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Speaker: The Fabians: There is an alternative
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Am I looking forward to the inevitable Your Views on Garrett's sterilisation plan.
Wherein the general consensus will be that the plan's only fault is that it isn't mandatory. I suppose you saw Redbaiter's response to Garrett clarifying "no compulsion" in the Kiwiblog thread?
And the two best comments @ Dim-Post on the matter...
"By Laws' logic, John Banks should never have been born…"
"Paula Bennett would have been sterilised – whatever you think of her politics, it seems a little harsh."
At the end of the day, those who mention sterilisation as a social remedy aren't proposing solutions, they're effectively admitting defeat.
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I suppose you saw Redbaiter's response to Garrett clarifying "no compulsion" in the Kiwiblog thread?
You suppose incorrectly. What's a Kiwiblog?
I need a de-lousing shower - stat. Please stop hinting at Kiwiblog threads, because being of an inquisitive nature I go and look. Feel like I've had paradoxical needles stuck in my eyes.
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Watched Gattaca for the first time tonight and thought it dealt with eugenics in a very entertaining and inspiring way. Quite a good watch.
Indeed. Eugenics fears weakness and death so much that it limits true potential. Nice idea, does tally with my experience - having natural advantage can make a lot of people lazy and weak.
I was going to bring up Michael Lhaws, I swear I was.
Serves you right for swallowing him in the first place. Tastes bad going both down and back up.
Eugenics fears weakness and death so much that it limits true potential
That is a great summary of what's wrong with current practice and thinking about disability. People have always had a mix of strengths and weaknesses, but some of our collective prejudices about function and contribution are downright mediaeval. And such a waste all round.
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I doubt there would be anywhere near so much really high level super advanced mathematics if autism didn't exist.
Quite. Autism suggests the broader fear is of difference, not really weakness as such. Unless someone wants to argue Einstein was weak.
having natural advantage can make a lot of people lazy and weak.
Yeah, comprehensive social reform is just so messy, and expensive. Best way to solve that problem is make 'them' cease to exist. Easy! Yeah, easy.
Anyone who writes sentences starting with 'these people' while discussing eugenics should include an irony tag.
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Unless someone wants to argue Einstein was weak.
I'm pretty sure I could have taken him.
Unless someone wants to argue Einstein was weak.
well theoretically more of a WIMP
Time article from 1999 on Eugenics.
Eugenics never recovered from the news of what had been carried out under its banner in Hitler's Germany. In truth, a number of people--including G.K. Chesterton, H.L. Mencken, Walter Lippmann and Clarence Darrow--had ridiculed and debunked eugenic theories well before the horrors of the Holocaust occurred and became widely known.
Is this what DG and Lhaws want to be associated with? There do seem to be a number of old school Fabians who were in the Eugenics movement also. G B Shaw, H G Wells etc. Would be interesting to hear the current Fabian views on this.
And that someone sat down and drew this picture makes me embarrassed to be part of the same species. Calling all Aliens, any chance of an interplanetary abduction?
Eugenics and vial bodies...
Good old Brighton, Good old Christchurch...
Nice to see The Press (Fairfax) running ads for TradeMe (Fairfax) masquerading as front page stories...
(whoops, I'd posted this on the wrong thread
a suitable case for treatment obviously)
And that someone sat down and drew this picture makes me embarrassed to be part of the same species.
That picture is more of a dire dier-gram...
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Quite. Autism suggests the broader fear is of difference, not really weakness as such. Unless someone wants to argue Einstein was weak.
I think people still have trouble not simply putting it in the same basket as other mental disabilities.
I believe my aunt was sterilized early on. She is very severely IH, or whatever the term is these days, a tragic case of PKU syndrome before there was standardized testing for it. Especially tragic because it is treatable if discovered, and the cause of the brain damage is all the foods parents were taught to give children in those days.
Having known her my entire life, I can see sense in the sterilization, but not from a eugenic point of view. There is no reason she could not have healthy children. But there is absolutely no way she could have cared for them, or herself during a pregnancy, and it was pretty clear that she could be sexually active. She was and still is prone to extreme self harm. She is completely blind, having bashed her head so much that she detached both retinas. She was constantly injuring herself deliberately by punching and kicking walls (putting holes in them usually) if upset. Caring for her was too much for my grandmother, whom she specialized in reducing to tears for fun at every chance. A child would have been taken from her immediately at birth and would fall on the state or family to look after, after which it could all happen again, and again, with no memory or thought for consequences.
In her case, she is simply not competent to make any big life choices, and sterilization was to her own and everyone's benefit. It also meant she could actually have a sex-life. I don't know if she ever did.
But I think it's all to easy to generalize from such clear cases to the much grayer ones. Certainly I feared that my children could have PKU, it being a genetic condition, and raised the question constantly in the hospital, until we were shown the negative results. Kind of ironic one of them ended up brain damaged anyway, the ultimate cause still being mysterious.
Perhaps Marcus' autism is a result of his brain damage. Perhaps not. It doesn't really matter, to me the autism is the least of our worries, having seen what just out-and-out brain damage is like. Certainly I got some sharp looks from the pediatrician when I related details about my parents noticing a great deal of similar things in my behavior at the same age as Marcus shows - was "Undiagnosed High Functioning Asperger's" flashing through her mind? Or was she just pondering the strangeness of the human mind? As Russell once noticed, once you learn the smell of autism, you sniff yourself a lot for it. But now I just don't care. He'll be what he will be, and we'll continually encourage him to improve in all directions, physically, cognitively, linguistically, socially. I'm trying to do the same with myself. Much less fruitfully, it seems. Being old is the worst disability of all.
Ben made flippancy inappropriate. It is a skill he seems to have perfected. Were I wearing a hat, I would be taking it off right about now. This is the debate. Not some headline seeking ignorance as witnessed elsewhere.
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I'm pretty sure I could have taken him.
LOL. Who would you pick in Einstein vs Gandhi though?
LOL. Who would you pick in Einstein vs Gandhi though?
Ah, so I'll post that video for Alien after all.
Oh Gandhi, no sweat. Took out the Raj, and all that. The passive resistance thing is unbeatable.
Unless someone wants to argue Einstein was weak.
I'm pretty sure I could have taken him.
What about Schrödinger, then? It'd be pretty hard to land a punch, I reckon, what with that whole 'there and yet not there' thing he had going on.
Hmm. System froze and posted it twice. Anyone with super human powers watching? Apart from Einstein's ghost.
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Hey recordari don't go redacting flippancy on my account. I wanted to talk about my aunt's sterilization as contextually relevant, but it wasn't meant to be a bummer. If anything I fully expect someone to tell me it was an outrage, and that I'm a eugenic wanker for thinking it was the right thing to do. Maybe I am, let the wisdom of the net rain down. Or ignore it and have fun - I won't be upset.
The passive resistance thing is unbeatable.
I hear he had Parihaka to thank for that idea.
And I wouldn't be surprised if Einstein was crap at housework and suchlike.
Schrödinger, perhaps not so great at keeping pets..
The key thing with both eugenics and a modern understanding of disability is seeing people as groups, not just as individuals.
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This was published 7 years ago
Warning: blowing the whistle could mess up your life
When US nurse Laura Davis first triggered concerns her employer, Dialysis Corporation of America (DCA), was overbilling taxpayers for medicines, she was greeted with puzzlement by her colleagues.
''Laura Davis raised concerns … internally, but no one listened to her,'' her lawyer, Stephen Hasegawa, said last month. ''They thought she was a little strange to care that the government was being overcharged."
So Davis took matters into her own hands. After engaging a no-win, no-fee law firm, she pursued the company on behalf of the state - the right of every would-be whistleblower in the US.
After hearing her story, the US Department of Justice stepped in and joined the lawsuit. Last month, it announced DCA had agreed to pay $US7.3 million ($7.7 million) to settle the action.
And Davis? She collected more than $US1.3 million for her trouble.
In 2008, the same year Davis began her legal action, a group of whistleblowers in Australia contacted the corporate regulator here about a case of alleged misconduct.
As detailed in a BusinessDay investigation this month, they tipped off the Australian Securities and Investments Commission about the activities of former Commonwealth Bank financial planner Don Nguyen, who was eventually banned from working in financial services.
But after sending a detailed, anonymous fax to ASIC in 2008, nothing happened. They then tried sending letters and emails. The regulator sat on the information for 16 months, as the losses suffered by the planners' clients mounted. Eventually, the whistleblowers went to ASIC in person - a move that finally sparked action.
Their actions helped ensure CBA clients received more than $36 million in compensation. But it left the whistleblowers stressed and disillusioned.
ASIC has defended its performance in a ''large and complex matter'', saying its action against CBA's planning division was a "landmark achievement".
But a member of the group, Jeff Morris, remains unimpressed. "When you choose to tread the path of the whistleblower, you knowingly take arms against a sea of troubles. What you don't expect though is for the odds against you to be lengthened by a Monty Pythonesque regulator."
Morris' frustrations are echoed by other Australian corporate whistleblowers and their supporters, who say the system - including the whistleblower protections in place under the Corporations Act - actually discourages action and inflicts considerable stress on those who do come forward.
The list of corporate blow-ups in Australia sparked by or involving whistleblowers is long and spectacular - Coles Myer-Yannon, AWB and oil-for-food, NAB's rogue traders, and Multiplex's Wembley Stadium debacle to name a few.
Several of these scandals sparked significant corporate law and regulatory reforms.
Yet Morris and his fellow CBA whistleblowers - who dubbed themselves "the ferrets" - were just the latest to be left bruised by their experience.
Often ''their careers are destroyed, no question about it'', says Kim Sawyer, from the department of historical and philosophical studies at the University of Melbourne. ''It means there's such a disincentive for people to blow the whistle.''
Morris says: ''It would take an impossibly good man to be a whistleblower under the current system unless they are acting in ignorance."
A recent example was Brian Hood, who exposed corruption at the Reserve Bank's currency printing subsidiaries. He was ignored and victimised after sparking concerns internally, and then forced out of his job.
He told Melbourne Magistrates Court last year of the "relentless pressure" and stress he was under, and the "friction" in his dealings within the company. "I was becoming increasingly isolated,'' he said.
Whistleblowers Australia national president Cynthia Kardell says, "I don't think people generally understand that whistleblowing is a harrowing business. It changes your life forever.''
Jeff Simpson, an accountant who tried to warn the prudential regulator of the goings-on at HIH before its spectacular implosion, says, "The people who stand up just get belted up for it through the legal process.''
Ben Phi, a lawyer with Slater & Gordon who has worked with whistleblowers, says, ''You are essentially asking private individuals to step up and be a hero. It is not conducive to an environment that encourages people to come forward and report wrongdoing.''
Protection for public servant whistleblowers has come under scrutiny in recent years, as the federal government has edged forward on promised new laws that are now before Parliament.
But the protections offered to private sector whistleblowers under the Corporations Act were last updated in 2004, despite the Rudd government talking up potential reforms in 2009.
The laws protect whistleblowers who come to ASIC from being sacked, and from criminal and civil liability - including potential breach of confidentiality suits.
But in 2009, the Rudd government revealed that just four whistleblowers in five years had claimed protection and given evidence to ASIC.
Then corporate law minister Chris Bowen described the protection laws as ''poorly regarded and rarely used'', saying they contained ''fundamental shortcomings''.
The laws prevent former employees, for example, from claiming protection, along with business partners and anyone wishing to act anonymously.
A consultation process was launched, along with a Treasury paper that itself criticised the protections in place - especially a requirement that whistleblowers must be acting in "good faith" to receive protection.
Originally intended to prevent maliciously fabricated accusations, this rule "exaggerates the importance of motive", Treasury argued, and left victimised and aggrieved employees vulnerable to having their motives questioned.
Yet it went nowhere. The consultations ''did not reach consensus on the need for or form of further reforms'', a spokesman for Bernie Ripoll, parliamentary secretary to the Treasurer, said this week, adding that ''there was also little evidence to suggest that the existing [framework] was not operating as intended''.
Ben Phi says those who do come forward are often kept in the dark about what is happening with their evidence.
It is, he says, a ''common complaint'', and one voiced by Morris and the ferrets at CBA.
A further issue is that whistleblowers who provide evidence for class action suits are not protected at all, leaving them vulnerable to injunctions and being sued for breach of confidence.
The government and the opposition are being urged not only to better protect corporate whistleblowers, but also to consider paying them. The Australian Federal Police Association, the Tax Justice Network, whistleblower supporters and academic experts are among those calling for new laws modelled on the False Claims Act - the US law used by Davis, and hundreds of other whistleblowers, to help recoup billions of dollars for the US government.
The idea is being looked at by the Attorney-General's Department.
"The [department] is currently considering the merits of an Australian scheme modelled on the US False Claims Act and how the scheme could best be adapted for the Australian legal context," a spokesman said. "The department has undertaken consultation with key stakeholders regarding this issue."
The opposition declined to say whether it would consider new laws, or whether it believed reforms were needed to better serve corporate whistleblowers. ''We have made no such announcement,'' a spokesman for shadow attorney-general George Brandis said. ''The Coalition's policies will be announced between now and the election.''
The police association has been urging both parties to examine False Claims Act-style laws since 2010, believing they could be a valuable new tool to combat corruption and fraud in government contracts.
''If [fraud] has been carefully orchestrated in the first place, it's very hard to detect - it's only through someone coming forward that we'd even know about it,'' national president Jon Hunt-Sharman says.
''People are reluctant to come forward about private companies because they risk losing their jobs. This counteracts that by saying you might lose your job but you will be compensated for being honest."
The Tax Justice Network, a not-for-profit group that campaigns for tax reforms, believes similar laws could crack open significant cases of tax evasion through the use of havens and shell companies.
Advocacy and support group Whistleblowers Australia hopes it can change the way informers are perceived and treated. ''It would give the whistleblower a far better image, and it would encourage people to come forward if they could be seen not as a grubby dobber but as someone assisting an inquiry,'' Kardell says.
The False Claims Act, created by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War to combat burgeoning fraud against the government, then bolstered in recent decades by presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, allows private citizens to launch legal action alleging fraud against the state - known as a ''qui tam'' suit - and to share between 15 per cent and 30 per cent of any settlement or penalties recouped as a result.
Crucially, once a whistleblower's claim is lodged with the court, the file is sealed - meaning not even the company or business accused of wrongdoing knows about it. The Department of Justice then examines the case and decides whether to join the action. Even if it does not, the whistleblower can still proceed alone, although the chances of success are much lower.
Most cases settle before they go to trial.
The laws, supporters say, compensate whistleblowers for their actions, and recognise that those actions often come at a significant financial and personal cost.
It has been lucrative for all involved, including no-win, no-fee law firms - all except the companies targeted, of course.
A record-breaking $US4.9 billion was recovered under the act last year, and 647 ''qui tam'' suits were lodged. Whistleblowers shared in $US439 million worth of rewards last year; since the 1986 reforms to the act, they have been awarded nearly $US4 billion. According to oft-cited figures, the False Claims Act recovers $US15 for every $US1 spent on investigations.
The act has been particularly effective in exposing fraud in healthcare. Last year, GlaxoSmithKline paid $US1.5 billion to settle multiple allegations, including that it promoted drugs for uses not approved by authorities. Merck paid $US441 million over claims it made inaccurate, unsupported or misleading statements about the safety of painkiller Vioxx.
Little wonder then that the federal police association and others want similar laws introduced in Australia. Hunt-Sharman says fraud and corruption involving government contracts is ''an area of criminality that we just don't know how big it is. From the experience in the US, we know they have recovered billions of dollars.''
While the False Claims Act covers government contracts, the Dodd-Frank laws passed in 2011 allow for the Securities and Exchange Commission to grant rewards to whistleblowers reporting market-related crimes. And the Internal Revenue Service has a similar whistleblower scheme for tax fraud; it led to a notorious $US104 million payout to former UBS banker Bradley Birkenfeld who exposed the Swiss bank's tax-evasion schemes conducted on behalf of thousands of US clients.
Birkenfeld was himself convicted of the conduct he exposed, and sentenced to 40 months in prison, sparking debate about whether he deserved his hefty payout. Yet his actions helped the IRS recover more than $US5 billion in back taxes, fines and penalties for the US government.
''It has to be only a question of time until we have a system like this here,'' says Thomas Faunce, a law and medicine professor at the Australian National University and a long-time advocate of a False Claims Act-type law in Australia.
But while the US has embraced it with gusto, the concept of financially rewarding whistleblowers remains controversial in Australia, with the idea having been considered and dismissed by successive parliamentary inquiries.
More than two decades ago, a federal inquiry on insider trading firmly rejected the idea of ''bounties'', finding it was incompatible with Australian society and would cast doubt on the credibility of evidence given by whistleblowers.
This decision was cited in 2009 by a federal inquiry examining public sector whistleblower laws, which heard evidence that rewards could lead to false or frivolous claims and send the wrong signals.
This inquiry did not recommend for or against financial rewards, instead calling for a focus on the ''removal of disincentives'' to blow the whistle, and for whistleblowers' contributions to be recognised in Australia's honours system.
The threat of malicious former workers selling false information is one of the most-cited arguments against offering rewards. But, as Dr Mark Zirnsak, from the Tax Justice Network, argues, ''If somebody makes a baseless claim, they are not going to get any reward.''
The so-called bounties for whistleblowers ''have the obvious downside that it is premised on whistleblowing being motivated by monetary reward, rather than the best interests of the organisation that they are in,'' Melbourne University corporate law expert Ian Ramsay says. But he adds that ''those two aren't necessarily inconsistent''.
''You can have someone motivated to act in the best interests of the company when they are thinking about whistleblowing, but the financial incentive can provide additional incentive.''
With the elections looming, it remains to be seen whether the work by the Attorney-General's Department on the False Claims Act is taken further by either of the political parties.
Simpson believes financial rewards are not the answer.
''You have got to come back to why people raise the issue - it's a good thing to do, it's a right thing to do,'' he says.
He believes cultural change within companies and society is the best way to make life easier for whistleblowers - a term he dislikes. ''If you can build up a culture where it's OK to raise these issues and have them addressed, then you are going to overcome that problem for the people who do raise issues.''
Simpson says while whistleblowing is not a career-enhancing move, it can be rewarding.
But if the concept of financially rewarding whistleblowers remains contentious, the idea that a private citizen could effectively act as a quasi-regulator and bring an action themselves - as under the Fair Claims Act - is another step altogether.
The concept is ''a little bit alien'' to Australia, Ben Phi acknowledges.
''But that's not to say that debate should be shut down,'' he says. ''It's important to have that debate about what form encouragement for whistleblowers should take, whether it's the provision of positive incentives or the removal of disincentives. What's in place is not good enough.''

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Kudos to Days for the excellent writing. I liked Stefano and Kate together, but now that they're apart, wouldn't it be shocking if Kate had an illicit affair with none other than Chad?! What a boost that would be for the show - an older beautiful woman with a younger handsome man (and Stefano's son, no less)! Turn up the heat, Days!
I can't believe Y&R didn't fight harder to keep Eric Braden (Victor)!! Victor Newman and Catherine Chancellor are the HEART AND SOUL of Y&R!! After 30 years of commiting to Y & R, I baffles me how they could let this happen! I no longer have any interest in watching Y & R, due to Victor's departure, in addition to the Adam Newman story line - will he (Adam) ever get what's coming to him?
Thanks for putting the Olivia/Natalia story on the cover! This story's quality goes beyond anything I have ever seen on a soap----more coverage would be appreciated!
I love the Soap Opera Digest ! It includes all of the shows that I watch. I really look forward to it, as I am in a re-cuperative time now.(And,Oh.. I could definitely write my own personal Soap Opera.) but, I'll stick to the mag. for now..Keep up the great work on all of our favs ! I would like to see a little more critique on a few people, who are ticking me off! They are great actors, evidently, but I'm losing respect for a few characters that I loved. Brook is showing a little of her feistiness, but still comes off as a ditz with that ever empty stare, when she is thinking, or whatever she does, when she seems to be at a loss for words.That is so old!!! Then there is Ridge. Please!! What everyday woman would, much less a rich hot babe, put up with him? He's an eternal MaMa'a boy and a lout!But, I'll keep reading! Keep up the good work..Jan
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NASHVILLE, TENN. - Tennessee State tight end A.C. Leonard, cornerback Steven Godbolt III and offensive lineman Rogers Gaines were selected to the FCS All-America Team by The Sports Network on Tuesday.
Leonard, in his first season with TSU after transferring from Florida, was the first-team tight end selection after catching 51 passes for 733 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games. The 733 yards were the most by a tight end at the FCS level this year and was the fourth most throughout all four divisions of college football (FBS, FCS, D-II and D-III). He is also the first sophomore tight end to make the first team in the 26 years of The Sports Network FCS All-America Team.
A second-team selection, Godbolt is one of three sophomores on the first and second team defensive units. He picked off six
passes in 10 games to finish first nationally in interceptions per game (0.60). He had two separate streaks during the 2012 season of three consecutive games with an interception.
Left tackle Gaines is a second team selection and was a part of a TSU offensive line that led the Ohio Valley Conference in rushing at 175.7 yards per game. The senior did not give up a sack all season and graded out at a 93.6.
The OVC had 10 selections overall over the three teams. It marks the most OVC players named to the Sports Network Team since the honors were first handed out in 1987. The previous high had been eight following the 2010 season.
On Wednesday, the Associated Press named its All-American team with Gaines earning first team honors, Leonard being selected to the second team and Godbolt making the third team.
TSU finished the season 8-3, the most wins in an 11 game season since 2001.
Follow TSU Athletics on Facebook.com/TSUTigers, Twitter @TSU_Tigers and YouTube


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Judge dismisses lawsuit against CACI International Inc.
A judge dealt a severe blow Friday to a long-running torture lawsuit filed against military contractor CACI International Inc. by four Iraqis who say they suffered abuse at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison.
At a hearing in U.S. District Court, Judge Gerald Bruce Lee tossed out claims that CACI conspired to torture the four men who filed the suit. Some other claims can still go forward, including allegations that CACI aided and abetted torture, but will be difficult to prove.
The conspiracy claims were critical to the lawsuit because the four prisoners make no allegation that they suffered harm directly at the hands of CACI employees, who worked as contract interrogators at Abu Ghraib. The conspiracy claim rested on the theory that CACI as a corporation actively engaged in a plot to torture prisoners, a theory Lee said was unsupported by the facts.
"I need to have facts about what happened to these plaintiffs" that directly relate to CACI, Lee said during Friday's hearing.
Baher Azmy, a lawyer for the New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights, which represents the plaintiffs, was disappointed by the ruling, but said Lee's decision still allows the plaintiffs to refile their claims to include facts that would support a conspiracy claim. Azmy said fact-finding is ongoing — one of the plaintiffs gave a deposition Wednesday, as has former Staff Sgt. Ivan "Chip" Frederick, the highest-ranking soldier to be convicted after horrific photos depicting abuse suffered by Abu Ghraib prisoners were released in 2004.
Lee also dismissed parent company CACI International Inc. from the suit, leaving only a subsidiary — CACI Premier Technology, which employed the contract interrogators — as a defendant. The dismissal of the parent company could limit the plaintiffs' ability to collect damages if they eventually prevail.
In the lawsuit, the former prisoners claimed CACI conspired in a pattern of abuse, including mock executions, beatings, electric shocks and other humiliating treatment. One of the men said he was kept at the prison for more than four years without ever being charged before his 2008 release.
Arlington-based CACI says its employees never even came in contact with the plaintiffs. In court papers, they say it defies common sense for the company to have actively engaged in a torture conspiracy, saying the company had nothing to gain by doing so.
The lawsuit was first filed in 2008. At a preliminary stage, Lee had issued rulings favorable to the plaintiffs. At Friday's hearing, though, he said that a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court case, Ashcroft v. Iqbal, changed the legal landscape and tightened the requirements for demonstrating that higher-ups can be implicated in a conspiracy claim.
While some CACI interrogators were implicated in improper conduct in military investigations of the Abu Ghraib scandal, none have ever faced criminal charges. And CACI has never been found liable for Abu Ghraib abuses in a civil case.
Last year, a different contractor at Abu Ghraib settled a similar lawsuit and has since paid more than $5 million to former prisoners held at Abu Ghraib and other U.S.-run detention sites in Iraq during the war.
One Response to "Judge dismisses lawsuit against CACI International Inc."
Seems reasonable…especially since there was no real torture conducted……
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Purchasing an Alpacas Magazine package (4 issues) is a great way to begin researching the alpaca industry. The publication provides wonderful educational information and access to information about alpaca farms throughout the United States and Canada. You can also learn about alpaca fleece, fleece products, and even catch a glimpse of some alpaca fashion from around the world.
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Toronto, ON – The Ontario Hockey League today announced that Jordan Binnington of the Owen Sound Attack is the OHL Player of the Week for the week ending November 18 after posting a 2-1-0-0 record including two shutout victories with a goals-against-average of 1.34 and save percentage of .956.
Binnington becomes the first goaltender to claim the award this season after a record-breaking week between the pipes for the Attack. After dropping a 5-2 decision to the Knights on Friday night where he made 25 saves, Binnington rebounded Saturday as first star with a 35-save performance shutting out the Kitchener Rangers 4-0. The victory marked the 66th of his career for the Attack, moving him ahead of Curtis Sanford (1996-2000) for first on the all-time franchise win list. Binnington finished the week recording his second straight shutout on Sunday with 26 saves as first star of a 1-0 win over the Windsor Spitfires helping the Attack remain in first place in the OHL's Western Conference with 35 points. In addition to his outstanding play for the Attack last week, Binnington stopped all eight shots he faced in just over 30 minutes of action on Monday night for Team OHL in their 2-1 win over Team Russia in Game 4 of the SUBWAY Super Series in Sarnia.
Binnington, a 19-year-old from Gravenhurst, ON, is playing in his fourth OHL season with the Attack. Selected in the third round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues, he carries a 13-3-1-2 record so far this season with two shutouts, and ranks second among OHL goaltenders with both a 2.18 goals-against-average and a .932 save percentage.
Also considered for the award this week was forward Seth Griffith of the London Knights and defenceman Ryan O'Connor of the Barrie Colts. Griffith picked up nine points in three wins for the Knights scoring three goals and six assists, while O'Connor recorded eight points in three wins for the Colts scoring four goals and four assists.
2012-13 OHL Regular Season Players of the Week:
Nov. 12 – Nov. 18: Jordan Binnington, Owen Sound Attack
Nov. 5 – Nov. 11: Connor Brown, Erie Otters
Oct. 29 – Nov. 4: Brett Ritchie, Niagara IceDogs
Oct. 22 – Oct. 28: Frank Corrado, Sudbury Wolves
Oct. 15 – Oct. 21: Hunter Garlent, Guelph Storm
Oct. 8 – Oct. 14: Dylan Smoskowitz, Mississauga Steelheads
Oct. 1 – Oct. 7: Joshua Leivo, Sudbury Wolves
Sept. 24 – Sept. 30: Ryan Kujawinski, Kingston Frontenacs
Sept. 20 –Sept. 23: Seth Griffith, London Knights


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Ashleigh Rothacher carded a 41 to lead the Pirates past the Generals in an Inter-Valley Conference girls golf match at Willandale.
Katie Troyer (44), Courtney Werker (50) and Lexi Lingler (61) also scored for Garaway.
Samantha Wilson paced Ridgewood with a 55. Amanda Matchett (63), Kaitlyn Finton (67) and Tyra Reed (89) also scored for Ridgewood.


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With its holy buildings and major artworks, the Via Sacra (Sacred Road) has been connecting people, regions and countries for centuries. It crosses political divides and helps to transcend personal boundaries. This is a new route in an ancient cultural area.
The spiritual pilgrimage route was once a place of penance. Today, it is used primarily for reflection. It serves as a journey to find yourself. This is particularly evident in the tripoint of Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, where sacredness is the soul of the cultural area, as is clear to see on the Via Sacra.
The approx. 550 km route runs through Upper Lusatia, Lower Silesia and North Bohemia. It is a region that seemed to have been forgotten for a long time, with unique works of art, including the Big and Little Lenten Altar Cloths – fabrics immortalising scenes from the bible – at the beginning of the route in Zittau. Sacredness defines the route in general, for example in Cunewalde, home to Germany's largest Evangelical village church. Or in Bautzen with the Cathedral of St. Peter and its treasury – an unmissable sight for visitors. The Holy Sepulchre, Stations of the Cross and St. Peter and Paul's Church in Görlitz are all inspired by the holy sites in Jerusalem, where the Via Sacra ends. The "Sacred Road" takes hikers in the region to Jawor, Poland and its timber-framed Church of Peace (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Vang stave church in the Karkonosze mountains in Karpacz, the former Franciscan monastery and pilgrimage church in Hejnice in the Czech Republic and the Loreto Chapel in Rumburk – all of which are islands on the path to self-discovery. And at some point along the route, faith and boundaries lose all sense of meaning.
Total length of route: approx. 550 km/16 stops
Total length of the route in Germany: approx. 180 km/8 stops
Pilgrim hostels along the route?: Yes
Starts: Zittau
Overall route ends: Jablonné v Podještědí
German route ends: Görlitz
Arrival options: change at Dresden Central Station for regional trains to Zittau
Departure options: Zittau/Görlitz
About the route: route can be broken down into smaller sections, open all year round
For more details on the stops and a brochure to download, as well as accommodation, general information and a brochure on group travel packages to church institutions (in German), visit:
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Delicious bourbon from Blanton's, released as part of the Original Single Barrel range. This was drawn from barrel #347 and bottled at 46.5% ABV with no chill-filtration or additional colours.
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Sally Katzen is a visiting professor at New York University Law School and formerly deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget.
With its recent ruling on recess appointments, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit dramatically limited the president's ability to fill vacancies in government. Having served in various positions as a senior political appointee in the executive branch — both confirmed by the Senate and through a recess appointment — I believe last month's decision is unfortunate and will make it even more difficult for our leaders to carry out their constitutional obligations.
The D.C. Circuit concluded that the Framers did not intend for the Constitution's recess appointments clause to be used — as presidents have for more than a century — to fill existing vacancies in the long breaks that occur during a session, as opposed to breaks between sessions. Whatever the merits of that analysis — and three appellate courts have seen it differently in the past 50 years — the court's inquiry should not have stopped there. As President Obama highlighted just four days earlier in his inaugural address: "we continue a never-ending journey to bridge the meaning of [the Constitution's] words with the realities of our time." One reality relevant here is the increased use, or threatened use, of the filibuster.
The fundamental principle underlying the recess appointments clause is that the president must be able to fulfill his constitutional duty to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed," even when the Senate is unable to advise and consent to his appointments. In the early years of the republic, when travel was difficult, senators came to Washington and stayed until their work was done. When they returned home at the end of each session, the recess appointments clause ensured that the president could keep the government running during the six to nine months before the next session.
In modern times, as it has become easier for senators to travel home for holidays or "home work periods," the sessions have been extended to accommodate the long breaks within them. But now, even when the senators are present, they are often unable to discharge their responsibilities because of a legislative invention unforeseen by the Founders: the use of a procedural device employed by a minority to prevent or delay a vote by the majority.
The filibuster did not exist in 1789. It was first used in the 1830s and, for the next century, was used infrequently — and rarely to block confirmation of executive-branch personnel. Today, however, the filibuster is applied to virtually all Senate business, including the confirmation of executive-branch nominees.
As a result, critical executive-branch positions remain vacant while qualified nominees wait months — or years — for an up-or-down vote. Meanwhile, "acting" officials are left to try to manage and implement essential national functions without the democratic legitimacy of a presidential nomination. This is exactly what the recess appointments clause was meant to prevent. As a 1905 Senate Judiciary Committee Report stated: The clause's "sole purpose was to render it certain that at all times there should be, whether the Senate was in session or not, an officer for every office, entitled to discharge the duties thereof."
There are serious consequences when a minority of the Senate holds hostage entire agencies. In early 2009, in the midst of the financial crisis, the Financial Times quipped that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was "home alone" because of the department's lack of Senate-confirmed officials in high-ranking policy positions. It took six months after the attempted bombing of an airliner on Christmas Day 2009 for the head of the Transportation Security Administration to be confirmed — because of a hold placed on the nomination by one senator.
In response to the increased use of the filibuster to block confirmation of executive-branch personnel, recent presidents have resorted to greater use of recess appointments. Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton exercised that authority 171 and 139 times, respectively; President Obama has done it 32 times. Over the years, the Senate has acquiesced to this practice. The D.C. Circuit panel, however, looked not to recent history but instead to the infrequent use of intrasession appointments during the first 150 years of the republic to suggest "an assumed absence of [the] power to make such appointments." But given the infrequent use of the filibuster during those early years, it is more likely that the infrequency of such appointments reflected an absence of need.
The increase in intrasession recess appointments fairly tracks the increased use of the filibuster, which makes it surprising that the D.C. Circuit did not mention the filibuster and surprising that the court did not define the situation for what it is: a conflict between the legislature and the president. The use (or abuse) of a procedural device created by the legislature has been met by the expanded use of a constitutional power by the president. This conflict should be resolved by the political branches. At the very least, the courts should not enter the fray to pass on one piece of the dispute without regard to the other pieces of the mosaic.


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EDITOR'S NOTE: Can Joyce Banda's grass-roots development background reverse Malawi's socio-economic decline and convince donors to resume aid programs in the country? Isobel Coleman of the Council on Foreign Relations discusses in her article in the Democracy in Development blog.
This week, Joyce Banda took office in Malawi as Africa's second female president (Liberia's Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first). She has her work cut out for her: Malawi is one of the world's poorest countries with almost three-quarters of its population living below the poverty line. It has one of the fastest growing populations in the world – women on average have 5.5 children, and according to UN estimates, the country is tracking toward a population of 40 million by 2040 (up from 15 million today); Banda's predecessor, Bingu wa Mutharika, was a disaster. He became increasingly autocraticduring his tenure, and managed to alienate Malawi's most important donors – the United Kingdom, the United States, and the IMF – which supplied 40 percent of the county's budget.
Banda, however, is a remarkable person who despite the odds, just might be able to put Malawi on a positive path. When I first met her six years ago, she was serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, but those around her predicted with confidence that she would be president someday. Her personal story is compelling, and gives some indication of how she might approach the challenges she now faces. As a young mother with three children, Banda left an abusive relationship. She started a garment manufacturing business, which convinced her that women's empowerment would only come through economic independence. She then founded the National Association of Business Women in Malawi, a network that includes more than 30,000 business women today. Through the Young Women Leaders Network and the Joyce Banda Foundation for Better Education, both of which she also founded, she launched campaigns to combat hunger and improve the economic and social status of women in Malawi. Her work with women at the grassroots level provided a natural constituency when she first entered parliamentary politics in 1999.
Today, Banda inherits a tough situation: her predecessor bungled the economy, adopting policies that led to declining foreign currency reserves and fuel shortages; he disregarded the constitution and consolidated power; he put his wife on the state payroll and was scheming to have his brother succeed him when he died of a sudden heart attack last week. Some commentators scornfully note that if he had only focused on improving the country's infrastructure, the hospital might even have had the adrenaline needed to save his life.
Banda will need to tackle corruption and focus on improving the economy, which is heavily dependent on tobacco farming and exports. She also knows firsthand that changing Malawi's patriarchal culture is critical to its economic prospects. Seventy-five percent of women work (because families cannot survive without female labor), yet women are treated as second class citizens. They struggle to access education and health care; Malawi has one of the world's highest maternal mortality rates, and a female literacy rate of only 66 percent.
In her first days, Banda is already setting an important tone of change. She sacked the unpopular police commander, cleared house of her predecessor's loyalists such as the information minister, and is trying to reach across the political spectrum to build consensus. The U.S. and Britain should rally behind her by resuming aid and engagement. One place to start would be reinstating the Millennium Challenge Corporation's compact with Malawi. MCC signed a $350 million agreement with the government to increase power generation, benefitting 6 million people. But that was put on hold just a few months later as MCC became increasingly concerned about the country's deteriorating political situation. Banda will no doubt move quickly to meet the MCC's requirements, and MCC should move equally fast to re-engage.
Republished with permission from the Council on Foreign Relations. View original article.


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Periguin Suicide — Suicide Girl of the Day
Periguin Suicide is a red-headed 20-year-old Suicide Girl from Texas. There's a lot more to Periguin than her red hair, of course. She's compassionate, literate, and she's into electrocution, clown suits and furries.
This is our kind of girl.
NAME: Periguin Suicide
LOCATION: Texas
HOMETOWN: Dallas, TX
CURRENT CRUSH: Marilyn Manson
BODY MODS: 8 tattoos & counting.
GETS ME HOT: Long hair, tattoos, cigarette stained smile, grunge
FAVORITE POSITION: Anything involving restraint
SIGN: Taurus/Taurus... I am stubborn
MOST HUMBLING MOMENT: I have so much compassion that I stay humble.
I LOST MY VIRGINITY: On top of cloud 9
CIGARETTES: Nope
MY DIET: Omnivore
ALCOHOL: Occasionally
MY KINK FACTOR: Electrocution, clown suits, furries, oh my!
MY POLITICS: None apply
MY STATUS: exclusive relationship
MY IDEA OF A GOOD TIME: When I go out, ANYTHING can happen.
I WANT: Friendship
MY PIGEONHOLES: Arty, Goth, Fashionista, Dirty, Bookworm, Geek, Fetish
INTO: Guys with long greasy hair, tattoos, and bad attitudes.
NOT INTO: Douche bags
MAKES ME HAPPY: Doing whatever I please, live music, my puppy, bubble baths, walks through the woods, painting any and everything, a good book, and hot coffee.
MAKES ME SAD: The state of this country, and the small-minded people within it.
HOBBIES: Making music, writing, and carelessly dancing
5 THINGS I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT: Lipstick, a book, my guitar, my pipe, my iPod
VICES: Marijuana & coffee
THOUGHTS ON SG: I love it
I SPEND MOST OF MY FREE TIME: Writing, singing, playing bass, shooting photos, studying, dancing, and jamming music.
BANDS: Marilyn Manson. Frank Sinatra. PJ Harvey. Billy Idol. Death Cab
FILMS: Lolita, A Clockwork Orange, Death Proof, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Goodfellas
BOOKS: Kabbalah, Brave New World, House of Leaves, Naked Lunch, The Satanic Bible by Anton LaVey
TV SHOWS: Ancient Aliens, Funny or Die ,Eastbound & Down, Spartacus, South Park
SuicideGirls is a community that celebrates alternative beauty and alternative culture from all over the world. Since 2001, tens of thousands of models have submitted millions of photos to their website hoping to become SuicideGirls.


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The NEA Higher Education Advocate June 2008
Teamwork Works!
Improved attendance, better class preparation, higher level of academic performance, enhanced interpersonal and teamwork skills! Sound good? This issue's Thriving in Academe authors describe an approach to teaching and team-building they've used successfully in classes ranging in size from 10 to 400 students in an assortment of academic settings—and that students love. Want to know more?
Inside this Issue:
...About a survey that finds a large majority of college graduates—92 percent—believe their education was worth the time and expense required to attain it.
In mid-April, I spent a busy weekend with United Faculty of Florida (UFF) leaders at their Council of Presidents and senate meetings.
The Association's 146th Annual Meeting and 87th Representative Assembly are slated for Washington, D.C., July 1-6, 2008
Students and campus professionals agree on goals such as social responsibility and striving for excellence, but don't believe their institutions do enough to promote those values.
The congressional budget resolution, which determines how much funding will be available for Congressional appropriators to divvy up into individual federally funded programs, was unveiled on May 19.
Adjunct faculty at Joliet Junior College in Illinois voted in April to join the Joliet United Adjuncts Coalition, IEA-NEA.
This section is intended to promote ever more effective teaching and learning in higher education through dialogue among colleagues.
Nationally, the six-year graduation rate for Black students is 20 percentage points lower than that of white students.
Should students be allowed to bring laptops to the classroom?
P-16: It's Going to Rock Your World


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A new poll has found that almost 15 percent of people on the planet think the world is going to come to an end during their lifetime. What's even more bizarre is that a full 10 percent of people worldwide think the Mayan calendar points to it ending right here in 2012. Are you one of them? If so, why aren't you out in the streets right now with your "The End Is Near" sign, trying to warn us that we'd better tie up all the loose ends in our life vis-à-vis burning in hell or crossing items off of our bucket list. One thing is for sure: If 12-21-2012 comes and goes, and we are all still here, we are going to come up with a Mayan calendar-like scheme that predicts the world will explode in 2424 and use it to pull an epic prank on all the paranoid people of the future.
One in seven thinks end of world is coming: poll [Reuters via Vulture]
Image via Febris/Shutterstock.


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Baby Blue is a free wordpress magazine theme with premium features such as animated gallery, post thumbnail, featured video, latest tweets, social bookmark, popular posts and more. View the list of features below.
Type : Semi Magazine (uses excerpt at blog index)
Functionality : Blog
Baby Blue Wordpress Theme 1.1.5
[ Downloaded 3064 times | ]
License: Free to use must keep footer intact AS IS
To make your blog looks better, you need to include a manual excerpt for every post (like my blog). You can add that while editing or adding new post. You can, however, leave your excerpt empty and wordpress will automatically make an excerpt for you, but all HTML tags would be auto removed.
Post Thumbnail is a square image of size 125 x 125 pixels, shown at blog index, related posts and search.
Post Image is an image of size 550 x 190 pixels, shown at single post page, below the post title.
To beautify your blog, try to include post thumbnails for every post (if possible).
All ZenVerse themes already have their own thumbnail system before WordPress introduces Featured Image system in WordPress 2.9. To continue support all Zenverse theme users who were still using the old thumbnail system, we need to keep the old thumbnail system.
You can choose the priority of the thumbnail system being used, seperately for Post Thumbnail and Post Image, in the theme options page.
In most cases, not all your featured posts are in the same category. You can create a new category (let's say I called it : Featured) and choose it as the "Featured Category" at the theme option page.
Step-by-step guide to activate Featured Gallery
You need to install Sexy Bookmark plugin in order to show the social bookmark buttons under "Share This Post" menu. Please make sure you set the "Menu Location" to "Manual Mode" in the plugin settings page.
Some users reported that WP-PageNavi plugin causes the sidebar and footer to be missing. If you have WP-PageNavi plugin installed, you should deactivate the plugin.
Version 1.1.5
- Fixed a bug – wrong rss feed link at sidebar
- Changed files: header.php, functions.php, sidebar.php and style.css (updated version number only)
Version 1.1.4
- Fixed a bug where comment feature is not working when related post is enabled.
- Changed files: functions.php and style.css (updated version number only)
Version 1.1.3
- Fixed a bug of post thumbnails in related post section in single page
- The blog index now displays properly if post thumbnail feature is disabled
- Files changed: functions.php , index.php ($extrawidth variable only) , style.css (update version number only)
Version 1.1.2
- Fixed a bug in featured gallery. Featured gallery is now be disabled when post thumbnail feature is disabled.
- Files changed: index.php (featured gallery codes only) , style.css (update version number only)
version 1.1.1
- style.css : added aligncenter and wp-caption to support caption and align-center image in post
- files changed: style.css only (added .aligncenter and .wp-caption classes)
Version 1.1
- added New Version Notifier feature, you will be notified when there is new version for this theme
- added support for "WordPress Featured Image" as your thumbnail system.
- you can now choose or prioritize which thumbnail system to use for Post Thumbnail and Post Image.
- added a "news area" at the top of theme options page (beside "Theme Info & Support"), it will be useful to let us publish non-disturbing theme news or theme customization service.
- files changed: index.php , archives.php , category.php , search.php , single.php , page.php , functions.php , style.css (update version number only)
Version 1.0
- First version
Free theme support service has been stopped. If you need some tweaking or want to add features, please contact me. *Depending on the matter, you might need to buy me a cup of coffee or 3
I spent a lot of time making themes and plugins. If you like this theme and would like to support my works, you can donate via PayPal using the button below.
Thank you.
Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful Themes. I´ll test your free "Baby Blue" Theme and maybe going to purchase one of your premium Themes,depending from testing.
Again, another great free theme by zen…. thanks
I won't use this theme in my blog (for my new baby) because the thunbnail feature is based on the old system (manual).
Can you please update this feature to support the new systen of thubnails?
Yes I am going to update all of my theme to use the built-in thumbnail feature. But it will takes time to update all 30+ themes.
I will update babyblue theme first though. Give me some time :)
really nice post you are done!
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While the industry is still fragmented, consolidation is on-going and companies should gain size and become more competitive domestically and abroad.
- The agri-food sector is one of Spain´s most important industries, accounting for 9% of the national economy and 2.4 million employees. Sales grew 1.8% in 2015, to EUR 95 billion. Food exports, which account for more than 15% of total Spanish exports, increased 7.5%, to EUR 44 billion. The food sector is expected to grow further in 2016 and 2017, by 1.1% and 1.8% respectively.
- The external financing requirement of food businesses is high, and access to credit (both working capital and long-term facilities) has further improved. Foreign direct investments in the Spanish agri-food sector increased 28% in 2015, up to EUR 1.9 billion, after significant decreases since 2010. However, this amount remains far below the EUR 2.8 billion of investment made back in 2010. At the same time Spanish investments in the food industry abroad have decreased since 2007, reaching only EUR 698 million in 2015.
- The intense price war in the food retail segment has left some players in a difficult situation. While the industry is still fragmented, industry consolidation is on-going and companies should gain size and become more competitive domestically and abroad.
- The average payment duration in the Spanish food industry is 80 days. Non-payment notifications remained stable in 2016, and we expect no increase in 2017. Due to the food sector's resilience and stable payment behaviour we are supportive in our underwriting stance. However, we are more cautious when underwriting the fruit and vegetables subsector, as well as slaughterhouses.


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Thursday, January 31, 2013
Damon Winter: Cinematic Photojournalism
Posted by Jay at 11:35 AM
This generation of photographers are the most competitive in any category. Whether it's in portraiture or landscape or photojournalism, photographers have to be more creative with the kinds of images they make. Most photographers are lucky to have one of their pictures published in a leading magazine or newspaper, but a few others seem to have the natural talent to get a different shot over and over again. Damon Winter shows he does it with his cinematic photojournalism.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
William Eggleston: Father of Color Photography
Posted by Jay at 12:56 PM
Alex Prager's use of overly saturated color in her photographs might not seem like anything special nowadays, but barely 40 years ago, serious photographers only used black-and-white film. Color photographers were regarded as unworthy of attention in the art world. Things changed when the Father of Color Photography, William Eggleston pushed the boundaries of color film and print.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Alex Prager: Cinematic Photography
Photography and video share almost the same early history, yet the two disciplines rarely go together in one package. Professional photographers stick to their camp, while filmmakers do the same. Even with the advent of video-capable DSLRs, it's hard to find artists who utilize both mediums and produce good results. Alex Prager is an exception with her images which can be accurately described as "Cinematic Photography".
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Alexander Gronsky: Less Than One
Posted by Jay at 10:22 PM
Winter still dominates much of the northern hemisphere, so it's only fitting to feature more photographs on this subject. This special season only heightens the feeling of loneliness and the perception of endlessness with its foggy textures and white-gray hues, but what happens when these feelings and perceptions are presented in an area with less than one person per square kilometer? Alexander Gronksy tries to answer that question in his series, "Less Than One".
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Five Years Of Flickr Commons
Posted by Jay at 5:55 PM
This week, the Flickr Commons celebrates its 5th Year Anniversary. Since launching over half a decade, ago The Commons has helped propagate unique and beautiful photographs from different educational institutions around the world, all for free. Here is a sampling of the anniversary galleries of Flickr Commons' Five Year Anniversary Celebration.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Alexander Gronsky: The Edge Of The World
Friday, January 11, 2013
The National Geographic Photo Contest 2012 Winners
Posted by Jay at 9:49 AM
With the new year comes the chance to recap the best entries of the previous year. National Geographic, one the leading publications in photojournalism, continues to encourage the tradition of excellence in professionals and amateur photographers alike with its photography competitions. Here are National Geographic Photo Contest 2012 winners.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Marek Samojeden: Winter Time In Poland
Posted by Jay at 8:49 PM
The start of the new year in many parts of the world usually entails the waning end of winter. Thus, landscapes are covered in the whites and grays of snow. The view from below may look mundane, but the view from above offers a refreshing taste of these snowy landscapes. These particular photographs show a bird's eye view of winter time in Poland as captured by Marek Samojeden.
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text: SEC Filing Details Document Details Form 8-K Filing Date May 29, 2018 Document Date May 25, 2018 Form Description Report of unscheduled material events or corporate event Filing Group Current Reports Company CyrusOne Issuer CyrusOne Inc. Filing Formats View HTML Download PDF Download DOC Download XLS In This Section: Overview Investor News Register for Alerts Events & Presentations Stock Information Financial Information SEC Filings Corporate Governance Board of Directors Investor Services FAQs 3 mo. 6 mo. 1 yr.


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Milford man pleads guilty in false tax return case
HARTFORD -- Thomas Thorndike, 62, of Milford, pleaded guilty today before Chief U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson in Hartford to one count of aiding and assisting the preparation of a false federal income tax return and one count of willfully filing a false return, according to David B. Fein, U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut.
A Woodbury-based tax preparer, Thorndike was charged in a superseding indictment with multiple tax offenses, and a trial in this matter began Thursday. Thorndike pleaded guilty after opening statements.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Thorndike was the founder and owner of Cornerstone Financial Services of Woodbury, LLC ("CFS"), a tax preparation and financial services business. As the owner of CFS, Thorndike prepared federal tax returns for individuals and businesses in exchange for payment of a fee.
Thorndike also offered individuals to whom he provided tax preparation services an opportunity to purchase audit insurance. Purchasers of audit insurance could elect to be represented by Thorndike in connection with any Internal Revenue Service audit of their individual federal income tax returns.
In the course of preparing many of his clients' tax returns, Thorndike improperly reduced the amount of tax due in a variety of ways, including falsely claiming deductions for charitable contributions, and falsely claiming deductions for job expenses. Thorndike also prepared tax returns for his two sons that improperly identified cash payments from him to his children as wages.
In addition, Thorndike claimed hundreds of thousands of dollars in improper business deductions, including, but not limited to, wage expenses for his children, which actually were personal payments to them; more than $8,000 in personal carpentry work; and a $27,983 "sale of business property" loss stemming from Thorndike's selling of an engagement ring after his marriage engagement had broken off.
In December 2008, the IRS notified Thorndike that he was the subject of an IRS audit examining his preparation of tax returns for the tax years 2006 and 2007. In connection with the audit, Thorndike assisted in the preparation of, and then submitted to the IRS, falsified documents to support the false deductions claimed on tax returns that were subject to the audit.
Chief Judge Thompson has scheduled sentencing for Jan. 3, 2013, at which time Thorndike faces a maximum term of imprisonment of six years.
This case has been investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Mattei and Eric Glover.


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Great timing.
After word broke yesterday that Dominic Cooper was up to no good with that skint.ass.scag Lindsay Lohan on Tuesday night, Us Weekly has confirmed that he and Amanda Seyfried are on a "break".
It was actually evident much earlier at the Letters to Juliet junket when journalists there were buzzing that Amanda had broken up with him. And I'm told that just before heading to Cannes to promote Tamara Drewe (I really enjoyed this movie) Dominic was spotted in London at Gerry's in Soho working up a brunette. So whatever happened between him and Lilo, it was probably just a onetime trick. Man's gotta keep his options open.
I interviewed Dominic Cooper and Luke Evans yesterday morning. It wasn't a bad way to start the day. Luke is hot. Dominic is very charming. He was flirting with the wranglers, he was making all the girls laugh, he offered me his blanket (it was freezing under the tent) when I walked into the shoot area, and then we joked about his pantlegs – one was rolled up higher than the other. It was a fun conversation, and before I left he made me promise him that I had brought a coat with me. So while he doesn't quite do it for me, I can see how he might appeal to many others, although at this point, we do have to call him out on his lapse in judgment.
Having Amanda Seyfried on your resumé is certainly worth something. Add Lindsay Lohan to your resumé is a f-cking embarrassment. Because right now, anyone could nail that sh-t.
Photos from KCSPresse/Splashnewsonline.com and Andreas Rentz/Michael Buckner/Gettyimages.com
Single in Cannes
Great timing.


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Pádraic Brady has posted a two part look at a service discovery process as it pertains to things like OpenID via Yadis.
From part one:
This first entry is an examination of Yadis, a Specification which is relied upon by OpenID. Of course Yadis is a topic of its own, since it is also used by Light-Weight Identity (LID), sxip Identity, and mIDm. You can bet more will join in once Yadis becomes more firmly established.
In this first part, he talks about what Yadis is, how it can help with service discovery, and how it would follow a "breadcrumb trail" to get to the information it needs (like getting the actual Yadi slocation from the initial OpenID request).
From part two:
After all this fuss and running about, it's easy to miss the point of Yadis - getting that final Yadis XRD document that describes the Services associated with a given ID.
Part two looks more at working with the Yadis Resource Descriptor information to grap the Type information out of it for the actual locations you'll needed. He also links to some more information on the Yadis specification in PDF form.


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CULTURE- ART FEATURE- Smoke and mirrors: Bana and Tarbell shift shapes
One dictate from my big book of made-up rules for reviewing local art: Don't give an artist ink more than once in 18 months. Spread the love. (Hey, even when it's tough love, it's still love.) But this week I'm not just making an exception; I'm veering completely off the map to review two artists who have already received coverage in 2008.
Why? Because the current shows by Leslie Banta at Mudhouse and Rob Tarbell at Les Yeux du Monde are absolutely other than their earlier exhibitions, featuring different concepts explored through different media– and yet these second shows are as impressive as their first.
In January, Banta opened eyes with her layered, semi-abstract landscape paintings at Staunton's Kronos gallery ("Expanding Horizons," January 31). She mentioned at the time that she was planning to display her much-admired art boxes, containing tiny domestic environments, in an upcoming show at Mudhouse.
But how do you show sculpture in a coffee shop? Banta's visually stunning solution is to hang stereoscopic photographs of the pieces and provide plastic spectacles that allow viewers to re-create the 3-D effect. Each set of dual photographs depicts a miniature bed in unexpected circumstances. Several offer clever literary and artistic references, such as the two "Persephone" pieces, which feature a bed adrift and sinking in a watery basin of flowers, or "Whistler's Mother," in which a left-facing bed is the solitary occupant of an austere wooden room.
Banta's work operates on three levels. At heart are the small sculptures conveying security and peril, comfort and vulnerability. At the next level, the not-quite-twin photographs of these environments— beautiful in their own right— play with the idea of shifting memories. Finally, the handheld spectacles move viewers to actively participate in Banta's art and directly affect its reception.
Meanwhile, at Les Yeux du Monde, Rob Tarbell has put aside the humorous ceramic sculptures he exhibited in February at Second Street Gallery ("Crispy Critters," February 7) and has turned his attention to creating ethereal equine and circus-themed works with smoke(!). Working with photographic stencils, Tarbell burns various media (film, slides, credit cards, etc.) to produce wraith-like compositions infused with kinetic energy. For instance, in the wonderful and enigmatic "Dancing Bear," it's unclear whether the bear, emanating sepia fumes, is embracing or attacking its trainer.
Banta and Tarbell are people to watch– exceptional artists unafraid to break their own rules.
Leslie Banta's exhibition of stereoscopic photographs is on view at Mudhouse through the end of April. 213 W. Main St. on the Downtown Mall. 984-5163. Rob Tarbell's show, "No Mirrors," runs through April 26 at Les Yeux du Monde. 115 South St. 973-5566.


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Jim Carrey attempts political satire with the new single "Cold Dead Hand," but he's about as subtle as an AR-15, and tells jokes as old as muskets.
You might think the song would get dismissed out of cold-dead-hand by America's gun lovers. But nope: Many of them aren't any better than the song is when it comes to subtlety and nuance, and so Carrey's harmlessly dumb song now has him locked in a duel with people who should have let it go. (The Drudge Report linked to this roundup of needless reactions to the song and Carrey's tweets mocking gun owners.)
The situation nicely parallels the state of the gun debate in America: Many gun-haters want them all banned, which will never happen, for reasons Constitiutional and logistical. Many gun-lovers, meanwhile, want no restrictions at all.
So there's little room for common-sense laws that could reduce some gun violence without infringing on anyone's rights, like, say, limiting gun sales to one per person per month, or reducing the size of clips so mass killers would need to stop more often to reload.
No one respects nuance anymore, and in the gun debate, that may actually be getting people killed.
The Funny or Die video for Carrey's tune finds him playing a country singer, long-dead NRA spokesman Charlton Heston, and Sam Elliott, who explains that the whole thing is "biting social satire."
That's maybe a meta way for Carrey to admit that he knows how unsubtle the social commentary is. Or maybe he thinks we're really dopey, I don't know.
Either way, he's a decade late in taking on Heston, and also, come on, the guy is dead. And the many small penis jokes about gun owners — including a diagram, as if any of these jokes need diagramming — can't be anything they haven't heard before.
Maybe Carrey wants us to respect that a Canadian is taking on one of the most contentious issues in America. But we don't need his help: We're having a perfectly dumb debate on our own.
Watch the video:


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Jennifer Lawrence skips awards ceremony as she battles pneumonia
The star revealed earlier this month (Jan13) that she was battling a bout of influenza and had been suffering from a 40 degree Celcius (104 degree Fahrenheit) temperature hours before the Golden Globes – and now it appears the illness has become more serious.
Lawrence was named Best Lead Actress for her role in Silver Linings Playbook at the AACTA awards in Los Angeles on Saturday, but her co-star Jacki Weaver picked up the trophy instead.
Revealing her friend's health battle, Weaver told the audience, "I'm going to receive this on her behalf. Poor Jen is really sick. She really is sick. She has pneumonia."
Producer Bruce Cohen revealed that Lawrence hoped to attend the Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday (27Jan13) and added to Us Weekly, "With all her appearances, she hasn't gotten enough bed rest."
Silver Linings Playbook was a big winner at the AACTA ceremony – it was named Best Film, and it also bagged the Best Direction honour for David O. Russell. Robert De Niro and Weaver took home the honours for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively.
Best Screenplay went to Django Unchained and Oscars favourite Daniel Day-Lewis added another award to his list with the Best Lead Actor prize for his portrayal of late U.S. president Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln.


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He doesn't know it but that doesn't matter. We're tight, Idris and I.
So it was Saturday at Roy Thomson Hall for the gala premiere of Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. Etalk broadcasts live into the theatre from the carpet during arrivals for half an hour. We all take turns through the two weeks. They ask us to make our picks, but it's never guaranteed that we'll get it. As you can imagine, I wanted Idris Elba.
Normally during our shows, the crew isn't all that excited. They're there to do a job. They've seen almost all of it before. For Stringer Bell though they were present. Even Dylan had a little more jump. And he did not disappoint.
There was sensitivity in his answers about playing Mandela. He was humbled by the fans who sang happy birthday to him when he arrived. He was a badass when I asked him about his clothes, dropping a stutter step before flipping up his soles.
The best part of it was that he lifted us all. Everyone was in a great mood after. That's what the best stars do -- they entertain.


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How to Tap Into Magical Hiring Powers
As a Career Coach, I come across questions or discussions from job seekers "looking for recruiter who can get them a job".
From the way these statements are worded, it seems that all it takes for the job seeker to get a job is finding a recruiter with magical hiring powers.
But, is it really true?
Do recruiters have hiring powers and how much of the success or failure of the job search depends on the recruiter's magical hiring powers?


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All Boston mass transit was suspended Friday, and the Watertown area was in lockdown until further notice as police hunted for the marathon bombing suspect.
The entire city of Boston was put on lockdown Friday morning by the Massachusetts governor as police searched for the second of two men believed to have been involved in the marathon bombings earlier this week.
Gov. Deval Patrick said people should shelter in place as authorities engaged in a "massive manhunt" – an extraordinary order that affected nearly one million people.
The second suspect was shot and killed.
Police searched the Watertown neighborhood door to door on foot and in patrol cars early Friday morning. Residents were asked to call 911 if anyone other than police came to doors in the neighborhood.
All services on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority were suspended authorities announced earlier on Friday.
All Boston Public School activities were canceled. All city employees were told to stay in place and not come to work. If they are already at work, they have been asked to stay in place.
Trial courthouses and offices in Cambridge, Brighton, Newton, and Waltham were closed until further notice. Jurors for courthouses at the Suffolk Superior Court and Brooke Courthouses were told to stay home.
People waiting for buses or other transit services should head home and stay there, police said earlier on Friday. No vehicular traffic was being allowed in or out of Watertown, where police engaged in a shootout overnight with men armed with explosives. A no-fly zone was instituted over the Watertown area, the Federal Aviation Administration announced.
Designated portions of the MBTA system might open up again later on Friday, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency undersecretary Kurt Schwartz said.
All Amtrak service coming into and departing from Boston's South Station was delayed as a result of police activity and Amtrak service was suspended between Boston and Providence, R.I. before all area service was suspended indefinitely around 11 a.m.
Logan Airport officials told NBC News early Friday morning that the airport was open and operating under heightened security.
Megabus suspended at least ten buses traveling between Boston and New York and at least three traveling between Boston and New Haven, Conn. All Peter Pan and Lucky Star bus line services too and from South Station were suspended.
Police said at a press conference that all of Norfolk Street in Cambridge had been shut down early on Friday, and media were warned to leave the area.
Businesses were asked to remain closed. Harvard University announced in a statement on its website that it was closed. Classes were canceled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where a campus police officer was shot and killed. Students at Boston College were told to "remain indoors" and classes were canceled.
Emerson College tweeted that the school was closed until further notice: "Stay at home and where you are." Boston University said its police were on patrol on campus. A BU graduate student was among the three killed by the bombing on Monday.
"Search for armed suspect continues in Watertown," the Boston Police Department tweeted. "Residents reminded to remain indoors. All vehicle traffic suspended."
Profile of suspects in Boston Marathon bombing
Nearly 1 million told to stay indoors, transit canceled
Massive manhunt for 2nd suspect after 1st one killed
Photos from Bostonians locked down amid terror hunt
In a video posted to YouTube you can hear the firefight between two suspects and authorities in Watertown, Mass.
This story was originally published on Fri Apr 19, 2013 6:00 AM EDT


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Absolute Chiropractic
This week at Chiropractor Folkestone we're focusing on a chiropractic that is really making a difference in it's local community. Located in Northern Rio Rancho, Absolute Chiropractic is dedicated to helping patients achieve their wellness objectives -- combining skill and expertise that provides gentle, effective health care. Dr. Jacob Robinson is committed to bringing people better health ...
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Dakota Life Chiropractic
At Chiropractor Folkestone we're always looking for the chiropractors that are making a real difference in people's lives by practicing the true principles of chiropractic. This week we'll be focusing on Dr. Bryan Williams of Dakota Life Chiropractic, which is ideally located in the middle of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
At Dakota Life Chiropractic they're committed ...
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Health Quest Chiropractic
At Chiropractor Folkestone one of our goals is to help show readers the chiropractors that are really making a difference in their communities. This week we've selected Health Quest Chiropractic, which is ideally located in the middle of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
At Health Quest Chiropractic they're dedicated to helping families achieve Optimal Health for life!
Combining the ...
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Columbia Chiropractic
At Chiropractor Folkestone our writers are always on the lookout for chiropractors that are changing people's lives and leading them along to the path to Optimal Health. This week we're concentrating on Columbia Chiropractic, who are helping so many people regain control of their body through chiropractic.
At Columbia Chiropractic they're dedicated to saving lives, extending ...
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The Canterbury Health Practice
At Chiropractor Folkestone we aim to bring you the information you need about the people who can help you and your loved ones. This week we'll be talking about Dr. Christian Farthing, from The Canterbury Health Practice in Kent, England.
Canterbury is privileged to have a group of committed Chiropractors and Spinal Specialists who are willing ...
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Absolute Chiropractic
This week, Chiropractor Folkestone will be focusing on Dr. Jacob Robinson and his office, Absolute Chiropractic, which is conveniently located in the heart of Rio Rancho to serve the communities of Rio Rancho and West Albuquerque.
At Absolute Chiropractic they are dedicated to helping families achieve Optimal Health for life!
Combining the skills and expertise of chiropractic ...
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Whole Health Family Chiropractic
Every week Chiropractor Folkestone selects a chiropractic that has had a great influence on it's local community. This week, Whole Health Family Chiropractic stands out with their specialized team of leading health professionals that are dedicated to serving you and your family's needs, combining skill and expertise that span the entire chiropractic and wellness spectrum.
People ...
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Every week Chiropractor Folkestone looks for the people that have made a real difference in people's lives and are helping their local communities. This week we're focusing on Onelife.
When you visit Onelife, they make sure you want to go back and see them again when you need them. That is why they're the first health ...
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Mestdagh Chiropractic
Each week Chiropractor Folkestone features a chiropractic that is making a difference in people's lives and the community. This week we've selected Mestdagh Chiropractic, because of the fantastic work they've been doing in Columbia, IL.
At Columbia Chiropractor they are dedicated to helping you and your family achieve Optimal Health for life!
Combining the skills and expertise ...
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Atlas Software Systems for Chiropractors
Here at Chiropractor Folkestone we pay special attention to anything that can help chiropractors save time and have a more organized office, making the job easier for them and their team. Being disorganized costs time, which translates into lost money. Often the chiropractor isn't aware of how much time certain office tasks take. A proper ...
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PennDOT Commends Volunteers For Removing 6.7 Million Pounds of Litter
PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch Thursday lauded the efforts of the more than 141,000 volunteers who cleaned 13,589 miles of roads, trails and shorelines in this year's Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania, which lasted from March 1 through May 31.
"The department is very thankful for the thousands of people who turned out this year to beautify Pennsylvania," Schoch said. "Pennsylvania is fortunate to have so many people who want to keep this state beautiful and combat the actions of litter bugs out there."
There were 4,421 reported cleanup events statewide. Volunteers in PennDOT's Adopt-A-Highway program accounted for 3.6 million of the 6.7 million total pounds of trash collected during the cleanup. The 77,786 participating Adopt-A-Highway volunteers cleaned 10,961 of the total roadway miles.
According to Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, PennDOT's partner in the cleanup effort, the effort has yielded 25.9 million pounds of collected litter and cleaned 44,030 miles of roadway with the help of 487,673 volunteers over the past three years.
PennDOT requires that Adopt-A-Highway volunteers complete four cleanups per year, and the groups were encouraged to join in the cleanup effort. The 7,000 groups in the Adopt-A-Highway program have two-year commitments and have adopted 16,110 roadway miles. In 2011, PennDOT spent more than $10.6 million for litter pickup with department staff.
PennDOT provides gloves, trash bags and safety vests for Adopt-A-Highway and Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania groups. Supplies were also provided by Keep America Beautiful and the Department of Environmental Protection.
The Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania is in partnership with PennDOT, DEP, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association, the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association and the Pennsylvania Beverage Association.
For more information on the cleanup, visit the Great American Cleanup of PA website.
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Baffling All-Star selections
CHICAGO — Too bad Major League Baseball no longer showcases a second All-Star Game.
With Jered Weaver and, to a lesser extent, Howard Kendrick denied invitations to represent the American League in the All-Star Game in their home park, the Angels are not alone in their frustration and confusion.
So many qualified players were overlooked this season, MLB could stage a second Midsummer Classic with those neglected athletes and it would be almost as talent-rich as the one that will unfold on July 13.
I was dumbfounded when I learned Weaver, leading the Majors in strikeouts with a 2.82 ERA and 8-3 record, wasn't chosen. I figured he was a dead-solid lock. You can make a strong case that he has been as good as any starter in the league, rising to the challenge of replacing good buddy John Lackey as the no-nonsense, no-doubt ace of the staff.
In fact, Weaver was that guy last season but nobody seemed to notice. This should be his second straight year in the All-Star Game, but he'll be home with family members, pulling for Torii Hunter to represent his team with his customary passion, style and grace.
Hunter was visibly distressed when he learned that Weaver and Kendrick, who has been durable and productive, didn't get the call. It stripped from Torii much of the satisfaction he took from earning the vote of his peers.
But even there, I was baffled. How could Jose Bautista of Toronto claim 10 more votes from the players than Hunter, who finished sixth in the players' balloting? Sure, he's hit a lot of home runs this season, but in no way, shape or form does Bautista compare with Hunter as a total performer.
The players' infatuation with the Blue Jays, currently one game below .500, was puzzling. Vernon Wells is having a terrific season, but he's not in my view the player Carl Crawford is. Yet Wells collected 64 more player votes than Crawford to finish third, ahead of the Rays' star.
And don't even get me started on the catching outcome. Toronto's John Buck was third on the players' ballots, ahead of Oakland's Kurt Suzuki, arguably the most underrated player in the game. The only area of the game where Buck compares with Suzuki is in lifting big flies.
By taking Suzuki, rather than Buck, to replace injured Victor Martinez on the AL roster, manager Joe Girardi could then have taken Weaver rather than right-hander Trevor Cahill, the Athletics' representative. A promising right-hander, Cahill is having a solid season, but he is not in Weaver's class yet.
In Suzuki and Weaver, the AL would have two truly deserving, no-doubt All-Stars.
Yes, Weaver is due to work on the Sunday preceding the All-Star Game, making him ineligible to pitch in the game. But that didn't prevent Girardi and the AL decision-makers from selecting CC Sabathia, whose spot was awarded to Yankees teammate Andy Pettitte. If Nick Swisher, running second behind Kevin Youkilis in the Final Vote, joins the party, that would be eight Yankees All-Stars, if you're counting.
Hunter, as the lone All-Star from the Angels, clearly must be the league's MVP at this point in keeping his team in the hunt for what would be a fourth consecutive AL West title.
As for the Rangers' Ian Kinsler getting the call over Kendrick, the players could not have been paying enough attention to what these two second baseman have done this season. Kendrick clearly has been the more productive performer, given all the games Kinsler has missed.
The lack of respect shown the Angels was just as glaring with their neighbors to the south. Padres manager Buddy Black, Mike Scioscia's former pitching coach, has done a masterful job with that club. The Padres had at least three richly-deserving pitching candidates for the big show and none got the call.
Judging by the performances of their teams, San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez, like Hunter, must be the MVP at the midway point of the season. The first baseman is the only representative of the club with the NL's best record.
One final thought, regarding the phenom: Stephen Strasburg should be in this game. The whole point of elevating the importance of the All-Star Game in attaching home-field advantage in the World Series to the winner was to make sure that the best players competed at a high level and didn't coast through the game.
If you're the NL, and you're serious about ending the AL's run of dominance, you want Strasburg on the mound for an inning or two. You can't tell me there are 13 better pitchers in the National League than this kid. I'm not sure there are three better than Strasburg. – Lyle Spencer
6 Comments
disappointing indeed. Weaver not being in this thing is unfair but maybe it really is because he is pitching before the all star break that he didn't get chosen. He's an all star for sure I don't know how he's going to go unnoticed for much longer 😛 SO many players not making it just confuses me very very much. It angers me as well. Quite unfortunate.
All star ballots are just ridiculous nowadays it makes me sick. Well I'm glad that Torii is representing us. I couldn't have asked for a better representative for the Angels. It's a nice feeling and an honor for the Big A to host this year's all star game. I'm sure it'll be a good one. A one for the history books!
It's hard to believe that the league continues to choose All-Stars in this manner. The ballots are handed out at the stadiums beginning the 2nd or 3rd week of the season. There aren't enough stats at that point to make an informed decision, not that it appears many people vote based on stats. I don't have a big problem with each team being represented. In fact, maybe that's the only rule that makes sense. Without it, Girardi would've just fielded his Yankees team against the NL All-Stars.
Joe Girardi picks his own pitcher Phil Hughes over Jared Weaver?!?! Is that a joke? Seriously….
Here's their stats:
Hughes: 10-2. 86 strikeouts. 3.83 era. 1.20 whip.
Weaver: 8-3. 124 strikeouts. 2.81 era. 1.05 whip.
Girardi is a joke. Can't manage a bullpen and certainly can't choose all stars.
Phil Hughes was voted in by the players. Mr Spencer, your information is not correct. Petite was not picked by Girardi to replace Sabathia. When Buchholz got hurt, the rule states the spot goes to the pitcher with the next highest vote total on the players ballot. That was Petite.
Buck finished second on the players ballot so he got the spot after Victor Martinez was injured. Once again, those are the rules and I got that information directly from an article on MLB's website. The same rule applied with Ian Kinsler.
If you aren't happy with the players voting, take it up with them! Don't blame Girardi for that or the application of the rule! If you are not happy with Girardi taking CC, fine, that's your opinion, but at least do your research and get the facts right on the other information in your blog.
I live in NY, but my heart will be with my fellow Angel fans tomorrow. I'm just hoping those of you in the stands BOO Girardi loudly. Sticking with your family is one thing, but packing the team with pinstripes is enough. He's also hurting the all of the AL by batting Jeter #2 and Cano at the bottom.
Here is an Idea to help Boast ratings and give MLB a day to there self.
NFL Own Thanksgiving. U think Turkey you think Football
NBA own Christmas, although christmas is more of a family holiday so less people watching TV that day
But MLB can own the 4th of July.. Like Thanks giving not a relgious holiday.
Not much going on until the night with the fireworks.
So why not have Mid Summer classic on a day when everyone is off and everyone is home BBQ so if nothing else increase radio
listeners but if you make it a noon game you will get more people to watch as well
I would love to here 3 reasons why you wouldn't want to put Americans Past time on during America's Birthday


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|Photo: Charlie Johnston
Included in the issue is a feature on American Indians in Nevada who are working diligently to keep their native traditions — such as ancient hunting techniques and centuries-old languages — alive. A piece on rock art, technically known as petroglyphs and pictographs, explores the significance of these ancient markings and where in the state they can be viewed.
The issue also contains a special yearlong Indian events listing and a story about the beautiful and inspirational native celebrations called powwows, or fandangos. Finally, the issue looks back on the life of famous historical figure Sarah Winnemucca, and additional stories — including fishing at Pyramid Lake and Fernley's Wigwam Native American Museum — can be found online at nevadamagazine.com.
As part of its 75th anniversary, the magazine is highlighting Nevada's six "Territories" in 2011, customizing each of the year's six issues to honor Las Vegas Territory, Pony Express Territory, Cowboy Country, Indian Territory, Nevada Silver Trails, and Reno-Tahoe Territory. The September/October 2011 issue will cover Nevada Silver Trails, which spans central and southern Nevada north of Las Vegas.
Nevada Magazine announces 2011 Best of Nevada winners
Also in the July/August 2011 edition, the winners of the 14th Annual Best of Nevada readers' survey are revealed. From Brewery to Wedding Venue, the anticipated annual listing includes 16 categories. In most cases, the winners are divided into North, South, and Rural, giving tourists plenty of statewide vacation ideas. The list of winners can also be found online at nevadamagazine.com.


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Toribio Pleads Guilty To Killing Her Son
Mother Smothered, Buried Her Child in 2009, Police Say
The woman accused of killing her son and burying him in an Albuquerque playground pleaded guilty to the crime.
Tiffany Toribio pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and child abuse charges. She was sentenced to 33 years in prison, but 10 of the years of the sentence were suspended, and she will get credit for the time she already spent in jail.
Police said Toribio smothered her son, resuscitated him and then smothered him again in May of 2009.
Detectives found her at a bus stop after her son's body was found. Police said she told them the two were homeless and she didn't want him to struggle in life like she has.
Toribio's family had no comment about the case on Monday.
"This was a very desperate act by a mentally ill person who had been turned out of her parents' home, who was turned away by police and was turned away by people who she thought were her friends," defense attorney Lelia Hood said. "If it had been up to me, she could go home tomorrow and be with her family. She's absolutely not a danger to society."
Toribio's defense attorneys said they were prepared to argue that she was insane at the time of the crime.
Under the plea, the state dropped three other charges against Toribio, including failure to report death, tampering with evidence and concealing identity.
Altogether, Toribio will spend about 20 more years behind bars.