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Professional Athletes of Pennsylvania: Medical Marijuana is Your Right
Increasingly, professional athletes like Eugene Monroe and Draymond Green have been advocating publicly for medical marijuana use by players that would benefit from this alternative natural treatment. Players like Nate Jackson, my 'teammate' on the opioid panel at the 2017 World Medical Cannabis Conference & Expo, are on a mission to educate players through nonprofits like Athletes for Care.
Pennsylvania has recently legalized medical marijuana and some athletes are so persuaded by marijuana's efficacy that they are investing in it. Players like former Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard and Steelers hall-of-famer Franco Harris are so convinced by the medicine they have invested in companies applying for licenses to sell it.
Last month, I listened to Ricky Williams speak about his experiences with medical marijuana and the benefits it has had on his health. I've also had a chance to meet former Eagles offensive guard Todd Herremans, who spoke about cannabis as a substitute for narcotic pain meds. These players are a growing number of individuals who believe that athletes have a right to medical marijuana and need to be protected from employment discrimination.
Current Players at Nature's Way Medicine
We already have had currently active professional athletes at Nature's Way Medicine. While I can't say much more to protect their identities, I will say that they are still starting players for their team(s). At the time of seeing them, my assessment was to stray away from venturing the (currently) controversial path of medical marijuana treatment, regardless of their qualifications to use it. There is a lot on the line for these famous players and it would have attracted too much attention and debate. It was too risky then.
But it may not be anymore.
The medical marijuana industry and the country's acceptance of cannabis as a legitimate medication is snowballing rapidly. I believe we are at a time now to put pressure on the major American and Canadian sports leagues: the NBA, MLB, NHL, and the NFL. We can't expect one individual athlete to lead the way for everyone. It would be a difficult uphill battle. This needs to be a group effort spanning all "Big 4" leagues. We need as many players who qualify for medical marijuana to join in on this effort as I call on players in Pennsylvania to rise to this occasion and help athletes receive the right to medicate with cannabis. Besides being a qualified treatment in Pennsylvania for a list of qualified conditions, it would allow them access to an alternative to addictive pain medications like Percocet, Vicodin, and oxycontin for their chronic pain.
Pennsylvania Professional Athletes: Unite Together
Medical marijuana is now legal in Pennsylvania. Dispensaries and growing facilities will be announced (on this website) by the Department of Health (DOH) before June's end. There are a few reasons that Pennsylvania is a perfect location to start pushing for its use by professional athletes. For one, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh together have enough professional teams to ensure that there will a considerable amount of athletes across the leagues that qualify for medical marijuana.
While cannabis is not yet available, now is the time for patients to discuss medical marijuana with their doctor. This holds true for our professional athletes. Even though medical marijuana won't be available in PA until at least January 2018, players should begin seeing a doctor about medical marijuana right away to ensure a bona fide patient-physician relationship. Qualification for medical marijuana will be carefully assessed to assure a smooth approval when the time comes to apply for a medical marijuana card.
The reason a coercive group effort is being stressed is to help distribute the attention these players get once they get approved. Rather than one lonesome hero, many players could be approved simultaneously with the first wave of medical marijuana patients in Pennsylvania. This would have a powerful impact on the sports industry, forcing each league's hand to declare a more definitive stance on the matter.
Pennsylvania Employment Protection
The reason this would be make-or-break for the leagues is that they would be choosing between approving the players' medical marijuana use or condemning it. Either way, the players are not to be blamed. This is not about their individual choice to use marijuana. This is about them following the recommendations of a physician. Those recommendation are simply that medical marijuana would benefit the players health. State law allows them the right to receive that doctor's recommendation. If players are disallowed to use this medicine, they are stripped of their right to receive the best care possible. Their future health would be compromised by this and, in my opinion, the leagues should be held responsible for that if substantial evidence continues to surface in support of marijuana therapy for such players.
In any case, Pennsylvania has a very strong stance on employer's fairness towards patients who are recommended to use marijuana:
No employer may discharge, threaten, refuse to hire or otherwise discriminate or retaliate against an employee regarding an employee's compensation, terms, conditions, location or privileges solely on the basis of such employee's status as an individual who is certified to use medical marijuana. – Pennsylvania's Act 16
What this boils down to is the league's respect for the state and its laws. If they treat one of these professional athletes any differently, that would be discrimination. It would put the state in a position to take action. This kind of drama can be evaded by corporate social responsibility of accepting physician-guided medical marijuana treatment.
I have never had any patient have a problem with their employer discriminating against them for having a medical marijuana card. Even those awaiting application approval or recently established with our clinic have been given leniency when there were concerns. Each case is unique and most of these cases involved Delaware residents with Delaware cards, but the laws protecting DE patients are similar to those in Pennsylvania so the outlook looks promising based on my experiences with patients.
The Game Plan
Pro athletes from all four major leagues: You should first approach your team physician about the use of medical marijuana. If he is open to that, which of course will be influenced by organizational politics, then he can apply to become a medical marijuana state-approved certifier or he can refer you to another physician specializing in cannabis and experienced treating patients with it. On the other hand, if your team doctor is against the use of cannabis or does not recommend it, you are still free to get a second opinion. Physicians will be allowed to register with the PA Department of Health soon for permission to certify patients with medical marijuana cards.
If you choose Nature's Way Medicine for your consultation, I recommend you request your doctors' office that they fax "progress notes" from the last year to our office. Usually you have to sign a form authorizing that. However, if you feel that this would put too much stress on you or your team, then hold off such requests for now. We'll speak in detail about your situation and come up with a plan we're both comfortable with.
By seeing a physician for your medical marijuana treatment, you are priming yourself for a medical marijuana card approval. This early preparation will secure your approval (assuming you are qualified and it is recommended by the doctor) at the earliest stage of Pennsylvania's medical marijuana adoption and access to treatment alongside the first wave of PA cannabis patients.
League Approval: Therapeutic Use Exemption
Your treatment will remain completely confidential, though eventually we must involve the league physicians for this to be possible. Leagues understand that certain conditions require drugs that are otherwise banned for players to use. In such cases the league files paperwork allowing the player to use it through a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). An example of a drug requiring a TUE is Adderall (amphetamine salts), which many players are approved to use by their leagues if they have a doctor's recommendation to do so. Medical marijuana will require this same approval by the league and its doctors before a player can use it. Otherwise, if you are approved and receive a medical marijuana card but you are allowed to use it through a TUE, the league will penalize you on grounds of breaching your contract. They will say, you knew you needed their approval but you used it without acquiring it.
Because we require the leagues to approve you for medical marijuana use once you are certified to use it, then you will have to seek a TUE from the league. This is where the detailed documentation by your medical marijuana doctor has the most value. Since you have established a bona fide patient-physician relationship, the notes document a clear assessment of your need for medical marijuana that can be used by the league to determine your approval or disapproval for use. While one patient can be dismissed from using cannabis, a pattern of rejecting therapeutic use exemptions to players would be alarming for discrimination against players. The more players certified for medical marijuana, the stronger the evidence will be for determining each league's fairness towards its marijuana-certified players.
Once you are certified for medical marijuana by seeing a medical marijuana specialist and attaining a medical marijuana card AND you are afterwards granted a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) by your league, THEN you can start using medical marijuana without it affecting your career. Remember, you do not have to be vocal about this and all of will happen confidentially unless you decide to share with others and become among the first league-approved active professional players advocating for medical marijuana by example.
Together We Stand
When multiple professional athletes gather the courage to change history for players like themselves by using their right to benefit from the therapeutic properties of cannabis, they will be joined together by a common mission. Across leagues they will be united. When PA medical marijuana cards are released, each league will have to respond simultaneously for each player requesting a therapeutic exemption to use medical marijuana under a physician's guidance. One league may be criticized while another praised, depending on their responses. The more players involved, the better the odds are that their right for medical marijuana treatment will be respected.
Let's change history.
Provide Your Support
Check back for more articles on the medical marijuana blog by myself, Dr. Matthew Roman, MD.
Also, provide your own personal support by liking our facebook page (or mine).
We also have a twitter page, instagram page and I'm on snapchat (though I don't use it too much).
Oh, and you might like my youtube videos. I stopped posting them lately because of criticism about them but I might make more if I'm reassured about it by viewers subscribing to the channel or leaving comments.


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Tara (Co. Meath)
Tara is an area of archaeological and historical importance around the Hill of Tara, located near the River Boyne. Many of the ancient sites scattered across the local landscape can best be appreciated from the air.
The Hill of Tara (Cnoc na Teamhrach / Teamhair / Teamhair na Rí, deriving from Old Irish for "[Royal] place with a view"), rising 93m / 300ft above the surrounding countryside, is not an impressive mountain, but on a clear day the summit commands panoramic vistas over a quarter of Ireland. (Photo – www.mythicalireland.com)
This may be one reason why prehistoric rulers chose Tara to erect a significant number of circular raths / ringforts and other monuments, some now only apparent from the sky. Archaeological excavations have also revealed circles of post holes, indicating the construction of substantial wooden buildings.
Trying to understand what these ancient sites were for is complicated by the sheer weight of myth, legend and folklore shrouding them, to the extent that they bear fanciful names which have almost as little to do with reality as some of the truly bonkers theories put forward by cranks, crackpots and nuts from all over the world.
By far the oldest hilltop monument is a small Stone Age passage tomb constructed around 3,400 BC, inaccurately known as Dumha na nGiall / the Mound of the Hostages on the unfounded supposition that it was used by the ferocious Niall Noígíallach / of the Nine Hostages (c. 365 – c.405 AD) to hold his victims. (Excavations have found cremated human bones and Roman coins). The prominence of this monolith and the carvings on a stone at its entrance may have inspired later rulers to regard the site as sacred.
The tomb lies within the much later Iron Age ditch / bank surrounding the Ráith na Ríogh ("Fort of the Kings") / Royal Enclosure, measuring 318m /1,043 ft north-south by 264 m / 866 ft east-west.
The most prominent earthworks within these boundaries are the linked bivallete ring barrow called the Forradh / Royal Seat and the bivallate ringfort known as Teach Chormaic ("Cormac's House"), named for Cormac MacAirt, a semi-legendary ruler whose reign (218 – 254 AD) was supposedly the zenith of pre-Christian Irish civilization, with Tara as a sort of Gaelic Camelot, allegedly one of the wonders of Europe, right up there with Athens, Rome and the like.
Not very surprisingly, no trace has been found of the grave of Queen Tea / Tea Tiphi, daughter of Zedekiah, last king of Judah, and second wife of Heremon, son of Milesius, the mythical Iberian founder of the Gaels. Heremon is supposed to have built a palace in her honour on the hill, said by some C19th etymologists to have derived its name (Teamur / Teamhair) from her; according to folklore, she was buried "between the Foradh and the Royal Enclosure".
The Lia Fáil
In the middle of the Forradh is a priapic Standing Stone, believed to be the Lia Fáil ("Stone of Destiny") at which the High Kings were crowned. According to legend, when touched by the rightful Ard Rí the stone would emit a roar / screech (or three) that could be heard all over Ireland. (Photo by murphman61)
Although it looks like a fertility symbol, some say the Lia Fáil was the Pillow of Jacob mentioned in the Old Testament, brought here by the mystical Tuatha Dé Danann.
Some claim that the real Stone of Destiny was moved from Tara by King Fergus of Scotland and renamed the Stone of Scone, which then became the coronation stone of British monarchs at Westminster Abbey until returned to Scotland by John Major's government in 1996. Many historians accept that the present granite pillar at Tara is the true Stone of Destiny, but a number of people still contend that the Stone of Scone is in fact the real thing.
Formerly located just north of the Mound of the Hostages, the Stone was moved to its current site c.1824 to commemorate the insurgents killed on the hill by British soldiers during the 1798 Rebellion.
Teach Miodhchuarta / the Banqueting Hall is a long, narrow rectangular feature, about 250m long and 30m wide. This was long believed to have been a single immense hall, the site of a feast held every three years. These were said to be "phenomenal events, at which 1000 people celebrated for a week. Princes, poets, athletes and priests ate goose, mallard, venison, oxen and boar, and the higher their rank, the better they ate, The royal family and nobles gorged on ribs of beef; the druids and soothsayers ate the shins; the historians fed on the haunches, the musicians on shoulder of pork; and the jesters ate shoulder fat. It took 'thrice fifty steaming cooks' to prepare the meals, and 300 men to serve them". Alas for such fantasies, the site is now thought by archaeologists to have been a ceremonial avenue or Neolithic cursus monument.
Ráith na Seanadh / the Rath of the Synods is a ringfort with three banks just to the north of Ráith na Riogh, named as the venue for meetings between Christian and pagan holy folk. The first confrontation reportedly took place in 433 AD, after Saint Patrick lit an Easter / Paschal Flame on the nearby Hill of Slane in blatant breach of a prohibition of beacon fires. Summoned by king Laoghaire mac Neill (d. c.462 AD) to explain his action, the saint apparently made such a good impression that he was allowed to go free and preach Christianity, although the ruler said he himself was too old to change. Excavations here have produced C1st – C3rd Roman artefacts and coins.
The Sloping Trenches and Gráinne's Fort are three circular earthworks which may have been built too close to the steep slope and subsequently slipped. The third and last is named after Cormac's daughter Grainne; romantic accounts of her flight from Tara with her lover Diarmuid and their subsequent wanderings have long been amongst the most popular Irish legends.
Ráith Laoghaire / Laoghaire's Fort, a ringfort to the south of the Ráith na Riogh, is where the last pagan king of Ireland is said to have been buried in an upright position.
Rath Maeve, another hill fort a mile south of the Hill of Tara, is the fort of either the legendary Queen Maebh of Connacht, or the less well known Medb Lethderg, usually associated with Tara.
Tara – the Truth?
Attempts to work out the truth behind the enigmas of Tara have been made for centuries, far too often by pseudo-historians with their own political or religious agendas and without reference to archaeological evidence.
The popular nationalist version represents the Hill of Tara as Ireland's political and spiritual capital from the time of the first Celtic influences c.600 BC, and the seat of the Ard Ri / High King of Ireland until the C6th AD, which despite losing its splendour after the spread of Christianity, continued in ceremonial use for 600 more years until the coming of the evil Norman invaders.
This heady heritage of hearsay, legend and patriotic fantasy was expressed memorably by Thomas Moore (1779 – 1852): The harp that once through Tara's halls / The soul of music shed, / Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls / As if that soul were fled. / So sleeps the pride of former days, / So glory's thrill is o'er; /And hearts, that once beat high for praise, /Now feel that pulse no more. / No more to chiefs and ladies bright/ The harp of Tara' swells; / The chord alone that breaks at night / Its tale of ruin tells: / Thus freedom now so seldom wakes; / The only throb she gives/ Is when some heart indignant breaks / To show that she still lives!
Early antiquarian investigations included an extraordinarily destructive dig by the British Israelites, an influential group in the first years of the C20th (members included King George V and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle). They believed that the inhabitants of the British Isles were the Lost Tribe of Israel, and that the Ark of the Covenant was buried on the famous hill, but sadly failed to unearth it. (A modern anti-Semitic organisation holds that "the Jews" buried "their secret hoard of treasure" beneath the summit of Croagh Patrick!). Other theorists have suggested that Tara was the ancient capital of the lost kingdom of Atlantis, or a sort of Celtic pyramid, or a landing site for extra-terrestrials, or a communication point between alternative universes, or a laboratory run by pan-galactic multi-dimensional entities, and so on and so forth.
Scholarly disputes over Tara's initial importance advanced as archaeologists identified pre-Celtic monuments and buildings dating back to the Neolithic period around 5,000 years ago.
One of these structures, the so-called Mound of the Hostages, has a short passage which has been shown to be aligned with sunset on the true astronomical cross-quarter days of 8th November and 4th February, the ancient Celtic festivals of Samhain and Imbolc. As pointed out by Martin Brennan, in The Stones of Time, the daily changes in the position of a 4m-long sunbeam are more than adequate to determine specific dates.
So the significance of the Hill of Tara clearly predates Celtic times, although it has not been shown that Tara was continuously important from the Neolithic to the C12th, nor that the same reasons always applied (the later Celts may have known nothing of the astronomical significance of the mound).
Certainly the earliest records attest that High Kings were inaugurated at Tara, and the Seanchas Mor legal text (written down after 600AD) specified that they had to drink ale and symbolically marry the goddess Maeve / Medb to be invested with the high-kingship.
One theory is that the Hill of Tara was originally the capital of the pre-Gaelic Tuatha Dé Danann, and later became the place from which the kings of Mide / Meath ruled. There is much debate among historians as to how far the their influence spread; it may have been as little as the middle of Ireland, or may have been all the northern half.
Although not clearly demonstrated, it may be that whoever ruled Tara was termed Ard Rí / High King, claiming supremacy over all Ireland's other kings; but giving the claim reality was quite another thing. Many modern historians doubt the real importance of these titular monarchs, some arguing that the concept itself is mostly mythical. Others claim that, despite the rich narratives derived from legend and folklore, Tara was not so much a true seat of kingship a a sacral site associated with certain royal rituals. In any event, what is clear is that real political high kingship of the whole island was only established to any effective degree in the C11th.
Tara has no trace of large defensive works. The central part of the site could not have housed a large permanent retinue, suggesting that it was used as an occasional meeting place. It is undoubtedly significant that all five ancient roads of Ireland converged at Tara.
Currently, the most widely held view is that Tara was a place of symbolic importance, used for at least some of its history as a venue for regular annual or triennial assemblies attended by representatives from far and wide, at which athletic competitions were run, music was played, poetry was recited, learned discussions and legal debates were conducted, judgments were handed down, laws were pronounced, religious ceremonies were held, food and drink were taken and a good time was had by all (except possible sacrificial victims).
However, several researchers suggest that the real story of the Hill of Tara and the wider area around it has yet to be understood.
During the 1798 Rebellion, a large number of insurgents camped on the hill were attacked and defeated by British troops in the Battle of Tara on 26th May 1798. The Lia Fáil was moved to mark the graves of those killed.
In 1843 over 750,000 people gathered with banners and symbols on the Hill of Tara to hear Daniel O' Connell speak in favour of repealing the Act of Union.
A late C19th statue of Saint Patrick commemorates his visit.
Visiting Tara
The Visitor Centre, housed in the former St Patrick's church (CoI) on the Hill of Tara itself, is well worth dropping into before touring the ancient sites, in order to watch an audio-visual presentation that provides a context for what there is to be seen.
The Hill, best enjoyed outside peak times, is also a good place for plant and animal spotting. Mystical experiences may be anticipated by those who like that sort of thing.
Boots are essential, as there are no proper paths, and visitors will sometimes have to scramble through the ditches at the mercy of slippery grass and sheep droppings. Warm clothing and rain gear are recommended.
The shop / tea-room next to the car park has plenty of literature on Tara and Irish mythology, and serves very good snacks at reasonable prices.
The M3 motorway, opened in June 2010, passes through the Gabhra / Tara-Skryne Valley, as does the already existing N3 road, now relabelled the N147. The distance between the motorway and the Hill is 2.2 km. Protesters, ranging from tree-hugging grungies and burrow-dwelling perroflautas to elderly clergyfolk, lawyers and television personalities, argue that since the Tara Discovery Programme started in 1992, there is an appreciation that the Hill of Tara is just the central complex of a wider landscape, and claim that an alternative route approximately 6 km west of the hill would be straighter, cheaper and less destructive.
On Sunday 23rd September 2007 over 1500 people, including actors Stuart Townsend and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, met on the hill of Tara to take part in a human sculpture representing a harp and spelling out the words "SAVE TARA VALLEY" as a call for the re-routing of the M3.
The Hill of Tara was on the World Monuments Fund's 2008 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites in the world, and in 2009 it was included by the Smithsonian Institution in a list of the 15 must-see endangered cultural treasures in the world.
Tara is
Tara Hall, on the north side of the Hill of Tara, was the birthplace of the widow of Edward "Ned" Brabazon, 4th Earl of Meath (d.1707), Dorothea (née Stopford), whose subsequently marriage to General Richard Gorges was satirized by Jonathan Swift in his humorous epitaph Dicky & Dolly. The last descendant to own the much reduced estate was the renowned aviator and WWI flying ace John Moore-Brabazon (1884-1964), ennobled as Baron Brabazon of Tara in 1942. The first Englishman to pilot a heavier-than-air machine under power in Britain, he became a Conservative politician and served as the UK's Minister of Transport and Minister of Aircraft Production during WWII. He had the roof of the old mansion removed in 1956 and subsequently sold the property.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hyundai is making a lot noise about the all-new Veloster which they will unveil next week at the Detroit Auto Show. They have just released a few more preview photos which half reveal the design of the 2019 Hyundai Veloster, and not just the exterior but the interior as well.
Judging by what we can see straining our eyes looking at these dark images, the 2019 Hyundai Veloster has a far more aggressive design than its predecessor which, speaking as someone who actually owned one for a long while, looked kind of dumb around the front. That is not an issue with the new Velo thanks to design cues it has inherited from other modern Hyundais. But that also means it is not as special and eye-catching as the first generation model. There is still plenty of muscle though, and the same 3-door arrangement, and central tailpipes.
As for the interior, while all we have of the 2019 Hyundai Veloster cabin is a drawing, the design seems to be a huge improvement over the previous model. This sort of two-tone look with so many artistic turns and twists used to be reserved only for the most high-end sports cars. There is a strong Hyundai N vibe in here, which could be an indication that the new Veloster is not going to be a mere col looking hatchback with not much to offer in way performance.
In fact, the word is the new Veloster will get an N variant which will have the same 270 horsepower as the i30N. Now that's something to look forward to.


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William Zabka's wife, Stacie Zabka, is a well-known American actress. Her husband has appeared in several acclaimed 1980s films. As Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid and The Karate Kid Part II, plus the spin-off television series, he is best known for his work.
Who is Stacie Zabka?
Stacie Doss-Zabka, better known as Stacie Zabka, was born in 1974 in the United States of America. As a result, in 2021, she will be 46 years old. She's a strikingly attractive woman who's also a loving wife and mother to her two sons. Despite the intense media attention, she prefers to keep her private life private by not being active on any of the major social media platforms.
Stacie Zabka Age :
Katia was born in the year 1974, so by this birth year, she is 46 years old. Something is enchanting about her dark eyes and golden hair. Her eyes are dark brown and her hair is bleached blonde. Stacie is of white racial descent and is of American ancestry.
Stacie Zabka
Name: | Stacie Zabka |
Alias: | Stacie |
Birthdate: | NA |
Birth Year: | 1974 |
Age (as in 2021): | 46 years |
Birthplace: | Los Angeles, USA |
Hometown: | Los Angeles, California, USA |
Nationality: | American |
Height: 5'3Weight: | 58 Kg |
Eye color: | Dark Brown |
Hair color: | Blonde |
Ethnicity: | White |
Religion: | Christianity |
Relationship Status: | married |
Husband: | William Zabka |
School: | Local High School, Los Angeles |
Educational Qualification: | graduate |
College: | NA |
Profession: | Businesswoman |
Net Worth: | $100k (approx.) |
Twitter: | NA |
Instagram: | No Instagram |
Piper Rockelle In 2022 :Age,Net Worth And Other Information !
Stacie Zabka Family :
Stacie Zabka is ecstatic about her marriage to her spouse. Stacie's husband's name is William Zabka, a famed Hollywood actor. In 2008, Stacie and William exchanged their wedding vows in a private ceremony. Their marriage came after a period of courting. But she prefers to keep things low-key in her marriage. Stacie has kept her private thoughts and feelings a secret and never discusses her personal experiences. She has been married to William Zabka for almost a decade.
The couple had a kid, who is currently 6-7 years old, who they both cared for. For the sake of their romance. Her husband posts a picture of her adorable son on Facebook. The couple just became parents to a second child, according to reliable online sources. Stacie Zabka has been married to her husband William for ten years, so he must be a family man. The couple is rarely spotted in public. An appearance by the quartet was made on June 7, 2010.
Both parents are fiercely devoted to their children and will not hold back when it comes to showing their love for them. After getting married, the couple decides to stay together. It's not a big deal for William and Stacie to keep their marriage quiet. It was December 26, 2015, when William posted a picture of his son. The father and his companions had a fantastic time. They also take part in the exhilarating sport of gliding. On the 29th of December, he uploaded a picture of his son in the countryside.
Stacie Zabka Career :
In Stacie Zabka's opinion, her husband's marriage is a great success. Stacie's husband's name is William Zabka, a famed Hollywood actor, and producer. In 2008, Stacie and William exchanged their wedding vows in a private ceremony at their home. After a few years of dating, the couple decided to tie the knot. Then again, she prefers to keep her marriage quiet. Stacie has kept her private thoughts and feelings a secret and never discusses her own life experiences publicly.
Her husband, William Zabka, has been her husband for almost a decade. It was revealed that the couple had a boy who was about the age of six or seven. For the sake of their romantic relationship. Her husband posts a picture of their son's adorable face. Both parents have lately announced they're expecting their second kid, according to reputable online sources. Stacie Zabka and her husband, William, have been married for ten great years, so he must be a family man.
The couple is rarely spotted in public together. During a combined function on June 7, 2010, the group was sighted. Neither of them holds back when it comes to showing their love for their children. The couple decides to stay together after they get married. It's not uncommon for William and Stacie to choose a tranquil marriage.
His son's photograph was put online by William on December 26, 2015. The father and his companions had a fantastic time together. In addition, they take part in the thrilling sport of paragliding. His son's image was posted on December 29th in the countryside.
Stacie Zabka Husband :
William Michael, Stacie's spouse, was born in New York City on October 20, 1965. In 2021, he will be 55 years old. American filmmaker, actor, producer, and screenwriter he is. He has been in some of the most popular movies and television shows of his day. His father, William, was a well-known actor, and his mother, Nancy, was also well-known in Hollywood. Cobra Kai, one of the most popular television shows of all time, was a part of his career.
As a result of his talent as an actor, he has received numerous honors and accolades. The most recent of these was in 2004. He and Bobby Garabedian shared an Oscar for Best Short Film, Live Action.
Stacie Zabka On Instagram :
On social networking, little is known about Stacie. As a result, she and her family have been able to protect their children from the public eye and provide them with a normal childhood. Stacie has no known Instagram account. However, she is married to a well-known Instagram user with a large following.
Facts about Stacie Zabka :
- The last time she appeared in a public event was in 2010.
- It was during a movie premiere with her husband.
- She dislikes flaunting her life on social media platforms.
- She is an adored daughter-in-law to William's parents, Nancy and Stan.
- These two are not new names in the Hollywood world.
- For example, Stan Zabka directs and produces motion picture music on NBC television.
- Considering that Stacie is a very private person and does not like to appear in the media, there is not much else that could be said about her.
- However, she is a supportive wife and a loving mother.
Stacie Zabka Net Worth :
Stacie's net worth is estimated to be $100k. Her net worth is mostly attributed to her husband's money. Stacie's husband William is a very famous actor and has worked on many projects that have made him multi-millions. Stacie leads a very lavish life with her husband. They have multimillion-dollar properties and enjoy the most of life with their babies.
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Tim Kaine flip flops yet again on abortion. In the space of 24 hours, Tim Kaine has both flipped and now flopped on abortion.
Tim Kaine has long supposedly been a supporter of the Hyde Amendment. Then he got picked to be Hillary's running mate. Now, everything's up in the air. One can not be the Democrat Party's VP nominee if one is not fully on board with Big Abortion.
So just 24 hours ago, it was reported that Kaine agreed with Hillary to support a repeal of the Hyde Amendment which prevents federal money from going towards abortion. But now, get this, they're trying to parse this even further saying that Kaine "is not personally for repeal of the Hyde Amendment" but will not stand in the way of Hillary's proposal to kill the Hyde Amendment.
So what if it were a tie vote in the Senate, which way would he vote? Yeah, I think we all know the answer to that, right?
Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser said, "Sen. Kaine's personal opposition to abortion and federal funding of abortion does nothing to relieve the majority of Americans who do not wish to pay for abortion on-demand through their taxpayer dollars. You cannot be 'personally' opposed to the destruction of innocent human life and take no action to stop it. Voters should not be fooled by Tim Kaine. There is no daylight between him and Hillary Clinton on this issue. They are absolute extremists pushing the Democratic Party further and further left on abortion, alienating the one-third of Democrats who call themselves pro-life."
I love how they think this "personally opposed" thing fools us. They want your taxpayer money to go for abortion. That's it. They want to funnel even more millions towards their buddies in Planned Parenthood so that they can fund their very personal campaign coffers. That's the only "personal" thing they care about.
Maybe Republicans should try saying that they're personally for feeding the poor but don't think government should force people to feed the poor. Or maybe that they're personally for the environment but don't want to force people to continue funding an out-of-control EPA. I'm pretty sure, libs would screech that "THE SCIENCE IS SETTLED!!!!!"
But here's the thing. The unborn are human. The science is actually settled on that. But Democrats don't seem to care about that, do they?


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| News
Update : BACA 2022 – The Steward Hall Art Gallery welcomes the sixth Contemporary Native Art Biennial
Update : May 12
The Stewart Hall Cultural Center and the Central Library offer a series of activities alongside the BACA exhibition.
April 29
May 7 to June 19
The Stewart Hall Art Gallery is proud to be one of the eight venues of the 6th edition of the Contemporary Native Art Biennial. Land Back is curated by Michael Patten with the support of guest researcher Alexandra Nordstrom.
An important part of Indigenous cultures is the connection to nature and cohabitation with the elements. Since time immemorial, indigenous peoples have protected biodiversity in the face of continued human population growth. The arrival of settlers of course disrupted ancestral practices in that regard. The Land Back movement aims to restore governance and stewardship of the land for a sustainable future.
Some of the artists presented reappropriate ancestral techniques as an act of perpetuation, homage or resistance. Carrie Allison uses beadwork to represent medicinal flowers indigenous to northwestern Alberta. Erin Gingrich uses sculpture to represent key elements of her community's diet, such as fishing and cranberry picking, while Christi Belcourt is inspired by floral motifs and Métis beadwork renderings in her work, replacing the roundness of the beads with paint dots made with a needle head. As a cornerstone of the exhibition, Jeffrey Gibson presents his video I Was Here (2018), a return to the imagined land as literal – a deep rootedness in the land and the nurturing earth. Marking the ground with an anonymous scar, it is through performative gesture that Julia Rose Sutherland has invested the exterior of the gallery; a hole in the landscape as a place of opening.
This fraction of the Biennial stands as an ode to the special link that unites indigenous peoples to this land and to its protection.
Exhibition: May 7 to June 19
Vernissage and performance: Sunday, May 8, 2 p.m.
ARTISTS: Carrie Allison, Christi Belcourt, Jeffrey Gibson, Erin Gingrich, Faye HeavyShield, Sky Hopinka, Julia Rose Sutherland, Charlene Vickers, Olivia Whetung
CURATOR: Michael Patten
Stewart Hall Art Gallery – 176, Du Bord-du-Lac – Lakeshore Road
Sunday to Friday: 1 to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 1 to 5 p.m.
Free admission – accessible via elevator
Information: 514-630-1254, firstname.lastname@example.com


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Someone might have actually been lying during that epic meeting on "Game of Thrones — and it wasn't Cersei
Warning, the following post contains some major spoilers for the Game of Thrones Season 7 finale, "The Dragon and The Wolf." If you haven't seen the episode yet, hop on over to HBO ASAP because we have a *lot* to unpack.
The opening 20 minutes of the Game of Thrones finale made it seem that for once, the feuding major characters on the series would put aside their differences for the greater good. Cersei, Jaime, Euron, Tyrion, Brienne, and literally everyone on the series who hadn't seen a wight before were *pretty* shook by the ordeal — 10 points to Jon for insisting they bring proof — and it seems Cersei was willing to call a truce. That is….until her request that Jon Snow not pledge an allegiance to either her or Dany couldn't be made. The episode prior, Jon finally bent the knee to Dany, and in the most Ned Stark fashion, decided not to lie.
Cersei and her posse stalked off and naturally, everyone was like WTF JON!
But after Jon's impassioned speech about honesty and telling the truth, Tyrion decided to talk to his sister, and beg her to see reason (LOL x 100). While they seemed to reach an agreement — something we find out later is a total sham — this Reddit theory suggests that Tyrion is actually the one lying to Dany and Jon.
According to the theory from Redditor AchievementJoe, when Tyrion emerges from his meeting with Cersei, he knows she's not actually going to follow through on their truce, but rather, he's asked her to tell Dany and Jon what they want to hear so they can focus their efforts on the North.
"I'm thinking Tyrion may have told Cersei before she walked back into the Dragon Pit to just tell Daenerys and Jon what they wanted to hear so that the meeting ended in good terms,"AchievementJoe writes. "It seemed to be an important aspect of the meeting to tell a lie. So I'm thinking Tyrion actually knows that Cersei won't back down and that she plans to attack while they are away and that is why he is so disappointed while Jon and Dany are doing the dirty because he knows that the truce is all a facade." "I want to clear up that I personally don't think he wants to betray Dany, but [I] believe the idea of that happening is definitely plausible. My thoughts on this are more that Cersei may have put him into a position where this is what he had to do to stop any conflict at that moment and have Dany focus on the North."
It's not entirely clear what Tyrion's motivations would be to lie, but things seem to change for him when he finds out that Cersei is pregnant. The two also have their most sincere moment when Tyrion tells Cersei how much he loved her children, and how devastated he is over the deaths of Tommen and Myrcella. AchievementJoe suggests that Cersei is able to use her dead children and pregnancy to guilt Tyrion into lying, which, if true, would be a major shocker.
That being said, it doesn't seem like Tyrion knows exactly what his older sister is up to. We later find out during the great breakup of Game of Thrones Season 7 that Cersei was never going to follow through on her initial truce. Euron's early departure from the Dragon Pit was pure spectacle, and he's actually on his way to Braavos to ferry the Golden Company mercenary soldiers over to Westeros to fight for the Lannisters.
For the rest of the episode, Tyrion was acting mighty shady (see: awkward boat sex lingering) so we have a feeling that *something* happened off-screen during the scene between Cersei and Tyrion. Whether he officially swapped sides or this is just part of an elaborate plan, we don't know. While all we can do is speculate, for now, we'll surely learn the truth during the final season of Game of Thrones.


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Mexico said Friday it has slashed undocumented migration to the United States by 56 percent since May, aiming to dodge the threat of tariffs under a deal the two countries are set to review next week.
Central American migrants sit together inside a room at the Latino hotel during a raid by Mexican immigration agents in Veracruz, Mexico, Thursday, June 27, 2019. Under increasing U.S. pressure to reduce the flow of hundreds of thousands of Central Americans through Mexican territory, Mexico's government has stepped up enforcement. (File photo: AP)
America's southern neighbor agreed this summer to crack down on migration mainly from poor countries in Central America under the threat of import tariffs from President Donald Trump, who is seeking re-election on a largely anti-immigration platform.
"I do not think there will be a threat of tariffs because there is a 56 percent reduction," said Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, who is due to travel to Washington next week to review that agreement with the Trump administration.
Ebrard repeated Mexico's refusal to become a so-called safe third country, which Trump has pressed for. Under such an arrangement it would agree to take in migrants entering Mexico on their way to the US to request asylum.
"The Mexican strategy is working. We will not agree to be a safe third country ... because it goes against our interests," the minister said. "It is unfair to our country."
Ebrard said he will tell Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo when he meets with them Monday that the way to fight undocumented migration from Central America is to reduce the poverty and violence that are prompting people to leave in the first place.


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Libya: GNA forces wounded in Tripoli offensive to be treated in Italy
Forces loyal to UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) who have been wounded while defending Tripoli against east-based military commander's military offensive on the capital, will be treated in Italy, following discussions between GNA's Head and the ambassador of the EU country.
GNA leader Faiez Serraj discussed Thursday with Italian ambassador Giuseppe Buccino, medical treatment procedures in Italian hospitals for fighters under the GNA military command, local media Libya Observer reports.
The GNA since early April has been defending the Libyan capital against east-based self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar.
Italy, a staunch GNA ally has condemned the military campaign, which has caused the death of over 600 people and inflicted injuries of hundreds of people including civilians.
Buccino reportedly stressed that there is no military solution to the Libyan conflict. The country has had no central administration since the fall and killing of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 in a NATO-backed revolution.
Haftar in April vowed to forge ahead with the offensive despite the holy month of Ramadan, as he likened the campaign to a holy war.
Foreign countries have turned the North African country into battle ground. Haftar is backed by Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, France and the US President Donald Trump. The GNA on the other hand is supported by Qatar and Turkey.


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Many screen actors changed their name in hopes of making it more memorable. After all, isn't Walter Matthau easier to remember than Walter Matuschanskavasky? See if you can figure out what stage name goes with which real name!
What's in a Name? — Group Game
If you have trouble opening the game or any games you would like to share, please email ashley (at) grouptravelleader.com.


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We are mainly in contact with our foreign partners involved in a project supported by the Visegrad Fund at the beginning of 2021. We have prepared preparatory questionnaire for all foreign participants mapping the situation regarding kinship care in different countries.
Go to questionnaire
We are also monitoring the situation regarding to Covid crisis in our country and in the world. We still believe in the classic full-time conference. We are also preparing an online variant. We would not like to move the deadline anymore.


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In some professional sports circles, all it seems to do is to make athletes forget their noble principles is to wave a wad of dollars under their noses. Sure, they're quick to put on a token knee or wear an armband to raise awareness for a good cause, but only those brave athletes who dare to sacrifice participation in high-value tournaments to warn oppressive governments of violations scandalous human rights.
Take the case of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai. Last month, she claimed on social media that she was sexually assaulted by Zhang Gaoli, a former deputy prime minister and main organizer of the upcoming Winter Olympics in China. Peng quickly disappeared. The government erased everything she posted anywhere online. In no time at all, it was as if she had never existed.
His disappearance has raised serious concerns in the tennis world, prompting top players to voice their public concerns. China responded by issuing a statement purportedly by Peng retracting its own claims. "I'm not missing, and I'm not safe. I just got a rest at home and everything is fine, "said a post in her name. It was, of course, a work of pure fiction by his Chinese government captors.
The Women's Tennis Association has boldly announced the suspension of all of its events in China and Hong Kong. "In good conscience, I don't see how I can ask our athletes to compete there when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has apparently been pressured to contradict his allegation of sexual assault," said association president Steve Simon. He recognized the "financial ramifications" of this decision.
The association waited for the world of professional sport to align itself in solidarity and warn China. And the world of sport responded with a collective yawn.
The president of the International Tennis Federation, David Haggerty, feared that the withdrawal from China "punishes a billion people". (Translation: punish Big Tennis bank accounts.) He insisted, of course, that the federation stand up for women's rights and blah, blah, blah. But sorry, Peng, the tennis will continue.
The United States has announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics. Australia and Great Britain joined. But diplomats don't compete with each other and don't attract viewers around the world. Athletes do it.
One tactic favored by oppressive governments to rehabilitate their tarnished images is to engage in "sportswashing" – sponsoring expensive events to distract the global public from all this nasty stuff about human rights. Just ask Saudi Arabia. The Guardian reports that the kingdom has spent at least $ 1.5 billion on big events like golf championships, Formula 1 racing, tennis tournaments and horse races to help people forget the role of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the murder of Washington Post opinion writer Jamal Khashoggi.
Governments can try anything they want to clean up their image, but success depends on athletes wearing sunglasses to hide dollar signs in their eyes.
© 2021 STLtoday.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


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The Eagle Khabib Nurmagomedov met with Dana White last night for a meeting in regards to his future with the organisation. During a lengthy chat with the UFC President on Friday night in Abu Dhabi. Dana confirmed via UFC's official Instagram page speaking to Jon Anik,
'Basically the way that he feels right now is, he's accomplished everything he set out to accomplish,'
'He thought that Oliveira looked really good in his last fight against Tony Ferguson. So next Saturday we've got the McGregor, Poirier fight and Chandler and Hooker on there.'
'So his words to me were,"I'm going to watch this fight. I would never tie up the division. These guys do something spectacular, show me something spectacular and make me want to come back and fight."
'So I have a feeling that if somebody delivers, if these guys can do something special, Khabib will fight them.'
Khabib cemented his legacy after a second-round submission win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October, earning his number 1 pound-for-pound ranking. The Russian had unfortunately lost his coach and father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov months before which revealed he had promised his mother that the Gaethje fight would be his last. However, it was always his fathers plan to reach 30-0 before hanging up the gloves.
There was always talk of the final showdown being against GSP, and how amazing would it be to have the current 29-0 undefeated, undisputed, pound-for-pound champion Khabib 'The Eagle' Nurmagomedov vs 26-2 two-division former champion George 'Rush' St-Pierre. Cue the training montage and highlights of both fighters in video with Phil Collins, In The Air Tonight playing.
Well fight fans, I'm sorry. During UFC on ABC Holloway vs. Kattar post fight interview UFC president was asked 'During the conversation with Khabib did GSP's name ever come up or even possibly going up to 170 and becoming a Champ-Champ?' White replied by saying, 'Nope, GSP never came up. He's not interested in that fight and from what I hear today after that neither is GSP. So, that's over.'
Makes you want to curl up into a ball and cry in the corner somewhere, but there is still a chance we will see a Khabib vs McGregor II. Although during a recent interview The Notorious one stated to Ariel Helwani, 'I think [Khabib's] afraid to fight me. That's for damn sure and I don't blame him. I fought the best of him on that night, he fought the worst of me on that night. He knows it, I know it, his team knows it. I have the answer to destroy that man.'
McGregor vs. Poirier showdown on the main event of UFC 257 next week and the two will have to show Khabib 'something special' if even one of them want the rematch for gold and redemption. And just to spice things up The Eagle is also interested in the fight between 20-9 Dan Hooker vs UFC newcomer 21-5 Michael Chandler. Not to forget 30-8-1 Charles Oliveira coming off an impressive win over Tony Ferguson.
I guess when your numero uno you can make the shot calling.


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The Covid-19 crisis is triggering global fears that are beginning to cross over into panicky feelings (especially if you or a loved one is over 80 and in a nursing home). That state of mind is called "dread."
In this piece I will endeavor describe and explain what is going on in your brain and mind when you are in a state of dread.
A disclaimer. It is empirically (i.e. observationally and experience) based and neither evidence nor research based. In fact, I would ask such researchers to weigh in and make what follows more scientifically sound.
Nevertheless, I hope it will help you better understand what is going on inside you and in so doing be calming, reassuring to you and even inform you and others who read this about what might psychologically stem the tide of rising fears.
When you're fearful, it's because the way you have been living your life and the reassuring assumptions about the world that keep you calm enough to make good decisions are suddenly upended. It's as if the beliefs you have that help you to maintain your daily sanity and orientation are suddenly ripped away and the future you were living into, is suddenly extremely gone.
When this occurs a stress hormone called cortisol is released by your adrenal glands to alert your body to doing what it needs to do to survive. Added to that is another hormone secreted by your adrenal glands called adrenaline which directly gets your body physically ready to deal with stress – which can come from either fear or excitement.
As your cortisol and adrenaline rise, so too does dread and a part of your brain which deals with emotions, also referred to as your mammalian/middle brain (more on that later), called your amygdala becomes highly activated.
Your amygdala is a combination emotional sentinel and point guard rolled into one. If your amygdala senses this is a time for survival it can hijack you away from accessing the prefrontal part of your cerebral cortex, that helps you assess as situation, consider options and then make rational decisions. The hijack actually coincides with more blood flow going into your middle and then lower/reptile brain to take action to survive and away from going to your upper/human brain where you can think and consider options.
When an amygdala hijack causes blood flow to go more to your middle and lower brains an interesting thing happens to something called your Triune Brain.
Paul MacLean was a physician and neuroscientist who first coined the phrase Triune Brain to go along with his theory that we have three brains: an upper/human/thinking brain, a middle/mammalian/emotional brain, and a lower/reptile/fight or flight brain. He postulated that they developed through evolution and have learned to align with each other when we're functioning at our best. They are kept in alignment when they are all aimed a future that we're living into.
However, when a relatively predictable future becomes completely uncertain and an amygdala hijack occurs with resultant blood flow change, your three brains can become "decoupled" with each brain functions separately from each other. We even have metaphors that reflect that: wigged out, unglued, out of sorts, out of you mind, freaked out, etc. When that happens, you have entered into a state of dread.
When that amygdala hijack occurs and each of the three brains fend for themselves, the upper/human/thinking brain can flip into obsessive thinking (thinking the same thoughts repetitively), the middle/mammalian/emotional brain can flip into high anxiety (with dread causing it to flirt with terror and then panicky feelings), and the lower/reptilian/fight-flight-freeze can flip into compulsive repetitive behaviors where you run, become angry or just freeze in your tracks.
When this occurs, you have what I refer to as Triunal Rigidity, where the three brains have become rigidly connected to each other after the future they were aiming towards gets stripped away. Triunal Rigidity is what makes your mind brittle and prone to feeling fragile as if it could break and shatter (= lose your mind). It is that feeling of brittleness leading to fragility leading to shattering that can cause a sense of impending doom, terror and panic.
What is the solution to this?
That is what I refer to as Triunal Agility where whatever uncertainty and unpredictability is thrown at you, you can pivot, realign with what you need to do and then take action. And if that action is a little off, your Triunal Agility can enable you to re-pivot and realign some more.
What is necessary to transform your brittle Triunally Rigid mind that is consumed by dread into a rapidly adapting Triunally Agile mind that can reason?
Let's use the Coronavirus as an example.
It is the following information regarding Covid-19:
- What is the status of its spread – where, how many, what is its likely path, and when will it hit your community?
- How is that being confirmed by what tests and who in your community is getting tested and when and where can you get tested?
- What can you do to protect yourself and prevent it from infecting you?
- If infected, what and where shall you go for treatment?
- What will the treatment be and how long will it last?
- What is the course of the illness likely to look like and where can you go for help?
Generalized non-factually founded reassurances or worse, consistently inconsistent messages from President Trump who doesn't appear to grasp the situation or even understand the virus rather than being assuring actually appear to increase uncertainty and dread, because he makes it difficult to believe him.
The person best qualified to deliver the message must be highly trained, experienced in such matters, calm, clear, with specific directions and someone we can believe. Dr. Anthony Fauci who is head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases appears to be the current "go to" person to advise us.


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Basically: A silly, raunchy comedy focusing on women and women friendship.
Like a Boss really isn't that great of a movie but, being released in the deadlands of January, I don't think it's trying to be great. This movie is McDonald's chicken nuggets; they might not be good for you but when they're hot and you've got sauce, man, they sure are fantastic. Like a Boss makes you laugh, the plot and pacing don't totally work at times but everyone has chemistry and they sure get the jokes off.
Photo via Paramount Pictures
Like a Boss stars Tiffany Haddish as Mia Carter and Rose Byrne as Mel Paige, two women who have been best friends since middle school. 22 years later they still live together and run their own cosmetics company called Mel & Mia's. Much like in bromance films these two women are in arrested development when compared to their friends. They're not married and neither have children. With their store in a bit of a slow period, the two women are made an offer by cosmetic mogul Claire Luna (Salma Hayek) who is impressed with the two women's products and ideas and offers to help them take MM to the next level. But is she more a devil than an angel?
Much of the movie is really held together by Haddish's trademark brashness paired with Byrne's anxious awkwardness. With both playing to their known types, it's the combination of the two playing off each other that get the laughs. The supporting actors bring out the chuckles as well, with the standout being the great Billy Porter as Barrett, Mia & Mel's star employee, giving a performance on ten each time he's on the screen. Porter delivers the perfect level of hamming it up. Hayek does great as the cartoonishly vapid and shady Luna. Everything on her is fake and she totally plays it up with her physical performance. Karan Soni plays Josh, Claire's right-hand man just like all the minions in every Disney cartoon. Natasha Rothwell, mostly known as Kelli on HBO's Insecure, is the standout among Mel and Mia's "adult" friends as a new mother on the edge of a nervous breakdown.
Photo via Paramount Pictures
While the movie loses its way a couple of times and makes you wonder what the characters are thinking, honestly it doesn't hurt too much because it's only 80 minutes long. That's an hour and twenty minutes, you're in and out. Like a Boss never makes you wonder 'why am I here and when will this be this over?' Just when you could get tired of the movie the credits roll.
In the End: Like a Boss is a fun comedy for the winter that I think most women will enjoy and anyone can laugh at.


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Beginning with the 2021-'22 academic year, the Mildred C. Swanson Scholarship in Histotechnology will provide up to three scholarships for the program's 10 students, including five juniors and five seniors.
A growing number of scholarships are available to students in the West Virginia University School of Medicine's in-demand histotechnology program, which prepares graduates to work in a challenging scientific field that offers ample well-paid job opportunities.
Richard Swanson and his wife, Dr. Kathryn Skitarelic, recently made an additional $100,000 gift to a scholarship fund established in memory of his mother to support histotechnology students at WVU. Beginning with the 2021-'22 academic year, the Mildred C. Swanson Scholarship in Histotechnology will provide up to three scholarships for the program's 10 students, including five juniors and five seniors.
Kelsey Holben Baltimore was the inaugural scholarship recipient in 2018. She now works as a histotechnologist at WVU Medicine's J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.
"The scholarship made me feel honored and showed me that my hard work paid off and that someone recognized it," Baltimore said. "It really shows that the students are cared about and that there is someone out there who understands and appreciates the work that we are doing."
Histotechnology involves processing tissue for examination following a medical procedure, such as gallbladder or tonsil removal.
"Any tissue removed from a patient is received in the histology lab, where histotechnologists perform routine and complex techniques that allow for an accurate diagnosis by a pathologist, which is why histotechnology is so important," Program Director Kimberly Feaster said.
Students with an interest in science, medicine and laboratory work are often drawn to WVU's histotechnology program, one of just nine available in the United States. Two years of science-focused prerequisites are required for acceptance into the competitive program as a junior. The professional curriculum boasts small class sizes and lots of hands-on laboratory instruction during a student's junior and senior years.
"I was really concerned with being prepared for a career after I graduated college," Baltimore said. "The program gave me a lot of one-on-one experience. We got a lot of hands-on and clinical experience, so we were pretty much doing what we would do in our career in school. So, I felt very prepared and confident."
Graduates earn a bachelor's degree in biomedical laboratory diagnostics, which offers a broad range of job opportunities thanks to a short supply of trained histotechnologists nationwide. Many alumni work at hospitals, but jobs are available at government laboratories, private research facilities, zoos, veterinary schools and more. Opportunities also exist in sales and technology.
"I have had 100% placement for those that want to go into the field," Feaster said. "I am contacted almost weekly with job opportunities all across the nation looking for histotechnologists."
The average pay for histotechnology graduates is $25 an hour, or about $50,000 a year.
The Swansons, who met as undergraduates at WVU, understand the importance of the field and the value of a quality education in histotechnology. Richard's mother, Mildred Swanson, worked as a histologist at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital for 18 years until her retirement in 1976. Kathryn is a pathologist who has spent her career relying on skilled histotechnologists.
The Swansons encourage others to provide scholarship support to this program, as the field is essential to the workforce of healthcare delivery.
"Mother was so proud of the work done by histotechnologists and appreciated how important this work is to good medical care," Dick Swanson said.
The Swansons' donation was made through the WVU Foundation, a nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
To make a gift to the WVU School of Medicine, contact Assistant Vice President for Health Sciences Development Clare Flanagan at 304-293-0788 or email@example.com, or Director of Development Patricia Lonsbary at 304-293-1448 or email@example.com.


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From A Basement On The Hill
By: Eric Greenwood
Elliott Smith died of two stab wounds to the heart just over a year ago in his Los Angeles apartment. Whether those stab wounds were self-inflicted or the result of someone else's rage is irrelevant. Smith is dead, and he left behind his final album, From a Basement on the Hill, only half-finished. Posthumous albums are so hard to accept into artists' cannons, as too many questions linger as to what could have been had they seen them to fruition.
So, there will always be an asterisk by From a Basement on the Hill since it isn't truly a Smith album. It's a compromised ‹ yet close ‹ approximation made by engineers delegated by the arbiters of Smith's estate. Even with so many unanswered questions as to what Smith intended for his sixth album, it holds its own against even his sparsest and most intimate work.
Despite its bombastic production and elaborate arrangements, XO has always been my favorite Smith album. Most of his die-hard fans dismiss it simply because it was his cleanest and most commercial outing, but the songwriting soared with countless, effortless melodies and memorable hooks, proving Smith to be a talent above and beyond what his lo-fi recordings could ever have predicted. His hushed, angelic voice married well with the Beatles-inspired production and his melancholic outlook held steadfast amidst such catchy harmonies.
His second major-label effort, Figure 8, sounded forced and flat compared to its predecessor, but it still outshone most of the singer-songwriter drivel that bubbled up in the indie rock community around that time. In the four years since Figure 8, Smith worked with several producers on what would become From a Basement on the Hill. Ironically, Rob Schnapf, whom Smith had worked with for years, finished the mixes, despite the fact that Smith hadn't worked with him at all on this album.
In the months directly preceding his death, Smith had been obsessed with The Beatles' White album and wanted From a Basement on the Hill to reflect that album's jarring diversity. His songwriting had always hailed from the shadows of John Lennon's darker compositions, so emulating The Beatles came naturally without sounding deliberate or awkward, and the influence is deeply embedded here.
From a Basement on the Hill won't impact music on any level even remotely resembling that of the White album, of course, but it is still a work of staggering beauty. Smith's multi-dimensional songwriting is in top form. From glimmering rockers like "Coast to Coast" to prophetic confessionals like "A Fond Farewell," Smith showcases his musical prowess with whispered harmonies and dark, self-deprecating lyrics. Though, it's probably tainted by unknowing yet well-meaning collaborators, From a Basement on the Hill elevates Smith's legacy to an echelon that few songwriters ever achieve in life or death


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249: One or Three Sets per Exercise? Saga Continues
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More research today comparing 1 vs. 3 set per exercise resistance training. Discussion follows on the different scenarios where it's ok to ask for advice not taken. John always reviews the full-text of each study review on the show, but to see the abstract please go to: http://general.utpb.edu/fac/eldridge_j/kine6362/Readings/Muscular_Strength_Unit2_reading2.pdf . This podcast is proudly sponsored by John's premium exercise equipment and apparel company Barbell 1. Check out http://barbell1.com for helpful tutorial videos on training and nutrition and the Barbell 1 product line.
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It's Halloween night and Angela is throwing a party…but this is no ordinary Halloween party. Everybody's headed to Hull House, a deserted funeral home, and formerly the home of a mass murderer. But, when the partygoers decide to have a séance, they awaken something evil...and these party crashers have a thirst for blood. Now it's a battle for who can survive the night in Hull House. (From Scream Factory's official synopsis)
Writer/director Kevin S. Tenney made his feature debut, Witchboard (1986), during the so-called "golden age" of straight-to-video horror. The home video revolution had slowly undone the genre's major role in the grindhouse and drive-in scenes. Adolescence and young adults were much more likely to experience the joys of sex & violence from the safety and privacy of their own homes. In 1986, many of these films were still given teeny tiny theatrical releases that somehow justified their production, yet the filmmakers involved hadn't necessarily given up on larger success. This new industry was a petri dish made to cull the talents of a guy like Tenney. However, Tenney never quite fit the molds set by his contemporaries. His output was far from excessive (14 movies in 22 years) and he didn't make any noticeable effort to create an STV mini-empire, like Charles Band or Lloyd Kaufman (the head honchos of Full Moon and Troma, respectfully). He wasn't a savvy technician trapped in a thankless role, like Anthony Hickox (Waxwork [1988], Warlock: The Armageddon [1993]), nor was he a talentless amateur, hacking his way through the process – he was swaddled right in the middle of the pack, which might actually be the worst place to be when it comes to cult filmmaking.
Night of the Demons (1988) was, without a doubt, Tenney's finest hour. It got a bigger theatrical run than any other movie in his filmography (I'm not sure any of his post-Night of the Demons output had a theatrical release stateside) and it earned a strong cult reputation on VHS and DVD. Tonally, it has very little in common with Witchboard and the other very early Tenney movies and this is likely the byproduct of Tenney being brought on as a director for hire, not involved with the script as he was with his first movie (the original director had left at the last-minute). The screenplay was written by Joe Augustyn, whose only other credits include Dominique Othenin-Girard's seedy succubus tale, Night Angel (1990), Brian Trenchard-Smith's Night of the Demons 2 (1994), and an early draft of Adam Gierasch's Night of the Demons remake (2009). Augustyn's script is more teen and trope-friendly than Tenney's soapy, melodramatic Witchboard script. This means the nominal challenge of complex characters is pushed aside in favour of gross-out scares and special effects, which is probably a better arena for the director's Sam Raimi-inspired camera work (though Witchboard is still the better directed film). The performances are broad, the dialogue is silly, the T&A is right up in your face, and Steven Johnson's elaborate special effects are appropriately goopy. The grotesque facial transformations and murders are particularly fantastic, but the film's memorable highlight is a surrealistic scene where a possessed Linnea Quigley shoves an entire tube of lipstick into her nipple.
If you were a horror fan in the VHS era, Night of the Demons was readily available, but not as coveted as Lamberto Bava's Demons (Italian: Demoni, 1985), which was produced by Dario Argento, released the year before Tenney's film, and covered a similar outbreak of demonism. Bava's film and its sequel, Demons 2 (Italian: Demoni 2, 1986), were gore and heavy metal-driven Euro-horror, a nice counterpoint to Night of the Demons' pop Americana. It was also something of a rarity when it was released in both R-rated and unrated versions on home video. It might even be the first release to use the distinction as a selling point (Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator [1985] was perhaps the first to be available in both formats, but consumers could only know the difference by reading the back of the box). This Blu-ray contains, naturally, the longer, gorier, unrated version.
Anchor Bay had anamorphic DVD releases of Night of the Demons in both the US and the UK, but this Scream Factory disc is the film's first and only Blu-ray release. The 1080p, 1.85:1 transfer is similar to the same day Witchboard release in that it looks better than expected. Generally speaking, this is not a crisp movie. Tenney and cinematographer David Lewis (who shot both Witchboard 2 and Night of the Demons 2) use quite a bit of foggy soft focus to create their bubblegum horror mood, leading to some gritty, grainy moments and plush edges. Still, details are cleaner and sharper than any DVD version, especially stuff like facial close-ups. The darker wide-angle images show minor wear and edge enhancement, but clarity remains consistent throughout. The eclectic, neon and pastel '80s palette is vivid and well-separated, despite the softer focus and deep darkness. Black levels are consistent without appearing crushed or flat.
So far, Scream Factory has been content to release their films with uncompressed original audio tracks (kind of like Criterion), but Night of the Demons includes a 5.1 remix of the original 2.0 stereo sound. This appears to have been mixed specifically for this release, not taken from another release, like their John Carpenter releases. This release also includes two different DTS-HD MA 2.0 tracks, one based on the original Ultra Stereo mix and the other, seemingly based on the 5.1 remix. Comparing the tracks, I think that the remix is probably the strongest of the three, mostly because it thoroughly centers the dialogue and incidental effects. Otherwise, the difference between the tracks is negligible and all three feature the same minor inconsistencies in vocal volume. There's very little in terms of immersive sound design, aside from some atmospheric frog/cricket noises and the most aggressive demon sounds. Dennis Michael Tenney returns to do the music; this time on a more epic scale with a poppier, more rock-infused score. The opening title number is quite possibly the best thing about the entire film. The 5.1 mix has a musical advantage due to the LFE bump, though the punk/rock/new wave additions are still generally tinny.
An all-new commentary with Tenney, FX artist Steve Johnson, and actors Cathy Podewell, Hal Havins, and Billy Gallo.
Anchor Bay's older DVD commentary with Tenney, and producers Walter Johnson & Jeff Geoffrey.
You're Invited (1:11:30, HD) – An new collection of interviews with Tenney, producers Johnson & Geoffrey, producer/writer Joe Augustyn, animators Kevin Kurchaver & Kathy Zielinski, FX artist Steve Johnson, stuntman/coordinator John Stewart, and actors Linnea Quigley, Cathy Podewell, Alvin Alexis, Allison Barron, Donnie Jeffcoat, Billy Gallo, James Quinn, Amelia Kinkade, Hal Havins, and Donnie Jeffcoat. The subject matter, once again, covers more or less the entirety of production. There's quite a bit of overlap with the two commentaries, but this piece is info-packed enough to work as the disc's only extra – everything else is just gravy.
Amelia Kinkade, Protean (22:30, HD) – A secondary interview segment with the actress (including even more overlap) that covers her work on Night of the Demons and its sequels.
Allison Barron's Demon Memories (4:00, HD) – A chance for the actress to show us her personal photo gallery with narration.
Promo reel (4:10, SD)
Video and theatrical trailer
TV and radio spots
Behind-the-scenes, special effects/make-up, photo, poster, and storyboard galleries.
The images on this page are taken from the BD and sized for the page. Larger versions can be viewed by clicking the images. Note that there will be some JPG compression.


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Two major professional baseball organizations have willfully chosen HomeFront to receive a Healthy Relationships Community Grant. With its prime goals of providing children the opportunity to learn, develop healthy meaningful relationships, and support survivors of domestic violence and mental health needs, Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players' Association (MLBPA) have selected ten nonprofits throughout the nation to continue their initiative with the contribution of a 50K grant, with HomeFront being one of them.
The players continue their committed efforts of promoting positive interactions by encouraging healthy relationships and supporting other individuals when needed, and this initiative ensures that their optimism is paid forward.
"We are grateful for the opportunity to assist these extraordinary organizations doing critical work to support vulnerable communities, especially in this time of crisis," said Melanie LeGrande, Vice President of Social Responsibility, Major League Baseball.
HomeFront, an organization that arranges numerous programs and agendas to assist local children who are homeless or at risk, seek to use this initiative towards increasing programs and staff training that will grant over 400 local children the social-emotional resilience and power they need.
"This is a basic life skill needed for healthy relationships in general," Chris Marchetti, Director of HomeFront's Joy, Hopes & Children's program stated.
HomeFront partakes in many active and supportive roles on a day to day basis. Its Atkinson Child Development Center assists many local families in need with trauma-informed child care, and its Joy, Hopes & Dreams children's program allows children of school age the possibility of acquiring nurturing life skills, along with tutoring on a six-day a week basis all throughout the year. An enriched summer camp also runs each year.
"I'm thrilled that HomeFront is being recognized on a national stage by MLB and MLBPA for the work we are doing to improve the quality of relationships in our community" HomeFront Founder Connie Mercer said.


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In today's news, Oregon to consider shell corporation legislation, Intel to layoff more employees and Puppet Labs names new CFO.
1. Anonymous company legislation in the works for 2017 session
Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins will file pre-session legislation to rein in anonymous shell companies in Oregon, the Portland Business Journal reports. Secretary-elect Dennis Richardson has yet to announce his position on the issue. The proposed legislation will require companies to disclose an owner and physical street address on incorporation records.
2. More Intel layoffs in the works
Oregon's largest employer is reportedly stepping back from wearables and laying off employees in the New Technologies Group, according to TechCrunch. Intel disputed the wearable tech claims and made no comment on the reported layoffs. This would make the third round of layoffs in the last 18 months for the company.
3. Puppet names new CFO, two more VPs
Puppet Labs hired Mark Iserloth as its new chief financial officer, Marianne Calder as VP for Europe, Middle-east and Africa, and Nick Smyth as VP of engineering, the Oregonian reports. Puppet has now hired six new vice presidents this year. At the same time, the software company announced it is expanding its Portland headquarters by 50% and opening an office in London.
4. Big shocker: Deschutes County a draw for retirees
An Oregon Employment Department analysis found the number of senior citizens near Bend has grown 43% in the last five years, Willamette Week reports. The demographic is the fastest growing in the county. Washington County took second place for its senior citizen population with 33% growth.
5. Gov. Brown names Agriculture, Lottery agency heads
Alexis Taylor was named Oregon Department of Agriculture director and Barry Pack was named director of the Oregon Lottery, according to the Statesman Journal. Taylor joins Oregon from a post with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pack first joined the lottery in April after Director Jack Roberts was fired. Taylor's appointment requires confirmation by the state Senate, which is set for December.
6. PSU joins Portland in sanctuary city pledge
Portland State University announced it will form a sanctuary campus for its students. The city of Portland announced last week it will maintain its sanctuary status despite threats from the President-elect to defund the federal program. PSU will not enforce federal immigration laws, facilitate immigration enforcement activities on campus or share student immigration status information unless compelled with a court order.
7. UO bucks enrollment trend
The University of Oregon wants to downsize its student population.


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Steps To Eliminate the Blues during a Holiday Move
Moving during holidays is never ideal; it can always give you a depressing atmosphere. Many things will remind you of the old traditions in your previous place such as holiday movies and songs. Just think about the message that is being delivered by "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "Home for the Holidays." Any of these two will surely remind you of your previous home, especially that your new place might not still give you the feeling of a home.
Certainly, it's not good for you to dwell in depression especially during holidays. In order for you to seize the spirit of the season, you need to know the steps that will help you to remain jovial during the season. Below enumerates the steps you can take:
Do not deprive yourself of the holiday time. Most people are overwhelmed by the moving responsibilities that they tend to neglect to enjoy the season. Instead of cancelling your Holiday celebration, it isn't bad to dedicate at least 20 minutes each day to practice the tradition.
Participate in local holiday events. Doing this will give you a lot of benefits such as the chance of getting out of your new house, meeting new people, and acquainting yourself to the nature of the new place.
Play your favorite holiday music. Listening to your favourite holiday songs can bring you the spirit of the season, which can also eventually give you a comforting feeling.
So even though moving during the holidays can be depressing, you still can celebrate the season by replacing the holiday blues with a merry heart by executing the aforementioned steps.


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1990 Honda Civic Rally Car - Rally 'Round the Civic
There are things in life that aren't supposed to mix. Oil and water comes to mind. Inexpensive and Ferraris. How about Hondas and rallying? A Civic? No frickin' way, man. They're more suited to your typical street, drag, or road racing venues. Which is why Steve Perret's old-school, low-budget Civic draws so much attention in Northwest Division SCCA rally events.
Steve is the general manager of H&R Springs and a factory-trained Honda tech who's been known to build some outstanding cars, including "dabbling in performance-tuned Cosworth Escorts." He'd never tried rallying before, sticking mainly to paved venues with his rigs. In 2003, he was looking for a change and wanted to go off-road without breaking the bank.
When Steve first considered rallying, he knew he wanted to drive a Civic. His friends told him he should stick to something European, because, after all, that's where rallying got its start. They also said the Civic was too fragile to take on the European competition. Bullshit, Steve thought. If built right, Hondas can be bulletproof, and he's proven it.
"As a Honda junkie since way before they were popular, the Civic made total sense to me. There are very few Hondas rallying and I really wanted to prove that it could be a competitive car," Steve says. "This generation of Civic is light, has a great wheelbase for rallying, and I was already comfortable with 'em as I owned one new and had spent many miles throwing it around."
The whole car was built according to the mantra: "To finish first, first you must finish." Instead of starting with a beat-up street car, he made a smart move and bought a 1990 Civic Si rolling chassis ex-drag car. No muss. No fuss. It was already stripped.
Priority one was a stiff platform. The body was seam-welded for strength and, for even more strength and safety, a heavily reinforced roll cage by Cascade Autosport was installed. But even with such an extensive cage, Steve says the Civic's roomy cabin makes it possible to "still have room to move around inside." When the body was done, the sunroof was filled for safety purposes and the car was slathered with yellow paint.
Then it was time to attack the mechanicals. No fancy VTEC power here, but a simple, torquey B18B1 out of an Acura Integra LS. Besides a solid rebuild, the only tweaks made were an open-element air filter and a Supersprint exhaust system with a header, piping, high-flow cats, resonator and muffler. The 142 dyno-proven hp is controlled with a '91 Integra ECU and Holley performance fuel pump. Where's the trick? No tricks, just longevity and ease of maintenance.
"The powertrain is basic, so all parts are easy to get at a local shop if they're needed," Steve says. "The reason for the O.E. ECU is to keep revs down in a manageable range for wheel spin. It also keeps the fuel management simple--no need to have complicated adjustments for different elevations or have the possibility of lean run problems burning up the motor."
A lightened flywheel and Centerforce II clutch sends power to an Integra five-speed, chosen because of its rally-friendly gear ratios and final drive. Where it gets strange is the following component, a welded JDM diff. Why, you ask? "The welded diff was done as a cost-cutting idea," says Steve. "I figured if I didn't like it, I wasn't out any money." As it turns out, the welded diff excels in gravel, making the car very predictable without annoying corner push. He also points out that if he breaks one of his Raxles custom CV axles, he can still make it back to service, something not possible with a Torsen-style diff. Of course, a welded diff isn't good for street driving, so Steve keeps that to a minimum.
Steve carefully chose his suspension components for durability and cost savings--a Place Racing front cross member for stiffness, Mugen bushings all around and, of course, the obligatory H&Rs. In front are a set of H&R coil-overs at a 285-lb/in. spring rate, and out back are H&R height/damping adjustable shocks with a set of 285-lb/in. springs as well. This combo provides excellent balanced handling with the controllability and predictability necessary in rallying.
Braking power needed to be addressed next, lest Steve hit a tree or fly off a cliff. He tried first running with a set of O.E. pads and cross-drilled rotors, but they overheated and faded badly. Soon he upgraded with a set of Powerslot/ Frozen rotors on the front, Integra disc brakes on the back and Hawk HP pads all around.
"Once I installed the Powerslot/Frozen rotors with the Hawk HP Plus combination, the car's braking was outstanding," Steve says. "During the Mount Hood ClubRally, we came into the time control at the end of a very fast 10-mile downhill run and the brakes never gave me any issues. But they were smoking quite a bit." He also reports outstanding feel and response.
Covering the brakes is a set of 14x7 Honda del Sol wheels with H&R 20mm wheel spacers and 185/65 Kumho R700 Hard tires--a strong and virtually indestructible combination.Inside is a rally lover's dream. A custom dash houses a full complement of Auto Meter Lunar gauges to keep tabs on the engine. Sparco seats and six-point belts keep Steve and his navigator planted while going sideways at insane speeds, and Steve grabs a Sparco 215 suede steering wheel while he attempts to control the Civic.
To make sure he's got the time and distance thing down, he's installed a TerraTrip 303 Plus speedo-odo-timing device. The unit is programmable to adjust for wheel spin, tire diameter and pickup points. It feeds off of the trans speed sensor for durability purposes, rather than the more traditional wheel area mounting. A TerraPhone Pro Plus, with speakers and microphones mounted in their helmets, ensures that Steve can actually hear his navigator shout out the route over the gravel pinging the underside of the car.
Lighting up Steve's way are PIAA Super White bulbs in the stock headlights, augmented by an EVO VII PIAA light pod and PIAA 80 PRO XT series fog and driving lamps. Steve hasn't gotten lost yet with that combination.The results? In his first season of rallying, he placed second in the NORPAC division for Group 2 (a class for two-wheel-drive cars without forced induction and a maximum engine displacement of 2000cc for four valves per cylinder) and second in the NW Division in Class 3 (the novice driver class for the NW region). He also received the first-ever NW Division Rookie of the Year award and an invite to compete in the National ClubRally Championships in Salem, Mo.
Not bad, but how does the Civic stack up against those so-called "real" rally cars? In the Mount Hood ClubRally, Steve posted three top three and two top two overall stage times against Open Class all-wheel-drive cars, including WRXs and EVOs. Not bad for a total investment in the neighborhood of 10 grand.Guess Hondas and rallying do mix. Now we've got to do something about oil and water.
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