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Anyone interested in teaming for a weekly game of tennis. It is only fair that you have a similar skill base or higher for this to be worthwhile and continue as an ongoing engagement.
I am level 4.5 on a good day / 4.0 on a bad day, male in my late 20's.
Weekday- Evenings / Weekends - Early Morning.
Views: 169
Replies to This Discussion
I dont mind hitting with you, I wouldnt consider myself a 4. Bit rusty, if you feel I'm not competitive for you I understand completely.
Usually free after 7, Wednessday works for me this week.
I consider myself 3/3.5?
Looks like I am similar level as you are (USTA 4.0 rated), but have not been playing as much as I would like. Weekend morning works best for me and maybe weekdays evenings around 7:00pm. Can play at either Pleasanton or Livermore.
I am looking for a solid hitting partner to get into the groove and maybe do some drill to improve certain aspects of the game as well.
Let me know if you are looking for the same and we can set timings that works for us.
Thanks Krishnan.... If your schedule permits, how about we hit on Sunday at Robert Livermore Park ?
Hey Rohan,
Just saw your message. I can't play tomorrow, since I am already scheduled to play. How about during the week? I can play around 7:30 pm.
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DREAMer and Conservative Lawmaker Come Face to Face on Immigration
Jessica Bravo wanted a meeting with her district congressman, Dana Rohrabacher, to urge him to support giving undocumented immigrants a chance to legalize.
The Golden West College freshman got the meeting after requesting it online. But the meeting, according to The Hill, a publication that covers politics, turned heated after Rohrabacher, a conservative Republican, learned that Bravo is undocumented.
Her visit was part of a larger campaign by immigration advocates to press lawmakers for comprehensive immigration reform, which has gained new momentum this year, with calls from leaders of both political parties calling for legislation.
Bravo, The Hill story says, claimed that Rohrabacher became nasty and offensive once she said she was undocumented. Rohrabacher is known for holding hard-line positions on immigration, and firmly opposing breaks for undocumented immigrants.
"The moment I said that word [undocumented], it just completely changed the mood of the room," The Hill quoted Bravo as saying in an interview. "He kept interrupting me and he was just, like, 'Oh, you know, I love Mexicans, but I hate illegals.' He was just yelling at us and pointing fingers. I couldn't even talk anymore because I was crying."
The congressman's spokeswoman, however, said Bravo's version of what transpired at the meeting is not true.
The spokeswoman, Tara Setmayer, said it was an immigration advocate accompanying Bravo who stirred tensions and appeared to be picking a fight.
"We didn't initiate the tone at all," Setmayer said.
It was after the advocate, Minerva Gomez, accused the congressman of having racist-based reasons for not supporting a pathway to legalization for undocumented immigrants that things grew tense, Setmayer said, according to The Hill.
The publication said that Gomez told them that the congressman and his staff did not really listen to Bravo's story and "continually interrupted her with 'derogatory language' about 'illegal aliens.'"
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The Life of Muhammad (صل الله عليه وسلم) in Mekkah: Inspiration for the Daa'ees (callers to Islam)
Muhammad Ziyaad R
All Praise is due to Allah, the Exalted, the Majestic and peace and blessings be upon our last messenger Muhammad the perfect model for us, who (صل الله عليه وسلم) was sent to call mankind and jinn to worship the Creator, Allah only. For thirteen years in Mecca, he strove hard to deliver the message. He cared a lot for the people around him and he was anxious for them to understand the truth. Muhammad peace be upon him died at the age of sixty three in Madeenah and he was buried there, but the call to the truth continues until the end of times. It is now upon the daa'ees (callers) to carry the words of truth to the whole world, not because they are fanatics who just want to propagate but because of the conviction that Islam is the only purely divine religion remaining: it has the solution to the problems mankind faces and is the success for the hereafter. In this paper, I will attempt to briefly describe how Muhammad peace be upon him interacted with the people Mecca, how he dealt with the challenges he faced, and how it applies to the callers to Islam.
The way that Rasulullah, peace be upon him used "to deliver the message of Allah (SWT) in calling the people of the land into His fold" is called da'wah (Siddiqi, 1989, p.35). The purpose of da'wah is to make sure knowledge of the truth reaches as far as possible, and it is a general obligation and a fulfillment of a trust and covenant with Allah as mentioned in the Quran "(And remember) when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the scripture (Jews and Christians) to make it (the news of the coming of Muhammad صل الله عليه وسلم and the knowledge) known and clear to mankind" (Quran, 3:187). Hence a daa'ee is someone who brings the information about Islam to people. As a daa'ee, It is very important to strive to have taqwa i.e. to act in obedience to Allah seeking His reward and fearing his punishment, as well as to acquire other qualities as part of their character (Ibn Uthaymeen, p.3). There is no better way of achieving this except by looking up to the prophet peace be upon him as our model in all aspects of our lives.
Studying the situation in Mecca is a must for all daa'ees because he is likely to be the minority due to widespread ignorance among Muslims or if he lives in a non-Muslim country. Reading through the seerah of the prophet, we find that pre-Islamic Arabia witnessed many deviations such as immoral practices between the men and women and many superstitious beliefs (Mubarakpuri, p.20). The Arabs also had strong attachment to their tribes. As a result of this fanaticism, intertribal conflicts were very common (Mubarakpuri, p.21). The pagans of Mecca prior to Islam claimed that they followed Abraham's religion. They believed in Allah, although most of the time they would worship idols as intermediaries to Allah. They had rituals devoted to the idols. They were also very superstitious as shown by their practices of Azlam (arrow picking) and their dependence on tiyaraa i.e. the path that animals take (Mubarakpuri, p.16). Some arabs had embraced Christianity such as Waraqa bin Nawfal, the cousin of Khadijah (Mubarakpuri, p.32). Despite growing up in this kind of society, the prophet peace be upon him never committed shirk or superstitious practices. In fact, he stayed away from any abominable or indecent acts also, such as drinking wine or going to parties (Mubarakpuri, p.30). When he was still young, Muhammad peace be upon him witnessed the 'sacrilegious' wars and the 'Al Fudoul' confederacy (Mubarakpuri, p.28). He worked as a shepherd and later, as a merchant for Khadijah who he later married. He was very wise and was well known for his excellent manners and character. The prophet peace be upon him was the best in solving problems. Even before his prophethood, he was known as Al Ameen (the trustworthy). He arbitrated between the Quraish when they were on the verge of fighting about who will place the black stone on the corner of the Ka'ba and thus maintained peace in the city of Mecca (Mubarakpuri, p29). Anyone who calls to Islam can learn and relate to Muhammad's way, peace be upon him as it is mentioned in the Quran: "Indeed there is for you in the messenger of Allah an excellent example" (Quran, 33:21).
Notwithstanding his status among the Quraish, Muhammad, peace be upon him faced many challenges when he began to publicly call them to Islam. As soon as the aayah of surah 26:214 of the Qur'an was reavealed i.e. to warn the tribes of near kindred, he called Banu Hashim and some of Bani Al Muttalib for a meeting and invited them to Islam. Abu Lahab, his uncle was the first one to speak and opposed his call. The prophet also called his people from Mount Safa but only to receive criticism from his own uncle again (Mubarakpuri, p.39). Persecution intensified against the Muslims with every convert to Islam. Siddiqi (1989, p.17) explains that trials are actually part of da'wah and cannot be avoided. These periods of trial come from Allah to test the truthfulness of the Muslim to his iman as proven in the following ayah: "Do men imagine that they will be left at ease because they say 'we believe' and will not be tested?" (Al Qur'an, 29:2). But behind each trial, there is wisdom. It was because of such ill treatments that migration was allowed and thus, when his companions could do nothing else to advance the cause of Islam, they migrated to the more peaceful non Muslim society. As part of their scheme, the pagans offered him wealth and power in exchange of Islam, but the prophet rejected these temptations (Siddiqi, p.18). Hence trials are not in the form of persecutions only but also enticement. The prophet peace be upon him, considered it was wise for the new converts in Mecca to conceal their conversion for their own welfare. They used a temporary centre located in Safa mountain to meet secretly and learn about Islam (Mubarakpuri, p.54).
Until today, the attitude of people who are not open minded is the same. We hear cases where new converts are disowned by their family or face rejection from the whole community. Muslims who start practicing the authentic faith are pressured into returning to the traditions of their forefathers or even beaten. Therefore, a caller to Islam has to be ready to face such communities and help new converts in the best ways possible. So, what do daa'ees need? Sheikh Al Albani (2004) mentioned in 'Tawheed First' that from the methodology of all the prophets and messengers is to pay particular attention to tawheed. Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen also alluded to that in the book 'The provision of the Daa'iyah Ilallah' based on the hadeeth about Mu'aadh, who was sent to Yemen to give da'wah, which is under the broader topic of having firm authentic knowledge (Ibn Uthaymeen, p.5). Without clear knowledge the daa'ee may confuse people or he might end up confused himself. Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen mentioned five more characteristics: Patience is required due to opposition against him or his call. It is also not sure that Allah will allow the caller to see the fruits of his da'wah right away. Wisdom is needed as indicated in the aayah "Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom …" (Qur'an, 16:25). He, rahimahullah described wisdom as 'proper assessment of matters, putting them in their right place and proper perspective'. One has to be aware that hastiness is not from wisdom. The daa'ee must also exhibit the best character and morals. The caller's character should reflect his da'wah, otherwise it is hypocrisy. Removing barriers between him and the people is also important. What is meant by this is to advise people upon seeing something wrong and encourage them to do the right things. He shouldn't condemn and leave a community because of the corruption he sees among them. The last point that Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen mentioned was to be open to the people, especially if he knows that their intention is good. This is in relation to giving da'wah to the Muslims and it should always go back to the authentic evidences.
It has already been established that the way to deliver the message is based on the methodology of the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Allah has put the prophet in different situations so that his sahaba and all the daa'ees may know what to do when they face similar circumstances. The caller starts from those closest to him and makes sure they are in touch with him. The da'wah may become chaotic without any organization or cooperation among the people (Siddiqi, p.36). It is imperative for people to see Islam in practice so that they may realize how it can be beneficial in their lives such as resistance against evils of alcoholism, racism and pornography etc.(Siddiqi, p.37). Not being afraid to practice Islam openly and hatred towards evils in society bore its fruits in Mecca, although most of the Quraish were too proud to leave their ancestor's religion (Ibn Baz, p.6). It was through this peaceful resistance that Allah guided many to Islam in Mecca (Siddiqi, p.42).
Nowadays, the call to Islam has become easier for the daa'ee through the use of technology. Travelling is easier and tools of da'wah have increased as we now have the media. On the other hand, enjoying too much the technology has left the ummah complacent. The number of daa'ees are very limited. When someone takes the shahada, everyone is happy but there is no follow up with new converts to help and teach them. They are left on their own and unfortunately we hear many cases of them returning to their previous state. In Mecca, Dar Ul Arqam was set up to teach the new sahaba about Islam and the Muslims helped each other. In that way, their faith grew strong. Now, there is no unity in the ummah which is a new challenge to the daa'ee since the sahaba in Mecca were one jama'ah. Lack of resources is also a problem, and the Muslims in Mecca faced a similar situation. Daa'ees need to be more involved with their communities and show that Islam can solve problems.
The daa'ee should not believe that he has the ability to guide people because even the prophet could not guide his uncle. He should therefore remember that his obligation is only to pass the message just like the sahaba did. The daa'ee should always find ways to improve the society he lives in and benefit the people, as this is what is required of a Muslim. I have shown in this paper that the life of the prophet in Mecca provides insight for the daa'ee and thus, the daa'ee should always keep in mind the example of Muhammad (صل الله عليه وسلم) and draw lessons to benefit himself and his community.
Ibn Uthaymeen, M. The Provision of the Caller to Allah [online] www.islamhouse.com Accessed on 28th June 2013, 1:44 pm
Al Hilali and Khan, Translation of the meanings of The Noble Quran
Al Albaanee, M. Tawheed First.
Al Mubarakpuri, S. The Sealed Nectar
Bin Baz, A. Manners and Etiquette of Da'wah
Siddiqi, S (1989) Methodology of Dawah elallah in American perspective. The forum for Islamic Work [online]. Available at www.dawahinamericas.com/. Accessed on 28th June, 2013, 1:48 pm


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The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday, 78-22, to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which was originally passed in 1994 and twice reauthorized with bipartisan support.
The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday, 78-22, to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which was originally passed in 1994 and twice reauthorized with bipartisan support.
Now it's up to the House of Representatives to lose the partisan rancor and pass its companion bill.
"It's ridiculous that the last Congress failed to pass basic protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The safety of Hudson Valley women and children should not be a partisan issue," said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-Cold Spring. "The bipartisan Violence Against Women Act expired over 500 days ago — the House needs to act quickly and pass this crucial bill."
Rep. Chris Gibson, R-Kinderhook, has signed on, along with 16 other Republican members of Congress, to a letter urging House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor to bring the House companion bill to a vote and pass it.
Three proposals have drawn critics' ire: closing a jurisdictional loophole and allowing tribal prosecution of non-Native American abuse suspects for offenses on tribal lands; language that bars discrimination against victims because of sexual orientation or gender identity; and refinements to the U Visa program for immigrant victims of domestic abuse who help law enforcement.
Meanwhile ...
In the months just before VAWA expired in 2011, Elizabeth Mucci of the Town of Thompson and Katie Connolly, formerly of New Windsor, were killed and dismembered by the men who were supposed to love them.
Since VAWA expired, we've lost Alexis Harris in Newburgh, Sandra Oliva in Cornwall and TyRochelle Haughton in Port Jervis, all three to domestic violence, according to police.
In 2011, as U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., noted last week, 43,000 reports of domestic abuse were filed in New York. This is everyone's problem.
VAWA funds training on domestic violence, stalking and sexual assault for police officers and counselors and judges.
It pays for education, shelter and jobs programs to help victims escape the cycle of violence.
Since VAWA's 1994 enactment, the number of women killed by intimate partners has fallen by 34 percent, and intimate-partner deaths of men have declined 57 percent. Overall, intimate partner violence fell by 64 percent between 1993 and 2010, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
New York's U.S. senators, Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, both voted for VAWA. Maloney and Gibson have committed to "yea" votes.
Let's see if the rest of the House of Representatives wants to join the 21st century.


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Eye Doctor in the San Luis Obispo Area
Leaders in Comprehensive Eye Care on California's Central Coast
Pacific Eye's team of board certified ophthalmologists and our accomplished optometrist are recognized as the premier eye care group on California's Central Coast. If you are looking for an eye doctor or eye surgeon in San Luis Obispo or Santa Barbara County, Pacific Eye has 8 convenient locations to meet your needs. Our practice is built on integrity, experience, innovation, and a commitment to excellence in every procedure we perform.
At Pacific Eye, our services include custom cataract surgery featuring the latest advanced implants such as Restor®, ReZoom™, Crystalens®; AcrySof® IQ Toric lens, all FDA approved refractive procedures including the area's only IntraLASE™ LASIK; the latest treatments and surgery for macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, eye misalignment, and other diseases of the eye; simple eye exams and pediatric eye care to the most sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
We strive to distinguish our practice through our commitment to our patients and our community. We pride ourselves in delivering the highest level of care combined with the same level of outstanding service that has grown our practice.
Pacific Eye has eye center locations in San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, Pismo Beach, Paso Robles, and Lompoc. To learn more about our doctors and our services, request an appointment online, or call our office at (805) 545-8100.Back to Top


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Narrow Your Results
|Give your horse the unbeatable comfort of a waterproof, breathable turnout blanket from Dressage Extensions. Designed to stand up to winter's biting cold, sleet and snow, a great turnout blanket allows your horse freedom of motion while keeping him warm and dry. Choose turnout blankets from top makers such as Rambo, Amigo WeatherBeeta® and Tuffrider.


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HERRIMAN — A young boy's final journey that was followed by people all over the world through Facebook came to an end early Saturday.
Mitchell Jones, 10, died from heart failure in his own bed surrounded by his family.
Mitchell told his parents the day before he died that he didn't think he could survive. As his parents wept, he told them it would be OK. In the hours leading up to his passing, Mitchell's family spoke with him and told him how much they loved him.
"We were grateful that he was able to squeeze our hands to acknowledge he was hearing us," wrote Chris Jones on the Facebook page Mitchell's Journey.
Jones said he formally tucked his son into bed one last time and said, "Don't be afraid, everything is OK. I love you, son, so very much."
Mitchell passed away soon after at 1:30 am.
"Our hearts are heavy with sorrow, but filled with gratitude and peace. Mitchell's journey is not over; it has only just begun in this life and the life after," said Jones.
Related Stories:
Thousands of condolences have poured onto the Facebook page. "Your son gave me strength, hope and strengthened my faith. Thank you for sharing with us these tender moments," wrote Giovanni Bona.
The page was started last summer by Mitchell's father to keep family and friends up to date on his son's declining health and at last count had more than 33,000 followers. The 10-year-old suffered from Duchene muscular dystrophy, a muscle wasting disease that usually results in progressive muscle deterioration and is fatal by late teens/early 20s.
Facebook followers were moved by Chris Jones' poignant reflections on his son's life and beautiful pictures and video.
"Thank you for sharing your story, thank you for showing me and all the other followers what the word grace is all about. And thank you for inspiring all of us followers to remember what is important," wrote Paula Boylan from Mansfield, Mass.
Mitchell was a shy child and did not like to be the center of attention, but his quiet strength captured many hearts, including the heart of former BYU and NFL football player Andrew Rich. Rich visited with Mitchell and his family on Sunday. He told Mitchell he looked up to him and said the child was stronger than anyone he had ever met.
"There was something special that you can't describe or put into words, you could only feel when you were around (Mitchell)," said Rich. "The family has handled adversity in a way we all wish we could."
Family friend and Deseret News sports writer Jody Genessy said the Jones family taught him a new level of love.
My broken child has taught me that all the pedestrian things I may have thought were important were merely child's play -- a paradoxical reversal of values. A life lesson I intend to keep.
–Chris Jones, father
"It's bittersweet, but because of Mitchell's heart-wrenching condition and his family's heartwarming reaction, I'm more aware of loving my own children, spending quality time — any time — with my family, soaking in their cuddles, kisses and company."
The Joneses lived down the street from Genessy and his family. "The neat thing is you walk in, and you feel right at home."
Genessy said he and his wife learned a great deal from the way Natalie Jones nurtured her son and her other children. Genessy described Chris Jones as someone who did not seek attention himself but loved to capture all the little moments in his children's lives.
"The highest compliment I can give Chris isn't that he's a great guy, it's that he makes me want to be a great guy," he said.
Chris Jones wrote often about the sacred bond of family and the many ways Mitchell blessed their lives. "My broken child has taught me that all the pedestrian things I may have thought were important were merely child's play — a paradoxical reversal of values. A life lesson I intend to keep."
"The most special thing I felt about Mitchell, he lived a young life, but he's been such a teacher," said Rich, who had been receiving frequent updates on Mitchell's condition from the boy's father via text messages.
Natalie Jones told the Deseret News before Mitchell's death that her family was overwhelmed and humbled by the love and support offered to them by friends and strangers.
"It has really sustained us and allowed us to give our best to Mitchell," she said.
Mitchell is survived by his parents, Natalie and Chris Jones, his sister Laura-Ashley, his brothers Ethan and Wyatt and his grandparents.


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Sound Off for Nov. 10, 2012
No more lies from Mitt and Paul. What a breath of fresh air. The people of the United States have shown who they want to lead our country for the next four years. The United States continues to be on the way to becoming number one again.
I'd like to say that I am very relieved that the elections are over. I have been getting tired of seeing the Linda McMahon signs the size of Harwinton. Speaking of Harwinton I would like to add and congratulate all the fine Democrats here on a job well done. As we all know the Republicans are the party of dollars and cents and the Democrats are the party of common sense. Go Democrats!
Once again with political courage, Michelle Cook stood bravely against a barrage of negative campaign attacks. She held strong to her conviction to maintain a positive campaign. her opponent repeatedly fired negative guns, but Cook refused to fire back with anything negative. That's leadership. And Michelle Cook did in fact, lead the change to save the technical schools from the Governor's plan to cut off funding. Cook rallied the public to a meeting at Oliver Wolcott Technical School/ The school gym filled with people. She faced the issue, head on. Unlike other representatives, Michelle Cook is not working another occupation at the same time. This lady puts out a full time effort for you and receives a parttime pay. We are fortunate to have Michelle working for us. Out of this election comes a winner and a rising star, Michelle Cook.
Obama is taking off for Asia on a victory tour and leaving behind the dopes, welfare dependents and hundreds of thousands in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut without power, gas, food and homes. Obama yesterday announced he's jetting off on a victory lap around Southeast Asia, despite dire new government reports warning the Jan. 1 fiscal cliff will plunge the US into a recession and drive the unemployment rate up to 20 percent. Michelle had demanded that they continue their vacation spree since she has been held down from multi-million dollar vacation the last three months. "Raising taxes on private citizens and small businesses will kill jobs in America. It is as simple as that," House Leader John Boehner told USA Today. Boehner has been the one voice of reason and leadership through the whole physical cliff mess created by the democrats. But those tense negotiations won't interfere with Obama's boarding Air Force One for a three-day tour of Bangkok, Rangoon and Phnom Penh with multiple golf outings scheduled. Meanwhile, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a report highlighting the economic shock that awaits America. The automatic tax increases will shrink the already anemic economy by four percent and cause the jobless rate to spike to 20 percent, the report predicted. The average American family will pay an extra $2,000 to $3,000 in taxes after all of the Bush-era tax cuts expire Jan. 1. These austere measures, however, will succeed in slashing the deficit by $503 billion in 2013, and the economy may start to pull out of recession by 2016. So Obama gives America the middle finger as he and Michelle head off to another lavish trip paid for the smucks that voted for him.
Rich pay more? Why does the GOP put America's economy at risk, just to save the rich a 4.5 percent tax hike during an major economic recession? Any increase can be removed once the economy bounces back... example: My wife and I are in a 25 percent tax bracket making less than $100,000... Linda and Mitt are both in a 15 percent tax bracket!... while earning multi-million dollars. What does this say about their patriotism, and lack of caring for America's future?


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Sac state (CSUS) nursing spring 2013 - page 26
Hey, is anyone applying to sac state for spring 2012? Do you think it will be easier to get into since they won't accept any non-sacstate students? What do u think the cut off will be? Sorry for... Read More
Jan 17, '13Joined: Sep '12; Posts: 161; Likes: 29I'm done posting here on Allnurses in this thread and I encourage everybody else to join the facebook group.
Jan 17, '13Occupation: Student From: US ; Joined: Nov '12; Posts: 63; Likes: 9Yep I joined already, I'm Ann TL on fb
Jan 19, '13Joined: Nov '12; Posts: 5Crebs I would be interested in joining your group to collaborate on the quizzes but I do not have a facebook. Is there any alternative way to contact you?
Jan 21, '13Joined: Sep '12; Posts: 161; Likes: 29Quote from Nevergiveup22Sign up for Facebook. It's easy and free. Then join the group and you'll see what we're doing.Crebs I would be interested in joining your group to collaborate on the quizzes but I do not have a facebook. Is there any alternative way to contact you?
Feb 1, '13Joined: Sep '12; Posts: 161; Likes: 29Quote from crebsWas just going through the forum and noticed this post. I think I was confused about how the evolve system works and we all have to pay for our own books separately.I think that's the smart thing to do. You'll save a ton of money. And, you may discover that you don't want/need any hard copy books. I'm fine with E-books so far. Also, if anybody hasn't gotten their ebooks yet and wants to split the cost that'd be awesome. I'm always trying to save money! I already purchased the bundle and you can download it to your computer. LMK.
Mar 13, '13Joined: Jan '11; Posts: 146; Likes: 55I'm a bit confused. Is Spring application only open to Sac State students?
I'll be applying this fall for the 2014 year, but I'll be coming from community college. Really nervous.
Mar 31, '13Joined: Aug '09; Posts: 2,747; Likes: 3,250I believe that Sac State has been closed to Spring applicants for the last few years. If you apply in Fall 14, you can start Fall 2015.
The nursing program itself has 2 application periods each year, most years, I believe.


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Yankton, SD Rental Homes and Apartments for Rent
Search rentals in Yankton, SD. At RentalGuide.net, we have comprehensive rental listings to help you find Yankton apartments for rent. You can also find rental houses and condos. Click on a listing to view details, or refine your search for Yankton apartments to search by price, beds and other criteria.
No Rental Listings returned. Please try another search.


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Sources of Financial Aid
Undergraduate students at California Baptist University will find the widest range of financial aid available to them, including scholarships, awards and loans. Perhaps most familiar to prospective students are scholarships, and many will enter CBU with generous assistance in hand from various sources. Scholarships are based upon merit, achievement, anticipated achievement and other factors.
Please visit the links below to see different sources of financial aid.


text: Nissan Design Europe today unveiled this sketch of their forthcoming NV200 van concept. The small van, a likely competitor for the Ford Transit Connect, will see its premiere at the Tokyo Motor Show in October. Recognizing that most van drivers use their vehicles as a mobile office, the design features a storage pod that slides out the back doors, making room for a passenger seat that rotates backwards to face a drop down desk. Inspired by the needs of underwater photographers, not only are there separate wet and dry storage areas, but the two little driving lights on the roof remind us of those on a mini-submersible or those robotic diving suits from The Abyss.


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Sat 15th Dec - Sat 23rd Mar 2013
Artist & Evangelist: Lives Remembered
@ National Portrait Gallery, London
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Check out the info below for future tour dates, and track them to receive alerts when they tour near you
Artist & Evangelist: Lives Remembered
A painter of classical subjects, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema was one of the most successful artists of the late Victorian period. Born in Friesland in the Netherlands, he moved to Antwerp, aged sixteen, to pursue a formal art education. After working in the studios of Louis Jan de Taeye and Baron Henry Leys, Alma-Tadema established himself independently and in 1864, gained a significant commission of twenty-four pictures from the influential art dealer Ernest Gambart. Gambart immediately began displaying Alma-Tadema's work in London, so that when he moved to England in 1870, his work was already known. Although successful on the continent, Alma-Tadema remained in London for the rest of his life, where he further prospered financially and socially. An excellent businessman, Alma-Tadema also became known for his designs for furniture, interiors and the theatre. Although admired during his lifetime, his reputation waned after his death. His contribution to the history of British art has since been re-evaluated and his legacy revived.
William Booth was born in Nottingham where he experienced directly the consequences of poverty. As an adolescent, Booth abandoned the Church of England and converted to Wesleyan Methodism, inspired by the American revivalist preachers. He began preaching in the streets, exhibiting the principle of active Christianity that defined his lifelong work. In 1849, Booth moved to London, working as an itinerant preacher and building a reputation with his powerful oratory. Here, he met the like-minded Catherine Mumford (1829–90) who strongly influenced the direction of his career, particularly in the Salvation Army's progressive views towards female preachers. They married in 1855 and almost all of their eight children became involved in the Army's work. From these beginnings, Booth grew to be one of the Victorian era's greatest revivalist preachers and social reformers, emphasising physical regeneration through social welfare as essential to spiritual salvation. Although opposed by the conservatism of the age, his conviction and determination ensured that the Salvation Army grew and survived as an international organisation and one of the greatest providers of humanitarian aid.


text: I would like to see a change in the naming system of Database and Users. Example. Database names: suffix: db000000_userfield Meaning, the first part is auto generated and has an incrementing number based on databases already in the system. Currently: database naming is set up as c1_[CLIENTID] which I believe and incrementing number would work better. Secondly, ftp naming can be auto generated: suffix: ftp10002 with and auto incrementing number, which can be changed completely by the user (this can go good with the auto generated password field).


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Small Cool 2010: Terri & Evan's Perfect Layout
Who Lives Here: Terri & Evan
Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Size:740 square feet
What is your favorite element of your Small & Cool home?Our kitchen has to be the best part of our home - for such a small house, it's a pretty big room! Its one of the few rooms that we had to do a lot of work on, and we're very proud of how efficient and 'us' it is. It also feels like the never-ending reno (we still haven't put up our tile backsplash), but a comfortable kitchen is worth every ounce of time and money we can afford to put into it, so we'll keep plugging away until it's finished.
Thumbs Up Voting is only activated for 48 Hours — so don't delay!
What was one of the biggest challenges you faced in furnishing your Small Cool home? We're on a quest to find the perfect layout for our furniture, and side tables/chairs/beds are constantly moving around in an effort to squeeze some more floor space out of our rooms. We seem to feel like we're constantly at capacity, and a piano has recently been added to the mix, just to make our lives a little more exciting. But the more we play with what we already have, the better our space gets.
Our best resource has been the internet, which we're currently scouring for closet ideas. Following the challenge of having lots of furniture and very little floor space comes our bedroom without a closet. We're still working on that one... and we hope to have solved it by the end of summer.
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The more control we exert over our day-to-day choices — especially where questions of life and death are concerned — the less God thrives in our lives.
Examining this reality, the story on Page 5 of this week's issue looks closely at a patent by 23andMe Inc., which essentially would let parents "build" their babies. Hair color, eye color, skills and talents — all would be up for grabs for parents to decide, just as if they were placing an order on Amazon.com.
Though the company, which provides DNA analysis, is not yet being used to create customized children with handpicked qualities, rest assured that there's a good chance it likely soon will be. And the consequences of those choices will be more dire than we can even imagine. As Janet Smith, who holds the Father Michael J. McGivney Chair of Life Ethics at the Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, said: "What if you try to perfectly design a child, and that child doesn't live up to the expectations? We've already seen with parents who have unrealistic expectations for their children, how damaging it is."
Unfortunately, this desire for control pervades not only beginning of life issues, but those at the end of life as well. According to a report last February by the European Institute of Bioethics, euthanasia in Belgium has increased by 25 percent from 2011 to 2012. Next year's statistics will include the deaths of 95-year-old Christian de Duve, a Belgian biochemist and Nobel Prize winner who was euthanized in May, and 45-year-old identical twins who chose to end their lives via euthanasia in January.
As if the increase in euthanized deaths wasn't enough, Belgium, formerly one of the most Catholic countries in the world, now wants to take matters a step further. An unprecedented law recently was proposed that would give children and those with dementia the power to end their own lives should they choose. Suddenly decisions that would keep right-thinking adults up at night are now placed in the hands of the weakest and most vulnerable among us. Not only are the possible outcomes almost unthinkable, the fact that this is even a proposed reality is both shocking and frightening.
The root issue, of course, is that God is no longer finding a place at the table when it comes to issues of life or death. We walk down our roads of many options, deciding how we will live — or end — our lives, and in doing so, we seize control from the one who gave us life in the first place. As we persist in thinking that we are more capable and more knowledgeable than the one who created us, we edge him out of the picture. Be it building customized babies or choosing to be euthanized, we allow faith to take a backseat to personal preference. We leave no room in the car for God.
Ironically, as countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands are leading the charge regarding euthanasia, the European Union currently is fighting to restrict the sale of anesthetics into the United States for fear they will be used as part of the multi-drug cocktail used to administer this country's lethal injection death penalty.
Though the drug in question, the German-created propofol, has never been used in an execution, shortages of other anesthetics have the EU worried that it will be. If only the EU's regard for life could envelop both those on death row and beyond — especially its own most vulnerable — we might be able to take the first step toward welcoming God back into the equation.
Editorial Board: Greg Erlandson, publisher; Msgr. Owen F. Campion, associate publisher; Beth McNamara, editorial director; Gretchen R. Crowe, editor; Sarah Hayes, executive editor
Copyright © 1996-2018 Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.


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When the 58th annual Neosho Holiday Classic kicked off on Wednesday, it brought more than basketball to the Neosho community.
When the 58th annual Neosho Holiday Classic kicked off on Wednesday, it brought more than basketball to the Neosho community.
With 14 boys' teams and 12 girls' teams from near and far competing in the four-day tournament, a host of players and their supporters have made their way into the City of Springs to take in the games, and in turn, add their dollars to the Neosho economy.
Joshua Babb, marketing coordinator at Branco Enterprises, said last year's tournament accounted for approximately $405,753 in tournament expenses locally, using the factor of seven theory, meaning each dollar spent in the community cycles through seven times.
Babb said though the number of teams in this year's tournament is down from last year, he still expects a sizeable economic impact from the tournament.
"I think it will be comparable," Babb said. "Overall, we have fewer teams, but I believe we have more teams staying in Neosho this year."
In 2010, the boys' field was also at 14 teams, while the estimated economic impact of the tournament totaled $337,974 that year.
Babb said based on T-shirt orders, there are more than 500 players and coaches entered into the tournament this year, though that figure doesn't include the supporters that follow their players to Neosho.
Troy Royer, Neosho city manager, said that impact could be seen in the city's hotel/motel tax last year, based on the amount of lodging needed for the teams and their families.
"Based on last year's numbers, over that four-day period over 240 rooms were booked," Royer said. "That does help the city. Just that they're here and they're spending money here does help our sales tax and hotel/motel tax."
Royer said because December is also a month when sales tax figures are impacted by holiday shopping, it is difficult to determine the tournament's role in those figures.
However, Royer said the tournament's impact is evident in the hotel/motel tax.
Babb said it is the intent of tournament organizers to keep the spending associated with the tournament in the city of Neosho.
"That's our goal to put the teams in Neosho lodging," Babb said. "We want that money to stay in Neosho. We're trying to help boost the Neosho economy."
Babb said this year's out-of-town teams have filled the Super 8 hotel, nearly filled the Booneslick Lodge, and occupied at least a handful of rooms at the Best Western Big Spring Lodge.
Some of those funds collected in the hotel/motel tax go right back to events such as the Neosho Holiday Classic, including the up to $10,000 donation the City of Neosho put toward this year's tournament.
Royer said the tournament also helps to get the word out about what Neosho has to offer.
"It helps to promote Neosho," Royer said. "It draws a lot of people in from a lot of areas, not just regionally."
Babb said the tournament has become a community effort, and several local businesses and churches have helped out, including providing meals for the players.
"We've been partnering with local churches and the kids love it because they get home cooked meals," Babb said.
The tournament runs through Saturday, and charges $5 for a session pass, while children ages five and under are free.


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[Constitution, Jefferson's Manual, and the Rules of the House of Representatives, 112th Congress] [112nd Congress] [House Document 111-157] [Jeffersons Manual of ParliamentaryPractice] [Pages 282-295] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov] sec. xlvi--conferences
|Sec. 530. Parliamentary law as to asking conferences.
|It is on the occasion of amendments between the Houses that conferences are usually asked; but they may be asked in all cases of difference of opinion between the two Houses on matters depending between them. The request of a conference, however, must always be by the House which is possessed of the papers. 3 Hats., 31; 1 Grey, 425.
|Sec. 531. Conferences over matters other than differences as to amendments.
|Although conferences between the two Houses of Congress are usually held over differences as to amendments to bills, occasionally differences arise as to the respective prerogatives of the Houses (II, 1485-1495) or as to matters of procedures (V, 6401), as in impeachment proceedings (III, 2304), which are referred to conference. In early and exceptional instances conferences have been asked as to legislative matters when no propositions relating thereto were pending (V, 6255-6257).
|Sec. 532. Conferences by means of select committees.
|In very rare cases, also, the Houses interchange views and come to conclusions by means of select committees appointed on the part of each House (I, 3). Thus, in 1821, a joint committee was chosen to consider and report to the two Houses whether or not it was expedient to provide for
|Sec. 533. Requests for conferences.
|The parliamentary law provides that the request for a conference must always be by the House that is in possession of the papers (V, 8254). It was formerly the more regular practice for the House disagreeing to amendments of the other to leave the asking of a conference to that other House if it should decide to insist (V, 6278-6285, 6324); but it is so usual in the later practice for the House disagreeing to an amendment of the other to ask a conference that an omission to do so has even raised a question (V, 6273). Yet it cannot be said that the practice requires a request for a conference to be made by the House disagreeing to the amendments of the other (V, 6274-6277). One House having asked a conference at one session, the other House may agree to the conference at the next session of the same Congress (V, 6286).
|Sec. 534. Requests for conferences declined or neglected.
|In rare instances one House has declined the request of the other for a conference (V, 6313-6315; Mar. 20, 1951, p. 2683), sometimes accompanying it by adherence (V, 6313, 6315). In one instance, in which the Senate declined a conference, it transmitted, by message, its reasons for so doing (V, 6313). Sometimes, also, one House disregards the request of the other for a conference and recedes from its disagreement, thereby rendering a conference unnecessary (V, 6316-6318). And in one case, in which one House has asked a conference to which the other has assented, the asking House receded before the conference took place (V, 6319). Also, a bill returned to the House with a request for a conference has been postponed indefinitely (V, 6199).
|Sec. 535. Motions to request conferences.
|After the stage of disagreement has been reached, a motion to ask a conference is considered as distinct from motions to agree or disagree to amendments of the other House (V, 6268) and the motions to agree, recede, or insist are considered as preferential (V, 6269, 6270). Where a motion to request a conference at this stage has been rejected, its repetition at the same stage of the proceedings, no other motion to dispose of the matter in disagreement having been considered, has not been permitted (V, 6325). Where a conference results in disagreement, a motion to request a new conference is privileged (V, 6586). Sometimes disagreements are voted on by the House and conferences asked through the medium of special orders of business (IV, 3242-3249).
|Sec. 536. Managers of conferences.
|Although usual, it is not essential that one House, in asking a conference, transmit the names of its managers at the same time (V, 6405). The managers, properly so called (V, 6335), constitute practically two distinct committees, each of which acts by a majority (V, 6334). The Speaker appoints the managers on the part of the House (clause 11 of rule I) and has discretion as to the number to serve on a given bill (V, 6336; VIII, 2193) but must appoint (1) a majority of Members who generally support the House position, as determined by the Speaker; (2) Members who are primarily responsible for the legislation; and (3) to the fullest extent feasible the principal proponents of the major provisions of the bill as it passed the House (clause 11 of rule I). Although the practice used to be to appoint three managers from each house (V, 6336), in the absence of joint rules each House may appoint whatever number it sees fit (V, 6328- 6330). The two Houses have frequently appointed a disparate number of managers (V, 6331-6333; VIII, 3221); and where the Senate appointed nine and the House but three, a motion to instruct the Speaker to appoint a greater number of managers on the part of the House was held out of order (VII, 2193). In appointing managers the Speaker usually consults the Member in charge of the bill (V, 6336); and where an amendment in disagreement falls within the jurisdiction of two committees of the House, the Speaker has named Members from both committees and specified the respective areas on which they were to confer (Speaker Albert, Nov. 30, 1971, p. 43422). In appointing conferees on the general appropriation bill for fiscal year 1951, Speaker Rayburn appointed a set of managers for each chapter of the bill and four Members to sit on all chapters (Aug. 7, 1950, p. 11894). Although the appointment of conferees, both as to their number and composition, is within the discretion of the Chair (Speaker Garner, June 24, 1932, p. 13876; Speaker Martin, July 8, 1947, p. 8469), and although a point of order will not lie against the exercise of this discretion (VIII, 2193, 3221), the Speaker normally takes into consideration the attitude of the majority and minority of the House on the disagreements in issue (V, 6336-6338; VIII, 3223), the varying views of the Members of the House (V, 6339, 6340), and does not necessarily confine the appointments to members of the committee in charge of the bill (V, 6370). In one case, in which the prerogatives of the House were involved, all of the managers were appointed to represent the majority opinion (V, 6338). See also Sec. 637, infra.
|Sec. 537. Reappointment of, at second and subsequent conferences.
|Where there were several conferences on a bill, it was the early practice to change the managers at each conference (V, 6288-6291, 6324), and so fixed was this practice that their reappointment had a special significance, indicating an unyielding temper (V, 6352-6368); but in the later practice it is the rule to reappoint managers (V, 6341-6344) unless a change be necessary to enable the sentiment of the House to be represented (V, 6369).
|Sec. 538. Vacancies, etc., in managers of conferences.
|Managers of a conference are excused from service either by authority of the House (V, 6373-6376; VIII, 3224, 3227) or, since the 103d Congress, by removal by the Speaker (clause 11 of rule I). The absence of a manager may cause a vacancy, which the Speaker fills by appointment (V, 6372; VIII, 3228). If one House makes a change in its managers, it informs the other House, by message (V, 6377, 6378). According to the later practice the powers of managers who have not reported do not expire at the termination of a session, unless it be the last session (V, 6260-6262).
|Sec. 539. Parliamentary law as to free and simple conferences.
|Conferences may be either simple or free. At a conference simply, written reasons are prepared by the House asking it, and they are read and delivered, without debate, to the managers of the other House at the conference, but are not then to be answered. 4 Grey, 144. The other House then, if satisfied, vote the reasons satisfactory, or say nothing; if not satisfied they resolve then not satisfactory and ask a conference on the subject of the last conference, where they read and deliver, in like manner, written answer to those reasons. 3 Grey, 183. They are meant chiefly to record the justification of each House to the nation at large and to posterity and in proof that the miscarriage of a necessary measure is not imputable to them. 3 Grey, 255. At free conferences the managers discuss, viva voce and freely, and interchange propositions for such modifications as may be made in a parliamen
|Sec. 540. Free and simple conferences in modern practice.
|This provision of the parliamentary law bears little relation to the modern practice of the two Houses of Congress, and that practice has evolved a new definition: ``A free conference is that which leaves the committee of conference entirely free to pass upon any subject where the two branches have disagreed in their votes, not, however, including any action upon any subject where there has been a concurrent vote of both branches. A simple conference--perhaps it should more properly be termed a strict or a specific conference, though the parliamentary term is `simple'--is that which confines the committee of conference to the specific instructions of the body appointing it'' (V, 6403). And where the House had asked a free conference it was held not in order to instruct the managers (V, 6384). But it is very rare for the House in asking a conference to specify whether it shall be free or simple.
|Sec. 541. Instruction of managers of a conference.
|In their practices as to the instruction of managers of a conference, the House and the Senate do not agree. Only in rare instances has the Senate instructed (V, 6398), and these instances are at variance with its declaration, made after full consideration, that managers may not be instructed (V, 6397). And where the House has instructed its managers, the Senate sometimes has declined to participate and asked a free conference (V, 6402-6404). In the later practice the House does not inform the Senate when it instructs its managers (V, 6399), the Senate having objected to the transmittal of instructions by message (V, 6400, 6401). In one instance in which the Senate learned indirectly that the House had instructed its managers, it declared that the conference should be full and free, and instructed its own managers to withdraw if they should find the freedom of the conference impaired (V, 6406). But the House holds to the opinion that the House may instruct its managers (V, 6379-6382), although the propriety of doing so at a first conference has been questioned (V, 6388, footnote). And in rare instances in which a free conference is asked instruction is not in order (V, 6384). At a new conference the instructions of a former conference are not in force (V, 6383; VIII, 3240). And instructions may not direct the managers to do that which they might not otherwise do (V, 6386, 6387; VIII, 3235, 3244), as to effect a change in part of a bill not in disagreement (V, 6391-6394) or change the text to which both Houses have agreed (V, 6388). Although managers may disregard instructions, their report may not for that reason be ruled out of order (V, 6395; VIII, 3246; June 8, 1972, p. 20282), and when a conference report is recommitted with instructions the managers are not confined to the instructions alone (VIII, 3247).
|Sec. 542. Parliamentary law as to reports of managers of a conference.
|* * * And each party report in writing to their respective Houses the substance of what is said on both sides, and it is entered in their journals. 9 Grey, 220; 3 Hats; 280. This report can not be amended or altered, as that of a committee may be. Journal Senate, May 24, 1796.
|Sec. 543. Forms of conference reports.
|In the two Houses of Congress conference reports were originally merely suggestions for action and were neither identical in the two Houses nor acted on as a whole (V, 6468-6471). In the House clause 7(a) of rule XXII provides that conference reports may be received at any time, except when the Journal is being read, while the roll is being called, or the House is dividing. They are privileged on or after the third calendar day (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays) after they have been filed and printed in the Record, together with the accompanying statement (clause 8 of rule XXII).
|Sec. 544. Partial conference reports.
|Managers may report an agreement as to a portion of the numbered amendments in disagreement, leaving the remainder to be disposed of by subsequent action (V, 6460- 6464). Where a Senate amendment to the title of a House bill was in conference, but inadvertently omitted from the conference report, the House adopted the report, and, by unanimous consent, insisted on its disagreement to the putatively reported amendment and agreed to a concurrent resolution that deemed the conference report to have ``resolved all disagreements'' (Oct. 10, 2002, p. 20333).
|Sec. 545. Reports of inability to agree.
|Where managers of a conference are unable to agree, or where a report is disagreed to in either House, another conference is usually asked (V, 6288-6291). When managers report that they have been unable to agree, the report is not acted on by the House (V, 6562; VIII, 3329; Aug. 23, 1957, p. 15816). Although under the earlier practice, when conferees reported in complete disagreement, the amendments in disagreement were considered available for immediate disposition (VIII, 3299, 3332), the current practice (as a result of the amendment to clause 8(a) of rule XXII that became effective in the 93d Congress) is to require the matter to lay over until the third calendar day (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays) after the report in disagreement is filed and printed in the Record. In the earlier practice reports of inability to agree were made verbally or by unsigned written reports (V, 6563-6567); but in later practice they are written, in identical form, and signed by the managers of the two Houses (V, 6568, 6569).
|Sec. 546. Managers restricted to the disagreements of the two Houses.
|The managers of a conference must confine themselves to the differences committed to them (V, 6417, 6418; VIII, 3252, 3255, 3282), and may not include subjects not within the disagreements (V, 6407, 6408; VIII, 3253-3255, 3260, 3282, 3284), even though germane to a question in issue (V, 6419; VIII, 3256; Speaker Albert, Dec. 20, 1974, p. 41849). But they may perfect amendments committed to them if they do not in so doing go beyond the differences (V, 6409, 6413). Thus, where an amendment providing an appropriation to construct a road had been disagreed to, it was held in order to report a provision to provide for a survey for the road (V, 6425). Managers may not change the text to which both Houses have agreed (V, 6417, 6418, 6420, 6433-6436). But if the amendment in issue strikes all of the bill after the enacting clause and substitutes a new text, the managers have the whole subject before them and may exercise a broad discretion as to details (V, 6424; VIII, 3266), and may even report an entirely new bill on the subject (V, 6421, 6423; VIII, 3248, 3263, 3265, 3276; Sec. 1088, infra). If the amendment in disagreement proposes a substitute differing greatly from the House provision they may eliminate the entire subject matter (Speaker Gillett, Sept. 14, 1922, p. 12598).
|Sec. 547. Remedy where managers exceed their authority.
|In the House the Speaker may rule out a conference report if it be shown that the managers have exceeded their authority (V, 6409-6416; VIII, 3256; Oct. 4, 1962, p. 22332; Nov. 14, 2002, pp. 22408, 22409). In the House points of order against reports are made or reserved after the report is read and before the reading of the statement (V, 6424, 6441; VIII, 3282, 3284, 3285, 3287), or consideration begins (V, 6903-6905; VIII, 3286), and comes too late after the report has been agreed to (V, 6442); and in case the statement is read in lieu of the report the point of order must be made or reserved before the statement is read (VIII, 3256, 3265, 3285, 3288, 3289). Where clause 8(c) of rule XXII applies, points of order must be made before debate begins on the report (Nov. 14, 2002, p. 22408).
|Sec. 548. Meeting and action of managers.
|The managers of a conference may not report before the other House is notified of their appointment and a meeting is held (V, 6458). Conferences are generally held in the Capitol, and formerly with closed doors, although in rare instances Members and others were admitted to make arguments (V, 6254, footnote, 6263). Clause 12 of rule XXII now provides for at least one open conference meeting except if the House determines by record vote that all or part of the meeting may be closed to the public. The same rule now provides for a point of order in the House against the report and for an automatic request for a new conference if the House managers fail to meet in open session following appointment of the Senate conferees (Dec. 20, 1982, p. 32896). For a discussion of open conference meetings, see Sec. 1093, infra. Rarely, also, papers in the nature of petitions have been referred to managers (V, 6263). The managers of the two Houses vote separately (V, 6336). Clause 12(a)(3) of rule XXII provides additional statements on the meetings, discussions, and signatures of House managers. Clause 13 of rule XXII provides a point of order against consideration of a conference report that differs in a non-clerical manner from the version placed before the House managers for signature.
|Sec. 549. Action on a conference report in the two Houses.
|The report of the managers of a conference goes first to one House and then to the other, neither House acting until it is in possession of the papers, which means the original bill and amendments, as well as the report (V, 6322, 6518-6522, 6586; VIII, 3301). The report must be acted on as a whole, being agreed to or disagreed to as an entirety (V, 6472- 6480, 6530-6533; VIII, 3304, 3305; Speaker Bankhead, Aug. 22, 1940, p. 10763; Speaker Albert, Nov. 10, 1971, p. 40481); and until the report has been acted on no motion to deal with the individual amendments is in order (V, 6323, 6389, 6390; Speaker Rayburn, Mar. 16, 1942, pp. 2502- 04). Under a special order of business recommended by the Committee on Rules, the House has considered a single, indivisible motion to adopt not only a conference report but also sundry motions to dispose of amendments reported from conference in disagreement (June 18, 1992, p. 15453). Although ordinarily reports are agreed to by majority vote, a two-thirds vote is required on a report relating to a constitutional amendment (V, 7036). Conference reports must be acted on in both Houses and, in a case in which the Senate had adopted a report recommending that it recede from its amendments to a House bill, the House rejected the report and then agreed to the Senate amendments (Mar. 21, 1956, p. 5278). A conference report being made up but not acted on at the expiration of a Congress, the bill is lost (V,
|Sec. 550. Motions in order during action on a conference report.
|When a conference report is presented, the question on agreeing is regarded as pending (V, 6517; VIII, 3300), and as the negative of it is equivalent to disagreement, the motion to disagree is not admitted (II, 1473; V, 6517; VIII, 3300). The reading of the amendments to which the report relates is not in order during its consideration (V, 5298). The report may not be amended on motion made in either House alone (V, 6534, 6535; VIII, 3306), but amendment is sometimes made by concurrent action of the two Houses (V, 6536, 6537; VIII, 3308). A motion to refer to a standing committee (V, 6558) or to lay on the table is not entertained in the House (V, 6538-6544); and a conference report may not be sent to Committee of the Whole on suggestion that it contains matter ordinarily requiring consideration in that committee (V, 6559-6561). It is in order on motion to recommit a conference report if the other body, by action on the report, have not discharged their managers (V, 6545-6553, 6609; VIII, 3310), and by concurrent resolution a report may be recommitted to conference after each House has acted thereon (VIII, 3316), but such a proposition would not be privileged in the House (V, 6554-6557; VIII, 3309).
|Sec. 551. Effect of disagreement to a conference report.
|When either House disagrees to a conference report the matter is left in the position it was in before the conference was asked (V, 6525), and the amendments in disagreement come up for further action (II, 1473), but do not return to the state they were in before disagreement, so that they need not be considered in Committee of the Whole (V, 6589). Motions for disposition of Senate amendments, sending to conference and instruction of conferees, are again in order (VIII, 3303). However, if a conference report is considered as rejected pursuant to the provisions of clause 10 of rule XXII because of the inclusion of nongermane matter, the pending question is as specified in that clause and, depending on the nature of the text in disagreement, may be to recede and concur with an amendment, to insist on the House position, or to insist on disagreement (see Sec. Sec. 1089, 1090, infra).
|Sec. 552. Custody of papers when a conference is asked before disagreement.
|A conference may be asked, before the House asking it has come to a resolution of disagreement, insisting or adhering. 3 Hats., 269, 341. In which case the papers are not left with the other conferees, but are brought back to the foundation of the vote to be given. And this is the most reasonable and respectful proceeding; for, as was urged by the Lords on a particular occasion, ``it is held vain, and below the wisdom of Parliament, to reason or argue against fixed resolutions, and upon terms of impossibility to persuade.'' 3 Hats., 226. * * *
|Sec. 553. Relations of adherence and conference under the parliamentary law.
|* * * So the Commons say, ``an adherence is never delivered at a free conference, which implies debate.'' 10 Grey, 137. And on another occasion the Lords made it an objection that the Commons had asked a free conference after they had made resolutions of adhering. It was then affirmed, however, on the part of the Commons that nothing was more parliamentary than to proceed with free conferences after adhering, 3 Hats., 269, and we do in fact see instances of conference, or of free conference, asked after the resolution of disagreeing, 3 Hats., 251, 253, 260, 286, 291, 316, 349; of insisting, ib., 280, 290, 299, 319, 322, 355; of adhering, 269, 270, 283, 300; and even of a second or final adherence. 3 Hats., 270. * * *
|Sec. 554. Relations of adherence and conference under the practice of the two Houses of Congress.
|The two Houses not observing the parliamentary distinctions as to free and other conferences, their practice in case of adherence is also different. Conferences are not asked after an adherence by both Houses, but have often been asked and granted where only one House has adhered (V, 6241-6244). A vote to adhere may not be accompanied by a request for a conference (V, 6303; VIII, 3208), because the House that votes to adhere does not ask a conference (V, 6304-6308). The request for a conference in such a case is properly accompanied by a motion to insist (V, 6308). And the House that has adhered may insist on its adherence when it agrees to the conference (V, 6251). But it is not considered necessary either to recede or insist before agreeing to the conference (V, 6242, 6244, 6310, 6311).
|Sec. 555. Custody of the papers after an effective conference.
|* * * And in all cases of conference asked after a vote of disagreement, &c., the conferees of the House asking it are to leave the papers with the conferees of the other; and in one case where they refused to receive them they were left on the table in the conference chamber. Ib., 271, 317, 323, 354; 10 Grey, 146.
|Sec. 556. Custody of papers when managers of a conference fail to agree.
|Where a conference breaks up without reaching any agreement the managers for the House that requested the conference, who have the papers by right, are justified in retaining them and carrying them back to the House (IV, 3905, footnote; V, 6246, 6254, 6571-6584; VIII, 3332). And in one case wherein under such circumstances the papers were taken back to the Senate, which was the body agreeing to the conference, the Senate after consideration sent them to the House, because it seemed proper for the asking House to take the first action (V, 6573).
|Sec. 557. Free or instructed conferences.
|After a free conference the usage is to proceed with free conferences and not to return again to a conference. 3 Hats., 270; 9 Grey, 229.
|Sec. 558. Parliamentary law as to purposes for which conferences may be held.
|When a conference is asked, the subject of it must be expressed or the conference not agreed to. Ord. H. Com., 89; 1 Grey, 425; 7 Grey, 31. They are sometimes asked to inquire concerning an offense or default of a member of the other House. 6 Grey, 181; 1 Chand., 304. Or the failure of the other House to present to the King a bill passed by both Houses. 8 Grey, 302. Or on information received and relating to the safety of the nation. 10 Grey, 171. Or when the methods of Parliament are thought by the one House to have been departed from by the other a conference is asked to come to a right understanding thereon. 10 Grey, 148. So when an unparliamentary message has been sent, instead of answering it they ask a conference. 3 Grey, 155. Formerly an address or articles of impeachment or a bill, with amendments, or a vote of the House, or concurrence in a vote, or a message from the King were sometimes communicated by way of conference. 6 Grey, 128, 300, 387; 7 Grey, 80; 8 Grey, 210, 255; 1 Torbuck's Deb., 278; 10 Grey,


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12:05pm - update - If you want to read how disappointed people were, read this report.
11:53am - Update - an application form has now been posted on TradeMe. You still have to send it in by physical mail though.
Complete chaos ensued after the studio totally underestimated how many Hobbit fans live in Wellington.
|NZ Police closed the event, an hour and a half in.
What was advertised on TradeMe (NZ's auction and job seeker's site) as "The Hobbit Official Extras Casting Call 2012", ended up causing massive delays on Wellington's motorway, and according to NZ Police, at least two traffic accidents. The whole event, which was supposed to start at 1:00pm and finish at 4:00pm, was shut down by the NZ Police just after 2:30pm, when it became obvious that there was no crowd control or traffic control organised.
|Hopefuls waiting in the park next to the hall
What happened? Originally, the advertisement was listed on January 19th (NB - this link may stop working, so I have saved the files, available for reference). By 7:00am, the next morning, close to 19,000 people had seen the advert. By the morning after the event, almost 150,000 people had seen it. Wellington only has a population of around 200,000 people, so the equivalent of 75% of the Wellington population saw the advertisement.
The casting call took place in the Belmont Hall, which is listed as a venue with a capacity of accommodating a mere 150 people, with carparks to match. The hall is located right next to NZ Highway 2, the second largest road out of Wellington.
Also using the Hutt Motorway on January 28th was large amounts of traffic for the annual Wellington Cup. This is one of New Zealand's most important horse races, and draws big crowds every year. This year was no exception. This event is well advertised, and has been going since 1874.
To make matters worse, Wellington was host to two large cruiseships (the Pacific Dawn and the Dawn Princess), with an estimated 4000-5000 tourists in the region as well. Although 74 cruiseships visits are expected this season, there are only seven days this season when two ships berth on the same day. Today was one of those days. This information is available online, and has been available since August 2011.
Production company Three Foot Seven told 3 News they had expected 1200 people to attend the casting call. TV 3 reported that "thousands more" showed up. NZ's news website stuff.co.nz estimated that at least 3000 people had turned up by 1:00pm (ie, before the traffic seriously began). One report I heard from an anonymous source at the studio was that at least 4500 people attended.
|Early in the day, there were still orderly lines
|Quit long lines, in fact
To cope with all these 1200 expected people, the production company 3foot7 had put a skeleton staff in charge. The hobbit hopefuls I spoke to all reported that only one or two studio people were desparately trying to manage the crowds outside. One report said this guy wasn't actually working for the studio but had taken it upon himself to sort things out. Well done, mate. Good on you for giving it a go.
|This unsung hero WAS the crowd control
Some of the hopefuls had been free-camping in the park next to the hall overnight, although most showed up after 10:00am on the morning.
Most online reports agreed that roughly 800 people had made it through the doors before the Police turned up (www.stuff.co.nz incl video) (TV3 Video) (Hutt News). The most distant report I read came from Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, so this fiasco is being reported worldwide.
The lucky 800 fans that did get in had their photos taken, their measurements recorded, and contact details entered.
|The lucky few, before the Police showed up
Application forms were handed out to many people in line, but not to all. When it became clear that the event was being stopped by the Police, an announcement was made that all attendees would also be able to send in their details online that evening, something which at this stage (a day later) has not eventuated.
|Filling out application forms outside
|The disappointed, heading home again
And how necessary was it all? The lucky few who got inside only had their details taken. All this could have been done online. In fact, it HAD been done online, and through this blog. Just check through my blog in the last three years. At this stage I'm unsure what happened to the details of all the people who previously applied online, or actually printed out their CV's and sent them via mail. If anyone from the studio is reading this, please drop me a line! I'm more than happy to keep people informed.
All in all, a day that the studio could learn two important lessons from.
(1) The studio does not exist in a vaccuum. Other events may clash and interfere with badly organised studio plans. These other events are not hard to discover.
(2) There are MANY thousands of people in Wellington who want to be involved in The Hobbit. An event such as this will always be attended by people who are not even hopeful - large numbers of people were obviously too tall, too short, the wrong build, or had had no working visa. They just wanted to BE there. For any event related to The Hobbit, there will be more people present than expected (even if you take this statement into account). How many people attended the "Pro-Hobbit Rally" last year? How many were present at the ROTK Premiere in 2003? Take a look at these two photos from those events.
|The Pro-Hobbit Rally in October 2010. We showed our support
|This 2003 crowd (which continued from one end of the city to the other) was estimated by ABC News at 400,000. Ridiculous of course - Wellington hasn't got that many people.
At the end of this year, Wellington will be hosting the Premiere of the first of the Hobbit movies. Let's hope that goes a bit smoother than this weekend's fiasco. To begin with, it would be nice to know a date for the Premiere, so that the city can begin to plan around it already. We already know that both TORn and Middle-earth Network are planning Hobbit tours for the fans around the time of the premiere but are unable to confirm nbumbers until we know when the actual event takes place.
My message to the studios - please get yourselves better organised. The fans deserve better than this.


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Big12Sports.com Correspondent
Coaches around the Big 12 are using the phrase "short-term memory." Translated from coach speak, it means that regardless of a game's outcome, a team needs to forget about it and move on to the most important game - the next one.
But Kansas State deserves to let Wednesday night's game linger in the memory banks. The Wildcats displayed remarkable grit and determination in a 76-70 overtime defeat of No. 12 Oklahoma State.
Coach Deb Patterson's team was vertically challenged to start the season and now it is personnel challenged.
K-State lost freshman guard Kelly Thomson and junior forward Katya Leick before the season with non-contact ACL tears. Freshman guard Marissa Ellis left the program at semester and freshman forward Stacey Malone has missed the last three games with a foot injury.
During Monday's practice - as Allen Iverson would say, we're talkin' 'bout practice - Ashia Woods (Achilles tendon) and Ashlynn Knoll (ACL) suffered season-ending injuries. The Wildcats went into the game with the Cowgirls with seven scholarship players. And late in regulation, junior forward Chantay Caron was hurt taking a charge and had to leave the game.
And even shorthanded, the Wildcats won; making a school-record 16 3-pointers helped offset the lack of depth.
"A couple days ago we had the wind taken out of our sails for the day, and not only because they're two great players, but because we're a family," said senior Brittany Chambers, who scored a game-high 26 points on Wednesday. "We could tell (Tuesday) that we were trying to get our feet back under us and get our heads back in it.
"And (Wednesday), at shoot around we came in with our heads on, got shots up and took the court with a no-back-down, we're-going-to-play-you attitude... It feels even better because it was a hard-fought game."
Saturday Kansas State will play at Texas, which is still seeking its first Big 12 victory and has lost a school-record nine consecutive games. If Caron hasn't recovered, the Wildcats will have just six players in uniform.
"I know everyone can see we have a group that has the heart and has learned to be extremely competitive," Patterson said. "That's what we want. When you do that, good things can come from it."
Third Time's The Charm?
Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly is conflicted. On one hand, he wants his team to forget its two losses to Baylor in the span of 14 days.
"What I told our team is, 'We're 4-1,'" Fennelly said of his team, which is 4-3 in Big 12 play. "That's what we told them. We're taking the Baylor out of it, and now we'll see."
On the other hand, he doesn't believe the Cyclones played their best in their two games with the defending national champions and he would welcome a third game.
"I'd love to play them again," Fennelly said. "I really would. If you're playing them again, it might be in the semifinals of the conference tournament, it might be the Big 12 championship game. Hell, it might be in the Final Four. I mean, why not?
"I know. I would, I would just like to see us give it one more shot and do the things we can do and see what happens."
Wednesday's loss turned in the first half when Baylor's defense smothered Iowa State. During a stretch of 11:28, the Cyclones were scoreless as the Lady Bears went on a 17-0 run. The Cyclones missed 14 straight shots and had 10 of their 18 turnovers in that span.
"Besides Brittney Griner, they're a quick team," Iowa State's Anna Prins said. "They make things chaotic at times. Just trying to get the ball down the court takes time, and then you got to get in your offense. Sometimes you're just getting jumbled up just trying to get the shot off. Occasionally, it wasn't a great shot."
Fast Breaks
Baylor's Griner has 2,819 career points. She needs 18 points to pass Oklahoma State's Andrea Riley (2,836 points) to become the leading scorer in Big 12 history. Griner has 657 blocked shots in her career and needs seven to pass Louella Tomlinson's of Saint Mary's (Calif.) for the NCAA Division I record.
Baylor has won 29 consecutive Big 12 games. The Lady Bears' last regular-season Big 12 loss was at Texas Tech, 56-45, on Feb. 18, 2011. They're 40-1 in regular-season Big 12 games over the past three seasons.
When Iowa State lost to Baylor on Jan. 9, the Lady Bears had a 50-0 edge in points in the paint. Wednesday night, Baylor's edge in paint points was just 24-20. The teams battled to a 35-all standoff in rebounding. The teams also battled to a 35-35 tie on the scoreboard in the second half.
Iowa State's Chelsea Poppens is now third in career rebounds with 927. She needs 73 rebounds to become the 14th player in Big 12 history with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.
Kansas set a record for victory margin in a Big 12 game with its 76-38 victory over Texas. The Jayhawks allowed just 12 points in the first half, the fewest points KU has allowed in a half in a Big 12 game.
Kansas senior guard Angel Goodrich surpassed the 1,000-point career barrier, scoring 20 against Texas. The Jayhawks have three players with 1,000 points in their career as Carolyn Davis and Monica Engelman have surpassed the 1K plateau.
Kansas State senior guard Brittany Chambers made six 3-pointers against Oklahoma State and has 287 in her career. That is second in school history and tied for second in Big 12 history. The Big 12 record is 392 by K-State's Laurie Koehn.
Texas has lost a school-record nine consecutive games. In Wednesday's 76-38 loss at Kansas, the Longhorns scored just 12 points in the first half - the fewest scored in an opening half in school history.
Texas was without its two leading scorers at Kansas. Sophomore forward Nneka Enemkpali and junior guard Chassidy Fussell did not accompany the team to Lawrence due to a violation of team rules. Coach Karen Aston declined to specify the violations and said the suspensions are for one game.


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Arts & Events
Best of the Berkeley Video & Film Festival (BVFF) 2012 This Friday-Saturday at East Bay Media Center's New Screening Room in Downtown Berkeley
The Berkeley Video & Film Festival, founded in 1990, will be screening its Best of 2012 program this Friday and Saturday nights at the East Bay Media Center's excellent new screening room in downtown Berkeley--and at a great price: $5 a night for a wide array of styles and subject matter from all over (including the vaunted University of Southern California's film program), including Andrea Heckman' and Rose Gordon's documentary about Bon, the pre-Buddhist rerligion of Tibet, and its preservation by Tibetan Buddhists, short fiction films, animation, television innovations ... A potpourri of unusual work.
East Bay Media Center, 1939 Addison (between MLK/Milvia),
Friday-Saturday at 7:30.
$5 per night.


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Events for March 5, 2017 › Entertainment
'Public Sculpture: The Art of the Proposal' Exhibition
"Public Sculpture: The Art of the Proposal" consists of a collection of maquettes and digital prints of public sculpture proposals. The exhibition brings together a range of artists working in various materials at different points of their careers, from sculptors working in public sculpture for 50 years to younger artists just beginning their journey into […]Find out more »
39th Annual Exhibiting Excellence High School Exhibition
Exhibition is free. There will be a reception from 1-4 p.m. Feb. 12. An exhibition showcasing the artistic talents of high school junior and senior students from Illinois and Southeast Missouri.Find out more »


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PARAMUS, N.J. (AP) In a span of two weeks, Adam Scott lost his No. 1 ranking and then ended the year without a major.
He's paying close attention to Rory McIlroy, the guy responsible for both.
''I'm not afraid to say that I look at the way he played and I want that to be me,'' Scott said Friday after a 6-under 65 that gave him a share of the lead with Cameron Tringale going into the weekend at The Barclays. ''And I feel that I can play like that and have runs like that. You've got to learn from the best, and he's one of them. So look at what he's doing and the way he's going about it is important. Because it's relevant to the way we all play out here.''
Scott did his part for at least one day at the FedEx Cup opener. He missed only two greens. He missed six putts inside 12 feet. And he still shot 65. Scott poured everything into the majors this year, and while he didn't do poorly - no worse than a tie for 15th in any of them - that didn't come close to stacking up with McIlroy winning the British Open and the PGA Championship within a month.
Now that the majors are over, Scott figures the last big trophy left is the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus.
He was tied with a player who has never finished better than third on the PGA Tour, which doesn't mean the weekend will be easy. There were three dozen players within five shots of the lead, and McIlroy was one of them.
Here are five things to look for on the weekend:
GREAT SCOTT: Scott won The Barclays a year ago on a different golf course - Liberty National. But he loves the classic, tree-lined courses in the area, and Ridgewood fits that bill. Scott called his 65 some of the best golf he has played all year from tee to green. ''It just wasn't my day on the greens,'' he said.
If it sounds like he's being greedy, consider this: Scott shot 65 despite playing the par 5s in 1 over.
THE UNKNOWN: Maybe it's karma, but Tringale is tied for the lead just one week after calling to disqualify himself from the PGA Championship (he tied for 33rd) because he felt he should have taken an extra stroke on the 11th hole at Valhalla because of a whiffed 3-inch putt.
Tringale first thought his intent wasn't to take a stroke. Matt Jones brought it up in the scoring trailer. The more Tringale thought about it, he felt it was better to be disqualified than to have that in the back of his mind.
So now he has a clear conscience, and a share of the lead at Ridgewood. He also gets to play Saturday in the final group with Scott.
RORY RALLIES: Rory McIlroy might have been the only person who wasn't worried about making the cut. Even though he opened with a 74 and was below the cut line, McIlroy knew it was a matter of rust in his game from a week of celebrating his double-major summer. Sure enough, he came out firing and shot a 65 to get within five shots of the lead. Making the cut? He's thinking about winning his fourth straight tournament.
And he put to rest - as if he had not already - the notion that Friday haunts him. McIlroy had a peculiar stretch of taking himself out of contention in the second round. But it turned around at the British Open, and his scores on Friday over his last four events have been 66-64-67-65.
ONE MORE CUT: Phil Mickelson played a shot off a hospitality deck behind the bleachers above the fifth green, giving the crowd a thrill (and Mickelson a bogey). Far more important was his birdie on the ninth hole because it allowed Lefty to make the cut on the number.
If he had missed the cut, he would have gone to the TPC at Boston with the risk of having three weeks off before the Ryder Cup.
But it's not over yet. Because 79 players made the cut, there will be a 54-hole cut on Saturday. That's more work for players like David Toms, Boo Weekley, Stewart Cink and Lee Westwood. If they're not in the top 70 and ties after Saturday, their PGA Tour season is over.
ENERGIZED ELS: Ernie Els turns 45 later this year, though he's playing like a rookie in his 20s. Els already played seven straight tournaments this year. Now he's on his sixth straight week, and that figures to be seven at Boston next week.
There's a method to his madness. Els has switched back to a convention putter with the anchored stroke for long putters to be banned in 2016. He can practice all he wants at home. He can play friends for big money. But he felt there's no better test of his nerves with the putter than to be competing against the best in the world.
He is competing just fine. Els shot a 68 and finished two shots behind.


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Quick Weeknight Dinner Recipes with Polenta Quick Weeknight Meals Recipe Contest 2009
Two of the winning recipes from September's Quick Weeknight Meals contest included polenta! This creamy, satisfying dinner staple is one of our favorite things. Here are the four polenta recipes from the contest; have you made any of them yet?
• Kasia's Parmesan Polenta with Eggs and Roasted Mushrooms
• Rachel's Mushroom Ragout with Spinach-Parm Polenta
• Jean's Roasted Vegetables on Creamy Polenta
• Breanne's Polenta with Black Beans and Coconut Tomato
Do you have any favorite match-ups for polenta?
Related: Good Question: What is Polenta?


text: Greece-Japan goalless draw helps Colombia into last 16 Posted by: Editor in Sports June 20, 2014 0 15795 Views Ten-man Greece held Japan to a 0-0 draw that will suit neither side in a Group C match which ended with boos ringing around the Dunas arena and sent Colombia into the last 16 of the World Cup on Thursday. Both sides were looking to get their campaigns back on track after losing their opening encounters but Greece will be the happier after playing for 52 minutes without skipper Kostas Katsouranis, who was sent off for two yellow card offences. Japan dominated possession but were unable to make the most of the chances they created against a Greek defence which once again looked like the one that conceded four goals in 10 qualifying matches for Brazil. The Asian champions, who opened their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Ivory Coast, stayed true to the attacking style that made them the first country to qualify for Brazil but will need to beat Colombia in their final match to have a chance of progressing. Colombia top Group C with six points from their first two games ahead of Ivory Coast with three. Japan face the Colombians on Tuesday in Cuiaba, when Greece meet the African team in Fortaleza. Greece, who lost their opener 3-0 to Colombia, hassled and harried the Japanese to stay in the match after Katsouranis was dismissed in the 38th minute for taking Japan captain Makoto Hasebe's legs away from underneath him. It was Greece who came closest to opening the scoring in the remaining minutes before halftime, though, when Vassilis Torosidis launched a thunderbolt of a shot from the edge of the box which Eiji Kawashima parried away at full stretch. Yoshito Okubo should have put Japan ahead after 68 minutes when a sublime Hotaru Yamaguchi pass set Atsuto Uchida free in the box but he could only blast the defender's square ball into the crowd from close range. 0.00 avg. rating (0% score) - 0 votes sports news 2014-06-20 Editor tweet


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Medical technology company C.R. Bard Inc., in the Murray Hill section of New Providence, announced Wednesday its board has declared a quarterly dividend of 21 cents per share.
According to the announcement, the current indicated annual dividend rate is 84 cents per share. The dividend is payable on January 31, 2014 to shareholders of record at the close of business on January 21, 2014.
The company announced an identical quarterly dividend in October.


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Most of you who read my blog will probably be shocked to see a topic like this. I work with Oracle technologies and my blogs have been predominantly about that (well, actually always about that). But I am also a human being living in societies and there are other thoughts that cross my mind. So here is something very, very different. This is not about Oracle, or IT, or even working in general. Please stop reading if you are not interested.
One of the activities I perform outside of my work is mentoring. These are not just rookies trying to go up in their careers; but accomplished professional (some more accomplished than me) trying to get some sense from a different perspective and I am willing to help. One such mentee (I will not name him to protect his privacy) mentioned something about religion that got me thinking. It was about a debate on religion and the threats on Americans travelling internationally and some other assorted topics. As a rule, I do not engage in debates about religion. Don't get me wrong, I love to debate passionately on topics I find interesting or important; but with some exceptions - religion being one of them.
It's rather sad to see how some reasonably intelligent or outwardly sound people justify the killing of innocent people as a manifestation of their religious obligations. One could argue that that act by itself is not religious or even spiritual; it's fanatical bordering on lunacy. But from the perspective of the perpetrators, that's what it is - sanctioned religious beliefs. Religion is a very dangerous double edged sword. On one hand it brings discipline, moral values and, for the lack of a better term - "humanity" to humans. Consider this - why would you not steal from thy neighbor? It makes your act profitable and your actions immensely efficient (a lot of gain from a small effort); but you won't; because it's against established morality. Belief system - whether in the form of religion or otherwise, pours the very foundation of morality - a fact most of us probably do not realize. It differentiates us from other animals.
But the root of problem is that there is no boundary. Where should the belief system stop? Religion is after all a set of rituals and behavioral standards formed by human beings (although in some cases presumed or claimed vetted by supreme beings). Its specific actions are defined by the leaders, like any other group, but with an important difference. Belief systems adapt to situations - making the process forming the set of acceptable activities of religion highly fluid and devoid of specific direction. Some adapt it to their interpretation, in so much so, that they actually believe in their interpretation. Contrary to popular belief, these people may not be illiterate goat herding nomads; they may be at the top echelons of established societies, with a firm belief in their own direction of the religious activities.
And that makes the business of religion highly dangerous. While on one hand we cherish the extremely positive role religion plays in forming societies, we also witness the catastrophic consequence of the abuse of religion. That's why I avoid debating about religion in any form - there is a fine line between being spiritual and fanatical - and with each side deciding where the line should be. The debate has at least one attribute - logic and reason take a backseat to emotion and sentiment.
Confessions of an Oracle Database Junkie - Arup Nanda The opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. They may not necessarily reflect that of my employers and customers - both past or present. The comments left by the reviewers are theirs alone and may not reflect my opinion whether implied or not. None of the advice is warranted to be free of errors and ommision. Please use at your own risk and after thorough testing in your environment.
Monday, October 04, 2010
The Business of Religion
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by Runescapian1337 October 12, 2009
When a female's camel toe becomes so intolerably huge and prominent, it can no longer be called a camel toe because it is an insult to camels with feet everywhere.
Person 1: Someone should tell Maggie that she's too big to be wearing those spandex shorts. She's having a major camel toe.
Person 2: Don't bring the camels into this- what Maggie has is a dragon claw.
Person 2: Don't bring the camels into this- what Maggie has is a dragon claw.
by Superditor May 07, 2010
The first original M.U.G.E.N character to feature graphics that are modeled in 3D and then rendered in 2D. It was entirely made from scratch by Reuben Kee, a Singaporean, part-time model, dragon-boat paddler and composer, who passed away on November 23, 2007 in a boating accident that also killed several other contestants, including four of his teammates, in the 2007 Cambodia Tonle Sap competition. Dragon Claw is also one of the first merchandised M.U.G.E.N characters, having shirts and even a coffee mug manufactured for the purpose of selling them.
"Reuben Kee created Dragon Claw very well, but that doesn't mean Dragon Claw is more valuable than Reuben Kee. If Reuben Kee didn't exist at all, there would be no Dragon Claw. Rest in peace our friend."
by frodaddy December 19, 2008
The Dragon Claw is the 1-3-5 (Red-Yellow-Orange) chord in "Through The Fire and Flames" by Dragonforce in Guitar Hero 3.
It is the most difficult chord in the game.
It is the most difficult chord in the game.
Man, I was going ahab on Dragonforce 'til I hit the Dragon Claw!
by Adam Zivojnovich February 18, 2008
When your fuckin a bitch doggy style and you extend two knuckles on your right or left fist and punch her in the back of the neck while thrusting foward and yell a chinese kungfu yell!
Did you hear i dragon clawed your bitch last night? She loved it.
by The Dragon Clawer February 10, 2009
when to go for fisting the ass open your hand in the anus to resemble a dragon claw and twist or spin your hand around in the anus then drag out the shit.
by Jarvis February 05, 2004
a connection of the sideburns down in a line down to the chin (i.e. chinsrap) but instead of connecting in the middle there it is shaved, thus resulting in two extentions of the sideburns, leaving two "dragon claws". Mostly for persians, but other races can pull it off.
that nigga ali was shaving his beard into a chinstrap, but he had a revalation, thinking it would be cool to have it not connect at the chin. the nonconnection could also be attributed to ali messing up the middle and covering it up with the amazing DRAGON CLAWS, leaving him as a huge pimp and fucking bitches wenever he wants, because girls love exotic shit baby DGAF!
by ruophelas February 19, 2007


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In a word or phrase, what does leadership mean to you? Being a role model and making the right choices.
Why did you join the program? I joined this program for the many opportunities. This program offers college help, scholarships and the chance to become a positive influence in my community.
What do you hope to gain from the program? Being a part of this program, I hope to gain relationships with the other members of the program and better educate myself by learning things in that I would not learn in school.
What is or do you think will be your favorite part of the program? So far, my favorite part of this program is the relationships I have gained with my peers in the program and the Turn 2 staff.