text:
Beat the Streak Report: Weekend, August 4-6
So 'member a few weeks back when @MLB faced off in that BTS Battle Royale against Stephen Colbert?
He won, @MLB lost and there was much embarrassment and shame around BTS headquarters. Heads were rolled and stern lectures were given (Youkilis against Big Game James? Really???).
Well, now Mr. Colbert is cashing in on his victory. As promised, the keys to @MLB are in his hands for 24 hours beginning Friday at 12 AM.
Follow along right here — he could say literally anything.
Friday's picks:
(Make a BTS pick)
Oh, hello there …
• Corey Hart: .545 AVG (6-for-11) since '06 vs. Astros starter J.A. Happ
• Melky Cabrera: .625 AVG (5-for-8) since '06 vs. Tigers starter Rick Porcello
• Matt Holliday: .625 AVG (5-for-8) since '06 vs. Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez
Feeling kinda spicy?
• Angel Pagan: .500 AVG (79-for-18) since '06 vs. Braves starter Tim Hudson
You'll thank me later …
• Justin Upton: .182 AVG (6-for-33) since '06 vs. Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley
• Joey Votto: .190 AVG (4-for-21) since '06 vs. Cubs starter Ryan Dempster
Home Run BTS pick:
(Make a BTS pick)
Oh, hello there …
• Emilio Bonifacio: .714 AVG (5-for-7) since '06 vs. Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter
• Todd Helton: .423 AVG (11-for-26) since '06 vs. Nationals starter Livan Hernandez
• Marlon Byrd: .625 AVG (5-for-8) since '06 vs. Reds starter Johnny Cueto
Feeling kinda spicy?
• Jorge Posada: .476 AVG (10-for-21) since '06 vs. Red Sox starter John Lackey
You'll thank me later …
• Alex Gordon: .148 AVG (4-for-27) since '06 vs. Tigers starter Justin Verlander
• David Wright: .083 AVG (1-for-16) since '06 vs. Braves starter Tommy Hanson
Home Run BTS pick:
• Paul Konerko: (25 HR this season) vs. Twins starter Carl Pavano
Sunday's picks:
(Make a BTS pick)
Oh, hello there …
• Miguel Cabrera: .500 AVG (8-for-16) since '06 vs. Royals starter Bruce Chen
• Michael Cuddyer: .451 AVG (23-for-51) since '06 vs. White Sox starter John Danks
• David Ortiz: .417 AVG (7-for-17) since '06 vs. Yankees starter Freddy Garcia
Feeling kinda spicy?
• Mike Aviles: .636 AVG (7-for-11) since '06 vs. Yankees starter Freddy Garcia
You'll thank me later …
• Lance Berkman: .100 AVG (1-for-10) since '06 vs. Marlins starter Javier Vazquez
• Justin Upton: .000 AVG (0-for-13) since '06 vs. Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw
Home Run BTS pick:
• Josh Hamilton: (13 HR this season) vs. Indians starter Josh Tomlin
Top MLB streakers
Dan Uggla: 25 games
Freddie Freeman: 18 games
Adrian Gonzalez: 14 games
Ryan Zimmerman: 13 games
83 Comments
Another weekend upon us. If history repeats itself, as it usually does in BTS, going to be a lot of people that may give up on BTS this year after the upcoming, unexpected, resets/slaughters. Weekends are generally not very forgiving. We shall see…
C. Hart for 19.
As was the case yesterday; we're in the same game, same team, but different players
Votto-bot for 6
If we all went by stats alone, and stats were always reliable, everyone would have 57-gamers in 1st 57 days. Stats are just a 'tool' to help make a decision. Also one must look at the time frame for these stats: 5 years. How someone batted 5 years ago is not usually indicative of how he will bat this year or even this week. For example: Votto is just 1-8 this year vs Dempster (even worse than his 5-year avg). And sometimes you need to consider their recent streakiness: on a 9-game streak batting over 400 for past 7 days. Don't forget about the pitcher's recent history either: Dempster averaging 7 hits per game over last 3 games. So on one hand, looks dismal, but recent history looks to be a good advantage. After doing the research, the decision is always a personal one
With above said, I wouldn't risk my streak on Votto today. But that's my personal choice
91-291 vs RHP this season = 313avg
70-202 on road this season= 347avg
53-150 during day =353avg.
16 hits in last 9 games.
I'm taking my chances.
GL Mark, maybe we'll both get thru the weekend unscathed.
For every positive stat, one can find a negative stat & vice versa. People are willing to give some stats more importance than others; thereby making each choice personal. On the other hand, you have people like my wife, who makes picks without knowing anything about baseball and does fairly well
Matt Holliday to get to 4.
side note: watch Michael Young, he only needs 5 hits to reach 2000 and the rangers are at home for the next six
but Ubaldo pitching in his debut for CLE tonight.
2500 post will be a little late this afternoon, have to actually go out and do some work but i'll run it as soon as game locks in 20.
LaV's List
Friday's Top Picks of the current Top2500,
136 Batters picked overall
Batter, Times Picked, Percentage
Adrian Gonzalez 359 14.51 (4TH)(4TH)
Corey Hart 218 8.81 (4TH)
Matt Holliday 195 7.88
Albert Pujols 134 5.41 (1RST)
Ryan Braun 134 5.41
Miguel Cabrera 107 4.32
Prince Fielder 104 4.2
Omar Infante 92 3.72
Melky Cabrera 90 3.64
Joey Votto 71 2.87
Jacoby Ellsbury 55 2.22 (2ND)
No Selection 40 1.62
Rickie Weeks 5 0.20 (3RD) DL
Highest "No Selection" 😛 pg# 8 with streak of 17 back to zero.
Yesterday's Top2500 Reset rate was 10.07% with PEDROIA reseting the most.
There was also 11.06% PPD due to players not playing, These streakers do not reset, but did not increase either,
9.45% —> 234 picks of these were intentional DL/inj picks.
Got Pinched OR 1/2 AB Wonders
TOP2500 saved or reset by PHA (going to include any pinch hitters and/or double switch, 2 AB or Less)
J Peralta DET, RESET 4, WERE 13,11,11,10 GAMERS
M Ordonez DET, RESET 1, WAS 12 GAMER
R Johnson CHC, SAVED 1, DEF SWITCH, WAS 13 GAMER
S Smith COL, RESET 1, WAS 12 GAMER
A Soriano CHC, RESET 1, DEF SWITCH, WAS 11 GAMER
Bloggers Group Top2500
UserName, Streak, Page#, Rank, Pick, (Times picked in top2500)
gpearson17, 18, pg 5, 94, HART (PICKED 218X)
box86rowh, 17, pg 8, 178, A-GONE (PICKED 359X)
jonhilliard, 17, pg 9, 178, PRINCE (PICKED 104X)
trixiewright, 13, pg 41, 715, MARKAKIS (PICKED 2X)
Bloggers Reset Yesterday
GL to all
Pick of the day may have done the leader in? Pujols & Holliday are/were picks of the day today when I looked last nite. But the stats were for a different pitcher. Pujols vs. A.Sanchez: 1-8. I think either Vazquez or Nolasco were originally scheduled for today. Change occurred couple days ago & when pitching changes occur, "picks of the day" don't update (at least I haven't seen them update)
When I saw both Holliday and Pujols as picks of the day I checked out the St. Louis picks and Holliday's numbers were slightly better then what was listed but Pujols was only .125 against Sanchez. I took Holliday but he walked on his 1st PA.
Holliday Homers! 🙂
$@)(;&$;&@%}{^^##} cmon extras.
I went with Billy Butler tonight against Rick Porcello at home to get me to 4 games.
I wanted Melky today, but weather forecast scared me off to indoors. Appears bad weather is going to miss the game after all
New Beat the Streak contest started today:
Unfortunately, I thought it was just an advertisement for the blog this morning, so I did not get a pick in this morning.
I know it is early, but it is hard to imagine someone not getting 15 saves in a row, right off the bat, so I may be out of contention already.
Getting 15 in a row may not be an issue, but how many days can pass between saves? That's the question I think. 1) Have to figure out which team may win 2) Need to be lucky enough again to be in a save situation. I don't know the rules, site is down right now for me
Just read over the rules. A game that doubleheaders may actually help you instead of hurting you. What are odds that a closer will come into each game in a save situation – low. Giving it a shot for tomorrow, why not?
Hart with the HR. That's 19 for me.
About time; now all Brewers starters have hits today (pitchers excluded). Funny how sometimes your pick can't get hit off the easy guy & manages one off the pen. Good job; get thru the weekend & we should see you on page #1
19 was my high before I came crashing down. Don't get cocky, and GL!
Oh, I'm aware of a.) how much luck is involved and b.) how far I have to go. Cockiness is certainly not an issue for me!
I know, I'm just saying be careful. I was going so good and then it ended.
7th-inning single by Butler moves me to 4!
Five on the first page at serious risk of a Gonzalez o-fer.
the weekend shake up has begun — votto 0-for-3, JReyes 0-for-4, AGonzalez 0-for-4
I have Cano going for 20. I picked him only once all year, and it was either a DNP or rainout.
3 for 3 you and me. Rhymes too. Got same game, same team, but different players yet again. Been lucky for us so far
I went with Josh Hamilton of the Rangers tonight against Fausto Carmona of the Indians.
I got burned the last time I went up against Carmona, but the overall picture looks pretty strong.
It is usually good if there is at least one flaw in the pick anyway, as "perfect" picks tend to have a pretty poor performance record.
i stayed with holliday to get to five. he has been on fire the past week
went with Yonder Alonso and he's good. Actually comtemplated him yesterday too.
LaV's List
Saturday's Top Picks of the current Top2500,
139 Batters picked overall
Batter, Times Picked, Percentage
Prince Fielder 314 12.69
Jose Reyes 222 8.97
Josh Hamilton 189 7.64
Robinson Cano 129 5.21
Joey Votto 112 4.53
Jose Bautista 88 3.56
Ryan Braun 86 3.47 (1RST)
Omar Infante 80 3.23 DL
Matt Holliday 76 3.07
Curtis Grandrsn 74 2.99
Miguel Cabrera 70 2.83
Dustin Pedroia 37 1.49 (2ND)
No Selection 36 1.45
Yuneal Escobar 9 0.36 (3RD)
Rickie Weeks 7 0.28 (3RD) DL
Highest "No Selection" 😛 pg# 8 with streak of 17 back to zero.
Yesterday's Top2500 Reset rate was 29.03% with A-GONE reseting the most.
There was also 8.79% PPD due to players not playing, These streakers do not reset, but did not increase either,
7.14% —> 177 picks of these were intentional DL/inj picks.
Got Pinched OR 1/2 AB Wonders
TOP2500 saved or reset by PHA (going to include any pinch hitters and/or double switch, 2 AB or Less)
Bloggers Group Top2500
UserName, Streak, Page#, Rank, Pick, (Times picked in top2500)
gpearson17, 19, pg 4, 63, CANO (PICKED 129X)
jonhilliard, 18, pg 5, 107, FIELDER (PICKED 314X)
trixiewright, 14, pg 27, 451, MORSE (PICKED 4X)
Dave55, 10, pg 79, 1923, BRAUN (PICKED 86X)
Bloggers Reset Yesterday
box86rowh, 17 RESET by A-GONE
GL to all
F@$& you, Joey Votto. You couldn't have done that yesterday?
I think every BTS player here can empathize.
Getting nervous about Cano. At least one shot (maybe two) against the Red Sox bullpen.
You need 4 more baserunners without any caught stealings or double plays to get Cano his 5th PA.
And just I post that, Granderson grounds into an inning-ending double play.
Considering you have, most likely, Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon for the next 2 innings, I think the chances of getting 5 total baserunners over 2 innings is unlikely.
So it comes down to 1 last shot in the 8th.
Gardner got met an infield hit. So, your hit is just 1/2 inning away… Rabbits feet, get 'em out
Definitely get them rabbits feet out. Bard is coming into the 8th. Cano is 0-4 lifetime.
P.S. Game is aired on MLB network
Oh, crap…
Cano is due up 6th in the 9th.
I think Papelbon walking 1 and giving up 1 hit is possible, but giving up 4 baserunners is unlikely.
Hart just got a line-drive single off the 1st pitch thrown in the game too.
It must suck not having stayed with the guy who got you to 19 games.
Had you considered using him at all today?
I never pick the same guy twice in a row because I almost never get a hit. I did consider both Granderson and Jeter though.
I don't like doing so either, but I am willing to do so if there is a big drop off between that player and the next best option.
You might wanna root for the Red Sox to score at least a run in the bottom of the 8th inning.
You might get an easier reliever in the 9th inning, if it is not a save situation.
Someone like Dan Wheeler? good start as Cervelli smacks a double.
I guess I'll have to go for the $10,000 starting tomorrow…
lol, is MLB Network's feed coming in faster than FOX?
The game literally just ended and your resigning post was already up there.
So similar to Mark's (mdrossi) 19-gamer a few days ago. His hitter left on deck also
Since my streak ended, I've been able to get only 1 hit. Hmmm.
An Ian Kinsler walk and Elvis Andrus single after 2 outs to start the bottom of the 9th inning, get my pick, Josh Hamilton his 5th PA of the game and DELIVERS with an infield single!
This keeps me in contention for the $5.6 million and moves me onto 5!
I am sooo pumped right now!
A bit of luck is all any of us needs. Though an extra 7.6% reset would've been nice 😉
Going with Yonder Alonso again today, as long as he's starting. Think Votto will be highly picked with Wells on the mound for Cubs.
Not gonna be able to run stats today. Forgot my memory stick at work yesterday.
Keith if you want to run them then I'll add the reset rate and other stuff later today.
I ran it yesterday so got stats for then. Will post it today
Excellent. Ty sir.
Votto probably well picked today but I expect Miggy to be most picked. I'm going with Votto or Bruce today since I always pick against Wells.
Sunday's Top Picks of the current Top2500, 137 batters picked overall
Batter, Times Picked, Percentage
Miguel Cabrera 345 13.94 (Leader)
Michael Cuddyer 203 8.2
Adrian Gonzalez 148 5.98
Ryan Braun 114 4.61
David Ortiz 106 4.28
Matt Holliday 106 4.28
Albert Pujols 94 3.8
Jacoby Ellsbury 79 3.19 (runner up)
Jose Reyes 74 2.99
Martin Prado 70 2.83
Joey Votto 63 2.55
Omar Infante 54 2.18 (DL)
Starlin Castro 51 2.06
Michael Young 48 1.94
Michael Morse 45 1.82
No Selection 45 1.82
Highest "No Selection": Pg #1 with streak of 22 back to zero 😛
Yesterday's reset rate was 13.64% with R.Cano resetting the most
Got Pinched OR 1 AB Wonders
Top2500 saved or reset by PH or defensive switch, 2 ABs or less
R.Hanigan PH RESET 2: 12,11-gamers
J.Heyward PH RESET 1: 11-gamer
J.Jay PH SAVED 1: 13-gamer
Bloggers Group Top2500
UserName, Streak, Page#, Pick
jonhilliard, 19, pg 4, J.Ellsbury (picked 79x)
trixiewright, 15, pg 22, B.Butler (picked 5x)
Dave55, 11, pg 65, M.Cuddyer (picked 203x)
jzlevin, 10, pg 100+, J.Ellsbury (picked 79x)
Top2500 Bloggers Reset Yesterday
gpearson17 @ 19 reset by R.Cano
Reyes comes out of the game 0-1. Bad luck for those that picked him
wow three people on the first page just got screwed with him coming out
I have Miguel Cabrera to get me to six
Albert Pujols for 6 🙂
BTS gods demanded sacrifice Friday, but favored streakers yesterday. Today is looking to be another day of sacrifice. Nearing a 30% reset rate and several highly picked hitters still to play tonight.
With Ellsbury 0-fer today; all four of the Bloggers Group Top2500 members are gone. High reset will probably allow 9-gamers back into the Top2500 tomorrow.
Couple notable injuries today. Beltran (was my pick for tomorrow) has sprained wrist. Reyes has tight hammy
Daniel Murphy on the METS out for season, torn ACL
Not sure how to take that inning.
The Scutaro double took the bat out of Ellsbury's hands, but it allowed the Red Sox to tie the game and he will get up again if the Red Sox can get the game to the 11th inning and muster just 1 baserunner over those 2 innings.
And should the game go to the 13th inning or later, I can get 2+ more plate appearances.
I would love an EXPLANATION over why Mo had to come out of the game after 9 pitches with an off-day tomorrow!!!
If he stays in the game, he most likely pitches a scoreless 10th inning and then Ellsbury gets up in the 11th inning.
What a royal screw job to eliminate me from contention of $5.6 million!
Most likely, everyone will be eliminated from the big bucks before season ends; some sooner than others. Looking over past "all time streak leaders", 2006 was last time the year ended with high streak at just 40, though getting 41+ is still possible for all for the time being. This has not been a very good year for anyone except the 40-gamer (so far).
Going with who I meant to pick yesterday (before I started overanalyzing): Marlon Byrd.


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subset: commoncrawl


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text:
gjaustin wrote:Very nice.
Though you did miss one trick. If you get a Minotaur to knock you back, it'll break walls. So that lets you make a few shortcuts through the level to hopefully prevent where you had to fight everything.
Ara wrote:Newbie trap! You wrote "24 mana" twice! Oh well, 24 is OK, since you have 4 mana left after 2 CYDSTEPP, this gives you 4 extra cast with 4 mana potions.
I like this format, it's entertaining and pleasant to read. My only complaints are:
- this run was a bit too perfect
- the lack of details on the resources your little xp error costs. But that's probably just me, I like this kind of details.
And I didn't know Rex can't appear on diagonals. Nice.
Users browsing this forum: Bwrgarbl, Google [Bot] and 14 guests


text:
Unofficial Opinion 94-12
Senior Judge
State Court of DeKalb County
A replacement probate judge appointed in good faith pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 15-9-13(a) may be designated pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.1 to assist temporarily a state court for a specified duration, assuming that individual meets the statutory qualifications of O.C.G.A. § 15-7-21(a)(1).
You have asked whether O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.1 authorizes the assignment of a replacement probate judge appointed pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 15-9-13(a) to hear cases in the state court, assuming that person meets the statutory qualifications for state court judges as set forth in O.C.G.A. § 15-7-21(a)(1).
The statute authorizing judicial assistance from other courts, O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.1, is extremely broad and authorizes a request for assistance by the chief judge of any court to the chief judge of any other court in this state. Once it is determined that there is a need for temporary assistance, the statute authorizes the chief judge to request assistance from any court of this state under certain terms to be included in the request for assistance. Your inquiry, endorsed by all judges in your circuit, specifies that the DeKalb State Court cannot continue to function at its high level of efficiency without assistance from other courts, and that you intend to comply with all of the procedural requirements of O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.1 in making a request for assistance.
This office previously addressed the need for temporary assistance in Op. Att'y Gen. U89-7. The situation presented supports a need for temporary assistance based on the prior opinion of this office and O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.1(b)(2)(C).
Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 15-1-9.1(f) outlines the procedures that must be followed in requesting assistance. See also Cramer v. Spalding County, 261 Ga. 570, 573 (1991) (O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.1 does not give the requesting chief judge the power "to order the indefinite appointment of an additional judge") (emphasis in original); Adams v. Payne, 219 Ga. 638, 641 (1964) (a proper written and filed request is "an indispensable prerequisite to clothe [the designated judge] with jurisdiction [and] power to act in th[e] case").
The first issue is whether probate judges are included within the intent of O.C.G.A § 15-1-9.1 so that the state court may direct its request to the probate court. Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 15-1-9.1(e) provides once a written request for assistance has been made, the chief judge of the court receiving the request for assistance must designate a "judge" to preside as requested. The 1983 Constitution, Art. VI, Sec. I, Para. III, details a "judge" as including "[j]ustices, judges, senior judges, magistrates, and every other such judicial office of whatever name existing or created." Correspondingly, Art. VI, Sec. I, Para. I specifically vests the judicial power of the state in the probate courts. See also Moore v. American Suzuki Motor Corp., 203 Ga. App. 189 (1992) (Constitution defines the term "judge" for purposes of O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.1(e)). Accordingly, probate courts are within the parameters of courts available to provide judicial assistance.
The closer question concerns the second issue: whether the designation of replacement probate judges, as outlined in your inquiry, is authorized under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-13(a). That Code Section provides:
Whenever a judge of the probate court is disqualified to act in any case or because of sickness, absence, or any other reason is unable to act in any case, the judge of the probate court may appoint an attorney at law who is a member of the State Bar of Georgia to exercise the jurisdiction of the probate court. If the judge of the probate court does not so appoint, the judge of the city or state court, as the case may be, shall exercise all the jurisdiction of the judge of the probate court in the case. If, however, the inability of the probate judge to act arises from any unlawful act or the accusation of an unlawful act on the part of the probate judge, the probate judge may not appoint an attorney and only another judge shall exercise the jurisdiction of the probate court.
Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 15-9-13(a) authorizes a probate court to appoint a replacement where the probate judge is unable to act "in any case." In turn, that replacement appointment could arguably be called upon by the state courts for assistance, consistent with the foregoing analysis. See also Rule 2.2 of the Uniform Rules of Probate Court (the term "judge" includes "any of the several active judges of the probate courts of Georgia, and any other person who may at the time be performing a judicial function of the probate court of this state in accordance with the law").
Implementation of the proposed assistance plan, however, turns on whether such replacement appointment may be made when the inability to act is not related to a specific probate court case or probate cases within a particular time frame, but, rather, concerns unavailability during a particular time frame unrelated to a probate case or cases. Your query indicates that a judge of the probate court would declare himself to be absent and unable to act for a specified time frame, perhaps from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 a.m. on Monday through Thursday. The probate judge would then appoint an authorized replacement for this time frame. Under your proposal, the judges of the state court would then designate this replacement judge to assist the state court in its authorized business, primarily dispossessory cases.
Official Code of Georgia Annotated § 15-9-13 is broadly written and I believe it is not unreasonable to find the authority of the probate court to designate a replacement appointment for a particular time frame unrelated to particular probate cases, but only if the replacement appointment is made in good faith. This conclusion is consistent with Rule 3 of the Uniform Rules of Probate Court which provides that an appointment is to be made by written order and shall specify the cases "or time period covered." Indeed, Rule 3 goes further to observe "if the appointment was for an indefinite period, the judge shall enter and record an order terminating the appointment when he resumes his jurisdiction." Compare Cramer v. Spalding County, supra (rejecting indefinite appointments in the context of requests for judicial assistance). Consistent with prior analysis, an appointed replacement may provide assistance to the state court.
Therefore, it is my unofficial opinion that a replacement probate judge appointed in good faith may provide assistance to the state courts so long as that individual satisfies the qualifications of judges of the state courts under O.C.G.A. § 15-7-21(a)(1), and the request for assistance complies with the terms specified by O.C.G.A. § 15-1-9.1(f). Whether this arrangement is a good policy decision is a decision that must rest with the courts involved and the judgment of the individual members of the judiciary.
Prepared by:
Assistant Attorney General


text:
At the MFA, Michelangelo's drawings reveal the technical mastery of the great artist.
Drawn with strong yet supple lines, a child clutches at his mother's breast. The Madonna seems to look away, the tenderness and sorrow of her gaze rendered in the unmistakable hand of Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Exhibited for the first time in Boston at the Museum of Fine Arts, "Madonna and Child'' is among 25 of Michelangelo's drawings that reveal the technical mastery of one of the greatest artists of all time.
This show, "Michelangelo: Sacred and Profane, Master Drawings from the Casa Buonarotti," provides intimate glimpses of varied work in several media completed during his mature years.
Displayed in the Lee Gallery, the 11 figure studies and 14 architectural designs of churches, military fortifications and a library also display, in ways small and great, the signature skills of the Renaissance giant who painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
Visitors will see contrasting portraits of Cleopatra, a remarkably detailed rendering of "The Sacrifice of Isaac,'' a "Study for the Risen Christ,'' drawings of horses, nudes and the architectural works.
Helen Burnham, MFA curator of prints and drawings who organized the show in Boston, said the exhibit "provides a rare opportunity to observe Michelangelo in action.''
"We are all curious to know how an artist of this caliber composed his ideas and how he developed his initial bursts of creativity into the ideal forms for which he became known,'' she said.
Burnham observed the artist would very likely have been influenced by the ascendant neo-Platonism of his day which posited the existence of "ideal forms'' that inspired his own drive to aesthetic perfection.
She said the phrase "sacred and profane'' in the show's title refers to Michelangelo's career practice of alternating between treatments of the divine and worldly, as evidenced by the contrasting - and controversial - interpretations of an idealized and almost grotesque portraits of Cleopatra displayed in the show.
Like nocturnal lightning bursts that illuminate celestial wonders, these drawings offer revelatory glimpses into Michelangelo's genius.
Born in 1475, young Michelangelo displayed a "natural inclination toward art'' and was enrolled in a prestigious studio at the age of 12, said Burnham. She said his passion to create verged on "obsession.''
The exhibit also offers a fascinating mystery that lets viewers channel art sleuth Dan Brown.
One of the highlights, an imagined portrait of Cleopatra, last pharaoh of ancient Egypt, was drawn in 1532-1533 as an ideal figural composition that became known as a "divine head.''
However, during the last showing of Michelangelo's drawings in the U.S. at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C., in 1988, curators discovered a second "anguished'' image of the fabled seductress on the reverse side, or "verso,'' of the original that they believed had been hidden from view for centuries,
While both the idealized and "anguished'' Cleopatras were initially exhibited as Michelangelo's work, William E. Wallace, a professor of art history at Washington University in St. Louis who wrote an acclaimed biography of the artist, has challenged the authorship of the "anguished'' Cleopatra.
The MFA believes both works are authentic but is now displaying the work on a central pedestal, inviting visitors to express their views.
"Michelangelo: Sacred and Profane'' was organized by the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. It is presented as part of "2013, the Year of Italian Culture in the United States,'' an initiative to strengthen bonds between Italy and the U.S.
Noting "very few works'' by Michelangelo are on view in the U.S., MFA Director Malcolm Rogers said, "This exhibition represents a unique opportunity to see many outstanding drawings by one of the greatest of masters.''
Running through June 30, "Michelangelo'' offers an intimate opportunity to view the hand and mind of a genius who came as close to perfection as any artist in the Western tradition.
Works on display were loaned by Casa Buonarotti in Florence, Michelangelo's former home, that is now the world's largest repository of his drawings, architectural studies, letters, poems and memoirs.
Though known for timeless masterpieces like "The Pieta,'' Michelangelo displayed his matchless technical expertise in works like "Madonna and Child,'' which measures 15 by 21 inches. Believed because of its size to be a preparatory study, possibly for a monumental marble statue for the Medici Chapel in the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, this "Madonna and Child'' is an almost anatomical depiction of young Jesus and a subtly-nuanced rendering of Mary.
Michelangelo's architectural drawings demonstrate both his precision as a draughtsman and the extraordinary range of projects he undertook or imagined.
Dismissing Michelangelo's drawings of a library staircase or papal tombs as less revealing than his masterpieces would be as shortsighted as assembling a highlights film of Larry Bird with nothing but game-winning 3-pointers and none of his gritty lay ups.
Whether viewing the Madonna's sorrowful gaze or the floor plan for the church of San Giovanni, Michelangelo's extraordinary genius can be discovered in the details.
"Michelangelo: Sacred and Profane, Master Drawings from the Casa Buonarroti"
WHEN: Through June 30
WHERE: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
INFO: 617-267-9300; www.mfa.org


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This metal angle is commonly used for constructing bicycle racks, bed frames, motor mounts and many other utilitarian functions. Common types of angles include: Solid, punched hole, slotted hole and solid or slotted offset. Slotted and punched hole angle is often selected for use in metal racks, storage shelving, garage door track frames and corner bracing. Angles are available in a variety of sizes and materials and can be cut to length to suit your specific job requirements.
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text:
Seven Days to Change: Can Amanda be Saved?
Dr. Phil follows up with Terry and Laurie, whose 20-year-old daughter, Amanda, admits to abusing drugs. Did the parents get a wake-up call about their enabling?
When Terry and Laurie last appeared on the show, they said they were desperate to save their daughter, Amanda, who admits to abusing OxyContin, cocaine and heroin. Dr. Phil met with the couple backstage to give them a wake-up call about how they are sabotaging Amanda's recovery.
Did Terry and Laurie get real about their enabling?
Amanda admits that she started using drugs when she was 11 and says she will lie, steal and cheat to get what she wants. Is the young woman ready to kick her addiction?
"Drugs, for me, are definitely a love/hate relationship."
Extra Content
Dr. Phil's wardrobe by:
Knoxville, Tennessee


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"A man walking alone on a deserted beach, brandishing a lantern in his outstretched hand, might be a fool. But, for a ship that went astray on a stormy night, he might be the savior."
Sunday, August 02, 2009
It's not often that I'm home alone. But in a time when everybody needs a little vacation I had no option but to stay behind. Kids, more so than the rest of us, must grow up loving August. There would come the day eventually when the burdens of life will make them change their minds. The telephone cried in the quiet room.
-Heard you're alone!
-I am.
-What do you say we share a drink and be alone together...
I picked a shirt in the dark, slipped into a pair of jeans then drove toward the sea. I rolled the windows down and opened the sunroof. No air was coming in. Tartous closed on me as the whole world was too tight around the neck. There was a long line of parked cars on the boulevard as I brought mine into an empty spot. What were they thinking about, these ungodly machines? I stepped down, pushing a button on the key chain and crossed the street pweep, pweep into heavy silence.
Underneath the 900 years old vaulted ceiling men and women sat behind tables. Oblivious to being, they stared at walls, imaginary and real. What makes us believe we're that different from the cars parked outside? Waiting, isn't that what we're all doing?
In desperation we draw the last card, the company of others. We hugged, tapped shoulders then slumped into padded chairs, men tired of the long summer.
Ah my Beloved, fill the Cup that clears
Today of past Regrets and future Fears:
Tomorrow! Why, tomorrow I may be
Myself with Yesterday's Sev'n thousand Years.*
The bleak day turned brighter with the flow of the amber Scotch. My heart sighed while the welcomed numbness took over. My thirsty soul gasped with glee. Talk followed echoing through the valleys of the minds. I fancied a Scottish fairy tiptoeing toward me. She came to a stop and knelt by my side, took my hand in hers, kissed the tip of my fingers then brought the back of my hand to her cheek and whispered in my ear, you'll be alright my...
The chagrined notes of a solitary Oud drifted in the air then a sweet voice rose from the dungeons of a tormented soul. My fairy smiled down at me, repressing a solitary tear at the corner of each eye. She ruffled my short hair then vanished in thin air.
Gayyeen li'ddunia ma na'raf leh
wla rayheen fen wala Ayzeen eh
Mashaweer marsouma l'khatawina
Nimshiha b'ghorbet layalina
Yom Tifarrahna wi yom tigrahna
W'ehna wala ehna arfeen leh
W'zayeh ma guina.. guina
W'mesh b'edena guina**
We came... we don't know why
Where we're going to or what for
Paths drawn for our feet to tread
We follow them estranged in the dark of night
Paths of joy one day then of deep hurt tomorrow
We still don't know why
But we came
We never chose to but anyway we came
-Come on man … don't lose me.
-Cheers YOU.
*From Rubaiyat Omar Khayyam (1048-1123), translation by Edward FitzGerald (1809-1883)
** Min Gher Leh Mohamad Abdul Wahab (1907-1991), performed by Taher Mustafa
Dowload Min Gheir Leh
|What do you think?
28 comments:
- Joseph said...
Summer Blues abufares?
- Katia said...
It's hard for me to comment on "August" the post as well as August the month... To me, it's full of extremes and contradictions. It's a month that gives me mixed feelings.
At least there was a fairy in there to pull you up. Since there are no male fairies, what do I get???
Cheers Abufares.
- Gabriela said...
Here in Peru, August is one of the coldest months of the year. As someone who loves the humid, cold and gray weather of Lima I can say August is one of my favorite months. Sorry to disagree with you!
I loved the poem. I loved its ending.
- Dubai Jazz said...
August. It's no wonder we call it A'b Al Lahhab in Arabic.
- Unknown said...
The bluest of Blues till I snapped out of it. Sometimes we just get too tired.
But I'm glad to say that the worst had come to pass.
- Unknown said...
My feelings toward the summer in general are mixed. I only like it because it means so much for the kids. It meant so much to me when I was in school. Have I ever mentioned how much I hated school?
It must be hard to comment on this post. It was probably the hardest for me to write. I was utterly uninspired and it took me hours, over a couple of days, to come up with it. I didn't like it when I was writing and I don't like it now. But I needed to publish it as my only way of fighting back the bleak mood I was in.
I hope you find your (Ifrit) a good Ifrit, lolllll who will kneel by you, kiss the tips of your fingers, bring the back of your hand to his cheek and whisper in your ear: you'll be alright my....
I wish he wouldn't be interrupted.
- Unknown said...
if August was the same here as it's in Peru it would've been my favorite month too.
You see I like the cold. Sometimes when a friend living in Canada for instance complains about the long winters they have there I really wish I could live in such a place. Hot weather drags me down. I don't go out much but instead scurry like a rat to an air conditioned hole.
As luck would have it, I'm going later today with a bunch of friends for a barbecue in the countryside. Hopefully, my next post will be more cheerful.
I think that you're still waiting for Mariyah to tell you more about the Mezza. She must've been away from her PC I guess. She still hadn't come over to cheer me up :-)
- Unknown said...
Whatever names we give to August we could not do it justice.
I'm happy September is next. It's a transition to my favorite 2 months of the year (Tishreens) October and November.
BTW, last year we went to Aleppo in August to spend 3 days. I made a reservation at one of the hotels in the Jdaydeh area. We arrived there at 2:00PM and the temperature was soaring at 42C.
We had a very hard time till morning. I found that the kids have packed all their stuff and were waiting for me to get back home to Tartous. I think we spent more time driving than we actually did in Aleppo.
If August is bad in Tartous it sucks in the rest of Syria.
Abufares , in SÃO PAULO we are having very cold and rainy times , they say it dindn´t make so rainy season since the 1940, but i like it, it seems that we will have good fishing,
- Yazan said...
August, brings me much energy, unlike you my friend.
Like Katia, this month means a great deal to me, in so many ways.
It's the epic moment of the summer, the scouring sun makes me long for the sea and for the outside world. The suffocating humidity keeps me on my toes and up for any, any option out of it. It makes me a lot more impulsive in a sense. Winter is relaxing, but boring. August is the time when I can barely go to sleep, and I never feel tired.
Not to mention how the heat brings out the most beautiful female bodies, to the delight of this whole planet. ;)
- Dubai Jazz said...
I don't know if it's any consolation Abu Fares, but Min Ghair Leeh is essentially a love song, all bit it a sad one.
And Abd Al Wahab, with all due respect to all others who sand it after him, owns and hold the title undisputed.
- Dubai Jazz said...
Here's a link (sorry for being a heavy-shadowed guest)
- Unknown said...
I wish you could send us some of that cold and rain over here. It's getting hotter and drier year after year.
Kasak My Friends... On the rocks indeed.
- Unknown said...
But of course my friend. At your age it'll be wrong if you didn't feel this way about August.
I remember my 20's. Summer was just an excuse to get really HOT (much hotter than the ambient temperature) and roam the beaches and streets in search for the simmering females of our species.
Now, I like to say that I'm too old for this shit. However, the truth is that as we grow older and we're not as physically endowed as the young anymore we prefer to go for the intellectual crap and appeal to the "mind" of a woman. This is hard to achieve when we're sweating down our butts in the heat of August. Accordingly, we prefer to wear a turtle neck and sit by a fireplace with a glass of wine in hand and impress them with how much bullshit we accumulated over the years in addition to all the undesired pounds around our bellies...
What were we talking about??? Ah, you see? I'm trying to prove my own point. And, by the way, I never wear a turtle neck :-)
- Unknown said...
Men Gheir Leh is one of my all-time favorite love songs. Love, happiness and sadness go hand in hand and that's exactly what makes this song so special.
Abdul Wahab is a great paradox to me. He is the least likable man I like most.
You see, I'm a Farid Atrash fan and I always believe that he was the victim of a conspiracy, masterminded by Om Kalthoum and orchestrated by Abdul Wahab.
- Joseph said...
I'm glad abufares, the bluest of blues is over. You snapped out of it and you emerged triumphant.
I have to admit, I have been on the down side myself for a while now.
This feeling is not in particular associated with any of the 12 months...
but rather the culmination of appalling weather in the region, the intermittent exhaustion of my happy genes! and many of life's daily going about in a recession...
The following poem is full of ironies and such is my plight.
"Walking Around"
It happens that I am tired of being a man.
It happens that I go into the tailor's shops and the movies all shrivelled up, impenetrable, like a felt swan navigating on a water of origin and ash.
The smell of barber shops makes me sob out loud. I want nothing but the repose either of stone or of wool. I want to see no more establishments, no more gardens, nor merchandise, nor glasses, nor elevators.
It happens that I am tired of my feet and my nails and my hair and my shadow.
It happens that I am tired of being a man.
Just the same it would be delicious to scare a notary with a cut lily or knock a nun stone dead with one blow of an ear.
It would be beautiful to go through the streets with a green knife shouting until I died of cold.
I do not want to go on being a root in the dark, hesitating, stretched out, shivering with dreams, downwards, in the wet tripe of the earth, soaking it up and thinking, eating every day.
I do not want to be the inheritor of so many misfortunes.
I do not want to continue as a root and as a tomb, as a solitary tunnel, as a cellar full of corpses, stiff with cold, dying with pain.
For this reason Monday burns like oil at the sight of me arriving with my jail-face, and it howls in passing like a wounded wheel, and its footsteps towards nightfall are filled with hot blood.
And it shoves me along to certain corners, to certain damp houses, to hospitals where the bones come out of the windows, to certain cobbler's shops smelling of vinegar, to streets horrendous as crevices.
There are birds the colour of sulphur,and horrible intestines hanging from the doors of the houses which I hate, there are forgotten sets of teeth in a coffee-pot, there are mirrors which should have wept with shame and horror, there are umbrellas all over the place, and poisons, and navels.
I stride along with calm, with eyes, with shoes, with fury, with forgetfulness,
I pass, I cross offices and stores full of orthopedic appliances,
and courtyards hung with clothes on wires,
underpants, towels and shirts which weep slow dirty tears.
Pablo Neruda is my favorite poet of all times.
The translation to English is by W.S. Merwin and by far the warmest... even though I do not speak the Spanish language!
Please accept my apologies for taking so much of this space... Thank you.
- Karin said...
Heat sucks in general ... I can handle dry heat but high humidity makes me feel as if something's hanging at my throat, strangling me piece by piece!
I'm happy you snapped out of the deepest depth of the blues and moved back toward surface ... God knows I know the feeling! Take a deep breath dear friend ... it feels goooood!
- Isobel said...
With such oppressive heat, its no wonder you were (I'm happy to see past-tense) in the doldrums. I suppose it has the same effect as 3000 days of rain that we've had here. You can't go out, you can't really do much at all. But sometimes being with friends, and especially listening to beautiful music like the Oud, can help raise us up. I certainly hope your little Scottish fairy wasn't playing the bagpipes too!! As much as I like the pipes they certainly would clash with the Oud! :) There's always a way to find some happiness, Abufares. Sometimes it seems too far away to hold on to until we remember it's in our hearts.
- Unknown said...
what a tremedous poem! It means so much that you find it interseting. It tells so much about who you truly are. We're birds of the same feathers so to speak.
Your comments here are always full of meaning. So intense. I have to thank you for the passion behind the words. For being the man behind the passion.
- Unknown said...
I'm out! August might be a metaphor for our darkest hours, for those instances we find ourselves overwhelmingly alone.
Having friends like you and having an insatiable appetite for hope mean that I will always manage to keep myself afloat. Come heat or cold, I, so much like you, will survive.
- Unknown said...
My fairy kissed my fingers and played with my heart. Her music never clashes but sets the beautiful rhythm my soul and mind follow on foggy nights. Like a siren waiting for my passage through a rocky shoal she guides me through to safety, to the harbor of my ultimate dream.
Your words as always comfort me then set me free.
- Karin said...
YOU WILL Abufares, YOU WILL!! We're two pies in a pod or, as you put it, "birds of feather" ...
" ... insatiable appetite for hope" I love it - YES Abufares ... and for LIFE!!
- Joseph said...
Thank you for embarrassing me abufares with your uplifting :) acolade. One cannot be more humbled...
It really fills me with immense pleasure to know that you have appreciated Neruda's poem.
As for the passion, ah well, it's the fruit of a spontaneous and a relatively seasonal simple act of making love with words. Very often I'm mute...LOL
Thank you.
- Fantasia Lillith said...
I use to love summer holidays. Now that I am "all grown up" it's just like any other month. I still go to work etc. The only fun is in the summer clothes, the eating outdoors and such.
Pablo Neruda is my all time favorite as well.
We all have our ups and downs .... the important thing is to acknowledge how we feel. And then decide to do something with it. I like what you did! Creativity is the best antidote.
I do not know if it has anything to do with global warming, but this summer has topped the list of Hot summers! The air is so hot that it seems as if one is melting here in the tropics. The heat index factor for the last couple of weeks has been 103 F!!! Beautiful weather for the beach, but because it is so hot everyone is there. (Too crowded and then the water is too warm... )
Never the less, I still enjoy the summer as I get to spend time with my girls! They are both back from the USA and will be here until the end of August. I must add, that even though I'm complaining, I love the tropics above anything else : )
Get youserlf a "Mojito" (Mashed 7 mint leaves, 2 wedges lime + 1 teaspoon of sugar, add white rum and soda water). Smile and enjoy under the shade of a big and beautiful tree.
Love u,
w.b. yeats
What a lovely piece!
- Unknown said...
@w.b. yeats
oh thank you do much. i've already snapped out of my blues :-)
A Mojito ASAP
- Unknown said...
I'm out of it and doing well please join me.


text:
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Hi Taylor, where do you like to hit? I can possibly have a hit this friday or saturday, maybe somewhere in Encinitas or Carlsbad? Cheers
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text:
Every media company knows that if they are not appearing on page 1 of search engine results for their news specific keywords, they are likely to be missing out on thousands of targeted visitors and potential ad revenue, whilst competitors benefit.
However, research from Majestic SEO highlight that some of Iceland's top media organisations are failing to market themselves online, restricting their online brand reputation and visibility.
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When I talked to my friend Dixon Jones, who serves as the Marketing Director of Majestic SEO he commented, "The table is updated every day so as an international metric of who's talking to and about you, it's out there on its own. It provides a benchmark of how your site is performing and a comparative measure against your competitors." – In this case I used Icelandic Media sites as a sample.
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Bottom line: Majestic's index is now the largest commercially available Link Intelligence map on the planet including the Moon and Mars :-)


text:
Archive for March, 2013
An Interview with Lauren McCroskey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Revised UFGS Historic Masonry Specification
Posted by John Speweik in building specifications, Cleaning, historic masonry, historic mortar, Limewash, Matching, Mortar, Saving Historic Architecture, stone, Training on March 23, 2013
I had the unique privilege to interview one of the leading historic preservation experts, Lauren McCroskey, Program Manager, for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at the Seattle District, on the recent revision to the UFGS for the Restoration and Cleaning of Masonry in Historic Structures.
USACE Official Announcement:
Technical Center of Expertise (TCX), Preservation of Historic Structures and Buildings Technology Update
As part of its mission to provide leadership in historic buildings technology, the TCX announces a major revision of its specification, "Restoration and Cleaning of Masonry in Historic Structures." The spec now reflects state-of-the-industry guidance for the treatment of historic masonry and mortar, and surpasses existing preservation guidance provided by other federal agencies.
Property managers and cultural resource specialists are encouraged to use the spec in contract documents to ensure that masonry work is performed appropriately to prolong the life of historic buildings. See Unified Facilities Guide Specification 04 01 00.91
Speweik: What is the official title of the specification?
McCroskey: The title is the UNIFIED FACILITIES GUIDE SPECIFICATIONS
Speweik: Who originally authored it?
McCroskey: The Corps was the preparing agent and performed the processing. The exact author(s) are unknown, though Corps staff would have prepared it.
Speweik: How long has it been in use/circulation?
McCroskey: It's been available since 1991.
Speweik: Who is authorized to use it?
McCroskey: The Guide is to be used by the Military Departments (Army, Navy, Air Force, etc.), the Defense Agencies and the DoD Field Activities for planning, design, construction, sustainment, restoration and modernization of facilities, regardless of funding source. But anyone can use the guide to adapt to a particular masonry project.
Speweik: What government agency owns it?
McCroskey: The Architectural Discipline Working Group are the owners of the Section; Scott Wick is the Corps representative of that group.
Speweik: What is your position with the USACE and what specific responsibilities do you have regarding historic preservation?
McCroskey: I manage the Technical Center of Expertise for the Preservation of Historic Structures and Buildings, a program of nationwide service. The program provides technical assistance and preservation planning for Corps Districts, DoD, and other federal agencies to ensure facility and property managers apply the best practices to historic structures. We try to set the highest standards of preservation practice through quality project work, training, and by developing technical information.
Speweik: What prompted you to request an update to the Historic Masonry Division Section this past year?
McCroskey: For several years I've had an awareness that the Corps' existing standards and guidance for the treatment of historic masonry has lagged behind newer developments and technological advancements for treating historic brick, stone, and mortar. I receive inquiries from Corps Districts and other agencies asking for specific guidance to address deteriorated stone or brick. Property managers rarely know how to approach these issues from a historic preservation perspective, and often have maintenance and field crews tackle masonry problems. While their intent is good, the methods, materials, and applications are often not appropriate for historic structures, and can lead to further harm and long-term costly repairs. That's why it's essential for us to be able to pass along the most appropriate, state-of-the-industry techniques and standards.
Speweik: What do you believe to be one of the most significant changes to the specification?
McCroskey: There are many improvements, but one of the most important is the depth of information, which is far more educational for the user than the old spec. There is much to be learned from this document. Another key improvement is that materials application is not just described, but preceded by a thoughtful examination of building and masonry conditions. There is extensive information about how to investigate existing conditions so that the best decisions can be made about materials, conditions, and methods.
Speweik: How do you see this change making a positive difference for the quality-level of Historic Preservation Projects in the United States?
McCroskey: I believe the TCX is obligated to provide the best guidance regarding the treatment of historic structures and buildings. By encouraging the use of this guide, the rehabilitation of historic masonry should be performed in a manner that is appropriate, efficient, and prolongs the life of historic materials.
Speweik: How do you envision the revised specification affecting the work you do at the USACE?
McCroskey: The spec will be the only guidance we provide to customers, or when advising others on the best standards for masonry. Since this spec now surpasses all other historic masonry guidance, we now consider this document the "gold standard." Of course, there are sub categories of masonry, such as terra cotta and concrete, which may require other technical information. But where brick, stone, and mortar are concerned, this is our "go to" standard.
Speweik: Did you consider the possible additional costs to Historic Preservation Projects as a result of some of the changes? And, if so, do you believe the additional cost is a significant percentage of overall project costs?
McCroskey: When good preservation practices are used, the life and performance of historic materials is extended. When improper practices are applied, greater costs can be incurred when the wrong treatment or method causes damage that requires repair. Taking short cuts by using commercial products that are not suited to historic stone or brick, or using techniques that are not consistent with historic methods can cost more long-term, and rarely satisfy the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and treatment of historic structures that all federal agencies must follow.
Speweik: How do architects, owners, consultants and contractors find out more about this important specification document?
McCroskey: The guide is now available on-line at the TCX web page: http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/BusinessWithUs/HistoricPreservation.aspx
For additional information or clarification regarding the spec's application, your readers may contact me at:
Lauren McCroskey
Program Manager
Technical Center of Expertise
Preservation of Historic Structures & Buildings
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Seattle District


text:
Jason Giambi, batting for struggling Mark Reynolds, belted a 1-1 pitch from Ramon Troncoso (1-3) high over the wall and into the bushes in center. It was the 436th career homer and ninth career walk-off shot for the slugger.
Jason Giambi still had the chills long after he shook Progressive Field.
Giambi hit a pinch-hit home run leading off the ninth inning, a towering shot over the center field wall that sent the Cleveland Indians to their fifth straight win, 3-2 over the Chicago White Sox on Monday night.
Batting for Mark Reynolds, Giambi belted a 1-1 pitch from Ramon Troncoso (1-3) into the bushes beyond the fence. It was the 436th career homer and ninth career walk-off shot for the popular 42-year-old slugger, who had a bucket of ice water dumped over his head by teammates.
"I might catch pneumonia," he joked. "I'm a little old to be dunked with water. I love it. I've been preaching all year one guy is not more important than another and it's going to take all 25 of us, even more than that, to win ballgames and we've done it all year. It's just exciting to be a part of it."
According to STATS, Giambi is the oldest player in major league history to hit a walk-off homer, surpassing Hank Aaron, who was 42 days younger than Giambi when he did it in 1976.
Closer Chris Perez (3-1) pitched the ninth, allowing a two-out triple to Dayan Viciedo but stranded the go-ahead run when left fielder Michael Brantley made a sensational, running catch for the third out.
With their 10th win in 14 games, the Indians moved within 2 1-2 games of the idle Detroit Tigers for first place in the AL Central.
The sinking White Sox have lost four straight and 10 of 13.
Giambi's dramatic shot — and postgame bath — provided more memorable snapshots for the Indians, who are making a strong push as August approaches. Cleveland is keeping the pressure on the Tigers as well as injecting themselves into the wild-card discussion.
As he rounded third, Giambi smiled when he saw his teammates awaiting his arrival at the plate. He leaped into their welcome-home party and nearly had his jersey pulled off in the celebration.
"That's what keeps you coming back," Giambi said. "There's no moment more special than when you get that embrace from your teammates and all those smiles. It's exciting."
The well-respected Giambi has been instrumental in bringing the Indians together and they are clicking at just the right time.
"I love how we're growing and that's what I keep telling them, we're growing and we're going to keep learning and learning and getting better and better," Giambi said. "Even in the down times we were learning. It's exciting how it's all coming together."
Perez got the first two outs in the ninth before Viciedo hit a sinking liner that skipped past right fielder Ryan Rabun and rolled all the way to the wall. Center fielder Michael Bourn hustled over threw it quickly to the infield, preventing Viciedo from trying for an inside-the-park homer.
Gordon Beckham followed with a line drive to left that Brantley casually ran down and snared with an overhead catch to keep it tied 2-all. When he got back to the dugout, Brantley was greeted by several of his teammates and a thankful Perez.
"I thought it was off the wall," said Perez, who patted his heart as he walked to the dugout.
The Indians got another strong outing from a starter as Zach McAllister allowed just two runs and five hits in seven innings. Cleveland's starters came in with a 1.79 ERA in the past 16 games.
The White Sox fell 23 games below .500 for the first time since 2007.
With the trading deadline approaching Wednesday at 4 p.m., the last-place team may make some deals.
Before the game, they sent reliever Jesse Crain to Tampa Bay for future considerations. Chicago is also believed to be dangling Jake Peavy, who is scheduled to start Tuesday's game.
"You've got to be able to get through it," manager Robin Ventura said. "It will be better in a couple of days because it will be over. It's stuff you have to deal with every year. It's different this year because they're not in the who-we're-going-to-get stage."
The Indians' streak of 26 consecutive scoreless innings ended in the sixth.
Blanked by McAllister for the first five innings, the White Sox scored twice with two outs on Adam Dunn's RBI double and Paul Konerko's run-scoring single.
It was the first run given up by the Indians since the eighth inning on Friday. Cleveland posted consecutive shutouts over the weekend against Texas, and lead the majors with 14 shutouts.
Held to one hit by John Danks over the first five innings, the Indians tied it in the sixth on Asdrubal Cabrera's RBI groundout.
As has been the case during their recent surge, the Indians grabbed an early lead.
They went ahead in the second on Carlos Santana's sacrifice fly, the 16th straight game Cleveland has scored first — a new franchise record. The Indians scored first in 15 games in a row in 1906, and Cleveland's current streak is the majors' longest since Milwaukee did it 21 consecutive times in 1990.
NOTES: Indians manager Terry Francona received a text from Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia, who was sitting near the dugout phone David Ortiz destroyed with his bat in Baltimore. "None of the words were printable," said Francona, who remains close with his former player. When Francona managed in Boston he said Ortiz rarely got that mad, but "when he goes ..." One time, Francona was trying to calm "Big Papi" down and Ortiz stepped on his foot and broke his toenail. "I wanted to kill him," Francona said. ... Cleveland's scoreless streak was the club's longest since 2000.


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Fresh off its roller coaster IPO and $1 billion Instagram acquisition, it's now come to our attention that Facebook might have plans to build its own browser (alà Google Chrome) based on Opera's Web browser. Talk about wanting to be an Internet conquistador!
The rumor on Facebook's possible Web browser ambitions comes from Pocket-lint:
A Facebook browser that would allow you keep up to date with your social life from in-built plug-ins and features on the menu bar could be on the cards. Pocket-lint has heard from one of its trusted sources that the social networking giant is looking to buy Opera Software, the company behind the Opera web browser.
According to our man in the know, the company could be about to expand into the browser space to take on the likes of Google, Apple, Microsoft, Mozilla and now even Yahoo, who has recently launched its own browser.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
The Next Web chimed in on the matter as well:
1) Opera Software management is talking to potential buyers right now.
Currently listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, the company's leadership is said to consider becoming part of a larger privately-held or public company rather than trying to keep growing the business independently.
2) We're told that there's currently a hiring freeze at Opera, which is a surefire sign that something big is about to happen - or at least that Opera wants something big to happen.
Naturally, Facebook declined to comment on the rumor.
The thought of Facebook creating its own Web browser is not farfetched. Just as Google is a portal to the rest of the Web, Facebook is quickly following in its footsteps, but through the socialgraph. Facebook is to today's kids as Google was to us 10 years ago.
A Facebook Web browser could be the foundation that'll eventually lead to a real Facebook smartphone and mobile OS competitor. What with everybody predicting Facebook's death in five years, Facebook needs to be more than a one-hit wonder. There's no other way to own the Internet than to be the vehicle to the Internet.
The most recent data from Statcounter, tracker of Web browser traffic shows Opera is the fifth most-used Web browser, trailing Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari.
The chart says it all:
Pocket-lint, via The Verge and The Next Web


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You can get the 2LP on white vinyl without the shirt, or you can also get it on black vinyl.
Limited edition (95 copies only) on double white vinyl. Features three tracks not available on the CD version.
T-shirt is limited edition black (100% cotton). Triangle logo on front. **shirt pack limited to only 24 copies**
Architect's sixth full length album Mine constitutes an appreciable shift in direction compared to his previous works by adding compositional and instrumental innovations brand new to this project. Supported by well-respected artists such as Ben Lukas Boysen a.k.a. Hecq, guitarist and cellist Felix Gerlach, Dejan Samardzic (dsx), legendary producer, engineer and remixer Paul Kendall (Depeche Mode, Nitzer Ebb, Erasure, Recoil), Canadian musician and sound designer Comaduster and Hungarian vocalist Emese Arvai-Illes (Black Nail Cabaret), Architect marches to no one's beat but his own, expanding ambitious electronica with comprehensive down-tempo song structures. Moderate yet decisive beats and precise keyboard and string arrangements build the foundation for Emese's exceptional voice, transmitting suspense, depth and sinister beauty with perfectly fitting lyrics.
Depending on how and when you listen, this atmospheric release can fill you with menace and sadness, or send you into a deep reverie. Uncompromising, muscular and powerful, the music of Mine is also full of subtle touches and a supple sense of rhythm. Highly recommended for devotees of Moderat, Recoil or House of Black Lanterns - this album will be 'yours' for sure.
"Myer is a true innovator who has forged his own path in the industrial/experimental electronic world and still remains sinfully undiscovered by many."
-Paul Lloyd, Connexion Bizarre
"To all open-minded fans of music-as-art, I dare you to live by the motto consume adapt create as well as Myer has done here."
-Jacob Wendlandt, Dark Twin Cities
"He knows his sound design almost too well."
-Peter Marks, Headphone Commute


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Rain Shmain
December 18, 2010
I went to the park with Lilybuns, the babies, the Sissy, and the BIL today.
I was scared to bring my camera because I didn't want to wreck it but I'm so glad I did!
The ground was extra pretty since different trees had different colored leaves.
I looked like a damn fool running and stomping on'em, but that's okay.
Such a lovely Saturday afternoon!
No comments yet


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Samsung Electronics has pushed profits to yet another record, jumping 26 per cent in the third quarter, but had to rely on recovery in the chip market to do it.
The Korean chaebol has had a string of strong quarters as its Galaxy mobes powered to the top of the Android table and it joined Apple at the head of the smartphone sector. But growth in the sales of high-end phones has been slacking off and the company's latest releases, like the Galaxy Gear smart watch, have failed to have the sort of impact its products have had in the past.
The company now reckons that the memory business will continue to do well in the next quarter and smartphone sales would still grow, but increased competition over the holiday period would impact that business.
Net profit at the firm hit 8.24 trillion won ($7.7bn, £4.75bn) in the quarter, while revenues swelled to 59.08 trillion won ($55bn, £34), up 6.9 trillion won ($6.4bn, £3.95m) from Q3 2012. Semiconductor sales were the best performer, climbing 12 per cent, while mobile sales inched forward just two per cent from the previous quarter.
The company told analysts in a conference call that it expects to bag a $1.4bn (£860m) payment from its recently announced deal with Gorilla-Glass-maker Corning.
Corning is buying Samsung out of a joint display venture in return for an investment in the firm that gives Sammy a 7.4 per cent stake and a 10-year supply deal. ®


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Alyssa Milano, now 40 years old, has come a long way since she played Tony Danza's daughter on "Who's the Boss."
The star of ABC's new drama, "Mistresses," Milano covers Maxim's July/August issue wearing nothing but short shorts and an open flannel shirt, 15 years after the actress first covered the magazine in March 1998.
In her interview with the mag, Milano opens up about getting older in the public eye.
"I went through puberty like everyone else; it only got embarrassing when the show would take what was going on with me and write it into the show, like 'Samantha's First Bra,'" she said.
"It was like, OK, guys, do we really need to do this? But what an awesome time stamp!," she added.
Milano also discussed the difficulties that child actors face.
"That was an era when TV child actors just didn't work after their show was over," she said. "I think Christina Applegate and I are the only two who maintained some sort of career path past the shows that launched us."
"But I have a great family," Milano added, "And I look at a lot of these kids who struggle in the industry and think they'd have struggled no matter what they did."


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And here it is a little closer up. And OOoooh don't you just love that pink mirror card!
Did you see something pink and fluffy that I bought from Wipso's shop? Isn't she a cutie?
I have had a lovely day out with my friend Linzi and we have bought the paper for her son's party invitations. Orange and Black are the colours and they look great together. We have just got to make them now!
I am off to pick the kids up from school and will then be back to browse through your workdesks on Julia's blog!
Have a great week all.
Tracey x


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Rebel Cities: From the Right to the City to the Urban Revolution
Verso, 2012)
Cities have long been the site of revolutionary politics: they are the centers of capital accumulation and the frontline for struggles over who controls access to urban resources and who dictates the quality and organization of daily life. Is it the financiers and developers, or the people? Rebel Cities places the city at the heart of both capital and class struggles, looking at locations ranging from Johannesburg to Mumbai and from New York City to São Paulo. Drawing on the Paris Commune as well as Occupy Wall Street and the London Riots, Harvey asks how cities might be reorganized in more socially just and ecologically sane ways—and how they can become the focus for anticapitalist resistance. David Harvey is a distinguished professor of anthropology, earth and environmental sciences, and history at the Graduate Center.
Purchase this book
Submitted on: MAY 15, 2012
Category: Anthropology | Earth and Environmental Sciences | Faculty Books | History


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Rock County hit-and-run suspect's parents reported damage to SUV
Their son is accused of hitting and killing two motorcyclists on a road near Janesville and then driving off.
His parents spoke with WISN 12 News about why they think their son did not stop.
Sambath Pal is accused of hit-and-run driving in the deaths of two sport bikers on Easter Sunday near Janesville.
His Cambodian parents talked with WISN 12 News reporter Terry Sater on Wednesday in Park City, Ill.
It was Pal's family members who eventually went to police, saying there was damage to their black SUV after their son had driven it.
"I ask him, and he told me that, 'I don't know what I hit mom. That's why I don't stop,'" Pal's mother, Kimmoy Pal, said.
Pal's dad was starting to panic when he found out his wife's SUV matched the description of the SUV in the hit-and run-crash.
"We're gonna turn him in, try to talk to him. That if he done it, so just go to police," Saroeun Tith said. "What problem, he was, didn't stop. You know, he should stop. He panicked. He scared."
Now their son, who served in the Marines, and was discharged early, is facing felony charges.
Sambath Pal has been held in the Lake County Jail in Waukegan, Ill., for nearly a week. He has a court hearing Thursday afternoon, and Wisconsin authorities are trying to bring him back to face charges near Janesville.
Pal's parent said they're heartbroken.
"I miss him so much," Kimmoy Pal said.
The suspect's parents said they're sorry for what happened and expressed their sympathy for the victims' families.


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Santa Doll Set With Thomas Kinkade Artwork And Narration
Handcrafted Santa and baby doll set with real wooden rocking chair. Tells "The Night Before Christmas" in Thomas Kinkade's voice.
Santa doll measures 55.9 cm H; baby doll measures 30.5 cm L
- Price:
- s&s◇
Every year, a wonderful Christmas tradition is shared in millions of homes - the annual reading of "The Night Before Christmas." Now, Thomas Kinkade shares his love of this holiday classic in this spectacular story-telling Santa doll set by renowned Santa doll artist Karen Vander Logt, exclusively from The Ashton-Drake Galleries.
Both of the amazingly lifelike dolls in this set are handcrafted by master artisans in intricate detail, from Santa's merry expression to his little friend's adorable baby-tooth smile. Santa's snow-white, genuine mohair whiskers shine against his red velveteen and faux fur outfit, while Baby, dressed in candy-cane-striped pyjamas, nestles close. Even their real, mahogany-finished rocking chair is perfect. And what's Santa reading from that pretty book with the Kinkade art on the front? Why, "The Night Before Christmas," of course, narrated in Thomas Kinkade's own voice! Intense demand is expected for this lovable pair, so don't wait to make them a part of your holiday celebration - order now!
- A spectacular two-doll set by doll artist Karen Vander Logt, uniting the enduring appeal of Thomas Kinkade's holiday art, the rich tradition of Santa Claus, and the classic "The Night Before Christmas" story, available exclusively from The Ashton-Drake Galleries
- Push a button and the beloved story "The Night Before Christmas" comes to life through the gentle power of Thomas Kinkade's voice
- Both the Santa doll and the baby doll in this set are handcrafted by master artisans in artist's resin, capturing an extraordinary level of lifelike detail, from Santa's merry expression to his little friend's adorable baby-tooth smile
- Santa doll wears a pair of removable wire-rimmed glasses, and his bushy eyebrows and snow-white whiskers are crafted of genuine mohair, while his outfit is custom tailored in red velveteen with plush faux fur trim
- Baby doll is dressed in candy-cane-striped red-and-white pyjamas
- Santa's mahogany-finished wooden chair actually rocks
- Thomas Kinkade's beloved "Victorian Christmas II" artwork is featured on the cover of Santa's book, beautifully recreated in vivid colour and detail
- Requires 3 "AAA" batteries (not included)
- Certificate of Authenticity
- Santa doll measures 55.9 cm H; baby doll measures 30.5 cm L
- Buy This Item Now:
- Santa Doll Set With Thomas Kinkade Artwork And Narration
Thomas Kinkade's Voice Helps Santa Tell a Christmas Classic in this Story-Telling Two-Doll Set!
- Price:
- s&s◇
- Item no:
- 114916001
©2011 Thomas Kinkade
©2011 The Ashton-Drake Galleries


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Friday, January 18, 2013
Of Kurdish barbers and Jewish converts
Last week, I met a Kurd, a barber by trade, with Jewish grandparents on his mother's side. I asked him, how come his grandparents had converted to Islam? His grandfather had a dream about Muhammed, the barber told me. He was instructed to go and see his local imam. His imam told him that the dream was a sign that he ought to convert to Islam. And so he did. His Jewish wife and family were also persuaded to change their names to Muslim names and convert.
But there was always a lingering suspicion that the wife was not sincere in her conversion. As a good Muslim, she was expected to spread her prayer mat out five times a day. To test her, her family placed matchsticks inside the prayer mat. If she had used it, the matchsticks would have broken. They checked the prayer mat: the matchsticks had remained intact. Her grandson the barber considers himself Jewish, as halachically (according to Jewish law) he is - Judaism being passed down through the mother's line.
In Kurdistan, they call them Ben-Ju: they are the descendants of Jews converted to Islam. To all intents and purposes, they are Muslim. But they remain aware of their Jewish ancestry, and this undoubtedly influences their views. Many are sympathetic to Israel. The Israel-Kurd magazine - whose editor disappeared last summer without trace (reportedly kidnapped by Iranian agents) - was apparently an initiative of Kurds of mixed Muslim-Jewish ancestry.
The barber's grandfather converted to Islam of his own free will. On several occasions, however, I have met Kurds who are now Muslim because decades, or centuries ago, a Muslim tribesman took a fancy to a Jewish girl and had her abducted so that he could marry her.
There could be hundreds or even thousands of these cases. It's an intriguing thought that the scale of forced conversions in Kurdistan might even approximate what occurred in Morocco (one in four Moroccan Muslims in Fez, for example, are reckoned to descend from Jewish converts) Yemen, and Iran.
Crossposted at Harry's Place
Muslim-Jews lost in the no-man's land of identity
Posted by bataween at Friday, January 18, 2013
Labels: Arab-Jewish relations, Kurds
3 comments:
boohoohoo!What a sad story. Forced to give up your religion.
If that is not proof of antisemitism, I don't know what is!!!
sultana latifa
a Jewish refugee from Egypt.
- 10:46 am, January 18, 2013
- in the vanguard said...
Because so many Jews remain, albeit unidentified as such, among the Arabs, Moshiach will apply his unique power of olfaction to detect the true Jew from among the muslim hordes.
- 11:49 pm, January 21, 2013
i am kurdish jewish from city kermanshah one city in iran there many jewish living beetwin 800000 an 900000 many can not say they are jews.....because there are a lot of problems Islamists hate us very much, I do not know why they hate us, what have we done to them
They have occupied our land
- 5:04 am, January 28, 2013
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Post widely:
Call for Experimental Video: ADTV
In the ever-accelerating media culture, how can video art explore the
contemporary cultural milieu? For that matter, how can it interface with
genres like New Media to create novel modes of audience engagement?
ADTV (Attention Deficit TV) is an experimental television program created in
the spirit of Dada, the Situationists, and Fluxus to address the disjoint
nature of contemporary culture in a playful manner. Mixing elements of the
attentive, the inattentive, the frenetic, and the discontinuous, ADTV seeks
to challenge the established protocols of television, motion graphic
design, video art, and New Media.
ADTV will consist of 1-3 30-minute pilot episodes which will be 'broadcast'
from an top-secret media laboratory deep beneath the bowels of a Midwestern
US university. Each episode will be of an ad hoc format of segments rarely
longer than 30-90 seconds each, with the exact configuration depending on
the content and daily occurrences surrounding the show's creative process.
Hosted by creators Patrick Lichty and Nathan Murray (with Gregory Little),
ADTV wants to provide a potent palaver for the undulating underground of the
transmodern mediascape.
In the end, our goal is to deliver 20-30 minutes of content akin to the
irresistible media train wreck that changes channels every 30 seconds. No
need to flip the channel - we'll do it for you.
The resulting ADTV episodes will be broadcast on WBGU-TV and distributed via
V-Podcast through DVBlog.org
ADTV be a high colonic for what ails you?
ADTV be a palate cleanser or an after-dinner aperitif?
ADTV be a cutting-edge critique of contemporary culture?
ADTV be a mirror of a surface-deep media milieu?
We have no idea. Our goal is the solely the process of ADTV's media stream-
of-consciousness firehose.
ADTV Call for Content!
While ...
Originally posted on Rhizome.org Raw by patrick lichty


text: NPR Staff What Story Should Goats and Soda Investigate In 2017? By NPR Staff • Dec 15, 2016 Over the past week, we asked our audience to help Goats and Soda come up with one of our first stories of 2017. We asked: Is there a topic in the field of global health and development that you think we didn't pay enough attention to last year and that will loom large in the year ahead? Is there a small but important trend afoot? Earlier this month, we received more than 100 questions on everything from deforestation to leprosy to human population. We put three of them up for vote. More than 300 people voted, and this question was the winner: 7 Questions We Would Have Asked Donald Trump At His Canceled Press Conference By NPR Staff • Dec 15, 2016 Updated at 12:39 p.m. ET President-elect Donald Trump promised a press conference Thursday to clarify the role he would have with his international business entanglements after he becomes president. He canceled. The transition team said Monday that Trump is delaying his "announcement" until January. Later that night, Trump took to his favorite medium to go around the filter — Twitter — and made some news about his plans: Seattle Natives Identify Gentrification By Who's Riding The Bus By NPR Staff • Dec 14, 2016 When Donald Trump won the presidential election, he made a pledge to every citizen: that he would be president for all Americans. In the weeks before Trump's inauguration, we're going to hear about some of the communities that make up this nation, from the people who know them best, in our series Finding America. The No. 48 bus runs through the Central District of Seattle. 'York Project' Revisited: NPR Catches Up With Four 2008 Voters By NPR Staff • Dec 14, 2016 We're near the end of an eight-year chapter in American history, one that began with the election of Barack Obama in 2008. It's ending as a new president takes power after another election that forced Americans to confront questions of race. In Ohio Coal Country, Job Prospects Lie With Neither Coal Nor Trump's Promises By NPR Staff • Dec 13, 2016 The path of the Ohio River snakes southwest out of Pittsburgh and forms the border between Ohio and West Virginia. Here, the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains rise along its banks, and beneath that Appalachian soil lie the natural resources that have sustained the valley's economy: coal — and now, natural gas. To people far away, who consume goods made with energy fueled by the Ohio Valley, coal and gas may be harmful agents of global warming. But to people in Ohio coal country, a good life on the ground is paid for by what's underneath it. 'High Times' And High Notes: The Life Of Sebastian Bach By NPR Staff • Dec 11, 2016 Sebastian Bach has sung, screamed and strutted for fans around the world as the frontman for the band Skid Row. When grunge overtook metal in the '90s and the band kicked him out, he found ways to keep on singing; that's been his passion since his days as a choir boy at All Saints Anglican Church. In Case You Can't Wait: A Preview Of Alt.Latino's Best Latin Music Of 2016 By NPR Staff • Dec 11, 2016 The Life Of Danny Barker, Who Saw Jazz As 'A Ride On A Royal Camel' By NPR Staff • Dec 10, 2016 For Mavis Staples, The Music Of The Civil Rights Era Couldn't Be More Relevant Today By NPR Staff • Dec 10, 2016 Remembering 4 Electronic Musicians Lost In The Oakland Warehouse Fire By NPR Staff • Dec 9, 2016 It has been a week since a massive fire in Oakland, Calif., claimed the lives of 36 people at a party in a warehouse. "Ghost Ship," as the space was known, was an artist community and music venue, and many of the people who attended the concert the night of last week's deadly fire were up-and-coming electronic music artists. In Flint, Mayor Works On Rebuilding Pipes — And Trust In The City By NPR Staff • Dec 8, 2016 It's been nearly a year since Mayor Karen Weaver declared a state of emergency in Flint, Mich. Before she became mayor, the city switched its water supply to the Flint River in a cost-cutting measure. The water wasn't properly treated, which caused corrosion in old pipes — leaching lead and other toxins into the city's tap water. People were afraid to drink or even bathe in the water. Since then, a lot has happened. 'There's Something About Her': Podcast Explores How Oprah Became Oprah By NPR Staff • Dec 8, 2016 Thirty years ago, a new face debuted on daytime television: Oprah Winfrey. The new podcast, "Making Oprah," produced by member station WBEZ, chronicles Oprah's rise to stardom. Journalist Jenn White tells Oprah's story from her early days on her first talk show, AM Chicago, through to the biggest, most outrageous moments when 40 million people a week were watching her national show. What Legal Recourse Do Victims Of Fake News Stories Have? By NPR Staff • Dec 7, 2016 Fake news played a bigger role in this past presidential election than ever seen before. And sometimes it has had serious repercussions for real people and businesses. That's what happened to a pizzeria in Washington, D.C., recently, when an armed man claiming to be "self-investigating" a fake news story entered the restaurant and fired off several rounds. Are You Of Two Minds? Michael Lewis' New Book Explores How We Make Decisions By NPR Staff • Dec 6, 2016 We like to think our brains can make rational decisions — but maybe they can't. The way risks are presented can change the way we respond, says best-selling author Michael Lewis. In his new book, The Undoing Project, Lewis tells the story of Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, two Israeli psychologists who made some surprising discoveries about the way people make decisions. Along the way, they also founded an entire branch of psychology called behavioral economics. No, FDR Did Not Know The Japanese Were Going To Bomb Pearl Harbor By NPR Staff • Dec 6, 2016 Seventy-five years after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, some Americans have never stopped believing that President Franklin Roosevelt let it happen in order to draw the U.S. into World War II. "It's ridiculous," says Rob Citino, a senior researcher at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. "But it's evergreen. It never stops. My students, over 30 years — there'd always be someone in class [who'd say], 'Roosevelt knew all about it.'" Despite Its Promise, The Internet Of Things Remains Vulnerable By NPR Staff • Dec 5, 2016 More and more of the things we use every day are being connected to the Internet. The term for these Internet-enabled devices — like connected cars and home appliances — is the Internet of things. They promise to make life more convenient, but these devices are also vulnerable to hacking. Security technologist Bruce Schneier told NPR's Audie Cornish that while hacking someone's emails or banking information can be embarrassing or costly, hacking the Internet of things could be dangerous. Is Trump's Deal With Carrier A Form Of Crony Capitalism? By NPR Staff • Dec 2, 2016 On Donald Trump's visit to Carrier in Indiana on Thursday, he mentioned a phone call that he made to the CEO of United Technologies, the air conditioning company's parent. As Trump describes it, that call led to Carrier announcing it will not move as many jobs to Mexico as it had planned. "We can't allow this to happen anymore with our country. So many jobs are leaving and going to other countries, not just Mexico," Trump said. No, Fidel Castro Wasn't Nearly A New York Yankee By NPR Staff • Nov 30, 2016 The late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro loved baseball. And you may have heard that he was such a good player that years before the Cuban revolution, he tried out for the New York Yankees in Havana. Or not. This myth has persisted for years, and though it might be fun to contemplate the historical consequences of this "What if?" scenario, Adrian Burgos Jr., University of Illinois history professor and author of Playing America's Game: Baseball, Latinos and the Color Line, says it simply didn't happen. Trump's Populism Is Transforming GOP's Economics, Adviser Says By NPR Staff • Nov 29, 2016 Stephen Moore, a senior economic adviser to Donald Trump, was once a doctrinaire libertarian and free-trader. Now, Moore says: "Donald Trump's victory has changed the [Republican] Party into a more populist working-class party in some ways that conservatives like myself will like and some that we'll be uncomfortable with." In Andy Grammer's New Video, A Call To Act Against Homelessness By NPR Staff • Nov 26, 2016 YouTube Andy Grammer's latest single, "Fresh Eyes," is a love song — but it grew in meaning when he filmed the music video on To Survive A Post-Election Thanksgiving, Try StoryCorps' Oral History Project By NPR Staff • Nov 24, 2016 Looking for a diversion from divisive political conversation this Thanksgiving? StoryCorps suggests using its smartphone app as part of its Great Thanksgiving Listen project. Women Take On Big-Wave Surfing, Once The Domain Of Men, At Mavericks By NPR Staff • Nov 23, 2016 Imagine a wave so big it darkens the horizon as it rolls in. Just south of San Francisco, this surf spot is called Mavericks. Sarah Gerhardt is the first women to surf this famously dangerous big-wave spot. She did that in 1999 when she was 24. Now, at 42, she's one of six women comprising the first women's heat in a surfing contest there. The women will compete for $30,000 in the Titans of Mavericks, surfing waves that swell well beyond 30 feet. At Thanksgiving, If You Take Sides, Make Sure They're As Tasty As These By NPR Staff • Nov 23, 2016 It's Thanksgiving, which means you'll be seeing Aunt Martha's sweet potato casserole encased in a marshmallow cloud that has drifted too close to the sun. Cousin Joe, who's just here for the game, will bring his famous can-shaped cranberry sauce that looks like it's been attacked by a Slinky. Then your sister will arrive with her sad concoction of green beans drowning in cream-of-mushroom soup, flecked with floating onion strings that have been flung like debris from the Titanic. To Make It In Comedy You Have To Bet On Yourself By NPR Staff • Nov 22, 2016 When you're facing a major life change, it helps to talk to someone who's already been through it. All Things Considered is connecting people on either side of a shared experience, and they're letting us eavesdrop on their conversations in our series Been There. Scholars Delve Deeper Into The Ethics Of Artificial Intelligence By NPR Staff • Nov 21, 2016 In 1941, science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov stated "The Three Laws of Robotics," in his short story "Runaround." Law One: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. Law Two: A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. Law Three: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws. 'We're Contemporary People': BADBADNOTGOOD's Mixed Bag Of Inspiration By NPR Staff • Nov 21, 2016 BADBADNOTGOOD knows its name is a little strange. The jazz group's bassist, Chester Hansen, says it invites jokes from nearly everyone the band meets. "It's probably the most punned name I have ever heard," he says. Nina Diaz Is On The Other Side By NPR Staff • Nov 19, 2016 New Yorker Editor David Remnick Describes Obama's Reactions To Election By NPR Staff • Nov 18, 2016 Here's a succinct analysis of last week's presidential vote: "Trump understands the new ecosystem, in which facts and truth don't matter. You attract attention, rouse emotions, and then move on." Surgeon General Murthy Wants America To Face Up To Addiction By NPR Staff • Nov 17, 2016 In 1964, the U.S. surgeon general released a report on the health impacts of smoking, and it shaped the public and government's attitudes toward tobacco for years to come. On Thursday, another surgeon general's report was issued, this time tackling a much broader issue: addiction and the misuse and abuse of chemical substances. The focus isn't just one drug, but all of them. Bellevue Hospital Pioneered Care For Presidents And Paupers By NPR Staff • Nov 16, 2016 When he was growing up in New York, All Things Considered host Robert Siegel always knew that Bellevue Hospital was a city institution. But it wasn't until he read David Oshinsky's book Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital, that he realized the hospital was a pioneering institution for all of American medicine. Pages« first ‹ previous … 5 6 7 8 … next › last »


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The IRS Oversight Board recognizes the importance of setting strategic goals for the IRS and establishing measures to monitor progress in attaining the goals. Strategic goals and measures are the primary methods that enable the Board and the public to gauge the success of the IRS over the long term.
At the Oversight Board's recommendation, the IRS identified, and the Board approved, long term measures that can be used to evaluate progress in achieving the goals established by the
Internal Revenue Service Strategic Plan FY2014-2017
: to deliver high quality and timely service to reduce taxpayer burden and encourage voluntary compliance; to effectively enforce the law to ensure compliance with tax responsibilities and combat fraud; and to invest in the IRS workforce and foundational capabilities to deliver high performance.
To review the long term measures and their target goals and actual results over previous years, go to:
IRS Long Term Performance Measures
The IRS Oversight Board and its committees also monitor and discuss with IRS executive leadership the shorter term annual operational performance of the agency based on a larger set of more workload-oriented performance measures.
To review these annual performance measures and their definitions, go to:
IRS Annual Performance Measures Tables
IRS Long Term Measures
All Measures
ACSI Customer Satisfaction: Individuals
Satisfaction with Service
Satisfaction with Enforcement Process
Employee Engagement
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text:
not a teacher
I think "gingers" are people with red hair, freckles, and pale skin who have some problems with their survival. And for a stepchild, who is a child of an early marriage, is also very difficult to survive having a stepmother or a stepfather. Hence a ginger stepchild might be taken as a symbol of hard surviving. The ginger stepchild might be a concrete red-haired stepchild with a lot of problems.
Student or Learner


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Lydd Airport based in Kent, is conveniently situated for travellers wanting to visit the South East of England and is within easy access to the M20 motorway. The high speed rail link from The Ashford International Station will get you into England's capital, London, St. Pancras Station in just 37 minutes. Private helicopter transfers to London can be arranged if required, typically taking 25-35 minutes.
Flying into Lydd from Continental Europe is easy and unrestricted being situated just outside the London TMA. Lydd Airport's 1505m runway is well served by ILS, GPS and NDB, together with RFFS category 2 availability (RFFS CAT 3 on remission) and full terminal services, including - Customs, Immigration and Special Branch. Lydd Airport caters for a wide range of aircraft operations, from executive jets, helicopters, to private light aircraft and cargo. Secure hangarage and aircraft parking with dedicated VIP stands are available and opening hours are convenient and practical, with extensions available upon request.
FAL Aviation UK, have an experienced team who can provide a corporate aviation package, including flight planning, weather briefings, ground handling, Pet Passport scheme, laundry services, in-flight catering, Limousine hire, refuelling, baggage, aircraft handling and outstanding crew facilities, make FAL Aviation UK, your first choice for corporate aviation in the South East.