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So I had seen the Italian opening maybe once before i started playing on chess.com. Now everyone seems to eschew the Ruy Lopez in its favor on here. Which is fine with me, since I prefer to play against the Italian as black. Does anyone have success with it? Seems not as good as the Ruy.
I believe the modern Italian is like a slightly worse version of the spanish.
Hmm. I think the Italian isnt bad, and it can cramp black. But it looks like it gives black more chances to grab initiative
In the line I gave it is slightly important that black is also up a pawn.
I haven't played that many games here, but looking at my stats, I do alright as Black in this opening. Here's an example:
6. ... Nxe4 was a little different on my part, but I liked the end result .
Italian-game is great to play:
Do any of you guys try 3... Nf6 as black? that seemed like the natural move to me since it gets the initiative a bit away from white, so that's what I used in all my games. Looking at the book lines though, Bc5 is apparently what gets played.
3...Nf6 is very popular and it's what I play. You have to know what you're doing after both 4.Ng5 and 4.d4 although you can probably wing it against other moves and do fine.
3... Nf6 transposes after other moves, but would force an early d3 or Nc3 from white, which is an improvement on Bc5. Also, d4 transposes to a good but complicated line of the scotch gambit for black.
The only real challenge to 3...Nf6 is 4. Ng5 d5 5. cxd5 Na5 6. Bb5+ c6 7. dxc6 bxc6 after which white has a few vary complicated options, including Be2, Bd3, and Qf3, but black has some if not full positional compensation for the pawn. Note that 5...Nxd5 6. Nxf7 or 6. d4 are both practically terrible for black, although engines may struggle to find complicated ways to survive no human should ever consider playing 5...Nxd5, and I consider it to be a blunder.
3...Nf6 4.Ng5 is a challenge for White, not Black. Black takes control of the game from a very early point and White has to be very accurate to not end up with a worse position. GM Hungaski suggested to me to look into 8.Be2 h6 9.Nf3 e4 10.Ne5 Qd4!? for Black (I tried it in a blitz game and left a piece hanging to a simple fork but obvously did not do this correctly) but I also like both 10...Bc5!? and 10...Bd6 for Black.
It may be challenging for white, but it is the only real challenge to black's idea, as it forces him to justify his pawn sacrifice.
I prefer white. A pawn is a pawn and black is playing giving white some serious endgame odds.
White's position is underdeveloped but he has no weaknesses.
I agree plutonia. The only line where I feel white is getting into serious trouble is the Qf3 line. I feel that black doesn't have full compensation for one pawn, but almost certainly has it for two.
You should study openings
by Andre_Harding a few minutes ago
Thread deletion?!
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The best chess swindle.
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why do people like the caro kann?
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Lodging, food plots, and feeders included with dues. Nearly 800 acres, need seven (7) members. This club is brand new and its property is located in Bamberg County, South Carolina, almost two hours away from both Charleston or Savannah.
2 bucks, 3 does, and 3 hogs per membership. Family (wife and children) hunt under your membership but kills count under your quota. Three (3) guest hunts per season allowed, also. (You will be paying top dollar. Therefore, why not bring a really good friend?)
15" spread, eight points or better.
One separate tract will be "weapon of choice" all season long. The rest (600 acres) will be archery-only until late November. Traditional, compound, or crossbows are all welcome!
This is prime real estate in the lowcountry of South Carolina. Not overhunted or shot up. High deer density psm and this property routinely produces 120 class bucks. Sheds found this winter in the 160's.
Fees to hunt this outfitter property routinely cost $400 a day for hunters. Four weekends with this outfitter would cost you nearly $5,000. This club will cost members half that for the entire deer season (August 15th-January 1st). $2,500 per member.
Sorry but this club is only for deer and hogs.
Please PM me if interested.
Thanks for reading!

subset: commoncrawl


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Audio workshops
Jake Perrine and Kevin Dickey will present two audio workshops at Orcas Center.
The workshops are open to the public, and designed for audio hobbyists who want to improve their understanding of how audio works, and how to work with it. Tuition for either workshop is a $10 donation to Orcas Center, which will be collected at the start of each workshop.
Saturday, May 31, noon to 4 p.m.: "Intro to Audio," no previous audio experience is required. Topics are: What is sound? How is it measured? Decibels and Hertz, frequency and amplitude, cables and connectors, microphones and basic audio mixers.
Sunday, June 1, noon to 4 p.m.: "Live Sound Basics," for intermediate level or those who took the previous day's class. Topics are: sound reinforcement concepts, sound system layout and speaker placement, monitoring, mics and mic placement for various instruments, direct boxes, gain stages, snakes. Mixing boards. What is feedback, and how do you minimize it? EQ, compression, limiting, gates, reverb, delay. Running a sound check.
Dickey is a co-founder of BURL (burlaudio.com) and live sound tech for the Orcas Center.
Perrine is a mixing and mastering engineer, and has taught audio production for more than a decade.
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KENILWORTH — A Burlington County man was killed this morning while attempting to cross the southbound lanes of the Garden State Parkway on foot after getting into an accident, police said.
Luis Sarmiento, 21, of Riverside, was found dead around 12:45 a.m. in the left lane near milepost 139.7 in Kenilworth, said State Police spokesman Sgt. Adam Grossman.
"He was struck by two vehicles," Grossman said.
About 25 minutes earlier, Sarmiento was involved in a two-vehicle accident about a half mile away in the northbound lanes at milepost 139.2 in Cranford, police said.
It appears Sarmiento left his car shortly after the accident and climbed over the center median to try to run across the southbound lanes, according to the preliminary investigation.
State Police troopers matched Sarmiento's identification to the owner of the Honda Accord abandoned at the accident scene in Cranford, Grossman said. Troopers also spoke to the drivers of the two vehicles that struck Sarmiento in the southbound lanes.
"It still remains under investigation," Grossman said.
• Pedestrian struck on Garden State Parkway closes northbound lanes in Montvale
• N.J. saw fewer deaths on roadways in 2012, but pedestrian fatalities increased


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Application for Mind Mapping, Knowledge Management, Project Management. Develop, organize and communicate your ideas and knowledge in the most effective way.
User Ratings
User Reviews
full star! It's convenient for office efficiency geeks
FreePlane is a great application with very good potential. I have started to use again at work to get my thoughts down. There are a few bugs but happy to work through this and log bug tickets. I also discovered the Windows 10 Mobile App - ftsmind. Seems to open MM files which is great as I use Windows and Android phone. As an old freemind user, I think FreePlane has more potential. As far as all those people who give FreePlane a bad wrap and 1 star. My advice to you is get involved in the project or go spend some money on the non-opensource products that cost a fortune and see if your experience is any better. When you provide negative feedback to people who give up their own time for free, is not very motivating I'm sure. FreePlane is a great application and very cost effective :) I'm proud to be a supporter.
Sadly, I must also report that Freeplane only looks like a wonderful program, with many features I've been trying to find in a single app. In reality, it is a complete mess that has only left me extremely frustrated and angry at the Freeplane Community for thinking its even slightly acceptable to dump such garbage on an unsuspecting and trusting public, even for Open Source!!! Frankly, it qualifies as abusive. Due to the supposed potential of its features, I literally spent 6 hours trying to learn it using its outdated, incorrect, and often confusing Tutorial. I only made it half way through the Tutorial, and I still feel like I don't have a handle on even basic features due to the mess this App is in. The fun begins with Many Dead Links on the Freeplane Support web pages and continues straight into the Map they use for their Tutorial. Straight away, you're met by a Giant Dead Node labeled "Functions Index" that links to a file that can't be found anywhere in Freeplane's Documentation when you look for it separate from the link. Then, you're blessed with the absence of simple universally accepted logic for how the App works. For example, you can't Click and Drag to choose multiple items. Instead, it doesn't matter what Key you add to clicking and dragging -- the Command, Option, or Shift Key all result in the same action of moving the Map around the screen. Control+Click pulls up the Contextual Menu that Right Clicking does. What a frustrating waste of high value Key+Click Commands. Simple tasks like Deletion and Undo are so stupidly designed, they're still a mystery in many cases, even after my 6 hours of Tutorial-based learning. The word "Delete" doesn't even exist in their Key Word Searchable Help Topics. Nor is there a Menu Option anywhere for Delete. Instead, it's named, "Remove Node", and the Key Command doesn't work. Click on a Node to delete it and only the text is deleted. Try and Undo this and you have to click outside the Node before Undo works to restore the text. Click on the Node's handle to Delete, nothing happens. In fact, the only way to Delete a Node outside the Edit Menu is to use the Cut Command with Command+X -- very dangerous and problematic. Child Node Creation is Menu Dependent as well. Seriously?!!! What nonsense!!! The Properties Panel is also a complete Mess!! Options are no longer Named as Instructed, and the Logic is Confusing. All I wanted to figure out was how to create an evenly spaced list of Nodes with a Similar Style. No way of automatically spacing them out without being tied to very ugly and unusable side effects. The following are just a sampling of additional commands you are told to use that don't do as they say. Sadly, I didn't start the list when it first started happening, so know that there are plenty more to be found in the first half of the Tutorial alone! Moving a connected node in space - Double Clicking oval handle does NOT move node to its original place. Automatic Edge Color - Option does not exist in Properties Panel. Missing - How to evenly space out a Group of Nodes. Free Floating Node Creation - Control+Click (as in one Instruction) and Control+Double Click (as in another Instruction) do NOT create this type of Node. You either have to use the Edit Drop-Down Menu, or create your own Short-Cut Key (Thank God for that feature ability - a True Blessing in this mess!) Free Floating Node Child Creation - Menu dependent, at best. Keeping CTRL pressed while choosing Add Connector does not enable the addition of a Label to the Connector Line Scrolling and panning the map - You CANNOT pan the map with Ctrl+Shift+Curcor up/down/left/right. You CAN with a Mouse Wheel for up/down andr Shift+Mouse Wheel left right. Bottom Line... the Freeplane Community should be ashamed of itself. For something like this to exist is the entire Community's fault, not just one individual's. Freeplane is the type of project that gives Open Source a Bad name!! Thanks for stealing a day of my life for nothing! ---------- UPDATE: Dimitry replied with, "If you want me to change anything please use a classic way and report what you believe to be a bug or inproper documentation. Regards. ---------- Dimitry is clearly committed to preventing other Newcomers from having horribleexperiences. (sarcasm)
Its with great disappointment that I am writing this review. Freeplane is an excellent program no doubt, a kind of which is unparalleled. But freeplane developers do not show any consideration for the Open source and Free software community, especially for GNU/Linux. I am seeing this from many years. Freeplane is giving utmost preference to Windows and Mac platforms. Its as if they are being supported by Microsoft or Apple. Why this betrayal with GNU/Linux community. We love Freeplane but you are betraying our love and running after false love towards Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac, even though they don't give a damn about you. Why are you making it so difficult for GNU/Linux users to install Freeplane? The freeplane we get in Software manager is of very old versions. Why do you betray us? Can't you produce binaries for GNU/Linux like that you produce for Windows and Mac. At least can't you give PPA for us to install manually. WHY DO YOU HATE GNU/LINUX? Freeplane should get more than 5 stars, no doubt. But the pain and agony that comes with the feeling of being betrayed again and again has made me give 1 star. In fact I didn't want to give any stars to them.
Un logiciel indispensable. Bien pensé. Ultra efficace.


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New York – Venezuela's "El Rumor de las Piedras" (The Murmur of the Rocks) by Alejandro Bellame won the award for Best International Feature at the New York International Latino Film Festival, which also gave Bellame the Best Director prize.
The festival, which ended on Sunday, screened more than 30 films, documentaries and short subjects in English and Spanish this year, reflecting the cultural diversity of the United States.
"This year's festival lineup was outstanding in its quality and range of diversity. We hope to continue to bring the highest quality films and stories to the New York community," festival founder and co-executive director Calixto Chinchilla said.
The winning feature film tells the story of Delia, a single mom who struggles to bring up her boys in a shantytown in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, though day by day they drift farther away from her and nearer to a life of delinquency and crime.
In the category of Best Domestic Feature, the winner was "Under My Nails" by director Ari Maniel Cruz, which tells the story of a Puerto Rican woman who works in a nail salon and who is increasingly intrigued by the violent sexual practices of her neighbors.
The award for Best Short went to "Pescadora" (Fisherwoman), a U.S.-Peruvian co-production directed by Daniel Enrique García and Ahna Terpstra, which follows the experiences of Dora, who always dreamed of being a fisherwoman but people in her seaside village keep pushing her to get married instead.
Meanwhile the jury judged "El Medico: the Cubaton Story" by director Daniel Fridell to be the Best Documentary while "The Acting Lesson" by Carmen Pelaez won the HBO/NYILFF Short Film Competition.
"In 13 years, the festival has gained a reputation as the most prestigious urban film event in the United States," festival co-executive director Elizabeth Gardner said.
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Like us at facebook.com/foxnewslatino


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Question if you or your dh have ETSd
We are owed some back pay from a mess up on the armys part and just want to make sure it's all included.
Thanks for any insight!
I'm not sure to be honest...never been in that situation. I'm willing to bet someone here has some advice though...good luck!
yes there should be a final LES, but it probably will not post until the day of the final pay.
the LES is a Pay stub, we get spoiled by being able to see it before they get paid, but in the civilian world you do not see the pay stub until the actual pay day.
by law there has to be a "final" pay stub, but it does not need to post until the actual day the pay is paid.
The final LES always shows zero until they day it posts to your account. DH still got his pay right on time, though.
Thanks Ladies


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During his annual speech on municipal affairs last week, Slidell Mayor Freddy Drennan joked that he would "dance a jig" whenever officials got to snip the ribbon on the city's oft-delayed senior citizens' center. Drennan better get his dancing shoes ready.
The newly built Slidell Senior Center is scheduled to host a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., about 6 1/2 years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the site's predecessor. The 10,000-square-foot facility at 610 Cousin St. replaces a Council on Aging St. Tammany building flooded by storm surge in August 2005, and the process to construct it has been anything but smooth.
"It's nice to have a place to call our own again," COAST Executive Director Mary Toti said. "This is so refreshing and exciting."
Following Katrina, seniors who had been gathering every day at the Cousin Street center were displaced first to Macedonia Baptist Church and later welcomed by Mount Olive African Methodist Episcopal Church, both in Slidell's Olde Towne district. But the city wanted to return its seniors to familiar surroundings, and in 2009, while former Mayor Ben Morris was still in office, the city awarded a $2.2 million contract to Braithwaite Construction Co. of St. Bernard Parish to demolish the damaged senior center and rebuild it.
FEMA agreed to provide $1.83 million for the project, and it was slated for completion in late 2010. But a series of complications repeatedly pushed the finish date back.
According to Braithwaite project manager Paul Balbero, the soil under the damaged senior center was wetted down, difficult to excavate and hard to operate on. That slowed crews from driving in pilings and pile caps, which would help support the structure's main floor slab.
Then, Balbero noted, an inexperienced subcontractor installed inadequate concrete foundation columns. Another subcontractor was hired to tear out the columns and repour them, resulting in a delay of months.
Balbero explained, "Most of the problems lay in getting off the ground."
Other problems involved what the city of Slidell considered "deficiencies in the building's design" by the New Orleans architecture firm Perez, said Tim Mathison, Drennan's chief of staff. Mathison didn't elaborate, citing unsettled payment arrangements, but he said that a number of different architects had to be assigned to the project. A phone call to Perez seeking comment was not returned.
When the building's completion deadline passed, Drennan enforced daily $1,000 penalties on the contractor for a total of about $50,000, Mathison added.
Nonetheless, crews labored away on the Slidell Senior Center, and by January this year COAST began transitioning programs -- such as serving hundreds of meals to members -- from Mount Olive to the new facility. Other activities, including festivities on Valentine's Day, followed in "a soft opening," and the event Wednesday is supposed to mark the center's grand debut to the public, organizers say.
"The seniors needed to come back and know they were home again," Toti said.
At the Slidell Senior Center, various offices, activity rooms and a fully-equipped kitchen flank a main congregation area. A computer lab is in the works, and the facility is packed with items -- tables, chairs, a sound system, kitchen appliances and televisions -- acquired with a $33,500 Rotary International Matching Grant.
Contact the Slidell Senior Center at 800.256.2823 or 985.892.0377.
Ramon Antonio Vargas can be reached at email@example.com or 985.645.2848.


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Husqvarna RS 8500 D is a powerful, efficient rider saw, specifically designed for large projects with cutting depth up to 7.5" and with upcut configuration standard.
The blade clutch makes it possible to stop the blade when the engine is still running, for safe transportation.
When thermal expansion of the concrete causes the blade to pinch in the kerf of the cut you can dis-engage the blade with the blade clutch.
The patented transmission with right-angle gearbox minimizes vibrations and increases efficiency at the blade spindle.
Tilt steering for increased operator comfort.
The IntelliSeal blade spindle (patent pending) has four sealed radial bearings for strength and durability. Allows for a minimum of 500 hour maintenance intervals and a 1000 hour limited warranty.
Blade guard assembly
Bladeshaft wrench
Copyright © 2008-2011 Husqvarna AB (publ). All rights reserved. All prices shown are recommended retail prices.
Find your local Husqvarna dealer using the dealer locator.


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If you like the winter and all the outdoor fun it has to offer, Northern Ohio is your place. Sledding, toboggan chutes, ice skating, snowboarding, skiing, cross country skiing and more.
If you like the winter and all the outdoor fun it has to offer, Northern Ohio is your place. Sledding, toboggan chutes, ice skating, snowboarding, skiing, cross country skiing and more.
OHIO STATE PARKS - Click here for State Park sledding information.
Cleveland Metroparks
Sledding, Snowboarding and Tobogganing
Young and young-at-heart sledding and snowboarding enthusiasts will enjoy coasting down a number of hills including some with night lighting. Favorites include Old River Farm Picnic Area in North Chagrin Reservation in Mayfield Heights or Barrett Road Sledding Hill in Rocky River Reservation in Berea. For a more extreme experience, Cleveland Metroparks Chalet Toboggan Chutes provide an icy thrill - traveling up to speeds of 50 mph - down twin refrigerated ice chutes located in Mill Stream Run Reservation in Strongsville. For toboggan rates, hours and more information, visit clevelandmetroparks.com/tchutes or call
Chalet Toboggan Chutes
Cleveland Metroparks
Mill Stream Run Reservation
16200 Valley Parkway. Strongsville, OH
Linden Park Sledding Hill
3600 Linden Road, Rocky River, OH
Beartown Lake Reservation Sled Riding Hill (Geauga County)
18870 Quinn Rd., Chagrin Falls, OH
Punderson State Park Sled Riding Hill
11755 Kinsman Rd., Newbury, OH
Chagrin River Park
3100 Reeves Road, Willoughby
Chapin Forest Reservation
10381 Hobart Road, Kirtland
Hidden Valley Park
4880 Klasen Rd., Madison Twp.
Riverview Park
4895 Bailey Rd., Madison Twp.
Mill Creek MetroParks
Green Leaf Park Sled Riding Hill
1674 S. Medina Rd., Sharon Center, OH
Hubbard Valley Park Sled Rding Hill
8600 Hubbard Valley, Seville, OH
Malabar Farm State Park
4050 Bromfield Rd., Lucas, OH
Boettler Park
5300 Massillon Rd., North Canton, OH
Cascade Valley Metro Park
1061 Cuyahoga St., Akron, OH
Furnance Run Metro Park
4955 Townsend Rd., Richfield, OH
Kendall Hills
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Various hills - website
Sand Run
800 N. Hawkins Ave., Akron, OH
Oakhill Park
3000 Oak Hill Rd., Wooster, OH
Orr Park
400 N. Elm St. Orrville, OH
State of Ohio - Cross Country Skiing information can be found here.
Alpine Valley
10620 Mayfield Rd, Chesterland
Boston Mills and Brandywine (Summit County)
Cleveland Metroparks (Cuyahoga County)
Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing
Buckle up those skis or snowshoes and traverse the fairways and rough areas at Little Met, Mastick Woods, Shawnee Hills, and Sleepy Hallow golf courses when there is a 4 inch base of snow. Big Met and Seneca golf courses feature groomed trails. Big Met offers ski and snowshoe rentals in the Club House. And join Cleveland Metroparks Outdoor Recreation Department on January 11 and 25 and February 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for snowshoe rental and lessons at Squire's Castle located off Chagrin River Road in North Chagrin Reservation in Willoughby Hills. For rates and information about other Cleveland Metroparks snowshoe programs, visit
website or or call 216-341-1704.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Winter sports - website
Geauga County
Winter sports - website
Lake County Metroparks - Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing
For more information website.
Lorain County Metroparks - Snowshoeing
For more information click here.
Pine Lodge Cross-country Ski Center - Lake County Metroparks (Lake County)
Open mid-November through mid-March
Monday through Friday: Noon to 9 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 9 am to 9 pm
Chapin Forest Reservation
10381 Hobart Road
Kirtland, OH 44094
Snow Fest - Mulligan's Pub - Sawmill Creek
Whether it is your first time or you are a pro. Come try out our amazing winter scenes and the once a year opportunities.
Trail Fee: $4 -
Snowshoe Rental: $5
Cross Country Skiing
Try out Cross Country Skiing throughout the property from the woods to the golf course.
Trail Fee: $4 -
Ski Rental: $5
Sawmill Creek Resort
400 Sawmill Creek Dr. Huron Sandusky, OH 44839
Snowtrails (Richland County)
3100 Possum Run Road, Mansfield
Cleveland Metroparks
Lake & Pond Ice Skating is a fun winter tradition. When weather permits, ice skating can be enjoyed at Hinckley, Mill Stream Run and Rocky River reservations. Please skate with caution and only when proper weather/ice conditions exist. These areas are not monitored. Skaters are responsible for clearing ice.
Ohio State Parks
Northern Ohio Parks include:
Beaver Creek, Buckeye Lake, Delaware, Malabar Farm, and Quail Hollow.
Lock 3 Live
Akron, Ohio
Lock 3's most popular feature is our 10,000-square-foot ice rink, the largest seasonal skating venue in Ohio! Skate rental is $3.* Strap-on skates for toddlers are free when supplies are available.
Snow Fest - Mulligan's Pub - Sawmill Creek
Ice Skating/ice Hockey
Fun for all ages. Fight the frigid weather and skate around on our frozen pond or play ice hockey and make unforgettable memories. Skates available for all sizes to rent.
Admission Fee: $5
Skate Rental: $3
Sawmill Creek Resort
400 Sawmill Creek Dr. Huron Sandusky, OH 44839
The Ice Rink at Falls River Square
Open through February, the Ice Rink is your winter destination!
Concessions are available on site with hot chocolate, coffee and snacks. Admission is Free for residents with the CFOne card, all others, admission is $3 person. Skate rental is available for $3.
Ice Skating lessons begin December 7th!
Regsistration is open now! Call 330.672.RINK
For more info website
The Rink at Wade Oval
University Circle Wade Oval,
10820 East Blvd., Cleveland, OH
Lace up for the new fresh ice at the Rink at Wade Oval. Enjoy skating during the extended Wednesday evening hours.
Cleveland Metroparks
Ice Fishing
When weather and ice conditions are ideal, grab your rod and reel and head to a Cleveland Metroparks inland lake or pond. Some popular "hot" spots are Wallace Lake in Mill Stream Run Reservation, Hinckley Lake in Hinckley Reservation and Rocky River Lagoon in Rocky River Reservation.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Medina County Metroparks
6364 Deerview Lane
Medina, Ohio 44256
Metro Parks, Serving Summit County
975 Treaty Line Road,
Akron, OH 44313-5898
Mill Creek MetroParks
Ohio State Parks
Winter Fun link
Wood County Park District
Wood County Park District Headquarters
18729 Mercer Road
Bowling Green, OH 43402
Ma & Pa's Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides
It's lovely weather for a Sleigh Ride! Ever wonder what it would be
like to go dashing through the snow in a one or two horse open sleigh?
Well now's your chance. Every winter, all winter long, Ma and Pa hitch up the sleighs and take you out through the woods and out in the field and then back to the cabin for a warm fire, Ma's homemade bakery, hot chocolate and maple coffee. We also off romantic night rides for those special engagements or an unforgettable night out.
Reservations are required, so please call ahead, and we will accomodate you and your family. Sleigh Rides run Friday, Saturday and Sunday and some weekdays, call ahead. There is a carriage should there be no snow. You can sign-up for our snow alert below and we will email you everytime we go out.
Find us on Twitter


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Straight Gamer Calls For 'No Homosexuality Option' In Dragon Age 2. Game Maker Responds: Shut It
By now you've already picked up a copy of Dragon Age 2 just so you can watch two CGI dudes get it on on the duvet. But not all gamers are so happy that manufacturer BioWare has enabled same-sex sexing.
User Bastal posted this week on BioWare's web forum that "Bioware Neglected Their Main Demographic: The Straight Male Gamer." See, it's not that he has a problem with letting the gays have their video game fun — it's just that BioWare should've offered a "no homosexuality option" to keep gay players from making passes at straight dudes. Excuse me?
To summarize, in the case of Dragon Age 2, BioWare neglected their main demographic: The Straight Male Gamer.
I don't think many would argue with the fact that the overwhelming majority of RPG gamers are indeed straight and male. Sure, there are a substantial amount of women who play video games, but they're usually gamers who play games like The Sims, rather than games like Dragon Age. That's not to say there isn't a significant number of women who play Dragon Age and that BioWare should forego the option of playing as a women altogether, but there should have been much more focus in on making sure us male gamers were happy.
Now immediately I'm sure that some male gamers are going to be like "YOU DON'T SPEAK FOR ME! I LOVE DRAGON AGE 2!", but you have to understand, the Straight Male Gamer, cannot be just lumped into a single category.
Its ridiculous that I even have to use a term like Straight Male Gamer, when in the past I would only have to say fans, but it is as if when the designers were deciding on how to use their limited resources, instead of thinking "We have fans who loved Alistair and we have fans who thought Alistair was annoying. We have fans that thought Morrigan was great and we have fans that thought that she was a ****. And we have fans who liked the combat and we have fans who hated the combat but liked the story. How do we make make all these groups happy?" Instead, it is as if they went "We have straight males, straight females, gays and lesbians. How do we make all these groups happy?"The fact that a "No Homosexuality" option, which could have been easily implemented, is omitted just proves my point.
In every previous BioWare game, I always felt that almost every companion in the game was designed for the male gamer in mind. Every female love interest was always written as a male friend type support character. In Dragon Age 2, I felt like most of the companions were designed to appeal to other groups foremost, Anders and Fenris for gays and Aveline for women given the lack of strong women in games, and that for the straight male gamer, a secondary concern. It makes things very awkward when your male companions keep making passes at you. The fact that a "No Homosexuality" option, which could have been easily implemented, is omitted just proves my point. I know there are some straight male gamers out there who did not mind it at and I respect that.
When I say BioWare neglected The Straight Male Gamer, I don't mean that they ignored male gamers. The romance options, Isabella and Merrill, were clearly designed for the straight male gamers in mind. Unfortunately, those choices are what one would call "exotic" choices. They appeal to a subset of male gamers and while its true you can't make a romance option everyone will love, with Isabella and Merrill it seems like they weren't even going for an option most males will like. And the fact is, they could have. They had the resources to add another romance option, but instead chose to implement a gay romance with Anders.
I'm certain that some will declare "That's only fair!" but lets be honest. I'll be generous and assume that 5% of all Dragon Age 2 players are actually homosexuals. I'll be even more generous and assume that the Anders romance was liked by every homosexual. Are you really telling me that you could not have written another straight romance that would have pleased more than 5% of your fans?
Dragon Age 2 did have its faults no doubt, objectively; combat that was fun initially but quickly got tedious as a result of constantly respawing enemies and too many random encounters, not so well disguised re-used environments, a flawed equipment system in which most of the loot you got could not be used. And subjectively, I've seen complaints of the new faster combat, the new dialogue wheel and so forth. But truth to be told, I wasn't happy with every single aspect of Origins either, but still I loved that game. The gameplay elements are only a part of an RPG, theres the story and characters that drive it. If the same amount focus and attention to characters were given for me as there was in Origins, I'm sure that even with all those technical flaws, I would have found Dragon Age 2 a good game, a flawed game, but still good. As it stands right now, with mediocre characters and mediocre gameplay, Dragon Age 2 is a mediocre game and I'd rate it as such.
David Gaider replied in the last thread stating, "There's a lot of assumption in there, not the least of which is certain amount of privilege (not to mention an assumption that all straight male gamers must like the same thing)". It's odd to me that David realized that not all straight male gamers like the same thing, yet thought it prudent to try to include a cast that would be liked by straight male gamers, straight female gamers, gays and lesbians with a development time of 18 months. I just hope that the next game BioWare will get its priorities right or spend more time making the game.
Despite my opinions I fully respect the opinions of those who disagree with me so please let's agree to disagree in a respectful manner and not let this descend into personal attacks. I respectfully request that the moderators simply remove the trouble makers and trolls who make inflammatory comments rather than locking the entire thread because that's what the trolls want. Thank you.
David Gaider, the lead writer for BioWare, saw the post. And responded. It is awesome.
The romances in the game are not for "the straight male gamer". They're for everyone. We have a lot of fans, many of whom are neither straight nor male, and they deserve no less attention. We have good numbers, after all, on the number of people who actually used similar sorts of content in DAO and thus don't need to resort to anecdotal evidence to support our idea that their numbers are not insignificant… and that's ignoring the idea that they don't have just as much right to play the kind of game they wish as anyone else. The "rights" of anyone with regards to a game are murky at best, but anyone who takes that stance must apply it equally to both the minority as well as the majority. The majority has no inherent "right" to get more options than anyone else.Romances are never one-size-fits-all, and even for those who don't mind the sexuality issue there's no guarantee they'll find a character they even want to romance. That's why romances are optional content. It's such a personal issue that we'll never be able to please everyone. The very best we can do is give everyone a little bit of choice, and that's what we tried here.
More than that, I would question anyone deciding they speak for "the straight male gamer" just as much as someone claiming they speak for "all RPG fans", "all female fans" or even "all gay fans". You don't. If you wish to express your personal desires, then do so. I have no doubt that any opinion expressed on these forums is shared by many others, but since none of them have elected a spokesperson you're better off not trying to be one. If your attempt is to convince BioWare developers, I can tell you that you do in fact make your opinion less convincing by doing so.
And if there is any doubt why such an opinion might be met with hostility, it has to do with privilege. You can write it off as "political correctness" if you wish, but the truth is that privilege always lies with the majority. They're so used to being catered to that they see the lack of catering as an imbalance. They don't see anything wrong with having things set up to suit them, what's everyone's fuss all about? That's the way it should be, any everyone else should be used to not getting what they want.
The truth is that making a romance available for both genders is far less costly than creating an entirely new one. Does it create some issues of implementation? Sure– but anything you try on this front is going to have its issues, and inevitably you'll always leave someone out in the cold. In this case, are all straight males left out in the cold? Not at all. There are romances available for them just the same as anyone else. Not all straight males require that their content be exclusive, after all, and you can see that even on this thread.
Would I do it again? I don't know. I doubt I would have Anders make the first move again– at the time, I thought that requiring all romances to have Hawke initiate everything was the unrealistic part. Even if someone decides that this makes everyone "unrealistically" bisexual, however, or they can't handle the idea that the character might be bisexual if they were another PC… I don't see that as a big concern, to be honest. Romances are never one-size-fits-all, and even for those who don't mind the sexuality issue there's no guarantee they'll find a character they even want to romance. That's why romances are optional content. It's such a personal issue that we'll never be able to please everyone. The very best we can do is give everyone a little bit of choice, and that's what we tried here.
And the person who says that the only way to please them is to restrict options for others is, if you ask me, the one who deserves it least. And that's my opinion, expressed as politely as possible.
And remember that Dragon Age: Origins also featured gay sexytimes. Maybe donate this year's GLAAD check to your new video game addiction.
Hahahaha, that bigot gamer sure got told. And the last statement puts it perfectly. The "Bastal" guy wants to be pleased by trying to closet us. Well that isn't going to happen, so he'll just need to get over his homophobia. That guy shows the typical straight male privilege attitude, "everything should be catered to me, since I'm a straight man and special, blah blah blah", anything that doesn't get catered to them they see as an affront and slight against them. It's comical, though, how freaked out some straight guys get over something as simple as a game having gay characters. I've seen that a lot from these gamers. You must be really insecure in yourself if that is an issue for you. But that's not surprising coming from hardcore gamers.
The people who are complaining have obviously never played the game. The homosexual ending is just ONE of the possible outcomes. Your player is just as likely to end up with a female as a male.
haha. Didn't even read the whole letter, sounded pretty insecure. Every straight guy I know that's played it actively went out to get the dude in bed.
People keep complaining about the gays "shoving everything down their throats". Well, THAT we ARE good at! [Yes, pun intended!] :) And another thing…str8 people [read "homoprobes"] have had THEIR own lives to live and are not doing too well with this marriage thingy. Let US show them how it is done. What if being gay was the norm? Don't you think str8 people would fight for recognition too!? Just because we have SSA does NOT mean that we do NOT love…SB
"…the Straight Male Gamer, cannot be just lumped into a single category."
Really? Because 'straight male gamer' sounds like a pretty specific single category.
I don't get why the fuck does these looser worry about. If your not gay why even bother going to the option of seeing to dude making out, that is no brained.
@Kev C: The best escapist fantasy are the ones where you can imagine yourself in the fantastical situations. Theres nothing "killjoy" about Dragon Age, Dragon Age 2, or the Mass Effect Series.
Where is the no straight sex option in videogames?
@MoHomo: Same. The straight guys – i.e, the guys – in my dorm were getting to the tail end of the game, trying to screw as many characters as possible, and they all loved Zevran, even if they did kinda turn away a bit at the actual animation.
The gamemaker makes an excellent point about straight (or majority) privilege.
"They're so used to being catered to that they see the lack of catering as an imbalance. They don't see anything wrong with having things set up to suit them, what's everyone's fuss all about? That's the way it should be, and everyone else should be used to not getting what they want."
I don't think it can be stated much better than that. They view equal rights as "special rights" simply because it's not about them and it's ALL supposed to be about them, their sensibilities and their comfort. "I'm sick of these gays shoving it down my throat!" (Interesting word choice there.) "I don't care but I don't want to see it! Straight people don't FLAUNT their sexuality so why do they?!" Somehow the fact that ALL their conversation about their WEDDING, what they did with their WIFE or HUSBAND yesterday, their PREGNANCY issues, all of it IS about their sexuality!
Yep… blame others for your insecurities and lack of cool.
Dragon Age 'Romances' are for advantage and plot development, not arousal. The complainer needs to get out and get laid.
The man is playing it wrong.
Even in Dragon Age 1 there was this option.
If you talk to the guy using the flirtatious come-on lines, he'll respond to them, duh. If you don't, every time, he won't flirt with your male character and there's no problem. Seems like this is pretty clearly exactly what he wanted.
If you use the neutral lines and happen to wander across one of the triggers and he uses a come-on line, then all you have to do is use one of the "no, thanks, I'm not into that" replies.
Bioware, you impress me greatly!
"the truth is that privilege always lies with the majority. They're so used to being catered to that they see the lack of catering as an imbalance. They don't see anything wrong with having things set up to suit them, what's everyone's fuss all about? That's the way it should be, any everyone else should be used to not getting what they want."
F'ing genius.
@Steve Hutchison: Therefore it's "their" problem…they think that playing a "game" is innocent enough if no one is watching but, wait until the ending occurs and the closet case feels as if they have been attacked and outed due only to their OWN decisions. They feel "dirty" because they were TAUGHT it [being gay] was bad..SB
@Valentine Ghost: My SMGs (to use the asswipe poster's term) who didn't seduce Zev (or Anders in DAII) played the female characters to get the girl-on-girl action. Most did both.
It was an excellent response, and a hell of a lot more literate than the rant that prompted it.
I will say, I've always been suspicious of the idea that gamers are all "straight males." As a kid, I knew a LOT of gamers and, well, more of them turned out to be gay than any other group I can think of!
I also know for a fact that there are many gay and bisexual game developers. They're not often out, since the work environment is sophomoric. But they're there.
@Brandon H: Did I say killjoy? I meant to say overcomplicated task monkey.
Props to BioWare for writing inclusionary content, and then sticking by it!
Wow. This guy is basically saying… well, imagine he owned a bar. He is saying: "Let's not allow gays to drink here because they have their own bars to go to and I'd rather have them not be here in case one wants to hit on me." ONE game gives more homosexual/bi romance options while NOT cutting out straight romance options and he wants to complain? SERIOUSLY? I don't know what's worse, this guy and his video game problems or the moronic women who celebrate their wedding engagements at a gay club.
I also want to comment on his female gamers bit. The only gamers I know that own an Xbox and play casually (Rock Band and the like) are guys. My girl friends who game are all into the likes of Mass Effect, Halo, CoD, etc. I know better than to make assumptions from that but there are definitely just as many casual male gamers as there are female, if not more. There was no reason for that comparison. (Well, there was no reason for anything he said.)
This dividing of men into straight and gay is actually a clever segregationist ploy by homophobes. It's designed to make gay male sexuality smaller and to thus keep us out of the mainstream. Don't fall for it.
My view is that male sexuality, as a concept, is far more complicated than straight and gay. As a concept, it has shades and overlaps that defy the segregationist's desire to put it into two separate boxes. Conceptually, male sexuality is remarkably psychological, situational, and vulnerable to stigma.
Of course, I'm not saying that there aren't men who are completely straight or completely gay in their perception of themselves. What I'm saying is that the concept of male sexuality – and I repeat the word "concept" – is far, far from simple.
That lead writer is obviously homosexual himself, and slyly included the gay thing to promote homosexuality in amongst heterosexuality.
@Avenger: Yawn.
He forgot about all the Yaoi fan girls out there.
Leliana was supposed to be a "reluctant" romance option in Origins, but she practically jumped on top of me and I didn't complain, even though telling her to back off caused me relationship damage with her. That bitch was needy.
@Avenger. There's plenty of fanservice for straight boys. Do us a favor and crawl back into your hole.
Um, I assume that they didn't offer a "no homosexuality" option for the same reason they neglected to add a "no blacks" option. Bioware clearly makes games with human equality in mind.
Opinions mean nothing, they can be beautiful or ugly, clever or foolish, they can be embraced or rejected by anyone.
Keep your beliefs, but do not let hatred, for those who disagree, take root in your heart.
Looks like he attracted attention from Encyclopedia Dramatica for his crying — http://encyclopediadramatica.com/Bastal
– The complainer says;
"The romance options, Isabella and Merrill, were clearly designed for the straight male gamers in mind. Unfortunately, those choices are what one would call "exotic" choices."
– He goes on with;
"They appeal to a subset of male gamers and while its true you can't make a romance option everyone will love, with Isabella and Merrill it seems like they weren't even going for an option most males will like."
He doesn't say those romance options aren't HIS tastes, he says they're of the "exotic" nature – and, again, assumes he's speaking for all straight guys by saying those females are NOT "an option most males will like".
I'm not saying his use of "exotic" translates to "not-white-american-enough" but, it does seem like a term a racist white guy from the U.S. would use to 'politely' describe an asian looking elf lady (Merrill) and a gypsy looking swashbuckling lady (Isabella)
So, his gay problem is obvious.. But, imo, he seems to have a race, or 'race-look' problem as well.
– On a less serious note:
I mean sure, Elves were considered exotic at one time.. But it's 2011.. Human/Elf sex is super common these days.. ;-)
I find it supremely arrogant for straight-identifying men to claim that only their preferred options must always be catered to, and with no room for anyone else's. They act as if they form 100% of the population.
Memo to straight-identifying guys: you are less than 50% of the population. Most people in this world are not straight-identifying guys.
Yes, very interesting and informative! As a "newbie" blogger, even the simplest things others take for granted can seem a mystery to us!
I have two things to say:
* I'm a straight male
* I totally had my male character do another dude just for the lols


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Thank you, Opstad
We write this letter to the teachers, staff and volunteers at Opstad Elementary School to recognize their efforts during the recent earthquake.
As worried parents streamed into the school's parking lot, they were met by a thoughtful and organized team of personnel who were easily identifiable by their safety vests and hard hats.
Security was in place. Parents had two checkpoints to go through and forms to fill out before they could take their children from the school.
Outside of each classroom stood a container filled with emergency preparedness kits, one for each student. Parents provide these kits, hoping and praying that they will never have to be opened. Fortunately, this time, most remained sealed.
Because the teachers remained calm, the children were calm, as well. Thank you for being so brave. We know that you have families of your own that you were worried about, but you did not have the luxury of leaving the school, or of even making a phone call to find out if they were OK because your first responsibility was to our children.
We wish to commend everyone at Opstad for taking such good care of the most important people in our lives. We hope that we won't have to experience a day like that again anytime soon, but if we do, we will rest assured that our children are in excellent hands.
Rina Korsmo,
Susan Eddings
and Karen Hahn
North Bend
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As New Year's Eve quickly approaches, and we all prepare to make our 2013 investing resolutions, it is a good time to reflect on the energy sector in year that was 2012. In this December series, our writers will be recapping some of the most popular, highest-performing stocks in this sector. We will examine whether the gains these companies provided their shareholders in 2012 are sustainable, or whether they merely can be attributed to one-time events or fizzling trends. Consider these pieces as gifts to benefit our Foolish, long-term investors seeking exposure to the energy sector. To kick off this series, we will take a look at Transocean (NYSE: RIG ) , which, as of this writing, is up 17.3%.
Here is how it's done in comparison to its peers:
YOY Change in Operating Free Cash Flow *
YOY Change in Net Income
$563 million
($1.1 billion)
Halliburton (NYSE: HAL )
($453 million)
$33 million
Seadrill (NYSE: SDRL )
($40 million)
($302 million)
Nabors Industries (NYSE: NBR )
($14 million)
($212 million)
The year that was 2012 for Transocean
To get a sense of what is happening at Transocean, we need to take a look back to just before the year started. Back in November 2011, while the company was still embattled in litigation over the Deepwater Horizon spill, a deepwater rig operated by Transocean had a spill off the Brazilian coast. While Chevron (NYSE: CVX ) has claimed full responsibility for the event, a civil lawsuit has held both Chevron and Transocean up in courts for over a year. The prosecutors seek $20 billion in damages for the 3,000-barrel spill. The civil suits represent the largest environmental prosecutions in the history of Brazil. For much of the year, Transocean has been in the trenches trying to get clear of these lawsuits.
Luckily, Both Chevron and Transocean finally may be able to put some of their Brazilian troubles away soon. This past Friday, both companies agreed to change their offshore safety and operations procedures as part of the civil lawsuit. Also, the federal case against the companies, which could have banned both of them from operating in Brazil, was overturned this past Friday as well. This ruling is rather handy for the Brazilian national oil company Petrobras (NYSE: PBR ) too; Transocean operates eight rigs for Petrobras.
Much like all civil suits, this one will probably take quite some time to resolve. Just this past month, BP (NYSE: BP ) settled its criminal charges in the Deepwater Horizon case with a $4 billion fine and manslaughter convictions for some of the company's supervisors. So don't expect Transocean to be out of the litigation weeds for quite some time.
Is this sustainable?
If you look at the recent company earnings reports, not much really jumps out to show why the company has outperformed its peers as well as it has. Revenue has been on the decline in the past three quarters and Transocean only made a profit in one quarter so far this year. On the other hand, operational cash flow has steadily increased and it has strengthened its overall cash position. So from an operational standpoint, the company hasn't done anything too spectacular.
So let's look at the stock price and put this year's performance in perspective. In January of this year, the company's stock price was at an eight-year low and it had just bottomed out following the Brazilian coastal spill. So, even though performance in 2012 may look great, any investor who owned shares prior to the spill still sees his investment down 22%.
Looking to the future, the drilling services industry will continue to grow thanks to new technology to identify and tap into new fields all over the world. What should be of concern for investors, though, is that Transocean can be hit hard by spills, even if it is not its fault. So while we cannot say that another accident is an inevitability, accidents do happen, and chances are that Transocean's shares will show the scars of those spills.
The oil and gas industry is an inherently risky business dating all the way back to the first wildcatters. While these risks can sink several companies, Motley Fool analyst Jim Mueller sees one company that has been around since the beginning of oil exploration and has the potential to rise above the risk. He has put together a premium report on this company which you can read by clicking here.


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Bumblebee aka Chevrolet Camaro gets smart on big screen yet again with Transformers movie franchise bringing "Transformers: Age of Extinction" from director Michael Bay to theatres on June 27th. The Corvette Stingray transforms to Autobot Crosshairs, a Trax and a Sonic are outfitted as a Rally Car. There's a new star cast, but your favourite transformers are back to battle and save the world and its people, while the search for Optimus Prime continues. Chevrolet has displayed its Transformers cars against a big backdrop at the ongoing 2014 New Your International Auto Show.
In the 2007 film "Transformers," the 2009 film "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and 2011 film "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," the 5th gen Camaro gained many fans as Bumblebee. Transformers: Age of Extinction features 2 Chevrolet Camaros specifically built for the film'. One is a largely modified vintage 1967 Camaro SS and the other a futuristic concept Camaro.
"The Transformers movies have been a great partnership for Chevrolet by allowing us to introduce our vehicles to new fans, young and old, around the world," said Tim Mahoney, chief marketing officer, Global Chevrolet. "Now for the fourth time, you'll see a Camaro as a heroic Autobot, a fitting role for one of the stars of Chevrolet's lineup."
Said LeeAnne Stables, executive vice president of Worldwide Marketing Partnerships for Paramount Pictures said, "The Chevrolet partnership with this iconic Michael Bay movie franchise has become one of the longest-running and most innovative movie-brand relationships in film history. This new Chevy campaign will definitely bring new and exciting elements to a global audience of Transformers movie fans around the world."


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Facebook Donates Big Money To Politician Fighting Against Gay Marriage
Facebook cares about diversity. It cares about equality, and it definitely cares about the LGBT community. Or at least that's what they say.
Except less so when they're strategically growing their business.
Earlier this week, Q Salt Lake reported that Facebook, Inc. donated $10,000 to the campaign of Attorney General Sean Reyes on May 13, 2014, according to disclosures filed with the Utah Lieutenant Governor's office.
Reyes recently made national headlines by fighting a court ruling that would legalize gay marriage in the state.
But his anti-equality stance was only one factor Facebook took into account (or didn't take into account) when they decided to cut the check. A company spokesperson told the Huffington Post:
Facebook has a strong record on LGBT issues and that will not change, but we make decisions about which candidates to support based on the entire portfolio of issues important to our business, not just one. A contribution to a candidate does not mean that we agree with every policy or position that candidate takes. We made this donation for the same reason we've donated to Attorneys General on the opposite side of this issue — because they are committed to fostering innovation and an open Internet.
Now there's a Change.org petition created by QSaltLake Assistant Editor Bob Henline to urge the social network to pull support from the controversial politician.
"Facebook is used by everyone and shouldn't be supporting those who would take away our rights," one commenter on the petition writes.
h/t QSaltLake
Zuckerberg is a fucktard.
Once again Facebook has proven it's about money and not about the belief of bringing people together. This is definitely not a "Like" status for Facebook. ????
Does this mean Bob and the rest of you have all canceled your Facebook accounts? If not, stop bitching.
I was wondering when Facebook was going to get called out for its political donations to anti-gay politicians. Back when the mozilla scandal was happening, I saw a story on CNBC about Facebook spending a large portion of their political donations to anti-gay politicians, but there wasn't a peep about it from the gay media for some reason. I guess they are so enamored with Facebook, they decided to give it a free pass. I surely would have thought that if a $1000 contribution by the Mozilla CEO years ago would cause such an uproar, then Facebook surely should have been an even bigger scandal. Guess no boycotts will be happening.
People are so enamored with Facebook that they will probably continue to give it a free pass.
Allowances like this are what give anti-gay politicians their strength. The money itself is a simple object and doesn't necessarily equal changed minds, but millions of people will read about this and then actively turn a blind eye to it. The message they send is that it's okay to be bigoted, regardless of how both Facebook and its users justify it.
Almost every day, I find another reason why I'm so glad that I quit Facebook…
Cool. I don't go on Facebook anymore anyway. People are obsessed with Facebook like they can't function without it. I love when people ask me if I got Facebook. I tell them yes, but I'm not active on it. Don't bother Facebooking me. I don't check it. Don't even remember what my password is lol I'm anti-Facebook and encourage people to get off of there and get a life.
Maybe time for facebook employees to step up and express their disappointment in their employer's actions. Like corporations everywhere, I doubt they will ever admit to making an error, but they will think twice next time.
Companies do this sort of thing all of the time. Personally, I think having a record of bigotry should trump a politician's record of being pro-business when it comes time for businesses to donate money.
I'm retired from the petrochemical industry, and they throw tons of money at the slimiest dirtballs in Congress if they are pro-business. They also strong arm the employees to do likewise.
The worst of all is that people don't even see the underlying problem any more. The complaints are about WHOM these corporations buy off, never mind that the whole idea of corporations giving money to ANY politician is an abomination and a complete corruption of the whole idea of "democracy."
@Masc Pride: I, for one, don't use Facebook anymore. It's just a complete waste of time that distracts from real world problems. They will falter off soon enough as this will be the straw that breaks their camel's back. ;)
Facebook is experiencing far more visceral hatred over Messenger than their political stance.
I could get all huffy and wail "I AM CANCELING MY ACCOUNT!!!", but 1) It's free; I am not paying for any part of the service or content. 2) I have so much Advertising blocking on my browser that Facebook is not making a cent off my personal information with cookies and flash 3) Because my Facebook account has been hacked several times, my profile now has nothing in it that could possibly link to anything real about me; fictitious birthday, disposable Email, phony contact information. 4) Less than 40 friends. I see people with 500+ friends and I think "Do you HAVE a life?"
It is a time suck.
Don't forget that Facebook owns Instagram as well. If you're REALLY gonna boycott, you'd need to dump your Instagram, too.
I've already deleted my account. What a waste of time anyway.
If people started to delete their Fbook acct, they'll start to feel the pain and rethink their stand on this issue.
Zuckerburg is a homophobic whore, whose bitch works a UCSF as a pediatrician. People should write to her with the same support for her marriage that she has for ours.
I'm proud to say that I have never had a Facebook account (it always seemed so stupid and narcissistic) and never will have one.
@ontheupandup: I don't need to dump Instagram – I've never had an account with them either.
No Facebook for me either, never had it, never will. When Zuckerberg supported Chris Christie, that's when he grossed me out. What the Hell is wrong with him? I wish he wasn't in S.F.
Time to cancel Facebook. It obviously thinks that gay people's rights are secondary to obscene profit margins.
voting doesnt work. Yet if people are going to support liars and thieves they ought consider more than a single issue.
They are a business. They are supposed to act in the best interest for their business. That is what businesses do. I have no problem with them donating to a right wing politician as long as they are doing it to further their business goals instead of doing it because he supports a marriage ban.
@Cam: Oh come on Cam, they gave money to a Republican and we all know that they stand for both of those things (actually they get more news coverage about the blacks voting and the war on women then they do about the gays).
@Paco: HUGE difference between donating to a right wing candidate and giving $1000 directly to Prop 8. HUGE!
If this dip was thinking, he would fund a person (grass-roots) that met the business and social criteria that he preferred, instead of kissing up to fat-ass liars like Chris Christie or mealy-mouthed bigots such as Sean Reyes. He's powerful and wants to stay that way, but at what cost? I really wish this turd would move to the East Coast, though 3,000 miles still doesn't feel far enough away. What the Hell is he doing in S.F.? Go away! Go buy Chris Christie an ice-cream cone and talk about money. Isn't that what it's all about? When he supports these bigots, he is support marriage bans. The results are the same.
I'm not on Facebook. I'm glad.
@tdx3fan: Really? Giving $10,000 to someone actively fighting to keep Utah's ban on same sex marriage in place is less than the $1000.00 donation some jerk donated to a ballot measure? Sorry but I fail to see the difference. Also, Facebook is spreading the damage around by donating to anti-gay politicians all over the country, basically tossing gay rights under the bus so they can buy some favors with pro-business politicians. If they can't find a pro-business politician that is also for equal rights, then they should keep their money to themselves until one comes along. You can't claim to be for equal rights and then turn around and give money to put people in power that have a record of undermining those rights.
The capitalist market hard at work. Anyone of these companies will throw us under the bus if it suits their bottom line.
One wonders why Facebook would write a cheque to anyone. They don't need this guys support although he really needs theirs. Makes one wonder why pennies to Microsoft and million$ to this ass, would be worth FB's trouble. Don't write any cheques, and avoid the whole mess. Not too sure about FB's management with this move.


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What is in this article?:
- Coalition urges farm bill funding to maintain US ag export promotion
- Competition heating up
- The Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports calls for mandatory funding of the Market Access Program at no less than $200 million annually and the Foreign Market Development program at no less than $34.5 million, the same funding levels as in the current farm bill.
- The European Parliament recently announced a plan to increase its total agricultural export promotion spending by 75 percent in the next six years.
Competition heating up
Wootton said the European Parliament recently announced a plan to increase total agricultural export promotion spending by 75 percent in the next six years. He cited a recent statement by the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development that the Parliament will soon consider increasing just one of several EU agricultural export promotion programs progressively from $82.5 million in the 2013 budget to $270.5 million in 2020.
A detailed study conducted by Agralytica, Inc., of competitive investment and programs pegged total agricultural export promotion spending by the EU government (including the program proposed to increase) at $360 million in 2011.
In addition, Wootton said, China and other countries' governments are heavily subsidizing their agricultural productions to generate exports in competition with the U.S.
"With a documented 35-to-one return to the U.S. economy from MAP and FMD, sensible observers have to see them as successful public-private programs that deserve to continue in the next farm bill," Wootton said. "More than 1.1 million Americans have jobs that depend on agricultural exports and we strongly support the Administration's commendable goal through the National Export initiative of doubling U.S. exports. For U.S. agriculture, MAP and FMD are key tools in making this a successful effort."
Editor's Note — The Coalition to Promote U.S. Agricultural Exports is an ad hoc coalition of more than 125 organizations representing farmers and ranchers, fishermen and forest product producers, cooperatives, small businesses, regional trade organizations and State Departments of Agriculture. The Coalition's goal since its formation in the late 1980s has been to maintain strong funding for the Market Access Program and the Foreign Market Development Program. The Coalition believes the U.S. must continue policies and programs that help ensure American agriculture can compete effectively in a global marketplace still characterized by subsidized foreign competition.


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Read more about Erin Andrews' new job, conspiracies about Apple's security flaw, California's worry over a new virus and the delays at the Daytona 500 as we look at some of the top search trends online today.
Andrews joining 'DWTS' as co-host: Former 'Dancing with the Stars' contestant Erin Andrews will be joining the show as the new co-host, replacing Brooke Burke-Charvet who was recently dismissed. The cast for Season 18 will be announced next week and Andrews will appear on the premiere episode March 17th. Andrews will continue to work with Fox Sports. (ABC News)
Apple working on flaw: If you have an iPad, iPod or iPhone, update your iOS right away. A recently uncovered flaw could allow hackers to access your devices from an unsecured internet connection. While the recent patch will fix the flaw on these devices, the company is still working on a patch for OS X. To avoid risks to your personal data, don't use the Safari web browser until the patch is available. For conspiracy buffs out there, the error apparently first appeared about a month before Apple was listed on the NSA's PRISM program. (Gizmodo.com)
New virus worries parents: A polio-like illness has been cropping up in some California children, leading to weakness or paralysis in limbs. While the children do not have polio, two have tested positive for a virus in the same family as polio but had previously only caused respiratory issues. (LA Times)
Earnhardt wins at Daytona: It was a rainy day yesterday in Daytona as weather delayed the race for more than six hours at one point. Dale Earnhardt Jr won the race for the second time and snapped a streak of over 50 races without a win. (USA Today)


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SPRINGFIELD - A Hispanic man suffered birdshot wounds to his back during an incident in the rear of 40 Washburn St. in the city's Brightwood neighborhood just after 3:30 a.m.
Police say they have recovered the weapon, a shotgun, but so far the victim, identified as 34-year-old Jose Monge, is not cooperating.
Monge lives on Washburn Street.
He was taken Baystate Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.
Callers reported that one man went down and another fled the scene limping, police said.
The second man has not yet been found, and police have told area hospitals to be on the lookout, as the man, also described as Hispanic, may be wounded.


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The wheeling and dealing has already picked up in Major League baseball, and it should only increase as we approach the end of the month.
This is an anxious time for fantasy owners, especially those in AL or NL-only leagues. You hold your breath as major names might by dealt, and you're left with nothing to show for it (we're thinking of fantasy owners of Jeff Samardzija and Huston Street, for instance).
There are also AL or NL-only fantasy league owners who watch as the blue-chip prospects that they've held back in their minors, waiting to reach the majors, are the key ingredients in an MLB deal. That's a killer, too. When the Angels landed Street, they shipped minor leaguers Taylor Lindsey, R.J. Alvarez, Jose Rondon and Elliot Morris to San Diego. Lindsey was L.A.'s top prospect, according to Baseball America, and the other three were very high ranked.
But even for those fantasy owners not involved in AL or NL-only loops, these trades have repercussions.
Street's arrival with the Angels is bad news for those who had journeyman side-armer Joe Smith, who had done a solid job as the closer. While one door closes in Los Angeles, however, another opens up in San Diego, where Joaquin Benoit will get the first crack at saving games for the Padres.
When the Cubs traded Samardzija and Jason Hammel to Oakland earlier in the month, Chicago -- forever in a rebuilding mode, it seems -- decided to fill those open spots in the rotation from within their system with Tsuyoshi Wada and Kyle Hendricks. Dallas Beeler and Dan Straily, acquired from the A's, are waiting in the wings; expect Straily to be a starting pitcher at Wrigley Field in 2015.
On the flip side, Samardzija and Hammel's insertion into the Oakland rotation signaled the demotion of Drew Pomeranz and Tommy Milone, who started chirping on Monday that he wants to be traded (you would, too, after losing your job despite being 6-3 with a 3.55 ERA). The Yankees are said to be one of the suitors for Milone's services should Oakland decide to trade him.
Other developments: The Giants signed 2B Dan Uggla to a Triple-A contract Monday. If he starts hitting in the minors, expect a quick call-up. ... Tampa Bay has the versatile Ben Zobrist on the trading block, but it looks like he'll stay in the AL (possibly with Seattle). ... Boston lefty set-up man Andrew Miller has been drawing attention from teams in need of a closer. It might not be a bad idea to pick him up (I did today in one of my leagues).


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Added 60+ Firefly systems in the quarter - roughly half of their systems placed included the Firefly option for the quarter.
Given what Firefly does, I would have thought the percentage would be much higher then 50%. Any thoughts on why not?
regards endo
p.s. The performance of the stock has been great!!!!
I think the list of approved, or at least common procedures for the FireFly equipped daVinci is still pretty small. It still hasn't been available for that long. If I'm not mistaken, approval was initially only for kidney surgery. FireFly can provide value for prostatectomy but I suspect that it's use for DvP is still fairly rare. As I understand it, DaVinci FireFly is not yet approved for nerve visualization during DvP, only perfusion. Ditto for tumor visualization in kidney surgery. We are getting these numbers with one hand tied behind out backs so to speak
ISRG's colorectal, lung and many other procedures that would benefit most from FireFly are still relatively new and/or low volume. The burst/focus on General Surgery is still pretty new. Although there have been General Surgery procedures for a long time, it has only recently become an area of focus. Once ISRG gets their stapler out General Surgery will get even more attention.
I think 50% is pretty good for this stage of the game although as I have written in the past it seemed at one point that they may eventually make FireFly capability more or less standard. Even then it would have taken a while for the FireFly capability to gain traction. It will be interesting to what Arun has to say about consumables / utilization.
I was on vacation last week and have only skimmed the ISRG CC Transcript so far. My initial impression is that FireFly is right on track. I think it will prove to have been a great deal for both companies.
Given that it has only been an option for the daVinci system for a little over a year now, I think that is a pretty good percentage. Also, given that Spy has focused on plastic reconstruction, obviously not done with daVinci, and that SpyScope has not yet been launched in an arena (colorectal) where daVinci might be used, my sense is the awareness of the surgeons using daVinci hasn't kicked in, yet. As the indications that daVinic is used for expands and the reputation of Firefly/Spy expands, I assume the rate of Firefly being included in system sales will expand. Also, I assume that the hospitals can also purchase Firefly later - it doesn't have to be part of the original system purchase.
I wonder how their decrease in procedure numbers will affect NVDQ. I am not a surgeon but I really do believe that this will become standard of care for many types of surgery. It is amazing to see how this technology works and how it identifies tumors versus normal tissue and necrotic tissue versus good tissue.
If you have more than 1 Davinci, do you need more than 1 firefly, or can 1 be used on all?


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BELCHERTOWN – All actions taken by the School Committee at the Jan. 10 meeting had to be reaffirmed on Tuesday because the original meeting notice wasn't posted in time under state law.
The Open Meeting Law requires that public bodies send the Town Clerk an agenda of every meeting in time for the clerk to post it 48 hours in advance. The law mandates that notices are posted in a place "conspicuously visible to the public at all hours in or on the municipal building in which the clerk's office is located," according to the Attorney General's office.
Town Clerk William R. Barnett's office is in Town Hall at 2 Jabish St. Meeting notices were posted in all schools, said School Committee Chairwoman Linda J. Tsoumas, but not at Town Hall.
At the Jan. 10 meeting, the committee voted to ask the Board of Selectmen to form a subcommittee that would explore taking the Lake Wallace and Foley Field area out of the School Department's jurisdiction.
The selectmen did not take up the issue at their Jan. 23 meeting because of the posting error.
The School Committee also approved the 2012-2013 academic year schedule and entered into executive session to discuss personnel matters, along with various other votes.
Superintendent Judith C. Houle admitted Barnett, who is also Vice Chairman of the Board of Selectmen, notified her "barely" before the Jan. 10 meeting that there was a problem.
Tsoumas read aloud each vote on Tuesday and the board reaffirmed them.
"This could happen again in the future," said member Paul Anziano. "I'm not saying anything was intentionally done. I'm not saying that's the case. I just want to make sure that doesn't happen again."
Vice Chairman Eric Weiss said, "These things happen once in a while. It's not that big a deal. ... There was a simple oversight on certain people's part and we're correcting the oversight."
Tsoumas blamed the error on Barnett's office and said the committee was following legal advice from town counsel by reaffirming the votes. She added that multiple electronic methods were used to give the public notice.
Barnett said that on the Friday before the meeting, his office was swamped with dog license applicants and his assistant was not in. He said the agenda was sent in an email, one of 50 or 60 he received that day, and he didn't see it until the following Monday, Jan. 10.
He said he notified Houle, who chose to hold the meeting anyway.
"They're responsible for coming in and giving it to us," Barnett said. "Technically, (the committee) is in violation. ... I'm not even going to accept emails unless" the sender is automatically notified when Barnett has read it, he said.
"We've taken safeguards at central office to make sure that doesn't happen again," said Houle.
Boards and public officials who knowingly violate the law can be fined $1,000. An unintentional violation is not punishable. The Attorney General's Division of Open Government is responsible for investigating complaints.


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Eric Hensberry rolled a 290 game as Syracuse swept past Baldwinsivlle 3-0 in a CNYCL boys bowling match on Tuesday.
Hensberry got 11 strikes in a row after a first frame spare. He led Syracuse with a 665 series.
Alex Winzens turned in a 603 series, highlighed by a 203 game and JJ West had a 739 series with a 257 high game.


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Three local firefighters have been nominated to be the next America's Most Wanted All-Star.
Now it's up to the public to vote for them. This is the last week of voting on the Web site, www.amw.com/allstar/2008.
Here are the nominees:
- Duane Royal, a Pennellville volunteer firefighter who helped save a woman's life twice after separate car crashes.
- John Ambrose, a New Hartford volunteer firefighter who broke both of his arms in a construction accident and was left him with only 85 percent movement in each arm seven years ago. Despite that, Ambrose continues to volunteer with his fire department. He also runs an annual charity golf tournament to fight cancer.
- Mitch Dryer, an Oneida city firefighter who was critically hurt fighting a blaze at City Lanes bowling alley last year. The structure's roof collapsed on Dryer during the blaze. It took up to 16 firefighters to free him. Dryer later had his right arm amputated.
Pat Dinota, producer for the America's Most Wanted All-Star contest, said the three Central New York firefighters are among 229 nominees.
Everyone can vote once a day, every day through midnight April 13.
The voting starts over every week, but this is the last week of voting, Dinota said. At the end of the week, whoever has the most votes will be the eighth and final finalist.
Voting for the eight finalists runs April 17 through May 5. One grand-prize winner will be presented with a $10,000 check and a trip to the Sprint NASCAR race in Charlotte, N.C.
Royal said he was honored to have been nominated. He also hopes more people will volunteer in their communities.
"Somebody has to volunteer to give up their spare time, their anniversaries, their holidays, their vacation time to protect our community. If we don't have people to volunteer, it's a sad state," Royal said. "We're having a real hard time finding people who will volunteer. I do it out of the kindness of my heart. I really enjoy doing it."


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Syracuse, NY - A Syracuse man accused of gunning down two men in a city park on the afternoon of New Year's Eve suddenly admitted his guilt in an unscheduled court appearance this afternoon.
John D. Gilchrist, 28, of 712 Court St., pleaded guilty to a single count of first-degree murder, admitting he shot and killed Jodie Cohens, 24, of Geneva, and William Fowler, 25, of Syracuse.
County Judge William Walsh promised Gilchrist a sentence of 22 years to life in state prison and set sentencing for May 27. Gilchrist could have faced a maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The two victims were cousins who were sitting in a rented vehicle in Lincoln Park about 4 p.m. Dec. 31 when they were shot. Cohens was shot five times, Fowler was shot twice.
Authorities have said the shooting was believed to have been in retaliation for an incident last year in which Cohens reportedly sold Gilchrist a kilogram of fake cocaine for $23,000.
Walsh said the guilty plea to the murder charge satisfied a battery of additional drug and weapons charges stemming from several other incidents.


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Daiwa Roynet Hotel AKITA is centrally located in Akita, walking distance from Akarenga Folklore Museum and close to Area Nakaichi. This hotel is within close proximity of Old Kaneko Family House and Akita Museum of Art.
Make yourself at home in one of the 221 air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and LCD televisions. Complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access keeps you connected, and satellite programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms feature shower/tub combinations, bidets, and hair dryers. Conveniences include phones, as well as desks and blackout drapes/curtains.
You can enjoy a meal at a restaurant serving the guests of Daiwa Roynet Hotel AKITA, or stop in at a grocery/convenience store.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, dry cleaning/laundry services, and a 24-hour front desk. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.


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Renewal Gold- Red- Black
About us
With our colours gold, red and black, combined with the Flower of Life, we are building on the liberal and democratic revolution of 1832 (Hambach Festival) and the expression of civil disobedience at that time. We see ourselves in the spirit of this first awakening of democracy on German soil and - as in 1832 - are again putting the German colours "back on their feet" in the form of Gold-Red-Black. Now, as then, people want freedom from external dominance, oppression, exploitation, disempowerment and hegemonic power structures . The flower of life in our logo symbolises an expression of responsibility by all and for all within a harmonious system.
The non-profit organisation "Renewal Gold-Red-Black" aims at linking up regional groups, self-governing people and established corporate bodies that are creating alternatives and opportunities for a sovereign life with global and ecological awareness.
Combining the individually lived solutions under the lowest common denominator - in the decisions reached at the Alsfeld conferences - stimulates the exchange of life-changing information. It also helps the pooling of resources to create regional networks, which can develop into autonomous communities capable of taking action. In this way real-life solutions leading to social transformation can be found. The organisation sees itself as a provider of information, competence centre, lobby group and networking platform.
We established ourselves as a non-profit organisation in 2012 and have since then successfully conducted a number of events with several hundred participants. At the first major event on 9 November 2012, we developed the "Alsfeld decisions", focussing on the 13 central areas of social life. These were adopted in a directly democratic manner and form the basis and the vision of a new model for tomorrow's society. They also provide solutions for an actual new system that can be implemented immediately.
The "Alsfeld decisions" of 9 November 2012 were published on the organisation's own website as well as on various internet channels and internet radio stations (sometimes live). At the same time, people in our country are interacting with us via our own forum and Facebook. Also, there have been discussions with viewers and listeners on internet media and Swiss private television. This live discussion between equals has provided us with numerous impulses and broadened and deepened ideas. "Renewal Gold-Red-Black" has been accepted by the people in the region. Only four weeks after our appeal, 23 regional groups had already been established. We see it as our task to support these groups, because it is from these regional activities that the vision of an actual renewal of the system will come alive.
Why Renewal Gold-Red-Black
Germany, Europe and many other countries are caught up in the worst crisis of the modern capitalist system and are profoundly affected by its impact. People, animals, nature and the environment are massively exploited, permanently damaged and often completely destroyed. The Western capitalist countries - with their military instrument NATO - keep waging war on so-called "troublemakers". An increasingly totalitarian EU focuses on the bailout of banks, and in a day-to-day exploitation of the population, more and more wealth is being transferred from the hard-working to the rich.
All this is happening against the explicit and declared will of the general public, without any democratic legitimacy, carried out by a compliant political ruling class which exclusively serves big capital, destroying the middle class, creating youth unemployment and poverty – and all with hardly any criticism from a seriously biased mainstream media.
With the healing of our country, we wish to give an impulse to the morphogenetic field for global healing and cordially invite alternative groups from other countries and nations to enter into dialogue with us, so as to create a future worth living for our planet, its people, animals and nature – something which is so urgently needed.
Our Goals
- to transform people's longing for a better future into an overall vision, creating concrete and workable solutions
- to create a model of an actual reorganisation of society - in an open dialogue with the public, using direct democracy
- to be a catalyst for all people who are longing for a truly new beginning and to connect them with each other
- to deepen and discuss the proposed solutions in a dialogue with the grass roots, which we see as the movement's central task
- to initiate a process of active awareness
- to work out practical solutions by discussing existing ideas and results with everyone involved
- to provide ideas and improve and concretise them in terms of their practicability and feasibility
- to connect people with each other, to build new community structures and also to show how many people are already on the way
- to take the discussion into each local area, in this way deepening and concretising the"Alsfeld decisions" through discussion with the local people as well as implementing the first solution models
- to connect people's longing for change with the knowledge of the solution-oriented masterminds and pioneers of modern times


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Augusta, Ga. - A year ago Bubba Watson stood alone on the 18th green as Masters champion. On Saturday he'll stand alone on the first tee box to start the third round.
Watson will be playing by himself Saturday after barely making the cut with a two-round score of 4-over-par 148.
His round Friday was remarkable for its inconsistency, even for someone with Watson's reputation for wild play. He carded seven birdies, six bogeys and one double bogey to finish at 1-over 73.
"That's what we call Bubba golf," Watson said. "I've missed putts and people said I putted bad, but eight three‑putts in two days is quite a bit."
By his count, Watson three-putted eight greens in two days. He left far too many short of the hole.
"The ball was just not rolling like I thought," Watson said. "It's just the green speed is not what we're used to. It's the first time I ever seen it this slow. ... It doesn't have the bite to it like some guys are saying. I mean this is not really the Masters that we're all used to seeing."