Cooking, Travel / Sightseeing, Movies / Videos, Music and concerts
Smoking: Non-smoker
Drinks: Water, Tea, Coffee, Coctail, Red Wine
My food: Keep it healthy
Favourite music: Classical, Country, Jazz
My favourite sport: Cricket, Horse Racing, Baseball, Swimming
Sense of humor: Sarcastic
Entertainment: Taking my dog for a walk. Going to the Outer Banks. Enjoying a walk along the beach and watching the birds make beautiful noise and taking sunset pictures. Enjoying the palm beach area-night life. Also enjoying some quite time at home. Working late, chec