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Despite hurricanes and excessive rainfall which affected cotton production from Texas to the Southeast last year, the quality of the 2008 U.S. cotton crop improved over the previous year, according to a report presented at the 2009 Beltwide Cotton Conferences, in San Antonio.
The compilation of classing data, presented by Robbie Seals, chief, grading branch, USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service/Cotton Program, showed improved ratings for average strength, staple and color grade, but less desirable ratings for leaf and extraneous matter.
Through Jan. 1, 2009, 11.4 million bales of cotton had been classed by USDA, compared to 17.9 million this time last year. Seals estimates that 12.7 million bales will eventually be classed in 2008, compared to 18.7 million in 2007 and 21 million in 2006. Most of the remaining cotton to be classed is in the Lubbock classing office.
Pima classings were at 365,000 bales. "We will probably end up with somewhere around 430,000 bales of Pima classed for 2008," Seals said.
The Cotton Belt recorded high percentages of the crop with color grades 41/32 or higher. At 94 percent, this was significantly higher than the 86 percent reported in 2007. The percentage ranged from a high of 99.7 percent in the San Joaquin Valley to a low of 92.5 percent in the Southeast. The Mid-South recorded 94.6 percent of its cotton at a color grade of 41/32 or higher.
The downside was the average leaf grade, which increased from an average of 3.2 in 2007 to 3.5 in 2008, which according to Seals, is one of the highest in recent years.
The Mid-South recorded the highest leaf grade averages, 3.9, equal to last year. Leaf grade was also higher in the San Joaquin Valley, 2.4 compared to 2.3 in 2007; and Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, 3.2 compared to 2.8 in 2007. Only the Desert Southwest recorded a lower leaf grade than the prior year, dropping from 2.5 to 2.4. The Southeast recorded a 3.6 leaf grade, the same as last year.
Extraneous matter also increased significantly in 2008, going from 4.0 in 2007 to 15.7 in 2008, the highest level since 2004. Seals says the change was due to increases in bark in west Texas, where 41.7 percent of the crop contained extraneous matter, compared to less than one percent for all other regions of the United States. Seals expects the extraneous matter numbers for 2008 to pass the previous high set in 2004, "because in recent weeks, the percentage of cotton with bark has been around 70 percent in Lubbock and Lamesa."
Micronaire has been unchanged for the last five years, at around 4.3, according to Seals. In 2008, average mike dropped in west Texas, but was offset by increases in the Mid-South. "We did have quite a bit of high mike cotton in the Southeast and Mid-South."
By region, average mike was 4.6 in the Mid-South and Southeast; 4.5 in the Desert Southwest; 4.2 in the San Joaquin Valley; and 3.9 in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
Average length and strength for U.S. cotton continues to improve in the Cotton Belt — due mostly to more cotton being produced in Texas, according to Seals. "Since the late 1980s, there's been a falloff in cotton production in the West to where today it represents only 5 percent of the total production in the United States. That's where we had a lot of our long staple and high strength cotton.
"In more recent years, Texas is producing a much higher percent of the crop, but is also producing a higher quality crop."
The average strength of the U.S. crop improved to 29.7 in 2008, the highest since USDA went to 100 percent HVI (High Volume Instrument) classing in 1991. In the Mid-South, average strength was 30.2; Southeast, 28.7; Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas, 29.6; Desert Southwest, 30.3; and San Joaquin Valley, 33.8. There was also a big increase in average strength for Pima cotton, from 40.6 in 2007, to 41.7 in 2008.
Average staple length for U.S. cotton improved from 35.3 to 35.7, with each region producing longer fiber than the previous year. The Southwest and San Joaquin Valley recorded average staple over 36, with the San Joaquin Valley recording an average of 38. The Mid-South recorded an average length of a little over 35. The U.S. average staple is the highest recorded since USDA went to 100 percent HVI classing.
According to Seals, the percent of bales at base quality dropped from 52.2 percent in 2007 to 50.3 percent in 2008, while the Pima percentage climbed from 46.8 in 2007 to 47.5 in 2008. "All the Upland bales with extraneous matter do not fall into this category, so that's one of the reasons the percentage dropped. Over the last three years, including 2008, the Mid-South and Southeast increased the percentage."
In Texas, only 32 percent of the bales processed were at base quality or higher. "But excluding California, Texas leads the nation in percentage of high quality cotton, with over 20 percent of its cotton classed at 21-3-35 or better. The figure might have been much higher if not for the extraneous matter. In 2007, Texas was bumping the 60 percent mark."
email: [email protected]


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Ionia Middle School seventh grader, multi-talented Grace Riccius, will perform in "An Evening for Evan," a benefit concert at Lakewood High School at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3.
Ionia Middle School seventh grader, multi-talented Grace Riccius, will perform in "An Evening for Evan," a benefit concert at
Lakewood High School at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3.
Riccius is a member of the Lakewood Area Choral Society Glee, a youth choir under the direction of Amanda Smith and Laura Soule. She will participate in Ice Mountains and Hairy Elephants, a story told in song from the book "Wilderness Plots" by Scott Russell Sanders. Three other musicians will be singing character parts as well.
The concert finale, a special rendition of Steven Foster's "Hard Times, Come Again No More" will be a solo by Grace, with over 80 members of the Lakewood Area Choral Society singing the chorus.
"An Evening for Evan" is a 90-minute collage concert to support 3-year-old Evan Pung of Portland. Evan's mother, Jody, is a kindergarten teacher at Lakewood's Sunfield Elementary School. Evan was diagnosed with leukemia on Thanksgiving Day of 2011 and is completing his first year of an intense three-year treatment plan.
The Lakewood Public School family and friends hope free will donations at this concert will defray some of the expenses incurred from medical travel and work leave Evan's parents Jody and Ben, a GM worker, must frequently take.
Performers for "An Evening for Evan" include folk/rock musician Josh Rose, the jazz group Second Chance, folk/children's music by Libby Kinsey, and pop/sacred tunes provided by the Lakewood Area Choral Society under the direction of Robert C. Oster with Joy French as pianist. There will be a finger food and fellowship time following the concert.
Soloist Grace Riccius has been performing since she was a preschooler, singing church and then school solos. She also plays the flute in her middle school band and runs on the cross country team. Riccius is a student of ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, and hip hop. As a member of Glee, Grace has performed in such events as Art in the Park in Lake Odessa and the Ionia Free Fair.

subset: commoncrawl


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — U.S. stocks closed lower on Wednesday after the minutes from the Federal Reserve's policy setting meeting revealed little consensus about when short-term rates would begin to rise.
A larger-than-expected drop in home construction in January also weighed on sentiment.
The S&P 500 index SPX, +0.18% broke a three-day winning streak, closing 12.01 points, or 0.7%, lower at 1,828.75. At session highs, the benchmark index was within a hair's breadth from its all-time high reached on Jan 15.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.14% also had a volatile session, at one point adding as much as 95 points. But the blue-chip index ended the session 89.84 points, or 0.6%, lower at 16,040.56.
The Nasdaq Composite COMP, +0.74% snapped its eight-day winning streak, dropping 34.83 points, or 0.8%, to 4,237.95. Read the recap of our stock market live blog.
"The Fed succeeded in letting the markets function on their own and we can see that in the near-5% rise in February, which was all driven by better-than-expected earnings," said Doug Cote, chief investment strategist at ING Investment Management.
"It is very clear the taper will continue at a $10 billion-a-month rate and finish by the end of the year. New chairwoman Janet Yellen also inspires of lot of confidence – she is a strong consensus builder and will continue with the low-rate policy," he added.
At the January meeting, Fed officials agreed unanimously to continue to slowly reduce the pace of the central's asset-purchase program by another $10 billion to $65 billion per month and to pledge to keep rates low until "well past" the point where the unemployment rate fell below a 6.5% threshold. This was the first unanimous statement since 2011. However, minutes revealed little consensus over short-term rates and some doubts about whether the central bank should continue to reduce the pace of asset purchases.
Before the release of minutes, stocks reversed gains after a spate of speeches from Federal Reserve officials. Atlanta Federal Reserve President Dennis Lockhart said he expects a mid-2015 interest-rate hike. Separately, the IMF warned of a still-weak economic recovery with significant risks remaining.
Economic data: Housing starts, wholesale prices
"With the weather being this cold, it is hard to draw conclusions from housing reports," said Terry Sandven, senior equity strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. "Both the headline number and building permits were below expectations, but not at worrying levels."
He noted that earnings growth so far this season has beaten expectations, and said he remains optimistic about the market this year.
Construction on new U.S. homes tumbled 16% in January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 880,000, with drops for single-family homes and apartments, according to Commerce Department. Economists polled by MarketWatch said particularly poor weather hit construction last month. Building permits, a sign of future demand, fell to the lowest rate since August.
U.S. producer prices rose in January under the government's new formula for measuring wholesale inflation, the Labor Department said Wednesday.
Movers: Zale, Chelsea Therapeutics International soar
Shares of Zale US:ZLC soared 40% to $20.92 after Signet Jewelers Ltd. SIG, -4.62% said it would buy its smaller rival for about $690 million in an all-cash deal. Signet shares jumped 18%.
Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd. US:CHTP shares surged 24% to $6.16, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration conditionally approved the pharmaceutical company's new drug for treating symptomatic neurogenic orthostatic hypotension. The drug, called Northera, received an accelerated approval since it was deemed to treat a serious unmet medical condition.
Garmin Ltd. GRMN, +0.39% climbed 9.6% after the company's earnings beat Wall Street expectations. The provider of standalone global positioning systems said its nonautomotive and mobile segments of its business made up 50% of the company's total revenue.
Carlyle Group CG, -2.05% shares rallied initially after the company's fourth-quarter earnings beat expectations. However, shares lost momentum and closed 1.3% lower.
Among decliners, Potbelly Corp. PBPB, +1.19% slid 8.7% after earnings per share beat estimates, but revenue, comparable-store sales and outlook all fell short of expectations.
La-Z-Boy Inc. LZB, -1.26% dropped 2.3% after the firm reported fiscal third-quarter results late Tuesday that failed to meet analyst estimates.
Tesla Motors Inc. TSLA, +2.01% shares jumped 14% in aftermarket trade, after the maker of electric cars reported higher profits than analysts expected.
Safeway US:SWY shares also rallied 4% after-hours following estimate-beating quarterly results. Safeway also said it is holding talks on the possible sale of the company although no agreement has been reached yet.
Other markets: Dollar rises, gold falls after Fed minutes.
The dollar edged up while gold futures settled lower and lost even more ground after the Fed minutes. 10-year Treasury yields also rose to 2.73% while oil prices edged up.
European stocks ended slightly higher, while Asia markets closed mixed.
More must-reads from MarketWatch:
1929 stock market chart doesn't scare investors — yet
This map shows half of U.S. output is generated by just a few cities
Why investors should ignore the rise in U.K. unemployment
Providing critical information for the U.S. trading day. Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Need to Know newsletter. Sign up here.


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Fifth Harmony Chats Nicknames with JJJ -- Watch Now!
Fifth Harmony blow kisses to the camera in this portrait for X Factor USA.
The all-girl group — made up of Allyson Hernandez, 19, Karla Cabello, 15, Normani Hamilton, 16, Dinah Hansen, 15, and Lauren Jauregui, 16 — is now headed to the finals with Tate Stevens and Carly Rose Sonenclar.
JJJ caught up with the girls backstage last week and found out about nicknames amongst the group.
Check it out below and don't forget to tune into X Factor USA this Wednesday, December 19th on Fox!
Backstage with Fifth Harmony
Posted to: Ally Brooke, Camila Cabello, Dinah Hansen, Fifth Harmony, Lauren Jauregui, Normani Hamilton, X Factor


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by Myles McMorrow, August 23, 2009
Swimming Pool Rebate Programs and Discounts from Utilities
Let's face it , pools are a luxury item and have big costs associated with them. Everyone wants to lower their costs when it comes to operation of their pools.I think everyone is with me saving money and lowering cost , but what about getting money back? Is it possible to get money back? Yes.
The answer is rebates and I am not talking about manufacturer rebates. Did you know that power companies offer swimming pool equipment rebates for energy efficient equipment up to $200?
There are a lot of private and government rebate programs for energy efficient, green, or water saving pool equipment . The trick is how to find them. I will tell you where to look and have posted some of the resources that I have found.
Power and water companies: many have these programs - contact yours to see check availability. Most current rebates are for multi speed or energy efficient pumps and motors (the ones that will save you up to 90% on your power bill). Using a Variable Speed or Dual Speed pump will reduce your household demand on the electrical grid. This can allow existing electrical infrastructure to provide power to more people, more efficiently. And that's why Power Companies are paying you to upgrade.
Some Water Companies or Authorities will wave the sewage fees for pool filling, since the water is not returning to the sewer. If you are draining and refilling your pool, contact your water company for instructions on how to comply with their procedure for the discount. Some water authorities, when asked, will install a separate water meter for your pool water use, saving you sewage and disposal fees. Some will even give you a rebate for using a pool cover to stop evaporation.
States are offering rebates for solar or geothermal pool heaters for a green energy push. These are usually given from the Department of Energy of your state or your local county government.
Here are a few resources that I have found:
Anaheim Public Utilities »
Bear Valley Electric Service »
Burbank Water & Power »
Glendale Water & Power »
Los Angeles Depart of Water and Power »
Pacific Gas & Electric »
Pacific Power »
Palm Desert Energy Partnership »
Pasadena Water & Power »
Riverside Public Utilities »
Roseville Electric »
Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) »
San Diego Gas & Electric »
Sierra Pacific Power (NV Energy) »
Silicon Valley Power »
Southern California Edison»
Riverside pool saver program»
Solar heater if installed from 2006-2010
Solar heater credits by states (search for "pool")
NSTAR, nationalgrid, WME, Unitil Rebate Form
Southern Nevada Water pool cover rebates
Boulder City NV pump rebates NVenergy pump rebates
Nevada Energy
New York
These are just some found from Goggling "swimming pool rebates" There are many more out there, it just takes a little time to find them. Another place to start may be at your local Utility website, or look to your local governmental websites for your county, city or state. I find that most governmental websites are very search friendly, with the proper keywords.


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With eyes toward future, Rangers hold at Deadline
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers declined to play giveaway at Thursday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. They had discussions with multiple clubs concerning outfielder Alex Rios and reliever Neal Cotts but weren't offered what the Rangers felt was fair value.
So both players will be with the Rangers when they open a three-game series with the Indians on Friday night in Cleveland.
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers declined to play giveaway at Thursday's non-waiver Trade Deadline. They had discussions with multiple clubs concerning outfielder Alex Rios and reliever Neal Cotts but weren't offered what the Rangers felt was fair value.
So both players will be with the Rangers when they open a three-game series with the Indians on Friday night in Cleveland.
"We exchanged proposals with a couple of clubs, but it just didn't line up right," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Thursday afternoon after the Deadline had passed. "That's OK. We went into it with a few things that we were open to do. We established a level of value on the guys being asked about. We're happy to keep those guys."
The Rangers were also asked about pitcher Yu Darvish and third baseman Adrian Beltre but had no real interest in moving either player. One club even asked about Colby Lewis, but most of the conversations revolved around Rios and Cotts.
The Rangers had already made two deals earlier in the month, trading Jason Frasor to the Royals for Triple-A reliever Spencer Patton as well as Joakim Soria to the Tigers for Double-A starter Jake Thompson and Triple-A reliever Corey Knebel.
"If we wanted to move our best players, teams were interested," Daniels said. "But we didn't want to make those kinds of deals. The Trade Deadline is kind of a misnomer. You can continue to make trades. We acquired Alex Rios last August. Things continue to happen. But we feel pretty good about what we did, and there has been a lot of work done the last couple of months that could lead to things down the line."
Both Rios and Cotts could be back next year. The Rangers hold a $13.5 million option on Rios for 2015 and have had preliminary discussions on a contract extension for Cotts, who can be a free agent after the season.
"Holding on to him gives us a little longer window to discuss that," Daniels said.
Right now, the Rangers are preparing for 2015 from two directions. They want to make sure their injured players are at full strength, and they want to make good evaluations on the players they already have.
From an injury standpoint, the Rangers don't expect most of the players currently on the disabled list to play again this season. Pitchers Tanner Scheppers and Alexi Ogando, who are both sidelined with elbow inflammation, will not pitch again this season.
Jurickson Profar, who has been out all year with a torn muscle in his right shoulder, will begin a throwing program in two weeks in the hopes he can make up for lost time in either the Arizona Fall League or winter ball. Prince Fielder and Mitch Moreland are done for the year.
"If we were in a pennant race, we might be able to push it with Prince," Daniels said. "Now it doesn't make sense. We want to make sure we have a clean break from our 2014 injuries. We want these guys to have normal offseasons, not a rehab offseason."
The Rangers are open to Derek Holland pitching at the Major League level. Holland, recovering from offseason knee surgery, will make his second rehab start on Monday with Triple-A Round Rock.
"The way we set it up with Derek is we're going to take it start to start," Daniels said. "His long-term health is our priority. It would be good from a mental standpoint if he got back up here and competed and trusted his leg again. It would be good for our planning purposes. But we're more concerned about next year, and we're not going to jeopardize that."
From an evaluation standpoint, the Rangers want to get a good read on as many players as possible. It starts at the Major League level.
Regarding their pitching, the Rangers want to see if Neftali Feliz can be a front-line closer again. They want to see if Nick Martinez, Nick Tepesch and Miles Mikolas can contribute to a winning rotation and if Shawn Tolleson, Roman Mendez and others can do the same in the bullpen. They want to see if Lewis is truly recovered from his elbow and hip problems and is back to what he was in 2010-11.
Concerning their position players, the Rangers are going to take a long, hard look at Jim Adduci either in the outfield or first base. They will continue to assess the progress of infielder Rougned Odor, outfielder Leonys Martin, catcher Robinson Chirinos and first baseman J.P. Arencibia.
They will consider bringing some young guys to the big leagues, including Patton, Knebel and Phil Klein. Luke Jackson is among the candidates to get a September look in the rotation. Outfielder Michael Choice, infielder Luis Sardinas and pitcher Robbie Ross could be back by September.
"There are quite a few guys that are interesting and we want to take a look at," Daniels said.
Infielder Joey Gallo is not one. The Double-A power prodigy will likely be in big league camp next spring, but the Rangers have no intention of bringing him to the big leagues this season, especially since he doesn't have to be added to the 40-man roster this winter.
But Gallo is clearly in the forefront of a wave of young talent that will arrive in Arlington over the next few years, and the Rangers are lining everything up so they will be in position to ride that wave.
"We need to evaluate which young players are ready to contribute," Daniels said. "We're going to be relying a lot on the next young wave of talent, whether it's on Opening Day or a gradual process. But we're developing the next group to play for us. We're set up for that for the long haul."
T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Postcards from Elysian Fields, and follow him on Twitter @Sullivan_Ranger


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Contact Us
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The dedicated employees at Federal Premium® take immeasurable pride in what we do, and the products you'll find here. We thank you for your continued support. Please contact us is you have any questions, concerns or comments.
Mail Address:
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send an email to web[at]vistaoutdoor.com


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JS© wrote:jimjom wrote:I think it's best when going to Chinese buffets to not look in the back or towards the kitchen. One of my favorite non-Chinese buffets, India Garden on Atwood, just got cited a couple weeks back for a variety of health code infractions, including roaches crawling around the food.
If you really want to ruin your day, well type your favorite restaurant's name in the site below and see what was found:
Thanks for burning up my last 2 hours. Some of the places weren't too bad. Hyde Park had a minor violation because the goat cheese was topped off above the rim of the container and was 55F instead of 41F. If that's the worst thing that they were cited for, I think they'll be ok.
Jimjom, what's the worst one that you found listed? I know roaches in the food has to be up there, but I'm guessing that's not even near the top.
India Garden was the worst so far. I keep entering in restaurants that I think are going to get horrible ratings and they are all okay. Even Jack's has a clean record.


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- Description
HKS high performance camshafts are CAD designed to optimize torque and horsepower over the widest possible power band. Each camshaft application is offered in multiple profiles, each with their own lift & duration characteristics to suit various levels of tuning. Lower profiles offer substantial gains in power and a broad useable power band with little compromise in drivability. Higher profiles offer greater increases in power, but are tailored for the higher RPM range and racing applications.
HKS camshafts are not reground OEM units; they are machined from new billet cores which are constructed from a high nickel content iron alloy. By manufacturing all camshafts from billet cores, HKS is able to produce camshafts that equal or exceed the quality of the OEM units they are designed to replace. HKS camshafts are direct replacements and are designed to be compatible with the factory valve train components. However, due to the higher profile of HKS camshafts, HKS high performance valve springs are highly recommended, and required in certain applications.
**This is a single camshaft ONLY. Not a pair**
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HTC Sensation 4G hands-on impressions and benchmark testing
We still have a few weeks to go before T-Mobile launches the HTC Sensation 4G here in the U.S. Market, but our friends at HTC were kind enough to send over a demo unit for us to play with. You probably have all the specs of the HTC Sensation memorized by now, but we'll run through them one more time for those who many not be as obsessed with Android phones as we are.
The HTC Sensation 4G is the first phone in HTC's lineup to feature Qualcomm's new 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor. It also comes with a 4.3-inch qHD display (960 x 540 pixels), an 8 megapixel camera with dual-led flash capable of recording 1080p HD video, front-facing VGA camera for video chat, 768 MB of RAM, and a 1520 mAh batter all running on Android 2.3.3 with HTC Sense 3.0.
Now that we have that out of the way, you're probably wondering what the HTC Sensation 4G is really capable of. We've only had is for less than a day, but we immediately loaded up all our favorite 3D games from the Android Market. As expected, games like Gun Bros, Cordy, Angry Birds, Nova all played with buttery smoothness. We ran though a few benchmarks as well, but the numbers were not as impressive as we expected. We're assuming the Sensation's qHD display with 30% more pixels is the main culprit behind the low benchmark scores.
HTC Sense 3.0 is certainly a treat since Sense hasn't really gotten any graphical updates in a while. In addition to new 3D graphics in the widgets and the phone's fancy new unlock screen, the notifications bar has been modded to give you access to frequently used settings options. HTC has also includes HTC Watch for renting or buying TV shows and movies and HTC Listen which is very similar to the Amazon MP3 store.
The build quality of the HTC Sensation 4G is impeccable. Though HTC claims the Sensation features a uni-body aluminum casing, the implementation on this handset is different than what we have seen in the past.
The shell of the phone is completely removable, exposing the battery, SIM and microSD card slots when it is detached from the handset. The 4.3-inch display is covered in contoured Gorilla Glass which keeps the screen touching flat surfaces when placed face-down.
We'll be testing out the camera, battery life, and daily performance over the next weeks. If you have any questions about the HTC Sensation 4G, be sure to let us know in the comments.


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Holiday, Turner lead 76ers to 103-99 win over Lakers
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LOS ANGELES – Jrue Holiday had 26 points and 10 assists, Evan Turner added 22 points and 13 rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers rang in the new year with a 103-99 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
The Lakers (15-16) have matched their worst start after 31 games since the 2002-03 season, when they began defense of their third straight NBA title with a 12-19 record.
Kobe Bryant, who shifted from shooting guard to small forward five games ago in coach Mike D'Antoni's redesigned rotation, led the Lakers with 36 points. Steve Nash added 12 points and 10 assists.
The Lakers, who tied a franchise record with 10 3-pointers in the first half of their 111-98 win at Philadelphia on Dec. 16, were 1 for 11 from 3-point range before intermission in the rematch and finished 3 for 22 from behind the arc.
Pau Gasol had 11 points and nine rebounds, but shot only 2 for 12 while playing on a sore right foot. Dwight Howard missed his first five shots and finished 1 for 7 with seven points and 14 boards. The six-time All-Star's only field goal came with 6:15 left in the third quarter, a put-back dunk that reduced Philadelphia's lead to 67-63.
Down by nine with just under 3 minutes to play, the Lakers closed to 99-97 on Bryant's 3-pointer with 1:28 left. But Spencer Hawes responded with a 21-footer 16 seconds later and Holiday helped close it out on a driving dunk with 22.4 seconds on the clock.
Philadelphia extended a 54-50 halftime lead to eight points after three quarters. Los Angeles trailed 89-79 after Holiday's jumper with 6:54 left in the game. The Lakers cut it to 94-90 on Metta World Peace's jumper a few minutes later.
The Sixers responded by scoring the next five points, including Jason Richardson's layup with 2:57 left that made it 99-90.
Los Angeles missed 10 of its first 12 shots while Philadelphia opened the game with a 16-5 run. Bryant scored 17 points in the half on 8 for 13 shooting — but his teammates were a combined 35 percent from the field before the break.
Bryant, who turns 35 years old in August, is averaging 33.9 points over his last 15 games and a league-best 30.3 for the season as he goes for his third NBA scoring title and first since 06-07.
NOTES: Nash needs 28 assists to join John Stockton, Jason Kidd, Mark Jackson and Magic Johnson as the only players in NBA history with at least 10,000. ... The 76ers are 14-0 when leading after three quarters, compared to 1-16 when trailing going into the fourth. ... After wrapping up this eight-game road trip against Phoenix, Oklahoma City and San Antonio, the 76ers will play 13 of their next 15 at home. ... Lakers reserve F Antawn Jamison was benched for the sixth straight game. The 15-year veteran, a two-time All-Star and former sixth man of the year (2003-04), hasn't played since Dec. 16, when he went scoreless in 13 minutes against the 76ers. ... Sixers center Andrew Bynum, who spent his first seven NBA seasons with the Lakers before they dealt him to Philadelphia on August 10 in a four-team trade that brought Howard and Chris Duhon from Orlando to L.A., has yet to play this season because of bone bruises in both knees and didn't travel with the team.


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It's a free and convenient way to keep abreast of news, events and information in Prince William County.
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Geeks Have Landed: An opinion piece on Google's recently revealed project named Project Glass
The site may look a bit odd for the next half hour or so, article will still be there though.
Stuff like this scares me honestly. One day they might come out with a system that's hardwired to your brain, and Google would be the next Skynet.
And people complain about wearing glasses when watching 3-D. This is gonna cause a lot of accidents on the road.
The only thing I want is glasses that dont get dirty or scratch. I have no choice but to wear glasses because my eyesight is that bad. The opticians told me that even laser eye surgery wont help me much.
Funny, the more screens I see and the more interaction and information being pushed constantly and demanding my attention, the less I care.


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While you'd think everyone is most interested in HTC's view on the matter, the more interesting player in this drama is most certainly Google. Apple might've filed its lawsuit against HTC, but everyone agrees that the real target here is Android. Google has said in a statement that it will stand behind HTC. "We are not a party to this lawsuit. However, we stand behind our Android operating system and the partners who have helped us to develop it," the company said in a statement to TechCrunch.
The New York Times wrote a piece about this as well, and in it, Kevin Rivette, a patent lawyer and former VP for intellectual property strategy at IBM, states that Apple is trying to stop the Android tsunami before it has even started. "[The lawsuit] is the opening shot in a war," Rivette told the NYT, "Apple is island-hopping, attacking first the Asian companies. Then it can go after Motorola, gradually whittling away at Google's base. They want to break the Android tsunami."
As a simple layman, I get the feeling that Apple is afraid. Apple is afraid that history will repeat itself: 30 years ago and onwards, consumers in the personal computing market made a very, very clear choice. People wanted choice, and people wanted cheap. People didn't want a system that lived on an island, a system developed and supplied by a single entity. The vast majority of personal computers sold today - over 95% - fall into this cheap & choice category.
Apple lost that war, and I get the feeling - but again, I'm a layman, and I'm probably talking out of my bum - that Apple wants to prevent history from repeating itself. They don't want the smartphone world to become like the PC world, with loads of different hardware companies producing smartphones with software they pick from another company - be it Android, Windows Phone 7 Series, or whatever else.
HTC, in the meantime, doesn't appear to be too worried. The company emphasizes that it has been in the phone business for far longer than Apple, and that it, too, has built up a considerable patent portfolio. And of course, you can bet your unicorn that Google will do whatever it takes to help HTC. In fact, I wouldn't even be surprised to see Google actually suing Apple as well, alongside HTC.
Apple may be facing a very hard time trying to win this case. As the NYT article details, the entire case will hinge on whether or not HTC and possible partners like Google will be able to find cases of prior art - and seeing the ridiculous nature of some of these patents, that may not be too hard.
In addition, other companies have been active in this field for far longer than Apple. Palm has been selling touch screen phones for a while now, and probably has a major patent portfolio as well - and I don't think Palm would hesitate to help out HTC and Google. The NYT article further lists Synaptics as a major player in this area.
"Companies have been working on this for some time," Mark A. Lemley, a law professor at Stanford who also represents Google in some unrelated matters, told the NYT, "Now, it's fair to say the Apple technology works better than prior generations of technology, so there may well be inventions there."
We'll all have to wait and see. I'll bring the Martini, you bring the popcorn?


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Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Almond Joy
The Almond Joy candy bar was introduced in 1946, just after the World War II, when sugar, tropical coconuts and chocolate became more available. The Peter Paul Manufacturing Co was based in New Haven, Connecticut and was already known for its popular Mounds bar.
Peter Paul, then producing out of their facility in Nagatuck, Connecticut was bought up by Cadbury back in 1978, and in a deal ten years later, Hershey's purchased Cadbury's American operations. Even though the company has gone through a few hands, the bars are still known by their original brand of Peter Paul. The Nagatuck plant that produced Almond Joy's from 1948 forward closed last year and production was consolidated to a Virginia factory.
Mounds and Almond Joy enjoy a bit of a corner on the chocolate covered coconut market here in the United States. For a while Mars tried to push into the arena with their already popular Bounty bars from Europe, but they never quite made it.
The standard single serving package includes two small bars. The moist coconut and fondant center is covered in milk chocolate and studded with two almonds each. They're tucked into a tray to protect them.
The bars smell sweet and a whole lot like coconut. The bite is soft and moist, the mockolate is a bit grainy and fudgy and doesn't really add much flavorwise but does keep things a little creamier (overall I'd say it's not back mockolate and the ingredients to indicate there's real chocolate in there). The almonds, though usually small, are good quality and nicely toasted.
I prefer the Mounds (though I've always wished they'd do a Mounds with Almonds) just for the counterpoint of the bittersweet chocolate and the sweet coconut. But the coconut is always a good texture and chew with a nice tropical flavor and satisfying tropical fat content. But it is sweet, a bit too much for me.
Almond Joy holds a place in many American's hearts because of a very popular advertising campaign in the 80s and their jingle that says, "sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes you don't" to distinguish between their two coconut bars. Even though that campaign is long gone, the phrase "sometimes you feel like a nut" still knocks around as a cultural reference.
Almond Joy are also available in a few other formats. They have snack pack size, which is slightly smaller than a single from the regular sized. (A two almond one weights approximately .8 ounces while the snack pack size weights about .6 ounces and sports only one almond.)
There is a third size called fun size, which I only see around Halloween, which looks like it's from a box of candy. (See Wikipeda for an example.) That also has only one almond, though probably the highest almond to center & chocolate ratio of the three varieties. Easter also brings a large egg shaped version which also sports a solo almond (reviewed here at Candy Addict).
Out of curiosity (mostly because there was a Consumerist posting yesterday), I picked up the Snack Pack and a regular Almond Joy just to see if there was some sort of shenanigan going on here. Consumerist alleged that there was false advertising because there are two little almonds on the package and the description lists "almonds" instead of almond. I can't really say what the legal situation would be, but I would probably expect that the Snack Pack would simply be the same as a single from regular size.
I can say that this is not a new development. I found this shot from 2005 (back when it was real chocolate too) that shows the single nut on the Snack Pack Almond Joy, so if it were a big deal, I would have expected it to be addressed long before now. While the use of the plural almonds does create a sense of expectation, I'm not sure we also expect a half a coconut's worth of shreds in there too, even though that's also depicted in the artwork.
The Snack Pack, which I picked up at the 99 Cent Only Store, as far as I was concerned, was a very good value. Eight of these smaller bars for only 99 cents. They have 80 calories each. The regular sized ones have 110 calories each. It's pretty obvious that the Snack Pack, even with its decreased almond density is a far better deal than a single bar purchase.
Almond Joy has enjoyed a few alternative varieties through Hershey's limited editions including Key Lime, Passion Fruit, Chocolate Chocolate and Toasted Coconut (my personal favorite over the classic Almond Joy).
UPDATE 9/30/2008: Almond Joy was briefly made with mockolate but after consumer feedback, Hershey's switched back to the original chocolate formula.
Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:44 am
Next entry: Mentos Tropical & Black Currant
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Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.


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Linebacker Ahmad Brooks Will Not Be Charged in Assault on Teammate Lamar DivensJuly 3, 2013
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks allegedly had a warrant out for his arrest on assault charges following an incident with teammate Lamar Divens, but Brooks reportedly is off the hook.
UPDATE: Thursday, July 18, at 6:50 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford
CSN Bay Area's Matt Maiocco reports on Brooks' situation from the 49ers' perspective:
"The 49ers organization is aware that the District Attorney of Santa Clara County has closed this matter," the 49ers said in a statement. "As an organization, we look forward to moving on from this situation and will have no further comment."
He also divulged this detail:
In the memo released Thursday, Sinunu-Towery reported that on June 10, Divens asked Brooks for $1 million. Brooks rejected that request. On June 11, Divens told lawa enforcement he was trying to "work out the issue internally." Two days later, he told an investigator he did not want to go forward with with the case, saying it would be bad for both of their football careers. Divens also reiterated to the DA's office that he wanted Brooks to pay him $1 million, according to the memo.
"As you well know, I do not condone the behavior of Brooks on June 8, 2013," Sinunu-Towery wrote in the memo. "However, based on the law as applied to the above facts discovered in this investigation, I will dismiss the felony complaint, which was filed prematurely. The totality of the circumstances demonstrates that the charge cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt to twelve jurors."
---End of update---
UPDATE: Thursday, July 18, at 5:55 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford
Sacramento Bee reporter Matt Barrows provides the latest on Brooks:
---End of update---
UPDATE: Thursday, July 4, at 10:50 a.m. ET by Sam Westmoreland
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the latest news surrounding Brooks' incident:
Per multiple reports, Okoye and fellow undrafted rookie Michael Purcell witnessed linebacker Ahmad Brooks repeatedly (allegedly) bash teammate Lamar Divens in the head with a beer bottle on June 8.
As to the three guys in the quartet who didn't sign a multi-million-dollar contract in 2012, the dilemma is clear. At a time when they're trying to make the cut from 90 to 53, causing problems for the team could cause problems for them.
That's likely why Divens, a practice-squad player in 2012, decided that pressing charges "would be bad for both of their careers." Bad for Brooks, because he'd be facing discipline from the team and the league. Bad for Divens, because there are plenty of other guys who can do what he does — guys who haven't helped make a mess for the organization.
---End of update---
UPDATE: Wednesday, July 3, at 5:51 p.m. ET by Ian Hanford
NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal has the latest on Brooks:
A warrant for the arrest of San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was filed in error, Santa Clara County Assistant District Attorney Karyn Sinunu-Towery told NFL.com on Wednesday.
"It was a complete fumble on our part," she said.
---End of update---
UPDATE: Wednesday, July 3, at 2:36 p.m. ET by Matt Connolly
The arrest warrant has been put on hold, according to Tracey Kaplan of the San Jose Mercury News:
At the time, Divens said he wanted to press charges, but he has since changed his mind, according to the warrant application. The alleged attack was also witnessed by two other unidentified team members, one of whom gave a recorded statement to police.
---End of update---
Such a case is referred to as a "wobbler," according to Kaplan's sources.
Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee spoke to Assistant District Attorney Karyn Sinunu-Towery about the status of the case:
"The case is not done," said assistant district attorney Karyn Sinunu-Towery on Wednesday. "And that's where we are."
Sinunu-Towery said a preliminary investigation was made following an incident between Brooks and teammate Lamar Divens on June 8. She said there was conflict in the District Attorney's office over whether an arrest warrant should be issued—Divens decided not to press charges—and it was determined that additional information was needed.
Some of that additional information, including medical statements, remained outstanding when the complaint against Brooks was sent to a judge last week. Sinunu-Towery said "an internal error" in the district attorney's office caused the case to be filed prematurely with the court.
Prosecutors who regularly handle assault and battery cases, though, filed an application for an arrest warrant on Thursday, citing a charge of felony assault with great bodily harm.
Kaplan outlines the specifics of the situation that led to the confrontation:
According to the application for Brooks' arrest, the incident unfolded after Brooks, Divens and other 49er players spent the evening of June 7 at different players' houses. Eventually they decided to go to downtown San Jose and keep drinking.
The unidentified witness said Brooks was too intoxicated to drive home, so Divens drove. When they got to Brooks' house about 2 a.m. on June 8, Brooks asked for his keys. Divens pretended to chuck them onto the grass and then started to hand them to him.
Brooks then allegedly clocked Divens in the head with a beer bottle. Brooks allegedly began cursing and then struck him in the head again. Brooks allegedly asked Divens, "Do I need to get my (expletive deleted) gun?" and struck him again. Prosecutors also allege in the warrant that Brooks punched Divens.
The attack required Divens to get three stitches, and he initially wanted to press charges. However, the warrant application states that he has since changed his mind. When a San Jose police sergeant called Divens three days after the incident occurred, he said he wanted to drop it.
Two other teammates bore witness to Brooks' actions, according to Kaplan, and one of them was cited in the police report.
If the prosecutors' initial charge were to hold up and Brooks were convicted, it would carry a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
Brooks signed a massive contract extension to the tune of six years and $44.5 million in 2012, $17.5 million of which is guaranteed. The 29-year-old's future may be in jeopardy, though, if District Attorney Jeff Rosen decides to proceed with the case.
There has been a history of off-field issues for Brooks that Kaplan covers. In 2008, Brooks was accused of punching a woman in the face, but accepted mediation on the charges.
He was kicked off the University of Virginia football team in 2005 for an unspecified incident outside the lines and also has a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge on his record.
The 49ers are rather deep at linebacker with the likes of 2012 All-Pros Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman and Aldon Smith.
However, Brooks is still a key part to the team and broke up a critical pass that helped San Francisco to the Super Bowl in a 28-24 road victory over the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship Game.


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Personal Page at AllOver30: Eden
Age: 40
Height: 5'7" (171 cm)
City: British Columbia, Canada
Occupation: Artist
Turn-Ons: What isn't?
Best/favourite sexual experience: The first time I was ever dominated and slapped around during sex. It was liberating to overcome taboos to find the real me inside, the submissive me.
All other pictures and movies of Eden are for members of All Over 30!
All Over 30 Copyright © 2007-2009, YoyoMoms.com


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Leflore boys fall to Kinta in Class B District Tournament championship
KINTA — The good news is the Leflore Savages basketball team knew it was going to get a home playoff game Thursday in the Class B Regional Tournament. The bad news is that game will be an elimination game.The Savages lost 55-39 to the Kinta Eagles in the title game of the Class B District Tournament on Saturday night.The Savages (13-11) still advanced to the Class B Regional Tournament as district runners-up. They will meet Eagletown at 3 p.m. Thursday on their home floor, and must win three games in three days to make next week's Class B Area Tournament at Kingston.


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Regular price
I Love Life Because Mom is a 4x6 inch giclée printed notecard. The front of the card has a satin-gloss finish and the back of the card is matte. The card is printed on 15pt, 300gsm, acid free paper with archival pigment ink.
Your notecard is delivered to you in a plant-based, compostable clear bag and a mandarin peel and seal envelope. Your collectible card is further protected by a recyclable, archive safe clear bag and shipped to you in a recycled flat rigid mailer for safe travels.
We also include a cute sticker that is a miniature version of your notecard and makes a perfect envelope seal.
Suggested occasions: Birthday, Mothers Day


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"Nothing so conclusively proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself."
– Thomas J. Watson
And I don't mean scrubbing the toilets.
As leaders, we have an obligation to the players within our guilds. Whenever a boss comes up where something needs to dispelled, I'm the first person to volunteer for it. Not necessarily because I want to, but to show that I can and am willing. The mantle of being an officer comes with a set of unique responsibilities. In order to have the right to ask people to do something, you must be willing to do it yourself.
This is why my raid leader is the first in line when he needs to eat a debuff, maintain constant crowd control or take care of some other craptacular job that no other player really wants to do.
- Gong banging in Atramedes? He's always there.
- Dispelling Blackouts? Sure, I'll take care of it.
So whether you are a class officer, a role officer or otherwise, it doesn't hurt to show the troops that you still have it. Because if you keep hiding behind lame excuses and continue giving players assignments you're unwilling to do, no one's going to take you seriously anymore. In pickup raids where I'm raiding on my Shaman, I'll volunteer to tackle any interrupts or purges that need to be done.
To be fair, that's the only thing I'm really good for on an encounter like the Omnitron Defense System anyway.
Bob Sutton, author of Good Boss, Bad Boss, states that, "Being in a position of leadership is the most reliable way to become oblivious and emotionally insensitive. Fight this by remembering that you're under a spotlight. You'll be watched closely by the people you lead – even more so than how you're observing them."
Even though you're an officer, by the nature of your position, you are placed on a much higher pedestal when compared to everyone else in the raid.
Let's move on to another aspect of dirty work. Let's go through the not-so-cool responsibilities that officers need to do.
Do not avoid the dirty work
A quality officer must do things that will upset players. As the guild leader, I have to reprimand, gkick and talk to players who need improvement. The last bit is a bit tricky because I don't have enough knowledge of a class to offer effective feedback. This is where I need my officers to come in play and assist me in supplying that feedback. None of those are responsibilities we need to shoulder alone. Reprimands and giving critical feedback can be a difficult thing to do. If you can't handle that aspect of it, you might not be the right guy for the job.
Alternatively, grab a guy willing to do the dirty work. I recommend hunters.
In that same book by Sutton, he quotes a study that "Bosses of the most productive work groups confronted problems directly and quickly, issued more warnings and formal punishments, and promptly fired employees when warnings failed."
Translating that into guilds, productive raid raid groups address any internal problems head on within a reasonable time frame. Denial doesn't help anyone. You can talk the smack you want, but you better have the guts to confront players as well. Bad officers continue to conjure up some kind of excuse in order to put off what needs to be done. An example would be like me saying I can't cast Dispel because I don't have the mana to do it. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the best bad cop type of personality. It's not in my nature. However, I am driven by own desire to excel and succeed in what I do. If it's a necessity, it needs to be done.
The first thing I'll do is delegate it. The next thing I do is set an internal deadline for myself where if an officer doesn't pull off the reprimand, I'll take care of it personally.
Actually now that I think about it, setting deadlines tends to help in most aspects of life.
Heck, take the extra step and tell someone what deadline you're setting and what it's for.
Implementing the two man (or person) rule
I love he said, she said arguments.
It's difficult to determine and sift through what's true and what isn't. Because of recent incidences, I've implemented the two person policy. When any type of feedback, reprimand or anything along those lines are being given, there needs to be another officer in the channel with them. They don't have to be the same class or role. They just need to be players who the GM trusts and who are able to keep each other in check.
No whispers or tells either. Don't underestimate the importance of tone. Sure there;s no facial contact unless you're using a webcam. But listening to the tone of someone else is the next best thing you can do to subtly improve communication.
This was an oversight on my part, but I hope this is a step in the right direction.
Quick Guide to Dirty Work
- No problem is just going to go away. So don't delay too long in making the hard decisions.
- Make the hard decisions to the best of your ability. You're going to screw them up, but it'll be a learning experience. If you can't do it, delegate someone who is willing.
- Tell players why this is necessary. Example:
- "The stuff you're saying in raids, whether you realize it or not, is having a negative impact on our morale."
- "You're not nailing those interrupts. Looking at the same fight for the past 3 weeks, your interrupt success rate is 50%. If there's something stopping you from doing your job, tell me. Otherwise, I'm going to have to pick up another Rogue".
- You do not humiliate, belittle, or bad-mouth people if they're the ones that are under fire. Of course, you're free to poke fun at the guy who's at the top of the meters or if he's the GM, apparently.
- Don't lie to your raid. It kills your own reputation.
- If you're not able to do say what needs to be said the correct way, don't do it until you figure out the best approach.
- Set an example to the rest of the team. Show them you can compete on meters. Show them you can dispel, purge and interrupt like the best of them.
I'm still learning this stuff. I also need to begin applying these principles.
Thinking about starting your own guild?


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Lee Gill's diversity achievements recognized nationally07/02/2014
For his vision, dedication and commitment to diversity and inclusion, Lee Gill will receive the National Diversity Visionary Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine. The award is presented annually to those who have made significant past and present contributions to diversity in higher education.
Lee Gill
Gill has been the associate vice president for inclusion and equity, and chief diversity officer since 2008. In that time, he has developed mentoring programs, workshops and seminars that have raised cultural awareness, expanded cultural competencies and brought about a greater understanding of differences in people.
Gill's efforts have been acknowledged by The National Association of Diversity Councils, the Executive Director of White House Initiatives on Educational Excellence for African Americans (David Johns), the Ohio Diversity Officers Collaboration, the Advisory Board of the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education, and more.
"It is indeed an honor to be selected as a recipient of this award, and I am humbled by this recognition," Gill says.
He shares credit for the honor with those who have influenced him.
"Though I was selected, it was driven by the many successful initiatives in place here at The University of Akron, thanks to a lot of good people. Equally as important, it is also a testament to the many mentors I have had and the impact of their teachable moments on my growth."


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A personal blog about my adventures on fashion, sewing, pattern making and everything else!
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
This week...
But I have a few unrelated to sewing deadlines which I procrastinated and left till last minute. I have also been busy doodling. I am not the best at drawing but keen to develop and practice. I'm doing a Fashion Design City & Guilds and it's definitely helping me.
Have you ever had a time in your life when you want to radically change something? How did you deal with it?
9 comments:
Looks like you're a busy bee.ReplyDelete
I'm constantly questioning myself if I'm happy enough with what I'm doing and/or if I should change something.
I have made some radical decisions before that were somewhat life changing and uncertain. Like moving to the UK, not going into the industry I studied to work in, working for myself.... All those decisions resulted in some kind if struggle, which was OK as I was already struggling with whatever place I was in before but once I had fought my way through, it was always worth it in the end.
So if you really want to change something, be prepared that it might be hard and seem wrong sometimes but if you want it badly enough you will figure it out and get there and end up in a much better place. Whatever you want to do and whatever you end up doing...good luck Suzy!!!
Well I, for one, am impressed with your drawings, I can't draw for love nor money. The C&G sounds interesting, how long is the course for and what does it cover?ReplyDelete
I constantly hit times when I get really unhappy with things, the worse was probably the end of last year which is why I sat down to figure out what I could do to make myself happier. Pushing forward on the blog was a big part of that, if only to give me a push towards making things and offer a creative outlet, hence the ridiculous planning rush I had on New Year's Day that resulted in almost a years worth of posts organised. The one good thing about deciding to change something is how invigorating the excitement can be when you realise how much of a difference it can make, no?
I agree, it is hard work and unsettling! I've been practicing a certain kind of meditation for a couple years now and that does help me feel centered and more at peace with my decisions, but it's still a leap of faith making those big changes.ReplyDelete
Hi Suzy, I can relate to your feelings. Perhaps radical change isn't the best idea, though? In my experience I don't think radical change works very well. Answer I've found often lies in just accepting that you can't do everything. Doing less and getting it done also often gives you an easier sense of achievment which I think is very important. It sounds like you're like me and pull yourself in too many directions? MikeyReplyDelete
Oh I think those drawings look great - I'll never be able to draw like that!ReplyDelete
Well, the only radical change I made was changing my career - it took me about 3 years to actually bite the bullet and do something about it though! Sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet!
This couture dress is going to be rad when finished!!! And the sketches are looking great- what a fab class!ReplyDelete
A number of years back I had a blergh period and needed a fresh start. So I left my job, moved interstate, condensed my life down to ten moving boxes and started again. It was simultaneously terrifying and freeing :) I hope you find your groove again soon!
I am.a rubbish drawer, although it doesn't stop me scribbling ideas down. Yes, now l am on mat leave l want to try to work locally or ideally for myself, from home, to spend more time with my daughter. I think the way to approach these things is to plan, consider all impacts and be honest about feasibility. Also, don't let barriers put you off, tackle them one at a time xReplyDelete
Hi Suzy, I just went through such a phase triggered mostly by a family emergency. I realized that it is important to focus and separate from anything that stands in the way or distracts.ReplyDelete
share more doodles - they are cute :)
You're not alone Suzy! I've been going through a similar 'crisis' as I'm not happy in my job and I desperately want to move in a new direction. It's so hard though as I'm not 100% sure what the new direction should be and how to achieve it...so I end up feeling drained from work and trapped too! I think I need to see a life coach ;o) Good luck to you, I hope you find what makes you happy soon!xxReplyDelete


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one free webmail here (Germany - web.de) offers faxing but I've never used the faxing bitsso that's probably not much help butthought I'd post anyways and say happy christmas!!-tomos (December 21, 2007, 03:03 PM)
602Pro LAN SUITE is an easy-to-install and manage all-in-one server application. Its standards-based SMTP/POP3 e-mail server provides effective e-mail communication without the risk of destructive virus infiltration and productivity robbing unsolicited e-mail. Fax services seamlessly integrate into user mailboxes to unify e-mail and fax message access.- E-mail Server- Fax Server- Internet Sharing- Firewall- Web Server- Administration It supports a variety of access methods, from standard POP3 e-mail clients (i.e. Outlook Express) to built-in Web Mail access. The SSL SMTP/POP3 server provides secure encrypted transmission between the e-mail client and server.The built-in firewall provides effective protection against unauthorized access. Shared Internet Access through LAN SUITE provides your network users with a secure connection to the Internet. Be in complete control of when and where your network users can go online! 602Pro LAN SUITE is fully controlled from a standard WWW browser. It can be easily managed across a LAN, WAN or the Internet. The included Configuration (...)Please note, the 5 user version is FREE for commerical and non-commerical use!
And here's an even cheaper one that I just stumbled across:http://www.trustfax....landing_firewall.asp"Prestige" plan, $4.95/month: * 100 Receive Pages * 50 Send Pages * Faxes Sent To Your Email * Fax Inbox - Unlimited Storage * US Local Fax Number-jdmarch (January 23, 2008, 07:23 PM)
I've been using CallWave (http://www.callwave....g/virtualFax_L1.aspx) for their virtual fax number for several years, and they just unrolled a send fax service also. It is a little expensive, but still far far less than you would pay for a phone line. I pay $10 month for more faxes than I use and the service is reliable and easy to use.-eriji (December 25, 2007, 10:46 AM)
Page created in 0.03 seconds with 71 queries.


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42 U.S. Code § 1395w–103 - Access to a choice of qualified prescription drug coverage
prev | next
(a) Assuring access to a choice of coverage
(1) Choice of at least two plans in each area
The Secretary shall ensure that each part D eligible individual has available, consistent with paragraph (2), a choice of enrollment in at least 2 qualifying plans (as defined in paragraph (3)) in the area in which the individual resides, at least one of which is a prescription drug plan. In any such case in which such plans are not available, the part D eligible individual shall be given the opportunity to enroll in a fallback prescription drug plan.
(2) Requirement for different plan sponsors
The requirement in paragraph (1) is not satisfied with respect to an area if only one entity offers all the qualifying plans in the area.
(3) Qualifying plan defined
For purposes of this section, the term "qualifying plan" means—
(B) an MA–PD plan described in section 1395w–21 (a)(2)(A)(i) of this title that provides—
(ii) qualified prescription drug coverage that provides supplemental prescription drug coverage so long as there is no MA monthly supplemental beneficiary premium applied under the plan, due to the application of a credit against such premium of a rebate under section 1395w–24 (b)(1)(C) of this title.
(b) Flexibility in risk assumed and application of fallback plan
In order to ensure access pursuant to subsection (a) of this section in an area—
(1) the Secretary may approve limited risk plans under section 1395w–111 (f) of this title for the area; and
Source(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title XVIII, § 1860D–3, as added Pub. L. 108–173, title I, § 101(a)(2),Dec. 8, 2003, 117 Stat. 2081.)
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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rakarrack (realtime audio effects processor)
Rakarrack is a virtual digitial effects rack, including such effects as
distortion, echo, reverb, phaser, flanger, chorus, compressor, etc.
This package requires fltk and jack-audio-connection-kit; two optional
(but highly recommended) dependencies are qjackctl and set_rlimits.
Maintained by: B. Watson
Keywords: guitar,jack,studio
ChangeLog: rakarrack
Download SlackBuild:
rakarrack.tar.gz.asc (FAQ)
(the SlackBuild does not include the source)
|Individual Files:
| doinst.sh
| rakarrack.SlackBuild
| rakarrack.info
| slack-desc
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text:
The Oklahoma City Thunder has recognized the top participants in its annual Thunder Reading Challenge, presented by American Fidelity Assurance.
Grace Roden, a second-grader at Cleveland Bailey Elementary in Midwest City, emerged from the challenge as the top overall reader for all grades, logging 32,370 minutes of reading between November and April – nearly three hours of reading each day throughout the six-month period.
Orion Frazier, kindergartener at Kickapoo Community Child Care Center in McLoud; Jai'Lynn Surveyor, first-grader at Hawthorne Elementary in Oklahoma City; and Luccinda Locke, third-grader at Linwood Elementary in Oklahoma City, each were recognized as top readers for their grade levels.
The top readers for each grade level received Thunder prizes, including a team-autographed basketball, and a plaque, presented to them by Thunder staff. The top overall winner also receives a Rumble assembly for the school.
"This program gives us an opportunity to reach out and make an impact on the daily lives of kids across Oklahoma," said Dan Mahoney, vice president of Community Relations for the Thunder. "We have so many young fans who are excited just to be part of a Thunder program, and the Reading Challenge channels that excitement to inspire them to read more.
"We greatly appreciate the hard work that all the teachers put in to carry out this program in their classrooms and their dedication to fostering good reading habits," he added.
For the 2013-14 school year, 847 classrooms across the state took part in the Thunder Reading Challenge, with 19,585 students tracking the number of minutes they read. Every month, the Thunder awarded the top reader in each classroom with a Thunder-themed prize and a certificate.
In total, the students who took part in the Reading Challenge logged 217,923 hours – the equivalent of more than 9,000 days of reading.
The Reading Challenge has been a part of the Thunder Read to Achieve initiative since the 2009-10 school year. Teachers interested in taking part in the Reading Challenge are encouraged to monitor the team's website, THUNDER.NBA.COM, for details starting in late August.


text:
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Sunday, September 7th 2008, 10:07pm
by OscarNav1
Thursday, September 4th 2008, 12:43am
Thursday, September 4th 2008, 12:40am
Wednesday, September 3rd 2008, 11:57pm
by OscarNav1
Wednesday, September 3rd 2008, 11:54am
by hi.todd
Wednesday, September 3rd 2008, 12:00am
Tuesday, September 2nd 2008, 9:17pm
by OscarNav1


text:
Once again, stories from our Rome bureau and actions by the Vatican figured prominently in our monthly list of most-viewed stories for July on our public website, www.catholicnews.com. I say our "public" site because, as many of you know, we also have a password-protected site for our clients, where they can download and publish any number of stories in addition to the stories listed below.
Here's the list for July, in case you missed seeing any of these stories:
1. Long, hot summer: Vatican faces external and internal challenges (July 2)
2. Catholic radio host leads listeners on unusual pilgrimage to Italy (July 21)
3. Vatican says new norms will strengthen efforts against abusive priests (July 15)
4. Revised Vatican norms to cover sex abuse, attempted women's ordination (July 9)
5. Archbishop: Norms on women's ordination reflect sacraments' importance (July 15)
6. Rome Diocese calls for active gay priests to go, stop sullying church (July 23)
7. Anglicans expect exodus after Church of England OKs women bishops (July 13)
8. USCCB issues guidelines for use of social media (July 20)
9. Case of dismissed Catholic professor is under review (July 14)
10. Bishops, other faith leaders commend ruling on Arizona immigration law (July 29)


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Style # 201814
Glossy corseted waistband and medium-weight fit that wears like a pant, this bebe legging is sure to give your new season wardrobe a luxe off-duty pop. Hidden zipper. Try it with a tucked in printed or peplum top.
- 86% nylon, 14% spandex
- Rise: 9"(23 cm) Inseam): 28"(71 cm) Leg opening: 9"(23 cm)
- Machine wash
- Imported
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S
Corset Contrast Top Legging is rated out of 5 by 2.
Rated 4 out of 5 by Mars81 from love it! This blouse has the perfect lenght to be wear with leggins. My only compain is that you need to wear a tank top under it.
Date published: 2013-03-04
Rated 5 out of 5 by Yaha from Leggings Love how it fits, fits to size, just love all bebe clothes.
Date published: 2013-02-28


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The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show By The Numbers
But before you curl up with a hot chocolate to watch the veritable who's-who of supermodels strut their stuff in bedazzled bras and wings that would make a swan jealous, read our fun behind-the-scenes facts. Feel free to share this wealth of knowledge with your boyfriend, we just can't guarantee he'll be listening.
Ranging from petite wire versions to lavish, floor-sweeping showstoppers, each pair was the collaboration of an entire team of artists. Feather maestro, Parisian Serkan Gura, concocted extravagant wings inspired by tropical birds. Marian "Killer" Hose, sculptor extraordinaire, bent thousands of metal rods and handcrafted their beaded and chiffon-wrapped coatings. Shapeways, a company specializing in cutting edge 3D printing, was enlisted to create intricate snowflake structures. We aren't experts, but we're pretty sure these wings should end up in a museum.
Photo:Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret
Sophia Neophitou, stylist extraordinaire, worked alongside a meticulously culled group of artisans from around the world to create costumes for the 6 themes: British Invasion, Shipwrecked, Pink Network, Parisian Nights, Birds of Paradise and Snow Angels.
Photo:Jimmy Fontaine
The 18th Fantasy Bra and Belt will be worn by Candice Swanepoel and costs a whopping $10 million dollars, second only to the $15 million Red Hot Fantasy Bra and Panties modeled by Gisele Bundchen in 2000. The 18-karat gold set was designed by Mouawad and features handset diamonds, blue and yellow sapphires, and a dangling, 52-karat pear-shaped ruby.
Not all of the models are Angels! This year's Angels are Adriana Lima, Doutzen Kroes, Alessandra Ambrosio, Lily Aldridge, Behati Prinsloo, Karlie Kloss, Lindsay Ellingson and Candice Swanepoel. But we are are equally pumped to see some of our favorite catwalkers though, like Cara Delevingne, Jourdan Dunn, and Joan Smalls, as well as the newcomers Josephine Skriver, Ming Xi, and Sigrid Agren, who will be walking for the first time in the show.
Photo:Jimmy Fontaine
Makeup Artist Dick Page moved away from the glittery va-va-voom styles of years past, creating a paired down, natural look for the girls. He applied VS Color Drama Lipstick in Taken ($14) on the nose and cheeks before applying foundation. The smudged brown eyeliner on the upper lash line was dusted with VS Makeup Eye Shadow Quad in Eye Contact ($20) and topped with a pop of gold on the inner eye. The look was finished with a few swipes of black mascara (no excessive fake lashes here!) and by pressing VS Shine Lip Drama Lip Gloss in Flawless ($12) on the models' lips.
Photo:Jimmy Fontaine
The models arrived at 9 a.m. and donned pink and white silk robes before being preened by a team of 18 makeup artists and 22 hairstylists. The glossy bedhead look, created by Orlando Pita, was built around each model's individual style—Karlie rocks her signature bob.
It's also 20 feet wide, which is huge by runway standards! All the better for the winged models to share the stage with performers including Taylor Swift, Fall Out Boy, Neon Jungle, and A Great Big World.
Photo:Jimmy Fontaine
Last year 9.3 million people tuned in worldwide, which is not surprising since it is the only show that boasts the world's top supermodels, in lingerie, to music performed by chart-topping arts. It is basically the Superbowl of fashion.
The tallest model is 6'1" and the shortest model is 5'8", so we'll be wearing some serious heels when we tune in.
Of course the British Invasion portion of the show needs a queen, and who better than Victoria's Secret Fashion Show veteran, Adriana Lima? The look is inspired by an old English tradition where working class neighborhoods decorate clothes with pearls and mother-of-pearl buttons for their monarchs. Hopefully she'll loan us that pearl-encrusted military cap.
The stadium seating accommodates high octane celebrities, fashion editors, model agents, friends and family members of the teams involved, plus hoards of lucky fans who made it through the multi-level security checks and past the watchful eyes of some of the top PR's in the business.
The stunning stilettos look killer, but must be quite a workout up and down that seriously long runway. Thankfully, these girls are professionals, and probably lost all feeling in their feet years ago. Sophia Webster also designed a set of 12 delectable shoes for the Shipwrecked portion of the show.


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BRISTOL, Tenn. – A Conference Carolinas Tournament berth drew two steps closer to the Lady Tornado's grasp after sweeping Coker College on Thursday afternoon. Christina Melcher hit a perfect 9-for-9 at the plate between two games, helping King to record its second straight run-rule victory, 12-1 (F/5), and then capped the day off with a come-from-behind 11-6 victory through a seven-run, sixth inning.
GAME ONE: Coker 1, King 12 (F/5)
Sophomore pitcher Hannah Light (Coeburn, Va.) breezed through the Coker lineup and received plenty of offensive support from a lineup that pounded out 12 runs on 12 hits and three Coker errors in a 12-1 victory. Light earned her 14th win of the season and carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning before Sydney Weatherford broke it up with a triple and later scored on Jaclin Poole's RBI double. Light struck out six Cobra hitters with at least one punchout in each of her five innings of work while walking none.
The offense was led by freshman shortstop Christina Melcher (Orlando, Fla.) with her 4-for-4 performance at the plate, scoring all four times and batting in three runs. She was one of a trio of players to record three RBI. Aubree Hutt (Bristol, Va.) went 3-for-3 with three singles.
King got on the board early after Melcher led the game off with a triple and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Fallon Thomas. King scored 10 runs over the next two innings to jump out to an 11-0 lead, batting through the lineup in each frame.
Cassie Ringstaff (Richlands, Va.) led the second inning off with a triple to the right corner and Hutt followed with a bunt single and stolen base to put runners at second and third. After Tiffany Harris walked to load the bases, Melcher approached the plate with one out and drove a liner over the Coker third baseman's head for a two RBI single. A single by Cora Milliken (Jacksonville, Fla.) and a second sacrifice fly by Fallon Thomas capped off the four-run inning, but served as a warm up for the next inning.
King collected four singles and capitalized on a throwing error by Cobra third baseman Alex Cataldo in a six-run third. Melcher put up her fourth ribbie of the day, singling home Hutt to extend the King lead to six runs. Milliken followed with a two RBI single to right and a walk plus Kendall Brabson's single loaded the bases with one out. An interference call in the field gave Coker a second out, but Milliken scored on the play to make the score 9-0. Back-to-back singles from Ringstaff and Hutt, her second via a bunt, helped plate two more runs and take an 11-0 lead.
With an 11-run lead heading into the top of the fifth, Light shut down the 8-9-1 hitters of the Cobra order to end the game by run-rule, 12-1.
GAME TWO: Coker 6, King 11
Game two was a back-and-forth battle that forced King into a 6-4 deficit heading into the bottom of the sixth inning, prompting another clutch performance and leading to an 11-6 come-from-behind victory.
Tied 1-1 going into the fifth inning, both teams swapped three-spots to continue the roller coaster of emotions that had been rode throughout the afternoon. Heading into her sixth inning of work, sophomore pitcher Rachael Wilmoth allowed a leadoff single to Katellyn Szupello that was followed by a home run by Bryant McLendon who had just reentered the game.
Leading 6-4, King relied on Christina Melcher to again pick up the offensive effort, where she singled to right center, followed by a single by Cora Milliken. Coker decided to reenter starting pitcher Katie Lee after using Becky Dillon to get out of the fifth. Lee was tagged with four hits before recording an out, including a two-run single by Kristie Kooch (Knoxville, Tenn.) that gave the Lady Tornado a 7-6 advantage. The barrage continued when Cassie Ringstaff blasted a towering three-run home run, her third of the season, over the left field wall that deflated the Cobras and put King in charge by a 10-6 score. The Lady Tornado turned the order over and another RBI single by Melcher added an 11th run for good measure.
Hannah Light (15-4) came in for the final two innings and earned her 15th win after King exploded in the sixth, shutting down the Cobra attack with three strikeouts and allowing two hits in the final two frames.
King jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after two scoreless innings when Christina Melcher led off the third with a single to left and a three-base error by Cataldo allowed her to score on the next play. The Cobras tied it up after a walk put Sydney Weatherford on base and she scored from third on a wild pitch from Wilmoth.
Coker put three on the board and took a 4-1 lead in the fifth taking advantage of two missed bunt assignments by the King infield plus an error in the field to load the bases. Sarah Rountree singled through the left side to plate one while Weatherford and Stacy Burr each put up RBI singles.
The Lady Tornado responded on their next at bat when Christina Melcher led the inning off with a solo blast to left field, drawing them within two runs. Three consecutive singles from the 2-3-4 hitters in the King lineup helped pull within one run and MacKenzie Draine (Church Hill, Tenn.) posted her third hit of the day, a single down the left field line to tie the score back at four runs, leading into the sixth inning dramatics.
Draine tallied a season-high three hits with one double and a RBI to stabilize the bottom of the King order. Melcher went a flawless 5-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI to bring a perfect day to a close after recording hits in all nine plate appearances, finishing with seven runs scored, and five runs batted in. Her homer in the fifth was her third of the season.
King (27-14) has now won eight of its last 10 games dating back to March 31 and has now posted 10 or more runs in its last three contests, including two games ended by run rule. They have outscored the competition 37-8 in their last three games and have moved one step closer to securing a spot in the Conference Carolinas Tournament, improving to 11-7 in league play.
The Lady Tornado has four conference games left to play, all at home, with series against Mount Olive and St. Andrews. The team will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday, April 14, against the Trojans (27-15, 13-5) beginning at 2:00 p.m. King is currently 21-7 (.750) at home this season.


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TSR wrote:http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?t=215768&page=3
check out TG's posts
I felt uncomfortable reading TG's and Emiliano's posts. Also TG's lack of PR is showing again.
Moderators: SilntAngl5, Ebonhorn
TSR wrote:http://www.he-man.org/forums/boards/showthread.php?t=215768&page=3
check out TG's posts
Lay Ze-Man wrote::lol:
Thanks for the heads-up on that thread!
I love how Scott just goes from picking one wrong thing to another and always incessantly runs it straight into the ground.
This time, it's the "200" number thing. I'd love to know who gave him that figure, and what the motive behind it was.
But yeah Emiliano's right, if ANYONE deserved a figure slot in the 30th set aside from the 4H, it would be dudes like Mark Taylor.
Last time I checked, MotU was still first and foremost a TOY property, so yeah, I think I'd want the guy who principally designed 2 of the greatest and most successful toy lines ever (MotU and TMNT) to be invited to that party.
Toyguru wrote:Geoff is Creative Director of the world's second largest comic book company and has legions (millions, we did the research) of fans.
TSR wrote:I didn't understand thisToyguru wrote:Geoff is Creative Director of the world's second largest comic book company and has legions (millions, we did the research) of fans.
Millions? When is the last time a comic sold in the millions? He has potentially 100,000s of fans. And you can't say everyone buying a GL book is buying it for just him. Some people are simply fans of the character no matter who is writing it. And if they want to overlap sales from the other books he writes, you can't know who is actually buying what. It's going to have an overlap of those previously mentioned 100,000s of fans.
...we do have an idea for the 2013 line to give fans a bit more choice and a chance at some of the more obscure figures fans are asking for. Stay tuned for SDCC 2012 for the details!
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