text: NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- With a rebounding economy and a growing demand for skilled executives as baby boomers retire, talented employees are increasingly seeking -- and finding -- new opportunities. Unfortunately, they often leave their current employer in the lurch, and most small businesses just can't afford to lose top talent. We checked in with experts who weigh in on the top seven ways companies can retain their best workers -- even when other offers come knocking. 1. Offer a strong company culture "It's getting more challenging to retain people," says Janet Flewelling, managing director of HR service operations at human resources company Insperity. "People who were holding onto their jobs are finding maybe this is a good time to start looking elsewhere, and that's why it's important to make sure they feel connected to their company." Insperity offers a volunteer program to its employees for just that reason -- each quarter workers can perform 12 hours of volunteer work that is paid time off, which Flewelling says "reinforces the value" of the company. "Anytime a company offers opportunities to contribute to the community where you live and where you work, it's a good thing," she says. "It's also a wonderful chance for employees to work together, which creates a culture of togetherness." 2. Make work fun "The lines between your work and home life are a lot more blurry than they used to be," Flewelling says. "When you think about employee retention, it's all wrapped up with having friends at work, feeling comfortable at work and really enjoying it when you can." One of the things Flewelling says "always surprises" her about workplace culture is how popular a "wear-your-jeans-to-work" day is to making a workplace fun. "People love the ability to wear jeans," she says. "For many small businesses, it may be a relaxed environment already, but for those with more traditional attire, this is a great way to help keep employees at ease." Other ways to keep the good times flowing include a "team spirit day" where employees wear their favorite team colors or jerseys, and potluck lunches or breakfasts where employees bring the dish of their choosing to share with others.


text:
To Save the Owls, US Government Plans to Kill Over 3,000 Owls
You'd be surprised how many problems can be solved by killing owls.
by Jonah Feldman Jul 26th
As the old saying goes, you can't make an owl-mlette without breaking a few thousand eggs. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is taking this to heart, moving forward with a controversial plan to save the threatened spotted owl. Their solution? Get rid of 3,603 barred owls, a rival species that inhabits the same area of the Pacific Northwest.Read More

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hi Everyone.My business is in desperate need of some good web-based project management software. We are a small web development studio, with 6 staff all in the same office.
Before the suggestions start flying: we've used Basecamp, ActionMethod and a long time ago a free one called NetOffice. None have addressed our needs.
Basically what we are looking for is - other than the obvious features - something that can achieve the following,
We've spent a lot of time researching different online tools and thought it was time for an expert opinion from the sitepoint community.
Hope you can help.
I don't use it personally, but an associate of mine uses activeCollab. He raves about it.
If you can't find something 'off the shelf' you might also consider developing your own solution.
am using www.workflowmax.com, which does all apart from the sales funnel. I'm sure you'll find that many aspects of it are too complicated and not flexible enough - I do.
You won't find such a system unless you build it yourself. We will do that at some point, including SVN and bug tracking integration and possibly recoding/ documenting all customer interaction for the customer to review.
Until then its WorkflowMax, Xero, Mantis, Openoffice and subversion separately.
HTH, Jochen
Thanks Jochen,I actually just came across workflowmax which looked interesting because it integrates with MYOB which we use for accounting. But you say that its too complicated and not flexible? and does not include bug tracking?
its really targeted at plumber and the like, I know the owner from local networking. We happily use it and will use the invoicing soon, but it requires too many clicks and too hard to add people to projects. I think it works much better with short jobs that ongoing projects.
No bugtracking, its really not targeted at software industry.
I've used Project Insight for several projects and found it quite flexible and easy to learn, but it has the power features that project managers often need. Team members really like the Outlook and Project integration, and it's nice to be able to give executives or clients or outside partners or regular team members their own, personalized views into the data -- but only the data they're allowed to see, in the case of outside partners and clients.
I have spent a lot of time this year battling the same thing. Tried this, tried that, tried just about everything under the sun.
And I realised something, only this past week: None of the systems I have looked at "suit", because I'm expecting the software to do the work for me.
I don't believe it matters what software package you use - project management still requires work on the part of the project manager.
I started planning our own, got to the point of doing up some wireframes and workflow charts (and got really excited about it), and then the obvious dawned on me. I will still need to spend time managing my projects, even if we built our new whizz-bang system.
We're using a heavily customised version of NetOffice, and it certainly has it's flaws, but ultimately the reason it's not working comes back to me. I'm expecting everything to just happen, and that will never be the case.
A large part of project management is communication, and I have found that trying to get software to do everything you want actually hinders that. So, if I need to know what the guys are doing right now, I ask them. We sit down at the start of the week and look at what's on, discuss priorities, issues, and so on.
I have decided not to waste any more time on trying to find or build the perfect project management software. Having a good system is more important than the software.
Perhaps this doesn't apply to you Mitcho - but before you waste as much time as I have, think about how much do you really need the software to do, and you much can you achieve with some coffee and a whiteboard.
i think Activcollab will work for you.
I think this is a really interesting topic. I'm constantly trying to streamline things in our office and managing projects and communications always seems to be a big one. I've used Basecamp a few times over the years but it just didn't offer me what I wanted however I understand that others really like it. It's probably me.
I did start using a new hosted service recently that I'm pretty stoked about. It's called ClockingIT and I think it shows a lot of promise...
It has the obvious controls like adding clients and team members and then creating and assigning tasks. It sends out notifications to the team members when they are assigned a task and sends emails to the project manager as tasks are worked on. When a team member start working on a task they click a clock icon and their time is tracked until they click the clock icon again. Then they can document their progress and close the task or leave it open to continue later.
There is a chat window so I can discuss things with a team member while we are both online and there is a discussion forum as well.
I haven't tried the uploading tools but it looks like I can upload files to be made available to the team.
It looks pretty cool from my perspective and for some reason it's free too.
I think Active Collab works just fine. Here in our office we're using OnTime w/c is not sleek but is very useful especially for us doing software development.
As for presentations and stuff, we're currently using a startup solution called 321Meet w/c is free but if you have money you can pay for their pro edition. Webex is another good option too although its a bit pricey.
37signals solutions are still pretty popular, so it may be worth giving an Agile solution like Basecamp a try.
I will echo RockyShark's comments though; PM tools are no silver bullet, something you'll already undoubtedly know after starting this thread. I lean towards minimalist solutions that allow teams I work in to work in our own way.
ActiveCollab looks good, and I have started using ProjectPier (a still open source fork of activecollab) just to try it out while I restart my business. So far I like it.
You are really looking for a single system to do many things so it's going to be hard.
I've heard good things about clockingIT, but also about where it lacks. It's unfortunate Mitcho's post was two years ago, as WORKetc would have been a pretty on-par solution specifically. It combines aspects of CRM, project management, and billing into one.
Because of that there's contacts, leads, projects, timesheets, calendars, invoicing, support, customer portal, and other features, in one single location. For small businesses, it is awesome for workflows because it can streamline all operations, and also handle the entire client lifecycle. Not too mention you avoid integration costs, the cost of multiple applications, and the problems that come with a lack of integration.
I'm currently using self hosted Collabtive, which is open source, but I've started looking at a couple of hosted tools as well. One is TeamLab, which is basically a BaseCamp clone. The other, and the one I'm really interested in is Podio. It's in Beta right now, so you'll need an invitation, but the cool thing about it is that it lets you build your own modules. It's got a drag & drop interface that allows you to put together, say a "Bug Tracker" module, and link that with a Timesheet module. I haven't fully explored its capabilities yet, but it does look promising.
I was using One Place for a while. However, they've sold the company and the reports didn't work as they did before.
I've been using CLockingIT for over a year now and it works well but I would rather have a self hosted system so that I would have more control over backing up and/or restoring information. Lots of good stuff in the system though.
I was looking at activeColab and Project Pier this morning and they both look promising, activeCollab more than project pier at the moment though.
I've not long signed up to Harvest and quite frankly have fallen in love with it. I was initially looking for a time-tracking and invoicing solution and this fitted the bill completely. I'm a one-man band so it might not be as suitable for multi users but so far I'm very impressed.
Excellent point. As a developer, I can't imagine a manager forcing me to use certain application to give updates as I'm probably busy meeting the deadline. I'd say use your common sense and use a general system engineering process. If a tool helps you that then fine~ If not, a manager should be able to do it w/o any specific software to manage it.
For a small project, sure. For a large project that requires collaboration, all developers should absolutely agree to participate in a communications/management platform as it will keep the project on track.
Absolutely! In the last couple of years we've participated in larger projects with up to maybe a dozen people working on the same project concurrently. While this isn't a huge group, we would be horribly inneficient without using a common system for time managment and keeping our goals and milestones on the radar (not to mention billing and paying all the parties involved).


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Results 1 to 3 of 3
Thread: Infertility worries
Hybrid View
6th June 2012 09:43 AM #1
- Join Date
- Jun 2012
- Location
- Australia
- Posts
- 3
Infertility worries
Im 27 and Im concerned about infertility. Ive never before had an accident or even a scare. In my previous relationship we tried to get pregnant purposely for around 4 months with nothing. Ive been off the pill for months and not been careful, missed the pill, everything with my ex Husband. I really want children when I find that someone to start a family with but Im concerned that I may spend years not knowing that Im not actually capable of having them. Is there anything I can look for or are there are any tests that could let me know?
8th June 2012 01:09 AM #2
Hi Melissa,
I am sorry you are feeling worried about fertility.
Four months is actually not that long to be trying when a couple are trying to conceive (although, I know it may feel like a long time). On average, it takes 6 months to conceive. This is when the couple are healthy and regularly having sex. The NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) recommend that a couple who are trying to conceive should be having sex at least once every two days. Generally, the medical profession would only be worried about your fertility if you had tried to conceive for 12 months without getting pregnant. If your doctor was concerned they could send for and your partner to have fertility tests which may begin with an ultrasound, blood tests and a semen test. More detailed tests could then be performed, depending on these results.
Your age also gives no reason to have a negative effect on your fertility levels.
Can I ask if you have regular periods?
There are some helpful articles here about things you can do to increase your chances of falling pregnant. Studies have also shown that stress can have an effect on your chances of falling pregnant.
Please try not to worry - we will help to support you here,
Best wishes,
Last edited by ljmarsden; 8th June 2012 at 11:13 PM.
8th June 2012 04:35 AM #3
- Join Date
- Jan 2012
- Posts
- 1,936
Hi Melissa,
LJ asked a very good question. Do you have regular periods? I understand from another post that you are on the Pill, so my question would then become... "Did you have regular periods before you started the pill?"
Being on the pill can actually affect fertility, and sadly I've worked with too many women who were on the pill for awhile and then had a very hard time conceiving.
So here's what I would suggest. You'll want to learn about how to watch your body's natural fertility signs, and you can actually use this to avoid pregnancy (or have your husband/partner use a condom) so that you can wean your body off of the hormones which are truly causing a state of infertility right now.
During this time, you can start the preconception care the LJ mentioned above in the helpful articles link she gave.
Preconception care is something you can do as part of your daily lifestyle, even if you're not currently trying to conceive. You'll feel healthier, you'll be healthier, and you'll be that much more ready to conceive when the time is right. On top of that, you won't have to worry about whether you're fertile or not, as the preconception care can actually help regulate cycles and give you all those good signs of fertility you should naturally be seeing (if not on the Pill).
Here's a really good thread packed with helpful information. It's entitled How To Conceive If You Have Irregular Periods, but for you, you can apply the information to regulate your cycles so that when you're ready to conceive you'll know how to watch your body's signs and you'll be able to conceive easier.
Another thing I'd suggest you do right now is to http://www.pregnancy.com.au/forums/s...a-good-midwife who can guide you, can examine you, and who can order any blood tests if needed.
Warm regards,


text:
Sheriff's detectives are turning to the public to identify a man whose body was found in the shallow waters of Lake Gregory early Saturday, coroner's officials said.
Around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, bystanders found the body on the north shore near Lake Drive, according to the coroner's website.
The man was described as white, 35 to 45 years old, with reddish-brown shoulder-length hair and a full red mustache. He was wearing a royal blue Inland Empire Pony Baseball jersey with the number 23 on the back and tan shorts. On his upper right arm was a tattoo of a large skull with fangs.
Anyone with information on the identity of the man or his death can call the sheriff's Twin Peaks station at 909-336-0600 or the Coroner's Office at 909-387-2978.


text:
E-Twins involved in fatal bus crash
No players injured in trip north from Spring Training
By MiLB.com Staff | June 18, 2013 10:14 AM ET
A team bus carrying the Elizabethton Twins north from extended spring training was involved in a fatal crash Tuesday morning, the Florida Times-Union and St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.
The driver of a black Honda was traveling south in a northbound lane of Interstate 295 in Jacksonville, Fla. around 4:25 a.m. when it collided head-on with the Twins' bus.
The driver of the car was declared dead at the scene, Twins director of baseball communications Dustin Morse said in a statement.
Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Dylan Bryan said no one on the bus was injured. A second bus arrived around 7 a.m., allowing the team to continue to Elizabethton, where it is expected to arrive around 4 p.m. Tuesday. The northbound lanes of the interstate were not reopened to traffic until just before 9 a.m.
Twins president Dave St. Peter expressed relief on Twitter that no one on the bus was injured and offered condolences for the deceased driver.
About 35 players and staff were on the bus, Elizabethton general manager Mike Mains said. Longtime manager Ray Smith and coach Jeff Reed were not aboard because they live in Elizabethton and drove north in their own vehicles.
Tanner Vavra, Minnesota's 30th-round pick in this year's Draft and the son of Twins hitting coach Joe Vavra, was on the bus.
"He called us at 3:30 in the morning, and you never want to get that middle-of-the-night call, but he said he was fine and everyone on the bus was fine," Joe Vavra told MLB.com. "They had just switched drivers up around Jacksonville, so they were about 15 miles into it with the new driver and they were passing a semi and a car came across the wrong lane at the top of a hill and they had nowhere to go with the semi next to them. So the driver braked and told them to brace themselves. So Tanner said they braced themselves and it felt like hitting a deer. The car went right under the corner at the driver's side."
The Elizabethton Twins have been Minnesota's Rookie-level Appalachian League affiliate since 1974. The club was traveling from Fort Myers, Fla., where the Twins have their Spring Training facilities, to Elizabethton, Tenn., in preparation for the start of the Appy League season.
"This is a trip, from Fort Myers to Elizabethton, that we have been taking for a long time. We have been driving at night for several years," Mains said.
When the team arrives, Mains said, "We'll get them settled in a hotel and get them squared away in the clubhouse. We should be on schedule with all that.
"This happened so suddenly. We'll probably sit down and talk. I'm just glad that everyone on the bus is OK," he added.
The E-Twins, who were league champions last season and have won five titles in 10 years, face Bristol in their home opener Thursday evening.
This is the second time in the past month a bus carrying Twins Minor Leaguers has been involved in a crash. Triple-A Rochester's bus collided with a vehicle in the predawn hours of May 22 on the way back from Lehigh Valley, Pa., though no one was injured in the accident.
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.View More


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'Drury taught this team how to win. In his case, it's always been more a disdain for losing. It's hard to imagine him leaving the situation he has in Buffalo for a lesser one elsewhere, especially if the Sabres offer him a contract in line with his value. The Sabres would likely need to give him between $6 million and $7 million per season, about what he would get on the open market.'
The Sabres Report - March 31, 2007


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Contact SSU
Mailing Address
To reach any department or program by mail, write to the specific office:
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Main Line & Campus Operator: (707) 664-2880
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Check the A-Z Site Index for office and service phone numbers and Web pages.
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See the Phone & Email Directory for individual faculty & staff phone numbers and email addresses.
Contact the department by phone to inquire about departmental fax numbers, or visit the department Web page for fax information.
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text:
After 20 Years, Dairy Industry Dumps 'Got Milk?'
(NEWSER) – After nearly 20 years, the dairy industry has decided its "Got Milk?" slogan is nearing the end of its shelf life. Amid slumping sales and stiff competition from the likes of almond milk, the Milk Processor Education Program has switched to a campaign called "Milk Life" that aims to highlight milk's nutritional benefits, AdAge finds. The $50 million nationwide ad campaign launched yesterday focuses heavily on milk's protein content and uses everyday Americans instead of the celebrities who starred in "Got Milk" ads, reports USA Today.
Read the full story on Newser.com


text:
|This material is published under the OGL
Cautious Warrior: This psicrown has 450 power points. It is made from a shining iron alloy, similar to the material of a metallic shield. It allows use of the following powers.
Moderate psychometabolism; ML 9th; Craft Psicrown, adapt body, body adjustment, defensive precognition, inertial barrier; Price 32,063 gp.
Back to Main Page → System Reference Document → Psionic Items


text:
While trying to install talkd, I get the following error:
I've googled everything... searched kde's site...Code:checking for kde headers installed... configure: error: your system is not able to compile a small KDE application! Check, if you installed the KDE header files correctly.
Where do I get KDE Headers?
Sorry if its nooby... thats why I asked here.
Is there a command to get the file?


text:
An artist's rendering of the Battle of Frenchtown, also known
as the Battle of the
River Raisin.
COLUMBIA, Ky. -- Between Jan. 18-23, 1813, the north bank
of the River Raisin in southeastern Michigan became a battleground
where the forces of the United States and Great Britain fought each
other for the control of Michigan and the Lower Great Lakes.
Known as the Battle of Frenchtown and the Battle of the
River Raisin, at stake was the destiny not only of the two
countries, but also the future of Frenchtown (known today as
Monroe, Mich.) and Canada. Also at stake was confederacy
Native-American Shawnee tribes led by the iconic Tecumseh.
At 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Oct. 8, in W.W. Slider
Humanities Center Recital Hall, Kentucky author Eddie Price will
discuss "Remember the Raisin! Kentucky's Contribution to the War of
1812." The talk is free and open to the public.
The British and Indian victory at the River Raisin
destroyed an entire U.S. army and upset their campaign to recapture
Detroit, which had fallen to the enemy early in the war.
It also raised Native-American hopes that their alliance
with the British would result in the preservation of their lands,
while it brought grief to hundreds of families in Kentucky who had
lost their sons during the battle and its aftermath. Kentucky sent
1,050 men to the battle and fewer than half returned.
Although not a decisive turning point of the War of 1812,
the Battle of the River Raisin had a significant effect on the
campaign for the Great Lakes. It would take another nine months for
U.S. forces to regain their momentum. In the meantime, Frenchtown
was laid waste, and the Ohio frontier was exposed to invasion and
raids by the British and Indians.
Out of the battle of the River Raisin, came one of the
great American rallying cries of the War of 1812, "Remember the
A lifelong Kentuckian, Price is the author of
Widder's Landing. A graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan College,
and Western Kentucky University, Price taught history for 36 years,
including 21 years as a part-time instructor at Owensboro Community
& Technical College, where he received Ashland Oil's Golden
Apple Teaching Award.
Click here to read more about the River Raisin


text:
The National Enquirer is saying that President Barack Obama was allegedly caught cheating on his wife Michelle in 2004 with a campaign aide, Vera Baker. The gossip rag says Obama became close to Baker while working on his 2004 campaign for the Illinois Senate and the pair were caught in a Washington, D.C. hotel. The Enquirer claims "anti-Obama operatives" are offering $1 million to anyone with details about the affair and a limo driver who allegedly dropped Baker off at a hotel to meet Obama for a "secret rendezvous" is willing to talk. (FYI, the UK's Daily Mail newspaper alleged Obama had an affair with Baker back in 2008.)
Uh huh. Right. Total bulls**t. The Enquirer was right about sleazy John Edwards, but I sincerely believe the Obamas have a strong marriage. People will say anything if they're offered a million bucks. It was only a matter of time before some gossip rag printed lies like this. [National Enquirer, Gawker]


text:
By Rich Myhre Herald Writer
BOTHELL — Imagine tearing your anterior cruciate knee ligament as a young teenager, and enduring the pain and uncertainty of knee surgery followed by the difficult months of recovery and rehabilitation.
Then imagine tearing your other ACL three years later.
Terrible as it sounds, it happened to Lynnwood High School basketball player Arsenia Ivanov. But what makes her story so remarkable, so compelling, is this — she put off a second surgery in order to play her senior season for the Royals.
That's right, Ivanov has played this entire season with a torn ACL in her right knee. Her doctor and physical therapists are astonished, to say the least, and her coaches and teammates are a little bit in awe, too.
"She's a tough cookie," Lynnwood coach Everett Edwards said. "She can take the pain."
It seems the only person not completely dumbfounded by all this is Ivanov herself.
"I knew we were going to have a great season," she explained, "and I just couldn't see myself not playing. It's almost like it's against my competitive nature to sit on the bench, so I told my doctor, 'I want to play.'"
Though the medical folks were dubious, Ivanov won them over by scurrying through some running and agility tests.
"One of my therapists was like, 'Are you sure you have a torn ACL?' He'd never seen someone move like that without an ACL," she said with a smile. "He thought I was a freak of nature."
Her injury occurred while she was playing with her summer AAU team. She was shooting a left-handed layin while going off her right foot when a defender crashed into her from the side, buckling Ivanov's right knee and sending her to the floor in agony. She waited two weeks for the swelling to subside before having an MRI, which revealed the severed ligament.
The irony, of course, is that she experienced an identical injury to her left knee three years earlier, and today she has a surgical scar down the center of her patella. That injury occurred in July prior to her freshman year at Lynnwood, and the operation forced her to miss all of the season except two games at the state tournament.
This time Ivanov was unwilling to miss most of her senior year, and she put off surgery until either the spring or summer.
"She's obviously not 100 percent," Edwards said. "But that being said, she's kind of adjusted her game and is doing great things. … I'm really happy with the way she's played, and we would not be where we are without her."
Ivanov, who wears a large brace on her right knee, is one of many weapons for the Royals, who enter tonight's regional game against Kentwood (8 p.m., Jackson High School) with an impressive 22-1 record. Lynnwood's only loss came in Jan. 2 road game at Monroe, and since that 40-36 defeat the Royals have run off 12 straight victories.
The winning streak includes three at the recent district tournament, including a 61-49 decision against Arlington in the title game.
Fourteen of Lynnwood's 22 victories this season have been by 20 or more points, and one was a 55-35 win in a Feb. 6 rematch with Monroe.
Like many top teams, the Royals win with depth and balance. Lynnwood has three scorers averaging in double figures, but no one averaging more than 12 points a game. Junior Jordyn Edwards (the coach's daughter) leads the team in scoring (11.9) and assists (3.7), while freshman Jordyn Edwards (his other daughter) is third in scoring (10. 4) and first in steals (3.2).
Another freshman, Mikayla Pivec, is second in scoring (10.5), and first in rebounds (13.2) and blocked shots (2.5).
Ivanov, who is second in 3-point goals (28), is one of four seniors on the squad. Another is Linda Wilson, the second-leading rebounder (8.1).
With a win against Kentwood, Lynnwood would advance to next week's eight-team Class 4A state tournament in Tacoma, providing a fitting end to Ivanov's high school career. After all, the Tacoma Dome is where she first played for the Royals three years ago.
"This is my quote," she said. "I started my high school journey at the Tacoma Dome, and I'm going to end it this year with a torn ACL at the Tacoma Dome. That's been my motivator this season."
But Lynnwood's ambitions go beyond just showing up in Tacoma. If the Royals can close their season with four more victories, they will be hoisting the championship trophy.
And that, Ivanov said, "would be a perfect way to end all the trials I've faced. Because you can't get any better than that.
"If we were to go to the Tacoma Dome and win the state championship," she said, "that would be the perfect ending."


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Sometimes you need to enter a lot of repetitive information in Excel, such as dates, and it can be really tedious. But the AutoFill feature can help. Or say you have information in Excel that isn't formatted the way you need it to be, and going through the entire list manually to correct it is daunting. In this case, Flash Fill (introduced in Excel 2013) can do the work for you.
AutoFill and Flash Fill are tremendous time savers, and in this course, we'll cover them in more detail. If you prefer to skip the video and go straight to written instructions, see Fill data automatically in worksheet cells or Split a column of data based on what you type.
AutoFill and Flash Fill
Watch this video for a quick introduction to AutoFill and Flash Fill, two helpful time savers that we'll cover in more detail in this course. (1:47)
Instead of entering data manually on a worksheet, you can use the Auto Fill feature to fill cells with data that follows a pattern or that is based on data in other cells. (3:01)
Flash Fill
Use Flash Fill, new in Excel 2013, to fill out data based on an example. Flash Fill typically starts working when it recognizes a pattern in your data, and works best when your data has some consistency. (3:10)
More courses available at Microsoft Office Training.


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Chair change at the top
Page Tools
David Beanland (left) has has been replaced by John Zillman (right)
as chairman of the Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing.
Picture: Drew Ryan
Being able to do research in Australia using the most advanced information technology available doesn't happen all by itself. Like just about everything else in life, it takes money, dedication and, above all, the right people.
Professor David Beanland, a former vice-chancellor of RMIT University, has spent the past five years as chairman of the Australian Partnership for Advanced Computing, a national organisation funded to the tune of $29 million over three years to provide a national advanced computing, information and grid infrastructure for e-research.
Professor Beanland earlier this month stepped down from his founding role at APAC to chair a research infrastructure sub-committee for the Federal Government's $542 million National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy.
APAC is a partnership of eight groups comprising consortiums of universities in each state, Australian National University and CSIRO, all working on high-performance computing applications.
Professor Beanland's replacement at APAC is Professor John Zillman, who was director of the Bureau of Meteorology from 1978 until 2003. Professor Zillman, who is also president of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and a committee member of many other organisations, hints with tongue in cheek that he may have bitten off more than he can chew by accepting his new two-year posting at APAC.
Although he considers it too early to have developed his own personal vision for APAC, Professor Zillman sees his inherited role as getting the processes and infrastructure in place to make national collaborative e-research a practical reality among APAC's eight partner groups. "My challenges will be to get people and research groups pulling together," he says.
APAC's executive director, Professor John O'Callaghan, says the organisation has more than 2000 researchers using supercomputing facilities at the sites of APAC partners.
"The whole environment is about providing mass storage and high-quality broadband networks for applications such as data modelling, data mining, digital data repositories and visualisation," he says. "The appointment of Dr Zillman comes at an important time in the development of our mission."
Players v planners
There is a saying that has done the rounds of IT circles, suggesting that if you examine the back pocket of an Australian IT graduate, you'll find a CV, but if you examine the back pocket of an American IT graduate, you'll find a business plan.
We think that this is a tad unfair to our local talent. Apart from the fact that not many graduates of either nation would have back pockets big enough to carry such documents, we believe the saying to be inaccurate.
There are probably as many young Australian IT entrepreneurs per capita as there are in the US.
The difference between the two groups is what you are likely to find in the business plan. The chances are that the business plan of the US IT graduate is to develop some innovative technology and use it as a springboard to building a global company. The business plan of the Australian IT graduate is more likely to involve developing some innovative technology, establish a company, build it up to the point where it has some value, and then sell it to a global company.
A couple of weeks ago, a great little Australian company called Innovonics hit what its directors believe is the jackpot when US competitor Integrian offered to buy it out for about double its market capitalisation on the Australian Stock Exchange.
Innovonics has developed the most sophisticated mobile digital security camera and software system in the world. In the past two months, Innovonics has beaten all of its competitors, including Integrian, to a spate of contracts in the US, Britain, Europe and Australia, worth almost $30 million. Innovonics is a clear frontrunner to win a contract to put security cameras on all the trains in London's massive underground system, a contract that would conservatively be worth about $50 million.
Integrian apparently only became aware of Innovonics when it was beaten by the Australian company on a recent US tender. One can only imagine the thought process of Integrian's board when it looked at Innovonics' share price on the ASX and discovered that the Australian market only valued the company at $US12 million. Knowing that if the company was listed on the Nasdaq it might be worth five to 10 times its value in Australia, Integrian happily burst through the door at Innovonics with a fistful of dollars, offering to buy the company lock, stock and barrel. The Innovonics board, presented with an opportunity to sell the company at twice its market cap, accepted in the blink of a camera's lens shutter. What next happens to the company's Australian presence is anyone's guess, but some valuable intellectual property may well leave our shores forever.
If anyone thinks the Innovonics story is unique, think again. Australian technology companies have been snapped up at bargain prices by US interests for years. Most of us in the industry know of a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange called BMC Software, one of the world's largest software companies, with 2005 revenue of $US1.46 billion.
Its flagship product platform, which has built the company to its present status, is PATROL, a performance monitoring system. In 1994, the then much smaller BMC found an Australian company, PATROL Software, which had just the technology it needed. BMC bought the company and transported the development team to Houston, Texas. Today BMC develops software all over the world. In Australia, BMC has sales offices and little else. No one should be surprised if our $19 billion IT trade deficit continues to blow out.
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New Study: Ohio Not The Greatest State to Retire In
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSPD) -- Florida and Arizona may be home to some of the country's most popular retirement spots, but South Dakota is actually the best state for retirees, according to new research from Bankrate.com.
Researchers looked at several factors to determine which states offer the best quality of life for seniors. They included weather, cost of living, crime rate, health care quality, tax burden and well-being which is a measurement from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index that quantifies how satisfied people are with their surroundings.
Ohio ranked 38th on the list.
"This really wasn't a popularity contest, we really wanted to take a personal finance angle to this ranking," said Chris Kahn, Bankrate.com research and statistics analyst.
The Buckeye State did score well when it came to cost-of-living, a big factor for retirees who are generally on a fixed income. But Ohio's well-being score was low.
"Ohio ranks 46 out of 50 on that," Kahn said.
The sun shines 51 percent of the time in Ohio, according to the study, and humidity averages 70.9 percent - two big factors in the weather score.
Ohio did rank just above retirement hot-spot Florida, which finished 39th.
South Dakota came out on top due to its low tax burden, low crime rate and high wellness score. Other states that round out the top five best states to retire are Colorado, Utah, North Dakota and Wyoming.
"While the states that ranked highly may not be thought of as typical retiree havens, seniors should consider more than sunshine when choosing a place for their golden years," said Kahn.
The five states that ranked the lowest for retirement are New York, West Virginia, Alaska, Arkansas and Hawaii.
Among neighboring states, Pennsylvania finished highest at 23rd, followed by Michigan which was 30th, and Indiana at 35th. Kentucky was lower than Ohio at 41st and West Virginia was 49th.
"For some, the best place to retire is simply anywhere there's year-round warmth and sunshine. For others, it's where family and friends live," said Kahn.


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UMB Big Bash® Beneficiary – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City
Earlier this week, we highlighted one of our UMB Big Bash‡ beneficiaries, CASA of Kansas City. Now we'd like to share more about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City (BBBSKC)‡.
BBBSKC creates and supports life-changing friendships for children. By matching "Bigs" and "Littles," BBBSKC is able to create positive change in the community through the power of mentoring friendships.
Founded originally as a Kansas City Jaycee project in 1964, BBBSKC has served more than 22,000 at-risk youth in the Kansas City metropolitan community. Serving more than 1,700 youth in Kansas City in 2013, BBBSKC matches school-aged youth (Littles) from one-parent or other non-traditional homes with caring, adult volunteers (Bigs).
Statistically, children growing up in one-parent homes experience significant increased risk, particularly in the areas of education, illegal activity and suicide. While these youth make up about 25 percent of the total number of school-aged youth (approximately 80,000) in the Kansas City metropolitan area, they account for 90 percent of juvenile court cases, 90 percent of high school dropouts and 60 percent of teen suicides.
BBBSKC believes that children who have a positive adult influence in his or her life are better able to reach their full potential. These one-to-one friendships, or "matches," last a minimum of one year. BBBSKC's average match length is 25 months, which is significantly longer than the national average match length of 20 months. BBBSKC offers at-risk children a long-term developmental friendship with a caring adult. Bigs serve as friends, mentors and role models, helping youth gain greater self-confidence and leadership skills. This model has been proven effective in changing the self-image of the child and therefore his or her behavior.
Follow along with the UMB Big Bash fun next week on Twitter‡ (#umbBigBash) and Facebook‡!
When you click links marked with the "‡" symbol, you will leave UMB's website and go to websites that are not controlled by or affiliated with UMB. We have provided these links for your convenience. However, we do not endorse or guarantee any products or services you may view on other sites. Other websites may not follow the same privacy policies and security procedures that UMB does, so please review their policies and procedures carefully.
Mr. Hagedorn is president and chief executive officer of UMB Bank and vice chairman of UMB Financial Corporation. Prior to this role, Hagedorn served as chief financial officer and chief administrative officer of UMB Financial Corporation. He joined UMB in March 2005.


text: At sunrise on Thursday January 12, 2012, a traditional golden Angel Moroni statue was placed atop the new Latter-day Saint temple being built in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Despite being a very cold morning, many locals came out to watch the event. The video shared here, created by jamietaki, makes a special keepsake! Continue reading


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This holiday season, travelers who use Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) to get to their destination will find a wide array of new dining and retail concepts so that they can enjoy a great meal on the go or finish their last-minute shopping.
The airport has partnered with AIRMALL USA, the leading airport concessions developer in North America and operator of the AIRMALL at BWI Marshall, to update the concessions program in the Terminal A/B facility, which serves as the home to Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways.
"We are working to ensure that our customers have more choices, including both local and national products and services," said Paul J. Wiedefeld, Executive Director of BWI Marshall. "The objective of the BWI Marshall food and retail program is to offer a high level of service, quality products, and fair prices."
Recent additions to the BWI Marshall concessions program include:
"At AIRMALL, we are excited about the changes we're engineering for what is already an award-winning, highly successful airport concessions program at BWI Marshall," added Brett Kelly, vice president of AIRMALL Maryland. "Today's passengers have discerning tastes and are seeking value for their dollar, which is why they respond so favorably to our model. We offer the best brands at 'Regular Mall Pricing… Guaranteed,' which means passengers will pay no more at the airport than they would pay at a comparable store or restaurant nearby."
The additions to Terminal A/B are the latest phase in an airport-wide concessions program update. BWI Marshall is working with AIRMALL to unveil a host of new options in other parts of the airport in the coming year.
Jonathan Dean


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CLAPTON RECORDS NEW ALBUM WITH McCARTNEY AND WINWOOD Eric Clapton's 21 st solo studio album, "Old Sock," comes out March 21. The album includes two Clapton originals but the remaining ten songs are among his all-time favorites.
The man many consider rock's greatest guitarist recorded the album with a few guests. Paul McCartney sings and adds the bass part to Clapton's take on the 1931 standard, "All of Me," while his Blind Faith bandmate Steve Winwood plays organ on the late Thin Lizzy guitarist Gary Moore's "Still Got the Blues." In addition, Chaka Khan sings on "Get on Over" and his old pal J.J. Cale adds vocals and guitar to Jimi Hendrix's "Angel."
Clapton will tour the U.S., mostly hitting cities in the Midwest and the South behind the album beginning March 14 in Phoenix and culminating in Pittsburgh on April 6.
After the tour, he'll host another Crossroads Guitar Festival, his fourth since 2004, which will benefit his rehab center on the Caribbean island of Antigua. The fest will be April 12-13 at Madison Square Garden. The performers set thus far include Jeff Beck, The Allman Brothers Band, Booker T, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Vince Gill, Los Lobos, Keith Urban, Jimmy Vaughn, Albert Lee, Taj Mahal, veteran British jazz-prog rock guitarist Allan Holdsworth, English guitarist-friend of everyone Andy Fairweather Low, John Mayer, American jazz guitarist Earl Klugh, former Band guitarist Robbie Robertson (Clapton wanted to join The Band in 1969), Robert Cray, Robert Randolph, Doyle Bramhall II, Keb' Mo, Jonny Lang, Sonny Landreth, jazz guitarist John Schofield and Gary Clark, Jr.
He'll spend May and June touring Europe and Great Britain, including a seven-night stand at his home away from home, the Royal Albert Hall from May 17-26.
NEW KIDS, 98 DEGREES, BOYZ II MEN SUPER TOUR A 28-show arena tour featuring '90 s superstar boy band vocal groups New Kids on the Block, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men will run from May 31 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. through July 13 at the Target Center in Minneapolis. "The Package Tour" includes a July 5 stop at the Staples Center.
New Kids were put together in 1984 in Boston and had a highly successful decade-long run before calling it quits in 1994. The quintet, led by Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight and his brother Jonathan, reunited in 2008.
They've sold more than 80 million records and will release a new album, "10," in April. It's their first album in five years and second in 19 years.
The group is used to hooking up with other major vocal groups for giant tours. In 2011-2012 New Kids teamed with The Backstreet Boys for a wildly successful arena tour. New Kids and The Backstreet Boys are both set to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame later this year.
Los Angeles soul and pop harmonizers 98 Degrees, i.e., brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Jeff Timmons and Justin Jeffre, enjoyed a good ride from 1996 through 2005 or thereabouts, and, without making any official announcements, they simply went on a prolonged hiatus and took off in different directions that included Jeffre's unsuccessful run for mayor of Cincinnati. The foursome that has sold more than 10 million records and hit the Top 40 singles chart eight times officially reunited last year.
Boyz II Men began singing together in Philadelphia in 1988 as a quartet. In the '90 s, the group that now operates as a trio logged four No. 1 singles, each going platinum. Four other singles went Top 5.
The 1992 single, "End of the Road," written by the team of L.A. Reid, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmunds and Daryl Simmons went to No. 1 on the Hot 100 pop chart and the R&B chart, as well as attaining that position across the globe including in the U.K., New Zealand, the Netherlands, France and Australia. Its 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 broke Elvis Presley's record. Two years later, that record was broken by another of its singles, "I'll Make Love to You," which was at No. 1 for 14 weeks. The following year, Boyz II Men did it again, this time with Mariah Carey, when "One Sweet Day" ruled the Hot 100 singles chart for 16 weeks.
On March 3, the trio begins a long-term weekend residency at The Mirage in Las Vegas, the hotel and casino announced. The most successful male R&B singing group in recording history will perform 78 weekend shows throughout the year, before and after "The Package Tour."
DID SHERYL CROW KNOW EX-FIANCE LANCE ARMSTRONG WAS JUICING? Sheryl Crow began dating disgraced cycling champ Lance Armstrong in 2005 and two years later they announced their engagement. However, by 2006 it was all over - the pair broke up. So, did Crow know her ex was doping despite years of denials and lawsuits against those who said he was?
Since Armstrong confessed his sins on Oprah Winfrey's show, she's given one interview, to "Entertainment Tonight." Without admitting that she knew about it, all Crow said was, "I think that honesty is always the best bet and that the truth will set you free. To carry around a weight like that would be devastating in the long run."
Celebuzz is alleging that she knew. The website says she was named not once, but twice, in affidavits that were submitted to the United States Anti-Doping Association. Furthermore, she was present and "in the room" when Armstrong told or requested to teammate Frankie Andreu that he participate in his doping cover-up, Andreu said in his affidavit, according to the website.
In other Crow news, she's going country. Her next album, her eighth since 1993, will be a country album. The untitled CD will be released later this year. However, she performed the first single from the album, "Easy" recently on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." She said that she believes that if her older songs were just being released for the first time in 2013, a lot of her songs would get airplay on country radio stations.
JULIO IGLESIAS AND JOSE FELICIANO INDUCTED The new Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame announced its first six inductees and Jose Feliciano and Julio Iglesias were among them, according to the Hall's CEO, songwriter-producer Desmond Child, who co-wrote "Livin' La Vida Loca" for Ricky Martin, and wrote "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" for Aerosmith and wrote Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Livin' on a Prayer," both with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, among many other hits dating back to the '70 s. The induction ceremony will take place in Miami at the New World Center on April 23.
Among the many Spanish language hits Feliciano wrote is the holiday standard, "Feliz Navidad." Iglesias has also penned several Spanish language hits, including "Hey," whose English language version was also a hit.
FLEETWOOD MAC ADDS MORE TOUR DATES Fleetwood Mac added 13 shows to its upcoming U.S. tour, including shows on July 3 at the Staples Center in downtown L.A. and July 5 at the Viejas Arena in San Diego. Earlier, the band announced gigs on May 25 at the Hollywood Bowl and on May 28 at the Honda Center in Anaheim. This is The Mac's first tour since 2009.
Rolling Stone asked singer-guitarist Lindsay Buckingham about the group's recording plans. He said, "When Stevie (singer Nicks) was on the road, and not long after her mother had passed away, Mick (drummer Fleetwood), John (bassist McVie) and I got together and we cut a bunch of tracks, and they turned out great. They were all done in Stevie's keys. They were done with her in mind. Subsequently, Stevie and I have gotten together and she's sung on two of those. There's also another track that dates back to Buckingham-Nicks (before they joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974) that Stevie and I built from scratch. There's a lot of stuff there. Some of this we will do in the show. We're not pushing it. We're just going to wait and see what everybody wants to hear."
EAGLES' TMOTHY B. SCHMIT'S CANCER AND RECOVERY Timothy B. Schmit, singer-bassist for The Eagles since 1977 (after seven years in the country-rock pioneer band Poco), is recovering from throat and neck cancer that was detected in October, with surgery in November. In a message on his website, Schmit thanked his fans for their good wishes and provided an update.
"I went through what the doctors called 'major surgery.' The truth is I was only bedridden during my three night stay in the hospital. I was up and about right after, starting with daily walks on the streets of Manhattan."
"After another week I received a clean bill of health and headed for home on the West Coast. My voice is coming along nicely, and as many of you know, I was able to perform with The Eagles before the new year. So ... all is good. I discovered a problem and took care of it; simple as that."
The group's Feb. 1 gig in Atlantic City is one of only two concerts set so far this year. The other is on March 23 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
In other Eagles news, a new documentary on the band, "The History of The Eagles Part 1" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Both parts 1 and 2 will air on Showtime on Feb. 15 and 16.
COACHELLA FEST LINEUP ANNOUNCED The Coachella Music Festival, held with identical lineups on consecutive weekends, April 12-14 and April 19-21, has announced its lineup.
Though the festival is loaded with indie and unsigned acts, numerous veteran artists will perform. They include veteran English alt rockers Blur, former Velvet Underground singer-guitarist Lou Reed, Sparks, Tegan and Sara, former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, reggae performer Lee Scratch Perry, former Dead Kennedys frontman Jello Biafra, French alt band Phoenix, Icelandic ambient rockers Sigur Ros, English New Wavers New Order, a reunion of Wisconsin alt rockers The Violent Femmes, veteran punks The Descendents, South Wales prog-rockers Man (formed in 1968), The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Aussie alt rockers Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, long time punks Social Distortion, Australian world fusion group Dead Can Dance, OMD (Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark), resurgent '60 s folkie Rodriguez, The Three O'Clock and Moby.
Some of the well-known newer acts include Maroon 5, Modest Mouse, Grizzly Bear, Franz Ferdinand, Vampire Weekend, Lumineers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Band of Horses.
MIKE NESMITH SOLO TOUR With his brief reunion tour with The Monkees completed, Mike Nesmith announced on his Facebook page that he's undertaking a 17-date, month-long U.S. tour that will kick off March 21 in Nashville. The jaunt wraps April 17 in Alexandria, Va., across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.
Nesmith and his three-man band will also play Los Angeles on March 24. While the cities and dates have been set, none of the venues have been announced.
On this tour, Nesmith will perform the songs he's written and recorded as a solo artist.
CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH TO DO THE JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER Crosby, Stills and Nash will join The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and its trumpeter-musical director Wynton Marsalis for two concerts at the Center in New York City. The first, The Jazz at Lincoln Center's 2013 Annual Gala Concert, a private benefit, is on May 1. A second concert, on May 3, will be a public gig. Marsalis will arrange CSN's songs for the orchestra.
GILL, GATLIN, MILSAP, ROGERS SET FOR CRUISE The inaugural Holland America Country Music Cruise, Jan. 19-26, 2014, sets sail from Ft. Lauderdale with four Caribbean stops, including Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. The country artists on the cruise include Vince Gill, Kenny Rogers, Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers, Patty Loveless, Jo Dee Messina, Ronnie Milsap and Restless Heart.
GEORGE JONES TO TEAM UP WITH DOLLY PARTON At 81, country legend George Jones has announced his farewell tour that runs through 2013 and includes mostly stops throughout the South with a few in the Midwest.
As he makes plans for complete retirement, he says he is about to record his final album of new songs and he's asked an old friend to write several songs for the project. That person, Dolly Parton, has agreed. "I love Dolly, always have. She's writing most of the songs and we all know what a great songwriter she is. I'm just waiting for her to tell me what to sing and when to sing it," he tells Billboard. He says he wants to be remembered "as a singer who stayed true to country music and did it my way."
RAY PRICE ACCEPTS BLAKE SHELTON'S APOLOGY A generational country music brouhaha began when 36-year-old contemporary country star and "The Voice" coach Blake Shelton said on Great American Country's "Backstory: Blake Shelton" of classic country music, "Nobody wants to listen to their grandpa's music. And I don't care how many of these old farts around Nashville are going, 'My God, that ain't country!' Well, that's because you don't buy records anymore, jackass. The kids do, and they don't want to buy the music you were buying."
Country legend, 87-year-old Ray Price, who still records and performs dozens of shows each year, took exception. Price retaliated on his Facebook page, writing, "It's a shame that I have spent 63 years in this business trying to introduce music to a larger audience and to make it easier for the younger artists who are coming behind me. Every now and then some young artist will record a rock and roll-type song, have a hit first time out with kids only."
"This is why you see stars come out with a few hits only and then just fade away, believing they are God's answer to the world. This guy sounds like, in his own mind, that his head is so large no hat ever made will fit him."
"Stupidity reigns supreme!!!!!!! Ray Price (Chief "Old Fast" & "Jackass") P.S. You should be so lucky as us old timers. Check back in 63 years (the year 2075) and let us know how your name and your music will be remembered."
Shelton, who actually prides himself on his knowledge of the history of country music and the artists who came before him realized that what he had said had offended one of his all-time heroes. He issued a heartfelt apology ("I absolutely have no doubt I could have worded it better (as always ha!) and I apologize to Mr. Price and any other heroes of mine that I may have offended," and did so again and again afterward in tweets as he tried to explain himself.
Price accepted Shelton's apology. Again on his Facebook page, Price posted, in part, "I have accepted Blake Shelton's apology to me personally. I think Blake is a fine young man with a big future in country music. I agree that he should be given a chance to restore his credibility with the millions of fans who were deeply offended by those hurtful words and renaming us all as ... well, you know what he said. I would regret it if the words I have spoken would in any way harm Blake personally or his career and his chances for the future. Best of luck to you, Blake. Thanks all, Ray Price."
MANILOW TOO ILL FOR BROADWAY OPENING A serious bout of bronchitis forced Barry Manilow to postpone his long-awaited return to Broadway, reports Playbill. Five performances at the St. James Theatre, including the official opening night, were rescheduled.
One reviewer on the Huffington Post blog said that the 69-year-old Manilow's first show back found the performer still "clearly not at full steam or at times even half steam." However, the writer asked, "Did it matter to the fans? It did not." He added, "But he's a showman."
TINA TURNER TO BECOME SWISS CITIZEN Tina Turner has lived in Switzerland for the past 18 years, so she decided to make her move permanent. The 73-year-old pop and soul legend has applied for Swiss citizenship, taken and passed the written Swiss civics test and passed the interview, according to her local newspaper. The paper also said that the Swiss government has approved her application. Turner, who lives in a suburb of Zurich, will also relinquish her American citizenship, according to a representative of the singer.
A TAYLOR SWIFT STORY THAT NEEDED TO BE TOLD Goodhearted musicians frequently grant the wishes of ill fans. For 17-year-old Taylor Swift fan Kayla Kincannon, who has battled brain cancer the past year, she got more than she hoped for.
Kayla and her father were flown to Tennessee to meet the 23-year-old country superstar. The girl was treated to lunch with Swift and her mother, Andrea Swift. "This was no quick meet and greet photo op," Kayla's dad wrote on his blog. Kayla, her dad, Swift and her mom sat and talked for two hours and had lunch. Swift gave Kayla a gift basket and then signed pictures. Dad wrote of Swift, "She is the sweetest, most down to earth person I have ever met. This was more than we ever expected! This was the best day ever for her and all of us!"
JIMMY PAGE, SUPERMODEL At 69, guitar god Jimmy Page has a new career: supermodel. American menswear fashion designer Johnny Varvatos is using Page and young hotshot guitarist Gary Clarke, Jr., together in a new ad campaign photographed by noted rock music photographer Danny Clinch. In past fashion campaigns, Varvatos has used former Jam and Style Council leader Paul Weller, Green Day, Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, Joe Perry and Slash as models.
MORRISSEY HOSPITALIZED ON TOUR; DATES CANCELLED Morrissey, the outspoken opinionated former singer for English indie rock band The Smiths, was hospitalized while on tour in Royal Oak, Mich., near Detroit. The Detroit News reports that he has been treated and discharged.
Six concerts have been cancelled, including a show at the famed Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, site of the final concert for Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. The singer's publicist said that he is suffering from a bleeding ulcer. He is expected to resume his tour on Feb. 9 with a concert at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Morrissey will play the Balboa Theatre in San Diego on Feb. 27 and the Staples Center in downtown L.A. on March 1. His tour ends March 9 in San Francisco at the Regency Ballroom.
LEROY "SUGARFOOT" BONNER, THE OHIO PLAYERS' FRONTMAN, DIES Leroy "Sugarfoot" Bonner, frontman for funk and soul outfit The Ohio Players, died at age 69 of an unknown cause in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio.
Some reports say he had been battling cancer.
The Ohio Players formed in 1959, but didn't have their first hit until "Funky Worm" hit No. 1 on Billboard's R&B chart in 1973 on its way to selling more than a million copies and being certified gold. The band released three platinum and two gold albums in the mid-'70 s, and scored two singles that went to No. 1 on the Hot 100 pop chart, as well as the R&B chart, "Fire" in 1974 and "Love Rollercoaster" the next year. One more big single, "Who'd She Coo?" in 1976, marked the end of the group's hit-making days. Bonner and The Ohio Players continued to perform until 2002.
BOBBY ENGEMANN OF THE LETTERMEN DIES Bobby Engemann, an original member of the soft pop vocal group The Lettermen, died in Provo, Utah, at age 78 after contracting pneumonia following open heart surgery, according to a post on the group's Facebook page. The post said he battled various health problems in recent years.
Engemann was one of three original Lettermen, who were known for their smooth, tight harmonies. Together, Engemann, Jim Pike and Tony Butala recorded eight Top 10 adult contemporary hits between 1961-1967, including "When I Fall in Love" in 1961 that reached No. 1 on the adult contemporary chart and also hit No. 7 on the Hot 100 pop chart. Engemann left the group in 1967. A version of The Lettermen led by Butala continues to perform. The Lettermen, that recorded 11 gold records, were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.
GELDOF REFORMS BOOMTOWN RATS Irishman Bob Geldof was granted an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth for his charitable services when he created Live Aid. The 61-year-old is far better known for that than for fronting Dublin punk band The Boomtown Rats.
Nevertheless, he's rejoining that band after 26 years for a one-off gig at the Isle of Wight festival on June 16, according to the U.K.'s Express.
Other members of the band continued to tour under that name for years.
The band formed in 1975 and scored three Top 10 LPs and five Top 10 singles in the U.K. from 1978-1980. However, their only U.S. hit, "I Don't Like Mondays," that Geldof wrote after reading about a mass shooting at an elementary school in San Diego in 1979 by a remorseless 16-year-old girl, peaked at No. 73 (it hit No. 1 in the U.K., Ireland and Australia, and No. 3 in New Zealand and No. 4 in Canada). The song's title is a quote from the girl after she was asked why she did it.
THE SPECIALS TO TOUR U.S. English ska band The Specials are coming to America. The 11-man band's six-date tour kicks off March 11 in Chicago and runs through their March 23 show at the Warfield in San Francisco. It includes stops on March 18 at the Club Nokia in downtown L.A. and March 19 at the San Diego House of Blues.
The band formed in Coventry in 1979, broke up in 1984, reformed in 1996, only to call it quits again in 2001. They reformed again four years ago and have been going strong since. The band is best known here for its minor hits "Rat Race" in 1989, "Ghost Town" the next year and "It's You" in 1997.
HANK WILLIAMS' 90 th BIRTHDAY To celebrate legendary country pioneer Hank Williams' 90 th birthday, his estate is making more than 200 live performances and recordings available to TV production companies, ad agencies and movie houses. This marks the first time they have been made available for licensing, reports GAC (Great American Country).
Williams wrote and/or recorded 35 Top 10 country and western singles before his Jan. 1, 1953 drug and alcohol-related death in the back seat of a car in Oak Hill, W.Va., at age 29, as he was being driven to a New Year's Day concert in Canton, Ohio. Among the classic songs he wrote were "Hey, Good Lookin'," "Your Cheatin' Heart," "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" "Move It On Over," "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" and "Cold, Cold Heart."
MEN WITHOUT HATS FIRST EURO TOUR IN 20 YEARS Canadian New Wave band Men Without Hats began its first European tour in 20 years this week in London, according to its website. The two-week 12-concert tour wraps Feb. 16 in Goteborg, Sweden. Men Without Hats' biggest hit, "Safety Dance," was a Top 10 hit in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. The song was a tongue-in-cheek protest of bouncers who were ejecting pogo dancers from clubs.
BRIAN MAY PETA MAN OF THE YEAR Queen guitarist Brian May, a well-known animal rights activist in Britain, has been named U.K. Man of the Year from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), according to NME (New Musical Express). The 65-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was accorded the honor in part for his role in a campaign against the British government to cull its badger population.
P-FUNK LEADER GEORGE CLINTON GIVES UP SONGS Parliament Funkadelic leader George Clinton, 71, gave up the royalty rights to four songs under an agreement with his lawyers, the firm of Hendricks & Lewis, to settle a bill he owed the firm, even after he paid them $340,000, reports TMZ. The songs are the hit "One Nation Under a Groove," as well as "Hardcore Jollies," "The Electric Spanking of War Babies" and "Uncle Jam Wants You."
NEW RELEASES Among the recently released albums, digital reissues and deluxe box sets are a remastered "Johnny Winter And - Live At The Fillmore East 10-3-70" with ex-McCoys leader Rick Derringer; the 18-track "Passione (Deluxe Edition)," the first studio album in four years from opera and pop singer Andrea Bocelli that has him singing duets with Jennifer Lopez, Nelly Furtado and legendary French chanteuse Edith Piaf; "Hearthrob," the seventh studio album from Canadian alt pop twin sisters Tegan and Sara; and "Get Up!" (Deluxe Edition CD/DVD) from Claremont-based singer-guitarist Ben Harper and blues harp player Charlie Musslewhite.
Also "Love, Charlie," from former GAP Band frontman Charlie Wilson; "Til Your River Runs Dry," the first studio album in seven years from Animals singer Eric Burdon; "Feeling Mortal," the first studio album in four years from 76-year-old country outlaw Kris Kristofferson; "Finally Home," the debut album from Blue Sky Riders, led by Kenny Loggins; and "Love Songs," a compilation album from Beyonce, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, better known as Destiny's Child, that features "Nuclear," their first new song in nine years.
"A Time for Love," produced by George Duke, is R&B singer Jeffrey Osborne's first album since 2005 and it features a duet with Chaka Khan on Frank Loesser's Christmas standard, "Baby, It's Cold Outsidel" an import reissue, "Cirrus," from jazz vibraphonist and marimba player Bobby Hutcherson; a 2-CD, "Texas Flood (30 th Anniversary Collection)" from Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble, that includes a live disc from Philadelphia in 1983; "No Fairy Tale," from contemporary folk rocker Lisa Loeb, that includes two songs written by Tegan and Sara; and "Adam Ant is The Blueblack Hussar in Marrying The Gunner's Daughter" is the English New Wave pop star's first album in 18 years.
A 2-CD, "Live in Paris 1975," from the "Burn" and "Stormbringer"-era version of Deep Purple with David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes; a 2-LP on 1-CD deal, "The Year of the Cat & Modern Times (Remastered)" from Al Stewart; an import reissue of jazz saxman Ronnie Laws' 1977 LP, "Friends & Strangers;" "Get Moving," from Ella Jenkins, the 88-year-old First Lady of children's music; and a remastered import of Sergio Mendes 1966 non-Brasil '66 instrumental album, "Great Arrival."
"Playlist" is a new budget-priced series of "The Very Best of" featuring 14 tracks each from The Box Tops, Harry Nilsson, Sara Evans, Accept, Leslie West and Mountain and The Doobie Brothers live.
New reissues on vinyl include blues guitar great Albert King's 1962 debut LP, "The Big Blues;" and Deep Purple's 1984 comeback LP, "Perfect Strangers" (2-LP here).
Box sets include a 3-CD "Rumours - Expanded Edition" that sees Fleetwood Mac celebrate the 35 th anniversary of the album that sold more than 40 million copies, with a CD each for the standard album, live versions and demos and alt takes; and "Live in Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2 (3 CDs/1 DVD)" from jazz trumpet legend Miles Davis.
New DVDs include a reissue of "Liberace: The World's Greatest Showman" with guests Sammy David, Jr., Jack Benny, and Groucho Marx; and "Neil Sedaka in Concert."
NOW PLAYING Classic acts from the '50 s, '60 s and '70 s continue to perform. Here's what one of them is doing.
Country pop band Exile, best known for its No. 1 pop hit, "Kiss You All Over," kicked off its "50 Years in Music" tour at the KCI Expo Center in Kansas City. The 31-date jaunt runs through April 28 in Marshalltown, Penn., and mostly visits venues throughout Texas and the Midwest.
In addition to "Kiss You All Over," the band recorded 10 No. 1 hits on the country charts between 1984-1987, including "Woke Up in Love," "Give Me One More Chance" and "Crazy for Your Love." In 2008, the on-again, off-again band reformed and last year they released an EP of their first songs in a couple of decades.
Steve Smith writes a new Classic Pop, Rock and Country Music News column every week. It can be read in its entirety on www.presstelegram.com. Like, recommend or share the column on Facebook. Contact him by email at email@example.com.


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Wicked Witch Martini Glass
Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for five seconds, then strain mixture into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with skewered blueberries and/or marshmallow ghost.
Keep your coworkers out of your grub with fridge locker, a safe for the fridge. Hilarious!
You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose... Except in the case of these cups. Give your friend the perfect nose or one completely unbecoming with these cups.
White Russian Lollipops by Lollyphile! Creamy hard candies with the flavors of Kahlua, vodka, and cream!Tags: food, candy, liquor, sweets, cocktails, alcohol, lollipops, gourmet food, Cool HuntingAdded 8 Years Ago from Lollyphile
Love this! I gave this to a friend for Christmas and he loved it as well. I think it's a genius idea and even if you don't drink alcohol, it's still perfect to use to cool down your favorite beverage!
Delicious brownies & cakes baked with premium booze! Oh man-I just know if I had a time machine, I'd go back & visit all those past baby & bridal showers I've been forced to endure, only I'd be armed with a few of these boozy bun... Delicious brownies & cakes baked with premium booze! Oh man-I just know if I had a time machine, I'd go back & visit all those past baby & bridal showers I've been forced to endure, only I'd be armed with a few of these boozy bundt cakes.
gotta admit, i am curious.
Banana flavor is good... liqueur is good... so this must be great, eh?
Interesting & unique flavor, like the city of New Orleans.
clean glass for dirty martinis. which are cleaner than your oversprayed pinto noir and more festive for the holidays
I don't know if I could do it, but I wouldn't want to drink the pear brandy made from 30 pound of pears per bottle just to save the beauty of the pear that grew inside the bottle. What am I, insane? Of course I'd drink it.
Decaff or caffeinated, if you like coffee, you'll LOVE this!
½ ounce. A little bit of spice makes everything nice. Including ladies.
1 ounce. Great for this drink, pretty much great for any drink.Tags: food, cooking, gourmet, liquor, vodka, Halloween, vincent van gogh vodka, vanilla vodkaAdded 10 Years Ago from Getwines
2 ounces. Just about all you need to get wild. Like, police not knockin at your door wild.Tags: food, cooking, gourmet, liquor, vodka, cocktail, Halloween, mixed drinks., van gogh vodkaAdded 10 Years Ago from Beveragewarehouse
1 ounce. And you'll know why it's amaretto of your heart.Tags: food, cooking, gourmet, liquor, amaretto, Halloween, amaretto liquer, amaretto liquorAdded 10 Years Ago from Marketviewliquor
One ounce. Just one, and you'll be feeling a little warm like when you listen to Mozart.Tags: food, cooking, gourmet, liquor, alcohol, white chocolate, Halloween, Mozart, white chocolate liquerAdded 10 Years Ago from Winechateau
Just a hint for your drink.
2 ounces. Acai becomes a real super berry in this mix.
3 ounces. Vincent drunk this. Not on the night of his, er, incident with his ear, though.
1 ounce of pumpkin spice. Makes almost everything nice.
Pour ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for five seconds and strain into martini glass. Garnish with an olive stuffed radish that has been scored to create the "veins" of an eyeball.Tags: food, cooking, gourmet, martini, liquor, vodka, Halloween, mixed drinks., cocktail shakersAdded 10 Years Ago from BuyCostumes.com


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yeh. it hides. you have to know a secret password that you input on the google search page before you can even look for it...and then you have to tip the webmaster ten bucks before he will let you have the results. normal google searches wont show it.
luckily for you, i'm a rebel. let me help:
Index of /pool/main/g/gdk-pixbuf


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Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is scheduled to address the Long Beach Rotary Club at the Queen Mary on Wednesday.
Baca's topic, "Realignment and Its Effects," is set to begin at 1 p.m., and time permitting a Q&A could follow at about 1:20 p.m.
The event is set for the Queen Mary's Fourth Level, the Queen's Salon.
The address follows a Los Angeles Times Sunday editorial, "Don't run, Sheriff Baca," and an ongoing FBI probe into alleged criminal wrongdoing at the Sheriff's Department.
-- Joe Segura


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Beware of Flashy Men!
A hot hunk dumps me, and now I know why
–Carrie Seim
Beware of Flashy Men!
"Research by evolutionary biologists at the University of Glasgow suggests females should be wary of initial flashy display which may not have staying power." – Dr. Jan Lindström, scientist, researcher, Carrie's new dating hero.
The above quote is going to be important. Trust me. Just let me get through my little dating parable first, and you'll be down with Dr. Lindstrom, too.
So the boy I'm going to tell you about was perfect. I met him on a long flight to South America, and he was … dreamy. Very tall, luscious dark skin, strikingly handsome, perfectly toned. He had a great job, a great mind and great clothes. (He was also several years younger – and lived several thousand miles from me – but I ignored all those pesky details.)
The boy was, in short, a classic example of "initial flashy display."
This display intrigued me, so I melted into my first fling with an exotic boy toy. It was fantastic, but I understood I'd have to put my little toy away once vacation ended. I never guessed he'd e-mail me six months later to announce he was coming to New York for a work trip. Or that he'd want to see me again. Or that he really, really enjoyed our time together and wanted to take me out for a romantic night. Yikes!
Since our last meeting, I'd happily carried on with my life, forgetting all about my tropical adventure. Still, there was something about our connection – however brief – that came flooding back at the sight of his e-mail. (Okay, okay, there was also the visceral memory of his buff arms as they hugged me in the streets of Argentina at midnight.)
I couldn't tame my butterflies the morning he was scheduled to arrive. I was totally dressed, accessorized and perfumed by noon.
Finally, it was 5 p.m., the appointed time for him to call. Nothing. At 6 p.m., I broke my own rule and left him a message. (Maybe his flight had been delayed?) 6 p.m. turned into 7 p.m., then 8 p.m. I finally gave up and washed off my makeup – the classic sign of surrender for single girls the world over.
At 11:30 p.m. (!!!) my phone beeped with a text. He was all breezy casual, "Having drinks at my friend's place … what R U up to?" I was up to being furious. The thought that kept running through my mind was, "I am too old for this bullshit!"
He was the one who asked me out. He was the one who said he'd call at 5 p.m. He was the one who tricked me with his initial flashy display!
And now he was pretending it was no big deal to text me more than five hours after we were supposed to meet?


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Casinos operator Crown Resorts has fortified its position in Australia by winning a sweetened deal for its Melbourne casino from the Victorian government.
Crown has won an extension of its Melbourne casino licence, an increase to the number of table games and poker machines, and will pay less tax on VIP gaming.
In return for the amendments to its casino licence and management agreement, Crown will make extra payments to the Victorian government of up to $910 million.
Crown said the reforms would allow its Melbourne casino to compete more effectively with interstate and overseas casinos, boost tourism and create new jobs.
Chairman James Packer said Crown will have invested $1.7 billion in the 10 years to 2016 on upgrades of its Melbourne casino resort.
"Despite this investment, Crown has for a long time been at a major competitive disadvantage on the issue of taxation," Mr Packer said.
"Now, with the support of the Victorian government, we will have a licence that enables us to compete on a level playing field to help drive tourism, jobs and economic benefit for the state."
Victorian Treasurer Michael O'Brien said the new deal would boost jobs, investment and tourism while improving Crown's operations and market share.
"This is a very competitive industry," Mr O'Brien said.
"We want to ensure that high rollers from overseas (VIP gamblers) find a reason to want to come to Melbourne to spend their money."
Australian Churches Gambling Taskforce chair Reverend Tim Costello says the agreement between Crown and the Victorian government was grubby and shameless.
"Grubby, because James Packer has really fleeced the Australian public, and when Minister O'Brien says it's a win-win, it's a win for the Liberal Party now going cashed up into an election," he told AAP.
Morningstar analyst Brian Han said the revised Melbourne casino arrangements were unequivocally good for Crown.
The increase in the number of gaming tables, automated table games terminals, and poker machines would generate more money for Crown.
Most of the payments to be made to the Victorian government would be staggered over the next decade and some of them depended on the performance of the casino.
"When you work all that out, I think the benefits certainly outweigh the costs," Mr Han said.
"More strategically, though, it really comforts people about the earnings power of this company now that they have extended the casino's term by 17 years."
Mr Han said the scrapping of the super tax on VIP gambling would help Crown's Melbourne casino compete with the big, luxury casino resorts of Macau and Singapore.
The new arrangements would also help Crown's existing or proposed expansion projects in Sydney, Brisbane, Macau, Las Vegas, The Philippines and Sri Lanka.
Crown shares gained 20 cents, or 1.25 per cent, to $16.18.
* Licence extended by a further 17 years to 2050
* "Super tax" on international VIP gambling removed from 2015
* Increase in gaming tables from 400 to 440
* Automated table games terminals up from 200 to 250
* Poker machines up from 2,500 to 2,628
* $250m once new licence and management agreement effective
* $100m in 2023 if Melbourne casino annual revenue rises more than four pct from 2014 to 2022
* Extra $100m if revenue grows by more than 4.7 pct
* $250m in 2033
* At least $35m a year over six years in gaming taxes linked to new gaming products, from 2016


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Capita Defenders Of Awesome
New to Capita's line, this is your all-mountain destroyer. You've got good ol' camber beneath your feet extending five centimeters past the outer inserts, flat camber out to the end of the effective edge, then a light rise of reverse camber into Capita's Flat Kick nose and tail. With the kinky twin tip shape and that black metal graphic, you'll be murdering it from the highest peaks to the lowliest of jibs.
Price: $380
Category: Park
Sizes: 152, 154, 156, 158, 160
Tester Feedback: "I would call upon this board to defend my awesome any day. Turns really well; lots of pop!"


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Curl Up in One of These Cozy Pajama Sets
Aquabelle ($59, amazon.com)
This eye-fooling champ holds you in with a reinforced panel; the cross-body stripes visually nip in the waist. Even better: the
wallet-friendly price!
Trimmed tummies by up to 1.75"
Tommy Bahama ($142)
Retro in a good way, this one-piece excelled at concealing tummies, but it was the "adorable" and "fun" patterns that really wowed testers. Who knew dots and stripes could be so slimming?
De-bulged bellies by up to 1.75"
Best Online Prescription Glasses


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New York University's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts is the premier venue for the presentation of cultural and performing arts events for NYU and lower Manhattan. Since opening in 2003, the 860-seat Skirball Center has been an educational and community building resource, providing NYU's first large-scale, professional performance space on campus. Through university events, presentations, and partnerships, the Skirball Center offers a unique multi-arts performance program in its intimate proscenium theater located on the south of Washington Square in the heart of Greenwich Village.
Skirball Center Performances
Music, theater, and dance have a rich history in Greenwich Village. NYU's Skirball Center continues this tradition of creativity and artistic discovery with a broad range of compelling performance events at affordable ticket prices for the NYU community and our neighbors in an evolving lower Manhattan. The Skirball Center is committed to the University's role "in and of the world," and works closely with cultural partners to reflect its global urban home by presenting a variety of voices in many different languages. Above all, the Skirball Center is a reflection of NYU's commitment to education in, and through, the performing arts.
Skirball Center Box Office
Would you like to attend one or many of the spectacular events and performances held at the Skirball Center? You may purchase tickets online, by phone, or in person at the Shagan Box Office located just inside the theater's main lobby entrance. The NYU Skirball Center works to make every sale as quick and as easy as possible.
As a member of the NYU community, you are eligible to purchase discounted tickets to many of the wide range of performances and events held at the Skirball Center. Discounts can range from 15%-60% off the regular ticket price. Your NYU ID will also grant you admission to many free events and NYU-Exclusive performances. Check out our website for the latest information on upcoming events and performances!
NYU Ticket Central
NYU Ticket Central is NYU's clearinghouse for tickets to the movies, Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, sporting events, musical concerts and more , all at a reduced price. You may purchase tickets in person at the Skirball Center's Shagan Box Office with you valid NYU ID or online via NYU Home. To purchase tickets online, login to NYU Home, select NYU Life from the menu bar and scroll down to Ticket Central where you can select the appropriate Get Tickets link and continue to make your purchase.
The generosity of the Skirball Foundation made the theater possible and, in recognition, it is named after Jack H. Skirball. The theater is situated at the base of the Helen and Martin Kimmel Center for University Life and the Skirball Center's administrative offices are located on the 5th floor of the building. The entire Kimmel Center was designed by distinguished architect Kevin Roche and Artec Consultants Inc.


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Bad Breath / Halitosis
Bad breath sometimes caused by halitosis or more specifically persistent breath odor can often be related to a need to cleanse and detox internal organs and the colon. Poor digestion can also be a cause for bad breath. Read more about bad breath causes here or browse for a suitable remedy below.
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Steam Wands & Tips
Espresso Machine Steam Wands
Need to upgrade or replace your steam wand? Looking for the perfect panarello? Model specific steam wands, steam arms, panarellos and cappuccinatores are all names for the part on your espresso machine that steam the milk. Different tips are also available for some wands to change up the style of foam produced. Check out the parts we have available for Rocket Espresso, Rancilio, Saeco and more.
Saeco Panarello Assembly - Stainless SteelHow can something so simple looking pack such a punch? Shiny stainless steel, this Panarello replacement wand makes finer microfoam thanks to its tiny pinhole opening, which limits the amount of air incorporated into your milk. Learn More
Regular Price: $66.69
Saeco Panarello Assembly - BlackNot just a one-trick pony: This Saeco Panarello Assembly for Gaggia Espresso machines also fits the Saeco Aroma and Via Venezia, Saeco Royal Professional, Saeco Royal Coffee Bar, Saeco Vienna and Vienna Deluxe, Saeco Spidem Villa and Saeco Magic machine models. This is slightly shorter than the Saeco Vienna panarello assembly. Learn More$24.95


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I'd like to take this opportunity to share with the community and say thank you to all those who have supported the Pregnancy Care Center.
The Pregnancy Care Center has been in existence since 1998.
In the past two and a half years, many changes have taken place. God is truly blessing the efforts of all of those involved and he continues to give us a vision for the future.
While visiting Brooklyn Springs Elementary School for a program I was most impressed with the cleanliness of the school and the young lady doing the cleaning.
While visiting the school I observed the young lady cleaning, dusting, pushing down the halls and blowing off the grounds when I was leaving.
The school was immaculate inside and out and smelled so fresh.
Brooklyn Springs is a wonderful school with great staff. To the young lady cleaning there, you are doing a great job.
It's been a pleasure for me to represent S.C. Senate District 16 this session as it has been for 10 of the last 11.
The district encompasses the upper two-thirds of Lancaster County beginning with the Douglas, Pleasant Hill and Tradesville communities, plus most of Fort Mill and Tega Cay. There are about110,000 people in the district, one of 46 in our state. Comprising 45 men and one woman, the Senate meets three days a week from January until June each year.
Phil and Mary Sue are generous hosts. Thanksgiving is their special time with family, but they regularly invite orphans – people like my wife and me, who have no other place to go.
This year, we looked forward to joining Phil and Mary Sue's family and friends at their home. They were expecting 17 guests. No Indians on the guest list this year, but Phil says he will let the occasional Australian stand in for them.
At a recent meeting of the Anderson County legislative delegation, freshman House member Jonathon Hill introduced two resolutions calling on the legislature to – uh – follow the law.
The first resolution concerned the state's local government fund. By law, state budget-writers are to allocate 4.5 percent of the previous year's revenue to local governments as payment for those governments carrying out state services. For six years, however, state lawmakers have reduced the amount by means of one-year provisos.
If S.C. Rep. Kris Crawford needs guidance these days from the Bible, he might want to ponder the proverb, "Physician, heal thyself."
In 2012, the emergency room doctor and then-state House member was convicted on four misdemeanor counts of willfully failing to file state income-tax returns. He received no jail time and was ordered to pay $21,380 in fines and costs.
S.C. Supreme Court has determined the state must provide students in eight impoverished schools districts with an opportunity to receive a "minimally adequate education." A close look at the court's controversial decision offers a guide to how legislators ought to respond.
When I was a school boy, there was a kid down the street named Rodney who had an "attitude problem," or at least that's what the adults called it. To me and my friends, Rodney was just a jerk.
He had a big chip on his shoulder and was always complaining that others were taking advantage of him or whining about things not being fair to him. Rodney didn't have any friends, and our parents pretty much forced us to include Rodney in our activities.
Drunken driving has become a national epidemic. Each year, drunken-driving crashes kill more than 10,000 people in America. Lancaster County Sheriff's Office is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), National Liquor Law Enforcement (NLLEA) and the Coalition for Healthy Youth and S.C. Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) this holiday season, to reach out to all drivers with an important message about this deadly, preventable crime because buzzed driving is drunk driving.
Editor's note: This column was originally published in the J. Marions Sims Foundation newsletter and is reprinted with the foundation's permission.
Election season finally ended last month and many of us have breathed a huge sigh of relief.
We're spared the crush of ads, posters, commercials and calls for various candidates – until the next election cycle begins, which for presidential candidates will likely be sometime in the first half of 2015. Election campaigns never seem to end; they just go on and on and on.
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The Lancaster News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Lancaster County and Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding area..