text:
(a) Determination of misbranding; notification of Federal Trade Commission by Secretary; contents (1) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, before the Secretary may initiate any action under subchapter III of this chapter - (A) with respect to any food which the Secretary determines is misbranded under section 343(a)(2) of this title because of its advertising, or (B) with respect to a food's advertising which the Secretary determines causes the food to be so misbranded, the Secretary shall, in accordance with paragraph (2), notify in writing the Federal Trade Commission of the action the Secretary proposes to take respecting such food or advertising. (2) The notice required by paragraph (1) shall - (A) contain (i) a description of the action the Secretary proposes to take and of the advertising which the Secretary has determined causes a food to be misbranded, (ii) a statement of the reasons for the Secretary's determination that such advertising has caused such food to be misbranded, and (B) be accompanied by the records, documents, and other written materials which the Secretary determines supports his determination that such food is misbranded because of such advertising. (b) Action by Federal Trade Commission precluding action by Secretary; exception (1) If the Secretary notifies the Federal Trade Commission under subsection (a) of this section of action proposed to be taken under subchapter III of this chapter with respect to a food or food advertising and the Commission notifies the Secretary in writing, within the 30-day period beginning on the date of the receipt of such notice, that - (A) it has initiated under the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) an investigation of such advertising to determine if it is prohibited by such Act or any order or rule under such Act, (B) it has commenced (or intends to commence) a civil action under section 5, 13, or 19 (15 U.S.C. 45, 53, or 57b) with respect to such advertising or the Attorney General has commenced (or intends to commence) a civil action under section 5 (15 U.S.C. 45) with respect to such advertising, (C) it has issued and served (or intends to issue and serve) a complaint under section 5(b) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 45(b)) respecting such advertising, or (D) pursuant to section 16(b) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 56(b)) it has made a certification to the Attorney General respecting such advertising, the Secretary may not, except as provided by paragraph (2), initiate the action described in the Secretary's notice to the Federal Trade Commission. (2) If, before the expiration of the 60-day period beginning on the date the Secretary receives a notice described in paragraph (1) from the Federal Trade Commission in response to a notice of the Secretary under subsection (a) of this section - (A) the Commission or the Attorney General does not commence a civil action described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of this subsection respecting the advertising described in the Secretary's notice, (B) the Commission does not issue and serve a complaint described in subparagraph (C) of such paragraph respecting such advertising, or (C) the Commission does not (as described in subparagraph (D) of such paragraph) make a certification to the Attorney General respecting such advertising, or, if the Commission does make such a certification to the Attorney General respecting such advertising, the Attorney General, before the expiration of such period, does not cause appropriate criminal proceedings to be brought against such advertising, the Secretary may, after the expiration of such period, initiate the action described in the notice to the Commission pursuant to subsection (a) of this section. The Commission shall promptly notify the Secretary of the commencement by the Commission of such a civil action, the issuance and service by it of such a complaint, or the causing by the Attorney General of criminal proceedings to be brought against such advertising. (c) Secretary's determination of imminent hazard to health as suspending applicability of provisions The requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this section do not apply with respect to action under subchapter III of this chapter with respect to any food or food advertising if the Secretary determines that such action is required to eliminate an imminent hazard to health. (d) Coordination of action by Secretary with Federal Trade Commission For the purpose of avoiding unnecessary duplication, the Secretary shall coordinate any action taken under subchapter III of this chapter because of advertising which the Secretary determines causes a food to be misbranded with any action of the Federal Trade Commission under the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) with respect to such advertising.
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Student Life
Left, Right, and Forward: The Future of Both Political Parties
Date: 7:00pm PST February 12, 2014 Location: Agnes Flanagan Chapel
Agnes Flanagan Chapel
President Barry Glassner and the Associated Students of Lewis & Clark invite you to
Left, Right, and Forward: The Future of Both Political Parties
An evening with former U.S. Representative Harold Ford Jr. and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele
Wednesday, February 12, 2014 • Agnes Flanagan Chapel • Doors at 6:30pm and Program at 7:00pm
Advance general admission tickets are FREE for Lewis & Clark students, faculty, and staff with valid L&C ID (limit 1 per person). Tickets are available from Student Activities (Templeton 110); Monday through Friday: 9:00am to 4:00pm.
Starting Wednesday, February 5, a limited number of tickets for the general public are available in advance for $25 each (credit card only). Please call Student Activities at 503-768-7122 to order your tickets.
Due to limited capacity in the Agnes Flanagan Chapel, a simulcast of Left, Right & Forward: The Future of Both Political Parties will be available in the Council Chamber in the Templeton Campus Center. Tickets are not required for the simulcast.
As prominent leaders representing both sides of the political spectrum, former U.S. Representative Harold Ford, Jr. and former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele engage audiences in the most hot-button issues facing every American: stability in the Middle East, domestic security, energy policy, health care and education reform, military transformation, the economy, and the future of the two major political parties.
Harold Ford, Jr. is a former 5 term congressman from Tennessee, Harold Ford, Jr. is a moderate Democrat once described by President Bill Clinton as the "walking, living embodiment of where America ought to go in the 21st century." Since Congress, he has remained involved in public debates about the shaping of health, energy, tax, and education policy through his work as chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC); his commentating on NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC; and his teaching at both Vanderbilt and NYU. Ford, who holds a law degree from the University of Michigan and a BA in History from Penn, strongly believes that America's best days are in front of us if "the U.S. understands and learns from our history better, embraces change and tackles our challenges with a more global view."
Michael Steele earned his place in Maryland's history when he became the first African American to be elected to statewide office. Steele's first major national exposure came during an appearance at the 2004 Republican National Convention. The former Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Steele is now a founding partner at the strategic communication firm Purple Nation Solutions and a political analyst on MSNBC.
Presented by the Office of the President and the Associated Students of Lewis & Clark with support from the Dean of Students, Campus Activities Board, Student Activities, and Campus Living.
Arrangements for the appearance of Harold Ford, Jr. and Michael Steele made through Greater Talent Network, Inc., New York, NY.
Event ContactStudent Activities

subset: commoncrawl


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Mark Curdo
Mark was born in Massachusetts. He grew up in Nashua, New Hampshire and graduated College in Maine. He started on WCYY February 2005. He's the host of WCYY's new music / local music show, "Spinout". Marks was VP Marketing & Promotions for an independent record label in NJ in the late 90's. He's written a music column for a newspaper and a website. He listens to & collects a lot of music. A lot. He watches & collects a lot of movies. Marks a fan of the Boston Celtics, crushed ice, Brigham's Coffee Ice Cream, Jack Lemmon, wearing hats, Seka, lemon/lime seltzer, Nacho Libre, Mike Gorman, record stores, Wolfman Jack, hot pretzles, Lauren & Wally, Friendlys, hot tea and Paul Newman. He owns two 8-track players, stopped wearing white socks in 1998 and was given the key to City of Portland, Maine (seriously). Also, December 3rd 2012 was officially named "Mark Curdo Day" in state of Maine (seriously). He hopes to someday meet Stevie Wonder, Chuck Berry, Smokey Robinson, Paul McCartney, King Ad Rock, Rodney Bingenheimer, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Shakira, Owen Wilson, Hall & Oates and anyone from Van Halen. "Be yourself, everyone else is already taken".


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Here is a shot of my kitchen with the Thomas Paul plates that I had previously blogged about here. I love those melamine plates so much I have suggested the use of them in other projects, like the idea board we put together for Amy here. I would eventually love to ditch the recessed lighting and hang pendant lights above the island….but as my Mister says, "One thing at a time."
He reminds me of that because when we moved in we replaced the floor, countertops, backsplash, sink, the dishwasher and the micro. We also painted the base of the island which used to be a light birch color. We also rushed to finish as our previous home was on the market at the time. I think he is a bit tired of projects. Luckily, he has me for motivation! A pendant light above the sink would look great too. If you agree, I'll tell him you said so.
We purchased a new table a few months back and I am loving it. The only problem is the maintenance. The marble shows EVERYTHING, even water spots. After a panicked phone call on what to do, the helpful staff at Crate and Barrel suggested a thin, custom piece of glass be applied to the top. So I am on the case, calling around to get the best price on that. I love the idea, because it won't tamper with the look.


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A savory pie with a chicken and sweet potato filling nestled between flaky layers of phyllo dough with 3 types of cheese and a creamy béchamel sauce that will melt in your mouth.
This is a Greek classic that I compare to a pot pie. The filling has chicken, onion, carrots, celery, sweet potatoes and spinach along with a trio of fresh herbs including dill, parsley and mint as well as paprika.
Little cubes of gooey Gouda cheese and salty feta also find their way into the filling and the eggy sauce that holds it all together has Parmesan in it.
If you look in the Food Dictionary under "rich" I'm sure you'll see this pie with its 3 cheeses and abundant amount of butter. All that is right and good in this world.
Look for the phyllo dough in the frozen food section of your market usually by the frozen dessert section. If you haven't worked with phyllo before make sure to place it on a clean, wet dish towel with another one on top to keep it from drying out as you work.
A savory Greek pie with a chicken and sweet potato filling nestled between flaky layers of phyllo dough with 3 types of cheese and a creamy bechamel sauce that will melt in your mouth.
- In a large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat; add the chicken, onion, garlic, celery, carrots and sweet potatoes. Season well with salt, pepper and paprika. Cook stirring often until chicken is browned on all sides and the vegetables begin to soften. Add the chicken stock, fresh herbs and nutmeg; raise the heat and bring to a boil; turn down heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach.
- Sauce: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan melt the butter over medium-low heat; whisk in flour and cook 3-4 minutes stirring often.Whisk in milk slowly and bring up to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower heat and simmer 3-4 minutes. Whisk in parmesan and paprika. Drizzle a little of the hot milk mixture into the egg while beating to temper it then slowly drizzle the egg into the milk while whisking. Once egg is fully incorporated remove from heat.
- Strain the the chicken mixture of liquid in a wire strainer in batches and place in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sauce, gouda and feta cheeses.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.
- Layer 8 sheets of phyllo dough in the bottom of the dish lightly brushing each one with melted butter and making sure to press the phyllo up against the sides of the pan. Spoon in the filling and evenly spread it out.
- Layer another 8 sheets of phyllo on top of the filling brushing each one with butter, fold in any overlap and brush that with butter too. Brush the top layer with butter and use a sharp knife to cut into squares or triangles.
- Sprinkle a little water over top to keep it from drying out and bake until golden brown 45-50 minutes. Allow to set 10 minutes before serving. May be served hot or at room temperature.
Adapted from Food Network


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NL Capsules
MIAMI (AP) — Christian Yelich hit a two-out, bases-loaded RBI single in the ninth inning Thursday to give the Miami Marlins their fifth walkoff win of the year, 4-3 over the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Marlins won despite squandering a 3-0 eighth-inning lead. They took the series and improved to 19-6 at home, best in majors.
Miami is 6-17 on road, worst in majors.
Philadelphia's Marlon Byrd tied the game in the eighth with a two-run homer, his sixth. Miami's Marcell Ozuna hit a two-run homer, giving him two homers and seven RBIs in the past two games.
Ozuna singled with one out in the ninth off Jake Diekman (2-2), then took second on a two-out single by Jeff Mathis. Pinch hitter Reid Johnson reached on an infield single to load the bases, and Yelich grounded a single up the middle.
Marlins closer Steve Cishek (4-1) struck out two with a runner at second to end the ninth. The Phillies went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position, with Byrd's homer the lone hit.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Allen Craig drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out double in the seventh inning as St. Louis completed a three-game sweep.
The sweep was the first of a three-game series this season for St. Louis, which has won seven of eight.
Shane Robinson had a two-run double as part of a three-hit night.
Pat Neshek (1-0) pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings to pick up his first win as a Cardinal.
Trevor Rosenthal retired Arizona in order in the ninth for his 14th save in 16 chances.
Robinson, who was called up from Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Craig was 2 for 4 and also scored a run.
Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt had an RBI single and Aaron Hill drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Diamondbacks starter Wade Miley (3-5) lasted 6 2-3 innings and allowed three runs and seven hits and four walks with three strikeouts.
NEW YORK (AP) — Jonathon Niese hit an RBI double to provide himself some much-needed run support as the New York Mets took advantage of two Dodgers miscues to end Zack Greinke's remarkable runs-allowed streak to beat Los Angeles.
Juan Lagares had a go-ahead RBI single in the seventh off Chris Perez (0-2) and Niese (3-3) pitched seven sharp innings for New York, which won for just the sixth time in 20 games this month and avoided a three-game sweep.
Rookie Eric Campbell, playing his first career game in left field, doubled Yasiel Puig off second base after making a spectacular diving catch in the eighth to preserve the Mets' lead.
Greinke's stretch of 21 straight starts allowing two or fewer runs ended.
Jenrry Mejia pitched the ninth for his second save.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Edinson Volquez allowed one run in six sharp innings as Pittsburgh edged Washington.
Volquez (2-4) ended a three-game losing streak by limiting the Nationals to three hits, walking two and striking out four. Mark Melancon worked the ninth for his eighth save. Andrew McCutchen drove in two runs for the Pirates and made a sliding grab with two on in the ninth to end the game. Josh Harrison added two hits for Pittsburgh.
Ian Desmond hit his eighth homer of the season for the Nationals but Washington left 10 runners on base. Rookie Blake Treinen (0-2) struggled with his command in his second career start, giving up two runs on four hits in 5 2-3 innings, striking out four and walking five. The Nationals have lost three of four.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Anthony Rizzo hit a two-run home run against his old team and Jake Arrieta pitched six strong innings to lead Chicago to a victory against San Diego.
Arrieta (1-0) held San Diego to one run and four hits, struck out seven and walked one. He was activated May 3 after beginning the season on the disabled list with tightness in his right shoulder and came in with a 2.70 ERA in three starts.
San Diego lost its fourth straight game. It was the 15th time in 48 games the Padres scored one or no runs.
The Padres were shut out for the eighth time — most in the majors — on Wednesday night, losing 2-0 to Minnesota.
Stults (2-5) gave up five runs and six hits in 4 2-3 innings, struck out four and walked none.
DENVER (AP) — The game between the Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants was suspended after the second rain delay, with the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning.
A makeup date was still being determined. The Giants next visit Coors Field on Sept. 1-3.
The game was interrupted for 82 minutes before the fourth. The rain moved back in two innings later, delaying the game for another 84 minutes and leading the umpires to suspend action.
Although the weather cleared up, the field was saturated. The grounds crew dumped bags and bags of diamond dry on the infield just to try and make it playable.


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Snark is certainly, not probably, a blend of snake and shark, because Lewis Carroll explained his coinage.
I've written about snark in the past, and I found this curious. The Century Dictionary gives the snake/shark derivation. It's repeated in other places too. But as far as I know, the only real evidence we have is the fact that Beatrice Hatch wrote that Carroll told her that it was a portmanteau of snail and shark. Where and when did Carroll explain that he coined the word from snake and shark?


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Pre de Provence Riche Mint Leaf Shea Butter Vegetable Soap 150 g
Ready to Buy?
Maker: Pre de Provence
Product ID: 37001ML
From the Riche line. Comes in a decorative wrapper. Every bar of Pre de Provence soap is made in France by dedicated soapmakers using traditional methods used for centuries. With pure ingredients enriched with shea butter and fragranced with distinctive scents representative of France's native flora, this soap will elevate your daily bathing ritual to a luxurious experience. Quad-milled to be smooth, long-lasting and to create the richest lather. Mint Leaf is a bright, refreshing and uplifting herbal fragrance that will enliven your senses. Product of France. 150 g / 5.2 oz . The manufacturer's UPC number for this item is 612082766394
In Stock
Price: $7.70
Sale: $6.93
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text:
15 Fun & Stylish Cases for the Kindle Fire
We've given the iPad a lot of case love, but what about the Kindle Fire, the new tablet kid on the block? With a low price point and strong brand association (Kindle = digital reading) the Kindle Fire is sure to be a popular gift this holiday season (despite it's weird name). To help your Kindle Fire accessory shopping along, we've gathered up these fun and stylish cases for the mini tablet.
Giving the gift of the Kindle Fire this year or do you know someone who is getting one? Avoid the boring blah cases you find in many a shop and take a gander at these stylish and fun options which are sure to delight many new Kindle Fire owner
- Rabbitsmile Totoro Kindle Fire Sleeve $25
- JiuJiu Kindle Fire Case $24
- GardenourLeather Textured Leather Kindle Fire Sleeve $49
- RogueTheory Navy Herringbone Kindle Fire Case Convertible Book Jacket $15
- PinsnNeedlesCases Wool Felt Kindle Fire Case $26
- Sakizome Kawaii Mon Peluche Case $21
- WillowandCompany Kindle Fire Wool Baroque Style Sleeve $45
- BlytheKing Kindle Fire Kali iSockit $30
- Jositajosi Kindle Fire Fiesta Case $35
- Kate Spade Snapdragon Pink Patent Leather Case $125
Apartment Therapy supports our readers with carefully chosen product recommendations to improve life at home. You support us through our independently chosen links, many of which earn us a commission.


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Return: This product can be return within 3 days of receipt. Return request for a damaged /broken product must be reported within 24 hours.
Cancellation: Orders can be cancelled it they have not been dispatch. After dispatch the order cannot be cancelled. For more details refer to Return and Refund Policy.
There are no products matching the selection.


text:
- class (Show (ConcreteToken t), Eq (ConcreteToken t), Lift (ConcreteToken t), Eq t, Show t, Ord t, Lift t, Enumerable t) => Token t where
- type ConcreteToken t
- classify :: ConcreteToken t -> t
- enumConcreteTokens :: t -> [ConcreteToken t]
class (Show (ConcreteToken t), Eq (ConcreteToken t), Lift (ConcreteToken t), Eq t, Show t, Ord t, Lift t, Enumerable t) => Token t whereSource
Token class identifies a type that can be used as terminal
identifier in a grammar definition. The type
t itself is an
abstract identifier, identifying a certain type of terminals, but
any value of type
t can correspond to a possibly infinite numer
of values of type 'ConcreteToken t'. For example, if you use a lexer
in a simple arithmetic expressions grammar, your lexer would typically
return values like
MINUS, but also 'INTEGER 42' when a
number is lexed. In this case, a separate Token type t would be defined,
such that a value
INTEGER_T of the
Token type t could
correspond to all values of the form 'INTEGER n' (for n an Integer)
of type 'ConcreteToken t'. A production rule defined as
token INTEGER_T would then produce result values of type
ConcreteToken t (e.g. INTEGER 42).
The requirements on
Token types are relatively strict, but this is
necessary to make it usable in table-based parser algorithms.
We reference the
Lift class to allow for compile-time
precalculation of tables using Template Haskell (See the LL1 and
RealLL1 parsers).
Note that in some cases it is inefficient to use Char directly as
token type, because of the big amount of tokens. For example when using
transformLeftCorner, the new domain will contain O(n*t + n^2)
non-terminals where n is the amount of non-terminals and t is th
number of tokens, so when using this transformation, it is beneficial to
use a token type with less token values than
Char, at
least if you will use algorithms that fold over the full new grammar's domain
printGrammar does,
printReachableGrammar doesn't).
type ConcreteToken t Source
classify :: ConcreteToken t -> tSource
classify function classifies a given
ConcreteToken t into
the value of type t it is represented by.
enumConcreteTokens :: t -> [ConcreteToken t]Source
enumConcreteTokens function returns a (possibly infinite)
list of all concrete tokens of type 'ConcreteToken t'
corresponding to a given token of
Token type t


text:
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – When the University of Akron men's soccer team kicked off its national title defense on Aug. 27 against Cleveland State University, the Zips did so without seven of the players who started in the National Championship victory over the University of Louisville last December.
Gone were Anthony Ampaipitakwong (San Jose Earthquakes), Perry Kitchen (D.C. United), Chris Korb (D.C. United), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), Michael Nanchoff (Vancouver Whitecaps FC), Kofi Sarkodie (Houston Dynamo) and Zarek Valentin (Chivas USA), all chosen in the first two rounds of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.
Amongst the four returning starters, however, was former Revolution Under-18 captain and Braintree, Mass., native Scott Caldwell, who was named the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the 2010 NCAA College Cup after scoring the game-winning goal in the title game.
"Whenever you bring a new team together, it's going to be a little bit of a challenge," Caldwell said via phone as the Zips prepare to host the Mid-American Conference Tournament this weekend. "But all the guys we have are always trying to learn something every day, so they've done a great job of just trying to work into the team and getting ready. So there hasn't been much of a drop off."
Despite significant roster turnover, Akron put together another impressive campaign and finished the regular season ranked No. 7 in the country with a record of 13-3-3. The Zips kick off their postseason against Western Michigan University in the MAC Tournament semifinals on Friday afternoon and are poised to make another run at a national title when the NCAA Tournament begins next week.
One of the catalysts in Akron's title defense has been Caldwell, now a junior and a co-captain along with defender Chad Barson. Caldwell led the Zips with 10 assists this season – tied for sixth in the country – and was tied for second on the team with five goals, and for the first time found himself in a leadership position under head coach Caleb Porter.
"I'm not as much of a vocal guy as other captains are," admitted Caldwell. "I kind of just do it by example. But it's definitely that type of (leadership) feeling, that type of role. I just try to get the younger guys excited and playing their best stuff."
If Caldwell was hoping to inspire his less experienced teammates with his own performances on the field, he can consider his mission accomplished. The 20-year-old has appeared in all 19 of Akron's games (starting 18) and has upped his point total to 20 (five goals, 10 assists) after registering 11 points (five goals, one assist) combined in his first two seasons.
"I've definitely progressed each and every year," said Caldwell. "With a coach like Caleb, he's always trying to develop players. Then with the competition we have here between first and second team guys, it brings out the best. If you want to survive here, you have to progress. You have to keep getting better. That's something Caleb's done a great job with here and it helps the players.
"We have fewer stars than we did last year, more of a team aspect," he added. "So that's kind of played a role in [my increased statistics] and we all have to contribute. I'm definitely happy with that and how everyone else has contributed, as well."
Revolution fans will be particularly interested in Caldwell's progression because his participation in the club's youth system means his rights are protected through Major League Soccer's Home Grown Player rules. Should Caldwell pursue a career in MLS – either by leaving school early or upon graduation – the Revs would have the opportunity to sign him directly and prevent other teams from selecting him in the league's SuperDraft.
Caldwell is currently locked in on Akron's upcoming postseason run, but having witnessed the success of his former college teammates in MLS, he admits a future with the Revs has crossed his mind.
"It's always been my goal in life to play (professional soccer) eventually," Caldwell said. "But right now we focus on our season here at Akron because it's coming so close to the end. We just have to keep battling out here. So that's my number one focus now, but long term that could definitely be what I look forward to eventually."


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Dia Living: Handmade Textiles
- Location: online only
- Website: dialiving.com
Store History
- Founded by: Sumeera and Nadia Rasul
- Headquarters: New York, NY
Re-Nest posted Dia Living's antique linen pillows a while ago, but they've also got some gorgeous towels — that are pretty enough to wear as a scarves — as well as handmade table linens, throws, and rugs.
Founded by Sumeera and Nadia Rasul, Dia's collection mixes vintage pieces with their own line of handmade textiles. Sumeera and Nadia live in New York but travel frequently to Pakistan, India, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Peru and Mexico. The Rasuls buy directly from artisans and vintage sellers — you can see photos online — and they oversee the production of products like Dia's wool blankets.
Dia textiles are available through their online shop or through Greenhouse in Brooklyn and Pod in Massachusetts.
• Organic Turkish Hammam Mauve Towel, $54
• Vintage Peruvian Decorative Throw, $350
• Antique Linen Pillows, $146
• Anything Towel - Gold Hatch, $72
• Vintage Moroccan Tapis Rug, $485
• Plum Block Throw, $189
• Indigo Vine Pillowcase, $52
• Gold Stripe Napkin, $14.50
• Peruvian weaver
• Peruvian blanket seller


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Set Your Tivos: 02.04.09Posted by nvr1983 on February 4th, 2009
After last night's relatively weak slate of games, we're back to normal tonight with a great set of games.
Game of the Day
#3 Duke at #10 Clemson at 9 PM on ESPN and ESPN360.com: Our second top 10 match-up of the week. Once again the road team is the higher ranked team, but I feel like this time they are also the favorites coming in to the game. All of you know about Duke by now thanks to their frequent appearances on national TV so I will keep it brief. Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson have emerged as their two most consistent players. Usually that is enough to get them by most teams even if they only get minimal support from the rest of the team. However, when that happens against quality teams the result isn't always that good (even if they come really really close). The key for the Blue Devils in this game and for the rest of the season will be the play of Brian Zoubek (go ahead and snicker Duke haters) and Nolan Smith. Zoubek merely needs to be a mediocre 7-footer and Coach K and the rest of the Blue Devils staff will be happy. Smith, who replaced Greg Paulus in the starting lineup, has to improve his decision-making. He must have one of the worst assist-to-turnover ratios (1.03 to 1) of any starting PG on a top team in the nation. On the other side of the ball, Clemson may be the most under-appreciated team in the country. I'm not sure if it is the Tigers' recent history of falling apart down the stretch, but I never hear anybody mentioning them as a team that could make a run in March despite the fact that they probably have the most reasonable losses of any team in the country (Wake Forest and at UNC). The key for Oliver Purnell's team will be to have Trevor Booker dominate on the inside. I doubt that Duke will let him play against Zoubek so he will probably have to do it against Singler, which could make for an interesting match-up. If Booker can win that match-up, Clemson will have a shot. After that they will need a strong game out of K.C. Rivers and hope to contain Duke's outside shooters (particularly Jon Scheyer). I think Clemson will keep it close until midway through the 2nd half when Duke will go on a run and pull away to win by about a dozen.
Worth Watching
West Virginia at #20 Syracuse at 7 PM on ESPN and ESPN360.com: The Mountaineers are a a perfect example of why it is so hard to read Big East teams. They are only 4-4 in the conference, but all 4 of those losses were to top 10 teams (UConn, Pittsburgh, Louisville, and Marquette). Likewise, Syracuse comes in having lost 3 straight and 4 of 5, but 3 of those losses have been on the road (Georgetown, Pittsburgh, and Providence) and the other to one of the hottest teams (Louisville) in the country. The Orangemen should be able to break their recent skid if they can contain Da'Sean Butler and Alex Ruoff, but a lot of that will have to do with whether or not they will have their full compliment of players available. Mookie Jones is done for the year with a hip injury, but someone will have to step up as Jim Boeheim can't expect to get 62 points from Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf every game (and even that didn't work in their last game).
#19 Minnesota at #14 Michigan State at 8:30 PM on The Big Ten Network: What is going on with the Spartans? Tom Izzo's team has lost back-to-back games at the Breslin Center to pretty weak competition (Northwestern and Penn State). Just two weeks ago everyone was talking about this team as a potential Final 4 contender with the return of Goran Suton. Unfortunately for Izzo, the Spartans will be without Raymar Morgan, who is out with "walking pneumonia". To turn things around, the Spartans will need improved play out of Kalin Lucas, who still boasts an impressive 3.09 to 1 assist to TO ratio, but most of that is from his early season play. They will have to do it against a Gopher team that held Illinois to a ridiculous 36 points in their last game. Keep an eye on Al Nolen and Ralph Sampson III in this one for the Gophers as they will be matched up against Lucas and Suton respectively.
#6 Wake Forest at Miami (FL) at 7:30 PM on ESPN2 and ESPN360.com: Wake needs to develop some consistency if they want to be a national championship contender. We know that they can beat the big boys as they knocked off UNC, Clemson, and Duke in a three week stretch. The question is why they can't maintain that level of play when they go up against Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech (both losses). Dino Gaudio will need to figure this out if he wants to get this team up to the level of Duke and UNC at the end of the season. Maybe it's just a focus thing, which hopefully shouldn't be an issue in March. Either way, this trip to Miami should be a nice challenge for the Demon Deacons. Jeff Teague will be matched up against Jack McClinton and Al-Farouq Aminu will be up against Dwayne Collins. I think Miami may be able to hold its own in those match-ups. Unfortunately for Frank Haith, the Hurricanes run into depth problems after their top 2 while the Demon Deacons run much deeper. Perhaps Haith should look into giving more PT to his ridiculously athletic freshman DeQuan Jones.
#16 Villanova at Providence at 8 PM on ESPN Full Court and ESPN360.com: Villanova finally got the signature win we were asking for by beating Pittsburgh last week in the last college basketball game at the Spectrum. This time they will have to do it on the road against a Friar team that was playing well before they ran into the UConn buzzsaw. Dante Cunningham and Scottie Reynolds will need to have solid games if Jay Wright's crew is going to pull out a rare Big East road win against a Providence team that is actually above them in the Big East standings. Providence will need a solid effort out of its 8-deep rotation including Weyinmi Efejuku and Jonathan Kale to defend its home court tonight.
Keep an Eye On
Notre Dame at Cincinnati at 7:30 PM on ESPN360.com: Mike Brey needs Kyle McAlarney to snap out of his funk and start helping Luke Harangody out or the Fighting Irish might be looking at trip to the NIT this year. This is a game Notre Dame needs to win if they expect to make the NCAA tournament.
Tennessee at Arkansas at 8 PM on Raycom, Fox Sports South, and ESPN360.com: Can freshman Scotty Hopson be the one to reenergize the Vols who have struggled to play up their pre-season #8 ranking? Bruce Pearl might want to give him some more PT against the confusing Arkansas team that beat Texas and Oklahoma (the Sooners only loss), but is just 1-5 in the SEC.
Texas A&M at #2 Oklahoma at 9 PM on The Big 12 Network, ESPN Full Court, and ESPN360.com: Watch this one for Blake Griffin, who will be your national Player of the Year barring some freak injury or sketchy voting. I guess the Aggies played Oklahoma close at College Station so this could be a decent game, but since it is in Norman I doubt it will be that close after the half unless the Sooners are already looking ahead to Texas and Kansas two weeks from now.
USC at #12 UCLA at 10:30 PM on Fox Sports: Ben Howland's will be going for a sweep of the California Pac-10 teams at Pauley Pavilion against their cross-town rivals. The Trojans are my pick for secretly good team that nobody is talking about, but could make a run in March. Watch this one for the battle of the freshmen: DeMar DeRozan and Jrue Holiday. They won't be matched up against each other, but it should be fun to see Josh Shipp guard DeRozan. As an added bonus, you might get to see Lil' Romeo (ok, maybe not).


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Gina Watkinson, Senior Lab Coordinator
Gina Watkinson is senior laboratory coordinator for the preservation division, as well as a graduate student in American Indian Studies at the University of Arizona. She has a bachelor's in anthropology / religious studies from Stony Brook University and a bachelor's in art conservation from the University of Delaware. Gina works to coordinate lab activities, volunteers, and purchasing for the preservation division. She also uses her conservation background to assist in the documentation, treatment, and survey of museum collections.
Gina has had the opportunity to work alongside conservators on the maintenance of both movable and immovable property such as outdoor sculpture and petroglyphs. Her recent work includes working with the lab's handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to collect compositional data.


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Project Pat (Feat. Rita Ree & DaKid Track) - Straight Diva
Directed by 3 6 Mafia Manager "Don Figga" Edited by Matt Cullom "MCC"
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We have 2 concepts going here:
1) making a few key poses and animating in and out of them in different orders to save drawings
2) Using the keys to accent the natural accents in the actor's dialogue
I did the key layout poses for this and 3 other scenes that use the same poses (and more)
This has more key drawings than the typical head bob but uses the same idea - only expanded.
I'm using more specific expressions, more exaggerated, but the concepts came from the HB head bobs.
All a head bob is anyway is one way to draw attention to accents in the dialogue. Classic animators did this for decades - only drawing more accent poses.
Those same animators when stuck with lower budgets, boiled down the concept to using just a few accent drawings, and using the same ones a few times. Plus- and this is probably why a lot of people complain about limited animation - they used blander keys - less specific than when they were full animators.
Combine bland drawings with less drawings and you get a feeling like you are being cheated - at least if you were used to the glorious fully animated cartoons of the 1940s. Today everything is a cheat so no one even notices.
I saw in some of the very early HB cartoons, funny drawings and decent limited animation - and great character designs and voices. It made me think, "Why couldn't we take these concepts and add funnier gags, situations and funnier, more specific expressions?" I got my first chance to try out this idea on a remake of the Jetsons in 1985. I found a bunch of layouts from that show if anyone is interested.
By the way, head bobs are not the only way to draw attention to the meaning of character's emotions and dialogue.
Body language and gestures also do the same thing.
An interesting fact about how we communicate: We all speak the same language - verbally. But visually, each of us is totally unique. We also communicate with our own particular group of expressions. We all do funny things with our head positions while we are talking - and listening.
And each of us has a unique set of hand gestures.
If you want a good laugh, start paying attention to people you know. Watch how they move their hands when they talk - and see how the hand movements change when their emotions change in color, or intensity. Watch what they do with their head positions.
To me, observing this kind of stuff is an animator's priority. We all hear in school how a animator is "an actor with a pencil", but when we watch cartoons, we see the same set of actions, gestures and expressions used on every character. They all come from other cartoons.
Life is full of hilarity, ripe for the picking, if you only open your eyes and observe it.
Then the other essential we need - is to be able to draw it.
Another reason we tend to rely on formula timing tricks - especially in Flash, is that it avoids the need to be able to draw. You can just zip past every pose and cushion into it, thus avoiding what actually happens in the middle.
Cartoons and graphic arts get cruder every year, mainly because we are so reliant on the computer and our handful of tricks to do all the creativity for us. All we do is press buttons and drag menu items down and that's it. We have become visually illiterate.
Whether we are doing "limited" or "full" animation, we need to have the ability to control specific ideas and make them have an emotional effect on the audience.
All these scenes are partly "limited animation" but we used "full drawings" and varied timings to make it seem a lot fuller than it is.
Here's a trick I learned from Bob Jaques - one of the cleverest animators I know - a thinking, observing cartoonist. He was always making up new techniques to make the animation more powerful and to drive the emotional meaning home. He studies old cartoons and real life and combines things he discovers in new ways to create new styles of animation.
I was still framing the last scene from "Big House Blues" one day to see how Bob gave the animation so much punch and clarity. I noticed that Ren was saying something with a "p" in it. Bob didn't draw just a stock "P" mouth which usually is the same as a "b" or an "M". He made Ren's whole head squinch up and formed a pocket of air around his lips - as if a big pressure of emotion was building up. Then when he opened his mouth to eject a vowel, the lips burst open and forward. This technique of building a lot of tension just before a vowel, really brings the characters to life.


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TWITTER'S first corporate presence in Australia will help curb the nation's growing online bullying problem, a mental health organisation said today.
The US-based social media giant is expected to imminently confirm plans to establish a new, full-time presence in Sydney as part of a move to ease tensions with state and federal authorities.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/twitt ... 6552123254


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While life as you know it won't totally end when a baby comes onto the scene, the spontaneity of a woman with child is much more limited than that of one who does not have to consider nap time, feeding schedules, and doctor appointments. So, if you've been trying to get pregnant and need a little respite, here are 10 things you can do before there's a baby on board.
1. Take an adventure vacation
If you have always fantasized about scuba diving with sharks in Australia, zip-lining through the rain forest in Costa Rica, or hiking up Mount Everest, consider crossing that adventure vacation off your bucket list before trying to get pregnant. Obviously such extreme activities can be dangerous for pregnant women and, once your future baby arrives, you may find yourself putting them off in favor of more family-friendly trips that don't require waivers and physicals.
2. Go to the theater
Once pregnant, the theater — with its cramped seating, limited bathroom breaks, and late-night timing — might actually seem more torturous than entertaining. Take in a play, an opera, or a concert before space, time and the right to pee are not deal-breakers for your enjoyable night out.
3. Drink up
Boozing it up is a standard pregnancy no-no, so before you try to conceive, go on that wine tasting tour, conduct that home beer brewing experiment, or try out that specialty cocktail at your favorite restaurant. While your doctor might not take alcohol completely off the table once your conception effort begins, your freedom to swig will significantly lessen.
4. Cancel Netflix
Ever tried to sit through a movie after drinking a Big Gulp? When you're pregnant, you don't need to drink 64 ounces of liquid to motivate frequent potty trips. Enjoy movie dates with friends and family now, and resume your Netflix subscription once you're pregnant (you'll have a whole new appreciation for the "pause" button).
5. Volunteer abroad
If you've always wanted to teach English in a third world country or assist with relief efforts in an area hit with a natural disaster, pack your bags now. You have the physical freedom to get your hands dirty without having to worry about overexertion or needing regular prenatal care. Bonus: you'll be able to tell your future kids about that period of your life with a feel-good sense of accomplishment.
6. Utilize your extra bedroom
Do yoga in the extra bedroom. Or crafts. Or your spouse. It's your space for now — enjoy it before it's time to repurpose it for your future little one.
7. Adopt a (kid-friendly)
Simultaneously adjusting to both parenthood and puppyhood might be too much for any sane person to handle at once. If you're set on having a family pet, adopt a dog at your local animal shelter that has already proven to be kid-friendly, and then spend some time getting Spot well-trained and acclimated to his new home before adding a baby to the mix.
8. Spend quality time with single and childless friends
Though good friends will continue to be good friends regardless of your pregnancy status, your invitations to Thirsty Thursdays and disco dance nights may dwindle with the assumption that you probably won't want to go out once you're bloated, fatigued, and dry. Let the good times roll now, and reassure them later that you really do still want to hang, even if it's at an 11 am brunch instead of an 11 pm pub crawl.
9. Eat forbidden foods
Sushi, cookie dough, and unpasteurized cheeses may be some of your favorite foods, but they will be off the menu once you start trying to conceive. Bid them adieu in a farewell pig-out with a few good girlfriends.
10. Buy a really nice camera
Pregnancy is an expensive endeavor, so buy that fancy-schmancy camera while you have a few extra bucks in your pocket that aren't earmarked for stretch cream, maternity clothes, and doctor bills. Use it now to document your bucket list adventures and, later, your adventures as a new parent!


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#4763 - ADVAN A038 BELTED TIRE 24mm (33R/2pcs)
Officially Licensed by Yokohama Tire Corp./24mm width/2pcs
Our Advan range of tyres are a scale replica of Yokohamas Advan A038. The unique semi-slick tyre features Yokohama's famous flying 'Y' tread and is fully recognised and licensed by Yokohama themselves. The tyre is available in two different temperature compounds #4762 - 27r or #4763 - 33r and #4767 a carpet compound, and it's tread makes them perfect for slightly dusty track surfaces.


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Cowboys sign LB Durant
Irving, TX – The Dallas Cowboys signed linebacker Justin Durant to a two-year contract on Wednesday.
The Cowboys restructured the contract of quarterback Kyle Orton to create some cap space.
Durant, who has spent the past two seasons with the Lions, had 103 tackles in 16 games last year.
The 27-year-old played four years with the Jaguars before his stint with Detroit. He has 443 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks and two interceptions in 79 career games.


text: Arts/Life Please note: Sometimes, NPR publishes headlines before the story and/or audio is ready; check back for content later if this occurs. We also publish national/world news on our home page. When It Comes To War, Humor Helps Us Survive By editor • May 2, 2012 Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. Coming up, I'll share some of my thoughts on the fifth anniversary of TELL ME MORE in my weekly essay. 'Rurally Screwed': On Finding An Honest Life Away From The City By Martha Woodroof • May 2, 2012 Jessie Knadler is the thirty-something author of Rurally Screwed: My Life Off The Grid With the Cowboy I Love (Berkley Hardcover). I like her immediately as she strides in the door at WMRA, the Shenandoah Valley public radio station that kindly employs me. There she is, short and slight as two seconds; still got this big-city, offhand glamour and presence going six years out of Manhattan. She's "bring 'em on" without any silly bravado. ExxonMobil: A 'Private Empire' On The World Stage By editor • May 2, 2012 In Private Empire, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Steve Coll investigates how ExxonMobil has used its money and power to wield significant influence in Washington, D.C., particularly during the Bush administration. Executives at the company maintained close personal connections with members of the Bush administration — but Coll says the "cliched idea that Exxon-Mobil was just an instrument of the Bush administration's foreign policy — a kind of extension of the American government during the Bush years — is just wrong." You Don't Have To Like Liver To Love Pate By editor • May 2, 2012 Once at a family gathering, my relatives and I met in the living room for a midday snack. A spread with vegetables and crackers was arranged in a spiral on a white platter, the colors fanning out in a rainbow. My cousin Megan was the first to dig in, sampling a bit of the spread on a crunchy cracker. Her brows furrowed as she chewed. "This is so good," she exclaimed. "What is this?" "Liver," my cousin Danny replied. Megan yelped and threw the remaining cracker across the room as she cringed in horror. "Liver? I just ate liver?" 'Power': Robert Caro's Life Of Johnson Hits The '60s By editor • May 2, 2012 The White House has been occupied by some outsize personalities and towering figures, but Lyndon B. Johnson was as big as Texas. Six-foot-four and physically intimidating, he was the kind of man who "got bigger as he talked to you." He had a heart — sometimes — to match: Unlike many white politicians of his era, Johnson was personally infuriated by racism, and signed into law some of the most important civil rights legislation in American history. 'Scream' Still Echoes After More Than A Century By Margot Adler • May 2, 2012 It's perhaps the most reproduced piece of art ever created. It has adorned key chains and coffee mugs, and the cover of Time magazine. Andy Warhol used it, and now one of the four versions of The Scream, Edvard Munch's iconic work — the only one outside Norway — is coming up for auction at Sotheby's in New York. Sale estimates are as high as $80 million. Do Liberals Live Under A 'Tyranny Of Cliches'? By editor • May 2, 2012 Conservative critic Jonah Goldberg says he's inspired to write when he gets annoyed. "Aggravation is a muse," he says. And after speaking on a number of college campuses, he grew aggravated enough to write a book. It's called The Tyranny of Cliches: How Liberals Cheat in the War of Ideas. Young Dancers, Aiming For 'First Position' By Elizabeth Blair • May 1, 2012 First Position follows in the spirit of such competition documentaries as Spellbound and Mad Hot Ballroom, tracking seven young dancers as they prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, a prestigious ballet contest. The first competitor we meet is a mature 11-year-old named Aran Bell. His father is in the military. He likes to skateboard and jump on his pogo stick. Aran began dancing when he was 4, and when he hits the stage, he turns and leaps with the poise and fire of a professional. 'Blown Covers': Not Ready For The Newsstand By editor • May 1, 2012 This week's cover of the New Yorker magazine is a witty drawing by artist Chris Ware of a playground full of young children and their watchful parents. One woman wheels her son in a stroller, only to see that all the other parents are men. The image is called "Mother's Day." But for all the memorable New Yorker covers out there, an equally large number of covers didn't make it to the newsstand. They were not quite on the money — or were sometimes a little too coarsely on the money. DVD Picks: 'Pillow Talk' By Bob Mondello • May 1, 2012 Time for another home-viewing recommendation from film critic Bob Mondello. This week, Bob's listening in on Rock Hudson and Doris Day as they make a bit of Pillow Talk. What happens when the Girl Next Door meets Mr. Beefcake? It's instant chemistry, albeit of the explosive sort — think Mentos and Diet Coke. 'The Newlyweds': A Match Made Online By Maureen Corrigan • May 1, 2012 There continues to be a lot of talk about gender bias in the book industry. The core argument goes that, while both male and female authors write novels about relationships and the domestic sphere, when a woman does so her books are relegated to "chic lit," and when a man (like Jonathan Franzen) does, he's lauded for serious literary achievement. The 'Manhunt' To Capture Osama Bin Laden By editor • May 1, 2012 A year ago Tuesday, Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces inside a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. When President Obama announced the news, he called the death of bin Laden "the most significant achievement to date" in the war against al-Qaida. What's Fun About 5? Mud And Gummy Worms By editor • May 1, 2012 Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: Tony Awards Take Note Of A Little Musical That Emphatically Could By Trey Graham • May 1, 2012 Here's the thing about the Tony Awards: Sometimes you know what's going to clean up when the nominations are announced. (Think last year, and The Book of Mormon.) And sometimes it's hard to get excited about the shows that get tapped — remember when Sunset Boulevard's only competition for Best Musical was the jukebox show Smokey Joe's Cafe? Not this year: There's a real race. The bittersweet Irish romance Once — an absurdly appealing stage adaptation of the 2006 indie film — leads the pack with 11 nods. Let's Rush To Judgment: 'The Dark Knight Rises' By Linda Holmes • May 1, 2012 The Dark Knight Rises is one of those films where so many bits and drops are constantly emerging that it's hard to find a particular moment in which rushing to judgment is any more or less appropriate than at any other time. But the appearance of a new trailer yesterday has set off another round of speculation, and who are we to decline to participate? 'Mother' Dearest: Alison Bechdel's Graphic Memoir By Heller McAlpin • May 1, 2012 It's a lot easier to write about a dead parent than a living one. Alison Bechdel's new "comic drama," Are You My Mother?, makes this abundantly clear. Fun Home, her amazing 2006 graphic memoir, was about her difficult, closeted gay father, who died shortly after she came out as a lesbian in college. This fascinating but demanding followup volume explores her uneasy relationship with her emotionally distant mother — who is not only alive but openly critical of Bechdel's work. Can The Networks Ever Create Another Night Of 'Must-See TV'? By Linda Holmes • Apr 30, 2012 Sissy Spacek's 'Extraordinary Ordinary Life' By editor • Apr 30, 2012 When Sissy Spacek started her film career, she was told to lose her heavy Texas accent. But her famous drawl became one of her greatest assets when Terrence Malick cast her in his 1973 crime drama Badlands. Spacek played Holly, a teenage girl from South Dakota who became an accomplice on a cross-country murder spree. The film, which also starred Martin Sheen, was narrated in Spacek's distinctive Southern voice. A Bittersweet Goodbye To A Month Of Poetic Tweets By editor • Apr 30, 2012 Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: 'The Magus': A Thrilling, Chilling Guilty Pleasure By editor • Apr 30, 2012 Nick Dybek is the author of When Captain Flint Was Still a Good Man. The sinister face sneering from the cover is reason enough to keep John Fowles' The Magus tucked discreetly away. Then there's the 600 or so pages inside, which are filled with pretentious riffs on psychoanalysis, metaphysics, fascism and the occult. Caro's 'Passage Of Power': LBJ's Political Genius By editor • Apr 30, 2012 Robert Caro writes obsessively about power. Fittingly, it's Lyndon Johnson — catapulted suddenly into the presidency "in the crack of a gunshot" — who consumes him. The Passage of Power, the fourth volume of Caro's massive biography of Lyndon Johnson, is released this week. Caro has dedicated decades to meticulously researching Johnson's life, and the previous books in the series have been almost universally hailed as a significant achievement in American letters. Extremism In Congress: 'Even Worse Than It Looks'? By editor • Apr 30, 2012 Congressional scholars Thomas Mann and Norman Ornstein are no strangers to D.C. politics. The two of them have been in Washington for more than 40 years — and they're renowned for their carefully nonpartisan positions. But now, they say, Congress is more dysfunctional than it has been since the Civil War, and they aren't hesitating to point a finger at who they think is to blame. Three-Minute Fiction Update: Judge's Favorites By editor • Apr 29, 2012 Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. (SOUNDBITE OF CLOCK TICKING) GUY RAZ, HOST: 'Teachers Make' A Difference, What About You? By editor • Apr 29, 2012 Teaching, once a revered profession, has of late been much maligned. Teachers are accused of laziness and greed. They're blamed for low test scores, and a general decline in the nation's educational standing. Most people believe their work day is short and their vacations are long. But teachers also have their defenders — perhaps none so passionate as Taylor Mali. Single-Handedly Pitching 'An Improbable Life' By editor • Apr 29, 2012 Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/. DAVID GREENE, HOST: In the history of Major League Baseball, one of the most emotional moments came in the summer of 1993. The week didn't begin well for New York Yankees pitcher Jim Abbott. He was pitching terribly against the Cleveland Indians. His manager took him out, so... Blasts From The Past: The Art Of Video Games By editor • Apr 29, 2012 Hopper, Hockney, Lichtenstein. Among these great artists featured in the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., you'll now find Lara Croft and Earthworm Jim. Chris Colfer Goes From 'Glee' Singer To 'Struck' Screenwriter By editor • Apr 29, 2012 Chris Colfer, one of the stars of the hit TV show Glee, is known for his portrayal of Kurt, a confident and openly gay high school student (who also possesses pipes like a diva). In the new film Struck By Lightning, which Colfer wrote, he plays a very different character: Carson Phillips, an ambitious high school student who starts a literary magazine in order to get into Northwestern University. The character is arrogant and not exactly well-liked, so how does he collect submissions? By blackmailing the popular kids, of course. 'Hot Dog' Meets 'Bun': Famous Food Discoveries By editor • Apr 29, 2012 If you're watching a sports game at home, at a bar or at an arena, what better way to enjoy it than with some nachos, pretzels or hot dogs? As a former baseball player, Josh Chetwynd knows a thing or two about stadium grub. His new book, How the Hot Dog Found Its Bun: Accidental Discoveries and Unexpected Inspirations That Shape What We Eat and Drink, features 75 short essays that trace the history of popular food and dispel common misconceptions. To Cross This Puzzle Safely, Look Left And Right By Will Shortz • Apr 28, 2012 On-Air Challenge: Every answer today is a familiar three-word phrase in which the second word is "and" and the first word starts with the letter L. You'll be given the last word of the phrase, and you must identify the first word, starting with "L." For example, given "master," the answer would be "lord," as in "lord and master." My '70s Show — Remembering 'Ecotopia' Author Ernest Callenbach By Margot Adler • Apr 28, 2012 There was news this week that Ernest "Chick" Callenbach had died. His 1975 cult-classic, Ecotopia, was beloved by environmentalists and science fiction fans. Originally self-published, it went on to sell more than a million copies in many languages. The utopian novel, which imagined a new nation made up of Northern California, Oregon and Washington state, is told from the point of view of a visiting reporter from the United States. 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RIAA Really Planning To Join Righthaven Fight
from the incredible dept
If you have actually managed to convince your clients that it is a good idea for them to spend tens thousands of dollars (or more) in this case for the sole eventual purpose of merely costing Mr. Hoehn money, you can rest assured that it will be a public relations negative for them, in no small part due to Righthaven's poor handling of this case, along with hundreds of others, from its inception to present. I strongly suggest that you consider recommending a different "make-work" project for your clients. I understand that in this day and age of biglaw layoffs, it is a constant battle to make sure that your existence is justified on the firm's billing ledgers. This is the wrong case with which to round out your sheet. I can assure you of that. Your clients will waste money and all the money will buy them is the opportunity to look like idiots.Once again, the RIAA is pretty braindead when it comes to any sense of what the PR impact of its actions would be, so I doubt it'll change its mind here. The standard thinking is just "expanding fair use is bad, we must fight it at all costs."


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It's certainly no secret that the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 will be battling things out in the high-end smartphone segment, but new details regarding the upcoming HTC M4 could make the mid-range smartphone a huge success. According to the latest rumor, Catcher Technology (current supplier of HTC One's zero-gap aluminum chassis) has been named the exclusive supplier of the metal-alloy chassis that will be used in the HTC M4. Catcher Technology estimates it will ship 700,000 units in the second quarter, suggesting that the HTC M4 will be on the market before the end of June.
Previously leaked images of the HTC M4 showed the device clad in soft-touch polycarbonate, not a metal-alloy chassis. While some may quickly write off the new rumor because of this discrepancy, we'd like to remind you that multiple leaked images of the HTC M7 depicted a device that was completely different than what was eventually unveiled as the HTC One.
The HTC M4 spec sheet is rumored to feature a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 2GB of RAM, 4.3-inch 720p display, 16GB of internal storage, 13 megapixel camera with a f/2.0 lens, 1080p HD video recording and a front-facing 1.6-megapixel shooter. The device is certainly not on the same level as the HTC One, but if HTC manages to add front-facing stereo speakers and cram those specs into a zero-gap aluminum chassis, we suspect the HTC M4 could launch as the HTC One Mini and outclass the rumored Samsung Galaxy S 4 Mini in specs, design and build quality.
For now, the HTC M4, its specs and build materials are all classified as rumors. We would love to see HTC take on Samsung with a mid-range HTC One Mini, but we'll have to wait a few more months for this story to play out.


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Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman would bring lots of political leverage with him should he mediate the coming merger of schools in Shelby County.
Tennessee Senate Democratic Leader Jim Kyle of Memphis, who suggested Huffman as an "honest broker" between countywide school board leaders and suburban leaders, said Huffman has leverage in the state's role as the major funder of public education.
"The question we have in this community is how do you educate 150,000 people in an efficient effective and an accountable way? What is the structure that can do that?" Kyle said on the WKNO-TV program "Behind The Headlines."
"I think what the process needs is an honest broker. He is our state education commissioner. He does have a skill set that would be very valuable, and I think he would bring something to the table."
Kyle was on the show hosted by Eric Barnes, publisher of The Daily News, with Ken Hoover, a member of the Germantown School Board.
The program can be seen on The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com.
There could be some attempt at discussions along those lines this week. It is not known if Huffman will be a part of those talks.
The Germantown School Board was abolished along with the five other municipal school districts by a Nov. 27 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Samuel "Hardy" Mays.
"The fast lane has been closed but the road is still open," Hoover said of the possibility of municipal school districts.
Mays has not yet ruled on a challenge by the Shelby County Commission to two other state laws that allow for the creation of municipal school districts after the August 2013 merger of the city and county school systems.
Hoover also said there are options short of that that could be talked about. But the municipal school districts are what suburban leaders prefer and will continue to pursue at least for now.
"I think it's clear that this entire controversy was born of politics," Hoover said. "It's grown up in a political conversation. It would be terrific to get the politics out of the conversation and talk about what's best for the children.
"Never lose sight of the fact that the money that flows from the state and the county is a significant component of this discussion."
It is that state funding, a far larger share of funding to any school system in Shelby County than local funding, that Kyle said makes Huffman a better mediator than even Mays – who tried unsuccessfully to mediate a settlement on the municipal schools question before his ruling last month.
"Cases settle when people believe their risk of losing is at such a level that they need to take what they can get," Kyle said. "What we've had for the last two years are people who don't think they are going to lose. Until people feel that there's a chance that what they want to have happen isn't going to happen – they are not going to talk."
Kyle raised the possibility of Huffman telling either or both sides in the dispute there are scenarios being considered by them that he would specifically oppose. That could include parts of the merger or the municipal schools process governed by the administration, not the legislature.
"I just believe Commissioner Huffman could walk in a room … and with whatever positions people have and say, 'I don't really think you're going to get a chance to do that,'" he said. "You've got someone who's got that kind of authority."
Hoover, however, sees the money issue a different way. He points to the passage of sales tax hike referendum questions in each of the suburban towns and cities in August and the failure of a countywide sales tax hike with half of the funding going to education among city voters and those in unincorporated Shelby County on the November ballot.
"You start to get a sense that that common ground is going to be hard to find," Hoover said of the different election outcomes.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is giving much the same response he gave in 2012 when reporters asked what his stand would be on bills that seek to amend the relevant laws further. He would rather that doesn't happen, but his response to it would depend on what legislators send to his desk.
He commented in Memphis Nov. 29, the day before Kyle sent his letter urging Huffman as a broker in talks and four days before Kyle went public with the letter.
"There's no way this hasn't been a distraction. … I just can't believe that it hasn't impacted student performance in some way," Haslam said of the legislative action and the federal court litigation. "I'm not going to say we should totally preclude any other action happening. I really want the focus to be let's go back to teaching in the classrooms."
Copyright 1995 -
by The Daily News Publishing Co. Inc. - All Rights Reserved


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"Santiago the Dreamer in Land Among the Stars" by Ricky Martin, illustrated by Patricia Castelao (Penguin Celebra, 32 pages, $17.99)
Someday, you're going to be something big.
You'll be very famous – of that, you're absolutely certain. Lots of people will want your autograph, photographers will scream for your picture, you'll be onstage every night and everyone will clap for you.
It's going to happen. It will.
All it's going to take, perhaps, is a bit of practice - or maybe, as you'll see in the new book "Santiago the Dreamer in Land Among the Stars" by Ricky Martin, illustrated by Patricia Castelao, you might just need to sleep on your idea for a night…
From the time he was just a tiny boy, Santiago wanted to be a star.
He wanted to sing onstage, and maybe act. He wanted everybody to applaud for him. He wanted to see his name in lights. So when auditions were held for the annual school play, he decided to try out for a part.
But when he got there, another boy was auditioning and that kid was good. So when it was Santiago 's turn to perform, he felt very nervous. Everyone laughed at him, and he was embarrassed.
That night, Santiago was sad when he told his father that he didn't get the part in the play. But his father wasn't worried. "Never give up," Papa said. "And no matter what you choose, always reach for the moon!"
Santiago fell asleep, thinking about what his father said. That night, his dreams took him to some interesting places…
He dreamed that he was a teacher, helping kids and inspiring them. Then he was a pilot in a "big jet," flying across the sky. He was a doctor, then an astronaut, then a famous dinosaur hunter, and a world-class baseball home-run hitter. And then the best part of the whole night: Santiago dreamed that he was onstage, in front of a big crowd that was happy to see him!
It was all so amazing that he decided to practice the things he loved doing. He practiced dancing every chance he got. He sang at home and at school, inside and outside. He practiced so much that when something unexpected happened, Santiago the Dreamer had his eyes wide open!
Looking for a little encouragement for a little one? This book may be just right – or it may not.
I liked " Santiago the Dreamer in Land Among the Stars." Author Ricky Martin offers his readers a feel-good story, and artist Patricia Castelao adds some of the most appealing illustrations I've seen in a good long while. The problem, I fear, is that the ending of the book – which seemed like it was lifted off a motivational poster – might be lost on fans of picture books. Will your 3- to 6-year-old will grasp the meaning here? Would an older child consider a picture book to be too babyish?
Still, I keep looking at the illustrations and this story and I can't not recommend this book. Kids with imagination and vision might like it just fine. For them, " Santiago the Dreamer in Land among the Stars" could be big.
Bookworm Sez: Fame puts stars in this boy's eyes
"Santiago the Dreamer in Land Among the Stars" by Ricky Martin, illustrated by Patricia Castelao (Penguin Celebra, 32 pages, $17.99)


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WikipediaRead full entry
Litoria is a genus of Hylidae tree frogs native to Australia, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, the Lesser Sunda Islands, the Moluccan Islands, and Timor. They are sometimes collectively referred to as Australasian treefrogs. They are distinguishable from other tree frogs by the presence of horizontal irises, no pigmentation of the eyelids, and their Wallacean distribution. There are (as of mid-2008) almost 150 species, but as several new species are described every year on average; by 2010, the number of known species is likely to exceed 150.
The species within the genus Litoria are extremely variable in appearance, behaviour, and habitat. The smallest species within the genus is the javelin frog (L. microbelos), reaching a maximum length of 1.6 cm[verification needed], while the largest, the giant tree frog (L. infrafrenata), reaches a size of 13.5-14 cm. The appearance, behaviour, and habitat of each frog is usually linked. The small, darkly coloured frogs are generally terrestrial, and will never, or infrequently, climb. The larger, green species are usually arboreal and some will only venture to the ground to breed.
- ^ Anstis, Marion; Tyler, Michael J.; Roberts, Dale; Price, Luke C.; Doughty, Paul (2010). "A new species of Litoria (Anura: Hylidae) with a highly distinctive tadpole from the north-western Kimberley region of Western Australia". Zootaxa 2550: 39–57.
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Litoria.
|Wikispecies has information related to: Litoria
- Frogs of Australia. Litoria genus . Amphibian Research Centre.
- Frogs Australia Network search: Litoria
- Cogger, H.G. 1979. Reptiles & Amphibians of Australia. A. H. & A. W. REED PTY LTD ISBN 0-589-50108-9
- Frost, Darrel R. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 5.3 Indexed database. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA
- Tyler, Michael J. 1992. Encyclopedia of Australian Animals: Frogs. Angus & Robertson. ISBN 0-207-15996-3


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As the Chicago Bears prepare for free agency, they've got considerable needs to weigh and cannot forget about special teams, a unit that was understocked last season.
A review of playing-time statistics for the Bears shows that three of the top six contributors on special teams are coming out of contract: veteran defensive backs Danny McCray and Sherrick McManis and tight end Dante Rosario.
It's nothing new for a team to have significant turnover on special teams from year to year, but the Bears were heavy with rookies and first-year players on special teams last season and there is little doubt that contributed to the unit's struggles.
Under new special teams...


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The CW Releases Fall Schedule; Find Out When Vampire Diaires, The Flash & More Are Coming Back!
And it's out — the CW has just released it's full fall schedule!
The network let us know when to mark our calendars so we can catch up before Supernatural, Arrow, Reign, The 100, The Vampire Diaries, and The Originals are coming back, plus premiere times for new shows The Flash, Jane the Virgin and iZombie.
Check it out below:
Monday, September 29 @ 8PM IHEARTRADIO FESTIVAL NIGHT ONE
Tuesday, September 30 @ 8PM IHEARTRADIO FESTIVAL NIGHT TWO
Wednesday, October 1 @ 8PM ARROW (Encore, "The Scientist" with Barry Allen), @9PM ARROW (Encore, "Three Ghosts" with Barry Allen)
Thursday, October 2 @ 8PM THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (Season Premiere), @9PM REIGN (Season Premiere)
Monday, October 6 @ 8PM THE ORIGINALS (Season Premiere), @9PM SUPERNATURAL (Retrospective Special)
Tuesday, October 7 @ 8PM THE FLASH (Series Premiere), @9PM SUPERNATURAL (Season Premiere)
Wednesday, October 8 @ 8PM ARROW (Season Premiere), @9PM THE FLASH (Premiere Encore)
Monday, October 13 @ 8PM THE ORIGINALS, @9PM JANE THE VIRGIN (Series Premiere)
Wednesday, October 15 @ 8PM ARROW, @9PM THE FLASH (Episode Two Encore)
Friday, October 17 @8PM JANE THE VIRGIN (Premiere Encore), @ 9PM AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL CYCLE 21*
Wednesday, October 22 @ 8PM ARROW, @9PM THE 100 (Season Premiere)


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Three Lady Mustangs earn 5-3A recognition
Three Sweetwater High School girls basketball players have earned recognition on the all-District 5-3A squad for their outstanding play this past season.Alicia Finn, a 5-11 junior post who was the Lady Mustangs' leading scorer and rebounder in district play, earned first team honors while Taylor McKoy, a 5-8 senior post, was chosen to the second team. Kinsey Browning, a 5-3 junior guard, received all-district honorable mention.Wylie's Peyton Little, who led her team to a district title and later to a Class 3A state title, was the district's most valuable player and Brownwood's Patricia Wilson was chosen defensive MVP. Hailey Brown of Wylie was the district's newcomer of the year. Trinity Ansons and Sara Byrd of Brownwood, Natalie Davis and Kylie Jenkins of Wylie, Laura Reigh and Jacoree Brooks of Snyder and Cerbi Ritchey of Big Spring also made the first team. Sydnie Darden of Brownwood, Bridgette Tuitt of Big Spring, Jentri Driggers of Snyder and Brittany McPherson of Wylie were the other mem-bers of the second team.


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LUND, Sweden, March 26 (UPI) -- Swedish scientists working in the field of cell therapy say they've found it's possible to re-program other cells to become nerve cells, directly in the brain.
Two years ago researchers at Lund University re-programmed human skin cells into dopamine-producing nerve cells, without having to go through the stem cell stage.
Those same researchers have now gone a step further and shown that it is possible to re-program both skin cells and support cells directly to nerve cells, in place inside the brain, a Lund release reported Tuesday.
"The research findings have the potential to open the way for alternatives to cell transplants in the future, which would remove previous obstacles to research, such as the difficulty of getting the brain to accept foreign cells, and the risk of tumor development," researcher Malin Parmar said.
In the research, genes designed to be activated or de-activated using a drugs were inserted into two types of human support cells naturally present in the brain known as fibroblasts and glia cells.
Once the researchers had transplanted the human cells into the brains of rats, the genes were activated using a drug in the animals' drinking water, with the result that the cells began to transform into nerve cells.
"We are now developing the technique so that it can be used to create new nerve cells that replace the function of damaged cells. Being able to carry out the re-programming in vivo makes it possible to imagine a future in which we form new cells directly in the human brain, without taking a detour via cell cultures and transplants," Parmar said.


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DETROIT (AP) The Detroit Tigers insisted they were not concerned about their worst skid of the year a few hours before playing the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox in a rematch of the AL championship series.
Detroit later showed it still has what it takes to win with strong pitching, big hits and usually sound defense.
Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter hit back-to-back homers in the fifth inning and Victor Martinez cleared the fences in the eighth, helping Detroit beat Boston 6-2 and end a season-high five-game losing streak Friday.
''This was a good night for everyone,'' Drew Smyly said after pitching six strong innings.
Detroit had lost 13 of 17 games, including the previous four, since sweeping the Red Sox on the road a few weeks ago.
''I've spoken to players a couple times over this stretch,'' Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. ''There's no reason to throw a fit unless it's a lack of effort or concentration. This stretch has not been caused by a lack of concentration or effort.''
Smyly (3-4) snapped a skid of his own. He was 0-2 in his last two starts, giving up a total of nine runs over nine innings, and was 0-3 in his previous six outings. The left-hander allowed two runs on five hits over six innings and struck out four, walking only one against the Red Sox.
''He was locating his pitches and keeping us off balance,'' Boston center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. said after going 0 for 3 with three strikeouts. ''He had command on both sides of the plate.''
Rubby De La Rosa, meanwhile, paid a steep price for letting some pitches sail too high.
De La Rosa (1-1) gave up four runs, nine hits and two walks. He had five strikeouts over 5 2-3 innings.
In his first start of the season, he threw seven scoreless innings against Tampa Bay last week.
''I feel almost 100 percent like last time,'' De La Rosa said. ''I just missed more pitches.''
Boston has lost four straight after winning seven in a row. The Red Sox are averaging fewer than three runs during the losing streak.
''Offensively, we're scuffling,'' Red Sox manager John Farrell said. ''We've had a rough go with runners in scoring position.''
The Red Sox hope to end a trend this weekend.
In their last seven series, they been swept four times and have won each game in the other three matchups.
''We became so accustomed to being consistent,'' Farrell said. ''The last two and a half weeks have been difficult.''
Kinsler and Hunter cleared the fences during a three-pitch sequence in the fifth, giving the Tigers a 4-1 lead.
''They squared (De La Rosa) up when he was up in the strike zone,'' Farrell said.
The Red Sox pulled within two runs in the sixth when Dustin Pedroia reached on Romine's throwing error, advanced to third on David Ortiz's single through the right side against a shifted infield and scored on Jonny Gomes' sacrifice fly.
Detroit's Ian Krol and Joba Chamberlain each threw an inning of scoreless relief and Joe Nathan pitched the ninth in a non-save situation.
NOTES: Tigers C Alex Avila is expected to miss Saturday's game after being hit in the head by Ortiz's backswing in the eighth inning, and being replaced by Bryan Holaday. ''He's in a good humor, but he got stung pretty good,'' Ausmus said. ... Red Sox hitting coach Greg Colbrunn is expected to stay hospitalized in Cleveland for at least another week after he had bleeding in the area between his brain and the thin tissues covering it. Tim Hyers, Boston's minor league hitting coordinator, is filling in for Colbrunn while he's away from the team indefinitely. ... Tigers SS Eugenio Suarez was held out of the lineup to rest his sore left knee and Ausmus said he is ''hour to hour,'' when asked for timetable on his return. ... The Tigers will send RHP Max Scherzer (6-2) to the mound against Red Sox LHP Jon Lester (6-6) on Saturday in a nationally televised game. ... Boston RHP Clay Buchholz (left knee) is scheduled to throw a simulated game Saturday in Detroit, where Mike Napoli, who is on the DL with a sprained left finger, is expected to hit against him.


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Practical Issues > Health - Index
Get Mental Therapy from Spending Time with Farm Animals
printer friendly, larger print version
from Plenty magazine, December 5, 2008
In case you need another good reason to spend time on the farm, the Norwegians have just documented one. Hanging around the homestead, communing with cows, sheep, pigs, and the like, can help people with mental illness cope better with their stress, according to a study out of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in Aas.
Specifically, the 60-some study patients, who suffered from schizophrenia, anxiety, personality or emotional disorders, significantly improved their self sufficiency after spending three hours twice a week for three months with the animals.
And according to a Reuter's article, the researchers took measures to ensure the animals were the positive variable: "The study tried to ensure that the patients' positive responses were not caused by the kindness of a farmer or some other factor unrelated to the animals. During farm visits the patients were not, for instance, given coffee breaks."
While the benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy has been noted in cat and dog care for some time, this is the first study to chart it in farm animals. This idea of Green Care farming has taken hold in Norway, where it's now part of a Ministry of Agriculture and Food program.
As experts on the green movement, we're willing to go out on a limb and extrapolate the results to say they likely apply to all of us. We could all use some more farm time.
Plenty is an environmental media company dedicated to exploring and giving voice to the green revolution that will define the 21st Century. Click here to subscribe to Plenty.
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Send questions or comments about this web site to Ann Berlin, firstname.lastname@example.com


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Think about it, we put so much hair spray, heat spray, frizz tamers and everything else in our hair to make us look fabulous. But have you ever thought that those products over time may be making your hair look limp and lifeless?
Just like you exfoliate your body to remove dead skin cells, you should be "exfoliating" and cleaning your hair. To help you with that we have a simple DIY Hair Detox to try about once a month to keep your locks looking lush for about $3 or less.
Find out how to detox your hair here!


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DENVER (MarketWatch) — Thomas Marano, chief executive officer of Residential Capital, wrote me a letter.
"Dear Homeowner," it begins. (That's me, homeowner.)
"As you may have read or heard, Residential Capital LLC recently announced that it and its subsidiaries, including GMAC Mortgage, are restructuring under Chapter 11... The restructuring... does not change your obligations as a mortgage borrower... You must continue to make your scheduled mortgage payments on time and in full."
I can only guess why he sent me this letter. Maybe he's afraid I'm going to do what he's doing.
ResCap is a subsidiary of Detroit-based Ally Financial Inc., which was founded as General Motors Acceptance Corp., or GMAC, in 1919. It nearly collapsed in the 2008 financial crisis after it had made a bold expansion into "liar loans" and other subprime mortgage products. Additionally, the U.S. auto industry it serviced was near death.
To keep GMAC alive, the Federal Reserve allowed it to become a bank holding company — giving it the ability to borrow from the Fed at nearly 0%. The U.S. government, beginning with the Bush administration, also gave it a $17.2 billion bailout, of which it still owes nearly $12 billion.
The bailout for GMAC was also a bailout for private-equity giant Cerberus Capital Management Inc., which acquired 51% of the company from General Motors Corp. in 2006. It was also a bailout for General Motors Corp., which required another bailout on top of that.
GMAC was apparently so embarrassed as it became a ward of a state that it began rebranding itself as Ally. GMAC Bank became Ally Bank in 2009, and then its parent company became Ally Financial in 2010.
In a stroke of marketing genius, Ally began running a series of commercials to distract consumers from its extraordinary bailout. The ads suggested that the other banks were the cheaters, taking advantage of customers in ways that are amply apparent, even to children. A slick-talking banker conned children out of toys using treacherous contract language, and then a voiceover declared: "Even kids know it's wrong to hide behind fine print. Why don't banks?" Watch the ad.
Today, Ally is 74% owned by we the taxpayers. And it has suffered the same problems every major mortgage lender faced, from allegations that it fraudulently foreclosed on homes, to lawsuits from investors who claimed it misrepresented the quality of its mortgage pools.
Last year, Ally attempted an initial public stock offering to help pay back the taxpayers, but the IPO was withdrawn because of market conditions, and, of course, Ally's legacy mortgage issues.
Now, Ally has come up with a plan to launder its bad mortgages and related liabilities by taking a subsidiary through the bankruptcy cycle. This is a novel way for a commercial bank to shed bad loans, but I suppose Ally has to do something after failing a financial "stress test" from the Fed in March.
If only I could restructure my finances the way Marano is restructuring his.
The property I mortgaged through GMAC is a rental house, and it would be immensely more profitable if I did not have those pesky monthly payments. If only I could form a subsidiary to hold my GMAC mortgage and then have that subsidiary file bankruptcy.
Of course, as Marano wrote to me, I'd have to write to my tenant, so that he didn't get the wrong idea:
"Dear Renter: I am restructuring my GMAC mortgage. My unusual financial shell game does not change your obligations as a tenant. You must continue to make your rent payments on time and in full. Yes, I know. GMAC is not making its payments. And I am not making my payments. So you must be asking why you should be making your payments? Well, to borrow a line from an Ally commercial, 'It's just the right thing to do.'"
Hey, even kids know a bad example when they see one. Why don't banks?