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Facebook Caught Hiring PR Firm To Smear And Attack Google
from the oops dept
Following that, USA Today picked up on the story, building on what Soghoian released, and noting that the same folks at Burson had been pushing USA Today to do a story on the same issue, but in checking out the details, the reporters noticed that what Burson was spreading wasn't even accurate:
In a May 3 e-mail to former FTC researcher and blogger Christopher Soghoian, Burson's Mercurio offered to ghost write an op-ed column to that effect for Soghoian. Mercurio even offered in a widely circulated e-mail to help Soghoian get it published in The Washington Post, Politico, The Hill, Roll Call and The Huffington Post.Of course, that left a big question. Who had hired Burson to do this? Most of the theories focused on Microsoft. This seemed like the sort of thing it might do. Some people, apparently, thought it might be Apple, recognizing how much of a rival Google has become. However, the surprise news is that it was Facebook, which 'fessed up to Dan Lyons at the Daily Beast, after being confronted.
Meanwhile, Goldman connected with USA TODAY and outlined a news story critical of Social Circle.
However, Soghoian derailed Burson's efforts by posting the full e-mail text of Mercurio's pitch -- along with his rejection -- on the Internet. After Goldman's pitch proved largely untrue, he subsequently declined USA TODAY's requests for comment.
Confronted with evidence, a Facebook spokesman last night confirmed that Facebook hired Burson, citing two reasons: First, because it believes Google is doing some things in social networking that raise privacy concerns; second, and perhaps more important, because Facebook resents Google's attempts to use Facebook data in its own social-networking service.Now, these kinds of hit pieces are not really that uncommon. PR people place stuff like this all the time. But it's a bit rarer in Silicon Valley, where that kind of thing is considered really dirty pool. It's also a pretty unfortunate statement about Facebook and the way it views the world. Playing dirty tricks on competitors isn't particularly productive, and just makes you wonder if it means that Facebook realizes it can't compete with Google, so it needs to come up with bogus attacks.


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Lasergene's MegAlign Pro application enables you to easily perform multiple alignments of large DNA, RNA, or protein sequences and offers four alignment methods: MUSCLE, Mauve, MAFFT, and Clustal Omega. Profile alignment functionality additionally allows you to merge alignments or add sequences to an existing alignment. MegAlign Pro also offers several post-alignment analysis tools, including phylogenetic tree generation and access to a distance matrix, showing distances between each pair of sequences. MegAlign Pro's integrated views give you multiple ways to view your alignment simultaneously and several style options that allow you to control what's displayed. Color coding, rulers, and annotations can be used to assist you in locating variations and other items of interest. Following an alignment in MegAlign Pro, you can easily transfer your results to MegAlign where you can perform bootstrapping and generate additional reports, or export to PowerPoint as a fully editable image to include in presentations.
- Perform a multiple sequence alignment of large sequences using MUSCLE, Mauve, MAFFT, or Clustal Omega alignment methods
- Following an alignment, realign a group of sequences or subsequences using different parameters or methods, if desired
- Concatenate a group of chromosomes, contigs, or fragments end-to-end to treat them as a single multi-segment sequence
- Check alignment quality using consensus match histogram
- Generate phylogenetic trees to predict evolutionary relationships
- Use the Distance Matrix to analyze distances between each pair of sequences
- Explore sequence tracks to view GC content, gap fraction, sequence logos, and translation
- Export your sequence alignment to PowerPoint as an editable image for presentation

subset: commoncrawl


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Feb. 26, 2010: "Here, he is bigger than the Olympics," writes Jason Botchford. "He will endure long after you've left and we've forgotten all about Shaun White." A perfect way for Botchford to sum up his feelings about Roberto Luongo's place in 2010 history. -- Jonathan McDonald, Postmedia News sports editor (in Vancouver).
• • •
It's just another day for Roberto Luongo, another day he will never forget.
You can see it in the way he acts, talks, looks and struts. If he could, he would slow down time. But he doesn't know how. It's all happening so fast, this moment. The most fun he's ever had.
"For sure," Luongo said. "I'm having a blast and am kind of sad to think there are only two games left.
"They're going to be two great games and I'm just going to enjoy them as much as I can."
For those who have parachuted into this city for the five-ring, two-week circus, Luongo is Vancouver. Much like Trevor Linden before him, sushi bars, nightclub lineups and off-the-leash dog parks, he brings us together. He also divides us, thrills us, disappoints us and defines us.
Here, he is bigger than the Olympics. He will endure long after you've left and we've forgotten all about Shaun White.
When Canada thrashed the Russians 7-3, people in Vancouver weren't talking about Dan Boyle's three-point breakout game. They were texting and emailing each other about Luongo's third period stuff on an Evgeni Malkin breakaway. He means that much.
So many people are eager to wish him luck, to be near him, and take his photo that he doesn't go out much these days.
"I'm trying to stay indoors as much as I can," he said. "Because the couple of times I was outdoors, I haven't been able to walk too far."
It is still unknown whether Luongo can do what everyone here is on edge hoping for, whether he can lead Canada to a gold medal. But he will kill himself trying. That we know.
To his credit, he wouldn't bite Thursday when reporters urged him to speculate about the hotly anticipated Team USA-Team Canada potential gold medal game Sunday. He knows there is much that can happen still before we get to that. He knows he can't get caught looking ahead. He also knows, and brace yourselves for this, Canada can lose to Slovakia today. It's hockey. It happens.
It happened in 1998, when everyone was saying much the same things as they will be saying today. Then, it was Canada in a semifinal Olympic game against the Czech Republic, a team much more bemusing than this year's Slovaks. The Czechs then were led by Dominik Hasek, Jaromir Jagr and a bunch of guys named Prochazka. The Canadians had Wayne Gretzky, Scott Stevens, Ray Bourque, Steve Yzerman, and Patrick Roy.
Like they are saying about Jaroslav Halak, Hasek would have to sew together a string of miracle saves to win, many thought. But that's not the way it played out. The Czechs chewed up the clock and the Canadians with smart passing, suffocating defence, shot blocking and a solid team game. The Canadians got just five shots in the first period and never really tested Hasek much at all in that 2-1 shootout loss. In the end, it was Roy who kept the Canadians in it. Simply, it was the game it was not supposed to be.
There are parallels in 2010 with the surprising Slovaks. To understand them will help avoid a repeat.
This is not a team to be dismissed. Just look at Pavol Demitra skate when wrapped in his flag. The guy who played himself on to the Vancouver Canucks' fourth line a couple of weeks ago is leading a tournament with the best players in the world in points.
"I've seen him play a little bit," Luongo said. "He's skating really well. Hopefully, he'll carry that over (to the Canucks) once we're done here."
What about today?
"I'm going to have to keep an eye out for Demo," Luongo said.
It's been a long time since a goalie said that.
Team Canada will also have to keep their eye out for a let down. They can win today, and do it running away, but they need to spit out the type of emotion and effort they did Wednesday. Can they do it again?
"There's a gold medal on the line and that's what we're all focused on," Luongo reasoned. "There are no easy games in this tournament. Every team is a capable winner of the four teams left to win the gold."
Sidney Crosby didn't think there would be problem.
"We still want to come out the same way ... we want to come out hard," he said. "We didn't wait to try and feel it out. We just went right at. We used our speed and our size. I think we want to get that kind of start."


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- Clothing Accessories
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- Mens Jackets
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- T-Shirts - S-S
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$27.00 - $35.00
About RVCA SURF GEAR
United by integrity, RVCA desires to inspire our generation through culture driven apparel. In order to transcend the stereotypes of action sportswear, they have become a design-centric lifestyle brand that is not inhibited by trends with an expiration date. RVCA is focused on today, tomorrow, and life on a wide spectrum as they provide the pants, shirts, jackets, and shorts for every day that is part of our lives.
PM Tenore breathed life into his brainchild in the year 2000. Now, as the Creative Director, Tenore has a series of likeminded people to thank for the success of RVCA. Although PM was the founder of the company, it transformed into a collaboration between people with similar ideals from various backgrounds who wanted to be a part of the RVCA style of living. Now, it is a group of artists, musicians, and athletes that enthuse a brand of clothing that is just as likely to be seen hanging in a boutique as it is to be found on the shelves of your favorite skate shop.
RVCA is essentially a platform that combines fashion with art, music, and modern living as well as allowing them all a place to coexist. The thing that ties their apparel together is a bond created by quality and a lasting style. Take the men's Bay Breaker Jacket as a prime specimen. This 100% Nylon windbreaker has a clean cut vibe that will always look good, as well as keep you warm when the wind is making a fuss on those chilly days. Eternal style is in every stitch of the women's Peace and Hate Jacket. This fully lined cotton coat is the perfect choice for spring, fall, or any day that thinks it should be included in one of those seasons.
Your bottom half has to be on the same good looking page as your top, and RVCA is dialed in on the pants scene to ensure top to bottom superiority. Finding a pair of jeans with a classic style that will still stand out and rake in loads of compliments is tough. However, the men's Chevy Remix II Jeans feature a fit that just works with no problem flattering you. The women's Nova Denim Pant is a sassy take on a slim fitting jean that keeps you looking fly while you go about enjoying life in whatever way you choose.
It is a fact that part of a happy life is a healthy relationship with bodies of water. That is why RVCA has created an amazing line of board shorts to not only enable, but enhance your time in and around the water. Both the Archy and RVCA Bars boardshorts are 4-way stretch performance trunks with durability that doesn't know how to quit.
Engineered to give a voice to the subcultures that established RVCA, this brand is committed to redefining the way the industry views balance. RVCA isn't necessarily about meshing all the components in life that make us who we are, but instead celebrating the way they can thrive together.


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SQLBackupAndFtp Now Supports Windows Azure SQL Databases
Pranas.NET recently announced a new version of SQLBackupAndFtp that supports Windows Azure SQL database backups. SQLBackupAndFtp is the latest version of software for SQL Server database backups that extends support for Windows Azure SQL database backups. The free software is great for DBAs who aren't ready to pay for such tasks.
In addition to being able to send backups to Windows Azure SQL databases, SqlBackupAndFtp can send backups to Google Drive, Dropbox, Amazon S3, Box.net, and SkyDrive. SQLBackupAndFtp is also handy for DBAs who decide they want to migrate to the cloud.
SqlBackupAndFtp was developed in 2008 to create backups of SQL Server databases as an alternative to expensive and complicated professional products of a similar type. Visit the SqlBackupAndFtp website to download the latest free version. See SQL Server Pro's articles "Getting Started with SQL Azure Database" and "Integrating SQL Server and the Cloud" for more information.
More than 90 Options for Perfect SQL Formatting Online with Devart's New Free Tool
Devart has released an online SQL formatter with more than 90 options that let users customize the formatting of their SQL code. The new SQL Server formatter contains several new features that will help users format their SQL code. Features include syntax highlighting, which highlights all reserved words, and syntax check, which underlines, locates and explains any and all errors in the code. These features allow for much easier problem solving. Also, SQL code formatting is even easier with the ability to load files with code directly from a computer without copying and pasting it manually into the formatter.
These formatting options are also available for free in SQL Complete Professional Edition.You can get started with playing with SQL Formatter for SQL Server on Devart's website. Be sure to check out the SQL Server Pro articles, "Write Code Without Having to Type It" and "Quality Coding vs. Quick Coding."
jnetDirect Releases JSQLConnect 7.1 with Full SSL Support
Following Microsoft's announcement, including the release of SQL Server 2014, jnetDirect announced JSQLConnect 7.1. jnetDirect stated that JSQLConnect Version 7.1 and other products are now fully tested and certified with popular SQL Server cloud offerings that provide the user with full SSL support to the cloud.
An important feature of JSQLConnect 7.1 is that it now supports SQL Server 2012 and its accompanying features. Implemented Read-Only Intent support, which includes the AlwaysOn Availability Groups and the ability to configure a given availability replica to support read-only connection access is now available. Using these active secondary capabilities improves IT efficiency and reduces costs through better resource utilization of secondary hardware.
Routing support is also available and includes the Availability Group Listeners feature introduced in SQL Server Pack 2012. An availability group listener is a virtual network name (VNN) that clients can connect to so that they can access a database in a primary or secondary replica of an AlwaysOn availability group. It lets a client to connect to an availability replica without knowing the name of the physical instance of SQL Server he or she is connecting to. See SQL Server Pro's "7 Steps to SSL Encryption" and "Key Ways to Secure ASP.NET Applications with a SQL Server Back End" for more information on SSL security.


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Deer & Deer Hunting friend Mark Kenyon of Wired To Hunt had an incredible encounter with an Iowa booner and captured it all on film. This buck is an example of why Iowa is still one of the world's greatest whitetail destinations.
Who wants to take a guess what this buck scores?


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If you talk about social media, invariably someone is going to say something I'm sure you've heard a lot: "I don't have time to chit-chat. Time is money, and I don't care about a bunch of nerds' opinions anyway." …or something along those lines! Twitter is often the target of such criticism.
Now, reading Social Media Examiner, you might be surprised to hear that sometimes I think people who say this have a point. Sometimes.
Fact is, if you see Twitter or any other social media service as a venue for chit-chat, and that's how you use it for hours a day, then you're likely better off doing something more productive with your time.
On the other hand, there are ways to get a lot of value out of Twitter. As with most things, it all depends on how you use it.
We programmers have a saying: "Garbage In – Garbage Out." This essentially means you get out what you put in. If you put in chit-chat, don't be surprised if that's all you see in return!
Here are nine benefits I've personally seen through my couple of years of Twitter usage.


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Afghan election could reset US-Kabul relations
Apr. 03, 2014
WASHINGTON (AP) — Afghanistan's presidential election on Saturday gives the U.S. a new chance to fix relations with Kabul, which are in deep discord after more than 12 years of war and repeated fallings-out between the White House and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
While many Americans have given up hope that Afghanistan can ever prosper in peace, tens of thousands of Afghans, hoping for change, are flocking to campaign rallies across their impoverished country, which continues to face a stubborn insurgency.
By all accounts, there will be fraud and violence — no one knows how much to expect. But if the election is seen as credible and legitimate in the eyes of the Afghan people, it will signal a chance for the United States to reset U.S. relations with a country where at least 2,176 members of the U.S. military have died and billions of tax dollars have been spent.
"It will be the start of a new chapter in our relationship — one where I hope we can get beyond focusing so much on one personality and the challenging aspects of that personality to a relationship that really is based on a number of profoundly shared strategic interests," said Michele Flournoy, undersecretary of defense for policy between 2009 and 2012. But corruption is a major U.S. concern.
Karzai was brought to power in the wake of the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. In recent years, he has lashed out at the United States, saying it has not brought peace to his country, only never-ending violence that has left tens of thousands of Afghan citizens dead.
Relations between Karzai and the United States hit rock bottom late last year when the Afghan leader refused to sign a bilateral security agreement that sets the parameters for up to 10,000 troops to stay in Afghanistan after the NATO combat mission ends this year. The troops staying on would train, advise and assist Afghan security forces and conduct counterterrorism missions.
All candidates seeking to be Karzai's successor have said they would sign the security agreement. Karzai himself apparently does not want his legacy to include a commitment to allow the deployment of international troops in his country any longer.
"It all turns to trust, and between me and America, there is not very good trust," Karzai told a gathering late last year of 2,500 Afghan elders who urged him to approve the document. "I don't trust them and they don't trust me. The last 10 years has shown this to me. I have had fights with them and they have had propaganda against me."
The White House will continue to hear that complaint — a "thorn in the side of Mr. Karzai" — from the newly elected president, said Omar Samad, former Afghan ambassador to Canada and France and a fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington.
He said the new Afghan president will ask the U.S. and the international community to deal with the "real issue of terrorism and radicalism in the region, and especially what is happening and what exists beyond our borders — the safe havens and the role that Pakistan can play."
That complaint, Samad said, will likely require the U.S. to come up with a new strategy.
So far, U.S. officials claim they have taken a hands-off approach to the election and have refrained from publicly backing any of the candidates. And with the possibility of a runoff election, it could be several months before a new Afghan leader takes office.
Unless there is a major upset, Obama will be dealing with one of the three front-runners: Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, a former finance minister and former World Bank employee; Abdullah Abdullah, Karzai's leading opponent in the fraud-stained 2009 election; and Zalmai Rassoul, former foreign minister and national security adviser to the Karzai government.
"The United States is ready to work with the next president," Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday, without mentioning the thorny relations with Karzai.
"The United States has proudly supported Afghanistan's electoral and security institutions. But make no mistake: This is Afghanistan's moment. These elections have been Afghan-owned from the start. ... The Afghan people are staffing and leading the electoral institutions."
The election could help rebuild bipartisan consensus in the U.S. to keep supporting Afghanistan, said Stephen Hadley, former President George W. Bush's national security adviser. The new Afghan president should visit Washington, thank the American people for their years of support and outline his vision for Afghanistan and how he wants the U.S. to help, Hadley added.
A stable and acceptable political transition is "critical to sustaining international support for Afghanistan," White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday.
Millions of dollars of U.S. aid, which a war-weary Congress must approve, is at stake in the election and will be a key element of U.S. Afghan policy going forward. If the U.S. wants to honor its pledge to continue assisting Afghanistan, the president will have to convince lawmakers, who regularly point out endemic corruption in Afghanistan and complain about U.S. taxpayer money that has been stolen or gone missing.
"Is the Afghan government, in its current situation, capable and willing to implement changes" to ensure better oversight of U.S. taxpayer assistance to the country? Rep. John Tierney, D-Mass., a member of a House national security subcommittee asked at a hearing on Thursday.
"This is a chance for an election, a new government," said John Sopko, special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction. "We're hoping for the best."


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Best Actress: Nicole Kidman
As I said last night on Twitter, I love this dress so much I'd actually consider hitting up a fraud marriage for 9 years, employing a philandering country singer to be my husband, walking around with a pillow during my pregnancy, and botoxing the sh-t of out my face if I could look like Nicole Kidman in this Nina Ricci.
It's spectacular.
Look at the back, how spectacular.
And few can carry it so spectacularly.
These are the choices that she makes that once made her so stylishly special. She has an eye. In the details, like that necklace, and the stature, in knowing her own best features, how she can make a bow so not offensive, but a mark of such sophistication and elegance, something we've missed for a while now, perhaps for as long as her face as been stunned into place.
If this is what she's bringing at the SAGs, she's just made me very, very excited for what she's bringing to the big show.
Photos from Wenn.com and Tonya Wise/London Ent/Splashnewsonline.com and Kevork Djansezian/Jason Merritt/Gettyimages.com


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Mistaken for Strangers | DVD | (14/07/2014)
from £6.29 | Saving you £9.70 (60.70%) | RRP
In 2010 the rock band The National released their fifth album High Violet. After ten years as critical darlings the band was finally enjoying wider recognition. As they were about to embark on the biggest tour of their career lead singer Matt Berninger invited his younger brother Tom to be a part of their tour crew. A budding filmmaker and horror movie enthusiast Tom brought along his camera to film the experience. Mistaken For Strangers follows the story of two brothers at very different moments in their lives. Approaching forty Matt is just now beginning to experience life as a rock star. Before he is invited on tour Tom age 30 is still living at home in Cincinnati. On tour Tom struggles to keep up with his crew duties. He watches his older brother perform sold-out shows for screaming fans and feels increasingly cut off from him. He doesn't always understand the band's success (he prefers heavy metal). He falls into bad habits loses track of the film he is trying to make and Matt starts to come down on him. Eventually Tom gets fired. After tour Tom moves in with Matt and his wife Carin who put him up until he finishes the film. This proves difficult; Tom shot over 200 hours of footage. He's scattered overwhelmed and feeling lost. The film Tom finally produces is a hilarious and touching look at two very different brothers and an odd but strangely moving portrait of a popular nuanced band. Special Features: Deleted Scenes Extra performances from The National


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TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — One storm-battered New Jersey county was delivering ballots to emergency shelters Monday while New York City was lining up shuttle buses to ferry people in hard-hit coastal areas to the polls. With the presidential election looming just a week after Superstorm Sandy's devastation, authorities were scrambling to make voting as manageable as possible while election watchers warned that confusion over balloting could disenfranchise residents.
Election officials in both New Jersey and New York were guardedly optimistic that power would be restored and most polling places would be open in all but the worst-hit areas for Tuesday's election. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order Monday allowing residents to cast a so-called "affidavit," or provisional ballot, at any polling place in the state for president and statewide office holders, an opportunity New Jersey was extending to voters as well.
"Compared to what we have had to deal with in the past week, this will be a walk in the park when it comes to voting," Cuomo said.
Affidavit or provisional ballots are counted after elected officials confirm a voter's eligibility.
Authorities were also sensitive to concerns about potential disenfranchisement and were taking steps to ensure voters were kept informed of continued problems or changes to their voting locations.
Ernie Landante, a spokesman for the New Jersey Division of Elections, said fewer than 100 polling places around the state were without power compared to 800 just days ago, and that the state has abandoned its earlier plan to use military trucks as makeshift polling places. Most voters will be able to cast ballots at their regular polling sites, he said.
But Landante also said the state had taken extra steps to make sure people displaced by Sandy's destruction would be able to vote, like allowing "authorized messengers" to pick up as many mail-in ballots as they request for people in shelters or away from their homes.
"We are doing everything we can in this extraordinary situation not to disenfranchise voters displaced by Sandy. Their voices and their votes will be heard no differently than anyone else's," Landante said.
But authorities abruptly switched gears on an additional directive New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's office announced allowing displaced New Jersey residents to vote through email and fax.
The directive allowed voters to request and file a ballot electronically. But under pressure from voting rights advocates, officials said those voters would have to submit a paper ballot along with the electronic filing — a rule the state's military personnel and residents living overseas are required to follow as well.
Larry Norden, a voting-rights advocate at New York University's Brennan Center for Justice, said the email and fax option wouldn't be viable for voters still without power.
"My biggest concern about all this is confusion. These places need to take statewide action to make sure people who have been displaced know there is some way they can vote," Norden said.
Some regions most affected by Sandy were seeking creative ways to help residents cast their ballot.
In Ocean County along the New Jersey coast, officials hired a converted camper to bring mail-in ballots to shelters in Toms River, Pemberton and Burlington Township. Some 75 people in Toms River alone took advantage of the service on Monday, officials said. The camper will either continue to serve the shelters or be converted into an emergency voting precinct on Tuesday.
"It's great. This is one less thing I have to think about," said Josephine DeFeis, who fled her home in storm-devastated Seaside Heights and cast her ballot in the camper on Monday.
In New York City, authorities planned to run shuttle buses every 15 minutes Tuesday in storm-slammed areas to bring voters to the polls.
Elections Commissioner J.C. Polanco said the buses would service parts of Staten Island, the Rockaways and Breezy Point in Queens, and the Coney Island section of Brooklyn.
"An election on a normal day in New York is difficult as it is. Think of how difficult it is after a hurricane," Polanco said.
Just 60 of the city's 1350 polling sites were unusable and residents who vote in those places would be directed elsewhere, Polanco said. He said if a voter relocated to another polling site didn't show up on the list of people eligible to vote, he or she would be given a provisional ballot.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged city residents to check the Board of Elections website to find out about polling changes.
"Vote. It is our most precious right. It is the one that guarantees all our other rights as Americans. It is the essence of being a citizen," Bloomberg said.
In a city of 4.6 million voters, bumps were inevitable.
In Brooklyn, workers were still pumping water out of Middle School 211, which was supposed to serve as a polling place. The neighborhood's new polling site, Canarsie High School, is a few blocks away, but there were no signs posted at either school alerting voters to the change.
Staten Island resident Paul Hoppe said he probably wouldn't vote. His home, a block from the beach, was uninhabitable, his family was displaced and their possessions were ruined.
"We've got too many concerns that go beyond the national scene," Hoppe said.
Fouhy reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Geoff Mulvihill in New Jersey and Karen Matthews, Michael Hill, Jennifer Peltz and Bebeto Matthews in New York contributed to this report.


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BELMONT, N.C. - The Coker men's soccer team battled Belmont Abbey to their second 1-1 draw in as many games at Alumni Field in the Conference Carolinas opener for both teams. The Abbey is now 1-2-1 overall and 0-0-1 in Conference Carolinas, while Coker is now 2-0-2 overall and 0-0-1 in Conference Carolinas.
Rommel Fondin (Palm Bay, Fla.) netted his third goal in as many games, making him the only goal scorer for the Cobras so far this season. Fondin bent the shot around the four-man Abbey wall and past John Max Bolling into the left side of the net to tie the contest at one.
From there, both teams had plenty of scoring chances but could not find the back of the net. The Crusaders controlled the first overtime, outshooting the Cobras 5-1 in the first ten minutes, but Coker took three shots to the Abbey's two in the second extra period.
James Sweeney (Huntingtown, Md) made five saves, while Bolling registered six.
Coker is back in action on Monday, when they take to the field against St. Andrews in Laurinburg, N.C. at 5:00 p.m.


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Fashion Merchandising
Preparing students for careers in fashion and furnishing industries
Through the Bachelor of Arts Degree Program in Fashion Merchandising, three options are available to the students: the Apparel Track, the Home Furnishings Track, and the Fiber Arts Track. Each track provides comprehensive exposure to the knowledge base, theories and issues necessary for the student to enter his/her chosen career with confidence. The program emphasizes not only the practical aspects, but also the integrative role that this field of study plays in the healthy and successful lives of individuals, families and, ultimately, society as a whole. Click on the undergraduate program link on the left for more information.
To learn more about our exciting program, and to meet some of our students, click here.
The Master of Arts Degree Program, with an option in Clothing, Textiles and Interiors, offers students the opportunity to study the academic aspects of this field of study, specifically from a cultural and/or historical perspective. Students entering from another discipline are able to take bridge-up courses to not only fulfill their requirements but also to more clearly understand the knowledge base. Click on the graduate program link on the left for more information.
The Minor in Fashion offers students an opportunity to augment their major with an exposure to the primary elements of the knowledge-base for the fashion industry. The minor requires 18 semester credit hours, at least six of which must be at the 300/400 level. Click here for the Minor in Fashion course requirements.


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SEATTLE – A U.S. appeals court ordered American anti-whaling activists to keep 500 yards away from Japanese whaling ships off Antarctica.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction against the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which sends vessels every December to disrupt whale killings by Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research.
The whalers sued Sea Shepherd last year to prevent the protesters from interfering, but the judge refused to grant the request.
The 9th Circuit ordered Sea Shepherd not to approach any of the Japanese vessels until it can rule on the merits of the whalers' appeal.
Japan's whaling fleet kills up to 1,000 whales a year for research. Whale meat not used for study is sold as food in Japan, which critics say is the real reason for the hunts.


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Pictures at an Exhibition
Do Vuillard's photographs belong on the walls of the National Gallery?
Click on photographs for an enlarged view.
Over the last few years, exhibitions of great 19th-century painters have been giving us a look at their work with the camera, too. The National Gallery's Édouard Vuillard retrospective has an entire room dedicated to photos from the surviving archives of the painter. In a recent exhibition of Pierre Bonnard's work, at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., several walls were hung with modern prints of photos taken by Bonnard in 1900. And a major exhibition of Thomas Eakins, the celebrated American figure painter, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, paid close attention to that artist's photographs.
It may be, however, that our very contemporary love of all things photographic has led us to present this older picture-taking in a false light: Just because some photographs indubitably count as art doesn't mean that they always have.
Vuillard bought his camera—a low-end Kodak Brownie, the world's first point-and-shoot—in 1897, after he had already done many of his best paintings. The reason for the purchase seems perfectly commonplace: He wanted snapshots of his nearest and dearest and a record of the haut-bourgeois milieu into which this dressmaker's son had recently entered. He took pictures of his beloved mother—at work in the kitchen, on a country holiday, rising from bed in her extreme old age. He snapped a goofy shot of his sister and her husband mugging for the camera, with Mère Vuillard grinning in the far background. He made blurred images of his various loves, caught on the fly at tender moments. And he recorded meals shared with wealthy patrons and other significant figures from the world of arts and letters.
At least in his early days, Vuillard was a deeply radical painter. His first experiments with color can make van Gogh's seem tame and beige. But working in photographic black and white left Vuillard badly hamstrung, unable to exaggerate and distort our parti-colored world in the ways that had made him famous. And even in terms of their light and tone, composition and framing, Vuillard's photos almost never stray from the basic structures you see in any early photo album. But they get their full quotient of museum space and high-flown critical hyperbole. A casual snapshot of Vuillard's lover Lucy Hessel, reclining against a haystack in a sloppy shawl, is described in a catalog essay as having a "monumental" effect: "[It] evokes at once the fleeting instant ... and the eternal solidity and grace of classical sculpture (in the drapery, which recalls that of the 'Nike of Samothrace' ...)"
But it's not at all clear that Vuillard himself would have bought into such comparisons. "How different are the snapshot and the Image," he said, in a passage clearly meant to favor the latter. There was a rich aesthetic conversation going on within photography at the time—consider the pictorialist work of Gertrude Kasebier or early Steichen—but Vuillard and his almost haphazard photos took no part in it.
For most painters trained in the 19th century, if photography had any relationship at all to making art, it was as an aesthetically insignificant, almost mechanical step toward an end result. Painters often used photography in the planning of their work. Details from a few Vuillard photos turn up in his paintings. And there's a Bonnard lithograph based on a nude snapshot that he took, with all of the original photo's defects corrected. Last year's Eakins exhibition, organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, conclusively demonstrated that many of the artist's high-realist paintings began life as photographs projected onto canvas; art historians had guessed at this before but had no proof since Eakins had gone to lengths to conceal his reliance on photographs. To Eakins, the camera was at best a lowly tool—a kind of highly accurate pattern book whose images needed to be hidden under paint.
Preparatory drawings have been recognized as having independent worth and beauty at least since Michelangelo. But the preparatory photos of Vuillard, Bonnard, or Eakins didn't have that status in their day. A drawing could count as an aesthetic object in its own right because it could reveal the genius artist's "touch," just as a painting could; the mechanical origin of photographs puts them at odds with such traditional values. Vuillard is quoted as saying that "painting would always have the advantage over photography of being done by hand"—because for him and many of his peers, fine art still had to be handmade.
And yet in all three shows, the photos were hung front-and-center—presented as significant components in these artists'oeuvres, not sidelined as interesting ephemera that might give insight to the work. That may be because today's viewers, myself included, find things to like and think about in these photographs by long-dead painters. They speak strongly to our contemporary sensibility, trained to appreciate the snapshot aesthetic of Nan Goldin and her ilk. And that should clue us in to the kind of art the photographs really are: not 19th-century works long undervalued and finally rediscovered but fine contemporary pictures made from found objects. They use nonaesthetic leftovers from the past as ready-mades, to give a very present kind of pleasure.
Perhaps we shouldn't give credit for these works to Vuillard, Bonnard, or Eakins. We might want to give it to those contemporary curators who, for the first time, have hung them on the wall. Otherwise, we may have to start crediting Marcel Duchamp's Fountain to the guys who made his urinal.


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"Mystery Girl" (Thomas & Mercer/New Harvest), by David Gordon
The main character in David Gordon's 2010 debut thriller, "The Serialist," was a novelist hired to write a serial killer's memoirs. Now, in "Mystery Girl," he introduces a new protagonist, a failed experimental novelist named Sam Kornberg who finds work as an assistant to a private detective.
Gordon writes about writers because one of the things his books are about is the nature of storytelling itself.
"Does your life work like that?" Sam snaps when asked why he doesn't write "regular" stories. "Do the thoughts in your head sound like a normal book? Is there a narrator saying she did this and did that? ... Does your life have a plot?"
Fortunately for readers, "Mystery Girl" does have a plot — an intricate one in which Sam's obese and not entirely sane employer assigns him to tail a mysterious young woman. What seems at first to be a simple job soon snares Sam in a murder case that takes him on a wild ride from Los Angeles to a poor village in rural Mexico and involves Satanists, free love advocates, doppelgangers and underground filmmakers.
The result is a darkly comic, stylish literary thriller peppered with references to literature (Shakespeare, Proust, Kafka) and classic movies ("Vertigo," ''The Wild Bunch," ''They Live by Night"). This description of a rural church in Mexico is a good example of the author's fine prose:
"Like many poor churches, it was magnificent and overwrought, festooned with glitter-and-marble icing, bedoodled with arches, niches, flying angels, singing saints, and hailing Marys. It stunned us with its space and height and cool silence, offering the people a tangible vision of heaven, a working model of the miraculous to comfort them as they died face down in the dirt and sun."
The novel explores not only storytelling but also issues of faith, personal identity, friendship and the decline of civilization. Readers should be warned that the author, whose many and varied previous jobs include writing for magazines with names like Hustler and Barely Legal, has inserted a fair amount of explicit sex. While the book is not a hard read, Gordon does ask more of readers than the typical thriller requires. He's not just fooling around.
Bruce DeSilva, winner of the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award, is the author of "Cliff Walk" and "Rogue Island."


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Tipperary House
The Tipperary House is perfect for the weary traveller, a locally owned and family run business for over 40 years we offer guests cosy homely but quality budget accommodation.Many of Dublins tourist attractions are all within short walking distance including The Phoenix Park and Dublin Zoo, TEMPLE BAR, National Museum of Modern Art and History, KILMAINHAM GAOL, JAMESON DISTILLERY, Historical Four Courts, and of course Irelands number 1 tourist attraction The GUINNESS BREWERY!!.Luggage storage is available to the public and is free to guests. Car parking is available next door for a nominal overnight fee of 7euro or at Heuston Train Station for a nominal 24 hour fee of 7 euro there is also bicycle hire available at the gates of the Phoenix Park.
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
B&B Facilities & Policies
- Age Restriction
- Free Breakfast
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Free City Maps
- Free Internet Access
- Free WiFi
- Hair Dryers
- No Curfew
- Non Smoking
- Tea & Coffee Making Facilities
- Towels Included
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 2 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
Must-Read Guesthouse InfoThis property has specific Terms & Conditions.
Latest CHECK IN time 22:00. Please note for bookings made with a check-in later than 22:00, we will not be able to accommodate you.
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
Get the 92 bus from Westmoreland St get off at Heuston Train Station cross over the river following the tram line to our door,you should see the front of the building from the bus stop at the station !
From the Dublin airport get the 747 AIRLINK bus straight to Heuston Station.
From Dublin Port take the bus to Busaras change on to the LUAS jump off at either the Museum stop or Heuston Station we are in the middle.
From Dun Laoghaire Ferry take the Dart to Connolly train Station exist the station and take the LUAS at Busaras up to us!
Located Near
The Tipperary House Dublin is only minutes walk from Heuston Train Station,AIRLINK Bus stop,LUAS Red Line,Guinness brewery,Jameson distillery,Phoenix Park ,Dublin Zoo,National Museum,Four Courts and Central Criminal Courts,and of course Temple Bar!


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Consumers face a complex array of brand touch points every day of their lives. To deliver a consistent brand experience, marketers need to know how consumers are actually experiencing their brand. Our mystery shoppers give you all the help you need to understand these experiences, and respond to them to maximize the return for your business.
Our mystery shopping teams show you how people experience your products and services across every point of contact and we benchmark their customer experience against your competitors.
We are one of the leading mystery shopping research agencies worldwide, operating across multiple markets and regions. Our smart insights give you a deep understanding of the national, regional or global customer service experience you deliver.


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Course Requirements
Accounting and Finance Department majors are expected to develop the following 25 competencies in completing their bachelor's degree. These competencies were developed as part of the College of Business's curriculum redesign project in 1995/1996.
- explain in both oral and written form their analysis of numerical and written data
- read, critique, and judge the value and contribution of a written work
- listen effectively
- understand how to market professional services and to market themselves
Creative Thinking
- solve diverse and unstructured problems in unfamiliar settings
- understand interpersonal and group dynamics in business as well as be sensitive to their strengths and weaknesses in working with team members
- work effectively with diverse groups of people
Adapting to Change
- stay current in the field of accounting and the business environment in which they work
- deal effectively with imposed pressures
- understand methods for managing change within organizations
Global Perspective
- take a global perspective to accounting, financial management, tax, and legal issues relevant to businesses
Accounting Knowledge
- understand the underlying accounting concepts, the elements of and the relationships among the primary financial statements as well as how business transactions are processed to produce financial statements
- understand the accounting cycle
- understand the types of information needed for management decision-making and how to prepare it
- set up and evaluate an accounting system.
- conduct research into generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), SEC reporting rules, auditing standards, etc., and how to interpret and apply that research
- understand the purpose of the audit function and audit standards
- understand basic computer programs and how to apply them to accounting practices
- understand basic income tax concepts and how they are applied to different entities, the differences between tax and GAAP rules, and to perform basic tax research
Fundamental Business Concepts
- understand and appreciate the cultural, social, political, economic and legal forces that affect businesses
- understand how businesses are organized and managed
- understand the nature of financial markets relevant to businesses
- understand the laws that affect businesses (e.g. securities, corporate, labor, contracts, intellectual property basics)
- appreciate the ethical rules and considerations involved in accounting work and have practice in applying them
- use various techniques and information sources to analyze and solve accounting and financial problems


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Hassan relies on 'common sense' NH to get throughBy TIM BUCKLAND
New Hampshire Union Leader
February 08. 2013 9:19PM
CONCORD - Gov. Maggie Hassan declared a state of emergency as Friday night's blizzard intensified and was expected to continue through this afternoon.
"We have been closely monitoring the storm as it has strengthened, and the expected snow totals have now reached levels where a state of emergency is needed to allow for the mobilization of additional resources and to access any federal assistance that may become available," Hassan said in a statement.
Hassan had held off declaring a state of emergency when she held a press conference about the state's response to the storm at 1:30 p.m. Friday, when the state was experiencing light snowfalls.
But by 5 p.m. Friday, with snow falling harder, Hassan issued the declaration, which effectively allows state emergency response workers to employ any resource necessary to deal with the storm and any damage.
Hassan asked that residents stay off roads after 7 p.m. Friday, but stopped short of the order given by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who banned all traffic statewide as of 4 p.m. Friday, with exceptions for emergency workers, utility companies, delivery trucks and news media. Anyone violating the order would face penalties of up to $500 in fines and a year in prison.
Hassan said at her press conference that she is counting on "the common sense people in the Granite State show" and that an order to stay off the roads would not be necessary.
As of 7:30 p.m. Friday, no power outages had been reported in New Hampshire among the four major electricity providers.
The U.S. Postal Service on Saturday will close post offices in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hamsphire, and is suspending mail delivery.


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Chino work jacket
Prices do not include taxes.
Product Details
Inspired by vintage jackets worn by gas station attendants back in the day, we crafted our new work jacket out of our famous broken-in chino fabric and finished it with details like a flannel interior, making it the perfect easygoing layer for transitional weather.
- Cotton.
- Standing collar.
- Functional buttons at cuffs.
- Zip closure.
- Patch pockets with button closure.
- Lined.
- Machine wash.
- Import.
- Item G7470.


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There's this Langston Hughes poem, "Brand New Clothes," that we recited at Holy Savior Academy. I was in preschool, it was my first school and it was filled with girls and boys who looked like me. We were in an auditorium for a recital or performance of some sort. In unison, we recited the name of the poem and author, dragging out the vowels in each word of "by Langston Hughes" in that sing-songy voice particular to young children on stage. Our teacher, or the older children – I can't really remember, my memory's never been that good – recited the lines and we repeated them.
You better get off your knees with those
brand new clothes on
Last year at this time, I was having the best day and drove to downtown Lawrence to listen to some prose and poetry and eat cake. On that day, it only just crossed my mind how serendipitous it was that Langston Hughes's birthday ushers us into February. The Singer of America, The Speaker of Rivers. Who else could do it so well?
In the children's section of a used bookstore at the border of Berkeley and Oakland I saw a book of Langston Hughes's poetry and I picked it up and scanned each page. I tried to find the words I know from back then, but I didn't find them. I never do. It always makes me doubt my memory, what's real and what really happened. Have I known rivers? Rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins? Has my soul grown deep like the rivers?
We said the next part of the poem in unison:
But mama, I'm already down
May I stay down?
She said no. And she had her way.
That's why I'm so clean today.
The answer is yes, I have. The answer is of course. The answer is to emphasize the "too" in "I, Too, Sing America." The answer is that this month and this history belong to all of us in the same way that America does. The answer is that I hope the girls and boys who read that book of Langston Hughes poetry will get something lodged into that space of memory between interpretation and understanding and sing of rivers, or America, too.
Aren't birthdays the best?


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Tricks of the Trade: Use Car Jacks in the Shop to Lift & Level
I have long used my car's scissor jack for house and shop projects including lifting a settled deck and leveling workbenches. And when I needed to install a new set of cabinets in my shop, I realized that a pair of these jacks would be perfect for positioning and leveling them.
I picked up a second scissor jack and clamped both to a scrap piece of 3⁄4″ stock to provide stability. I also blocked them up so the scissor extension was sufficient to lift the cabinets into position. The arrangement at left shows the jacks on my workbench, securely holding the cabinets. I can easily raise and level the cabinets with just a few turns on the jacks. I now use these whenever I install cabinets.
The benefit of a scissor jack is that it is strong, lifts smoothly and can be precisely adjusted. And you won't strain your back hefting heavy cabinets. You can pick up a used jack or two at an auto salvage yard for a very reasonable price.
Tricks online: We post tricks from the past and film videos of some Tricks of the Trade in use in our shop. They're available online, free. Visit popularwoodworking.com/tricks to read and watch.
From the October 2012 issue #199
Buy this issue now


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Palace of the Republic, Berlin
|Palace of the Republic
|Palast der Republik
The Palace in 1990, one month prior to reunification
|General information
|Cultural building, Parliamentary building
|Berlin, Germany
|52°31′03″N 13°24′10″E / 52.51750°N 13.40278°ECoordinates: 52°31′03″N 13°24′10″E / 52.51750°N 13.40278°E
|Construction started
|23 April 1976
|6 February 2006–2008
|Design and construction
|Heinz Graffunder and Karl-Ernst Swora
The Palace of the Republic (German: Palast der Republik) in East Berlin was the seat of the parliament of the German Democratic Republic (also known as East Germany), the Volkskammer (People's Chamber), and also served various cultural purposes. Located between Schlossplatz and the Lustgarten (referred to jointly as Marx-Engels-Platz from 1951 to 1994) on an island in the River Spree, it also housed two large auditoria, art galleries, a theatre, 13 restaurants, a bowling alley, a post office, and a discothèque. On 23 August 1990, the Volkskammer ratified the treaty on German reunification, which was later also confirmed by the Bundestag in Bonn. The building was constructed between 1973 and 1976 on the site of the former Berliner Stadtschloss (City Palace), and was completely demolished by 2008 to make room for a reconstruction of the Stadtschloss, which began in 2013.
The Palast was constructed from 1973 to 1976, having bronze-mirrored windows as a defining architectural feature. The grand opening ceremony was held on 23 April 1976, and the building was opened to the public two days afterwards on 25 April 1976. It was built on the site of the former Berliner Stadtschloss (Berlin City Palace), which was heavily damaged during World War II and eventually demolished by the government authorities in 1950, as they had no budget in the post-war years for the restoration of what they in any case regarded as a symbol of Prussian imperialism.
Asbestos contamination[edit]
Just prior to German reunification in October 1990, the structure was found to be contaminated with asbestos, and was closed to the public on 19 September 1990, by decree of the Volkskammer. By 2003, all the asbestos had been removed along with internal and external fittings allowing either safe reconstruction or safe deconstruction.
Despite the fact that the majority of East Germans opposed the demolition[1] and various protests by people[2] who felt the building was an integral part of Berlin's culture and the historic process of the German reunification, in November 2003, the German parliament decided to demolish the building and leave the area as parkland until funding for the reconstruction of the Berlin City Palace could be found. Demolition started on 6 February 2006, and was scheduled to last about fifteen months at a cost of €12 million. The demolition lasted longer than scheduled because of hazards to neighbouring buildings. Dismantling of the structure was seriously delayed after more asbestos was discovered in various locations, and the estimated completion date was pushed back to the end of 2008.
About 35,000 tonnes of steel which once held this building together were shipped to the United Arab Emirates to be used for the construction of the Burj Khalifa.[3]
Future development[edit]
In January 2006 the Bundestag definitively voted for the rebuilding of the Prussian-era Stadtschloss. It was decided three of its sides would be exact replicas of the original, but the fourth side and interior would be modern. Called the Humboldtforum, the rebuilt palace will house the Humboldt collection and gallery of non-European art.[4][unreliable source]
In November 2008, the Italian architect Francesco Stella was chosen for the project.[5]
Noteworthy events held at the Palast[edit]
During the night of 22–23 August 1990, the Volkskammer decided in the Palace of the Republic the declaration on the accession of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) with effect from 3 October 1990, when the five re-established states of the GDR joined the FRG.
Cultural, political, academic, and social events[6][unreliable source] at the Palast der Republik included concerts of famous orchestras such as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under Kurt Masur, modern interpretations of classical music such as the Messiah of George Frideric Handel, concerts of Bulat Okudzhava (29 November 1976), Harry Belafonte (25 October 1983), or of the rock-band Purple Schulz (21 January 1989).
German electronic music group Tangerine Dream performed a spectacular concert recorded live at the Palast der Republik on 31 January 1980 which also was Johannes Schmoelling's first live performance with the band. The concert was unique in that Tangerine Dream was the first Western group who was allowed by the Communist government to play in East Berlin at the time and was dubbed "the performance behind the Iron Curtain". An album of this recorded concert was released titled Quichotte on East German record label Amiga, and later released to the rest of the world on Virgin Records six years later and renamed Pergamon.
In October 1983, the West German rock star, Udo Lindenberg, was permitted to perform in concert at the Palast der Republik. At the concert, Lindenberg did not sing one of his best-known songs, "Sonderzug nach Pankow" ("Special Train to Pankow"), which satirized East German leader Erich Honecker, as he was asked not to play it.
Some of further noteworthy events hosted at the Palast der Republik included the party congresses of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) and the state gala on the eve of the 40th (and final) anniversary of the German Democratic Republic in October 1989, at which Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was present.
The shell of the building was opened for visitors in mid-2003, and a pressure group campaigned for temporary use of the building for cultural events until its eventual demolition. Beginning in early 2004, the building was used for events such as housing an exhibition of the Terracotta Army and a special concert by the famous Berlin-based band Einstürzende Neubauten.
Other comments[edit]
The Palast had many nicknames in the Springer press in West Berlin and among East German citizens, such as "Palazzo Prozzo" (a wordplay, as 'protzen' means 'to show off') or "Erichs Lampenladen" (Erich's lamp shop). Although the original structure in Berlin has been demolished, its sister building the Kulturpalast in the city of Dresden is still intact and currently used as a symphony orchestra hall.
It also contained a large bowling alley at the lower level, from which the canal-side terrace could be accessed. It featured American made Brunswick lane equipment and a bar.
See also[edit]
- Centre Georges Pompidou
- Finlandia Hall
- Internationales Congress Centrum Berlin
- State Kremlin Palace
- Great Hall of the People
- ^ Berlin's Palace of the Republic Faces Wrecking Ball, retrieved 10 September 2011
- ^ The Palace of the Republic in Berlin, archived from the original on 5 June 2011, retrieved 3 January 2011
- ^ Berlin's Demolished Socialist Palace is Revived in Dubai, Deutsche Welle, 11 August 2008, retrieved 13 August 2008
- ^ de:Humboldt-Forum
- ^ Architect Chosen for Berlin Palace, The New York Times, 2008-10-28
- ^ "Category:Events at the Palast der Republik - Wikimedia Commons". Commons.wikimedia.org. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
External links[edit]
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palast der Republik.
- Stop motion video of the demolition of the Palast der Republik.
- Opening of the Palace of the Republic in 1976. (in English)
- Brokedown Palast – documentary film about the destruction of the Palast (in English)
- Palast der Republik, at Schlossplatz, Historic Centre of Berlin (in German) (with pictures)
- Zwischenpalastnutzung (Temporary Palace Use) (in German)
- Documentary at Frontline/World (in English)
- A site about the Palace (in English)
- About the Palace in Berlin (in German) (with a lot of pictures)
- Volkspalast, Special Prize of the Jury of the European Prize for Urban Public Space 2006
- fensterzumhof.eu: Deconstruction of the Volkspalast (photo series)
- "Dismantling, not Demolishing" (Short Ethnographic Film on the Deconstruction of PdR)
- Memories of East Germany's Showcase: New Book Reveals Last Photographs of Berlin's Palast der Republik(in English)
- Government buildings completed in 1976
- Buildings and structures in Mitte
- Convention centres in Germany
- 1970s in Berlin
- Legislative buildings in Europe
- Buildings and structures in East Germany
- Destroyed landmarks in Germany
- Seats of national legislatures
- Volkskammer
- Former palaces in Germany
- 1976 establishments in East Germany
- Buildings and structures demolished in 2008
- 2008 disestablishments in Germany
- East Berlin


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Think physical therapy is a joke? Think again!
Although today is April Fools Day, there's one type of treatment that's no joke…and that's physical therapy!
Physical therapy is designed to increase a patient's ability and decrease their pain. Today Heidi Zehr, a physical therapist at ATI Physical Therapy in Milford, shares why physical therapy matters so that we're not fooled into thinking it's all a big joke!
"A lot of people believe physical therapy to be just exercises," says Heidi. "In reality, our goal is to get them better, and while there are exercises, we do tests and figure out specific ways to meet their goals."
Patients who have less serious injuries, such as sprains, strains, and back pain believe that physical therapy cannot help. In actuality, physical therapy can and does help. When people think they can just deal with their pain or get better on their own, they may actually make things worse for themselves.
"An acute injury can become chronic, minor injuries can become serious ones, and people can start developing injuries in addition to their original one," says Heidi.
Don't be fooled into thinking these common myths or stories about physical therapy:
1. If the injury seems bearable, I don't need to get physical therapy/seek medical attention. Ignoring the pain can actually make your injury worse in the long run! Get it checked out to learn about your treatment options.
2. I have home remedies, so I don't need physical therapy. Physical therapists go through years of intense and extensive training in order to get a degree, and therefore have the knowledge and expertise necessary to treat patients and help them get better. Although home remedies may relieve pain, it's best to seek medical attention before relying solely on your own solutions.
3. I've heard physical therapy is really painful. Ever heard those horror stories from your friends about physical therapy being an awful experience? Don't let one story stop you from considering PT to help your injury! Oftentimes, you need to choose the right place for physical therapy to make sure you're getting the best care possible.
Think you may have an injury that needs some attention? Visit any ATI Physical Therapy location in Delaware for a FREE complimentary injury screening (and that's no joke!).


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Here is my "total secure login" script. Description of the contents:
login.htm: First page. It asks login and password, combines it (Login+Password) and sends it to the next page
auth.htm: checks for the existence of a Login+Password.js if yes (authorized user), it reads the private url and opens it, if not, it goes back to the first page, wich shows an error message
CodingForums.js: a Login+Password.js sample. You can have as many users as you want; one .js for every one (i.e. Login: Neo, Pwd: Matrix =NeoMatrix.js). Blocking an user access is as easy as deleting his .js file
page.htm:a sample destination page
PasswordHelper.vbs: a nice script that creates the js files
Of course, server side programming is much better if you have sensitive data to protect
Edited: Due the popularity of this script, I updated the original version with the one with whammy improvements, like the Password Helper


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Tikal Sans Black Italic Font
- Font Name
- Tikal Sans Black Italic Font
- Font Family
- Tikal SansTikal Sans
- Glyphs
- 413
- Copyright
- Copyright (c) 2012 by Miguel Hernandez. All rights reserved.
- Price
- $29.00
- Description
- Say hi to Tikal Sans; A bloody Mayan ritual with no reading sacrifice. Is a glyphic family of twenty weights Mayan inspired designed for Text and Display sizes. The Details curved terminating strokes ended in sharp edges inspired in the 'virgula' Mayan glyph that means 'the spoken word'. Tikal is also known for being the largest city of the Mayan Classic Period and his name means "Lugar de Las Voces" (place of voices). With a contemporary large x-height with opentype contextual alternate letters offers a functional look with a friendly touch. The Thin and Black weights are great performers in display sizes the light, regular and medium weights are well suited to longer texts.
- OpenType
- Standard, Contextual Alternates, Stylistic Alternates
- Posted by
- LatinoType
- Posted on
- May 17, 2012
- Product Ranking
- 7768
- Highest Rank Achieved
- 148
- Licensing available
- Desktop, WebFont, Mobile App & ePub
The Original Creative Marketplace
Copyright © 2002-2018 YouWorkForThem. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2002-2018 YouWorkForThem. All Rights Reserved.


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COMMERCE, Texas - Texas A&M University-Commerce President Dr. Dan Jones today announced the hiring of Ryan Ivey as the universitys Director of Athletics. Ivey will assume his duties overseeing A&M-Commerces 11 intercollegiate athletic programs on Monday, January 14, 2013.
We are excited to welcome Ryan and his beautiful family to Commerce, Jones said. Ryan has the rare combination of passion, business savvy and competitive spirit it will take to move our athletic program to its next level of achievement and excellence. Most important, his highest priority is the welfare and success of our student-athletes.
I am extremely honored and humbled at the opportunity to lead the Texas A&M University-Commerce athletic department, Ivey said. I am excited about becoming an integral part of both the Commerce and campus communities and cant wait to work with our coaches, administrators and staff as we move forward toward future success and growth.
Ivey comes to A&M-Commerce from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he has been an integral member of the Cowboys athletic department since 2007. He has served as Associate Athletic Director since August 2010, handling the day-to-day operations of the department both in an internal and external capacity.
Internally, Iveys key contributions have come in overseeing McNeese States nearly-eight million dollar athletic budget, handling the business operations on a day-to-day basis. He has also been responsible for implementing new money saving initiatives within the department as well as providing fiscal responsibility.
Additionally, Ivey has overseen McNeeses game day operations, helping to provide an entertaining and memorable experience for fans at Cowboy home athletic events while also handling the responsibility of scheduling for all 16 Cowboy and Cowgirl athletic programs. Working directly with head coaches, Ivey has also played a key role in helping 15 of McNeeses athletic programs increase their Academic Performance Rate to .925 or higher, improving from just four when he arrived.
Externally, Ivey has handled the responsibilities of McNeeses corporate sponsorship program. Since taking over the program, corporate sponsorship revenue has increased over 80%, bringing in over $750,000 per year. Ivey authored a revenue generating master plan for the Cowboy athletic department as well as spearheading two different marketing campaigns which resulted in record-breaking results for the Cowboy football and basketball programs.
In addition to his McNeese State responsibilities, Ivey has assisted in the execution of the 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012 State Farm Southland Conference Basketball tournaments. Ivey has also made his mark spearheading postseason events, serving as the tournament director for the 2008 and 2012 Southland Conference Womens Soccer tournament, the 2009 Southland Conference Softball tournament and most recently, the 2011 and 2012 FCS National Championship games.
Prior to his time at McNeese State, Ivey spent two seasons as the Director of Operations for the womens basketball team at the University of Memphis, his alma mater. He also has experience serving as the Marketing and Promotions Coordinator for the University of South Dakota as well as a Stadium Operations Assistant for the Memphis Redbirds of the Pacific Coast League.
A native of Mayfield, Kentucky, Ivey was a four-year letterwinner at Memphis as a punter and holder on the Tiger football team, seeing action in both the 2003 New Orleans Bowl and the 2004 GMAC Bowl. He earned his bachelors degree in sports management in December 2004, followed by his masters degree in sport and leisure commerce in August 2010. He met his wife, Kelley, while attending the University of Memphis and has two sons, Jett and Ace.
Ivey was selected from more than 50 applicants in the nationwide search by a committee that included representation from athletics, the university, alumni and the community.
I want to thank Dr. Jones and the entire search committee in their confidence in my abilities to lead the department, as it is a responsibility I do not take lightly, said Ivey. This is an exciting time in A&M-Commerce athletics and I look forward to building upon the rich tradition and history that has been laid from past generations.


text:
BA (General Group) Allama Iqbal Open University Spring Roll no. Slips 2012-2013
Allama Iqbal Open University has announced the diplayed the roll no.slips on its website for the exams which are going to be held in 2013. If you cannot find your roll no slips please visit www.cafels.com or become a member of this website and we will try to send the roll no. slip on your e-mail address. PACANS is the largest educational organization in Pakistan and it has taught more than 6 million people in the world. It has presence in 34 cities of Pakistan. Please call 042-35855791 to get admission in PACANS.


text:
Radioactive ginger sports-stars are decimating the downtown core.
Headshots are a Canucks Army feature where we link to the day's freshest news, and other assorted Canucks web-goodies. If you've written a blogpost, produced a tribute video or birthed a clever .gif into existence – please e-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com.
As you can see from the picture above, Gingerzilla's are dominating Vancouver's sports scene. Run. Run for your lives! Jordan Clarke has more.
It's unclear whether or not the Canucks have a full blown goaltending controversy on their hands, but they definitely have a full blown controversy brewing about whether or not this is a goaltending controversy. One might say they have a goaltending controversy, controversy. Omar Rawji pulls out his dictionary and argues that yes, in fact, the team does have a goalie controversy. Harrison Mooney on the other hand pulls out his absurdist thesaurus and says that, in fact, the team has a non-troversy. Meanwhile Rob the Hockey Guy points out who the real winner in all of this is: the media.
Alex Burrows is going to tough it out tonight, so Mason Raymond will have to wait a little bit longer before making his season debut. Aaron Rome will also sit tonight. Alain Vigneault continues to roll with the exact same lineup that has carried the Canucks on their current four game winning streak, though it's worth noting that the Canucks have been the better team in only two of those four games.
Our man The Stanchion pulled out some quality work for the #EmbracetheHate campaign today when he defended the game 7 riot.
Photo Break: Sometimes, google is unintentionally hilarious. Search "Naslund Stojanov" and it will recommend this:
Add a space after Stojanov, and it will change its recommendation to this:
Cam Charron finally ran out of numbers (stick-tap to @jessespector for that joke).
Fun infograph courtesy TheySlayedtheDragon remembering the 1995-96 season, and the Naslund-Stojanov trade.
Finally, the Canucks announced that they will host their annual super-skill competition on January 22nd. You can buy tickets starting this Saturday, if you have kids or for some other reason (maybe you hit your head recently) want to go.


text:
Primier LRBC Desert Patina Issues
New Products!
Brimstone Darkener - Restores Aged Look to Copper Coins
Petroleum Jelly-based - Just a Rub and Done
Andre's Coin-cleaning Fiberglass Pencil!
As per member demands, our Andre's Coin-cleaning Pencil 4-pack is now Back in Stock!
Noble Roman Coins is pleased to announce that we have published a new free cleaning guide
"The Art of Cleaning and the Restoration of Ancient Coins and Artifacts"
If you are having any loading or check out issues with our shop,
we suggest that you use either FireFox or Google Chrome as your browser!
All are invited to our Facebook Page... Noble Roman Coins! Don't be shy to post your thoughts and photos!
Not sure about you, but we have problems remembering the exact locations of all the Roman mints.
Click Here to go to a map.
Sheri, your 'Underwater Photo Goddess', now has another awesome video from
our last diving expedition in the Philippines 2017 and is now ready for viewing. HD YouTube Video.
Happy Hunting and Cleaning from Kevin and Sheri!


text:
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|October 16, 2012, 04:08 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: April 3, 2011
Location: to close to other houses
Posts: 1,175
Help...building a long rifle
My father has, since about a decade ago, been muzzle loader-less, and that needs to change. His last one was a limited edition TC Puma Hawken. He loves black powder military rifles, fine craftsmanship....and like me, beautiful fancy wood. We took a trip to Williamsburg Virginia a few years ago and he literally was just transfixed with awe at the dozens of long rifles we saw. I'd like to do something really special for him to return a little of all he's done for me in my life.
Since fine craftsmanship and gorgeous wood doesn't really go hand in hand with most military weapons being reproduced these days, I have decided to go with the early american military arm, and build him a long-rifle. Either for fathers day or his birthday (I have about a year to work on it if I go for the birthday plan). I have ideas of where to start, but am completely lost in all the different styles and makers of these guns. Due to his age...and convenience of use. I want to make his (I'm going to build one for myself eventually also) with a percussion lock....but don't want to end up with a complete franken gun. So I'm shooting for a correct rifle with a caplock instead of a flinter.
I'm good with metal, woodworking skill I'd rate myself well above average. And while I'm not a professionally trained smith...I do "tinker" a lot with guns. I know he like the styles with a higher comb like this one.. Lancaster Dickert? (not sure, like I said not real familiar with them.)
Need help with names, styles and correct parts to build with. Also where is a good place to start with the stuff needed to make that beautiful curly maple pop without covering it up.
Last edited by BerdanSS; October 16, 2012 at 08:48 PM.
|October 16, 2012, 05:33 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: September 8, 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 14,726
Check out Pecatonica River Long Rifle Supply. They don't sell kits but sell high quality parts and have a recommended parts list for the different styles.
|October 16, 2012, 05:41 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: December 21, 2010
Location: Houston
Posts: 221
Track of the Wolf has some different kits and supplies.
|October 16, 2012, 07:01 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: February 16, 2006
Location: IOWA
Posts: 7,290
Lots of options.
Another option would be Dixie Guns works and they have been around since Moby Dick, was a guppie. You might also look into Pedersoli. I just picked up a Long flint Kentuckian style rifle. How long, you might sayt? It's so long that it will not fit in my safe. Wife said that perhaps I had a good excuse to hang it up on the wall.. ....
Be Safe !!!
'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.
|October 16, 2012, 08:06 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: October 8, 2006
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 2,772
Pick up the phone and call Toni or Matt Avis at Tennessee Valley Muzzleloading. Talk to them about what you want; they can make them or supply the parts in any level of completion. 1-(601)445-5482
|October 16, 2012, 08:42 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: April 3, 2011
Location: to close to other houses
Posts: 1,175
While I have made severial purchases from dixie (Dads first smoke poll was a '58 enfield he bought there back in "80 something) building is a must with this one...I want it to be 100% his. Not just an "off the shelf" rifle. The most completed I'm looking for is a unfinished stock that is inleted for the barrel and lock with the rod placement drilled. I don't have the tools for that and have never done the inletting on a black powder gun bigger than a pistol. I do plan on doing the patch box myself, and some custom carving. I'm also going to finish the barrel. Haven't decided yet between a deep polished blue...or maybe browning it. Thank you all for the help so far. I've been looking at Muzzle loader builders supply also, but Pecatonica River's site seems to be more "user friendly" for we that be novices
Last edited by BerdanSS; October 16, 2012 at 08:50 PM.
|October 16, 2012, 09:05 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: September 16, 2007
Posts: 712
It may be a little more work, but the browning on antiques and repro rifles just give it that authentic feel and look.
|October 16, 2012, 10:26 PM
Join Date: September 20, 2012
Posts: 29
all of the previous posts are where i get my parts from. I can also add, Jim Chambers, North Star West and T.R.S. as a reference source. T.R.S. on line catalog has many images of US milltary arms. the type of rifle you describe fits our earlyliest US patterns. the 1792 contract rifles, these were all made by civillan penn. gunsmiths such as j dickert, p gonter, c kline. next there are the 1807 contract rifles. some made by the afore mentioned makers but including, j henry, c gumf , p gonter. then my favorite the virginia manufactory. they were made in 3 evolving models from 1805 to1821. the 1805-1808 have the patch box in the shape of a coiled rattlesnake fully engraved with scales and silver wire forked toung. on the edges of each patchbox the words, 'don't tread on me' are also engraved. late model virginia rifles still saw service in the civel war. most all the rifles i've listed were stocked in walnut but some are found in curley maple. with the exception of the use of iron on some first model virginia rifles all the other guns discussed were brass mounted. surviving 1795s average 50 cal. the 1807 were 54 cal ,the virginia rifles, 45 cal. your plan to make your gun in prec. works out well historically. by the 1830s these rifles were being replaced by better and improved models. such as the 1814, 1817 military pattern contract rifle and the m1819 hall. these older weapons were put up for public auction. once in the hands of private citizens, they began to be converted to percussion. its very easy to make any modern percussion lock look as if it were a conversion from flint. i've done many. if needed I can give full details. finally, before you buy anything do lots of research. you are already off to a good start.
|October 16, 2012, 10:30 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: April 3, 2011
Location: to close to other houses
Posts: 1,175
thanks Carson...very informative
|October 16, 2012, 11:05 PM
Join Date: November 2, 1998
Location: Colorado
Posts: 20,023
Wallace Gusler (the fellow who set up the gunshop at Colonial Williamsburg) once said to find a rifle you like and do your best to copy it. After years of doing this, you will understand the architecture of the gun.
As for kits, I'd go with Jim Chambers. It's the best that's out there.
Oh, where the tang goes determines where the lock goes. Why? Because the end of the tang is where the touchhole goes.
Where the lock goes determines where the trigger goes. Why? Because where the lock goes determines the location of the sear. The sear determines where the trigger goes.
Where the trigger goes determines where the buttplate goes. Why? Length of pull.
Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. Molon Labe!
|October 16, 2012, 11:53 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: January 2, 2012
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 3,531
John< at Track of the Wolf located in Elk River MN. They do have a web site with a Chat option. Many kits available rated according to your capabilities. Also an option on having Tracks people preform special tasks on your weapon for lack of equipment or know how. No problem. I wouldn't recommend a dealer if I've never been there in person to see their facility. Just the way I am about these reference writes. Doesn't hurt to shop around and see what available. Good luck with your project Sir.
|October 17, 2012, 06:00 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: October 8, 2006
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 2,772
Ok, if you want to do a 100% build, get a copy of Recreating the American Longrifle by Shumway, Alexander and Buchele and read it carefully. Twice. It explains the process described by 4V50Gary in excellent detail. Then buy your parts. Or build your forge and cut down your walnut tree.
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SINGAPORE – Felipe Aguilar surged into the lead at The Championship at Laguna National with a stunning back-nine 28 - capped by a birdie on the par-3 17th and an eagle on the par-4 18th - and then had to wait to see if anyone could catch him.
Co-overnight leader Anders Hansen was the last golfer to have a chance, but he failed to birdie his final two holes to force a playoff, giving Aguilar his first European Tour title in six years.
The Chilean shot a final round 10-under 62 to finish at 22-under 266, one stroke ahead of Hansen and American David Lipsky in joint-second.
''Yesterday I thought I had no chance,'' Aguilar said. ''Today I said to my caddie on the 17th after I made a birdie, 'If we can make a birdie on 18 we can put some pressure on the leader,' and he said 'What about making a two?' I said to him the way I had been hitting the ball I could well do two and I did. It's very, very special.''
Hansen, who recently returned to the tour after a six-month layoff due to wrist surgery, had led by three shots after a birdie on the 12th hole but could not match Aguilar's impressive finish. He bogeyed the 16th and then shot even par on the final two.
''What can you say? I heard (Aguilar) finished two, two. It's just one of those days,'' Hansen said. ''It's just really, really disappointing.''
Lipsky also tried to keep pace with three birdies on his back nine, but he fell just short of capturing his first European Tour title.
''I was still trying to give it a run even on the last hole,'' he said. ''I was still trying to do everything I can to win.''
Aguilar started the day four shots back in equal-seventh, but started to climb into contention with four straight birdies after the turn on holes 10-13. After birdieing the par-5 15th, he then sank a 10-footer for another birdie on the 17th and holed his approach shot for eagle on the 18th.
''I got a bit lucky,'' he said. ''I hit one of my best shots on 17 and then again on 18.''
The Chilean, who's been dealing with a sore wrist he injured while mountain biking, won for just the second time on the European Tour, his previous title coming in Indonesia in 2008.
''It's been a bit of a drought for six years. I've lost a couple of times in play-offs and had a couple of top-threes and top-fives, but never was able to get the round going on the last day, so it is nice to finally do it,'' he said.
Hansen was aiming for his first title since the Joburg Open in 2009. He was playing in just his fourth event since surgery last year and was coming off a joint-fifth finish last week at the China Open.
''Obviously, the last two weeks have been really, really good,'' he said. ''I've hit the ball really well and putted nicely so there is not much to say. I can't really blame myself for this.''
India's Rahil Gangjee birdied his final five holes to finish in fourth place at 19 under, a stroke ahead of England's Chris Wood (67) in sole fifth.
Panuphol Pittayarat of Thailand couldn't keep up the form that saw him lead after the first two rounds and share the lead with Hansen after the third. He slumped to a 74 on Sunday after two bogeys and a double bogey, falling to joint-11th place.


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Sometimes it takes time and perseverance to move an "outside-of-the-box" idea forward. But that perseverance has paid off in Swansea, where — after a decade-long struggle — the town's desalination plant is up and running, pumping purified water from the Palmer River into Swansea's homes and businesses.
Sometimes it takes time and perseverance to move an "outside-of-the-box" idea forward. But that perseverance has paid off in Swansea, where — after a decade-long struggle — the town's desalination plant is up and running, pumping purified water from the Palmer River into Swansea's homes and businesses.
While the desalination plant may have opened with little fanfare locally, the world has taken notice of Swansea's innovative idea. The Swansea Water District is on the "short list" for the 2014 Global Water Award from Global Water Intelligence as Desalination Plant of the Year. Swansea Water Superintendent and Selectman Robert Marquis — who was the major force pushing the project forward — said he had been contacted about the nomination for the unsolicited award "and I expect to win."
The idea for the desalination plant — which removes up to 4 million gallons of saltwater from Palmer River water and converts it into 2.2 million gallons of drinking water — was born in response to the town's depleted groundwater supply that had plagued Swansea since the 1980s.
For years, water shortages, water bans and rations were a nuisance and a hindrance to Swansea's growth. In 1999, the situation reached a crisis point when 30 percent of the population in the eastern part of town was left without water.
The town explored options for solving its water woes, including purchasing water from Fall River or from a private desalination plant, but they were not feasible. The desal plant was seen as the only option.
While the large-scale desalination plants are common in places like Dubai, Israel and Singapore — the other desalination plants competing for the award — Global Water Intelligence noted, "Municipal desalination is nearly unheard of in rural Massachusetts."
In 2004, Swansea voters bought into the innovative idea to study building the plant for $20 million and ground was broken on the Vinnicum Road project in 2007. But the plant faced numerous hurdles from state regulators and political officials, as well as logistical barriers.
Eventually all the political and logistical hurdles were cleared and the pipelines were installed across Interstate 195. It's never easy being first, but Swansea's efforts should help create a smoother process for future desal plants in Massachusetts.
Swansea's investment should pay off as the town's neighbors, including Bristol County, R.I., continue to struggle with frequent water shortages. It is possible neighboring communities will tie into the plant, potentially a source of future revenue. Meanwhile, the purified water filters contaminants, preventing health problems that can be associated with pharmaceuticals entering the water supply.
This innovative solution to solving Swansea's longstanding water woes is worthy of the recognition it has received on a global scale. Regardless of whether Marquis brings home the Global Water Award from Paris, the Swansea desalination plant deserves a toast from folks closer to home.


text: There have been some interesting articles about printer signatures in the news recently. Apparently, there are these invisible dots that you can see with a blue light. The dots tell the person who can read the code the serial number of the computer and the date and time at which the document was printed. Any idea how this works? Also, do you know how I could print things in this invisible ink because it would be COOL to give people invisible messages.


text:
by Amy Lignor
Alright, Alright, Alright!
One question. Was this a Super Bowl? Well, the Niners did beat the Buffalo Bills a while ago 49-0, so I suppose this could be considered a Super Bowl. Another 'big game' where only one team actually showed up at the stadium to play football. And, for many, they are unbelievably surprised that I am NOT talking about the Denver Broncos right now.
Peyton Manning was voted MVP for the 5th time in his career this season. He broke record after record after record. Unfortunately, last night his team broke records for being hideously bad.
I would love to find a way to explain this one. Was Peyton sleeping? Did the cold air make the Broncos tired? No. That wouldn't be it. They're from Denver. The polar vortex and fear of what the weather would be last night has been talked about for three weeks, and it never came to fruition. Only a few drops of rain fell, so Old Man Winter can't take a hit here.
Seattle's defense and special teams were on the field. No one else was. Interceptions, fumble recoveries, forcing Manning to throw when he definitely did not have a man who ran their route and was able to actually catch the ball, suffocating the entire offense and taking out receivers left and right; that is what the Seattle defense did. Although their offense can basically take no credit for this game, the defense can, should and probably will, claim the cover of Sports Illustrated. They looked as evil and hard-hitting as Madden's Raiders did so long ago, and they made sure to land every tackle as hard as humanly possible.
One of the most confused faces in the MetLife Stadium was Eli Manning, sitting in a booth looking down on his home field watching his brother look…like a rookie. A rookie who, with one more of those horrific hits by the Seahawks, may just have taken him out of the game for good.
The first half was a clinker. Well, unless you're a Seahawks fan and then it was a dream come true. A team that has never won the Super Bowl looked poised to do it even if they didn't come back out on the field for the second half.
Then, a truly boring halftime show occurred – and this comment is not against Bruno Mars because the guy is extremely talented. The comment is actually because of the fact that the gold jackets, the barely discernible words, and the addition of the Red Hot Chili Peppers to the mix (a band that doesn't even represent this decade) made the whole thing a jumbled mess. When Bruno ended the show all by himself, THEN it was good.
But then came the second half. The FOX crew was beyond bored. It looked like they wanted FOX to air a Sleepy Hollow episode so they could at least watch something interesting. Out came the Seahawks, and the special teams got yet another TD on the first play making the score 29 to 0. This is the type of game that brings about obesity and alcoholism…for the evening. Even the Seahawk – the real one in the stadium that the camera kept showing a picture of – wanted to fly out of New Jersey so badly you felt kind of sad for the creature. It knew his team had won and just wanted to get back home.
The weather issue is out. Peyton Manning was stopped. When he had time – which was hardly ever – he was good, but nothing worked. The loudmouth named Sherman? He was silent, thankfully. No one wanted to hear the guy spout again. He did get hurt on one of the last plays in the 4th quarter, an ankle injury that may need all off-season to heal, but his presence wasn't missed by a team that had already beaten the AFC Champs into the ground.
Paul McCartney enjoyed his pizza, Kevin Costner looked as if he was really ripped that he'd just lost three hours of his life that he would never get back. (That's how we felt about Waterworld, Kev, so now we're even). And David Beckham thought that playing on his cell phone was far more interesting than actually watching the game. He was right.
Perhaps the Broncos should have stayed on the field during halftime; the fireworks might have woken the team up. Yes, they did come alive…a bit…just too late to actually matter when a score is 35 to 0. In the end, Seattle did the job…easily. The defense deserves accolades and a team that never held the Lombardi trophy now has hoisted it in the air.
So who were the most engaging players on the television last night? Well, the commercial for the NFL draft with Jerry Rice in a stunning hairdo that will ever be forgotten will stick in the memory far longer than this game will. Seems ironic that, yet again, Jerry Rice is the player that will be talked about. Although…Tim Tebow in his Verizon commercial joking about buying contracts was definitely a thumbs-up.
Bet you didn't think these would be the two NFL players who would make the Super Bowl worth watching, did ya? Thank goodness there's another season to look forward to, because this one definitely ended on a dull note.
Until Next Time, Everybody,


text: Editor's note: This is the second in a two-part series that highlights the people and programs of the Charter House Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing basic food and housing to people in need in and around Middlebury. Cate Costley, a junior at Middlebury College, worked this past summer with the coalition. Through this work she had the chance to connect and converse with individuals who receive assistance through the coalition's programs.