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Look what the LA Times found....
The Massachusetts healthcare law that then-Gov. Mitt Romney signed in 2006 includes a program known as the Health Safety Net, which allows undocumented immigrants to get needed medical care along with others who lack insurance.Looks like you turned the magnet on, Flip!
Uninsured, poor immigrants can walk into a health clinic or hospital in the state and get publicly subsidized care at virtually no cost to them, regardless of their immigration status.
The program, widely supported in Massachusetts, drew little attention when Romney signed the trailblazing healthcare law. But now it could prove problematic for the Republican presidential hopeful, who has been attacking Texas Gov. Rick Perry for supporting educational aid for children of undocumented immigrants in Texas.
"We have to turn off the magnet of extraordinary government benefits," Romney said at the recent Fox News-Google debate in Florida.


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Yields on benchmark government bonds across Europe headed lower Friday -- exactly what the European Central Bank was looking for a day after announcing a bond-buying plan.
Investors voted quickly on the ECB plan that split a few differences down the middle with the bank's offer to buy short-term bonds from eurozone countries struggling to climb out of debt.
Equities across Europe and on Wall Street surged on the news. Yields for benchmark bonds in Spain, Italy, Austria, Denmark, France and Germany went down.
Ten-year bonds issued in Madrid that flirted with 7 percent yields in recent months dropped to 5.73 percent and yields on Italian benchmark bonds reached 5.13 percent. In Germany, borrowing costs on 10-year notes dropped to 1.56 percent. In France, they reached 2.21 percent. In the United States, 1.71 percent.
At 1-day-old, the bond-buying program announced by ECB President Mario Draghi was a roaring success.
Many analysts have concluded the central bank of the eurozone is the only institution that has the power and the agility to back its pledge to keep the euro from unraveling. The European Stability Mechanism, grand as it is, required agreement among 17 nations and ratification in 17 national capitals. Adding one euro to the fund or tweaking an inconvenient rule takes an act of international willpower.
The ECB chose to target short-term notes, if and when it actually puts its bond-buying program into action. Germany, which has opposed the strategy all along, might find small comfort in knowing that the ECB is only making a two- or three-year commitment.
The ECB chose to help countries that first request help from the European Stability Mechanism. In that manner, the bank is asking countries to play by the rules established by the euro collective. The ECB is not circumventing the fiscal discipline that is required of countries applying for international loans.
So, while some were looking at dropping yields Friday, others were asking Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti when they plan to ask for help.
The answer from each is an awkward one. Maybe never, if they can help it.
What a novel plan the ECB's bond-buying turns out to be. It's not help -- at least not yet. For now, it's only a threat to help.
For all that, look at Greece. Nearly $200 billion in international loans meant to help Athens get out of debt have been no help whatsoever. The government is still losing ground and the economy has been ransacked. Tax revenue, it appears, is the all but forgotten side of the equation.
But there's another possible outcome to the ECB's so-called "Outright Monetary Transactions," The Wall Street Journal said, and that is that Rajoy can simply ride this one out. Borrowing costs for Madrid just went down and he didn't have to trim Spain's deficit by one euro to get it done.
Sigmund Freud said the thing human beings do best is avoid pain. That is doubly true for politicians. In that sense, Spain snubbing the international community by refusing to apply for help is not what anyone would call a healthy outcome to the sovereign debt mess.
It turns out, nothing getting done can only help temporarily.
In international markets Friday, the Nikkei 225 index in Japan added 2.2 percent and the Shanghai composite index in China surged 3.7 percent. The Hang Seng index in Hong Kong jumped 3.09 percent and while the Sensex in India climbed 1.95 percent.
The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia added 0.3 percent.
In midday trading in Europe, the FTSE 100 index in Britain gained 0.31 percent while the DAX 30 in Germany rose 0.96 percent. The CAC 40 in France rose 1.19 percent and the Stoxx Europe 600 gained 0.45 percent.

subset: commoncrawl


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Are People Loving Google+ or Hating It?Blog Post: August 10, 2011
Google+ is very superior to Facebook in my opinion. However, my normal friends aren't using it. They have spent years building up their list of Facebook friends. They love playing Farmville and all the silly games. It is kind of like the pc vs mac argument. If you want to get "real work" done then you like Mac. If you play World of Warcraft then you are most likely a pc user. If you like easy organization of friends and quick access to information then you like Google+. If you want your horoscope of the day, then Facebook.


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Jennifer Danielson: Leading Through Collaboration
Around Utah
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Business runs on great food. Whether you're grabbing lunch with a new client or at a deal-closing dinner, it's essential to dine at the best of the best establishments. Every year, Utah Business asks readers to tell us their favorite restaurants—eateries that are sure to impress even the pickiest palates. So the next time you need to wow a client or have an event to plan, check out the Corporate Cuisine Awards. Presented by Sysco Intermountain, the results of the 2012 awards are sure to have you looking for a reason to meet with a client or grab a coworker for a cup of Joe.
Best Place to Impress
Forage takes eco-friendly and green eating to its purest form with urban and wild foraging, which consists of harvesting indigenous, wild plants and fungi, as well as fishing and hunting. Viet Pham and Bowman Brown, co-owners and co-chefs, make the menu about eating what the Utah land provides. New menus are printed every day and consist of 11–13 different tastes to highlight what has inspired them.
And the inspiration comes from all directions, including books, blogs or even fast food, says Pham. "There are so many inspirations that come in to play. Going out to eat and being able to experience the different textures and flavors, it inspires us on what to cook." And then the two chefs add their personal flare.
Pham says he loves working with seafood because he grew up on the West Coast, and Bowman likes foraging for plants and working with vegetables and animals because he grew up on a farm. The two different styles intertwine to create an ever-evolving menu that includes edible wild flowers and changes with the local seasons.
On top of it all, they pickle food to last through the winter and have a greenhouse on the back patio of the restaurant where they grow their own herbs and vegetables year round. The one item that never changes? The soft scrambled egg. The top of the egg is removed, the shell cleaned out, egg yoke scrambled and then piped back in to the shell with maple syrup and sherry cream.
Best Ethnic
Fresh and sustainable is the philosophy behind Naked Fish, says Rachel Nickolaisen, marketing specialist for the restaurant.
Naked Fish specializes in Japanese fine dining, but goes beyond serving up excellent food. The restaurant is also concerned about the environment, especially overfishing. "We are very aware of the fish we use," Nickolaisen says. "They aren't overfished or rare." The restaurant also takes pride in serving the freshest fish, shipping fish in frequently.
Part of this dedication to great food comes from Executive Chef Toshio Sekikawa. He loves talking to customers and receiving their feedback. And with more than 25 years of experience in the kitchen, he inspires everyone at Naked Fish to serve only the best food possible.
Best Power Breakfast
Stepping into Lamb's Grill Café is a little like going back in time. The restaurant has been in business since 1919, first in Logan, then moving to Salt Lake in 1939. The historic building still sports classic booths, tables, light fixtures and other décor. Maybe it's that reminder of days gone by that makes Lamb's Grill classics like eggs benedict and French toast such a treat.
Though the restaurant serves meals throughout the day, its breakfasts are a time-honored tradition. With a menu almost unchanged since Lamb's Grill opened, customers know they can expect a hearty breakfast, good prices and a classic atmosphere.
Best Steak
Spencer's USDA prime-grade steaks are part of an elite class that less than 2 percent of the beef in the nation can claim. The steaks are aged, hand cut and seared to perfection in a 1600-degree broiler. Spencer's cowboy cut rib chop is 18 oz. and has the unique option to leave the bone in, adding flavor and tenderness.
The rest of the menu is just as elite. "We do our sides from scratch. Nothing comes out of a can. Everything is made in-house. We use the best products that we can buy on the market and the freshest fish that we can find here in Utah," says Lisa Wieboldt, general manager.
You might not need a knife for the tender steaks at Spencer's, so join the preferred guest program and have your knife hung on the wall with your favorite quote engraved on it, just one more way Spencer's stands out in the steak industry.
firstname.lastname@example.com | 90 South 400 West, Ste 650 Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 | (801) 568-0114
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Saturday, December 01, 2012
Sports News
Nets topple Magic 98-86
Send a link to a friend
01, 2012]
ORLANDO, Fla.
(AP) -- Joe Johnson had 22 points and the Brooklyn Nets earned their fifth straight victory, holding off the Orlando Magic 98-86 on Friday night.
Gerald Wallace added 20 points, including five 3-pointers, as all five Nets starters reached double figures.
They beat the Magic for the third time this season and wrap up their three-game road trip in Miami on Saturday.
Glen Davis had 16 points to lead the Magic, who lost their third straight game.
Brooklyn center Brook Lopez missed his first game of the season with a mild right foot sprain. He is day to day.
Orlando begins a five-game road trip Sunday in Los Angeles. It will be their first meeting against Dwight Howard since trading the All-Star center this past summer.
The Magic were short-handed as well Friday, as point guard Jameer Nelson sat with a sore left Achilles tendon.
It was the latest health issue to confront Nelson, who missed his seventh game this season, after having previously been sidelined with hamstring and groin issues.
E'Twaun Moore started in his place and managed to hold his own opposite star guard Deron Williams, at times pushing the tempo for a Magic offense that had been stagnant in the half court in recent games.
But it wasn't enough as Orlando tired down the stretch and wilted as Brooklyn pushed the pace in the second half.
The big run came just after halftime as the Nets grabbed some momentum in the third quarter and used a 15-4 spurt to take 69-56 lead.
[to top of second column]
Wallace made two 3-pointers during the run and had four makes from long distance in the quarter.
The Nets led 76-65 at the start of the fourth quarter, with Lopez's replacement Andray Blatche becoming more active inside after a slow start.
Johnson also began to heat up, scoring six points in the period as the Nets' lead grew to 20.
Brooklyn led 45-44 at halftime, as an energized Magic team attacked the basket and took advantage of Lopez's absence underneath, outscoring the Nets 28-18 in the paint.
Orlando also limited the Nets' second-chance opportunities and managed to hold a 19-17 rebounding edge.
Davis led the way for the Magic with 11 first-half points, with Moore adding eight.
Johnson picked up the slack for the Nets, hitting five of his first six shots on his way to 13 points in the first half.
NOTES: Nets coach Avery Johnson, who played for San Antonio's 1999 championship team, said his former coach Gregg Popovich has always looked out for his players' well-being first. That includes resting them as he sees fit. "I think Pop knows his team. He knows what's best for his team," Johnson said. "My main thing is I can't tell him how to run his team. I think he does a great job historically. And whatever he's done over his coaching career, it's worked. He knows his team better than anybody and I'm sure he makes decisions to give his team the best chance to win in the short term and the long term." ... Brooklyn F Tomike Shengelia was inactive for the fourth straight game with a sprained left thumb.
Press; By KYLE HIGHTOWER]
Copyright 2012 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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I took a deep breath and resigned myself to a prolonged, uncomfortable scene. "OK, do you really want to know what it is?" I asked them both. When they replied in the affirmative, I proceeded, using the anatomically correct words and phrases to describe human reproduction (though I did tell my son that for specifics on male mechanics, he had to talk to his father ... when he got back from Canada). They looked aghast. "You and Dad did that? More than once? Eww!"
Got your attention, didn't it?
It certainly got mine.
Fifth grade proved quite educational for my twins this past year. And I'm not talking about the formal academic curriculum about the Pilgrims or poetry either.
My 11-year-olds were exposed to all manner of, shall I say, colorful words and phrases from their peers in between games of four square and shooting hoops. And my twins asked me what all these words meant, these slang euphemisms for sex acts and body parts. The bad ones. Those were the ones for which I played the role of my kids' living, breathing Merriam-Webster during this past school year.
All these new words and phrases prompted us to have THAT discussion, because you know that once you start talking about profane terms for sex and body parts, questions are definitely going to follow. Hence the questions that occurred one night after dinner, when my boy-girl twins lingered in the kitchen after their 8-year-old brother had retreated to his bedroom. "Mom, what's sex?" my son asked.
I glanced at my husband with the "oh-my-God-we've-arrived-at-that-moment" panicked look. He, frankly, looked ill and pretended he had an urgent errand to attend to. Immediately. Out of state somewhere. In, um, Montreal, yeah, Montreal. But don't worry, he said, he'd be back. In a few weeks, after Mom's dealt with all these questions.
So that left me and the kids sitting at the clichéd kitchen table. I took a deep breath and resigned myself to a prolonged, uncomfortable scene. "OK, do you really want to know what it is?" I asked them both. When they replied in the affirmative, I proceeded, using the anatomically correct words and phrases to describe human reproduction (though I did tell my son that for specifics on male mechanics, he had to talk to his father ... when he got back from Canada). They looked aghast. "You and Dad did that? More than once? Eww!"
Our conversations were ongoing as they'd hear more new terms at school. For every new definition I gave my kids - in particular my son who heard it from the foul-mouthed boys (I worried that if I didn't provide definitions, some numb-skulled 11-year-old would attempt to provide an incomplete or erroneous one) - they'd be grossed out all over again and say things like, "I can't believe people do that!"
When it came to details about the physical maturation process, the three of us have had a series of continuing conversations about everything from body hair development, deodorant and fluctuating hormones, to the big kahuna: menstruation.
On that last matter, I supplemented discussions with my daughter with something called a "Period Pack," the brainchild of one of my writing colleagues. The Pack is a package of goodies intended to help make the advent of a girl's period into something to celebrate, not dread. The Pack my daughter received contained items like a book, chocolate lip balm, nail polish, actual chocolate, pink hot chocolate and a couple of different sanitary pads which I removed from their packets to show my daughter how they're used. After we finished examining the contents, she claimed she felt a little less nervous about this whole period thing. Whether that was true or she just wanted an excuse to break out the pink cocoa remains to be seen. Find out more at periodpacks.com.
Some people are horrified that I've opted to honestly field questions about these kinds of things given the ages of my twins, saying that they're sure that their own children have no clue about any of this stuff. However, my kids had been coming home from school and asking me about terms they heard from other kids their age, so who knows if every child shares with his or her parents what he or she is hearing in the bus line.
I could've declined to answer my children's questions, told them that they're "too young," that I'd broach the subject when I think it's appropriate and they're ready. Honestly, it has made my stomach turn on more than one occasion to hear some of these words coming out of the mouths of kids who still have baby teeth. If you'd asked me five years ago if I'd be having discussions about sex with my 11-year-olds, I'd have said you were crazy. But they've heard about this stuff already, were exposed to it at school from other kids – who may or may not understand what they're saying – whether I like it or not. I cannot control that as much as I may want to.
The way I see it is that if I want them to trust me, for them to have confidence that I won't freak out on them in the future, I need to try to position myself as a source of honest information and offer them the truth -- along with ample doses of our family's values and perspective on the matter -- no matter how uncomfortable it may make me feel. When it comes to my kids, I feel as though I need to have these awkward conversations with them while trying to appear as though I'm non-chalant, though I don't know if my acting job is persuasive.
Do I like this turn of events? No I do not. In an ideal world, the kids wouldn't know about the basics of reproduction and sex until at least 13. (Some of the stuff about which I've been asked involved language I didn't personally hear until I was well into my teens.) Certainly they need the information about puberty now, because kids – particularly girls – are already starting to see changes in their bodies. But as for the sex stuff, well, I wish we could've waited, at least until my husband emerged from his hiding spot in the basement, um, I mean, "Montreal."
Columnist Meredith O'Brien blogs about parenting at the Picket Fence Post (wickedlocalparents.com/picketfencepost) and about pop culture at Suburban Mom (suburbanmomnotes.blogspot.com). Follow her on Twitter: MeredithOBrien.


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In preparation for what many fear may be a blizzard of historic proportions, state officials announced that MBTA, bus, and commuter rail service will halt midafternoon Friday, and they warned motorists to stay off the roads.
The pending storm, which threatened to bring as much as 3 feet of snow and high winds, prompted residents across the state to stock up on emergency essentials, as employers ordered staff to work from home, schools closed, and thousands of National Guardsmen prepared to help with the aftermath.
Governor Deval Patrick had one message for residents: Stay inside.
"Accumulation is expected to be swift, heavy, and dangerous," Patrick said.
Nonessential state employees have been asked to work from home Friday, and Patrick urged private companies to do the same.
The predicted 2 to 3 feet of snow will be lashed by winds gusting up to 65 miles per hour into drifts as deep as 5 feet, the National Weather Service said Thursday.
The Weather Service warned that the storm would pose a threat to people's lives and property and that conditions would deteriorate quickly as the storm develops Friday. Travel will become nearly impossible by the Friday evening commute into Saturday.
"The sooner you can be off the roads the better," said Weather Service meteorologist William Babcock. "You want to give yourself some time to be at your safe spot before the storm hits its strongest." The Weather Service issued blizzard warnings for all of Eastern and Southeastern Massachusetts.
The MBTA, buses, and commuter rail will stop running at 3:30 p.m. Friday, ahead of the worst of the storm. Officials hope to have the T up and running again by Monday.
Residents' rush to stock up caused its own problems Thursday. In what appeared to be the epitome of the frenzy to prepare, so many people were shopping that the Salem Fire Department responded to the Market Basket supermarket for overcrowding, a fire official said.
Declaring that Boston is ready for what may be a historic blizzard, Mayor Thomas M. Menino canceled school in the city for Friday and urged people to stay off roads and out of downtown.
"We haven't had a snowstorm of this size in many years," Menino said. "We are hardy New Englanders used to these storms, but we want people to use common sense and stay off the streets."
Before dawn Friday, 200 plows and salt spreaders will be crisscrossing roads in Boston, Menino said. By 9 a.m., officials plan to increase the number of plows and salt spreaders to 600. Boston will increase the number of public safety officials on the streets as well, he said.
A snow emergency will take effect at noon Friday, which bans parking on major thoroughfares. Roughly 15,000 parking spaces will be available at discounted rates at dozens of private and municipal garages. Friday trash pickup will be moved up to 6 a.m. in an effort to get garbage trucks off streets early.
At a State House press conference, Transportation Secretary Richard A. Davey said crews would pre-treat roads with salt Thursday night.
Patrick said he hopes residents will heed warnings to stay home and allow plows free range, but, he said, "if I have to order the roads to be cleared, I will."
By Thursday morning, the MBTA said, crews had covered exposed electrical connections on Green Line cars to prevent freezing and damage from snow and inspected sleet scrapers on subway cars.
T officials decided to keep the system running until 3:30 p.m. Friday to allow first responders and hospital workers to get to their evening shifts and home from day shifts.
Several trains will be run slowly along the lines throughout Friday night to keep the rails clear of snow, though those trains will not be accepting passengers.
This is the third time the T has shut down service in the past 18 months due to weather concerns, Davey said.
Beverly A. Scott, the general manager of the MBTA, said she and Davey decided to halt service after forecasts reported an increased severity of the storm.
"There is nothing heroic about pushing the envelope beyond which you know you should," Scott said. "It does no one any good to have 40-foot or 60-foot buses stuck all over the streets."
As soon as it is safe, Scott said, T staff will attempt to restore service to trains and buses.
"We will do everything we reasonably can and possibly can to minimize the downtime," Scott said.
"The good news is that we have two days to get ready for Monday morning rush hour," Davey said.
Those planning to get out of town this weekend may find themselves stranded.
Airlines are planning to halt operations at Logan International Airport early Friday afternoon until Saturday afternoon, and possibly until Sunday, Massachusetts Port Authority officials said. Some airlines are offering refunds for flights canceled due to the storm or are waiving change fees for travel scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
With the exception of the Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo, which leaves at noon, there will be no international flights Friday. Airport officials expect Friday morning to be busier than normal as passengers try to get out before the storm hits, and then – nothing.
"It's going to be a ghost town," said Edward Freni, director of aviation at Massport, which runs Logan.
Amtrak is canceling service between New York and Boston starting Friday afternoon, and is also suspending trains out of Springfield, Vermont, and Maine. Saturday cancellations have not yet been determined. Affected passengers can get a refund or a voucher for future travel.
As people begin to hunker down in their homes, the governor outlined a number of safety measures, including obeying any evacuation orders, having plenty of food and water on hand, and getting a full tank of gas before the storm hits.
Officials said they are working with the Red Cross to open warming centers throughout the state for all affected residents, who can dial 211 on their phones for more information.
All four major utilities that supply the state have begun extensive preparation, and at least one of them, NStar, has canceled workers' vacations and ordered all workers to be available, according to Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr.
He said the utilities are bringing in outside resources to assist with repairing power lines and restoring electricity.
Deborah Drew, a spokeswoman for National Grid, said about 600 crew members are ready to begin power restoration efforts, as soon as it is safe outside.
"This is supposed to be quite a damaging storm," Drew said. "It's very important for customers to be prepared for widespread, prolonged power outages."
Around the state, residents sought to prepare their homes for the coming storm.
By Thursday morning, more than 300 people had visited Kevin Cunningham's Model Hardware store in Allston.
The store's shelves were stocked with 900 shovels and about 73,000 pounds of rock salt, he said, with more on order for Monday.
"This is our Christmas," Cunningham said.
Employees at the Wine Emporium on Tremont Street in the South End were getting ready for a "busy evening" of people stocking up on distilled essentials ahead of the storm, said clerk Robert Walton.
An employee at the South Bay Home Depot said by phone that customer traffic was higher than usual throughout the day Thursday.
"Shovels, salt, we've got lines hanging out," said one employee. "They're buying."
Many aisles were elbow-to-elbow with shoppers Thursday night at the South Bay Stop & Shop, and backed-up checkout lines moved at a snail's pace.
"Seven o'clock this morning it started," an employee stocking shelves told a passing customer.
Tisha Williams, 33, of Newton was stocking up on water and canned goods.
"I hope it lives up to all the hype," she said of the expected storm. "You've got to be prepared. Better safe than sorry."
Traffic was backed up around the state Thursday evening — the evening commute paired with people making last-minute storm preparations lead to the difficult driving conditions, according to the State Police.
After Patrick's announcement that public transportation would shutter at 3:30 p.m. Friday, frazzled commuters on Twitter frantically tried to organize how they would get home from their jobs, or if they would be going to work at all.
One commuter waiting at Park Street Station, Deborah Reed-Coplin, 51, said she had anticipated the tumult.
"I'm not going to work, I took the day off. I heard about the storm and put in to take the day off," the Dorchester resident said. "I'm going to just lay low and relax."
Travis Andersen, Katie Johnston, Andrew Ryan, Erin Ailworth, and Martin Finucane of the Globe staff and Globe correspondents Colin A. Young, Haven Orecchio-Egresitz, and Lauren Dezenski contributed to this report. Martine Powers can be reached at mpowers@


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It's very unlikely you were expecting to visit the error page, but now you're here, we'd like to make you feel welcome, put you at your ease and send you off somewhere more enlightening.
The reason you arrived here was because of a n Unknown Section Request, which in plain English means that the address didn't match a section on our website. This might be because:
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Tax preparers scramble as April 15 deadline nears
If you haven't sent in your tax returns yet, you better hurry -- the April 15 tax deadline is coming soon.
After 30 years of preparing taxes, Brett Garrett knows that less than two weeks before the deadline is crunch time.
"What I do is basically go through their tax return and review it based upon what they've had in the past and what information they provided and ask them, 'What about these credits that you've missed?'" Garrett said.
Garrett said this time of year he's swamped, seven days a week, but he said this year, the delay of the tax code only added to his workload.
"Since tax season really didn't start until Jan 30, usually we can start filing on the 15th of January, that a lot of people have waited, so we have a lot of people that usually come in in February and March that still haven't come in yet," Garrett said.
And with 250 tax returns, that gets hectic.
But he said the good news is, if you have everything ready to go, once Garrett e-files the returns, refunds come back within a week.
But he warns to be careful if you're filing on your own.
"With people doing taxes on their own, they're doing it based upon their knowledge of the tax laws, which they have versus tax professionals, which are doing it year-round, and we see stuff they may not see," Garrett said.
He said waiting much longer may not cost you more money but could cost you and your preparer more stress.
Taxes are due by midnight April 15. Requests for an extension must also be filed by then.


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text: CGI is a comprehensive health management company. Not only gym, I get unlimited classes that involve yoga, brain and body connection, detox, core strength dance, tai chi. I don't have to go to multiple locations. Very clean. Many types of sauna, hot and cold pools, big swimming pool. I am glad I found you. I can buy personal training and healing sessions.


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"Project Runway's" season finale just got a little bit country.
The Lifetime reality show brought in country singing superstar Faith Hill as the special guest judge on Friday, when they taped the season-ending runway shows in Bryant Park, Access Hollywood can reveal.
Faith follows a long line of celebrity guests who have joined the judges over the years, including Nicole Richie, Christina Aguilera, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Bilson, Natalie Portman, Sarah Jessica Parker and Victoria Beckham, the latter who also previously served as a season finale runway show judge.
Faith turned up to the show with her hair swept back.
She wore all black for the occasion; a gorgeous cropped jacket with short sleeves, form-fitting pants and high-heeled shoes.
Faith sat next to Nina Garcia, a sunglass wearing Michael Kors and Heidi Klum who wore a printed dress and heavy eyeliner for the occasion.
The season finale of "Project Runway" will air in April.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: 'Project Runway' Season 6
PLAY IT NOW: Preview: 'Project Runway' Season 7 Premieres With Guest Judge Nicole Richie
PLAY IT NOW: Access Extended: Heidi Klum On 'Project Runway's' Return To NYC & Her 'Pregnant Brain'
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Project Runway - Faith Hill - TV - Reality TV - Heidi Klum


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Goal Setting in a Blog World
I started my blog journey on March 26, 2014 with not a clue as to where I was headed with my blog. I knew I wanted to write and share my journey into my retirement years, even though I was not sure how I wanted to do it. I did not want to be boring for sure!
Nevertheless, I forged ahead learning as I grew in the WordPress Community. I took blogging classes, writing classes, and photography classes. I read the work of other bloggers. I participated in challenges and stretched my creativity to new levels. I began to gain confidence in myself as a writer. I now had a path I knew I wanted to follow. I wanted to write.
I love writing. It seems to free something inside of me. It brings me great joy. I was meant to write and gifts should always be used. If I reach one person with something I have written and it invokes great feeling within them, then I have done my job.
In concert with Dorne, and her blog, Write Dorne, Putting Life Into Words, we have decided that we are going to define our writing goals and ambitions in a weekly blog post. Both of us are interested in getting some of our work published. Between us, we thought that if we make our desires public, we would better support each other in achieving our goals. If you are inclined to join us feel free and ping back to our posts for additional support.
Here are my goals for this week:
I am sure you are gasping for air at this point. What I am trying to do is carve out more time for writing and being creative. I do not think that 4 hours a day writing and blogging is unreasonable. I view it like a part-time job. Just like any job, I find that if I work too hard, my creativity suffers.
This is a start, a jumping off point if you will. Thanks for letting me share my goals for Silver Threading. I hope you will come back and visit again
Silver Threading


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Voluntary Prekindergarten or VPK gives children a jump start by preparing them for school and enhancing their pre-reading, pre-math, language and social skills. By developing the skills children need to become strong readers and students at an early age, children are more likely to be successful in school. VPK classrooms offer high-quality programs that include high literacy standards, developmentally appropriate curricula, manageable class sizes, and qualified teachers.
The Voluntary Prekindergarten Education Program – or VPK – is a free prekindergarten program for 4 and 5-year-olds who reside in Florida. Participating children must be 4 year of age on or before September 1. Parents can enroll their child in the state's free, voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) education program that year or wait until the following year when their child is 5. Click here for more information.
. The school-year program includes 540 hours of instructional time and begins in August. The summer program consists of 300 instructional hours and can begin as early as May 1.
There are a number of private child care and public school providers offering the VPK program across Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. For information in Miami-Dade call (305) 646-7220 and for information in Monroe call (305) 296-5557.
To search for VPK Providers, click here.


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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a loan guarantee to Chemtex International, Inc., (Chemtex), to construct a 20-million-gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol refinery in Sampson County in eastern North Carolina. The project, a first-of-its-kind commercial facility in the Mid-Atlantic region, will help reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil, increase farm income and create jobs in the region.
"Today's announcement supports the Obama Administration's 'all-of-the-above' energy strategy to embrace alternative American-produced feedstocks that support our nation's energy independence and provide jobs in rural areas," Vilsack says. "At USDA, we are focused on the production of renewable energy from a wide variety of non-food sources, including energy grasses. The facility we are announcing today will help create more than 300 jobs in North Carolina and is a perfect example of how producing home-grown energy is good for the economy and good for our energy future."
The Chemtex facility is expected to create 65 fulltime jobs with estimated average salaries of more than $48,000 per year. An additional 250 indirect jobs are also anticipated in areas such as feedstock supply, maintenance and transportation.
Once operational, the facility is expected to convert 600,000 tons of energy grasses per year into an estimated 20 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol (advanced biofuel) using a proprietary enzymatic hydrolysis process. The plant will produce biofuel for eastern transportation markets using non-food biomass feedstocks. USDA, through its Rural Development Biorefinery Assistance Program (Section 9003 of the 2008 Farm Bill), approved a $99 million, 80% loan guarantee to finance the project. The loan guarantee approval is subject to conditions that Chemtex must meet prior to closing of the loan.
Sampson County and eastern North Carolina farmers will directly benefit through the sales of newly established energy grasses to the biorefinery. Chemtex is working with local farmers and producer organizations to begin growing energy grasses for the facility. About 30,000 acres will be required to supply the facility with sufficient feedstock.
In partnership with the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, Chemtex has identified nearby farmland that is currently growing Coastal Bermudagrass to manage swine lagoon effluent. Conversion from Coastal Bermuda to high-yielding energy grasses, including miscanthus and switchgrass, will provide Chemtex a cost-effective biomass feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production and area swine farmers with increased economic opportunity as well as the land stewardship benefits of enhanced effluent management.
In June of this year, Chemtex was awarded $3.9 million by the USDA, under its Biomass Crop Assistance Program, to support the establishment of over 4,000 acres of miscanthus and switchgrass across 11 counties in North Carolina. The feedstock will be part of the biomass supply for Chemtex's facility. The net increased revenue to local growers is projected to be $4.5 million per year.
Today's announcement is part of a larger USDA effort to produce advanced biofuels in every region of the country. USDA has funded eight additional biorefineries that are using feedstocks like agriculture residue, woody biomass, municipal solid waste and algae in states such as, Michigan, Oregon, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico. USDA is also investing in research by coordinating with five regional research centers to work on the science necessary to ensure profitable biofuels can be produced from a diverse range of feedstocks.
The Biorefinery Assistance Program (Section 9003 of the 2008 Farm Bill), administered by Rural Development's Rural Business and Cooperative Service, is designed to financially assist with the commercial deployment of production technologies to produce advanced biofuels, and thereby increase the energy independence of the United States; promote resource conservation, public health, and the environment; diversify markets for agricultural and forestry products and agriculture waste material; create jobs and enhance the economic development of the rural economy.


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Situated on a private road with in-town amenities closeby, this four-bedroom, four-bathroom classic Adobe home features a extra guest suite with its own entrance on the upper level. A detached 600 square foot adobe structure makes for additional project or guest space, too. Unique wooden beamed ceilings, tiled floors, and several outdoor entertaining areas add to the unique charm of this guest-friendly home. Panoramic vistas of the Sandia, Ortiz, and Jemez Mountain Ranges are an added incentive for desert living. View property.
Copyright LXTVN - LXTV


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Posts Tagged 'Austin Scarlett'
Peeking Behind The Diva Curtain
Mandatory accessories behind every Diva are tons of devoted fans or even one lone obsessive soul. For me, the metaphor for Diva worship is the cult 80's film of the same name directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix, about a young man who is obsessed with a stunningly beautiful opera singer played by Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez. The Diva never allows her performances recorded […]
Filed under: FASHION, NEW YORK | 3 Comments
Tags: 1st dibs, 80's movie Diva, Amy Fine Collins, aria from La Wally, Austin Scarlett, best thrift shop in New York, best thrift shop in NYC, Christine Traina, Clair Watson, Dame Lori, designer muse, Diva, Divas Shop for Opera, E.V. Day, famous movie lofts, Fred B52's, jade dressler, Jean-Jacques Beineix, Kaitlyn Barlow, Landair Project Resources, Lauren Bridgeman, leith ter meulen, lofts in Paris, Lori Sutherland, Lorry Newhouse, Mama Gena, Michael Bruno, movie loft in Paris, New York City Opera, New York City Opera Shop for Opera, Paris flea markets, Paris living spaces, Pat Field, Rooms to Inspire, The Lee Brothers, The movie Diva, Vladimir Cosma, Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez


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gerstlaueringvar wrote:^ Yes! Something with that system is going to work so well in WDW especially when it eats 3,500 people per hour (Theoretically. It's in China so who am I kidding?)
I wish there was a ride system that ate people.
Excellent report from Tokyo Disneyland...the only park in the world that can make Magic Kingdom seem not so desirable!


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From the Manufacturer's Label:
Adding Glycolic Acid to our special blending of Hydroquinone (the lightening ingredient), makes this a stronger formula for lightening brown spots or discoloration. Glycolic Acid helps Hydroquinone be absorbed deeper as well as helping lighten spots by itself. Plus, allantoin and aloe vera support glycolic acid to help improve skin texture.
Oily skin prefers this light gel.
No Animal Ingredients. No Animal Testing


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Pictures for Potty Time6/09/2007 11:53:00 AM Edit This 0 Comments »
The first picture of course is Miss Lexie in her adorable purple hat. Next is our driver, ReNot. He said he played "American Football" and I believe him. He's been great and understands just enough English to get some of my jokes. After that is the famous Flora holding Lexie yesterday. She's quit a character. Then since I've been talking about bathrooms all day I thought I should include a picture of our "hot" water in the tub. You can't tell since the flash washed the color out but it's more a grayish color than brown. The darker the color the warmer it is so this is luke warm. Oh the joys of communal water. I found out the reason the whole town was without water when we first arrived is because according to ReNot they have a factory that produces hot water not even one boiler for the whole building. So if the family across town is showering or flushing their toilet then you're out of luck - kidding. Beats me but that's how it works here. What a great way for the government to control it's people.
Then comes the Director's Private bathroom and I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves and the last is our friendly mall bathroom ladies. I forgot in this picture there is the younger lady helping out our favorite older one. Why it would take two women to hand out stacks of TP I can't imagine but they where both there the whole time we were. It's 1:15am so I've gotta hit the hay. More tomorrow.


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After several adventures, Ash, his friends, and Cheryl are finally closing in on the elusive Amber Castle. They've spotted their first Combee Walls, clusters of Combee that surely indicate the Amber Castle and its trove of Enchanted Honey can't be far away. Cheryl's Mothim uses its keen sense of smell to lead everyone towards the scent of honey, and soon they're deep in a series of tunnels. But Team Rocket has found the tunnels too, and when they start digging for honey, the Combee become angry at all the intruders, including our heroes!
Cheryl's Mothim uses Supersonic to confuse the Combee, letting our heroes ignore Team Rocket and continue the search for the Enchanted Honey. They find themselves in front of the biggest Combee yet, and pass through to discover the Amber Castle behind it. This glimmering golden structure has a Vespiquen living at its center, and Cheryl apologizes to it for the intrusion.
Just as Cheryl asks Vespiquen for the gift of honey, Team Rocket bursts into the Castle and nearly wrecks it in their attempt to raid the Enchanted Money. While Ash and his friends rush to repair the damage, Vespiquen and Cheryl's Mothim deal with Team Rocket, sending them flying before they can do any more damage. After some repairs, the Amber Castle is safe. and Cheryl receives a gift of Enchanted Money for helping Vespiquen and the Combee. It's time for this treasure hunter to be on her way, and Ash and his friends are also eager to head for their next destination: Eterna City, where Ash's next Gym Battle awaits!
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Vicki Sanders
Liliana Arancibia
Natalia Wodecki
View a complete list of Web 2.0 Expo contacts.
More information coming soon
Tim has a history of convening conversations that reshape the industry. In 1998, he organized the meeting where the term "open source software" was agreed on, and helped the business world understand its importance. In 2004, with the Web 2.0 Summit, he defined how "Web 2.0" represented not only the resurgence of the web after the dot com bust, but a new model for the computer industry, based on big data, collective intelligence, and the internet as a platform. In 2009, with his "Gov 2.0 Summit," he framed a conversation about the modernization of government technology that has shaped policy and spawned initiatives at the Federal, State, and local level, and around the world. He has now turned his attention to implications of the on-demand economy and other technologies that are transforming the nature of work and the future shape of the business world. He is the founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media and a partner at O'Reilly AlphaTech Ventures (OATV). He is also a founder and board member at Maker Media, which spun out of O'Reilly Media in 2012, and a board member at Code for America, PeerJ, Civis Analytics, and PopVox.


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Now in its 14th season, Sirk's Notebook is an independently-written feature that often focuses on the irreverent side of the Crew experience. A local fixture, it has appeared on TheCrew.com from 2000-2003 and 2008-present. Any opinions expressed in Sirk's Notebook are not necessarily the views of the Columbus Crew organization. Especially when he makes fun of other teams.
It's that time of year again. Well, it's actually past that time of year, and the usual star of this feature exiled himself to Canada mid-season and left no research notes behind. Alas, the show must go on. In the absence of Duncan Oughton, I am pleased to reveal that Andy Gruenebaum has picked up the mantle, committed himself to months of intensive study and observation, and will be telling Crew fans all about this year's newcomers in the newly rechristened Gbaum's IntroDunctions.
For those of you not familiar with the concept of an IntroDunction, it would appear to the untrained eye to be a roast of all of the Crew's newcomers, but I have always been assured that I was being presented with iron-clad scientific facts that had not been exaggerated in any way. When a serious academic like Duncan Oughton tells you that, you know you can believe him.
Chad Marshall is the only active Crew player never to have experienced an IntroDunction, as his arrival predates the custom by two years. This feature started in 2006, back when I missed the first half of the Crew's season to be in Cleveland with my mother before she passed away. When I resumed going to Crew games, I had no idea who was on the team since it was the first year of Sigi Schmid's housecleaning / rebuild. I figured I could turn to my trustworthy Kiwi friend to educate me and my readers about all of the new players. The concept was a sensational success.
For example, in 2006, we learned that a young goalkeeper named Andy Gruenebaum—aka "The Hebrew Hammer"—had an extensive DVD collection that he turned into a thriving business called Rabbi Rentals. Each year, the educational discoveries continued…
* In 2007, we learned that Guillermo Barros Schelotto, based on his newfound American exposure to Chipotle, began eating all of his food in burrito form, including milk and cereal, "which made for a soggy mess of a meal."
* In 2008, Duncan revealed that Emmanuel Ekpo was thrilled to learn that Ohio's nuisance population of Canada geese had no owners, so he was going to corral them and start a goose farm. We also learned that Adam Moffat's beard was so thick that one of Manu's geese could be concealed within it.
* In 2009, we found out that Eric Brunner held the title of The World's Most Annoying Man.
* In 2010, Duncan reported that Emilio Renteria had significantly improved his English to the point that he had mastered the phrase, "Hey girl, can I get your number?" and that this was the only English that Emilio ever used or planned to learn. (Although the next year, Duncan said Emilio added a second phrase, which was "Are you [bleeping] kidding me?")
* In 2011, Duncan taught us that Josh Williams did one-armed push-ups in an effort to get into LeBron James' entourage, so he could become a groupie and move to Miami and gaze lovingly into LeBron's eyes.
* Last year, Duncan told us many fascinating facts, such as that Matt Lampson was signed partly because of his mom's baking ability, that Ben Speas treats Chipotle like a phone booth that happens to sell burritos, and that Aaron Schoenfeld is both an Abercrombine & Fitch model and a Utah Jazz lookalike.
Duncan had a few months of study for this year's newcomers, but then he abruptly left for Toronto and all of his research was lost. For the past few months, Gruenebaum has been compiling his own research from scratch.
"I'm a little disappointed that you've dropped that low so as to bring someone else in to do them, but as far as choosing Gruenebaum, I mean, there's not much else, is there?" Oughton said via an international telephone call. "The choices are very limited when you look around for wit in that locker room. You've got Danny O'Rourke, who thinks he's funny, but he's about as funny as a fart in an elevator. Chad Marshall has some wit, but it only comes out very rarely. He's mostly just a big cuddly beast. It would be nice to use Higuain's wit, but it would be in Spanish, so nobody would understand that. So yeah, you're just struggling, aren't you? But Gbaum did live with me for a little while, so he's had a taste of it, so hopefully he can pass on some of the brilliance that I taught him in his younger days."
Seeing as Oughton's IntroDunctions has been a Crew institution for the previous seven seasons, I wondered if Gruenebaum felt exceptional pressure filling in for Oughton on the eighth installment.
"Until you mentioned Duncan just now, I forgot he even existed on this planet," Gruenebaum said. "I lived with him once, so I find that kind of weird, but he just doesn't leave that Frankie Hejduk type of mark. Brian McBride, yeah I remember he played for the Crew for a long time. Basically, anybody else who played for the Crew longer than five years leaves some sort of memory. He doesn't. He had a funny accent, right? He was the guy with the mullet and the funny accent, right? I mean, even David Winner played for the Crew. When they said David Winner was coming to train, I was like, 'Oh, David Winner, who played for the Crew!' But Duncan…Duncan who? So there's not really any pressure."
I asked Oughton if he had any advice for Gruenebaum when it came to IntroDuncing his teammates.
"Just let it loose," he said. "You can always go back and edit after the fact, but you have to let it loose at the start. Verbal diarrhea sometimes works out for the best. He's very good at that. In fact, since I used to live with him, I can tell you that he's very good at both types of diarrhea."
"Yes, I am," Gruenebaum confirmed. "Verbal diarrhea is something that I have taken to. It comes easily to me. I just hope that I can make him proud because… I guess people look forward to this every year? I mean, people enjoyed Duncan's banter? Here's the thing. I'm worried that if the audience found whatever Duncan said to be funny, then they're not going to get me because what I think is funny is actually funny, whereas what he thinks is funny are fart jokes. Duncan is like a doll. You just pull his string and he has, like, the same four jokes told in an accent. But after a while, the string breaks and he leaves for Toronto. Maybe people don't know Duncan well enough, but when you pull that same cord, it just gets old."
While acknowledging that the Hebrew Hammer was the only logical successor, Oughton expressed some concerns about the type of job that Gruenebaum might do.
"I do feel bad for the guys because I never had favoritism," Oughton said. "I would just lay it out there. There wasn't anyone who was safe. Everyone was even. I feel really bad for the guys who haven't paid their late fees at Rabbi Rentals. Those guys will be under serious scrutiny, which may be undeserved. Meanwhile, the guys who always pay their DVD rentals on time, or even pre-pay them in advance, they'll get the better reviews just because of that. And if you've ever talked crap about his mom's matzo ball soup, you're in big trouble. I'd hate to be that man."
Gruenebaum vows that his goal is to elevate the discourse when it comes to the IntroDunctions.
"That's what I'm hoping for," he said. "We have a lot of new faces this year. With the amount of new faces, it is going to require more concentration on my part. I want to make sure I'm not just settling for something. I want to make sure that each new member of the squad is represented in the right way through my verbal diarrhea. It's one of those things where, unfortunately, you're forced to get to know these guys pretty well on a daily basis. Some of it's great and some of it you wouldn't wish on anybody. But we're all here fighting the same battle."
Assuming they have internet in Canada, Oughton is looking forward to reading Gruenebaum's findings.
"I'm just interested to see what he thinks," the Kiwi said. "I'm excited to read it."
Gruenebaum appreciated the sentiment, saying, "I feel really bad for not remembering him now."
At last, it is now time for the 8th annual IntroDunctions / the inaugural Gbaum's IntroDunctions. Before we get to the IntroDunctions, I must offer the usual disclaimers:
1. I am not going to bother put quotes around
Duncan's Gbaum's words in the IntroDunctions. Any comments, explanations or interjections on my part will be in brackets. [Like this.] Otherwise, all comments about each player are Duncan's Gbaum's.
2. As always with
Oughton's Gbaum's IntroDunctions, the views and opinions are those of Duncan Oughton Andy Gruenebaum, and may not necessarily conform to those of the players, coaches, and/or staff of the Columbus Crew, nor any reasonable sense of objective reality.
With all of that out of the way, now it's time for us to review Gbaum's findings…
Let me preface my IntroDunctions of each shiny new member of the 2013 squad by introducing a common theme: Homegrowns.
Chad Barson is smart. I mean really smart. His dad is smart. His two brothers are smart. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not include his mother into this category.
Chad's family, while often compared to Doogie Howser, MD, was recently described to me as some sort of Mob/Doctor/Waste Management operation. Unofficially, the story is as follows: Papa Barson (The Don), envisioned marrying a lovely woman—we will call her Mama Barson—and bringing three young men into this world. In an age where Teen Mom and Honey Boo Boo shows hounded society like flies on horses, The Don saw a dire need to introduce a genetic code unlike anything the state of Ohio had ever seen.
Like robots, Papa Barson's plan unveiled smoother than Wil Trapp's singing voice. (We will get to that later). Chad's oldest brother, doctor. Chad's middle brother, doctor. Finally, Chad, professional soccer player and future doctor.
I would love to continue by easing everyone's minds as to the cycle of the world, and tell you that each sibling belonged on a Proactiv commercial, but I will instead follow with the truth. Each sibling possesses a masculine jaw line, robust physique, and perfect hair.
Now that we have delved into the Barson family history, let me further introduce Chad. A four-year starter and two-year captain for the Akron Zips, Chad's endless accolades would make the most timid of characters' head explode. However, Chad might be the most quiet, shy and modest teammate I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know. Furthermore, if there is a fire, the kid better have a whistle handy.
I have come to the conclusion that his lack of speech is a direct result of the fact that Chad is, indeed, a robot. He has a machine-like long throw, encyclopedia of knowledge and abs of steel. However, in an attempt to convince the human race otherwise, Chad managed a meager 3.99 GPA as a biology major. A 3.99. Sources close to the family say he was grounded for weeks after this result.
Let me finish by stating, to my knowledge, Chad is a single man/robot. If anyone is interested in such a mediocre specimen, his number is [redacted.]
Drew Beckie is Canadian, when convenient. A four-year member of the Denver University Pioneer program, Drew comes to us by way of Regina, Saskatchewan dontchaknow. Interesting factoid about Regina: it has almost as many trees as Drew has street clothes. Very little.
Drew spent much of his first few months here in Columbus roaming the streets in Crew gear. When asked why he was "Crewed Out," Drew maintained that he was awaiting a vast shipment of clothing from home. Many moons have come and gone since this shipment's arrival, and there is still a 50% chance you will see Drew out and "aboot" with some form of Crew clothing. The other 50% consists of other adidas handouts from his various stops throughout his playing career. I have literally never seen Drew in casual clothing. This is one of two consistencies on this team regarding clothing. The other? Bernardo Anor's insistence on wearing women's clothing from a 1980s workout video.
OK. To sum up, Drew is Canadian and Drew wears Crew clothing. What you may not know is that Drew is one of the nicest human beings on this planet. Perhaps this is an innate characteristic of most Canadians. Drew has dog-sat, bunny-sat, house-sat, and probably hamster-sat for friends in need. He left a summer concert two hours early to make sure Roo could get some exercise before bed. [Note: Roo is Gbaum's pet bunny.] What a guy, eh?
Let me quickly paint you a picture of our first encounter with Mr. Finley. The Notre Dame talent scrimmaged against our very own Crew reserve team just last year. Ryan managed to endear himself to our entire backline with eloquent banter that shall remain unsaid in this forum. If I am not mistaken, all four members of our backline were ready to brawl, but cooler heads prevailed.
Fast forward to January, and the Crew family had the opportunity to welcome Mr. Finley to our locker room. Although this situation may have been awkward, Ryan came into camp, head down, ready to work, and immediately showed a knack in front of goal.
Ryan is one of the more quiet members of the squad, and I have spent the better part of the year trying to solve this mysterious puzzle that is Finley. However, getting into the depths of his soul has been as difficult as infiltrating Fort Knox. Having said that, sharing the locker room real estate with Ryan has been fun and very interesting.
Awww Zee Glauber. Like most Brazilians, he feels a sense of entitlement to be called by one name. Glauber. Rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? A premature knee injury ended his campaign, but he is still embracing Columbus as home. In fact, nine times out of ten, I have spotted Glauber sitting at Cooper's Hawk in Easton, at the outside patio, at the exact same table.
Glauber's English is significantly superior to his other Spanish-speaking predecessors, and thus, getting to know him has not been nearly as difficult. Glauber has sported almost as many hair styles as Dom, but with fewer colors. He embraces his Brazilian heritage by listening to its music and talking about its nude beaches, while inheriting American historical trends such as mullets, Ed Hardy-like shirts, and Beats by Dre.
I have no idea why, but to this very day we think of his name as German, hence the Zee Glauber. It just sounds better!
Kyle Richard Hyland's road to an MLS roster truly resembles one of the great underdog stories portrayed throughout many generations. Standing a mere 4'3", most coaches wrote this little ball of muscle off at first sight, possibly contributing to his choosing IUPUI as his student-athlete landing spot. The height and weight statistics are a bit misleading, however. Growing up near the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Kyle could be spotted consistently fetching drinking water for his family from this river while wearing a firefighting suit for safety. Many leading experts contribute this water source as the root cause of his size. However, similarly to the radioactive effects of the spider bite that led to the rise of Spiderman, this drinking water is believed to have caused Kyle's freakish strength, along with his potent left foot. It is documented that Kyle was right handed/footed before drinking the water.
Most of us would begrudgingly loathe the very place that had such an effect on our lives, but Kyle's loyalty to the city of Cleveland shines heavier than Josh Williams on his third round in front of the mirror, post-shower. Browns, Indians, Cleveland City Steamers: Kyle's fandom looks eerily similar to his fantasy football team. [Note: The now-defunct Cleveland City Stars were the USL club where the Crew discovered Adam Moffat.] They possess so much potential, but will consistently fall short. However, this loyalty is the tip of the iceberg when describing Kyle's personality. I have spent countless hours on the links with Mr. Hyland—putt-putt links—and very few people gleam happiness on a consistent basis like Kyle does. Besides the occasional putter throw, Kyle has truly been a pleasure to be around, both on and off the field. Fans throughout Columbus would be honored to get to know this kid.
One of the biggest advantages of playing in MLS is the accessibility for the fans with regard to the players. In fact, this series of IntroDunctions serves this very purpose, and remains uncommon throughout the wide world of other major sporting leagues. However, with the advancements in technology and social media, it has become apparent that there is not one piece of information about Dominic Oduro that the fans don't already know.
Dom loves Papa John's pizza. We get it. Dom is freakishly fast. We get it. Dom is polluting what little hair he has left in a desperate attempt to entertain himself, as well as the fans. We get it. We get these things because Dom has self-promoted through social media more successfully than Snooki.
After re-reading my introDunction about Dom, it really does come across as a little negative. This negativity can be construed as certain distaste for Dom as a person. This assumption could not be further from the truth. Dom has truly been the fun-loving personality that he portrays on the field, and has come miles from a skill standpoint as a player. The truth is I am jealous of Dom. While he stuffs his face with pizza, burgers and fries, and anything else that does not resemble a vegetable, I must count every calorie while barely maintaining any resemblance to an athlete. Dom has truly been a huge part of any success we have had on the field.
Matias comes to us here in Columbus by way of Argentina, via Pipa's suitcase. Pipa's fun-loving sidekick enjoys many of the same hobbies, including rock music, mate tea, denim, and having adorable children. It is difficult to assess the various gaps in language barrier with foreign players, but pleasantly, Matias speaks English at a second grade level, which is far superior than even Viana, who is an American from Chicago.
Matias' personality can only be described as bubbly. Rarely does he show any negative energy, and because the language gap is within reach, my Spanish vocabulary, although dirty, has increased significantly thanks to the Argentinian.
Shawn might be the least-known player of anyone on the squad. I am not suggesting fan recognition of players, but rather the secrecy of his life's story. Many people do not know that Shawn's name is indeed Kevin Sloan. [NOTE: Kevin Sloan was an indoor soccer player from the 1990s, a fact that was absent-mindedly recalled during the making of Sloan's very first locker nameplate.]
Recently, a few Crew players including myself and Sloan, had the privilege of experiencing the behind the scenes chaos that is the WWE. [Professional wrestling.] Sloan's cheeks remain permanently creased and wrinkled due to the never-ending smile leaping from his face from that night. After further investigation, Sloan's idol growing up was Shawn Michaels, also known as The Heartbreak Kid. His love for this wrestling legend has led to Kevin's current name, Shawn. However, this revelation remains miniscule, as we further detail Shawn's biography.
Justin Mapp's doppleganger, Sloan drives through each and every life experience with one speed: Grunge. Sloan's guitar prowess led him to multiple offers in big bands, but he refused to accept the very certain mainstream celebrity status accompanied by such an offer. Why? Because being in a two-piece band, with a diva lead singer who refuses to sing at gigs, is way more grunge. [Sloan & the Keepers.]
Sloan's family offered him endless opportunities to attend prestigious schools throughout his childhood, but Sloan opted out of such traditional schooling in favor of the historical Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After graduating from Hogwarts—buying a personalized wand alongside thirty 12-year- olds—Sloan pursued a professional career in putt-putt golf. He can be seen dominating the mountains of magic, setting course records along the way. Furthermore, along with his Harry Potter obsession, Justin Mapp similarities, grunge personality, and an incorrect nameplate due to an equipment manager who shall remain nameless, Sloan might be the most talented player in Crew history to have not played in a game to date. He truly is the most interesting man in the world.
Nicknamed "The 'Chise," Wil Trapp is legitimately the face of the Crew franchise. [Note: Thus the nickname.] If you do not fancy his boyish good looks, beautiful singing voice, and swan-like grace on the field, then season tickets should not be in your future. Fortunately, Wil's popularity around the Columbus area is as strong as Frankie Hejduk's first cup of coffee.
Club success, state championships, national championships, and national team appearances highlight this homegrown hero's career to this point. His signing with the club and eventual mainstay appearances in the midfield are a natural evolution to what should be a successful career. I once asked him what his aspirations were as a young player. His reply: "The 'Chise will bring home not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, but seven MLS Cups to the city of Columbus." Although this question may or may not have been asked, and he may or may not have answered in this manner, it is quite refreshing, in all seriousness, to see a kid in the "me" generation, who has achieved so much, stay humble and driven.
On and off the field, Wil's demeanor thoroughly displays the aforementioned humble personality, so I will try and divulge some new information. For instance, Wil only shops from Nordstrom catalogues. Due to scheduling conflicts, Wil has consistently turned down offers to appear on the show "Glee." He began spelling Wil with only one "L" in order to save money on his high school letter jacket. Finally, Wil resides in beautiful Gahanna with his "roommates."
The prototypical caveman, Viana hails from Chicago, of all places. However, despite his American status, Viana speaks English as well as I play guitar. Okay, he may be a little more proficient, which does not speak very highly of my guitar playing ability. Viana, much like his other Spanish speaking amigos, enjoys the highly illegal ingredients that make up that special mate tea.
Airports, bus rides, car rides, locker room, hot or cold weather, Viana is the only human being I have ever met that lugs around a giant thermos full of hot water in order to top off his crack tea. If FIFA approved this highly illogical rule, Viana would carry that thing around the field while chopping down right-sided midfielders. For those of you that are seeking more information about number 24, please feel free to click on this link, and his profile picture says it all.
The California golden boy brings a laundry list of experience to the club. Listen to the lyrics of "Tyson's Beautiful," and one could ascertain the following: He has played for numerous clubs around the league. He vehemently decries any food establishment that does not start and end with Whole Foods. He has perfect blonde locks that can only be outdone by his ocean-like eyes. His washboard abs oil themselves.
I know what you are thinking…man-crush. However, these are mere superficial attributes that Dan Withrow put pen to paper in the creation of this song. Not me. Dan.
Tyson tries adamantly to mirror his Californian lifestyle to the Midwest, blue-collared, Ohio persona. However, with no waves to surf, no consistent year-round warm weather, and no ability to show up everywhere—including training—30 minutes casually late, Tyson spends his days with his wife and dog, all of whom are dressed in Pacsun attire.
After rehabilitating his knee, Konrad came back to Columbus to play in front of family and friends in an inspirational manner. However—and he made me swear to keep this quiet—but he told me that Kansas City was, hands down, the best place he had ever lived, and anyone from there is blessed.
[Note: Gruenebaum is from Kansas City.]
Konrad's return can only be classified as difficult and awkward, as some may construe playing for one's dad as gaining some sort of special treatment. However, Konrad erased any connotation of the kind with his work ethic and attitude. Following in a Crew legend's shoes is never easy, but Konrad has managed to mirror a few of Bobby's player attributes. Both kick soccer balls really hard, and both could never score on me, despite what they would say.
I know I am supposed to provide you with lengthy details about each new player for this season, but I truly do not know what Konrad does when he leaves practice. In fact, if anyone sees him around the Columbus area, please feel free to tweet at me what it is he is doing. I never know what he is doing.
The young netminder comes to us from The Thundering Herd of Marshall, by way of somewhere in Detroit. Throughout his ventures leading up to his first year with the Crew, one thing remains apparent— zero mirrors exist in any one of Dan's numerous bedrooms throughout his life. He definitely thinks of himself as one of the snazziest dressers on the squad, but just because you wear tight, various-colored pants, hideously "trendy" shirts, and throw a scarf around your neck, it does not make you fashionable.
This observation may be deemed spiteful due to Dan being "Axl Rose-like" in his demeanor as our band's lead singer, but I insist it is not. Although the Marshall product is extremely opinionated and often wrong, especially when it comes to fantasy football and other sports, Dan has truly been a joy to not only be around, but to train with as well. Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings (not Bears) fan may define a portion of who he is, but the kid's vocal pipes will truly define this legend.
[Note: Here is Withrow singing the Sloan & The Keepers classic, "Don't Worry, Pipa's Happy."]
Questions? Comments? Think Gbaum should be awarded an honorary doctorate from Kiwi State as a result of this impeccably researched academic study? Feel free to write at firstname.lastname@example.com or via twitter @stevesirk


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CARSON, Calif. – The fitness portion of the game is glossed over by many, but for teams like the U.S. National Team and the LA Galaxy, it is serious business.
To get a better understanding of just what the likes of A.J. DeLaGarza and Omar Gonzalez went through, I went through the rigorous U.S. National Team fitness test administered by the U.S. Soccer training staff. The test consists of four different aspects that are designed to test the players' general fitness in a number of different elements and create a baseline for coaches and trainers to build upon throughout the camp.
The tests, which were administered by Masa Sakihana, the head fitness coach for the U.S., began on the field with the agility and lateral movement portion of the proceedings where players are tested with their agility through six drills. The exercise started with the 5-10-5 or shuttle drill. Designed to test players' lateral quickness and motion over a short distance, the drill begins with the athlete running five yards to the right, touching a marker, then going back another ten yards in the opposite direction before pivoting and running the final five yards.
The final on-field challenges came with the 30-meter dash and vertical jumps, which are designed to test a players' speed and mobility on a variety of levels.
Moving from the field to the Athlete's Performance gym, the same gym used by the national team and the Galaxy, the most profound test was still to come, an exercise entitled the VO2 Test. (pictured at right)
At first glance, the VO2 Test does not appear imposing as the drill consists of running on a treadmill with an oxygen mask strapped on. However, once the machine roars from a brisk walk to a full sprint, you are pushed to your limit as the speed increases every 30 seconds. Once the treadmill reaches a speed of 10, trainers will increase the incline, further testing the athlete until they ask to stop.
According to Sakihana, the VO2 Test is designed simply to measure "how fit you are" and after a grueling spell on the treadmill with an oxygen mask strapped to your face, one gets a more than fair indication of that. Per U.S. Soccer, AS Roma stalwart Michael Bradley has earned the best scores as of late.
VO2 completed, participants caught their breath before undergoing a functional movement screening, which is given to all athletes upon their arrival at camp to test their susceptibility to injury. Players are judged on a 21 point scale and if one scores lower than 14, then the trainers must work with the individual until he receives a higher score.
READ: Omar Gonzalez & the Functional Movement Screen
The two-hour backstage pass to the U.S. National Team's training processes ended with director of performance nutrition Danielle Lafatta breaking down the dietary plan of a soccer player.
It is important to remember that these types of drills and education courses aren't exclusive to the U.S. as the LA Galaxy's training staff has performed their own diagnostics as the club returns to the field for preseason.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com


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After years of knitting, I made the very useful discovery that I am a pretty loose purler and a kind of tight knitter. I know there are other imperfectly balanced knitters out there because I encounter your frustration and confusion all the time at Purl. You knitted your swatch, you carefully counted your stitches, you did everything you were supposed to do, and yet somehow your gauge took on a life of its own and now your sweater would fit a small hippopotamus!
The problem sometimes lies in having knit a flat gauge swatch even though you plan to knit in the round. In a circular knitting situation, the normal knit one row, purl one row swatch can be very misleading. Instead, to accurately replicate stockinette stitch in the round, you should make a swatch that uses only knit stitches.
Of course Elizabeth Zimmerman has figured out how to do that for us. It's perhaps a little unsatisfying in its untidiness, but well worth the affront to our sense of order!
Knitting a Circular Gauge
The basic idea here is to knit a big messy I-cord. (If you don't know how to make an I-cord, you may find our I-cord Tutorial a helpful companion to this tutorial.)
Begin by casting onto a circular or double pointed needle. (I like to first knit a few rows of just normal garter stitch to help prevent the bottom edge from getting in my way when I measure the gauge.) Then, instead of turning the work around so you can purl the next row, keep the front of the work facing you and SLIDE it down the needle to the other end. The working yarn is now coming from the left side of the knitting.
Bringing the yarn from the left end to the right end, leave a very loose loop of yarn behind the work and knit the first stitch of the row.
Finish knitting the row. Then, without turning the work, slide the stitches to the right end of the needle. Bring the yarn from the left, leave a big loop of slack, and knit the next row. Continue in this way until you have good size gauge swatch with lots of messy loops.
Don't worry about the side stitches being loose and uncooperative. Just ignore them!
I know some peoples' eyes start to glaze over at the mention of gauge swatches, but I really hope this simple tip will save people from some major sizing woes. In my experience, everything miraculously fits a lot better since I started knitting circular gauges! -Whitney


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Nice to see some sanity over this.
Though many may not like it, the overwhelming popularity of adolescent girls in porn market makes it clear that an attraction to youth and pubescence is normal for men.
The COVID crisis throws into relief what happens when grief has—quite literally—nowhere to go. The evidence suggests that most people summon strengths that surpass their own expectations.
Verified by Psychology Today
The venue for last week's trial of Vladimir Nabokov's fictional protagonist was the annual convention of the American Association of Psychiatry and Law (AAPL) in Montreal. The central question, decided by audience vote, was whether the controversial diagnosis "hebephilia" qualified as a legitimate mental disorder justifying Mr. Humbert's indefinite civil detention.
The rousing theatrical performance featured an all-star cast of attorneys and psychologists, presided over by Toronto Judge Maureen D. Forestell. New Jersey Assistant Attorney General Mark Singer served as prosecutor. His expert witness was prominent psychiatrist Richard Krueger, a member of the paraphilias subworkgroup that has proposed adding "hebephilia" to the next edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). A hebephilic qualifier would extend pedophilia to men with sexual preferences for children who have entered puberty, such as the fictional Lolita.
Defending Mr. Humbert was preeminent Wisconsin attorney Robert LeBell. His expert was Washington psychologist Richard Wollert, who has published peer-reviewed articles on SVP-related topics and testifies for the defense in civil commitment proceedings. Appearing as the court's expert was prominent Canadian psychiatrist John Bradford, an advisor on paraphilia (or sexual deviance) to the DSM-IV, past president of the AAPL and clinical director of the Sexual Behaviors Clinic in Ottawa.
After a spirited and sometimes heated trial, the 131-member audience was given electronic clickers and voted overwhelmingly -- 82 percent -- against including hebephilia as a diagnosis in the DSM-5, due out in mid-2013. A majority also voted against even including the controversial diagnosis in a DSM-5 appendix as a condition meriting further study.
This marks at least the third time in two years that respected professional bodies have voted against the idea of hebephilia as a new mental disorder. At a 2010 vote in Oslo, Norway, members of the International Association for the Treatment of Sexual Offenders (IATSO) were near-unanimously opposed to the newly proposed sexual paraphilia. U.S. forensic psychiatrists followed suit a month later at the 2010 AAPL conference, overwhelmingly voting against hebephilia as well as two other proposed paraphilias, "paraphilic coercive disorder" (aka rape) and hypersexuality, both since scrapped.
Earlier this year, more than 100 professionals, including prominent forensic psychologists and psychiatrists in the U.S. and internationally, sent an open letter to the DSM-5 revisers, urging them to nix hebephilia. Since then, at least two peer-reviewed articles have been published deconstructing its legitimacy, one in the respected Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases ("Hebephilia and the Construction of a Fictitious Diagnosis" by forensic psychologists Paul Good and the late Jules Burstein) and the other a broad review ("Hebephilia as mental disorder?") by scholars Bruce Rind and Richard Yuill in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.
Rind and Yuill said they undertook their extensive review of the historical and cross-cultural evidence after hebephilia proponent Raymond Blanchard (a member of the DSM-5 paraphilias subworkgroup) and his colleagues at Toronto's Centre Centre for Addiction and Mental Health brushed aside numerous published criticisms of the proposed disorder (see Table 1). Building on their earlier research, Rind and Yuill argue that hebephilia -- generally defined as sexual attraction to young pubescents in the age range of 11 to 14 -- is a biologically normal trait found to varying degrees in both human males and our closest mammalian relatives, such as higher apes. They blast hebephilia as a bold example of naked moral values masquerading as science:
"Blanchard et al. … did not invoke comparative evidence…. They did not invoke any evidence…. They declared it a disorder by fiat, bypassing scientific analysis in favor of a pre-given conclusion supportable only because it is, for the current time and place, culturally resonant. Had their pronouncement been the opposite (i.e., hebephilia is functional), their article would never have been accepted in a peer-reviewed journal without massive evidential backing. Strongly resonant opinion can facilely pass through without the kind of scrutiny demanded of non-resonant views."
Why hebephilia still clings to life, despite so much opposition and so little scientific support, is beyond me. It's like an unwanted house guest who just refuses to take the hint and pack his suitcase.
In attacking the government's diagnosis of his client, defense attorney LeBell focused on the dearth of empirical studies on the condition, other than by researchers at a single Toronto clinic, and the likelihood of "false positive" diagnoses in legal cases.
The wording of the proposed new diagnosis has been changed again and again over the past couple of years. In its current iteration, pedophiles are defined as those who have "an equal or greater sexual arousal from prepubescent or early pubescent children than from physically mature persons, as manifested by fantasies, urges, or behaviors." (The requirements that the fantasies or urges be "recurrent" or "intense" have been removed, broadening the potential pool of sufferers.) Hebephiles are now defined as those with sexual attractions to "pubescent children" in Stages 2 to 3 of Tanner's pubertal stages (e.g., early development of pubic hair and breasts).
Defense expert Wollert testified that the problem of "false positives" -- people incorrectly identified as having a condition -- was extraordinarily high even in the controlled setting of the research laboratory. This problem would be much more acute in the forensic trenches where the hebephilia diagnosis is being deployed, he testified.
One insurmountable problem would be reliably identifying a sexual abuse victim's Tanner stage of pubertal development. Complicating this issue, testified the court's expert, John Bradford, Tanner Stages are highly variable. Because they reflect hormonal developments rather than specific ages, one could not assume a specific Tanner stage based on the age of a victim. About two years ago, alarming research indicated that girls are entering puberty far earlier than in previous generations; this month, a large study by the American Academy of Pediatrics identified a similar trend in boys.
Wisconsin psychiatrist Lynn Maskel, who organized and moderated the mock trial, labeled hebephilia a "weed diagnosis in the botanical garden of DSM."
"The question is not is sex with pubescent year old girls illegal, or if it is immoral," she told the audience of forensic psychiatrists. "The question to the psychiatric field is: Is it a disorder? And if it is, does this translate, for the expert witness, into a requisite mental disorder found in the specific SVP statute?"
In my seminal review, published in 2010 in Behavioral Sciences and the Law, I traced hebephilia's sudden emergence and rapid spread in legal discourse to the advent of Sexually Violent Predator laws, which require that the individual being considered for civil detention have a mental disorder that makes him qualitatively different from the garden-variety offender.
Since that article's publication, the introduction of hebephilia in U.S. courts has continued unabated, despite the lack of an official imprimatur by the American Psychiatric Association. In a string of SVP cases brought under the Adam Walsh Act, federal judges in North Carolina have ruled that the faux diagnosis is not a legitimate basis for civil detention.
However, other courts have been less circumspect. For example, just yesterday, in a narrow, 4-3 opinion, New York's high court upheld the civil commitment of a repeat sex offender named "Shannon S." based on the purported conditions of "paraphilia NOS" and "hebephilia." Mr. S. had engaged in a series of forcible rapes of adolescent girls, ages 13 through 16.
As the dissenters conceded, Shannon S. was a "very bad actor" and "the community may well be safer if he is kept behind bars."
"But, they added, "to put him there on the fiction that he has some sort of mental condition other than a tendency to commit the crimes for which he was convicted (and has served his time) is and should be constitutionally unacceptable."
Judge Robert Smith, writing for the minority, labeled as "absurd" the premisethat attraction to adolescent girls is abnormal, as the government's two experts testified: "What is abnormal about appellant, and others who commit statutory rape by having sex with girls below the age of consent, is not that they find the girls attractive, but that they are willing to exploit them for their sexual pleasure -- in other words, they commit statutory rape."
Smith labeled hebephilia and the similarly disputed diagnosis of "paraphilia not otherwise specified" (rape) as "junk science devised for the purpose of locking up dangerous criminals." While such a practice might seem appealing from a public safety viewpoint, it creates "dangers of abuse," he eloquently warned:
"Many sex offenders are, or could reasonably be found to be, dangerous, and in common parlance they all have mental abnormalities: Mentally normal people do not commit sex crimes. Thus, unless 'mental abnormality' is defined with scientific rigor, such statutes could become a license to lock up indefinitely, without invoking the cumbersome procedures of the criminal law, every sex offender a judge or jury thinks likely to offend again.
"Some will intuitively respond: Not a bad idea. But it is a very bad idea, because not even a concern for public safety should be allowed to trump certain fundamental rules. Among them are that criminals can be confined only for crimes they have committed, after their guilt is proved beyond a reasonable doubt in a procedure in which they receive the many protections that our Constitution gives to those accused of crime, and that even when convicted they can be incarcerated for no more than the term of the maximum sentence provided by law. If the present sentences for sex offenders are too short, the Legislature should make them longer, but it should not, and constitutionally cannot, simply substitute civil for criminal proceedings as a means of keeping dangerous criminals off the streets."
As Judge Smith seems to recognize, it's a slippery slope. Bogus psychiatric diagnoses for sex offenders now, political dissidents (or others) tomorrow. That's the way they rolled in the former Soviet Union, after all.
Pretextual court rulings aside, the paraphilias subworkgroup has had more than two years to produce evidence for the reliability and validity of hebephilia, and it has not done so.
It is clear to most observers that hebephilia is not accepted by the relevant professional community. What remains unclear is whether the Board of Trustees of the American Psychiatric Association will get the message in time to prevent yet another in a veritable maelstrom of public-relations disasters and historical mistakes.
* * * * *
Additional resources: My resource page on hebephilia is HERE.
Of related interest: DSM-5 field trials discredit the American Psychiatric Association, by Allen Frances (a Psychology Today blogger), Huffington Post, 10/31/2012
Nice to see some sanity over this.
Though many may not like it, the overwhelming popularity of adolescent girls in porn market makes it clear that an attraction to youth and pubescence is normal for men.
Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today.


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It looks like Nashville. Right? Am I right? My girl Connie Britton dressed in Lions red when it was time to celebrate FNL, and now that it's about Nashville, it's about the kind of velvet and brocade that might as easily upholster a chaise lounge to celebrate Rayna James.
I did not hate it. I didn't hate it at first glance, and I didn't-hate-it more as the night went on. I mean at least it was blue and gold, kind of different, lots to see, right? Also she knew she wasn't going to win, so the red carpet was the only outing the dress was going to get, and as a red carpet dress, I'm not complaining exactly.
I am complaining about the strapless dress neckline, I have to say. I want everyone to STOP it with the strapless dress altogether, but if you must, hitch it up about six inches and then fit it there. I hate being worried that the dress is going to slip off or getting that itchy feeling halfway down my boobs because I'm having sympathy pains that the dress might fall off. Please quit this.
So yeah. If and when it ever becomes time for Connie Britton to win, she should really step it up. I'm also nervous that her truly great hair was another result of keeping it casual, and I want that not to be the case. Her hair is way better un-messed with.
But for last night, at least it was a colour. At least it was unusual. At least she looked like she picked it out herself. I'm in.


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CHICAGO – An industry veteran and private equity firm have agreed to buy Crunch, a high-end club division of Bally Total Fitness, for $45 million in cash. Marc Tascher and Angelo, Gordon & Co. will buy all 21 Crunch clubs in major cities including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles as well as its Gorilla Sports clubs and two Pinnacle Fitness clubs in San Francisco.
Bally plans to use the funds to pay down a $175 million loan and close the deal in the fourth quarter. The gym operator views the anticipated sale of Crunch as a way to turn around its business by reducing debt and refocus on core, middle-market customers.