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IS BARACK OBAMA THE FIRST BLACK JIMMY CARTER? By Jon Rappoport
October 16, 2012 www.nomorefakenews.com
Was Barack Obama handed the Jimmy Carter script from day one of his presidency?
Both men were political amateurs who came out of nowhere. They were tutored and mentored by the radical Globalist, Z. Brzezinski, who became Carter's national security adviser and Obama's informal but vital foreign policy consultant.
Obama and Carter are both creatures created by David Rockefeller's Trilateral Commission. Carter's administration was rife with TC members, and of the 87 TC members who live in the US, Obama appointed 11 of them to key posts.
Carter's political downfall was the Iran hostage crisis. One of Obama's major perceived failures has been his handling of "the nuclear weapons crisis" in Iran.
During Carter's term, an attack on the US embassy started the Iranian hostage crisis. During Obama's term, the flashpoint was an attack on the US embassy in Libya. Both events made the sitting presidents look weak and ineffective.
In truth, the overthrow of the Shah of Iran and the ascendance of the Ayatollah was engineered by Carter, who ordered the restraining of the Shah's secret police and troops, in the face of "student protests" against the Shah. It was Iran's "Arab Spring."
In a similar manner, Obama has promoted phony Middle East "popular democratic uprisings" and the overthrow of ruling strongmen in that region.
Both presidents injured their standing by blandly observing rising oil prices on their watch. They promoted humility and fairness in dealing with major oil-producing nations, sending a signal that gasoline at the pump was not a crucial issue.
In truth, they welcomed higher prices. Carter was hell-bent on his "religious" policy of conservation and asceticism, and Obama wanted to make expensive alternative energy finally cost-effective and competitive with oil.
Carter and Obama launched rhetoric about "a new kind of honorable politics," a messianic call for greater "social justice"in both the domestic and foreign-policy arenas. As a result, both men were perceived as "weak." Carter then fell to the "stronger" Ronald Reagan. Obama is running against the "stronger" Mitt Romney.
Obama and Carter both promised sweeping change that would take place immediately after their inauguration. For Carter, it was a (specious) comprehensive energy plan that would free Americans from dependence on foreign oil. For Obama, it was the (specious) stimulus that would put millions of Americans back to work. Both men vastly overplayed their positions, and both men failed utterly.
It's hard to imagine either man wanted his grand plan to succeed. It's much easier to conclude that both men wanted to diminish America.
Interest rates played a central role in both presidencies. For Carter, it was crippling escalation. For Obama, it has been massive manipulation to keep rates extraordinarily low. The result in both cases has been a significant degradation of the dollar and rising prices of goods.
Obama and Carter became intimately involved in Afghanistan. For Carter, it was about undermining the Soviet war there, and the training and arming of Arab proxies to attack Soviet troops. Obama has extended the Bush war in Afghanistan, and he has armed Arab proxies to launch wars in the Middle East (made to look like home-grown popular rebellions).
Both men have faced crises that involved their secretaries of state. Cy Vance resigned when Carter ordered a mission to rescue the 53 Americans held hostage in Iran. Now, Hillary Clinton, embroiled in the disaster in Libya, has "taken responsibility" for it. At this moment, whether she will resign is an open question. But both Vance and Clinton chose their strategies to subtly point fingers at the presidents they were serving. In Clinton's case, she was essentially saying, "Somebody around here has to stand up and take the blame, and since Obama won't, I will."
The most powerful similarities between Carter and Obama, though, relate to their bosses, the Trilateral Commission. This is the least-talked-about key.
David Rockefeller created the TC 40 years ago. Its purpose then and now? The erasure of sovereign nations and the establishing of a single global management system.
Carter and Obama submitted to that influence. They pretended they were independent, innovative, unique political figures possessed of a vision that would, finally, transform Washington and business-as-usual politics in America.
They both played the "innocence" card. They came into power promising unique change. They both used religious speech to bolster their claims. They both paraded themselves as humanitarians, first and foremost, who had somehow skirted the corrupt vetting process for presidential candidates.
They both knew this was a lie.
To ensure there is no misunderstanding, a comparison between the stances of Reagan and Romney would provide equally disappointing content.
It's all about script. The "strong" (Reagan and Romney) were put in place to provide contrast to the "weak" (Carter and Obama).
It's the old whipsaw effect. "You didn't like that president? Well, here is an entirely different one."
Meanwhile, the federal government, like a fungus, grows. It encompasses and steals more power, as the monopolistic two-party system fortifies the dark canopy under which the fungus can thrive.
The real message to the American people, from the top of the power ladder, is: "You can vote for X, or you can vote for X."
Faced with that rank insanity, the public consciousness spins its wheels in place and tries desperately to invent fairy tales in which one of those Xs is really a Y. But it isn't.
It's all about the script.
That's why even one vote scrawled on a piece of paper in an alley at midnight, for a man like Ron Paul, means more than 30 million taps on a touch screen for X or X in three weeks.
Barack Obama is the first black Jimmy Carter. Jimmy Carter was the first white Barack Obama. Mitt Romney is the first Mormon Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan was the first Hollywood Mitt Romney.
It's all about the script.
The author of an explosive collection, THE MATRIX REVEALED, Jon was a candidate for a US Congressional seat in the 29th District of California. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, he has worked as an investigative reporter for 30 years, writing articles on politics, medicine, and health for CBS Healthwatch, LA Weekly, Spin Magazine, Stern, and other newspapers and magazines in the US and Europe. Jon has delivered lectures and seminars on global politics, health, logic, and creative power to audiences around the world. You can sign up for his free emails at www.nomorefakenews.com


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AssaultCube Reloaded is a free-and-open-source first-person-shooter aimed at improving its predecessor, AssaultCube. This game combines the best of all worlds. Realism from Battlefield, anti-cheat from the Quake engine, perks from Call of Duty, and fast-paced gameplay with a low system footprint from AssaultCube.
The latest release for Linux. This will be updated when necessary.
Only registered members can share their thoughts. So come on! Join the community today (totally free - or sign in with your social account on the right) and join in the conversation.

subset: commoncrawl


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Of the hundreds of friends most of us have on Facebook, we will probably never have a conversation with most of them, never mind meet them face-to-face — unless you are Ty Morin, of Burlington, Conn.
The 23-year-old Hartford Art School grad plans to travel to visit every single one of his original 788 Facebook friends in person and photograph them — not with an iPhone or a digital camera, but with an old-fashioned 8x10 camera.
His project is called "Friend Request: Accepted."
U.S. & World
Morin estimates that it will take about an hour to photograph each person.
The other part is a documentary that captures the passion that Morin's friends have for the things they love to do, whether it is sculpting, dance or body-building.
"I think it's important to remember that everyone has a story," Morin said, even if it's not right there on the surface.
So far, the response has been positive.
"Everyone's onboard for helping out," Morin said.
He admits there have been a couple awkward instances along the way. It's something that has to be expected when you show up on the doorstep of someone you have not seen since middle school and ask them to show off their talents on film and video.
Initially, Morin was hoping that the people in his original friend list would help him get this project growing and they delivered by spreading the word online.
In February, Morin posted the idea on Kickstarter, a site where you come up with an idea and ask people to donate money to fund it.
He was looking for $5,000 to pay for the film. He has received more than $7,000, and there are 11 days left of the fundraising campaign as of Friday.
Morin will set off on a road trip at the end of April and hopes to photograph about 150 friends by the end of the year.
"It's quite a big task to take on by myself," he said, so he is looking to his artistic friends to travel with him and help out on the documentary part of the project.
"(I'm) looking to use a lot of friends in any way I can to help me with this," he said.
Morin knows this project will take years but says it will be worth it if he reaches his goal of exhibiting the photo series in a New York gallery that can handle 788 pictures.
"It would be a really cool experience," he said. "Kind of bring everyone back together."
He'd love the documentary to make it into film festivals, like SXSW or Sundance.
His other goal is to help people who have not found their passion to realize what they love to do.
"My passion is photos, and this project is allowing me to do that. I want other people to do what they are passionate about," Morin said.
You can learn more about the project on the Kickstarter Web site or on Ty's blog.


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State auditors found widespread problems at Baltimore's liquor agency in a review made public Wednesday, accusing regulators of failing to follow state law in awarding licenses, prematurely closing 311 complaints and handling inspections inconsistently.
The Baltimore Board of Liquor License Commissioners failed in some cases to document whether bars were being opened far enough away from schools and churches, the auditors said. They concluded that the work of 14 full-time and five part-time inspectors employed at the time of the review could be done with just six workers.
The board did not keep investigative records on half the 311 complaints reviewed by the Office of Legislative Audits. And while some establishments were subjected to numerous routine inspections, others never received a visit, according to the report.
Samuel T. Daniels Jr., executive secretary of the agency, said his organization runs on an "obsolete system that does function and functions far better than the suggestion of dysfunction that the audit report finds."
The board consists of three appointed commissioners and an agency that handles day-to-day work.
"The problem with the audit and auditors, they want to see every conceivable piece of paper, and if they don't there's the implication ... it never existed, it wasn't done," Daniels added.
The auditors recommended 24 fixes. Legislative auditor Thomas J. Barnickel III said in an interview that the board should put written procedures in place and better record its actions so managers can check the work of employees.
"There's a number of issues that they need to address to make sure that they're accomplishing their mission," Barnickel said.
Steve Fogleman, chairman of the liquor board, said that it has relied on informal institutional knowledge, but will work to publish policies and guidelines in response to the audit. He said it could take up to two years to carry out all the auditors' recommendations.
"We certainly weren't aware of the exact magnitude" of the problems, Fogleman said. "The liquor board relies on antiquated technology, they have relied on oral history … and have not written down specifics on what inspectors need to do."
The result, according to the auditors, is a lack of consistency in the way the board sets about its work.
For example, 96 license holders were inspected eight or more times in a single year, the auditors reported, but 202 were not inspected at all, and no inspector regularly met an internal target of four inspections a day. They found reports dating back to 2007 that had never been filed.
The liquor board is a state agency and not directly controlled by city authorities, but it gives revenues from fees and fines to the city, and the city's budget funds its operations.
In their response to the auditors, liquor agency officials said some problems could not be fixed without more funding, and Fogleman said in an interview that tight funding had forced the agency to lay off staff in the time since the audit was conducted.
Ryan O'Doherty, a spokesman for Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, said the board should make better use of the money it has.
"We are hopeful that the board will work quickly to address the audit findings — especially the findings that make clear that the issue is not a lack of city funding, but wasted staffing resources," he said.
Fogleman disputed the auditors' conclusions on staffing numbers, saying that Baltimore residents are very demanding of liquor inspectors, regularly bringing up issues at community association meetings and filing 311 complaints.
"The citizens of Baltimore require the services of the liquor board more than they ever have — there's so much more than these routine inspections," he said.
But the auditors found problems there, too. They wrote that board staff did not always document the results of complaints. In half of the 311 complaints they checked, auditors found no evidence of an investigation.
"Our review also disclosed that BLLC often closed cases in the 311 System prior to performing an investigation of the complaints," the auditors added. The report said the agency closed some complaints because the issue had not been tackled promptly and officials did not want city statistics to reflect poorly on them.
Auditors did find a bright spot: "The Board appeared to assess fines to licensees in a consistent manner based on the violation types."
Not all violations were handled at regular board hearings, however. The auditors reported that in some cases, agency staff would deal with problems in closed-door meetings.
"The legality of their use is questionable since they were not addressed in State law," the auditors wrote of those meetings.
Sen. Verna Jones-Rodwell, a Democrat who is chair of the Baltimore Senate delegation, said city senators have been aware of the problems identified in the audit for some time. "They are bad and they're significant," she said.
Now that the full report has been released, she said, the delegation will again review the audit. She said that if senators determine a legislative fix is needed, there may still be time to act before the legislature adjourns Monday night.
Baltimore Sun reporter Michael Dresser contributed to this article.
Latest Baltimore City


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You can get a bird's eye view of St. Peter's Basilica anytime of day, attend the Sunday Angelus with Pope Francis from St. Peter's Square and take part in any number of ceremonies going on inside the Vatican without ever stepping foot on Italian soil.
The Pope app is probably one of the most popular Catholic apps, but it isn't the only one the church has created.
"It's the place where people are connecting, they are seeking God, it's the marketplace of today so we need to go and engage them where they are," said Father Jorge Torres, the vocational director for the Diocese of Orlando.
Torres joked that if Jesus were here today, he'd probably have a Twitter feed.
"In his age, He would meet them where they were face to face. In our age, we can meet them through the Internet through television, through apps," Torres said.
One of those is Divine Office, an app that leads you through the five prayers of the Catholic church, with music and prayer and unison.
The church offers dozens of other apps, although smart phones and tablets are still not the preferred method of study once inside the Catholic house of worship.
"There is discussion as to the use of phones during mass, right now the church has asked us to wait on that," said Torres.
At more contemporary churches, the glow of tablets and smart phones can be seen from the balcony as parishioners follow along in scripture.
At Northland Church in Longwood, Pastor Nathan Clark joked that he hopes everyone is reading along and not just checking social media.
Clark is one of the Church's online pastors. The web platform is the focus for Northland, offering services and counseling directly through the church's website.
"A significant number of our congregation also worships online, then there's a significant number in the thousands all over the world and all over the country that worships with us as well," said Clark.
Take the Leaf family. Stan, a member of the Army, spent much of the last decade on deployment. That took a toll on his marriage to wife Sandy.
But Stan's daughter Alyssa, who was a young teen at the time, enlightened them about online worship with Northland.
It not only saved their marriage, but brought them closer together as a family.
"Sometimes, it's the only time I talk to him when he's away, unless I catch him on the phone," said Alyssa, now 20.
She's no stranger to religious technology, using daily devotional apps on her phone to better understand Biblical scripture and stay connected with friends.
"I don't know any friends with a smart phone who don't use some type of Bible app on their phone," she said.
Stan and Sandy don't even live in Central Florida anymore, but keep connected with Northland while they are home in Colorado. They said it was like having a piece of home.
Sandy, like over 100 million other people, has downloaded "The Bible" app and reads it on an electronic leader.
The Youversion app is outpacing social networking giant Instagram, and is available in various languages and translations.
Various religious apps are available for other religious besides Christianity. We've compiled a full list of religious apps here.


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Short Corner
Extra Time
The Locker Room
Top Flight
What's stood out so far in the Copa?
Michael Bradley was bad but maybe that isnt his fault
EDGAR ZUNIGA - Monday, July 25, 2011
In a clear cash-grab, the US Soccer Federation announced shortly after the forgettable CONCACAF Gold Cup final that the US would be getting another taste of Mexico in August...or is it the other way around?
Seems that way, since Mexico devoured the US-shoes, shin guards and Tim Howard's gloves, as well.
This time, instead of being diced up in enchiladas and street tacos in Los Angeles, the US is gonna be the key ingredient in a Philly jalapeño-cheesesteak with some Bob Bradley Soft Pretzels and Sunil Gulati Dipping Sauce on the side, as the best rivalry in CONCACAF heads to the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia.
Makes you wonder how much love the Mexican fans are willing to give the home team-not Mexico, of course, but the actual home team.
Giving the recently repaired YA Magic 8-Ball a shake, it reads, "Outlook not so good."
Ah, Magic 8-Ball, what about the USA's chances against the hungry Mexican team?
"Better not tell you now."
While Mexico is sure to give Bob & Co. another difficult time, this time around the result, really doesn't matter. Even if the US manages to win at Lincoln Financial Field, it really won't mean much since Mexico owns the region and the Gold Cup.
Nevertheless, the US could benefit from playing Mexico again. The players get another opportunity to see a decent opponent display creativity and finesse in an effective manner. Bob can once again stand stoically by the bench and stare off into nothingness, as usual.
Meanwhile, in between stroking their bruised egos, the members of the US Soccer Federation should be pressed to take notes on how to put together a good program and get results by making good use of all the resources available to you.
As long as our players don't follow the example set forth by the Mexican U-22s and their foolish philandering, it should be a great learning experience for the US, overall.
With Mexico back atop the CONCACAF mole hill, it doesn't hurt to pay attention to what the Mexican Football Federation is doing right.
It also wouldn't hurt to pay attention to the Mexican Primera Division, where you can find several Americans toiling, including a few that are quite the big deal south of the border.
The league isn't as foreign as you would expect and there are some similarities to Major League Soccer.
Unlike most professional soccer leagues, the Primera Division season is split into two championships every year. However, beginning with the 2011-12 Apertura season, the league will switch from three groups of six teams to a single table. At the end of the season, the top eight teams qualify to a two-legged playoff format (including the final), to determine the champion.
MLS has done well to grow since its foundation in 1996, but it still falls short of matching the level of play in Mexico. Some MLS pundits want to believe that our league is up to par with Mexico's, but it is not quite there yet-as Jason Kreis and Real Salt Lake learned in the CONCACAF Champions League final.
Although there are some MLS teams that have enjoyed varying degrees of success against Mexican teams, that supremacy is short-lived and Mexican teams always come back, hungrier and more determined to defeat the American squads.
Once again, it doesn't hurt to take a peek over the fence and check out our neighbors' yard. Don't let the loud music and carne asada fool you, the league is serious business and there is quality soccer played in Mexico.
Also, as mentioned earlier, there are a few Yanks to follow, including some future hopefuls.
First up, for the masochists out there, you can check out Jonathan Bornstein as he tries to reclaim a spot in the starting 11 with Tigres. At one point a starter, Bornstein has had some competition at midfield and has been struggling for minutes. But I thought he was a left back? Never mind...he still has Bob in his corner. Shrug.
On the flip side, you'll find Herculez Gomez, whose 10 goals for Puebla in 2010 tied for the league lead, marking the first time an American led a foreign league in goals. Since then, Herc has gone from Pachuca to Estudiantes Tecos, where he currently plays.
Of course, you'll notice that he wasn't on the US roster in the Gold Cup. Way to go, Bob.
One of the most storied teams in Mexican soccer, Club America also has a pair of Americans on the roster. Well, sort of.
On one hand, you have Edgar Castillo, who was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico but somehow ended up playing for (Old) Mexico from August 2007 to May 2009. None of those were senior-level international matches, however.
Funny, though, when Castillo was actually called up to play World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica in Mexico City and against Honduras in San Pedro Sula, in both cases, he was unable to travel to either game because he had somehow misplaced his Mexican passport.
Later that year, Castillo suddenly had a change of heart, proclaiming he would rather represent the nation where he was born and lives, switching to the US National Team, eventually making his debut in a friendly against Denmark on November 18, 2009. Except it was a sub appearance. At midfield.
In doing so, Castillo became the first player since Martin Vasquez to earn caps for both Mexico and the US.
On the other hand, there is teammate Isaac Acuña, who was born in Calexico, California but has played for the Mexican U-22 squad and is listed as a Mexican international. But, with Castillo by his side, you never know, and Acuña might follow his example and end up playing with his country of birth.
Another Yank worth noting is Pachuca's Jose Francisco Torres who has not seen any playing time with the US since a dreadful performance against Slovenia in the group stage of last summer's World Cup. Despite that particular game, Torres had otherwise played well for the US, so it was a bit of a surprise he didn't get a call-up to the 2011 Gold Cup squad.
Then, there are other Americans trying to make their mark with their respective teams, such as Adrian Ruelas and Frankie Lopez with Jaguares de Chiapas, Joe Corona with newly ascended Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles De Caliente (try saying that fast three times in a row), Michael Orozco Fiscal with San Luis F.C. and some fella named DaMarcus Beasley who recently made the move from Hannover 96 to Puebla.
It's the latest stop on the Beasley World Tour and Puebla will be looking for him to be a major player this season. While Beasley is no stranger to US Soccer fans, it'll be interesting to see how he does in the Primera Division. So far, he's off to a good start, having scored a goal in his unofficial debut against Monterrey in the Copa Tijuana and looking fresh against Atlas during this past weekend's opening match.
If you're feeling adventurous, you can dig deeper to the Liga de Ascenso (second division) and seek out Marco Vidal with Club Leon and Joaquin Alonso with Indios de Ciudad Juarez.
So, there you have it. A group of brave YAs playing in "enemy territory," worth watching.
If you do get around to watching them, you'll notice that the Mexican league is pretty strong. This is a league where you either swim hard or sink fast, but, with two championships per season, allows room for improvement within a moderate amount of time. Not to mention possible Copa Libertadores action.
While you'll find the usual suspects vying for the championship season after season, there are no clear favorites and the competition is brutal.
With Mexico on top, it's time to take notes.
It would be foolish to expect US Soccer to magically rebound from the last 12 months and challenge Mexico for the CONCACAF mole hill, but at least the US can try to emulate Mexico's example and try to catch up before Mexico takes a further step into international glory.
In case you missed it, Mexico just won the Under-17 World Cup - their second in the past six years. If you paid close attention, you'd have noted that several members of the 2005 edition just schooled our veterans for the Gold Cup. So you can expect Carlos Fierro, Arturo Gonzalez and Giovani Casillas to be kicking the USA's butt in the 2017 Gold Cup.
But, if you're the US Soccer Federation, you just gotta stay the course and everything will fix itself and work out just fine.
Now, who wants some of Bob's Soft Pretzels and Gulati Dipping Sauce?
Ruelas excited for Jaguares season
Arreola discusses Jaguares trial
2-0 had a different meaning
Adrian Ruelas
DaMarcus Beasley
Edgar Castillo
Isaac Acuna
Jose Francisco Torres
Liga MX
Thursday July 28, 2011 4:14 pm
With Bradley essentially insulting players like Castillo and even Torres with his decisions, it is unlikely that Mexican talent will elect to play for the USA over a country where they are appreciated and the coaches actually know how to use them.
Fortunately, there is a glimmer of hope with the dismissal of Bradley this morning.
Thursday July 28, 2011 7:52 am
Bradley needs to go. His leaving Torres off the roster is inexcusable. He would have left Bedoya off the roster too were it not for Feilhaber's injury...We need a foreign coach to instill some creative play. God help us if Bradley is with us another 4 years...
Wednesday July 27, 2011 4:12 am
While I do think the MLS is a decent league and improving rapidly I cant see how it would ever be the league to play in. Unless you mean for burnout superstars like Beckham and Henry and Frank Rost.
It is still our league and there are good players in it.
I against I
Tuesday July 26, 2011 9:31 am
Mexico vs USA is never an embarrassment. I'll watch anytime the two step on the pitch. It's on!
Tuesday July 26, 2011 8:57 am
re Alex Davila: Totally agree. I grew up in South Texas and played soccer from youth level to college. Young, quality Hispanic players are in HUGE supply in Texas (and many other places in the country). It is nice to see more players of Mexican heritage get playing time in both the youth and mens national teams, but surely the federation can do better?
I'm not saying Bradley should look at every single person who plays in Mexico or has Mexican ties, but there is definitely something to be said about the vast Hispanic soccer community and what it could bring to the future of the national teams.
Tuesday July 26, 2011 7:43 am
The stomping we received in the Gold Cup final, along with the unstellar play of the the tournament, could provide us with the impetus to rebuild. New blood is necessary to our program, and since it seems that we won't be seeing any changes in coaching or administration, hopefully an injection of young talent may be the silver lining in the grey cloud of 4-2.
Tuesday July 26, 2011 6:16 am
Hey Rome wasn't built in a day. We've come a long, long way in this country with our football. We now have soccer specific stadiums, respectable crowds at the matches and MLS is an "acceptable" product on the pirch. Every major soccer power was in this country this month. For the most part we competed, look at the scores up to half time, our best 11 vs. their best eleven, the problem becomes the next group that go in are too green and untested. We are then exposed and look weak, the roster spots from 13 to 20 need to improve and upgrade with our MLS teams. Remember the Mexican league has been around for many, many years, we only started in 1996, look at how much we've accomplished in a very short time and how much more we're going to improve over the next 10 years.
Mark my words, at somepoint in my lifetime, the MLS will be the "league" to play in as a player.
Alex Davila
Monday July 25, 2011 9:58 pm
Great article. One thing our decision making guys, including BB, won't do, is to look at our players of Latin heritage. We are the only nation in this world that has the luxury of our melting pot. Hopefully sooner rather than later (remember Rossi, Subotic, Castillo for some time) we can see a national team that truly and strongly represents our nation.
Alex G
Monday July 25, 2011 8:35 pm
I care and I agree with Edgar for the most part, and let´s do the same with any major and important league around the World, maybe it was time for the US to loose and change it´s very foundation.
This summer I was deeply sadden by our teams results, any team, even the USWNT but I guess you need to hit rock bottom and then stand up, I really hope we learn and the first step is to fire BB and Gulati.
Juan from L.A.
Monday July 25, 2011 8:11 pm
Good article but I don't agree with the content and details of WHY Mexicans are better. The article turns out to be a promoter for hte players that play down there. Other than Ponce (who we already know who he decided to play for) there is no one down there worth USMNT. If we want to beat Mexico and reclaim #1 position then calling these players will not be the answer. Yes they are better even if we call them or not.
I believe aside from Mexican league being superior due to the passion of their fans, reputation earned through their years of competition (Chivas Guad already had 10 plus championships when I was born in the 80s!), and calendar and length of competition which MLS will take time to change.
MLS and US Soccer can change the following though:
1. Apply the 20/11 rule they had which made players U-20 earn minutes in first level competition
2. Branch out MLS into better competition like Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana. USMNT do the same and compete in Copa America.
3. Emphasize TO WIN instead of developing and feeding USMNT with hte U-17 and U-20 teams. The tide started to change with Mexico winning Peru 2005 with their U-17. GC team had 5 of those players generations including Chicharito who was part but wasnt called to Peru. WINNING causes exposure, winning mentality, and experience.
Bottomline and most unfortunate and easiest step is that BB is still around. He is not the problem but part of the problem and while he is there we won't go nowhere.
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Jesse Marsch has claimed a personal accolade as he's been named Coach of the Year in Austria.
American Trio Wins 3. Liga Title
Konrad Commits To Barcelona
Matarazzo, Stuttgart Eye Promotion
EPB Returns To Action In Austria


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The success of "30 Rock" rests, at least in part, in the show's ability to keep up its trademark rapid-fire comic dialogue with a minimum of repetition.
That said, Thursday's plan to take "30 Rock" live from New York for the second time in 18 months, marks a welcome return to the gimmick for a show set in the home of high-wire comedy-without-nets TV. "30 Rock," more than any primetime comedy, is built for live television.
The live show-within-a-show premise helps fuel the manic pace. Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin all made indelible marks on "Saturday Night Live," the longest running live network TV comedy program.
Sure, "30 Rock" relies heavily on cutaway gags easier to handle on a cartoon like "Family Guy." But part of the fun of watching the live shots is seeing how the performers pull off the quick asides – as with Julia Louis-Dreyfus doubling for Fey in the 2010 effort.
We'll see whether Thursday's show emerges as a highlight in a very strong sixth season for a motor-mouthed show we feared would run out of breath before the end of Season 1.
Fey and her writing team, in their latest go-around, cleverly addressed pre-season controversies by making Morgan's Tracy Jordan a spokesman for idiots and setting up a possible mayoral run for Baldwin's Jack Donaghy in a "Dark Knight" spoof. The introduction of holiday hero Leap Day William and Kristen Schaal as an NBC page with a "Fatal Attraction"-like girl crush on Fey's Liz Lemon injected new whimsy into the mix. Winning guest spots by the likes of Jim Carrey, Mary Steenburgen and Susan Sarandon transcended mere stunt casting.
We'll see who shows up for Thursday's meta episode, which centers on Kabletown's plan to stop airing "TGS" live and instead tape it ahead of time to save money. It may be asking too much for "30 Rock" to go live every week – but we're glad that the live shows arrive more often than Leap Year William. Check out a preview of sorts below:
Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NY City News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992. Follow him on Twitter.


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We've got plenty to keep kids of all ages happy and active during the school holidays at Leisure World Colchester – whether it's just for an hour or the whole day. During the holidays we also have extended opening hours for our Leisure Pool and extra inflatable fun with our Aquafun and Aquasplat sessions in the Fitness and Teaching pools.
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Wedding Receptions Grounds for Outdoor Activities Leisure Facilities On Site
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Monday – Friday 6am-10pm
Saturday 7am-9pm
Sunday 8am-8pm
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Just north of Colchester town centre along Cowdray Avenue.
- Baby changing facilities
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Wedding Receptions Grounds for Outdoor Activities Leisure Facilities On Site
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Dubbed AI2, the platform is said to be significantly better at predicting cyberattacks than similar systems because it continuously incorporates new input provided by human experts.
|Photo: Al screenshot and photo of Ignacio Arnaldo, via PatternEx
"Today's security systems usually fall into one of two categories: man or machine," Adam Conner-Simon from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) wrote in a post on the MIT News site.
"So-called 'analyst-driven solutions' rely on rules created by human experts and therefore miss any attacks that don't match the rules," he said. "Meanwhile, today's machine-learning approaches rely on 'anomaly detection,' which tends to trigger false positives that both create distrust of the system and end up having to be investigated by humans, anyway." The MIT and PatternEx platform attempts to merge those two approaches.
AI²: an AI-driven predictive cybersecurity platform
Note: Take a look at their work in a paper titled, AI2: Training a big data machine to defend PDF.
An Automated Analyst
AI2 predicts attacks by combing through data and detecting suspicious activity by clustering it into meaningful patterns using unsupervised machine learning, according to researchers at MIT. It then presents the activity to human analysts who confirm which events are actual attacks. AI2 then incorporates that feedback into its models for the next set of data.
"You can think about the system as an automated analyst," said CSAIL research scientist Kalyan Veeramachaneni, who developed AI2 with Ignacio Arnaldo (pictured above), a chief data scientist at PatternEx and a former CSAIL postdoctoral associate. "It continuously generates new models that it can refine in as little as a few hours, meaning it can improve its detection rates significantly and rapidly." Veeramachaneni presented a paper about the system at last week's IEEE International Conference on Big Data Security in New York City.
Machine learning algorithms typically rely on the work of many individuals helping to "teach" them how to identify the relevant data. But the advanced technical nature of threat analysis makes it difficult for anyone who isn't an expert in data security to contribute. With such experts in high demand and with little time to spare to pore over mountains of data, finding less labor-intensive ways to develop security algorithms has been crucial.
Read more...
Source: Sci-Tech Today and MITCSAIL Channel (YouTube)


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Transportation Energy Consumption (monthly data, not seasonally adjusted)
Transportation accounts for about 28 percent of U.S. energy consumption. Petroleum accounts for nearly all (about 97 percent) of the transportation sectors energy use. Petroleum is a major component of transportation costs, and its usage affects the environment. Because more than half of the U.S. petroleum supply is imported, there are also national security concerns for assuring petroleum supplies.
|Transportation Energy Consumption
|Quadrillion BTU
|Percent change from same month previous year
NOTE: The current value is compared to the value from the same period in the previous year to account for seasonality.
One quadrillion is equal to one billion million.
A trendline has been provided for transportation energy consumption. The trend has been calculated through a statistical procedure called Structural Modeling, in which the time series under study is decomposed into seasonal, trend and irregular components. For further information on this statistical procedure, see: S.J. Koopman, et al., Structural Time Series Analyser, Modeller And Predictor (STAMP), London: Timberlake Consultants Ltd., 2000.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Monthly Energy Review, available at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/mer.


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Frisky Gifts for Cat Nuts
Everyone knows at least one cat owner who is a little bit crazy, a little bit intense, and a little bit covered in cat fur. Hanging out at this friend's house might be a disgusting chore. But that doesn't mean they don't deserve presents!
Hey there! You might notice our gift guides look a little different this year. That's because we're hoping to get you more involved in them. All of our suggestions are posted in the discussion section. If you have experience or an opinion on one of our selections, let us know! Got a better idea? Share it with us. We truly want to make sure these guides help people buy epic holiday gifts, and many minds are better than a few.


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Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter
Deity Comes to the Rescue
The imperial physician's words caused everyone's gazes to gather in one place. Feng Yu Heng was the closest and immediately noticed what was wrong. Sure enough, there was something inside the little white tiger's mouth!
She reached out and held the little white tiger's lower jaw with one hand. Using the other, she reached into the tiger's mouth, as the Emperor subconsciously said: "Be careful."
Feng Yu Heng nodded and muttered to herself: "Xiao Bai, be good. There's something inside your mouth. Elder sister will help take it out for you. Otherwise, it will feel uncomfortable." The little tiger was very obedient, keeping its mouth open for fear of hurting Feng Yu Heng. It even did its best to open its mouth wider until Feng Yu Heng pulled out the thing inside. Only then did it try to close its mouth.
There were two things that were retrieved from the tiger's mouth. One was a piece of cloth, and the other was a chunk of armor. Feng Yu Heng looked at them with her brows furrowed for a long time then turned to order Wang Chuan: "Quickly go and call the imperial guards that were stationed outside our tent." Wang Chuan complied and quickly left. Feng Yu Heng handed the things in her hands to a palace servant then had that servant bring it over to the Emperor. She then said: "Father Emperor, please look. A-Heng recognizes that cloth. It's the same as the clothes that the young imperial grandson was wearing. As for the piece of armor, if A-Heng is not mistaken, it should be from the imperial guards."
The words "from the imperial guards" shocked everyone present once again. The Emperor then looked at the piece of armor and nodded, expressing "That's right." He then looked toward Feng Yu Heng and asked her: "You're suspecting the two imperial guards that were stationed outside of your tent?"
Feng Yu Heng shook her head and said with uncertainty: "A conclusion cannot be formed right now. I had my maidservant go and fetch my medicine kit earlier and did not hear what was said about the guards, but since the little white tiger was able to escape from the tent, they need to be brought over and questioned."
Just as she was saying these words, Wang Chuan lifted the tent flap from the outside and entered. An imperial guard followed behind her, and the two kneeled in front of the Emperor Wang Chuan then said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, when this servant went to the imperial daughter's tent, I ran into this soldier. He is one of the ones that was stationed outside the imperial daughter's tent. A servant has also been sent to call the other one. Thinking about it, word should be coming back very quickly."
The imperial guard was filled with doubts while looking at the white tiger being held by Feng Yu Heng. Puzzled, he asked: "Imperial daughter, wasn't this little tiger in the tent? How did it end up being held by you?"
Feng Yu Heng, however, did not reply to this question and asked him: "You were not standing guard in front of the tent. Why did you appear along the way?"
That person quickly replied: "Someone came with a message that said that imperial daughter had some wild game that needed to be moved, and someone from the tent needed to go and help. This subordinate made a total of four trips and moved a large amount of wild game."
Everyone was puzzled, "Moving wild game? Moving it where?"
He replied: "Speaking about it, it is strange. It was moved from the hunting ground to the cooking area. After two trips, this subordinate could not understand why it had to be someone from the imperial daughter's tent that went to help, but after some thought, perhaps there was some wild game that imperial daughter had captured, thus I was helping the entire time."
Just after he finished speaking, Huang Quan also returned. She also kneeled and said: "There is nobody standing guard in front of the imperial daughter's tent. The other imperial guard has gone missing."
Everyone froze, as the second prince asked the kneeling imperial guard: "What sort of person told you to go move things?"
That person said: "It was just a normal eunuch. He was very pale and clean, and he was very thin. This subordinate did not pay too much attention to anything else." He still could not understand what had happened. He just noticed that the little white tiger was covered in blood, and it was immediately clear that it had been injured. He thought that this might be related to the little white tiger's injuries, right? Thus he quickly said: "This subordinate really does not know how this little thing ended up injured?"
Feng Yu Heng waved her hand, "It's not about that." She then looked up and said to the Emperor: "Your Majesty, give the order for the hunting ground to be closed up. Nobody is to enter or exit."
The Emperor nodded and quickly gave Zhang Yuan this order.
For a while, the matter was stuck in this place, but everyone knew that Feng Yu Heng's little white tiger suddenly appeared in the hunting ground and hurt someone. But there was something even more strange about it, thus everyone took the initiative in investigating the matter.
Feng Yu Heng turned around and saluted to the second prince, saying: "Second Brother, I'm sorry. Regardless of the situation, it was A-Heng's neglect that gave those people this chance. But would second brother please trust that A-Heng had no desire to hurt the young imperial grandson. If I knew earlier that this sort of thing would happen, I would not have brought the little white tiger here."
Because she never got up, she maintained her kneeling position. Even if the second prince was extremely distressed and anxious over Xuan Fei Yu's injury, he still could not handle Feng Yu Heng speaking with him in her current state. He quickly went forward and helped her up. At the same time, he said: "This prince naturally trusts Younger Sister. Younger Sister has always been very loving of Fei Yu. How could you have any intentions of harming him? As for this little beast…" He looked at the little white tiger and found that the little white tiger was so afraid that it desperately tried to dive into Feng Yu Heng's lap. The pitiful appearance was quite distressing, thus he helplessly shook his head, "This little beast does not look to be a violent one. It looks like a cat. This matter needs to be investigated. It is far too strange."
At this time, a palace servant's voice came from the outside. "His Highness the Seventh Prince has arrived!"
Following this, the seventh prince, Xuan Tian Hua, entered with hurried steps. After entering the tent, he immediately took a glance at Feng Yu Heng then furrowed his brow before bowing to the Emperor.
Because of Xuan Fei Yu's matter, the Emperor was not very spirited and simply waved his hand to have him stand. After Xuan Tian Hua stood up, the first thing that he did was say to the second prince: "Second Brother, that little white tiger was something that I gave the imperial daughter. With this sort of thing happening, I cannot avoid criticism."
How could the second prince not understand his intentions. It was just fearing that he would blame Feng Yu Heng, thus he personally came to alleviate the blame. He knew very well that old seventh's relationship with old ninth was very good. Now that old ninth was not present, old seventh naturally needed to take up the responsibility for protecting her. But at the same time, the second prince smiled wryly, this was Imperial Daughter Ji An. What did she need protection for? Even with such a big thing happening today, even if she was at fault, Da Shun still could not touch her.
The second prince shook his head and said to Xuan Tian Hua: "This matter cannot be blamed on Younger Sister. Our current mission is to catch the person that is doing these things from the back." After he said this, he went forward and asked the Emperor, "Would Father Emperor allow son to personally take care of this case."
As Xuan Fei Yu's father, the second prince asking for the right to handle this case was not unexpected. The Emperor naturally nodded and agreed then stood up, saying: "We will be going back to the imperial tent to be with Fei Yu. The matters here will be left to you to handle." After saying this, he took another look at Feng Yu Heng, "You head over in a bit too. Only with you personally looking after Fei Yu can We feel at ease."
Feng Yu Heng nodded and also said: "A-Heng was also thinking the same way. The young imperial grandson's wound was taken care of cleanly, but I am worried about a fever breaking out overnight. He will need to be observed overnight."
The Emperor nodded and left the tent with Zhang Yuan. The others also began to follow him out. The second prince expressed his thanks to Feng Yu Heng for personally looking after Xuan Fei Yu before leaving with the eldest prince to quickly take care of the case.
Outside the tent, Feng Xiang Rong was anxiously waiting outside. Seeing that Feng Yu Heng came out and was seemingly fine, she let out a sigh of relief. When she had heard that Feng Yu Heng's little white tiger had hurt the young imperial grandson she was extremely worried, fearing that the Emperor would lay the blame on Feng Yu Heng. She wanted to come over and take a look, but she also felt that it was improper, thus she wanted to go and find the fourth prince for some help. Who could have known that the fourth prince had gone with some soldiers to race horses. For a while, she could not find him and could only grit her teeth and come on her own to wait for more information.
Upon seeing that Feng Yu Heng was fine, she was preparing to sneak away; however, she was seen by Feng Fen Dai. She then heard a shrill voice raised and very impolitely ask: "Oh, isn't that our family's third sister? Why are you here?" She then looked at Xiang Rong's gaze that had not yet been retracted and looked over. This landed directly on Feng Yu Heng, and she could not help but feel anger wash over her, "You're worried about her? Very well! You're actually worried about Feng Yu Heng? Have you forgotten that she has cut ties with the Feng family? Or are you saying that your falling out was all fake?"
Fen Dai's sudden shout gave Xiang Rong a fright. At the same time, Feng Yu Heng also looked over and found Xiang Rong's slightly panicked expression. She stood there with her gaze just being averted away from her. Faced with Fen Dai's accusation, she did not know what she should say.
Everyone knew that Fen Dai was someone that never let anyone off easy. She pointed directly at Xiang Rong and said: "I know that you two have been close since you were young. In the past, she protected you inside the Feng manor. But do you not think a bit. In the end, you are a child of the Feng family, while she is living a good life on her own. If she really was good to you, why did she not bring you to live a good life in the imperial daughter's manor? Instead, she's left you and your mother in the Feng residence to survive off of your embroidery shop? Do you have no heart or no face? You're treating her kindly, while she treats you coldly. In the end, are you still a daughter of the Feng family? You really are losing face for me!"
Fen Dai's words were uglier and uglier. Xiang Rong truly could not bear to continue listening and simply stomped her foot: "I didn't come to look for Feng Yu Heng. Don't spout nonsense!"
"Didn't come for her?" Fen Dai laughed, "Could it be that you came to look for me? I just saw you with a face full of worry. Feng Yu Heng is the chief culprit. If you aren't worried about her, who could it be for?"
"I…" Xiang Rong was rendered quite speechless. Looking over toward Feng Yu Heng, she simply gritted her teeth and said: "I came to look for His Highness the Seventh Prince." She was interested in the seventh prince. This was something that everyone in the Feng family knew about, and the little white tiger was given to Feng Yu Heng by the seventh prince. This was something that also could not be hidden from people. That was why Xiang Rong thought that this was the only way to avoid this problem and explain why she had looked worried. She just did not know if he would want to help her or not.
As she thought about it, she gradually lowered her head, as regret began to pile up. She blamed herself for being rash. How did she end up dragging His Highness the Seventh Prince into this?
As for Feng Fen Dai, she also looked in Xuan Tian Hua's direction with some doubt. Her gaze was filled with doubt, but she did not continue to criticize Xiang Rong. Thinking about it, she was also quite dubious.
Feng Yu Heng knew that Xiang Rong was in desperate need of help and was about to think of a way to have Xuan Tian Hua help that girl out. At this time, however, Xuan Tian Hua took the initiative to step forward toward Xiang Rong. Arriving before her, he stopped and said: "You've waited a long time, right? I was thinking of taking you to see Fei Yu. I know that you were worried about him, thus I sent someone to bring you over." After saying this, he turned toward Feng Fen Dai and asked: "Fourth Young Miss Feng, do you have some objections to this prince's actions?"


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The book "Supersizing the Mind—Embodiment, Action, and Cognitive Extension" by Andy Clark is a great account for the idea that our thinking and our minds are not only a matter of the brain. Clark is developing the idea of the "extended" mind in contrast to what he calls the "brainbound" idea of thinking. Even though this book is primarily a book on modern cognitive science and its different models and explanations of thinking, it also has a broader interest and also practical consequences.
I am of course reading this book from the perspective of my own interests in interaction design and design theory. Reading the book from such a perspective makes it very easy to be supportive of the major ideas discussed since they make intuitive sense. This is interesting since Clark notes that in cognitive science this proposed theory instead is commonly seen as too radical since it goes against an intuitive understanding of thinking.
The basic argument in the book is that humans do not merely think with their brains, but with their bodies and with their immediate environment, artifacts and systems. And that thinking is not only the abstract cognitive activity but influenced and informed through the "use" of bodily and sensory actions. This is for Clark an important theoretical position and he states it as "I believe that human minds and bodies are essentially open to episodes of deep and transformative restructuring in which new equipment (both physical and "mental") can become quite literally incorporated into the thinking and acting systems that we identify as our minds and bodies" (p 31). Clark goes through a number of examples on quite detailed level that all lead to and taken together create his larger argument. He discusses robot research, the body, material symbols, the limits of his theory, what the brain becomes with if this view is accepted, and more.
One consequence of the view of thinking that Clark argues for is that thinking and acting becomes circular and a feedback system. Humans develop tools that in turn help them to think in certain ways, which again leads to new tools. He writes "The linguistic scaffoldings that surround us, and that we ourselves create, are both cognition enhancing in their own right and help provide the tools we use to discover and build the myriad of other props and scaffoldings whose cumulative effect is to press minds like ours from the biological flux." (p 60). Of course, this quote also has some other quite powerful consequences, related to evolution and language. Clark writes "For examples, both educational practices and human-built structures (artifacts) are passed on from generation to generation in ways that dramatically alter the fitness landscape for individual lifetime learning" (p 62).
So, we humans develop artifacts, tools, and systems as a way to "do" or make things change in the "real" physical world but at the same time these tools alter and influence, or maybe more appropriately support our ability to think. Clark again "We thus comes to what is arguably the most radical contemporary take on the potential cognitive role of nonbiological props, aids, and structures: the idea that, under certain conditions, such props and structures might count as proper parts of extended cognitive processes." (p 68).
Clark goes on discussing some general and philosophical issues and challenges that a theory like this faces, as well as, very detailed and empirically grounded concerns raised from within cognitive science studies. One issue that Clark discusses is that with this view, thinking becomes a spread out activity located partly in the brain and partly somewhere else. From a cognitive science perspective this creates a lot of problems on how to study thinking, it becomes a bit "messy". Which in terms can be seen as it creates a "high explanatory cost" for anyone who wants to study thinking since it becomes such a complex "system" instead of the neatly coherent and located "brain". This is however not necessarily an issue for those of us who just want to use this theory as a tool in our own fields.
Reading this book from the perspective of design theory is fascinating and at the same time interestingly not very challenging. The notion of extended thinking is quite accepted in design and is also developed into approaches, methods and techniques used by designers. Designers always collect ideas, use notebooks, sketches, etc. all as a way of thinking, and not as a way of collecting information or knowledge.
We can find this developed more theoretically in the works of for instance Donald Schon who famously wrote about the idea that designers externalize their ideas in sketches and prototypes and that as a consequence the "world speaks back". He argued that this "conversation" is at the core of any thinking aimed at creating the which does not yet exist, and where there are no logical systems that can prescribe the thinking process, instead it is all about explorative thinking. There are several books on the value of constantly sketching, of saving designs, of having notebooks, of surround yourself with artifacts to create a rich environment that stimulate and becomes part of your thinking, etc. In almost all the cases the argument among design thinkers is that these are "thinking tools" and that it is not possible to think without them. It is clear that these "techniques" are not seen as informational, instead they are seen as part of the thinking process itself.
In the same way, designers are always thinking about the particular, about the artifact, and know that when you design an artifact or system you design tools that will become part of users "thinking". The focus on objects, artifacts, and systems has probably made this kind of thinking quite natural and intuitive for designers. Clark mentions that for the mainstream cognitive science community his "expanded" perspective might seem too "messy" or "fleshy" (two concepts used by Clark). This bodily, material, physical and artifact centered view is therefore in a way intuitive for designers and easy to accept and understand.
In the same way, designers are always thinking about the particular, about the artifact, and know that when you design an artifact or system you design tools that will become part of users "thinking". The focus on objects, artifacts, and systems has probably made this kind of thinking quite natural and intuitive for designers. Clark mentions that for the mainstream cognitive science community his "expanded" perspective might seem too "messy" or "fleshy" (two concepts used by Clark). This bodily, material, physical and artifact centered view is therefore in a way intuitive for designers and easy to accept and understand.
The great value of Clark's book is that he is making a strong case for a highly important way to think about thinking, which should be of interest to any designer. His argumentation is also based on scientific research which means that he is much more careful with definitions and claims, than people in design areas who make similar claims. So, even the overall message in Clark's book is less provocative for designers there is a lot to learn from this book.


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By golly! I saw the sun. It was only for a quick minute this morning when it raised above the clouds that had collected over the east valley. It blinded me for a moment. Then, it was gone. It might be shining at this very moment, but I wouldn't know. I've been chained to my desk since I arrived this morning, answering roof leak call, after roof leak call. Let me tell you, everyone who took this week off, chose a mighty fine time to do so. It's been crazed.
In five more hours, my holiday weekend will begin. Three fun-filled days lie ahead. I cannot wait.
Last night, we attempted to eat at Rio's buffet. We have two free to any of Harrah's, eh scratch that, Caesars Entertainment Properties. I think Spice Market is still likely the best, but it's been a decade since we've been to the feast at the Rio, we thought we'd give it a whirl. No dice. The place was pretty well dead, except the buffet. The line snaked all around the buffet and around the poker room. There is no buffet worth that wait, even if it were free.
We bailed, and went to Southpoint. I had heard Steak & Shake had opened. We went in, and were were impressed by the addition. The poker room is large and quite nice, and the sports book? Huge. The Race Book is now separate and it really caters to the horse player. This is the place for racing. We wandered over to Steak & Shake, we were greeted by another monster line. No burger was worth that wait. I told Frank I was 0-2, I'm not making another pick. Dinner was his choice. Raising Cane's it was, it hit the spot. Check out Vegas Values: Crazy about Cane's for details. I had been craving it since Monday. We went to Off the Strip that night for dinner, instead. I was burger'd out and had a hankering for fried chicken. I had a shitty buffalo chicken wrap. Needless to say it did little to satisfy my craving.
While we talking food, let me tell you about a lunch I had last week at the Palm. On of the project managers treated all of us ladies in the office. We had a private room in back. our choice of soup or salad, entree (steak or salmon) and dessert. I had the caesar salad. It had nice flavor and a ton of anchovies, six, I think. Usually, you'll get a filet or two. The sauteed salmon angelo which was a wine butter sauce with capers and artichokes. It was beautifully prepared and quite tasty. We also had shared plates of chips, fried onions and veggies. Dessert followed, key-lime pie or NY Cheesecake. I had the latter, it was rich and creamy. Service was attentive, we had two, that catered to the ten of us. Overall, it was a nice experience.
Time to run, duty calls. And calls, and calls.
Safe travels all! Merry Christmas!


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Meet me in St. Loo, Chone — and flip, Wizard style
I'll be heading off to St. Louis for my third All-Star Game, and it's something that means a lot to me. I'm so happy for the guys who are going for the first time, guys like Curtis Granderson, Edwin Jackson, Andrew Bailey, Tim Wakefield. I know what that feeling is like. I really hope Chone Figgins wins the Final Vote on MLB.com and makes it, too, because he is deserving.
Chone is a guy who just loves the game of baseball, everything about it. Everybody knows Ozzie Smith was one of his favorite players, and Chone would love to go out on that field in St. Louis and do a back flip like Ozzie. I think the fans would go crazy watching that. This guy can do those back flips — I've seen him.
Maybe that will help him get the votes he needs to get on the team. I definitely want to see him there on the American League team, with Brian Fuentes and myself, because he's having a great year.
He has become a Gold Glove third baseman, and he's the guy who makes our team go. The last month and a half, he's been carrying us — getting on base, scoring runs, making plays in the field. He could play anywhere on the field if they need him to. I've never seen anybody more versatile than Chone, or anybody who loves the game more and works at it any harder.
If he does win the vote, I hope his first All-Star Game is as memorable as mine. That would be pretty hard to match, I have to admit.
I was voted into the starting lineup in 2002 when I was with the Twins. The game was in Milwaukee, and when I went out to take the field, I was a little nervous, feeling the butterflies. Your first All-Star Game, that's a thrill. You're just trying to stay calm, stay in the moment.
As luck would have it, Barry Bonds gets up and hits a shot to center. I'm thinking it's gone. But then as I'm going back, I'm thinking maybe I've got a shot at it. I saw the ball dying and jumped up with everything I had — and caught it. It was one of those moments you dream about. My first inning of my first All-Star Game, and I take a home run away from Barry Bonds, the greatest hitter I've ever seen with my two eyes.
Of course, Barry came out and picked me up and put me on his shoulders. That was a show. I'm 26 years old, and here's this guy Barry Bonds carrying me on his shoulders in the All-Star Game.
We have a DVD of that game, that catch, and I'll be playing it for my grandkids when I'm an old man. What's funny about that is that, in a way, I made that game a tie and that caused all that controversy.
My second All-Star Game was in San Francisco in 2007. The best part of that was meeting Willie Mays when he was honored before the game. What's so amazing about the All-Star Game is all the players you hang around with and the great stars you meet, people you've admired since you were a kid. It's an exciting time, and I'm honored to be going back.
I just hope Chone Figgins comes with me. He'll flip if he makes it, I promise you.
12 Comments
Figgy doing a flip?! I gotta keep on voting lol! I love Figgy to pieces and i'm voting like a maniac torii!
Congrats on your 3rd all star appearance whoo hoo!
You're a quality man, Torrii! I can't make it to St. Loo but I hope my 50 votes help Chone along! 🙂 All the Best and Thanks for the All-Star moments!
Go Torii!!, I'll keep voting !!!
Section 514 at Angel Stadium must have voted for you 2,000 times, and we will do the same for Figgy! Thanks for always making it fun for us – you are what this game is about!
Torri – you're the man. Keep up the great play and lead these Angels to the promise land!
I write an Angles Blog, check it out if you can
Thank you!
Torii, you are an absolute inspiration and role model for the next generation. A real class act. You make amazing plays and have a God given talent to play baseball. Thanks for staying so late on the last photo day too…
I have been absolutely in love with Chone Figgins for the past few years (not in a weird way – I just love the way he plays the game). And he seems like such an amazing guy. Always smiling, always seeming to be the nice guy. His attitude on the field has been nothing less than incredible. Plus, his talent is so clearly evident. It is hard for me to imagine he wasn't voted for sooner.
Anyway, thank you for writing this. I can't wait to see him flip!
-Samar P.
i love the angels havent missed a game this season u guys make me so happy wen i see u guys play i have been to alot of ur home games and today im goin to see u guys play the rangers im so excited. i totally agree i think figgins deserves tht spot more than ne one. he is one of my fav players i love watching all u guys play its very much so exciting. =) go angels
Thanks for showing so much support for Figgi Tori. You truly are a top notch player. You and your team are really bringing back the feelings of why i loved baseball so much when i was a kid. Both my wife and i have been voting as often as we can and we really wanna see Chone out there on the field with you and Brian at the all star game. By the way, we were at the game last night , that catch on the CF wall was truly truly amazing!!!!
good luck at the all star game Torii!! I hope Chone gets in too, you 2 are both deserving.
Torii we will all be watching you and all of the amazing All Stars. Good Luck to you. Please be very careful. Come back to the Angels with out injury. You are an amazing ball player and we are all very proud of your accomplishments. You work very hard and deserve this tribute. Have a FUN trip!!
I kept voting for Chone. He really deserves to go there. Good luck at St. Louis.
Hey Torii! Been an Angel fan for 47 years & just wanted to say how much I appreciate you and Figgy. You 2 are my favorite players. I love players that come out there & play 110% every day. And you both so obviously LOVE the game of baseball. That's what I look for in a ball player. What I really hate is a player that reminds me that it so often is about the money! We fans don't like to be reminded about the business end of this game. That's not what it's about for us. We just love baseball and our team!
I am so disappointed Chone didn't get voted in. I voted 1500+ times & tried to get everyone I knew to vote. But we LOVE him & are so happy he's on the Angels!! Also sorry about your injury. Please heal quick!! You were sorely missed last night!


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- 6 Beds
- 6 3/4 Baths
Property TypeDuplex
SubdivisionVail Village 3
Year Built1993
AreaVail Village
Property Description
Completely renovated and expanded 355 Forest Road is a contemporary home nestled among the aspens in a private tranquil setting. Gorgeous light-filled design blends indoor and outdoor living with quick access to all that Vail has to offer. No detail was overlooked; voluminous living spaces, master suite, gourmet kitchen, family room, custom woodwork and marble bathrooms. Boasting over 1,000 +/- Sq.Ft. of snow melt outdoor spaces including a wrap around deck, expansive patio and hot tub.
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6 Beds 9 Baths
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Even the deleted scenes from the 'Real Housewives of Disney' sketch are better than most of what actually aired on Lindsay Lohan's stewardship of SNL. And the princesses address a very important question — what happened to Mulan? Well, technically, Mulan has no sanguinary ties to royalty, so she would be what's called in the genealogy game a "pretender." Though if Mulan were a nouveau riche woman, let's say a smoothie entrepreneur, her presence on the show could introduce some interesting class conflicts. Come to think of it, is Belle a princess? Or is the beast just some super rich French aristocrat? These are serious questions to consider, so I'll give you a moment for silent contemplation.
[via Buzzfeed]


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Stage listings are compiled by Guardian staff. Performance times may change; call venues to confirm. Reviewers are Robert Avila, Rita Felciano, and Nicole Gluckstern. Submit items for the listings at email@example.com.
Major Barbara ACT's Geary Theater, 415 Geary, SF; www.act-sf.org. $20-140. Previews Wed/8-Sat/11, 8pm; Sun/12, 7pm. Opens Jan 15, 8pm. Runs Tue-Sat, 8pm (Jan 21, show at 7pm; additional shows Jan 22 and 29, 2pm); Sun, 2pm. Through Feb 2. American Conservatory Theater performs a new production of George Bernard Shaw's political comedy.
The Speakeasy Undisclosed location (ticket buyers receive a text with directions), SF; www.thespeakeasysf.com. $60-90 (add-ons: casino chips, $5; dance lessons, $10). Opens Fri/10, 7:40, 7:50, and 8pm admittance times. Runs Thu-Sat, 7:40, 7:50, and 8pm admittance times. Through March 15. Boxcar Theatre presents Nick A. Olivero's re-creation of a Prohibition-era saloon, resulting in an "immersive theatrical experience involving more than 35 actors, singers, and musicians."
Amaluna Big Top at AT&T Park, Third Street at Terry A. Francois Blvd, SF; www.cirquedusoliel.com. $50-175. Wed/8-Sat/11, 8pm (also Thu/9-Sat/11, 4:30pm); Sun/12, 1, 4:30. Cirque de Soleil is back in town, this time bringing its Tempest-inspired Amaluna to the big top set up outside AT&T Park. Touted for being a celebration of "women [sic] power," it seems initially odd that the design elements are so focused on the male peacock feather — all greens and blues and graceful, with curving "fronds" rising up from the stage. Jungle sounds chirp in the background as a bevy of Amazonian women in bejeweled headdresses and a mischievous lizard-man circulate the room until the show starts with the lovely abstraction of a floating red cloud of translucent fabric dancing in a single beam of light. The flimsy plotline is forgettable, a coming-of-age and courtship tale between the island's young princess, Miranda (Iuliia Mykhailova) and a shipwrecked young Romeo (Evgeny Kurkin), though the parallel courtship between the two comic figures of Jeeves (Nathalie Claude) and Deeda (Shereen Hickman) provides a bit of levity and a novel use for footballs. The most realized character is probably Cali (Victor Kee), the half-lizard, whose prehensile tail and neon body paint give him an otherworldly allure, but it's the aerialist goddesses and fierce embodiments of the storm that are most memorable from an acrobatic point-of-view, and Lara Jacobs' unique balancing act from a meditative one. (Gluckstern)
Avenue Q New Conservatory Theatre Center, 25 Van Ness, SF; www.nctcsf.org. $25-45. Wed/8-Sat/11, 8pm; Sun/12, 2pm. New Conservatory Theatre Center performs the Tony-winning comedy.
The Book of Mormon Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market, SF; www.shnsf.com. $60-120. Wed-Sat, 8pm (also Sat, 2pm); Sun, 1 and 6:30pm. Through Jan 19. When approaching the oeuvre of South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, it's best to check your political correctness at the door. That's certainly no less true of their 2011 Broadway musical The Book of Mormon, co-penned with Robert Lopez (of Avenue Q fame), despite the clean-scrubbed appearance of their fumbling albeit well-intentioned missionary protagonists. Sent to Uganda for two years, top mission pupil Elder Price (Nic Rouleau) and his clumsy but affable partner Elder Cunningham (A.J. Holmes) are faced with a village oppressed by a scenery-chewing warlord, a demoralized coterie of fellow missionaries who have yet to have a successful conversion, and their own fraught, odd-couple dynamic. Rouleau's Price is an appropriate blend of smarm, charm, and secret self-doubt while Holmes excels in his portrayal of a perennial-loser-turned-prophet (his power ballad-esque solo in "Man Up" is one of the show's best). Of their hosts, the wry Mafala (James Vincent Meredith) and his sweet but strong-willed daughter Nabulungi (Syesha Mercado) get the most stage time, but it's the crude and caustic General (David Aron Damane) who grabs the most attention. The gleefully profane "Hasa Diga Eebowai," a Forbidden Zone-style "Spooky Mormon Hell Dream", and the deliriously blasphemous "Joseph Smith, American Moses," round out the entertaining, and strangely informative, score. Though it's (very) unlikely to convert you to the Church of Latter-Day Saints, there's a good chance you'll want to convert to the church of Parker and Stone, if you haven't already. (Gluckstern)
Foodies! The Musical Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter, SF; www.foodiesthemusical.com. $32-34. Fri-Sat, 8pm. Open-ended. AWAT Productions presents Morris Bobrow's musical comedy revue all about food.
The Oy of Sex Marsh San Francisco, 1062 Valencia, SF; www.themarsh.org. $20-100. Thu-Fri, 8pm; Sat, 8:30pm. Through Jan 18. Comedian Alicia Dattner performs her solo show, based on her stories from her own life and love addiction.
Road Show Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson, SF; www.therhino.org. $15-30. Wed-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through Jan 19. This Stephen Sondheim musical has suspiciously gone by several previous names, like someone on the lam: Gold! (in one incarnation), Wiseguys (in a workshop form), Bounce (in still another production), and then Road Show (in the revised form that was finally presented at New York's Public Theater in 2008). It gets its first Bay Area airing in this unevenly cast but not uninteresting staging by Theatre Rhinoceros and artistic director John Fisher. No fan of the great Sondheim will want to miss this, no matter what problems it may have structurally (and it has problems structurally) or in performance (it has those too). Given the context of Sondheim's brilliant career and unmistakable genius, Road Show proves an intriguing evening even where it disappoints. Set in the opening decades of the 20th century, it's the story of Addison Mizner (a boyishly gruff and musically solid Bill Fahrner, well known veteran of 42nd Street Moon productions) and his somewhat rascally brother Wilson (a sure Rudy Guerrero), charged by their late father (a nicely animated Kim Larsen) with making something of themselves. This instigates their tempestuous entrepreneurial journey from the Alaskan Gold Rush to the Florida Real Estate boom of the 1920s, with trips home to their devoted, doting mother (Kathryn Wood) whenever they fail or fall out with one another. Musical director and piano accompanist Dave Dobrusky (also of musical mavens 42nd Street Moon) gets hardworking performances from the cast (some of whom can nevertheless stray at times much further than the rambling brothers at the center of the story). But the love-hate relationship between the brothers, or the doomed big romance between Addison and a handsome scion of an industrial magnate (an inconsistent but charming Michael Doppe), never makes much dramatic sense. Everyone seems too disagreeable to be considered somehow irresistible. However, some shaky singing aside, there is much to admire in the musical — it's a Sondheim after all, witty and often beguiling to the ear and imagination. But if Sondheim's music and lyrics are the road, John Weidman's book is all over the place. By the end it seems as if a four-hour saga had been folded up like a roadmap along all the wrong creases, a doubtful package best tucked once again into an out-of-the-way drawer. (Avila)
Storefront Church San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post St, Second Flr, SF; www.sfplayhouse.org. $30-100. Wed/8-Thu/9, 7pm; Fri/10-Sat/11, 8pm (also Sat/11, 3pm). Weighty themes come leavened by sharp comedy and engaging characters in this 2012 play from New York's John Patrick Shanley (Doubt), now enjoying a strong and lively Bay Area premiere at SF Playhouse in director Joy Carlin's well cast production. Ethan, a gregarious retired accountant and professed secular Jew (a hilarious and endearing Ray Reinhardt) tries to get some relief for his Puerto Rican wife, Jessie (a bubbly Gloria Weinstock), who is perilously behind on her loan payments. But it's like getting the proverbial blood from a stone during his meeting with her humorless and immobile — indeed, partly paralyzed — loan officer (a quietly shattered Rod Gnapp). Ethan appeals to morality; loan officer Reed sticks to the rules of the system. Enter Donaldo (an admirably sure yet understated Gabriel Marin), the Bronx's upstanding borough president and the son of Jessie's old friend. Donaldo has much bigger business with the bank underway (a proposed mall deal that will bring jobs, if at the expense of local character) and at first begs off — until he learns his mother has co-signed the loan. Soon, Donaldo is visiting the source of Jessie's money problems: a somber Pentecostal preacher and Katrina-refugee named Chester (a gently solemn Carl Lumbly) who has installed a traffic-less church in the storefront below her apartment but remains himself paralyzed by depression and uncertainty. Donaldo, himself a preacher's son, and Chester soon engage in a fiery and captivating debate that turns on the contradictions between moral conviction and worldly compromise. From there on, a fractured congregation of sorts begins to form around the preacher and Donaldo, including the unctuous yet aloof CEO of the bank (played with bounding confidence by a fine Derek Fischer). It all leads to a rousingly funny and tender scene that makes good on the season's usual lip service to fraternal feeling and communal values. (Avila)
The Tempest Thick House, 1695 18th St, SF; www.doitliveproductions.com. $15. Thu and Sun, 7pm; Fri-Sat, 8pm. Through Jan 18. At the outset of Do It Live! Productions' staging of Shakespeare's late play, scenic designer Yusuke Soi sums up a serene faraway landscape in an exquisite single stroke — a sloping, flat-topped dodecagon of buffed wood occupying the vast center of the small stage. Wooden hinges provide several footholds for climbing, and a thick rope dropping from the flies allows rapid motion across the surface, down which actors can also slide from peak to floor with practically the velocity of a fall. That impressive structure is unfortunately the smoothest aspect of the production, however, since the unfurling of the story and speech is by contrast too unsettled in co-directors Will Hand and Kenny Toll's compact staging. They find opportunities here and there for the actors to take flight in dynamic relation to the set, but not as many as you might imagine, and the cast — led by a capable but somewhat colorless Bill Peters as Prospero — is not equally up to the dramatic flights either. Themes of revenge, subjugation, love, and service mingle fitfully here, without any clear distillation of the many-hued drama. The high comical scene with Stephano (Nick Medina), Trinculo (Anthony Agresti), and a terrified, then soused Caliban (a sinewy, tattooed Caleb Cabrera) comes off as one of the more effective scenes (thanks especially to Medina's robust performance), but it stands out more by contrast than anything else. (Avila)
Can You Dig It? Back Down East 14th — the 60s and Beyond Marsh Berkeley, 2120 Allston, Berk; www.themarsh.org. $20-35. Sat, 8:30pm; Sun, 7pm. Through Feb 2. Don Reed's new show offers more stories from his colorful upbringing in East Oakland in the 1960s and '70s. More hilarious and heartfelt depictions of his exceptional parents, independent siblings, and his mostly African American but ethnically mixed working-class community — punctuated with period pop, Motown, and funk classics, to which Reed shimmies and spins with effortless grace. And of course there's more too of the expert physical comedy and charm that made long-running hits of Reed's last two solo shows, East 14th and The Kipling Hotel (both launched, like this newest, at the Marsh). Can You Dig It? reaches, for the most part, into the "early" early years, Reed's grammar-school days, before the events depicted in East 14th or Kipling Hotel came to pass. But in nearly two hours of material, not all of it of equal value or impact, there's inevitably some overlap and indeed some recycling. Note: review from an earlier run of the show. (Avila)
Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby, Berk; www.shotgunplayers.org. $20-35. Wed/8-Thu/9, 7pm; Fri/10-Sat/11, 8pm. Shotgun Players performs Anthony Neilson's comic romp set in "a sensual Edwardian world of top hats, fantastical puppets, and flash powder."
Sherlock Holmes: The Broken Mirror Berkeley City Club, 2315 Durant, Berk; www.brownpapertickets.com. $20-28. Thu-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 3pm. Through Jan 26. Jeff Garrett portrays all the characters (Sherlock, Watson, Mrs. Hudson, Moriarty…) in this adaptation of William Gillette's Holmes play.
Tristan & Yseult Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre, 2025 Addison, Berk; www.berkeleyrep.org. $17.50-81. Tue and Thu-Sat, 8pm (also Thu and Sat, 2pm; no matinee Jan 18); Wed and Sun, 7pm (also Sun, 2pm). Extended through Jan 18. Kneehigh presents an innovative take on the ancient love-triangle tale.
"After the Light" Z Space, 450 Florida, SF; www.lissfaindance.org. Thu/9-Sat/11, 8pm; Sun/12, 2pm. $15-35. Liss Fain Dance presents its 2014 home season, featuring a world premiere.
"Attractive Camp" Lost Weekend Video, 1034 Valencia, SF; Facebook: Attractive Camp. Sun/12, 8pm. $10. Stand-up comedy with host Nicole Calasich and performers Caitlin Gill, Anna Serengina, Dave Ross, Scott Simpson, and Matt Lieb.
Caroline Lugo and Carolé Acuña's Ballet Flamenco Peña Pachamama, 1630 Powell, SF; www.carolinalugo.com. Sat/11, Jan 19, 25, Feb 1, 8, 14, 16, 22, 6:15pm. $15-19. Flamenco performance by the mother-daughter dance company, featuring live musicians.
"Comedy Bottle" Purple Onion at Kells, 530 Jackson, SF; www.purpleonionatkells.com. Fri/10-Sat/11, 7pm. $10. Comedy with Enrique Casolla and Kyle McFadden.
Feinstein's at the Nikko Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason, SF; www.feinsteinssf.com. Tom Wopat in "I've Got Your Number," Thu/9, 8, $35-45. Cheyenne Jackson in "I'm Blue, Skies," Fri/10, 8pm; Sat/11, 7pm, $50-65.
"FRESH Festival 2014" CounterPULSE UnderGround, 80 Turk, SF; www.artsbuildingconsortium.org. FRESH Perspectives community events, $5-10; performances, $15-20. Through Jan 19. Performances from Violeta Luna, Brontez Purnell, and Sara Kraft (Fri/10-Sat/11), and Abby Crain, Jess Curtis, Laura Arrington, and viv (Jan 17-18). Community events (dates and times vary) include music and dance mixers, showcases, discussions, and more. The festival also includes classes ($400-750) for performers.
"Point Break Live!" DNA Lounge, 373 11th St, SF; www.dnalounge.com. Feb 7, March 7, and April 4, 7:30 and 11pm. $25-50. Dude, Point Break Live! is like dropping into a monster wave, or holding up a bank, like, just a pure adrenaline rush, man. Ahem. Sorry, but I really can't help but channel Keanu Reeves and his Johnny Utah character when thinking about the awesomely bad 1991 movie Point Break or its equally yummily cheesy stage adaptation. And if you do an even better Keanu impression than me — the trick is in the vacant stare and stoner drawl — then you can play his starring role amid a cast of solid actors, reading from cue cards from a hilarious production assistant in order to more closely approximate Keanu's acting ability. This play is just so much fun, even better now at DNA Lounge than it was a couple years ago at CELLspace. But definitely buy the poncho pack and wear it, because the blood, spit, and surf spray really do make this a fully immersive experience. (Steven T. Jones)
"Sea of Reeds" Kanbar Hall, Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California, SF; www.jccsf.org. Fri/10-Sat/11, 8pm (also Sat/11, 3pm). $25-35. Josh Kornbluth performs his solo comedy about his decision to get bar-mitzvahed at age 52 — in Israel.
"Shotz: Unisex" Tides Theater, 533 Sutter, SF; www.amiosnyc.org. Tue/14, 8pm. $10 (includes a beer). AmiosSF presents six short plays, five minutes each, related to the theme "Unisex" and including the phrase "such amazing options" and "a reference to a stop sign of some sort."
"Buddy Club Children's Shows" JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut, Berk; www.thebuddyclub.com. Sun/12, 11am-noon. $8. With The Bubble Lady. Also Sun/12, 11:30am-12:30pm, $8, Kanbar Center for the Performing Arts, 200 N. San Pedro, San Rafael. With the Comedy Pirate, Cap'n Jack Spareribs.
"reveries and elegies" Milkbar, Sunshine Biscuit Factory, 851 81st St, Oakl; www.maryarmentroutdancetheater.com. Sat/11-Sun/12 and Jan 18-19, 4:30pm; Jan 25-26, 4:45pm. $20. Mary Armentrout's new site-specific project is timed to coincide with sundown on each performance day. *


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The Wine Institute of CA and Girl Meets Grape are proud to bring the very best of the Golden State's top wine-producing regions to Los Angeles for a comprehensive tour of twelve top AVAs and their finest juice.
You could spend weeks on the road and rack up the gas bills without sampling even a fraction of what we've assembled for this very exclusive tasting event.
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For more information or To purchase tickets for the California Wine Tasting!


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Frozen law: Sidewalk scofflaws skate free
When four inches of snow blanketed Charlottesville on December 5, Cheri Lewis spent an hour and a half shoveling snow from in front of her business on Seventh Street NE. By the time she got started that afternoon, she had to chip ice to clear the sidewalk, but she struggled on because, she says, "I knew what the ordinance was."
Others were not so scrupulous about clearing the city's sidewalks within six hours and some didn't bother at all. Even a week after the snow, treacherous sidewalks had pedestrians wondering why the city wasn't doing anything to enforce its ordinance.
"For the first storm, we were trying to give people the benefit of the doubt," says city spokesman Maurice Jones. "If that doesn't work, we move on to the enforcement side."
Typically, an offending property owner would get a warning first, and if that doesn't work, a citation is issued. The violation is a Class 1 misdemeanor with a fine up to $2,500 and/or up to 12 months in jail.
Kevin Cox walks to work everyday, and he cites a number of locations on East Market Street that were still covered with ice a week later. He's particularly incensed by businesses that clear their parking lots by plowing the snow onto the sidewalks, creating huge roadblocks. "If you're blind or disabled, you're in trouble," he says.
And while little old ladies are out there shoveling the snow, Cox believes certain business owners know the ordinance is not enforced and don't bother.
Cox wrote to City Councilor Rob Schilling to ask why the city responded only to complaints rather than actively enforcing its ordinance.
For one thing, it's one of the most unpopular things the city can enforce, says city manager Gary O'Connell in an email– "not something I relish having the police out enforcing," writes O'Connell.
And yet, snowy sidewalks are unpopular with walkers like Clive Bradbeer, who hoofs it a mile and a half to work every day up JPA. "It's exceedingly hazardous," he says. "I keep wondering why the city doesn't do something."
He's already planning strategy for a worst-case scenario. "If I slip and break a leg, I'm going to sue whoever owns that property," he says.
And while there are no records on the number of injuries attributed to slippery walks, Martha Jefferson reports an increase of six fractures the day after the snowstorm.
In an email discussion on snow removal, Councilor Blake Caravati says the city should be "absolutely bullheaded" about enforcement in high pedestrian traffic areas like West Main and downtown. He also noticed slackers: "The folks at Union Station need to be totally shamed for their lack of effort," he writes.
Clarence McClymond, 77, is peeved that parts of Locust Avenue, where he likes to walk for exercise, never got shoveled. "We're seniors. We don't want to walk in the road."
Cheri Lewis, who uncovered part of Seventh Street, calls the city's snow removal ordinance "quaint," because it relies on citizen goodwill to get the job done.
"The city could clear it itself," says Lewis. "It made an economic decision to put it on citizens, so the city should enforce it for the health and safety and liability reasons."
For Cox, the ordinance represents "the hypocrisy of City Hall" in promoting– but not ensuring– a pedestrian friendly environment. "If they really cared," Cox says, "they'd make sure those sidewalks were cleared."