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Derry Mathews and Anthony Crolla say the rematch of their fight of the year clash in Betfair's 'No Retreat, No Surrender' at the Echo Arena on Saturday live on Sky Sports will steal the show on a bumper night of boxing in Liverpool.
Mathews ripped the British title from Crolla in Oldham in April after six fast and furious rounds of boxing. The Liverpool man has home advantage this time and he predicts that he will repeat the feat with the Manchester fighter rocked by his devastating performance just under a year ago.
"The crowd will get me up for the fight," said Mathews. "It will really get me fired up and I am excited now talking about it because what better way than to perform in front of 10,000 Scousers and win a Commonwealth title?
"You have 10,000 lunatic Scousers going mad so that is a massive bonus but once the bell goes you are on your own and it is just going to be me and Anthony in there.
"I don't know how much his confidence has gone but I think that he knows deep down in his heart and in his head that I can hurt him in any round. I am a big, massive puncher for a lightweight and I believe I can hurt him in any round and I believe I can outbox him.
"I am going to win on points or a late stoppage. I know I am going to catch him sometime in the fight. It is going to be a hard fight, don't get me wrong, I am going to have to come through some rocky moments in the fight, Anthony is going to get his moments in the fight but I know I am mentally and physically strong and I have done everything right in camp and I won't let the people of the city down and I am going to perform."
Crolla bounced back to win the English title in another classic battle, this time with Kieran Farrell in December in Manchester, and the 26 year old says he's ready for revenge in hostile territory.
"I believe it is a case of lessons learnt," said Crolla.
"I made mistakes last time and I have worked hard on them. I watched the fight on the same night and I could see the mistakes I made, simple mistakes I made, when I went away from the game plan. Fair play to Derry, he came up with a belting shot last time and he hurt me and I am not going to sit here and say he can't hurt me because he can. He hurt me last time so he is capable of doing it again so that has just given that extra bit of edge to me and my training, carefulness and cautious but it certainly won't be a boring fight, we are both getting in there and we will meet in the centre of the ring.
"I am expecting a hostile reception, I am under no illusions there but I am bringing great support with me and I even have friends from Liverpool who are going to be cheering for me. But I am under no illusions, I will get probably the worst reception on the night. That is just part of it, part of going into the lion's den and I have to deal with that. It won't affect me whatsoever; if anything it is more pressure on Derry. I have been to Liverpool before, some of my best performances have been on the road and I believe Saturday will be another case of that."
Mathews and Crolla provide the chief support to Tony Bellew's crunch official final WBC light heavyweight eliminator clash with Isaac Chilemba.
Rocky Fielding defends his English super middleweight title against Wayne Reed while Olympic captain Thomas Stalker boxes in his hometown for the first time as a pro. Unbeaten Liverpool starlet Jazza Dickens faces Jon Fernandes for the vacant super bantamweight title, while Stalker's fellow former Team GB members Kal Yafai, Callum Smith and Scotty Cardle continue their pro journeys.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hey John,
Good comments as usual. I think the USA is presently traveling on some rocky road that has been made by crooks and liars who benefit from the demise of others. At age 68 I don't know if I will see better days, but I hope so for the yong people, who may be more ethical than the villianairs from 1981 to present. Damn, ranting again.
I suppose we are going through the growing pains of becoming a world community where the developed countries see lower wages and developing countries enjoy improved standards of living; Lets not forget to include the likes of CEO's and other overpaid fortunates. If everyone was making a living wage more people would be spending money, maybe on hifi.
In the mean time, I look forward to the next issue of SP just like I did in 1964.
Make it a good day.
Later, Buster.


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The death of a Palestinian prisoner in Israeli custody this week has sparked the worst violence between Israel and Gaza since a November cease-fire, but it appears unlikely to seriously undermine the relative calm that has prevailed the past four months.
"It doesn't seem we're witnessing a deterioration, just a tit-for-tat," says Mkhaimer Abu Saada, political science professor at al-Azhar University in Gaza. "Until now, both Hamas and Israel have an interest in keeping the cease-fire agreement."
While the prisoner issue is extremely sensitive, and draws strong support from Palestinians of all political stripes, Gaza is still recovering from the eight-day conflict this fall – in which Israeli airstrikes destroyed dozens of suspected weapons sites and other Hamas-related targets – as well as the more devastating 2009 war.
"We cannot put people under the pressure and the tension all the time," says Ghazi Hamed, deputy foreign minister of the Hamas-run government. He says that Hamas has good control of the other Palestinian militant factions in the tiny coastal territory, although he acknowledges that occasionally some rogue groups controlled by outside interests send "political missiles," such as a volley of fire that coincided with President Obama's visit last month.
Many messages, little action
This week, Gaza militants of fired several rounds of mortars into Israel, with Israeli retaliating once with airstrikes overnight. But there have been no injuries and the fact that Israel, which often boasts about its high-precision weaponry, hit a relatively unpopulated area is seen as proof that it only wanted to send a message, not escalate the situation.
"[Israel's] interests are against escalation," says Reuven Pedhazur, an Israeli security analyst inTel Aviv, adding that any escalation would likely be instigated by Gazans. "If [a Palestinian militant faction] wasn't willing to listen to Hamas and is willing to launch, then there could be an escalation."
Palestinians in Gaza hold a similar view. While they blame Israel for the death of prisoner Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh two days ago, and say that Gaza stands in solidarity with the West Bank, they suggest that Gaza will only strike back if hit first.
"Yes, he's from the West Bank, but this reflects that we are one nation, one country, regardless of the division that the Israeli occupation is trying to do," says Faiz Ajouri, speaking on the sidelines of a protest and mock funeral for Mr. Abu Hamdiyeh. "If the Israelis are going to attack Gaza, we will react and the Israelis will understand that it's going to be stronger than last time."
While the prisoner issue has the potential to ignite further violence, particularly if one of the prisoners currently on a long-term hunger strike dies, it could potentially help unify the split between rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas.
It could also be the means of bringing the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who for the past four years has refused to restart negotiations unless Israel freezes Israeli settlement growth in the West Bank, is now reportedly willing to renew talks in exchange for the release of the 121 Palestinians imprisoned before the 1993 Oslo Accords.
Gaza protester: 'Many more are going to die'
Abu Hamdiyeh was serving a life sentence after being convicted of attempted murder for the foiled bombing of a Jerusalem cafe in 2002. He was diagnosed with cancer in February, a number of months after complaining of severe pain. Palestinian officials blame the Israeli prison authorities for medical neglect, including a delayed diagnosis, failure to provide adequate and timely treatment, and a refusal to release him on humanitarian grounds.
Israeli officials deny the charges of neglect and say they were in the process of arranging an early release when he died two days ago.
Abu Hamdiyeh's death has sparked clashes in his hometown of Hebron and across the West Bank; two teenage boys were shot and killed by the Israel Defense Forces in Tulkarem overnight after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails in the IDF's direction.
In Gaza, Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, made a rare public appearance, leading an evening march through Jabaliya with masked gunmen piling into at least five pick-up trucks as supporters followed with flags and loud chanting.
The atmosphere in Gaza was more muted today. As Palestinians in Abu Hamdiyeh's hometown of Hebron clashed with the IDF, supporters in Gaza City held a mock funeral. With some 4,500 Palestinians currently in Israeli prisons, including 121 from before the 1993 Oslo Accords were signed, the prisoner issue strikes a raw nerve for Palestinians regardless of background.
Abu Hamdiyeh's death comes little more than a month after Arafat Jaradat, a young man who was also from Hebron, died less than a week of being arrested by Israelis. Palestinians say the autopsy showed evidence of severe beating, though Israel denies the claim. Still, the perception among many Palestinians is that prisoners' lives are in danger.
"This is to show the international community that the issue is not just one prisoner, the issue is that many more are going to die," says Feda Abu Ayesha, a young woman at the Gaza protest.


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By Amanda Mascarelli of Nature magazine
As carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere continue to climb, most climate models project that the world's oceans and trees will keep soaking up more than half of the extra CO2. But researchers report this week that the capacity for land plants to absorb more CO2 will be much lower than previously thought, owing to limitations in soil nutrients.
Because plants take up CO2 during photosynthesis, it has long been assumed that they will provide a large carbon 'sink' to help offset increases in atmospheric CO2 caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Some scientists have argued that the increase might even be good for plants, which would presumably grow faster and mop up even more CO2. Climate models estimate that the world's oceans have absorbed about 30% of the CO2 that humans have released in the past 150 years and that land plants have gulped another 30%. But the latest study, by ecologists Peter Reich and Sarah Hobbie at the University of Minnesota in St Paul, suggests that estimates of how much CO2 land plants can use are far too optimistic. Plants also need soil nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, to grow. But few studies have tested whether soils contain enough of these nutrients to fuel growth in proportion to rising CO2.
"This work addresses a question that's been out there for decades," says Bruce Hungate, an ecosystem scientist at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. "It's a hard question to answer, because it takes a long time to see how ecosystem carbon and nitrogen cycles change."
Long-term growth
In a 13-year field experiment on 296 open-air plots, the researchers grew perennial grassland species under ambient and elevated concentrations of both atmospheric CO2 and soil nitrogen.
"Rather than building a time machine and comparing how ecosystems behave in 2070 — which is hard to do — we basically create the atmosphere of 2070 above our plots," says Reich.
Reich and Hobbie found that from 2001 to 2010, grasses growing under heightened CO2 levels grew only half as much in untreated as in enriched nitrogen soils.
Researchers do not have a firm grasp on the complexities of nitrogen and carbon cycle interactions, so "the vast majority of models do not adequately reflect nutrient limitation", says Adrien Finzi, a biogeochemist at Boston University in Massachusetts. "The real strength in this study is that now we have this 13-year record of a single ecosystem. It provides a really strong case for the claim that soil resources and nitrogen limitation in particular can impose a major constraint on carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems."
A study published in March modeled nutrient cycling across the globe to predict how much carbon plants could sequester over the next 100 years when nutrient limitations are taken into account. Those simulations, which included nitrogen limitations in northern hemisphere soils and phosphorus limitations in the tropics, predicted that land plants will absorb 23% less carbon than is projected by other models.
Researchers say that much more work is needed to understand how nutrient dynamics will affect carbon uptake — particularly in forest ecosystems, which are expected to be important carbon sinks. Often, says Hungate, these ecosystems seem to offer a "partial, natural, easy solution" to the climate problem. "But it turns out that in reality, ecosystems are complex and only have limited flexibility."
This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on October 1, 2012.


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The Week asked me to choose a selection of my favorite books for this week's issue. I'll take any opportunity to recommend Tom Standage's The Victorian Internet.
Even though it's a history of the telegraph, this book is always relevant. The rise of the 1830s communication device continues to be a fantastic metaphor for each new Internet technology that comes along, from e-mail to IM to Facebook to Twitter.


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The debate between John McCain and Mitt Romney over leadership credentials continues as both candidates work for support ahead of Florida's primary next week.
Romney continues to insist that somebody from Washington, like McCain, won't be able to change Washington. However, McCain says it is important for a president to have "served our country in war and in peace."
Polls show McCain and Romney locked in a tight race for the lead in a state that offers the winner a hefty 57 delegates to the party's nominating convention and a shot of energy heading into a virtual national primary on February 5th.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who has essentially staked his campaign on Florida, argues that he is a candidate with both McCain's foreign policy strength and Romney's economic know-how.
However, polls show Giuliani behind both Romney and McCain in Florida.
On Saturday, McCain accused Romney of wanting to withdraw troops from Iraq, drawing immediate protest from his Republican presidential rival who said: "That's simply wrong and it's dishonest, and he should apologize."
Opening a new line of criticism in Ft. Myers as the two candidates campaigned along the state's southwest coast, McCain told reporters about Iraq: "If we surrender and wave a white flag, like Senator Clinton wants to do, and withdraw, as Governor Romney wanted to do, then there will be chaos, genocide, and the cost of American blood and treasure would be dramatically higher."
Minutes earlier, he took a slap at Romney without naming him during a question-and-answer session with Floridians, saying: "Now, one of my opponents wanted to set a date for withdrawal that would have meant disaster."
Asked about the comment in Land O' Lakes, Romney balked. "That's dishonest, to say that I have a specific date. That's simply wrong," he said. "That is not the case. I've never said that."
"I know he's trying desperately to change the topic from the economy and trying to get back to Iraq, but to say something that's not accurate is simply wrong, and he knows better," Romney said.
While he has never set public date for withdrawal, Romney has said that President Bush and Iraqi leaders should have private timetables and benchmarks with which to gauge progress on the war and determine troop levels. He has said publicly that he agrees with Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, that U.S. troops could move to more of an oversight role in 2008.


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Posts Tagged 'Landover Mortgage'
Refinance Existing Loans? Really?
Dave Henn of Landover Mortgage presented the HARP Federal Program which involves the possibility of refinancing current loans owned by Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac. More than likely the program won't become active until December 1, 2011 so stay tuned to this web site.Read More


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Middlebury Police Log: Police seek info on Case St. accident
MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury police responded to the scene of a car-tree collision near North Forty Lane on Sunday, Dec. 4. Police said Kathy L. Grace, 44, of Middlebury was northbound on Case Street a little before 10 a.m. when for an unknown reason, the vehicle traveled across the southbound lane and struck a tree.
Grace, the only occupant of the vehicle, was not wearing her seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle. She was transported to Porter Hospital then airlifted to Fletcher Allen Health Care by the Dartmouth Hitchcock Air Response Team. She was listed in serious condition at Fletcher Allen.
The Middlebury Fire Department assisted at the scene.
The cause of the accident is under investigation. Alcohol does not appear to be a factor. Anyone who witnessed the accident is asked to contact the Middlebury Police Department at 388-3191.
In other action last week, Middlebury police:
• Took a truant student back to Middlebury Union High School on Nov. 28.
• Assisted a woman whose wallet was reported stolen at McDonald's restaurant on Route 7 South on Nov. 28. Police said someone returned the wallet to the woman, who later discovered her credit card had been used to make charges in Rutland, Pittsford and Ludlow.
• Cited Patrick J. Eason, 30, of Bristol for prescription fraud, following an investigation at the Rite Aid Pharmacy on Court Street on Nov. 30. Police allege that Eason forged a blank prescription from a local physician in order to obtain some Percoset pills.
• Responded to a family dispute at a John Graham Court residence on Nov. 28.
• Broke up a family dispute in the parking lot of the Middlebury Short Stop gas station off Court Street on Nov. 29.
• Received a report that someone allegedly used a local woman's credit card to buy around $100 in gas from a local filling station on Nov. 29.
• Were informed of the theft of a tailgate from a vehicle at Foster Motors on Route 7 South on Nov. 29.
• Received a report that an iPod and $20 in cash had been stolen from a student's backpack at Middlebury Union High School on Nov. 29.
• Searched for a missing youth in the Kings Row neighborhood on Nov. 30. Police said the youth was later found in New York state.
• Responded to a family dispute at a Jayne Court residence on Nov. 30.
• Investigated a reckless endangerment case at a North Pleasant Street residence on Dec. 1.
• Investigated a suspected break-in at a Jackson Lane residence on Dec. 1.
• Were informed on Dec. 1 of the theft of a lamp and table from Middlebury College campus.
• Responded, with local ambulance officials, to a report of a woman who had overdosed on drugs at a North Pleasant Street residence on Dec. 1.
• Linked a local, suicidal woman with counselors at Porter Hospital on Dec. 2.
• Cited Jorge Campos, 31, of Newport with driving under the influence, following a stop on College Street on Dec. 2. Police said they measured Campos's blood-alcohol content at 0.202 percent; the legal limit for driving is 0.08 percent.
• Helped a local mom with an uncooperative son on Dec. 2.
• Were informed that a man had driven away from the Middlebury Village Depot gas station on Court Street without paying for $24 in gas on Dec. 2.
• Responded to a verbal dispute between two people in the Valley View Drive neighborhood on Dec. 2.
• Saw two people rooting through a garbage receptacle behind the Helping Overcome Poverty's Effects headquarters off Boardman Street on Dec. 2.
• Received a report that $400 was taken from the wallet of a local woman on Dec. 3. Police said someone had apparently stolen the woman's wallet, emptied it of the $400, then threw it into the bushes near Mane Stream Full Service Salon off Park Street. Also on Dec. 3, police said a laptop was also reported stolen from the salon.
• Gave court diversion paperwork to a youth found to be drinking at the intersection of Shannon and Weybridge streets on Dec. 4.
• Warned an Ossie Road resident who had violated the town's burn ordinance on Dec. 4.
• Investigated a trespassing complaint at Middlebury Union High School on Dec. 4.
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For years, musicians have mocked those of us holding plastic guitars. Fair enough—but we had fun! But with Rock Band 3, we learn what Harmonix was up to all along: Actually teaching us how to play real instruments.
With complex game design coupled with increasingly detailed peripherals, Harmonix has reimagined not only the nature of the music game genre but where video games can take us into the future.
It was a clever ruse. Hand us five buttons and a strum bar in the vague shape of a guitar. Sync the presses to an audio track and suddenly every awkwardly proportioned teenager thinks he's Bon Jovi. (After Harmonix reminded him who Bon Jovi was.)
The rhythm game genre is a multi-billion-dollar industry unto itself now. $80 is a small price to pay to feel like we are part of a band, to feel a little ersatz cool and talent to boot. The air guitar had been digitized.
Most games franchises stop here. Offer the player a challenging but surmountable task. Find a way to reward them to repeat said task. Scratch our collective OCD right behind the ears just enough to never quite satisfy us but stop us from walking away.
Most video games are extremely effective at coaxing us to work, but this work never produces anything much of merit. You may unlock things—virtual things—like a level 70 character in WoW with an epic flying mount. But when you walk away from the computer or console, you walk away as the same person, not as a spell-wielding Death Knight or something.
With Rock Band 3, on top of the new options to play a two-octave midi keyboard...
...you can play "pro mode" guitar parts with a full Mad Catz guitar replica, for which every possible note on the guitar is represented by its own string/fret button. (Yes, that's a whole lot of buttons—102 in all.)
But even more so, you can use a full, real Fender guitar in the game as well...with actual strings...even plugged into an amp.
Instead of digitizing the air guitar, Harmonix (with the help of Mad Catz and Fender) has digitized the real guitar.
The game will still show you the "buttons" to press, but now they're a combination of real frets and strings, a modern take on tabs (labeled with real chord names) with a whole lot more eye candy and real time performance feedback. It's not wholly different than the Rock Band interface you know—therein lies its particular genius: By slowly building vocals, keyboards and other new functions into Rock Band, Harmonix gateway-drugged us into reading a new style of music. Even if that's not sheet music (yet), our fingers will know how to play Bohemian Rhapsody.
Really play it.
Rock Band (original)
Rock Band 3 (pro modes are the outside tracks)
And when you eventually unplug that Fender guitar from the console? It will still play, but not just because it's a neat peripheral. It will play because your fingers know the chords. It will play because you can play it.
So that's what Harmonix has done with Rock Band 3—they're going to teach us how to play real instruments. But there's more going on outside the instrument genre. With Dance Central, a dance game powered by Kinect to track your whole body's movement in realtime, the same company may be teaching all of us to move with rhythm and grace.
Make no mistake, as gimmicky as these titles and their attached hardware may seem, they're crossing an important threshold, leveraging technology to not only entertain us, but to teach us, maybe even improve us while doing so. They've turned that old "edutaintment" category of games into plain, old "entertainment".


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October 28, 2008
Google Gadgets in Gmail
Gmail Labs lets you add two gadgets in the left sidebar: Google Calendar and Google Docs, so you can add events, see your agenda and open recently-edited documents. There's also an experimental feature that lets you add any gadget by entering the address of its XML file, but I couldn't find gadgets that work and look well.
"We realize this isn't very user friendly right now; it's a sandbox mainly aimed at developers who want to play around with gadgets in Gmail. We're not tied to the left-nav as a primary way to extend Gmail -- in fact we think it is relatively limited and doesn't offer scalable real estate. There are also some downsides to the iframe-style Gadgets we're using today -- they can sometimes slow down the page. We're fanatical about speed, so we'll be keeping a close eye on performance," says Dan Pupius.
To make room for the gadgets, you could try these experimental features from Gmail Labs: Right-side chat, Right-side labels (move Gmail Chat and the list of labels in a right sidebar) and Navbar drag and drop (reorder containers).
{ Thanks, roody. }
24 comments:
Ummmm...I think new iGoogle interface is better. that import best gmail interface.ReplyDelete
The Right-side chat feature is a great way to make room, but unfortunately, the behavior of the chat box is kind of annoying when it is on the right side of the screen: when you point to one of your chat contacts with your mouse, the pop-up containing contact information appears on the chat box instead of on the side of it. So you cannot just move your mouse down to go to your next chat buddy.ReplyDelete
Oh, could this cover the 'calendar integration' some people have been wanting? :)ReplyDelete
Probably not enough functionality in the gadget, though :-/
ps : hitting enter on the word verification seems to consistantly fail ('Required field must not be blank' error) & clear my comment :-/ (in Chrome 2.149.30, anyways) - i need to click on 'Finish'
About time they done something like this.ReplyDelete
How do I drag gadgets to the right side of the email list? They appear to drag, just not dock there.ReplyDelete
The drag&drop feature from Gmail Labs lets you reorder containers in the left sidebar. There are two distinct features that move Gmail Chat and the list of labels in a new right sidebar.
- AnonymousOctober 28, 2008 at 12:01 PM
This feature will make "Remember the Milk" obsolete in Gmail. They also had a gadget like feature before.ReplyDelete
It's very nice, specially the Calendar one.ReplyDelete
I was very excited about this, but many of the gadgets I wanted to add didn't work weel, for example the Google authenticated gadgets like Bookmarks and Reader or "Recommended pages".
Also, the combination of labs settings doesn't seem to work very well, my "Chat below labels" setting when using them in the right gets reset every now and then, and some other weird behavior.
Wow, those are indeed some really cool gadgets! nice!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 28, 2008 at 1:29 PM
That is a nice extra feature to gmail.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 28, 2008 at 2:31 PM
give me a built in task list, so I dont have to rely on remember the milk!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 29, 2008 at 2:43 AM
the task list gadget doesn't workReplyDelete
only iframes gadgets semm to be working
iframes bad... agreedReplyDelete
Not being an html guru, I am unaware of a _good_ alternative. What would that/those be?
- AnonymousOctober 29, 2008 at 9:50 AM
Wow, what a great website you have here. It is nice to see actual fresh content for a change. From one webmaster to another, I congratulate you for the effort you must have put in. I will definitely recommend your website to my readers which is highly related to your theme. Keep up the great work on your website!ReplyDelete
Chech mine if you like,
Heaven on the Earth: Five Fantastic Beaches
- AnonymousNovember 1, 2008 at 12:04 AM
if google put the calendar and docs on gmail i was sxpection a full view with all features like when you open it on a new windows.ReplyDelete
It kinda pissed me off, that why i dont even have it enebled because i dont find it any helpfull just in a little box on your left side :P
The calendar gadget is very handy. Keeps me from forgetting that I have a meeting today. :-)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 12, 2008 at 10:30 AM
I moved the labels and chat to the right side, with the labels on top, but the switched themselves and now chat is stuck on top. Can't seem to switch them back. Annoying. Any thoughts?ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 13, 2008 at 1:27 PM
This is really Google thinking in the right direction, having one service to service all (no pun intended).ReplyDelete
Getting an integration between Gmail, Google Docs, Google Calender, Google Reader would be the best thing possible!
Also, Rememberthemilk has a gadget that works as a good to-do-list within Gmail.
Here is a simple countdown widget for GMail: http://www.google.com/ig/directory?type=gadgets&url=gadgets.feth.com/noodly/noodlyCountdown.xmlReplyDelete
- AnonymousJanuary 23, 2009 at 6:58 PM
Access your favorite bookmarks on your Gmail page. G-marks isReplyDelete
specifically designed for Gmail, but may be used where ever gadgets
- AnonymousFebruary 16, 2009 at 6:23 PM
If anyone else can't find a way to switch the Chat & Labels boxes:ReplyDelete
It's on the 'Chat' tab on Gmail's Settings. There's a dropdown-menu to "Show Chat module above/below Label list".
If the above anonymous has an issue besides this, He (gender-neutral he) can go to the either or both of the two feature's discussion groups (on the by now difficultly avoidable & increasingly ubiquitous Google), via the corresponding 'Discuss' link in "Labs" tab in Gmail Settings.
I'd like a 2 minute timer for doing a GTD pass through my email and I'd like it on the right side please :)ReplyDelete
I think there should be a gadget for posting on Blogger from Gmail. That'd be great! :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousSeptember 18, 2011 at 1:40 AM
Just wondering why I can't transfer my Chat on the right side of the gmail even if it was already been enabled on the Lab settings.. any idea?ReplyDelete


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Welcome to Parkway Apartments
Parkway Apartments
Parkway Apartments are located in a beautifully landscaped park-like setting in "Old Greenbelt." Surround yourself with woodlands and excellent recreational facilities for your leisure time activities. Only minutes from the Beltway and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Parkway Apartments are conveniently located close to Greenbelt Fitness & Aquatic Center, Community Center, Library and the Greenway and Beltway shopping centers.
We offer affordable efficiencies and one bedroom apartments with or without porches. There are in-house laundry facilities, controlled access to buildings, and individual garages for rent.


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Lists: Bloggers love them. Readers love them. Pinterest loves them. So why not write lists all the time, right? Well, not so fast. Before you go churning out one more top-10 list on your site, consider the following reasons why you shouldn't:
1. They're Overdone. Everybody writes top-10 posts. You can find top-10 posts about everything from Ask Men's Top 10 Websites to Use in 2014 to the FedEx Blog's 10 Best Posts in 2013. Why be like everybody else? When you join the top-10 crowd, you can get lost in the sea of similar content.
2. They're Gimmicky. In an oversaturated blog world, top-10 posts can be rather lacking. They're gimmicky. They're link bait. They promise something valuable but often leave readers disappointed, feeling like you're just trying to get them to click through your site.
3. They Come Across Phony. Why are your top 10 reasons your top 10 reasons? What's the significance? Why are they the best? Most lists won't say this, creating a phony significance that your readers will know isn't real.
4. You Might Annoy Your Readers. Curated content is OK, but too much curated content can annoy your readers. So when you merely repackage past posts into "top 10s," your readers could wind up feeling cheated — and cheated readers don't stick around.
5. They Make You Seem Stale. Everybody knows lists are a go-to tool for writers stumped for ideas, so when you post a lot of lists, you tell your audience you're out of things to say.
6. They Take Time. Despite how they may seem to readers, lists take time to create, even if you're just sifting through blog archives to find which posts to use. If this time isn't yielding results, it's wasted — why not focus on drafting original content instead?
7. They Don't Go In-Depth. By their very nature, top-10 lists tend to be quick, shallow articles that don't explore a topic in depth.
8. Write 10 Posts Instead. That quick top-10 list could turn into 10 informative posts if you would break it apart and explore each point further. This not only generates more content for you, but it also gives more value to your audience.
9. You Run Out of Ideas and Fill Your List with Fluff. When you're writing a "top 10," you may feel pressure to come up with more ideas than you have — and those fluff ideas aren't actually helpful to your readers. Top-10 lists put you into a box.
10. Care about What You're Saying. Here's one of the biggest reasons not to write a top-10 list: You don't care about it. When you're only writing a list to write a list, everybody will know it. So rather than writing about what you think you should write about, write about what you care about instead.
Your Thoughts
Do any of the above reasons ring true to you? Do you write top-10 lists? Do you read them? Why or why not?


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Smaller Crowds May Ease Security Problems
Organizers of President Barack Obama's second inauguration say they've made changes in security and logistics that should prevent some of the problems seen in 2008, but the size of the crowd, expected to be vastly smaller than four years ago, could be the biggest factor that determines how smoothly things run.
The president's first inauguration saw an estimated 1.8 million people descend on the city, but this year's projections are much lower — 800,000 at the top end. While that's a relief to some organizers and security overseers, it's not good news for everyone.
"We get tax revenue from people who come to the District, so we want those 1.8 million people," said Charles Allen, a spokesman for D.C. Councilmember Tommy Wells. He acknowledged, however, that the smaller number of visitors will be less of a challenge for planners. "People get the sense that it'll be easier to manage than the crush of people four years ago."
Security officials said they're approaching this inauguration as seriously as the last one, adding that they have no information pointing to credible threats to the event.
Some procedures, however, have changed thanks to the lower projected turnout. While 2009 saw most of the bridges that connect the city to Virginia closed, only the Memorial Bridge will be limited to foot traffic this year. Some, including the South Capitol Street Bridge and the Chain Bridge, will remain open, while others, such as the 14th Street Bridge, will be diverted or restricted.
The areas around the Capitol, White House and National Mall will still be subject to widespread road closures and have set pedestrian walking routes running through them. At the Capitol, organizers are reaching the final stages of preparation, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer said.
"I won't say we're completely ready yet, but we're close," he said Wednesday. "If I had to put a number on it, I'd say we're 95 percent there. People are going through and checking things like lighting, the carpet, security issues. It's like a wedding. You're working just about up to church time."
What all of the event's organizers are looking to avoid this year is another "Purple Tunnel of Doom," where 1,000 ticketed attendees were stuck in the Third Street Tunnel and missed the 2009 inauguration ceremony.
The tunnel itself won't be a problem — police decided to close it for the event — and the smaller crowds means less likelihood of a repeat. Gainer said he thinks the incident achieved an unfair level of notoriety, considering the number of people stuck versus the total attendance. But he said that, this time around, organizers brought in experts on monitoring and moving large crowds to inform their decisions.
"I won't deny how tough it was for people who got stuck in the tunnel. I've talked to some of them," Gainer said, adding that organizers were "very much aware of how to avoid that specific problem."
The result of their advice, he said, is an increase in signs and workers telling people where to go, with the goal of getting them from their Metro station or other point of entry to their destinations as quickly as possible. Gainer said "wayfinder" workers will screen crowds as they approach the Capitol, trying to make sure that everyone is heading toward the correct gate and trying to avoid having people arrive at the wrong place, then having to fight through a crowd to leave.
"An action somewhere has a ripple somewhere else," he said. "Anytime someone decides to open a gate, close a gate, delay a gate, that ripples all the way back through the streets and into the Metro system. So knowing about all of that as it happens allows you to call an audible when you need to."
Organizers have also focused on getting advance information to attendees about how to get where they need to go. "That really wasn't the focus four years ago," Gainer said.
Brian Leary, spokesman for the Secret Service, the lead security agency for the event, said organizers are hoping that inauguration apps for smartphones and social media could play a helpful role in moving people this year. Agencies are using a common hashtag, #inaug2013, for communications, he said.
"Obviously social media is more prevalent now than in 2009," Leary said. "It's a great way to get information out to the public. There is a balance between moving people quickly and efficiently but also safely, so the best option is to communicate with them."
Still, some delays will be inevitable, especially for ticketed attendees approaching the nearly 200 metal detectors the Secret Service is setting up around the Capitol.
"I think what people need to keep in mind is to give a lot of time to get where they need to go and be patient," said Shennell S. Antrobus, a spokesman for the Capitol Police. "Dress appropriately for the weather and enjoy the day."
Antrobus said attendees are likely to have a smoother experience if they check the list of items generally prohibited from the parade route and the more restrictive list for the Capitol. Umbrellas, for example, are permitted along the parade route but not at the Capitol.
He said attendees can make the experience more pleasant for one another if they pay attention to signs, avoid items that would slow down security checkpoints and stay away from areas they won't be allowed into. "If you do not have a ticket," he said, "do not go to Capitol Hill."
Emily Holden contributed to this report.
Corrects the rank of Shennell S. Antrobus.


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Thankfully, via Vatican Radio, we have the full and unedited statement by Pope Francis on the occasion of the "Mexico Holy See colloquium on human migration and development" dated on July 14, 2014, in which he addresses the crisis involving the migration of 57,000 unaccompanied minors that showed up in Texas, at the United States border with Mexico:
I would like to extend my greetings to the organizers, speakers, and participants in the "Mexico Holy See colloquium on human migration and development".
Globalization is a phenomenon that challenges us, especially in one of its principal manifestations which is emigration. It is one of the "signs" of this time that we live in and that brings us back to the words of Jesus, "Why do you not know how to interpret the present time?" (Lk 12,57). Despite the large influx of migrants present in all continents and in almost all countries, migration is still seen as an emergency, or as a circumstantial and sporadic fact, while instead it has now become a hallmark of our society and a challenge.
It is a phenomenon that carries with it great promise and many challenges. Many people forced to emigrate suffer, and often, die tragically; many of their rights are violated, they are obliged to separate from their families and, unfortunately, continue to be the subject of racist and xenophobic attitudes.
Faced with this situation, I repeat what I have affirmed in this year's Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees: "A change of attitude towards migrants and refugees is needed on the part of everyone, moving away from attitudes of defensiveness and fear, indifference and marginalization – all typical of a throwaway culture – towards attitudes based on a culture of encounter, the only culture capable of building a better, more just and fraternal world".
I would also like to draw attention to the tens of thousands of children who migrate alone, unaccompanied, to escape poverty and violence: This is a category of migrants from Central America and Mexico itself who cross the border with the United States under extreme conditions and in pursuit of a hope that in most cases turns out to be vain. They are increasing day by day. This humanitarian emergency requires, as a first urgent measure, these children be welcomed and protected. These measures, however, will not be sufficient, unless they are accompanied by policies that inform people about the dangers of such a journey and, above all, that promote development in their countries of origin. Finally, this challenge demands the attention of the entire international community so that new forms of legal and secure migration may be adopted.
I wish every success to the laudable initiative of the Mexican government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in arranging a colloquium of study and reflection on the great challenge of migration and cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to all those present.
Translation copyrighted by Vatican Radio. Reprinted with permission of Vatican Radio.


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The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved $100 million senior loan to Nigerian firm, Indorama Eleme Fertiliser & Chemicals Limited, to support the company's plans to double its fertiliser production from 1.4 million tons of urea to 2.8 million tons per annum.
The bank's intervention follows a previous loan extended to Indorama Fertiliser in 2013 for the commissioning of another urea fertiliser plant with a production capacity of 1.4 million tons per annum. The completion and exploitation of that plant in 2016 helped turn Nigeria from a net fertiliser importer to a self-sufficient producer, and now a net exporter of fertiliser. In 2017, 700,000 tons of urea were exported to West Africa and North and South American markets. Production from the new plant will predominantly target export markets.
The project will also address the problem of inadequate fertiliser utilisation, which is considered one of the principal constraints to agricultural growth and development in Nigeria, and the entire African continent.
"This Project will build upon the success of Train-I in increasing the domestic supply of urea fertiliser in Nigeria, making it easily available and leading to cheaper prices for the Nigerian farmer," said Abdu Mukhtar, Director for Industrial and Trade Development at the AfDB. "It will also help further address labour issues in a local region wracked by poverty, inequality and political tension by creating high paying technical jobs and will count towards climate change abatement by reducing amounts of flared gas."
Fertiliser production support is well aligned with regional and national priorities, as well as the bank's assistance strategy in Nigeria, and is an important step towards the bank's goal of radically transforming Africa's agriculture sector and making the continent self-sufficient in food.
Despite a large population of farmers, Nigeria spends at least $6 billion per year on food imports. A contributing factor to low domestic crop yields is low consumption levels of fertiliser in Nigeria – and indeed Africa as a whole, which averages only 10-15% of global levels.
The project supports the medium term economic recovery and growth plan of the Government of Nigeria and the bank's regional strategy to link regional markets in West Africa. 20% of the urea exports will be made to South Africa and West Africa (Cote D'Ivoire & Senegal). Regional integration will be further strengthened by the export of increased agriculture production in Nigeria.
The Indorama Eleme Complex has been a success story of public private partnerships in Nigeria, with several benefits including import substitution of raw materials to over 450 downstream industries; increased crop yields of over 30%; training of 200,000 farmers on the proper use of fertilisers expected to reach two million by 2021; creation of 50,000 jobs, and an annual contribution of $2 billion to Nigeria's GDP. The estimated $1.1 billion cost of the project is to be financed with equity of $100 million and debt finance of $1billion which will be provided by development finance institutions. All the financiers are said to been provided their final Board approvals for the project.


text: Filter the results Item type Select All/None News Item Collection File Folder Page Event New items since Yesterday Last week Last month Ever Search results Subscribe to an always-updated RSS feed. 1 items matching your search terms. Sort by relevance date (newest first) alphabetically Backing Up Is Hard to Do by Jason Atwood (he/him) — last modified Nov 30, 2022 09:59 AM — filed under: Rackspace, Backing Up, Blog, MobileMe, Dropbox, CrashPlan, Gmail A look at backing up in the age of cloud computing and internet storage and some strategies to help keep everything safe Located in Archive / 2011


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This track is composed especially for movie trailers. The music is intense, has modern electric guitars, orchestral sound and lot of rhythmic phrases that will make it easy to switch between text and images.
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This song is used in this videohive-project: http://videohive.net/item/today-be-strong/2844646
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Ninety minutes before the Red Sox played in Baltimore to determine whether (a) they would advance to the 2011 playoffs, (b) they would advance to a one-game playoff in Tampa Bay on Thursday, or (c) they would finish the biggest September collapse in the history of professional baseball, I was paying for groceries in Los Angeles while wearing my trusty Tim Wakefield no. 49 T-shirt jersey. From behind me, I heard a raspy, older, female voice ask me, "You guys gonna win today?"
I turned around. The voice belonged to Amy Madigan, the actress who played Kevin Costner's wife in Field of Dreams.
"Yes," I told her. "We are going to win today. But I don't know about tomorrow."
"Who's pitching?" she asked.
"Lester today. Tomorrow, I don't know. Might be Kevin Costner."
She thought this was funny. We spent 15 seconds making small talk, then I spent the next 30 minutes trying to determine whether it was a good omen. That's what you do when your baseball season is falling apart: you search for signs any signs, anything that means anything. Your whole life becomes a Ouija board. Ray Kinsella's wife from the cornfield? Had to be a good sign.
Field of Dreams was really about hope, higher beings, cosmic forces, unfinished business, believing past the point when you should believe. The Red Sox hit that point about two weeks ago, midway through their improbable swoon, as they kept trotting out the Lackeys, Wakefields and Weilands with everyone thinking, "Wait, we don't have ANY other options?" It's been a surreal month for Red Sox fans: Our pre-2004 DNA told us to react the way we always did (total panic, woe-is-us complex, the whole thing); our post-2007 DNA told us, "You won twice, keep it in perspective, this isn't life or death, other teams have it worse"; and our sports-fan DNA told us, "You just spent the past six months watching a team that's probably going to kick you in the teeth hard. It's coming."
By the time Game 162 rolled around, I didn't know what to think anymore. I ended up at my friend Daniel's house to watch Sox-Orioles and Rays-Yankees. And yes, I kept a running diary. Here's what transpired.
4:00 p.m. PT — Thanks to NESN for working in the obligatory Carl Crawford strikeout on a pitch in the dirt during its "GAME 162" montage intro. Just what we needed. Jerry Remy tries to make up for it a minute later: "Some comfort food for Boston fans — [Jon] Lester has pitched 17 times against Baltimore; he's 14-and-0." Sorry, I'm not sure "comfort" and "Boston fans" can be used in the same sentence this week. It's illegal.
4:02 — A month ago, Ryan Lavarnway was in Triple-A. As recently as 48 hours ago, he wasn't playing. Today, in Game 162, with a playoff spot on the line? He's catching and batting fifth. Somehow, I'm fine with this. I can't think of anyone else I'd bat fifth. Welcome to the 2011 Red Sox season.
4:07 — As the camera pans the Red Sox players standing for the national anthem, we see one blond-haired guy, and Daniel says, "Who's that?" Neither of us have any idea. Again, welcome to the 2011 Red Sox season.
4:08 — Baltimore's starter today: Alfredo Simon, pitching with a giant tobacco can in his back right pocket. Is there a manlier look than chew-can butt? Chaz Bono should add this to his Dancing With the Stars getup; it's much more effective than the scraggly beard.
4:14 — After Simon retires the first two Red Sox hitters (Ellsbury and Pedroia), Ortiz comes up as Remy explains that Francona changed the order for the umpteenth time this season because he wanted "to get his best four hitters up as many times as possible." Should that really be a new goal when it's Game 162? I'm almost out on Francona. We're getting there.
4:17 — Adrian Gonzalez grounds out to end the top of the first. Meanwhile, the Yankees have a runner on first with two outs — we have that game showing on Daniel's iPad thanks to his MLB.TV account, which, of course, is a separate expense than his DIRECTV MLB EXTRA INNINGS in Major League Baseball's never-ending effort to antagonize its fans. By the way, if you had explained to me as recently as 10 years ago that I'd be living in California and rooting for the Yankees on an iPad, I would have assumed that I was on the lam for a crime and doing whatever it took to survive.
4:22 — Red Sox killer Robert Andino leads off for the Orioles as Daniel hisses, "That's just an eff you move by Showalter." Lester strikes him out. I've had Andino on my AL Keeper Team all season — he's a homeless man's Ben Zobrist. There's no better candidate to ruin the 2011 Red Sox season and join the Bucky Dent/Enos Slaughter/Aaron Boone group. He's the odds-on favorite.
4:25 — J.J. Hardy's surprisingly good season (30 homers) inadvertently inspires Daniel and me to discuss whether we'd take HGH if we were baseball players. I decide that I wouldn't take it until I started slipping in my mid-30s, and then I'd start popping them like Pez. Daniel's take: "I'd definitely take it. I'm thinking about taking it anyway." He's serious.
4:25 — We're both confused by NESN's "Bill James' Temperature Gauge" graphic — seems like a fancy way to just say someone's hot or cold. Daniel thinks Bill James could create any stat and people would start using it without ever questioning if it made sense. That's really the final sabermetric stage: It's like when A-list actors start releasing music albums. I just hope Bill Barnwell can get there some day.
4:25 — Lester strikes out Markakis and gets a groundout from Vlad Guerrero to end the first. In Tampa, David Price needs 29 pitches to get out of the first. 1-0, Yankees. Hmmmmmm.
4:29 — J.D. Drew smacks a one-out single, then cracks wise at first base with Mark Reynolds. "What's going on with J.D.?" Daniel wonders. "He showed emotion last night, now he's smiling. Next thing you know, he's gonna steal a base!" I'm gonna miss these moments with J.D. when he's gone next year. Oh, wait, no I won't.
4:31 — NESN keeps marketing this Fenway Brick, the first product marketed specifically in the hope that girlfriends and wives might mistakenly buy it for their man even though we definitely don't want one. Ladies, trust me, that Fenway Brick is going in your man's garage or attic within two weeks. Speaking of bad purchases, Carl Crawford just flied out to end the top of the second.
4:41 — Lester gets a long fly ball out from Baltimore's Secretly Scary Guy (Matt Wieters), then gives up an infield single to Baltimore's Openly Scary Guy (Adam Jones) before Baltimore's Secretly Horrendous Guy (Mark Reynolds) grounds into a double play to end the inning. I enjoy Reynolds because he's one of those guys who secretly sucks by old-school numbers (.220 batting average, 195 K's, 26 errors at first base) AND new-school numbers (.321 OBP, -26.2 UZR, 0.5 WAR). He bridges all eras.
4:47 — After a Mike Aviles walk, NESN shows Crawford staring sadly from the dugout for the 2,500th time this season. I have to come clean: I feel as bad for Crawford as you can feel for someone who's worth nine figures and helped ruin your baseball season. I don't think he ever wanted to play in Boston, then they offered him so much money that he couldn't turn it down and everything's gone wrong ever since. Like the Karma Gods just said, "Dude, we're calling you out on this one — you know you wanted to go to Anaheim, you jumped at the money, and now you know, money isn't everything." Even if he's been a mess mentally for much of this season, and even if I'm going to need to give myself amnesia to unremember all the dreadful at-bats he had this season, I still feel like Crawford could redeem himself someday — maybe even during these next five weeks. I'm rooting for him.
(Please, Lord, don't let that paragraph be thrown back in my face.)
4:49 — Back-to-back singles by Ellsbury and Pedroia. 1-0, Red Sox, nobody out, David Ortiz up. Semirelated: I wish Ortiz named his different beards with monikers like "Insignia" and "Macarena." For tonight he shaved his mustache, shaved the left and right sides over his chin, but kept every other part of the beard and connected the soul patch to it. It would have been so much easier if I could have just told you, "Tonight Ortiz is wearing Insignia," right?
4:52 — The bad news: Check-swing double play by Ortiz. The good news: Mark Teixeira just slammed an iPad grand slam! 5-0, Yankees, second inning, Price closing in on 60 pitches. It took three years, but I finally got to enjoy a Mark Teixeira homer that helped the Red Sox.
4:57 — After Lavarnway's strikeout ends the top of the second, Daniel says earnestly, "When you think about it, Ortiz's beard is really a reminder of his Latino culture." He's on his second beer and it already feels like 20. Red Sox 1, Orioles 0.
5:06 — Chris Davis has 10 walks in 196 ABs. Actually, make it 11 — Lester just walked him. Meanwhile, I already have Yankee/Tampa fans who are congratulating me on making the playoffs as a reverse jinx. You can't reverse jinx ME. I'm the master! How dare all of you!
5:06 — J.J. Hardy ruins our riveting "Who has a worse beard — Sidney Crosby or Clay Buchholz?" discussion by walloping a two-out, two-run homer. 2-1, Baltimore. No, I'm not blaming the reverse-jinx e-mails — that was a meatball by Lester. God forbid Lester or Beckett have one "Come on, fellas, everyone get on my back!" start these last three weeks.
5:11 — We've played three innings in 65 minutes. Daniel calls this "a good pace." I don't know what's happened to baseball. I really don't.
5:15 — A one-out double by Scutaro (.382/.436/.573 in September heading into tonight) brings us to America's favorite game show, What Will Carl Crawford Do? The nominees are
A. Strikeout in the dirt;
B. Grounder to short;
C. Jammed pop fly to short left;
D. Jammed pop fly to second base;
E. Tapper back to the mound.
I said "A," Daniel said "C." And our answer is
5:17 — "B!" At least he advanced Scutaro to third, leading to
5:20 — A run-scoring balk! Scutaro pulled the old, "I'm gonna steal home" stutter-step and hooked Simon. Love that one. We're tied at two.
5:22 — If you're looking for a guy to end innings by getting thrown out by three steps on bizarrely timed steals of second base, look no further than Mike Aviles. The good news: It's still 5-0 in Tampa.
5:29 — 1-2-3 inning by Lester. Daniel points out that the Red Sox were 10-1 to win the World Series this afternoon, then raises his eyebrows as if to say, "We could still jump on that." He's like a crew member of the Titanic planning a jewelry raid post-iceberg. No, thanks. I'm happy just to make the ALDS with this sorry bunch. Anything else is gravy.
5:36 — Simon comes one strike from retiring Pedroia when BOOM! Homer to left field (3-2, Red Sox) at almost the exact same moment Teixeira homers again in Tampa (6-0, Yankees). Karma? Coincidence? And is anyone more unstoppable than Mark Teixeira in Game 162, when the Yanks clinched the division a week ago?
5:38 — After Ortiz hits a "woulda been a homer almost anywhere else" single off the right-field wall, Showalter goes La Russa on us and quickly pulls Simon like it's late October or something. You can't blame him; this is the closest he'll ever come to managing a playoff game again. He's jumpy.
5:45 — Baltimore's Troy Patton induces a scorching line drive by Lavarnway (right at Nick Markakis in left, unfortunately), then a pop fly by Drew to end Boston's threat. Not enough runs. I'm now in "What would be worse than Tampa losing, then us choking and having to play Game 163 anyway?" mode.
5:57 — Damn, I knew I shouldn't have ragged on Mark Reynolds. He just doubled to start the bottom of the fifth, beating Andruw Jones' homer in Tampa by about 40 seconds (7-0, Yankees). After he's advanced to third, Lester gets a Reimold grounder to Scutaro (Reynolds goes on contact, gets thrown out by Scutaro by two steps), then an Andino grounder to end the threat. After five: Daniel 3 (drinks), Red Sox 3, Orioles 2.
6:05 — I always love hearing the kicking Boston accents during the local NESN commercials (like the creepy Jordan's Furniture guy just now). It's too bad you can't pick the accents for commercials the same way you can manipulate the SAP button. I'd go with "Rhode Island" and maybe even blend "Chicago" in there every few weeks to mix it up.
6:13 — After Troy Patton's impressive 1-2-3 inning, Lester walks Hardy and Markakis to start the bottom of the sixth, then Scutaro robs Vlad's RBI single up the middle, scoop-tosses it to Pedroia with his glove and Pedroia chucks it to first in time for the DP. What a play! So what if you can time Vlad with a sundial these days what a play!
6:15 — Either Lester (87 pitches) just pitched around Wieters, or he can't find the plate anymore. Third and first, two outs, Adam Jones up. This goes beyond tense. Lester is laboring. Everyone on the Red Sox looks like a college kid whose girlfriend just told him, "We have to talk, I did something dumb last night." Actually, can we stop showing people in the dugout, NESN? What about fans, grass and wide shots going forward? Please.
6:20 — 3-and-2 pitch to Jones swing and a miss! Nine outs to go.
6:22 — Just sent the first "you're alive, right?" text to my dad of the night. That reminds me, where does "buying my dad a plane ticket four weeks ago to come out to California and watch the first weekend of Red Sox playoff games with me?" rank on the Jinx Scale considering the Sox had a nine-game lead at the time? I'm going to say 0.15 out of 10.
6:25 — Pedroia draws a one-out walk. Meanwhile, Daniel and I are both horrified that Alfredo Aceves (71 pitches, 6.1 IP in the past three games) is warming up again right now. I know he's been the unsung hero of the season, and it thrills me to no end that we stole him from the Yankees but at what point is Tito pulling a Torre/Proctor on him?
6:29 — Big Papi gets thrown out at second unsuccessfully stretching a single into a double, then Baltimore intentionally walks Gonzalez (second time tonight) and gets a Lavarnway grounder to end the threat. The words "Big Papi" and "stretching" should never go together unless we're talking about a bag of Doritos that's on a high shelf.
6:32 — Daniel claims that Warren Buffett owns Jordan's Furniture and pays the old owner to pretend he owns the company for the commercials. The bartender just cut him off.
6:34 — Rain delay! "JUST CALL IT!" Daniel screams at the TV. "CALL IT!!!!"1
6:42 — We're watching the Yankees on YES — heading into the bottom of the seventh, with the Yankees still leading 7-0, we see A.J. Burnett trotting in from the bullpen as Michael Kay gushes happily, "A.J. Burnett is coming in!" He's openly rooting for the Rays. You can tell. I mean, what other reason would you have to gush happily, "A.J. Burnett is coming in!"
6:52 — It's pouring rain in Baltimore.
7:05 — Still pouring. We're watching one of those "feels a little like an awkward date" time-killing interviews with NESN's Heidi Watney and the Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo. It feels like they met on Match.com last night. I love these. Did you ever mute the TV and make up fake sentences for the aging sportswriter like, "And after my wife left me I lost 20 pounds, and then that's when I started doing P90X and it changed my life?" Really? Not even once?
7:10 — Just flicked over to the premiere Real World: San Diego episode in time for the line, "Sam goes in for a hug and I'm like, 'There's boobs here.'" Daniel thinks every Real World season should have one horny married guy in his mid-40s on the show, volunteers his own services for the next season, then gets up to make himself a screwdriver. This is the most fun I've ever had during a rain delay.
7:18 — Bases loaded, no outs, Yankees winning by six, bottom of the eighth, Michael Kay saying, "The Yankees have used nine pitchers tonight, there's really nobody else available other than Scott Proctor," Daniel and I looking at each other with matching, "Should we be concerned right now?" looks and Luis Ayala hits Sean Rodriguez. 7-2, Yankees.
7:18 — Uh-oh.
7:18 — The 29,000 Rays fans on hand are going crazy. I'm too nervous to make the "29,000 fans in your must-win game of the year???" joke.
7:23 — Down 7-3, Evan Longoria (an absolute beast this month) smacks a three-run homer. My god. It's a 7-6 ballgame. Leave it to the Yankees to stick it to the Red Sox yet again. They took out six starters and went through eight pitchers already. It's like they planned ahead of time, "Let's get an early lead, then we'll slowly throw the game and it will take every Red Sox fan three innings to realize it. We will WRECK THEM." It's working.
7:32 — I'm just eating. I'm eating everything in sight.
7:39 — Somebody named Greg Golson flies out to end the top of the ninth — he looks like one of the fake Yankees who played against Billy Chapel's team in For Love of the Game. He might be an actor. I'm not even kidding.
7:42 — No Mariano Rivera for the bottom of the ninth. Daniel and I have this exchange:
Daniel (confident): "I'm OK with Cory Wade closing this out."
Me: (staring at him in disbelief)
Daniel: "What, you're not OK with Cory Wade?"
7:45 — Two outs, nobody on, bottom of the ninth and Tampa sends up one-time Red Sox killer Dan Johnson (batting .108) to save the season. I'm pretty sure he's not the extra 2 percent. COME ON, YANKEES!
7:45 — Sorry, I mean, COME ON, TEAM I NEED TO WIN RIGHT NOW!!!
7:47 — Two outs, two strikes home run, Dan Johnson. Right down the right-field line. You've gotta be kidding me. That was basically baseball's version of the Tyree Catch, only if the 18-0 Patriots were a 90-win baseball team that quit with four weeks to go and had little to no chance of winning the title. Still, I'm in shock. Yankees 7, Rays 7.
7:48 — The Proctorologist (Scott Proctor) is coming in for the Yankees. He's their last available pitcher and he has an ERA of 10.38. They should just forfeit. Seriously.
7:50 — We find temporary solace in what happened these past three minutes: Upon further review, Johnson's homer nailed a Rays fan right in the nuts. Hard. We just rewound that five times and laughed evilly three of the times. I hate everybody.
7:53 — Kay: "Can you imagine the people of Red Sox Nation what they're feeling right now?" Yes. Yes I can. Somehow, the Proctorologist gets out of the ninth.
8:01 — After a 1-hour, 24-minute rain delay, Alfredo kicks off the bottom of the seventh by nailing Reynolds in the ribs, getting a flyout and then plunking Reimold. So you're telling me that pitching three straight games and then warming up right before a 90-minute rain delay could have some side effects? I would have saved him for tomorrow. Let's add this to the "What the hell was Terry Francona doing this month?????" files no matter how this turns out.
8:02 — Here's all you need to know about tonight, this month and this season: I'm PETRIFIED of Robert Andino right now.
8:09 — The good news: Aceves got Andino and Hardy out to escape the seventh. The bad news: Tampa's Kyle Farnsworth escaped a second-and-first jam in the 10th.
8:13 — NESN tries to jinx Scutaro by prematurely naming him the "Papa Gino's Performer of the Game." Doesn't work. He hits a one-out single to right. What happens next? Crawford comes through with a double into the gap in left. Wendell Kim's spirit invades our third-base coach's body. He sends Scutaro. Scutaro gets thrown out on a bang-bang play at home. That's our third guy thrown out tonight. Aviles quickly pops up to end the inning. I can type only in short bursts.
8:22 — There was a time when I liked seeing Daniel Bard in the eighth. Just not lately. Right as Proctor is somehow getting out of the 10th, Bard needs two warning-track fly balls to get out of the eighth. What an insane night. We're nearing the 4½-hour mark. I feel like this guy:
8:25 — Batting for the Yankees in the top of the 11th: Rudi Stein, Miguel Aguilar and Timmy Lupus.
8:29 — Ellsbury beats out an infield single and gets called out, followed by Terry Francona's successfully arguing that Reynolds juggled the catch THE PLAY HAS BEEN REVERSED! That never happens! Ellsbury quickly steals second and earns some deserved "MVP! MVP! MVP!" chants from the Boston fans on hand.
Let's see: .323/.377/.553, 158 games, 32 HR's, 39 SB's (+24), 105 RBI, 119 runs, good defense in center, the biggest hit of the season (his three-run homer against the Yanks on Sunday night) it's definitely an argument. Although I'd still vote for Justin Verlander. It's hard to think of anyone being an MVP on a .500 team (Toronto) or a team that choked so memorably in September (Boston). If there was an MVP to be given out this year, it was the NBA Finals MVP — you know, for that September streak when the Red Sox won six of 24 games.
8:39 — Pedroia just singled (Ellsbury to third, still no outs). Proctor's carcass is barely hanging on in Tampa. Daniel and I are nervously killing time by discussing our most meaningless Red Sox possessions. I went with any Manny jersey because "he's a cheater and an alleged wife-beater and I can't imagine breaking those out anytime soon." Daniel went with "my 200 Scott Cooper rookie cards."
8:42 — The Braves are done. Lost in the 13th. I was afraid to mention them — they're like our co-Kings of Kollapse. I can't decide if this is good or bad for us. Also a bad sign: Ortiz just hit a ball three feet. Now it's Ellsbury on third and pinch-runner Joey Gathright on first, one out. Typical Francona overmanaging moment, by the way — they're definitely walking Gonzalez again, so why take Ortiz's bat out of the lineup? Aaaaaargh.
8:45 — Yup, they just intentionally walked Gonzalez for the third time tonight and Lavarnway hits into a double play to kill the top of the ninth. (The lesson, as always: Maybe it's not a good idea to bat someone fifth in the biggest game of the season when he wasn't good enough to play 48 hours ago. I was wrong.) The good news: Now Joey Gathright is batting cleanup if we go into extra innings. A minute later, my man Desmond Jennings (batting .170 in September) flies out to kill a Tampa rally in the 12th.
"Daddy needs another drink," Daniel says. That's going to be the title of my 2011 Red Sox book.
8:49 — Longoria boots Golson's grounder to start the top of the 12th, Joe Maddon calls for Jake McGee, then Jonathan Papelbon strikes out Adam Jones. These two games are blending into each other. Or, my brain is bleeding. I think I'm always going to remember this night, no matter what happens. We've reached that point. It's morphed into something bigger than just a big night of baseball games. You can feel it. The Dan Johnson homer was the "all bets are off tonight" moment.
8:51 — Quick word about Papelbon: He threw 29 pitches for seven gigantic outs on Sunday night against the Yankees, then labored through a 28-pitch, one-out save Tuesday night. Earlier this afternoon, my dad mentioned that Paps looked "exhausted" Tuesday night and we both agreed that we didn't want to see him pitching in another close game tonight. In Tampa, Eric Chavez singles (first and third, no outs) right before Papelbon strikes out Mark Reynolds (two outs). Come on, baby. Come on.
8:53 — Chris Davis keeps Baltimore alive with a double down the line, then Golson gets tagged out for the Yanks on a grounder to third (second and first, one out). And just like that, everything flipped. I can't wait to write about this in more detail this winter when I'm writing Daddy Needs Another Drink.
8:59 — Two outs, two strikes and Nolan Reimold doubles into the gap. Boston 3, Baltimore 3. Oh, and the Yankees just failed to score in the 12th. I feel like Rick Perry's campaign manager. You can feel it coming now. This isn't ending well.
9:02 — Andino rips a single to left, Crawford dives for it, should catch it, seems like he's going to catch it can't catch it. Throws home too late. Game over. Baltimore 4, Boston 3. Season (probably) over.
9:03 — (Speechless.)
9:04 — (Speechless.)
9:05 — (Speechless.)
9:06 — Home run, Longoria. Tampa Bay 8, New York 7.
9:07 — In the car.
And so it went for the 2011 Red Sox, the biggest chokers of any Boston team in my lifetime. At least the '78 Sox fought back and forced a one-game playoff; these guys couldn't even do that. They disintegrated over an entire month, day after day after day. You can't even explain how brutal they were unless you followed the free fall firsthand. Once 82-51, they finished 90-72. From August 30 through September 24, they were 2-18 in games in which they scored fewer than nine runs. Their team ERA for September was 5.90. Their starters finished 4-13 for the month with a 7.03 ERA. Their best setup guy single-handedly blew four games. Their bats went mysteriously silent at the worst possible times, personified by Papi's three-foot out tonight in a situation in which it was almost impossible NOT to score. If the 2004 Red Sox distinguished themselves by everyone chipping in, the 2011 Red Sox distinguished themselves by chipping out.
Their body language grew progressively worse as the month dragged on, with their manager seeming more hopeless and desperate than anyone. They blew basic baseball plays, botched fly balls, dropped relay throws, ended games by getting caught stealing, threw meatballs, bitched at each other, admitted to being scared you name it, they did it. They choked away Game 162 by getting three guys thrown out on the basepaths, by blowing a 3-2 lead in the ninth, by botching a season-deciding fly ball, by letting Chris Davis, Nolan Reimold and Robert Andino beat them with two outs in the ninth. You can't say it was unbelievable, because, actually, it was totally believable. This was a mercy killing. At least that's what I will keep telling myself. The 2011 Red Sox needed to go away. And they did.
Bill Simmons is the Editor in Chief of Grantland and the author of the recent New York Times no. 1 best-seller The Book of Basketball, now out in paperback with new material and a revised Hall of Fame Pyramid. For every Simmons column and podcast, log on to Grantland. Follow him on Twitter and check out his new home on Facebook.
Previously from Bill Simmons:
Jonathan Abrams & Bill Simmons: Welcome to NBA Amnesty 2.0
NFL Week 3: Summer Mailbag Finale
NFL Week 2: The NFL Stock Market
NFL Preview: It's All About Continuity
Summer of Mailbag V: Passing the Buck
Summer of Mailbag IV: Dawn of the Mailbag
Summer of Mailbag III: Attack of the Mailbag!
The Glorious Return of the Mailbag
Summer of Mailbag: The Revenge
Red Sox Report Card
'Good Lord! That's His Music!'
To submit questions for the next mailbag, click here; to comment on this story through Facebook, click here.


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Super Online Sewing Match Round Three | It's A Cinch! Tote
I added decorative faux leather piping detail.
Side View Showing Strap Unbuckled
Side View Showing Strap Buckled Four Notches
View of Altered Top Corner of Tote Bag
Top Corner of Tote Bag with Straps Undone and Round Rings
Front Pocket with Decorative Brass Tone Spots and Faux Leather Piping
Is it bad to say that everything was a challenge? Okay, I exaggerate, but this past week was creatively and technically mind expanding. When I was trying to narrow down my fabric choices, I was sure that was the biggest challenge. Ha! As it went, the entire tote turned out to be a giant jigsaw puzzle. Because of the little tweaks I had made, there was a very precise order in how this little beauty was to be constructed. I did make a muslin first; but just of the basic shape, no zips or straps, or anything that was actually hard to do; you know, the steps that really would have benefited from a practice run. Nuh-uh, let's leave all that for the good fabric. I went slowly, stepped away several times, and even had to sleep on it a few times… not the tote, the problem. All the while, the clock ticking towards our deadline. My fabric choices were not without their unique challenges. Faux leather likes to skip stitches. I don't have a walking foot, or a teflon foot, but I have a lot of parchment paper. So, I put a layer of parchment paper between my presser foot and the leather, and it worked quite well….unless you prefer to actually see where you're sewing. Ultrasuede can't be pinned, faux leather can't be ironed. Three colours of thread. Three different needles. I was changing needles from a denim needle {recommended for the faux leather}, to a regular needle, to a ball point needle with abandon. At one point, I was stitching through a layer of ultrasuede, two layers of faux leather, a layer of interlining, and the upholstery fabric. My sewing machine was groaning. BUT…I'm not complaining! Yes, my brain is toast as I type this; but I didn't have any catastrophes…sure I dropped my pin box all over the floor once, and I melted a bit of faux leather onto my press cloth, but otherwise things chugged along according to my vision.
Linking Up With:
Heather at Feather's Flights for You Flew Sewing Link Up


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Serge Clerc began his professional career in 1975 in the monthly magazine Métal Hurlant, after having created his own fanzine, Abolutely Live. Initially a science-ficion artist, his story, 'Captain Futur', appeared in book format in 1979 by Les Humanöides Associés. He also succeeded Enki Bilal on the graphical part of 'L'Exterminateur 17' (script by Jean-Pierre Dionnet). Influenced by Tardi, Sire and Voss, his style soon became transformed into the clear line and atomic style well-known by artists like Chaland, Ever Meulen and Swarte. Cooperating with Philippe Manoeuvre, Clerc became one of the main representatives of the "BD Rock" scene, together with Ben Radis, Dodo and Frank Margerin.
In 1984, when the book 'La Legende du Rock & Roll' appeared, it was noticed by the British pop magazine Melody Maker, for which he became a freelance illustrator. His artwork also appeared in other (international) music magazines, such as Rock & Folk (France), New Musical Express (UK) and OOR (The Netherlands). Meanwhile, his stories still appeared in Métal Hurlant until the magazine came to an end in 1987. For the magazine Rock and Folk, he created the detective 'Phil Perfect' and his alter-ego 'Sam Bronx', a series that was also printed in Métal Hurlant and in books by Les Humanoïdes Associés.
Phil Perfect
He did some short stories together with François Avril for the anthology 'Frank Margerin Présente'. In 1997, his story 'Les Limaces Rouges' appeared in the American Heavy Metal Magazine. In 1999, Serge Clerc made a comic comeback when he started publishing short stories again, such as 'Irresistible Ascension'.
Clerc has been mainly active as an illustrator and designer in the 2000s, while his comics activities were limited to a series of anthology projects. In 2011 he published 'Spirou vers la modernité', an homage artbook to the classic character of the publishing house Dupuis, who has been drawn by atomic style masters like Jijé and Franquin.


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For the love of food...the love of creating...the love of eating...with friends
A Day in the Life of a Substitute Teacher
Well, it has taken a full year to form some kind of relationship with these kids. I would have never thought it would take so long. We have come full circle - Josh is not only speaking to me and asking me for school help but he defends me when Thomas is rude. Tom must have had a bad day because he was somewhat defiant and rude, not like him. Jacob is Jacob and not much change there. He never was a real problem. Rebecca has more respect, still has her naughty side but that can be fun. The twins cling to me. John, is still not wanting to do his work but doesn't whine, much! Joe has such a deep, pensive side and I am always thinking he is weighing each and every word I speak. And the last, but not least, why can't I remember the name! He is so sensitive and caring.
You have been doing some wonderful projects with them. Those birdhouses are amazing and they are so proud. And they showed me all the flowerpots for your wedding. They love tending the bedding plants. The library is 100% tidier. I am sure you will miss them.
All the best in your new life! I have a sister living in Yorkton. BTW. Such a small world.
So I guess I told you all this to soften you up for the kids' request. They are wondering if we could go on a hike to the coulee the next time I come out. It would be in the afternoon and be called a part of our phys ed time. They say 2 hours, but I say it would be all afternoon.
Thanks for calling me to sub for you all year. It was a good plan to book me for the entire year. If not, I may have quit midstream! They were a tough bunch for much of the time but they are so much more respectful and open with me now. I can say what I feel without creating barriers.
So today, someone asked me if it was a good day. I quietly said yes, and how was it for you? Hmmm, it was good. Melt my heart.
Where Have I Been....
I have not posted in more than a week .... Sorry! Somewhere along the line I have overloaded my schedule.
I retired from real estate three years ago and wanted a simpler existence, more time for me, follow my passions. In the beginning it was fun. I lived in Winnipeg for the summer. Then I found a house sit opportunity in East Tennessee and lived in the country for 5 months. It was so much fun and I met so many wonderful people and without even realizing, I had done something I always wanted to do - visit the South. I would not trade that experience for anything.
My next move was to buy a house in a little city on the Saskatchewan prairies. And, still I had so much time to relax. I worked in my garden, volunteered in the arts community, and had picnics in the country.
I once said to myself, "If I could spend the rest of my life cooking, I would be happy." Well, be careful what you ask for. I am cooking all the time but rarely eat and I am exhausted.
At the moment I am a substitute teacher (with 12 school days in May), work half-time at a real estate office, sell my food at the Farmers' Market on Saturday and dabble in catering and cooking classes. Phew! I am tired just thinking about it. Something has to give! It will be a summer of contemplation.
Tonight I finally served myself a nice meal. It was a very simple meal but I really enjoyed sitting down with it.
This is Tagliatelle with Smoked Steelhead Trout in a Cream Sauce . Saute finely chopped leek and fennel. Add the flaked smoked fish, a splash of cream and freshly ground black pepper. Add the drained pasta and toss with the sauce. Add some of the pasta cooking water if you need to loosen up the pasta. Garnish and serve with grated parmesan cheese.
(I had previously written that this was whitefish. I have no idea where that idea came from!)
Posted by Sarah at 6:59 PM 9 comments:
Thursday is Market Day
But, I now digress. I have the basement tenant from hell. He has a job but has not moved his household to this city yet so is only here Monday - Thursday nights. Perfect! He works long hours and showers at work or the gym and doesn't get home until late. Perfect!! He doesn't watch tv or eat here. Perfect!!!
So what has this got to do with 'Thursday is Market Day' or that he is the tenant from hell? Well, it turns out that my tenant changed his tune after moving in. He showers here every day or sometimes twice a day. I came home one Monday afternoon and he was already home and in bed. I guess the leaving early and coming home late is an occasional routine rather than the norm.
He asked if he could bring a television for his bedroom so he could watch the NHL playoffs in bed. How was I to know that he would rip out all my nicely Shaw-installed cables and take my digital box so I was left without any television service? Every week is a new adventure.
But the proverbial icing on the cake was when I checked on my milk chocolate bars in my cold room. I check on them to see if they have sugar bloom. I have plans to make Gourmet S'More Kits for the Farmers' Market. The labels and packaging are already prepared. So this is where the market comes in.... He ate all but two of my homemade organic milk chocolate bars! All my hard work was wasted on a person who would be just as happy with Cadbury's from the corner store. But, I guess that would mean getting out of my cozy basement and getting in his car and p-a-y-i-n-g for his treat.
That is only the first of a list of the tasty treats he stole from my pantry and freezer. Needless to say, I evicted him.
Last Saturday was my first day at the Farmers' Market for the season and a good day it was! My regular clients came looking for cheddar crisps (buddy ate 3 packages of them) of which I had only one package to sell, my homemade graham crackers and my spanakopita. I had a large variety of products and the strategy worked. It will be a good year!
Back to the Monday, Tuesday, routine thing. There was a time when we had a regimen. We had a routine and chores were done with regularity. I remember those days and remember all those wonderful tea towels that my mother embroidered with the cute sayings.
I sell bread, baking and such at the Farmers' Market and today I took delivery of my flour order. It is so nice to go into my pantry and smell that fresh grain aroma. I am so glad to be excited about getting back to the market. When the season ended last year I was so exhausted and I wondered if I would want to return this spring.
Follow my 5 week journey recreating the weekly schedule of women in days past:
Monday is Washing Day
Tuesday is Ironing Day
Wednesday is Sewing Day
Posted by Sarah at 4:36 PM 7 comments:
Labels: home
Wednesday is Sewing Day
My very first and only sewing machine was a gift from my father when I graduated from high school and enrolled in the College of Home Economics. My father taught me how to sew. I would love to know how he learned. It would not surprise me if he taught himself this craft.
Well, that state of the art Pfaff served me well but after a very fruitful life and gradual demise and it was time for something new. I purchased a Husqvarna with many of the modern bells and whistles. It is a beautiful machine and I am so afraid to even touch it! So far I have only done alterations and mending while I build my confidence.
A home ec friend that had done some sewing for me when I was deeply entrenched in my real estate career recently tracked me down at my new address. She had a beautiful piece of fabric that I had left for her to make me an outfit! She happened to be driving past my little town, dropped it off and it is now my project. I have an instant, and free, outfit - should I accept the challenge. Now the real challenge is to muster up the courage to cut and sew.
Can you even imagine that at one time women spent their Wednesdays sewing? It could be a blessing or a curse. I would love to have the freedom to spend my Wednesdays sewing without any other obligations. I wonder if those women from my mother's era felt the same. Would this have been a respite from the daily grind or a chore? I vividly remember the many hours my mother spent with her needlework and I know it was a wonderful escape from the day to day chores for her. Perhaps that is why I cannot imagine my life without sewing.
Follow my 5 week journey recreating the weekly schedule of women in the past:
Monday is Washing Day
Tuesday is Ironing Day
Posted by Sarah at 10:34 PM 5 comments:
Labels: home
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How the Chinese domesticated cats 5,300 years ago
The bones of cats who lived in a Chinese village 5,300 years ago reveal the possible path from wild feline to house cat. How does a feral beast become a pet?
| New York
A cat-and-mouse game played out in a Chinese village some 5,300 years ago is helping scientists understand how wild felines transformed into the tame pets we know today.
In fact, it was the cat's appetite that started it down the path to domestication, scientists believe. The grain stored by ancient farmers was a magnet for rodents. And that drew wild cats into villages to hunt the little critters. Over time, wild cats adapted to village life and became tamer around their human hosts.
That's the leading theory, anyway, for how wild cats long ago were transformed and became ancestors of today's house cats. That happened in the Middle East, rather than China. But bones from the Chinese village back up the idea that felines took on the pest-control job in ancient times, says researcher Fiona Marshall of Washington University in St. Louis.
Marshall is an author of a report on the fossil research, published online Monday by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study, focused on an agricultural village in northern China, comes from a poorly understood time in the history of cats. The first evidence of domesticated cats comes much later, in Egyptian artwork from about 4,000 years ago.
So what went on in that village?
Researchers found signs that rodents were threatening the village grain supply. Storage vessels were designed to keep them out, and rodents had burrowed into a grain-storage pit.
In the ancient feline bones, chemical signatures indicated that the cats had eaten animals that in turn had fed on millet, a grain crop known to be harvested by the villagers. So apparently, the cats were indeed going after the rodents.
It's not yet clear whether the cats were from a local wild population, or were already domesticated and had been brought in from elsewhere, Marshall said. Either way, it shows that ancient cats filled the niche at the heart of the hypothesis about how domestication began, she said.
Greger Larson of Durham University in England called the new work "an important step forward." Few studies have focused on how cats became domesticated, in contrast to dogs, pigs and sheep, he said.


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The new .bcn generic domain is aimed at the community, businesses, institutions and inhabitants of the city of Barcelona, in order to create a recognisable and identifiable platform for the Spanish city.
|New generic top level domain (NgTLD)
The domain request is still under evaluation so the launch calendar for this new extension is not available yet.
As soon as details are announced, we will update this page with all the available information.
To be emailed, subscribe to our newsletter and receive all updates about domains in real time.
The application for the .bcn domain was filed by Municipi de Barcelona on 12/04/2012 and the procedure will be carried out by ICANN by priority order 1371 of 1930 applications.


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Whether trading or selling, Surf Auto Brokers LLC will make you an offer you can't refuse. Bring in your car today!
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This Monday's guest star is Jenna Jaxon who has brought a most recent release:
Passion never dies.
Lady Alyse Braedon frets over her renewed passion for Sir Geoffrey Longford, her first love. They have pledged their hearts to one another, despite the fact that both are recently widowed. Alyse worries that she has not properly mourned Thomas and cannot think herself as true wife to Geoffrey until she puts her feelings for her first husband to rest.
And then Thomas unaccountably appears in her bedroom.She is stunned and confused. When he begins to make love to her, however, she joyfully surrenders herself to his familiar caresses and expert ministrations...until Geoffrey arrives.
Faced with the dilemma of wanting two lovers, Alyse simply cannot choose--until Thomas suggests she doesn't have to. Instead he and Geoffrey will share her. The scandalous proposition awakens new hungers within her.Can she allow herself to abandon all she's been taught a proper woman should resist, and find pleasure with both her beloveds?
The familiar voice tugged at the edges of wakefulness. Had Geoffrey returned so soon? The sound did not have his deep tone. Yet 'twas a voice she knew well, rich and sensual.
"Do not fret, sweet. 'Twill be all right."
Alyse struggled to open her eyes, though the heavy lids fought against her.
The bed dipped as someone sat beside her. . Good. Thank the Lord. Geoffrey had returned. Although she would swear it had not been he who had spoken.
A soft hand cupped her face, and she pressed her cheek against it, luxuriating in its warmth. She smiled and her eyes fluttered open at last.
The man seated on the bed had shoulder-length honey-blond hair and warm, beguiling brown eyes. He also defied fashion and wore a thin mustache and beard. His eyes brightened when he noticed she was awake and his mouth turned up in the lazy smile she had come to know so very well.
"Thomas." The name came out a croak. Holy Father, had she conjured him with her guilt and longing? She shrank back into the pillows.
His smile widened and he caressed her, running one long finger along her jaw. "Aye, sweet Alyse. 'Tis I. Do you feel better now, my love?"
"Better?" She must be dying to see such an apparition. Or mayhap she was already dead and in heaven.
"Aye. You do not shiver as you did a moment ago. I hoped that meant you felt warmer." He picked up her hand and kissed the knuckles.
Warmth flowed through her, soothing her, making her body tingle with that single touch of his lips.
"Is it really you?" Strength welled within her and she struggled to sit up.
"As ever I was." He smiled, his gaze sweeping down her body. His eyes darkened with the desire she remembered well.
"Oh, Thomas." She threw her arms around him, sighing when they embraced the hard-muscled chest she had lain upon so often. "I thought you dead, my love. Did I but dream?"
"Shhh, my sweet. I am here now." He stroked her head then pulled it back to peer into her face. "I will always be with you, love." He sank his mouth onto hers, and she melted at the touch of his insistent lips.
Like coming home.