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Need Mattress Cleaning Vite Vite? Our Mattress Cleaners use non toxic chemicals to remove stains, germs, dust mite from your bedding. Get hygienically steam clean your mattress today including Pre Spray stain removal, anti allergen, mattress, allergy relief treatment & mattress drying services
We remove dust mites, bacteria, dead skins and help you get a better sleep. We use eco friendly mattress cleaning chemicals that are safe to your family & pets, and our company has become a got a trusted name in the field. Our mattress cleaners can eradicate dust mites from your bed. With our hot water steam extraction method we can extract all the airborne particles from your mattress. Our mattress cleaning price most affordable and our cleaners are available for hire on the same day. Call us our 24X7 contact number 0482077306.
- Experience of a decade.
- We use no Toxic Mattress Cleaning Chemicals
- Remove Dust Mites
- Mattress Vomit Smell Removal & Deodorisation Services
- Non hypoallergenic Mattress Steam Cleaning Products
- Mattress Stain Treatment & Protection
- Pre Spray the Mattress with Anti Allergen
- Mattress Anti Allergen Rinse & wash
- Mattress Anti Allergic Treatment
- Steam Cleaning & Mattress Stain Removal
Mattress Cleaning & Sanitisation Vite Vite
Mattress Cleaning & Sanitisation is most important. A human being on an average spend 1/3 of his/her time sleep on Mattress. What if your mattress is not cleaned or sanitised? If your mattress is uncleaned it probably becomes the home for dead skin cells, body fluids, dust mites etc these might cause you or your family.
- Uncleaned Mattress Can cause Asthma.
- Many Vite Vite residents got Hay Fever because Mattress cleaning not done from long time.
- 10% of the Vite Vite residents got Eczema because of mattress cleaning cleaned.
- If mattress cleaning not done including Sanitisation can cause Rhinitis, Psoriasis etc.
- Poor sleep, Headaches because of the unclean mattress that's why Mattress Cleaning is important.
- Poor Mattress Cleaning can cause Itchy or watery eyes
- As per the Vite Vite university research Depression,Sneezing & Fatigue are linked with non mattress cleaned.
Need for Professional Mattress Cleaning in Vite Vite
We spend several hours of our day in bed remaining in contact with our mattress. More than 60% of the dust mites are actually found in your mattress that can be the cause of several diseases that include allergy reactions such as skin irritation, hay fever and asthma.
A mattress would ordinarily look clean but a research by the Center for Disease Control has revealed that a mattress can have anywhere between 10,000 to 10 million dust mites in it and several other fungal and bacterial components. It is the key cause of allergies and infections suffered by your family
Cleaning mattress at home with the conventional means often gets ineffective in dealing with the dust mites and bacteria. So, you need a professional mattress cleaning service in Vite Vite that eliminates the risk of such infections rendering you mattress fresh, clean and safe like when you bought it new.
Get Our Professional Mattress Cleaners to Work
With advanced equipment, assisted by a team of skilled staff and years of experience in mattress cleaning in Vite Vite, we offer quick and cost-effective professional mattress cleaning services in Vite Vite.
Our mattress cleaners in Vite Vite are trained to clean mattresses of any kind with any fabric, even the most tender and delicate ones. Our equipment and chemically safe process ensure that every folds and crevice of your mattress is deeply cleaned and sanitized leaving behind no chemical residue and odour while eliminating dust mites and neutralizing the allergens.
We provide round the clock on-site mattress cleaning services in Vite Vite with the most affordable and reasonable rates. Our 24X7 mattress cleaning services in Vite Vite can also be availed 7 days a week.
Professional Mattress Cleaners Services
Mattress Stain Removal Vite Vite
Mark's Mattress Cleaning Vite Vite offers a wide range of services for mattress cleaning and restoration at the most affordable prices. Whether there are the old stubborn stains or fresh spill on your mattress, we can handle and treat them. The cleaning team of our professional mattress cleaners have ample knowledge of stain treatment and also possess the appropriate cleaning solutions. With our advanced skills and experience, we can completely clean and restore your mattress to new. Be it is mattress blood stain removal, mattress urine stain removal, mattress wine stain removal or mattress food stain removal, our results are classic and unbeatable.
Mattress Mould Removal Vite Vite
Another one of the most special, effective and widely used services is mattress mould removal. Mould on the mattress is responsible for many health issues in the home. It is responsible for breathing and skin problems, and usually, kids with low immunity get stuck with severe disease. Getting rid of mould on your own is an option but we suggest you go for it, as treating it yourself can lead to severe health problems. So, what are you waiting for? Call us today and get the best services for mattress mould removal.
Our Mattress Cleaning Vite Vite Team
Mark's Mattress Cleaning Vite Vite team includes some of the best and outstanding professionals who are experts in mattress cleaning. Mark and his team have a single goal of accomplishing complete customer satisfaction in each cleaning project. For this reason, our cleaners are based in different suburbs of Vite Vite to serve clients from all areas.
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- Angus lives in the Northern suburbs and caters to the clients of that area.
- Jonathan serves his skilled mattress cleaning services in the Western suburbs.
- Bradley is liable for all mattress cleaning service requests from the Eastern suburbs.
- Marcus works in the Southern suburbs ensuring that all our clients receive the best mattress cleaning from us.
Don't Ignore Your Mattress Anymore!
It takes more than just changing the linen of the bed to keep it healthy and hygienic. Even cleaning it with a vacuum does not solve the purpose and you need to take professional help for keeping your mattresses germ and bacteria free. We at Marks Mattress Cleaning Vite Vite deliver healthier bedding through constant effort, state-of-the-art technology, and highly effective cleaning treatments.
Mark's Mattress Cleaning Vite Vite Process
We keep ourselves abreast with the latest technology to deliver nothing shorter than the best service to our valuable clients in Vite Vite. We have evolved the following mattress cleaning process to produce unmatched results every time we clean a mattress:
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- Hi-tech Vacuuming – Our four step mattress cleaning process begins with hi-tech vacuuming. We use latest and most effective vacuums to get rid of dry dirt, soil, and other particles from the mattress.
- Bacteria Removal – This step involves killing of all kinds of bacteria, germs, and other contaminants using state-of-the-art technology that has no side effects on pets, kids, and environment.
- Anti-bacterial Spray – This spray helps us protect your mattresses from future growth of mould, bacteria, and other such pollutants.
- Sanitizing – The last step is mattress sanitizing for most effective outcomes. This transforms a dirty, unhealthy mattress into absolutely clean and healthier bedding.
We have a complete range of cost-effective solutions for mattress cleaning. We also provide mattress water damage restoration and mattress steam cleaning. Call our 24×7 helpline to get a free quote and make a booking for cleaner mattresses! Why sleep on unhealthy beds when you can have a sound sleep in a cleaner and safer bed at an affordable cost!
Range of Mattress Cleaning Services we Provide in Vite Vite
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- Mattress Sanitising
- Mattress Stain Removal Service
- Residential Mattress Cleaning
- Urine Stain Removal
- Bed Bug Removal from your bed
- Mattress Dust Mite Removal
- Odour Removal Services & Deodrisation
- Commercial Mattress Cleaning
- Mattress Dry Cleaning
- Mattress Anti-Allergen Cleaning
- Mattress Steam Cleaning
- Mattress Mould Removal
- Mattress Fungi-Removal
The Best Mattress Steam Cleaning Services in Vite Vite
We provide best mattress steam cleaning services to ensure that you sleep peacefully without getting bothered by bugs! We are an expert in removing spots and stains, dust mite, bed bugs, odours, mould, fungi, allergens, vomit stain and urine from a mattress.
We Provide:
- Same day mattress cleaning
- Mattress fungi removal
- Mattress mould removal
- Anti-allergen mattress steam cleaning
- Mattress sanitation
- Emergency mattress cleaning & Vomit Cleaning
- Pet Pee Stain removal from your mattress
- Best Mattress Cleaning Prices
Benefits of Mattress Steam Cleaning
The mattress is one of the most commonly used products at home. This is something that is put to good use every day, for many hours at a stretch.
But there is a lot we do not know about mattresses. For instance, 60 % of the total dust mites found at home are captured in the mattress! This is the primary reason why mattresses need regular cleaning. But that is not the only reason why professional mattress cleaning services could benefit you.
Mattresses are victims of sustaining a number of different stains on them. This could include stains from sweat, stains from urine, coffee, tea and ketchup stains, and the likes.
Any kind of food or liquid spill could leave behind a stain on the mattress. While these are inevitable, your only option would be to clean the place up. All of these factors together facilitate the requirement of professional mattress cleaning services.
Difference Between Professional Mattress Cleaning and Home Cleaning
We all take small steps to clean the mattress at home. We dust it regularly and can perform small cleaning jobs every now and then. However, this proves to be quite insufficient in the long run. Professional mattress cleaning services can deep clean the same product with the help of different detergents, cleansing agents, and machines.
Home cleaning can only remove the top layer of dust or dirt, while professional cleaning can clean it from the deepest corners. Also, using the right cleansing agents would be important, based on the texture and material of the product. This is why professional services come in handy here and prove to be beneficial here.
Same Day Mattress Cleaning
Mark's Mattress Cleaning is a renown company of mattress cleaning, we have the best ingredients and machinery to do the mattress cleaning. We have made our services and policies customer friendly, with our same day mattress cleaning service you can have all the mattress cleaning service on the same day. For booking call on our numbers, we have mentioned the number on the top right corner of the website, if you call on it one of our representatives will answer your query and help you in booking the service. Once the service is successfully booked, our mattress cleaning team will visit your place and do the job.
Mattress Urine Stain Removal
When the mattress gets in contact with urine, it gets a stain on it and even the discolouration process can start if they will not be cleaned instantly. The involvement of acidic chemicals from urine makes the stain darker. It is advised to clean them instantly if you want to save it from damage. You can also hire a professional from Mark's Mattress Cleaning if you think you can not do it for some reasons. Get it done professionally and expand the life span of your mattress.
Mattress Dust Mite Removal
The mattress gets the growth of the dust mites from the dirt accumulated on its surface. Mark's Mattress Cleaning provides the professionals for the mattress cleaning who will clean the mattress as well as remove the dust mites. The dust mites can be the reason for the growth of the several severe airborne diseases. The cleaning process requires special concern for the dust mites as they are not visible. We have the techniques for viewing them and removing them completely. At the end of our services, you will get a healthy mattress.
Mattress Bed Bug Removal
Woke up to red welts on your skin? Did you spot any blood spots on the sheet? If yes, it's time to get into action and get a bedbug-free mattress. The presence of these bugs in your bed can give you sleepless nights. Thus, the earliest treatment of these bed bugs infestation is necessary. Moreover, treating these nocturnal bugs on your own is not the right thing, as you may end up spreading the infestation to areas of the room or house. Calling the professionals for mattress bed bug treatment is all you need to do.
Local and Affordable Mattress Cleaning Services
We at the Mark's Mattress Cleaning are proudly offering same day yet affordable mattress cleaning service. Mattresses in our home are susceptible to dust, dirt and stain. Cleaning it on short notice is very difficult, but not any more. We are a local team of mattress cleaners providing quality mattress cleaning services in a cost-effective manner and make sure that there is no compromise with the quality of work. So, if you're looking for quality mattress cleaning services, you can contact us, we assure you that we will deliver you with the best mattress cleaning service.
Why Choose Mark's Mattress Cleaning Vite Vite?
We take pride in our services offered in the field of professional mattress cleaning. We are backed by years of experiences in this area and are capable of dealing with all kinds of mattress dirt, dust, and stains. Here is what we offer in terms of professional mattress cleaning services:
- Experienced team, backed by technical training and qualifications.
- We work to hugely decrease the number of allergens in the mattress.
- The best methods and technology to complete the job.
- All our methods are biodegradable and do not cause any harm to the family or the environment.
- Punctuality is our forte and we promise to deliver the required service within the given time frame.
- With 24×7 services, we are the ideal choice for professional mattress cleaning services.
- Same day mattress cleaning is our specialization.
We Clean All Types of Mattresses
We clean all kinds of mattresses including:
- Single mattress
- Queen size mattress
- Residential mattress
- Commercial mattress
- Baby cot mattress
- Double sized mattress and others
How Do We Clean Your Mattresses?
We undertake a long and strict process in order to clean your mattresses. This is a time-consuming process, but it does bear good results. And we ensure that we follow the process closely to restore your mattress back to being new. Here is what we do to clean your product.
Step 1: Mattress Inspection
This is the first step involved in the whole process. In here, we inspect the mattress thoroughly to examine its condition and to understand what kind of cleaning solutions could be used for the same. This detailed inspection lays the framework for the cleaning process.
Step 2: Mattress Cleaning
Up next, we clean your mattress based on two different methods. We choose the method depending upon the fabric of the mattress. We use one of two methods- dry cleaning or steam cleaning. For dry cleaning, we use less water and for steam cleaning, we use hot water extraction of dirt and dust.
Step 3: Stain Removal
We clean your mattress and ensure that all stains are removed from the product. We make use of eco-friendly methods and detergents in order to bring the best results.
Step 4: Mattress Drying
Up next, we dry the mattress to make it fit for use. All moisture content from the product is removed from the mattress in order to prevent the growth of contaminants.
Step 5: Sanitization
This is a value added service we offer along with our professional mattress cleaning services. With the help of deodorizers and sanitizers, we bring in a fresh smell to the product such that they look fresh. We will discuss it in depth a little later.
Step 6: Final Inspection
This step is carried out to ensure the job has been carried out well and all the methods are followed.
Mattress Sanitisation Services in Vite Vite
Cleaning the mattress is an important part of its maintenance. However, there is more to it than just steam cleaning and dry cleaning. In order to extend the lifespan of the product, some additional steps need to be taken up.
- Sanitizing your mattress ensures that it stays in the best of health and remains fresh and new all the time.
- This will take care of the quality of the mattress.
- For this, we make use of a number of sanitizing agents, which are well suited to the mattress material and the environment, and deodorizers to finish the job.
- This eliminates bad odours and the smell from the detergents used. This fresh look will keep your mattress working and running for a long time now.
Efficient Mattress Cleaning Services
With our team, we provide you with some of the best and the most effective mattress cleaning services. We ensure that your work gets done fully and the product is as clean as it can be. Here is how our services can help you:
- We provide guaranteed services. If you are unhappy with our work, get in touch with us and we will resolve the issue for you.
- We are an insured Mark's Mattress Cleaning Vite Vite which makes it easier for you to bank on us with your products.
- We are available to you all the time, 24×7, including public holidays. Whatever be your requirements, we will handle them well.
- Professional cleaning is taken up by technicians who are qualified and licensed for the job.
- Our cleaning services are green and eco-friendly.
- Our services are reasonably priced, with no hidden charges.
Frequently Asked Questions on Mattress Cleaning Vite Vite:
No, we never use toxic chemicals to clean the mattresses we use only the non-toxic solutions that are safe to the environment as well.
Well, in that case, you should not wait for them to eliminate by themselves but to hire a professional mattress cleaning services because we never know at what corner they hide and attack and their bite do not give any pain but leave red marks on our body thus it is important to hire professionals immediately.
Yes, we are competent to remove vomit Stain From your mattresses with the help of our effective mattress cleaning solutions all you have to do is just call us on the number that is given on our website.
We are available on all days to get the booking and give the services. We have seen the demand for our services and we want to give our service at the time of their choice. We are working day and night to make our services more convenient and reliable so that you can get the services whenever you want and that too at your place. So make a booking with us and we will serve you on any day you want.
Location: Vite Vite, VIC, Australia


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Sinbad Comics
Sub-Mariner, Vol. 1 #70
Marvel Comics
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1st app. Piranha
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subset: commoncrawl


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Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
NEW YORK (AP) - The Lenox Lounge, a cabaret in New York City's Harlem neighborhood with a supercool, Art Deco style that made it a favorite of jazz greats like Billie Holiday, Miles Davis and John Coltrane, is closing its doors on New Year's Eve.
Longtime owner Alvin Reed says that with rents rising, he can no longer afford the lease on the jazz landmark. It opened in 1942.
He says the landlord wanted $20,000 per month.
The space is set to be taken over in the new year by Richard Notar, a managing partner at Nobu Restaurants.
Notar tells The New York Times ( http://nyti.ms/UMwETJ) he hopes to keep the bar as "an old watering hole" with live music, but he hasn't worked out a deal with Reed yet to use the Lenox Lounge name.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... Bread, in one form or another, has always been a part of our holiday meals. I've been looking for a recipe that would allow me to make rolls from a dough that could be shaped and frozen days before the rolls were to be baked off. I envisioned the maddening aroma of just baked bread greeting guests as they walked through the door. While that's a great appetite stimulant, it's also helps boost the cook's reputation and I'm not above a dirty trick or two. Martha Stewart had a recipe for a rich and buttery pan roll that I thought would work well for my purposes. I've just completed a test run and these are just what I was looking for. The dough for these rolls can be made without special equipment. If you have a wooden spoon, you can have rolls for dinner. They are easy to make and have a soft crust that covers a buttery interior that is light and fluffy. They are a perfect addition to the holiday table and I can assure you they will be on mine this year. I hope you will give them a try. The recipe for the rolls follows and below it you can see the complete menu for our non-traditional holiday dinner. Bon Appétit!
Soft Dinner Rolls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Martha Stewart
1/4 cup warm water
4-1/2 teaspoons (4 packets) active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm whole milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for bowl and pans
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs, divided use
6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for work surface
1) Place water in a small bowl; sprinkle with yeast, and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, butter, sugar, salt, and 2 eggs. Whisk in yeast mixture.
2) Using a wooden spoon, stir in 6 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, until you have a soft, shaggy dough (if necessary, add up to 1/2 cup more flour). Turn dough out onto a floured work surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Butter the inside of a large bowl; place dough in bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand in a warm spot until dough has doubled in size, about 1-/4 hours.
3) Butter two 13-by-9-inch baking pans. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 15-inch rope; cut each rope into 15 1-inch pieces. Press each piece into a disk, then shape into a ball. Arrange dough balls in prepared pans. (To make ahead: Wrap pans well, and freeze, up to 2 months.) Cover pans loosely with plastic; let stand in a warm spot until rolls have doubled in size, about 1 1/4 hours (2 hours more if frozen for a total of 3 to 3-1/2 hours).
4) Position racks in upper and lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, beat remaining egg until blended; brush onto rolls. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through. Let rolls cool 15 minutes before serving. Yield: 30 rolls.
Thanksgiving Menu 2011
First Course: Fennel and Carrot Soup
Salad Course: Roasted Apple Salad with Bacon and Mixed Greens
Main Course: Cider Brined Pork Loin
Side Dish: Sweet Potato Home Fries
Additional Sides: Minted Peas, Apple Stuffing and Red-Currant Cranberry Sauce
Dessert One: Frozen Maple-Mousse Cake with Candied Cranberries
Dessert Two: Cranberry Bread Pudding with Orange Hard Sauce


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Super Bowl XLVI brought a few surprises, not the least of which was the New England Patriots all-universe quarterback Tom Brady giving the eventual champion New York Giants a two-point head start on the scoreboard by incurring an intentional-grounding penalty.
But not all the shockers were on the field. Some of them were ads. One in particular was Chrysler's "It's half-time in America" ad full of political meaning.
Suggesting that the U.S. would enjoy an economic comeback to rival that of Detroit's auto industry, it featured none other than Hollywood megastar and libertarian Clint Eastwood who actually opposed the Obama administration's auto bailouts and economic stimulus.
It's hard to know how Eastwood squares that circle (he left many conservatives and progressives bewildered) but if you're President Obama, you probably don't care.
Eastwood said:
"Detroit's showing us it can be done. And what's true about them, is true about all of us. This country can't be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again and when we do, the world's gonna hear the roar of our engines. Yeah, it's halftime America. And our second half's about to begin."
That ad, despite the somewhat jarring mixed metaphors from boxing and auto worlds, made a more emotionally gripping argument for saving the auto industry than perhaps anything the president has said on the subject to date.
Coming from an American icon like Eastwood, it may prove a durable counterargument to those like Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney who have argued that Detroit's automakers should have been allowed to face the uncertainties of the regular bankruptcy process.
Conservative Michelle Malkin's Twitter response during the game likely spoke for many who share her ideology:
"Agh. WTH? Did I just see Clint Eastwood fronting an auto bailout ad??? #SuperBowl "
The Chrysler ad was just one of several ads with political payloads that got some of that valuable Super Bowl real estate. There weren't a lot of them but they certainly were noticeable amid all the dogs and sexy women featured in the ads for chips, beer, cars and Internet hosting.
There was the anti-union ad by the Center for Union Facts, which describes itself as "a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supported by foundations, businesses, union members, and the general public. We are dedicated to showing Americans the truth about today's union leadership." The progressive watchdog group Center for Media and Democracy describes the CUF as a "secretive front group for individuals and industries opposed to union activities."
The ad showed a worker at an auto repair shop complaining about having union dues taken from his check despite not having voted to be in the union, then hearing from his fellow mechanics that none of them voted to be in the union either.
Among the obvious ironies about the ad were these: the Super Bowl took place in a state where Gov. Mitch Daniels just signed into law right-to-work legislation making Indiana the 23rd state with such laws, and the members of one of America's best-known unions — the NFL Players' Association — were the reason millions of people were watching the Super Bowl in the first place.
Unsurprisingly, the organized labor hated the ad. Someone at Working America, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, tweeted:
"Despicable to run an anti-union ad drinh #SuperBowl - a celebration of unionized players. @aflcio @nflpa"
The gun-control ad by mayors Michael Bloomberg or New York City, an independent and erstwhile Republican, and Tom Menino of Boston, a Democrat, was meant to demonstrate bipartisan support for new firearms restrictions.
Sponsored by mayorsagainstillegalguns.org, the ad featured the mayors wearing the jerseys of the their respective city's team's and asserting their support for the Second Amendment but desire to see "common-sense" restrictions which could save lives, Bloomberg said.
In response, irate gun owners are retweeting a list provided by the NRA's legislative activities office, of members of the mayors' group accused of criminal activity. Not exactly on point, but this is a political fight, after all, which means sullying the adversary, in this case the mayors, is viewed as an effective tactic.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Rumor - Leaked details of Windows Phone 7.8 shows little new features. But WP8 may get IntoNow alternative.
Windows Phone 7.8 will share the same Start screen as Windows Phone 8 but little else
Although Windows Phone 7.8 is months from release, speculation as to what the update may or may not contain has been a hot topic for current Windows Phone users (see our editorial on the subject here).
The site WP7Forum.ru have a mixed reputation when coming to leaks and rumors, so like anything we should take this latest release with a grain of salt.
The data itself contains the supposed feature set of Windows Phone 7.8 and it is what many of us have come to expect—mostly the same with a few new apps. For instance, Skype is still "only an app" so no new system wide integration should be expected. That's a technical issue and we're 99% sure the new NT kernel is needed for those advanced VOIP features to keep it "on" all the time without killing your battery.
For the browser, IE9 will remain on Windows Phone 7.8 while WP8 of course gets the shiny new IE10. Everything else, as far as we can tell, stays the same for Windows Phone 7.8 users if this list is to be believed. Interestingly, users can expect DataSmart to come to Windows Phone 7.8 as an app. DataSmart is Microsoft's answer for keeping track of your data so as to not go over your allocated plan.
Rumored feature set of Windows Phone 7.8 vs Windows Phone 8
Of curious note, Bing Audio is evidently getting TV support on Windows Phone 8. What does that mean? It sounds a lot like Microsoft has a native solution to IntoNow.
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The service IntoNow is a lot like Shazam or SoundHound, it takes an audio sample and IDs the content but instead of music, IntoNow works for TV shows. It then allows you to share that info via social networks so the world knows exactly what you're watching. So far, we have nothing similar on Windows Phone as IntoNow is a small startup and WP is not on their radar. If this info is accurate, it looks like Microsoft may have built this into Windows Phone directly. That's pretty great of consumers who don't want to sign up for "yet another service".
Even though this info may be accurate, due to its source we'll still treat it as rumor until Microsoft tells us otherwise.
Update: See our in-depth follow up article to the Bing Audio + TV feature
Source: WP7Forum.ru; via WMPU
Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.


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Metro's Vendor Portal is a "one-stop shop" with all the information and resources that make doing business with us easier and more efficient than ever.Register today!
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- Learn about Metro Visitor Policy
- Metro is waiving reimbursement restrictions
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The Census provides two different ways for respondents to indicate their heritage. The method shown here pertains to Asians, American Indians and Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and persons of Hispanic ethnicity. As a part of the race and ethnicity questions on the short form of the 2000 Census, members of these groups were asked to indicate one or more categories of racial or ethnic origin. In the case of Americans Indians and Alaskan Natives, respondents were given the opportunity to identify their affiliation with one or more tribes.
* Southern Asian includes Asian Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan.
** Southeastern Asian includes Cambodian, Filipino, Indonesian, Laotian, Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese.
*** Eastern Asian includes Chinese, Hmong, Japanese, Korean, and Taiwanese.
Source: Census 2000 analyzed by the Social Science Data Analysis Network (SSDAN).
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Bonds, Sosa, Clemens rejected; no one elected to BB Hall
Published 2:24 pm Wednesday, January 9, 2013
NEW YORK — Steroid-tainted stars Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa were denied entry to baseball's Hall of Fame, with voters failing to elect any candidates for only the second time in four decades.
Bonds received just 36.2 percent of the vote, Clemens 37.6 and Sosa 12.5 in totals announced Wednesday by the Hall and the Baseball Writers' Association of America. They were appearing on the ballot for the first time and have up to 14 more years to make it to Cooperstown.
Craig Biggio, 20th on the career list with 3,060 hits, topped the 37 candidates with 68.2 percent of the 569 ballots, 39 shy of the 75 percent needed. Among other first-year eligibles, Mike Piazza received 57.8 percent and Curt Schilling 38.8
Jack Morris led holdovers with 67.7 percent. He will make his final ballot appearance next year, when fellow pitchers Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine along with slugger Frank Thomas are eligible for the first time.
It was the eighth time the BBWAA failed to elect any players. There were four fewer votes than last year and five members submitted blank ballots.
"The standards for earning election to the Hall of Fame have been very high ever since the rules were created in 1936," Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson said. "We realize the challenges voters are faced with in this era. The Hall of Fame has always entrusted the exclusive voting privilege to the baseball writers. We remain pleased with their role in evaluating candidates based on the criteria we provide."
Bonds, baseball's only seven-time Most Valuable Player, is the sport's season and career home run leader. Clemens, the only seven-time Cy Young Award winner, is third in career strikeouts and ninth in wins.
"It is unimaginable that the best player to ever play the game would not be a unanimous first-ballot selection," said Jeff Borris of the Beverly Hills Sports Council, Bonds' longtime agent.
The previous two times the writers didn't elect a candidate were when Yogi Berra topped the 1971 vote by appearing on 67 percent of the ballots cast and when Phil Niekro headed the 1996 ballot at 68 percent. Both were chosen the following years when they achieved the 75 percent necessary for election.
"Next year, I think you'll have a rather large class and this year, for whatever reasons, you had a couple of guys come really close," Commissioner Bud Selig said at the owners' meetings in Paradise Valley, Ariz. "This is not to be voted to make sure that somebody gets in every year. It's to be voted on to make sure that they're deserving. I respect the writers as well as the Hall itself. This idea that this somehow diminishes the Hall of baseball is just ridiculous in my opinion."
Three inductees were chosen last month by the 16-member panel considering individuals from the era before integration in 1946: Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert, umpire Hank O'Day and barehanded catcher Deacon White. They will be enshrined during a ceremony in Cooperstown on July 28.
Bonds has denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs and was convicted of one count of obstruction of justice for giving an evasive answer in 2003 to a grand jury investigating PEDs. Clemens was acquitted of perjury charges stemming from congressional testimony during which he denied using PEDs.
Sosa, who finished with 609 home runs, was among those who tested positive in MLB's 2003 anonymous survey, The New York Times reported in 2009. He told a congressional committee in 2005 that he never took illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
The BBWAA election rules say "voting shall be based upon the player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."
An Associated Press survey of 112 eligible voters conducted in late November after the ballot was announced indicated Bonds, Clemens and Sosa would fall well short of 50 percent. The big three drew even less support than that as the debate raged over who was Hall worthy.
BBWAA president Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle said she didn't vote for Bonds, Clemens or Sosa.
"The evidence for steroid use is too strong," she said.
As for Biggio, "I'm surprised he didn't get in."
MLB.com's Hal Bodley, the former baseball columnist for USA Today, said Biggio and others paid the price for other players using PEDs.
"They got caught in the undertow of the steroids thing," he said.
Bodley said this BBWAA vote was a "loud and clear" message on the steroids issue. He said he couldn't envision himself voting for stars linked to drugs.
"We've a forgiving society, I know that," he said. "But I have too great a passion for the sport."
Mark McGwire, 10th on the career home run list, received 16.9 percent on his seventh try, down from 19.5 last year. He received 23.7 percent in 2010 — a vote before he admitted using steroids and human growth hormone.
Rafael Palmeiro, among just four players with 500 homers and 3,000 hits along with Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Eddie Murray, received 8.8 percent in his third try, down from 12.6 percent last year. Palmeiro received a 10-day suspension in 2005 for a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, claiming it was due to a vitamin vial given to him by teammate Miguel Tejada.
The election leaves the Hall without both baseball's career home run leader and its all-time hits king, Pete Rose. There were four write-in votes for Rose, who never appeared on the ballot because of his lifetime ban that followed an investigation of his gambling while manager of the Cincinnati Reds.
Morris increased slightly from his 66.7 percent last year, when Barry Larkin was elected. Morris could become the player with the highest-percentage of the vote who is not in the Hall, a mark currently held by Gil Hodges at 63 percent in 1983.
Several players who fell just short in the BBWAA balloting later were elected by either the Veterans Committee or Old-Timers' Committee: Nellie Fox (74.7 percent on the 1985 BBWAA ballot), Jim Bunning (74.2 percent in 1988), Orlando Cepeda (73.6 percent in 1994) and Frank Chance (72.5 percent in 1945).
The ace of three World Series winners, Morris finished with 254 victories and was the winningest pitcher of the 1980s. His 3.90 ERA, however, is higher than that of any Hall of Famer.
Two-time NL MVP Dale Murphy received 18.6 percent in his 15th and final appearance.


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VNY is one of two airports owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports, including Los Angeles International. The airport system operates under the direction of a policy-making Board of Airport Commissioners appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles.
Located in the heart of the San Fernando Valley, Van Nuys Airport (VNY) ranks as one of the world's busiest general aviation airports. Dedicated to non-commercial air travel, VNY had over 300,000 takeoffs and landings in 2021. VNY has two parallel runways including one 8,000 feet in length and equipped with full instrument landing, as well as a training runway 4,000 feet in length. The FAA airport tower operates from 6:00 am to 10:45 pm daily. For additional pilot information, please click here.
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For more information about the airport, please click here.


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"No matter what, this is a fight, and eventually, you're gonna have to fight in there. Whether you get lucky and can sub somebody real quick or you knock somebody out, eventually, you're gonna fight someone that you can't do that to, and you're gonna have to fight."
Central Oregon. A teenage John Gunderson has talked his mother into make the hour's drive to the closest boxing gym around, only to find out that it had closed two days earlier.
Undeterred, the 16-year old kept asking around until he found a refuge among the beaten up heavy bags, speed bags, and rings. The die was cast, and he would rarely find himself outside of a gym over the next 15 years.
Over the course of that time, he's had plenty of success, first as an amateur boxer and then as an amateur and pro mixed martial artist, but the memory of the first time he stepped into a competitive ring still remains as vivid today as it did then.
That night, he and his gym's team took a two hour trip to an amateur boxing meet, but a snowstorm scrapped three of his teammates' bouts. He was going to be the only one representing the gym against an opponent with a 4-2 record.
"I remember going out there and throwing the wildest punches," recalls Gunderson with a chuckle. "It was just like a street fight, but I won."
He pauses, then continues.
"If you just suck it up, there's nothing you can't do."
Fast forward to June 19, 2010. Gunderson, 0-1 in the UFC, has a pivotal bout against once-beaten Canadian prospect Mark Holst. It's pivotal because in the competitive UFC lightweight division, two straight losses can cripple your ability to move up the ranks. Gunderson is unbothered by such a prospect, but what is a bother is an injured arm that has kept him from sparring in the final week and a half of training camp. He doesn't let the injury affect his mental game though, and as far as pre-fight nerves go, he has none.
"I know why I'm fighting," he said. "I fight because I love to fight. I would probably fight even if I wasn't getting paid, just because I love it so much. (Laughs) I always have, ever since I was little. There's just something about it."
And on that June night in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas, Gunderson put thoughts of his injury aside and fought for 15 minutes, taking a clear cut three round unanimous decision win in the process.
"I heard a lot of positive things about how good he (Holst) was, and he was – he was really tough," said Gunderson of the victory. "And what makes that win even sweeter and better for me is that I went into that fight having been hurt the week before. But I was coming off my loss at UFC 108 (to Rafaello Oliveira), then going all the way out to Abu Dhabi (for UFC 112) and Paul (Taylor) getting sick the night before. Then we rescheduled the fight and he got sick again and there were so many things, and I just wanted to fight. I wanted to get in there and prove that I belonged in there. I just needed a good amount of time to prepare myself. So getting in there and performing the way I did, I felt like I completely dominated the fight. I got a little tired in the third round because I hadn't sparred for like a week and a half because I hurt my arm. And I learned a lot from that fight going 15 minutes. I feel like I got my foot in the door, and now I just really need to go out there and impress."
The win was a long time coming. After earning a UFC contract with a three fight win streak in 2009, Gunderson dropped a decision to Rafaello Oliveira on January 2nd, and then saw two bouts with England's Paul Taylor scrapped (one the day of the fight). It made the playing field ripe for the type of mental tricks that can break a fighter, but Gunderson is made of sturdier stock, and when he says that he's a fighter, that's more than just a job description; it's his way of life and the way he thinks.
"I could like somebody, but if I could get away with punching them or slamming them for those two hours in the gym, that's my sanctuary," he explains. "That's my church, and I love to be in the gym and I love to fight. There's times when I'm exhausted and I don't want to be in there, but I go in there because I have to because when I make that walk into the tunnel, I want to know that I've done everything possible to prepare for this fight. And if I feel like I have, then I almost always win."
In 30 pro fights, the 31-year old Gunderson has had his hand raised 23 times. That's quite a resume, but it even pales in comparison to the one sported by his opponent this Wednesday night in Austin, Texas, Yves Edwards, who returns to the Octagon with a 38-16-1 slate. That's an 'old school' matchup right there, and Gunderson knows what he's up against when he steps in there with the master of "Thug-Jitsu".
"He's a pioneer of the lightweight division," said Gunderson of Edwards. "This is the first time I've fought somebody with almost twice as many fights as me. The guy's been around, he's fought the best of the best, and when I was watching him, he was head kicking people, knocking them out, dropping them. He's phenomenal, and you can't count a guy like that out. He's a great fighter, but you know, I'm a great fighter too. I may not have the exposure that he has, and I may not have the fancy finishes that he has, but at this point, I feel like I'm better fighter. And I can say it all I want, but next week we're gonna find out."
That's the beauty of it. All the records, wins, and accolades mean nothing when the bell rings.
"No matter what, this is a fight, and eventually, you're gonna have to fight in there," he said. "Whether you get lucky and can sub somebody real quick or you knock somebody out, eventually, you're gonna fight someone that you can't do that to, and you're gonna have to fight. And when you go back to that corner after the round and you know that you're in a fight, you're gonna have to man up, and if you're not a fighter, you're gonna fall under that pressure. That's where you find out and where you dig down deep – you're gonna have to look yourself in the mirror the next day."
And John Gunderson always knows the man he's looking at. He's a fighter.


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2013-2014 College Basketball Top 25. Kentucky, Louisville & Duke Are Loaded, Ohio State, Florida and Arizona Are As Well
By Jason McIntyre
Six McDonald's All-Americans are coming, and three might start in the frontcourt – power forward Julius Randle, small forward James Young, and center Daraki Johnson. Two will start in the backcourt – Andrew Harrison (PG) and Aaron Harrison (SG). Toss in power forward Marcus Lee, and you've got a Fab 5-like haul. This already feels like the 2011-2012 team all over again, with Alex Poythress and Kyle Wiltjer as the holdovers. Oh, did I mention the best player in the Class of 2013, and possibly the best high school talent since LeBron, Andrew Wiggins, is considering UK?
2. Duke Blue Devils (30-6, Elite 8 loss to Louisville.)
The Cook, Thornton, Sulaimon trio of guards could be fantastic … if Sulaimon sticks around (he's expected to). The frontcourt will miss Mason Plumlee, but freshman Jabari Parker is one of the best high school players in the country, and Rodney Hood, a transfer who starred at Mississippi State two years ago, should put up big numbers. Amile Jefferson looked good in limited action, and if Marshall Plumlee, the third Plumlee, improves like Mason did … the Blue Devils should be headed to the Final 4.
5. Florida Gators (29-8, Elite 8 Loss to Michigan)
Lose three seniors – Murphy, Rosario, Boynton – but Ben Wallace-like power forward Patric Young is returning for his senior year. (Boynton could be addition by subtraction.) Point guard/defensive hound Scottie Wilbekin returns, and so does leaper Casey Prather and emerging freshman Michael Frazier. Their glue guy next year will once again by Will Yeguete. Billy Donovan has two Top 10 recruits coming in. Expectations: 2nd in the SEC, NCAA tournament, 1st/2nd/3rd seed in March, Final Four. The Gators have been knocked out in the Elite 8 three years in a row.
6. Arizona Wildcats (27-8, Sweet 16 loss to Ohio State)
Solomon Hill and Mark Lyons are two significant losses. They were the Wildcats' best two players in 2012-2013. Kevin Parrom will be missed as well. But, Nick Johnson, arguably the most athletic guard in the country, is back for his junior year. Brandon Ashley and Kaleb Tarczewski, frontcourt freshman who started 21 and 35 games, respectively, are also back. The biggest news came last week: Stud high school senior Aaron Gordon, the younger brother of New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon Drew Gordon, formerly of New Mexico, is headed to Tucson. He's a game-changing 6-foot-8 highlight reel who has drawn some comparisons to Blake Griffin. Guard play will be the biggest issue for the Wildcats next season.
Only here based on the assumption Gary Harris and Adreian Payne are returning. If both come back to East Lansing, the Spartans challenge Ohio State in the Big Ten. If one leaves, they'll drop down to the 10-20 range. If both leave … there won't be Final Four aspirations.
8. North Carolina (25-11, 2nd round loss to Kansas)
Strickland graduates, but does McAdoo leave for the NBA? Does Bullock? (Strange, random twist: His baby momma is supposedly telling people she hopes he leaves. Don't ask why or how I know this.) Does Hairston? How's this – if McAdoo, Bullock and Hairston all stay, and freshman Isaiah Hicks is the real deal, and point guard Marcus Paige improves, I think Top 10 is within reach and the Final 4 is a realistic goal.
9. Colorado Buffaloes (21-12, 1st round loss to Illinois)
Return their top four scorers (and five of their top six players), most notably Spencer Dinwiddie, who will be a junior and could make a run at Pac-12 POY, and Andre Roberson (10.9 ppg, 11.2 rpg). If either bolts for the NBA, put the Buffs in the 20s. I'm assuming both stay, hence the lofty ranking. Colorado enters the season with a legit goal of the Sweet 16, but you'll see the Buffs pop up on a lot of "Final Four sleeper" lists in November.
10. Marquette (26-9, Elite 8 loss to Syracuse)
Three important players graduate – Cadougan, Otule and Lockett – but as of now, their best player, Vander Blue, is slated to return. Space-eating center Davante Gardner, a junior will return. Todd Mayo, OJ's little brother, is expected to play a bigger role. Three Top 75 recruits should help Buzz Williams get back to the Sweet 16 (and hopefully, provide some offense).
11. Memphis Tigers (31-5, 2nd round loss to Michigan State)
DJ Stephens, the leaping machine who had two strong games in the NCAA tournament, graduates. Adonis Thomas has made the curious decision to leave for the NBA. Tarik Black is leaving as well. As usual, Josh Pastner has recruited well, with four Top 55 players (according to Rivals) coming in. The question be the same as every year – after dominating Conference USA that new Big East League, can Memphis make a run in March? There's too much talent not to make the Sweet 16.
12. VCU Rams (27-9, 2nd round loss to Michigan)
Hope you made a note of everyone who said Shaka Smart made a mistake staying in Richmond. The Rams return five of their top seven players, including leading scorer Treveon Graham (15.1 ppg) and their best defender, Briante Weber. You can book another 25 wins and an NCAA dance ticket.
14. Gonzaga Bulldogs (32-3, 2nd round loss to Wichita State)
The Bulldogs are here if WCC Player of the Year Kelly Olynyk (17.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg) returns. If not, drop Gonzaga to "also receiving votes." Bell and Pangos, a strong backcourt, both return, but the Bulldogs will miss power forward Elias Harris (graduates). Angel Nunez, a transfer from Louisville and Gerald Coleman, a transfer from Providence, should help, too. [EDIT: I had 'Zags' because the damn website is GoZags.]
15. Kansas Jayhawks (31-6, Sweet 16 loss to Michigan)
You want to count out Kansas every year, but that's just silly, because the Jayhawks are always in the mix. Even with the departure of five starters – four seniors and Top 5 pick Ben McLemore – expect Bill Self to do what he does annually: Get Kansas in position to pull off a Big 12 title. How? Not sure. Perry Ellis is a nice forward; Naadir Thorpe will run the point. And four Top 50 recruits enter the picture. Don't weep for Bill Self.
16. Indiana Hoosiers (29-7, Sweet 16 Loss to Syracuse)
Poor Tom Crean. Back-to-back Sweet 16s would be impressive most places, but the Hoosiers had National Title aspirations. Now, he loses his best shooter (Hulls), his PF (Watford), likely his center (Zeller) and best player (Oladipo). The recruiting class is strong, so there's that. Pipe dream in Bloomington: Zeller and Oladipo eschew millions to give it another shot. Remy Abell turns into the next Oladipo. The Hoosiers would open in the Top 5. Realistically, the Hoosiers are a Top 5 team in the Big Ten, but one with little/no expectations.
17. UConn Huskies (20-10, Were Ineligible for the NCAA Tournament)
The Napier/Boatright backcourt will once again be filthy – maybe one of the best in the country – but the problem will once again be if they have enough in the frontcourt. I'm not so sure. The big positive for Kevin Ollie is he returns everyone of note.
19. Georgetown Hoyas (25-7, First Round loss to Florida Gulf Coast)
Otto Porter will almost certainly leave for the NBA and be a Top 5 pick. But, there wasn't a senior on the roster. This team was way ahead of schedule. Hopefully Greg Whittington (12 pp, 7 rpg) gets his academics in order, because he could be the team's best player next year. Portly center Josh Smith (a transfer from UCLA) could be a double-double guy if he gets his weight issue solved.
20. Notre Dame Irish (25-10, 1st round loss to Iowa State)
Irish lose double-double machine Jack Cooley to graduation, but starters Jerian Grant (13.3 ppg), Eric Atkins (41 percent on 3's) and Pat Connaughton all return. If Michigan State transfer Garrick Sherman can replace Cooley, and incoming freshman Demetrius Jackson shines, the Irish should be NCAA Tournament-bound again.
21. Virginia Cavaliers (23-12, Did Not Make NCAA Tournament)
Cavaliers return their four best players, including Joe Harris, who could lead the ACC in scoring (16.3 as a junior). Seven of their top eight scorers return. The ACC is stacked, but the Cavaliers play formidable defense and should make the NCAA tournament in 2014.
22. Butler Bulldogs (27-9, 2nd round NCAA loss to Marquette)
As long as I'm doing college basketball preseason rankings, a Brad Stevens-coached team will make the list. They'll really, really miss Clarke and Smith, who were arguably their two best players. Will Dunham emerge as a star? Also, Stevens has two Top 50 recruits coming in.
23. Alabama Crimson Tide (23-13, Did Not Make NCAA Tournament)
Anthony Grant will have his best team next year, as he returns all five starters and should get to the NCAA tournament. I expect the Tide to finish 3rd in a much-improved SEC next year, and Grant to be one of the buzzier names in coaching if quality jobs like Texas, NC State, Maryland or Oklahoma State open up. (If you're a fan of one of those schools, please, spare me the whining. All of those coaches underperformed in 2012-2013. And I'm not saying any will be fired with a bad year.)
24. Villanova Wildcats (20-14, Lost in First Round of NCAA Tournament to UNC)
Ryan Arcidiacono, one of the best freshman guards in the country, will return to run the Wildcats, and the team's leading scorer, forward JayVaughn Pinkston, is back too. The question will be what else they get from the two Top 100 freshman Jay Wright nabbed and Rice transfer Dylan Ennis?
25. Boise State Broncos (21-11, Lost in NCAA Tournament Play-in Game to LaSalle)
All five starters are back. Here's a random call someone will throw in my face next March – the Broncos will be a 10-seed in March and win their first game.
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Oregon (four of top five scorers graduate, but Ducks will still be a tourney team out of the Pac-12), St. Louis (lose three pivotal seniors, but Evans, McCall and Jett are back, and should have the Billikens lingering in the Top 30 all year), La Salle (lose leading scorer Galloway, but almost everyone else is back), Iowa (top four scorers return, Hawkeyes should be dancing), California (four starters back, and if freshman Jabari Bird is the star everyone thinks, the Bears could dance again), New Mexico (Tony Snell leaving early was a dagger, but they should win about 20 games with four starters back), Wisconsin (Sam Dekker is expected to be a breakout star in the Big Ten, and though the Badgers lose a lot, irascible Bo Ryan will find a way to win another 20-25 games).


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The Israeli Defense Forces and Hamas militants have exchanged fiery tweets throughout the fighting in a separate war to influence public opinion.
Shortly after it launched its campaign Wednesday by killing Hamas' top military commander Ahmed Jabari, the Israeli military's media office announced a "widespread campaign on terror sites & operatives in the (hash)Gaza Strip" on its Twitter account.
It then posted a 10-second black-and-white video of the airstrike on its official YouTube page. Google Inc., which owns YouTube, removed the video for a time early Thursday, but reconsidered and restored it.
A tweet from @idfspokesperson said: "We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead."
Hamas, under its @AlQassamBrigade English-language account, which is largely considered to be the official Twitter account for its military wing, fired back: "Our blessed hands will reach your leaders and soldiers wherever they are (You Opened Hell Gates on Yourselves)."
The Israeli military's media office Twitter account, which gained more than 50,000 followers in just 24 hours, is just one of various online platforms used to relay real-time information to the public, sometimes even before it is conveyed to reporters.
The IDF news desk's email signature reads like a catalog for new media platforms, including links to its YouTube channel, Facebook page and Flickr photo albums. The military also just opened a Tumblr account in English and plans to launch one in Spanish.
Following the assassination, the military tweeted a graphically designed photograph of Jabari, with a red backdrop and capitalized block letters reading "ELIMINATED," drawing both celebration and fierce criticism from a range of users. Throughout the operation, the military and its supporters have tweeted with the hashtag "IsraelUnderFire," while many Palestinians have tweeted with a separate hashtag "GazaUnderAttack."
The operation, launched after days of rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel, marks the most intense round of violence since Israel and Hamas waged a three-week war four years ago.
Palestinian militants fired more rockets into Israel on Thursday, killing three people and striking the outskirts of Tel Aviv. Israeli strikes have killed 15 Palestinians.
Military spokeswoman Lt. Col. Avital Leibovitch said that in the four years since Israel and Hamas last dueled, an "additional war zone" developed on the internet.
"I'm sort of addicted to Twitter, you can say. It's a great tool to release information without the touch of editors' hands," she said. "Militaries are usually closed operations, but we're doing the opposite."
Leibovitch is also the head of a two-month-old "Interactive Media" branch of the IDF, staffed with around 30 soldiers trained in writing and graphic-design skills. As an indicator of the significance of the department to the military, Leibovitch said she'll be leaving her current spokeswoman's post in February to focus solely on running the interactive branch.
The Hamas media wing has dramatically improved its outreach from the days when their loyalists used to scrawl graffiti on walls in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas' militant wing keeps a frequently updated Facebook page and a multilanguage website. They tend to update reporters of rocket fire through an SMS distribution list.
Nader Elkhuzundar, a prolific 25-year-old Twitter user from Gaza, said the recent social media barrage reached "a new level of psychological war."
"Twitter gives us a voice, but there's also a lot of misinformation at the same time. It's a tool you need to be careful using because there's a lot of noise out there," he said.
Although there were tweets directed at the IDF's Twitter account claiming that the Israeli government and military websites were hacked and taken down Thursday, the Israeli military denied it.
"The IDF blog was down for a very short period, less than hour in the afternoon, only due to heavy traffic," according to Eytan Buchman, an Israeli military spokesman.
Israel's ministry of public diplomacy also started a "Special Operations Center," a virtual situation room of sorts, working with Israeli bloggers and volunteers to "get Israeli's message out to the world virtually, to Arabs as well, through social media and other web platforms," said spokesman Gal Ilan.
Tamir Sheafer, chair of the political communication program at Hebrew University, said the embrace of social media by both sides indicates recognition that "you don't win conflicts like this one on the ground; you win it through public opinion."
But the use of social media for public diplomacy is also a double-edged sword, says Natan Sachs, a fellow at the Brookings Institute in Washington.
"On the one hand, Israel has gotten better in conveying their messages to the public, but on the flip side, we're seeing flippant remarks. Twitter accounts can be used carelessly and there's a danger of overplaying things, which they might be doing," he said.
"They also might be falling into the trap of thinking they have their public relations covered, but really, it's their policy and not their tweets that matters at the end of the day," Sachs added.
YouTube had removed the Hamas assassination video after concluding the clip violated its terms of service. The site's reviewers later reconsidered that decision and restored the video Thursday.
"With the massive volume of videos on our site, sometimes we make the wrong call," YouTube said in a statement.
Buchman, the Israeli military spokesman, said there was no official comment, except that "we're glad they reconsidered that decision."
Google tries to ensure that the clips on YouTube obey disparate laws around the world and adhere to standards of decorum while also protecting the principles of free speech. It's a mind-boggling task, given more than 100,000 hours of video is sent to YouTube every day.
YouTube routinely blocks video in specific countries if it violates local laws. It also removes video deemed to violate standards primarily designed to weed out videos that infringe copyrights, show pornography or contain "hate speech."
Given that YouTube isn't regulated by the government, Google is within its legal rights to make its own decisions about video. Nevertheless, some people believe Google should always fall on the side of free expression because YouTube has become such an important forum for opinion, commentary and news.
A video showing an assassination arguably falls in a gray area of whether it is a news event or a gratuitous act of violence.
This isn't the only assassination that can be watched on YouTube. Numerous clips on YouTube replay the fatal shooting of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963, including his gruesome head wound.
Google doesn't share details about how its video reviews are conducted, but it employs an unknown number of reviewers who regularly scan the site for violations of local laws and the company's guidelines.
Google discussed its approach to Internet content in a November 2007 blog post that came about a year after buying YouTube for $1.76 billion.
"We have a bias in favor of people's right to free expression in everything we do," wrote Rachel Whetstone, Google's director of global communications and public affairs, "We are driven by a belief that more information generally means more choice, more freedom and ultimately more power for the individual. But we also recognize that freedom of expression can't be -- and shouldn't be -- without some limits. The difficulty is in deciding where those boundaries are drawn."
Usually, the decisions are dictated by the law in the more than 100 different countries where Google's services are offered. The laws in some countries prohibit material that would seem tame in other countries. For instance, Brazil prohibits video ridiculing political candidates in the three months leading up to an election, while Germany outlaws content featuring Nazi paraphernalia.
In the first half of this year alone, Google said it received more than 1,700 court orders and other requests from government agencies around the world to remove more than 17,700 different pieces of content from its services.
The company rejects many of these demands. For instance, Google says it complied with less than half of the U.S. court orders and government orders take down nearly 4,200 pieces of content from January through June.


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"I only expect a war, a great fight and I'll bring to the table the best tactics to get this victory." - Renan Barao
The sequence of events over the last three months that saw Renan Barao switch opponents twice before moving from UFC 148 to the main event of UFC 149 was stunning, to say the least.
Now, Barão is preparing to battle Urijah Faber on Saturday night for the interim UFC bantamweight belt, but to get here, he went through a lot of different emotions and a surprise after his fight against former WEC title challenger Scott Jorgensen.
Barão (30-1, 1 NC) dispatched Jorgensen by unanimous decision at UFC 143 in February, and his aspirations for a shot at the title were high. Then Jeff Hougland's name was announced as his opponent for UFC 148 in Las Vegas on July 7th, and while the Nova Uniao product was fine with the choice, he was uncertain what this match against the unheralded up and comer was going to do for him in his title quest. Okay, a win is a win, and it doesn't matter against who that victory comes against when you have a winning streak like Barao does, but a fight is a fight, and losing to someone like Hougland, who was only 1-0 in the UFC at the time, would be worse than an upset; it would be catastrophic.
But the MMA world keeps turning, and a succession of changes then shook the bantamweight division. Soon, the UFC was forced to relocate fighters from one event to another to cover for injured fighters who dropped off the cards - and it was announced that Barao would instead face the "Pride of El Salvador", Ivan Menjivar, at UFC 148. However, destiny had a final trick reserved for the man unbeaten in his last 31 fights, as an injury suffered by the 135-pound champion, Dominick Cruz, opened the ultimate door for what Barao never expected three months prior: a fight for the belt. This new situation was so big that Barao couldn't avoid smiling at any moment, even when he had to be in the stare down position inside The Ultimate Fighter training center in Las Vegas against Faber when their bout was announced.
"That's the problem with not talking English too well," he laughed, talking about his trip from Rio de Janeiro to Vegas without knowing the reason for the journey. "I didn't imagine that it would happen so quickly, and Dedé (Andre Pederneiras, Barao's coach and manager) just said we need to go to USA to resolve some issue. I thought I'd fight one more time and then I would face the winner of Faber-Cruz (if he won the Menjivar fight). So now you all can understand why I couldn't hide the smile in any of the situations that came afterwards."
Talking about it now makes Barao laugh, but at the time, with Pederneiras not telling him the real reason for their sudden trip to Las Vegas, he was concerned, but the shocking news at that moment was turned into pure happiness when he finally found out the answers to his questions.
"My reaction… when I got the point, well man, I think I have no words," he said. "Inside my body I was smiling much more than I do when I talk about that chance I have now. Look at it this way, we all have dreams, and we know how much time it takes for them to come true. I was looking for this objective for that long, and thank God I'll have this opportunity of showing against Faber the hard work I had put in during my whole career."
There's no question that he deserves this shot. The man has been perfect during his time under the Zuffa umbrella, with two finishes in the WEC, three great performances in the UFC and the longest winning streak in MMA today. That's 31 fights without a loss, but fighting Faber for the world bantamweight title is unquestionably the high point of Barao's career and how he handles everything leading up to the match of his life can be a burden. But Barao says it is not this way.
"I'm very relaxed with this winning streak issue; sometimes it's mentioned by my teammates regarding the amount of fights I have won one after other, but I don't think on it," Barao said. "This is a result of the hard work I had during my career, and I'm trying to collect the results of that again with a win on Saturday night and consequently the bantamweight UFC belt.
"My enthusiasm for this chance and the winning streak are things I don't think of at this point; my focus is on Faber and what I can do to beat him, the strategy I'll utilize, things like that. Nothing can harm me now, and because of that I don't turn positive achievements into pressure on my shoulders."
Part of the Nova Uniao team, Barao is teammate to a host of UFC fighters, among then a champion, Jose Aldo, the kingpin of the featherweight division. Aldo isn't just the man at 145 pounds, he is also one of the five men who beat Faber, and many believe that with some adjustments, Barão can have the former WEC featherweight champion's number as well. Is that the way Barao sees it?
"He gained experience and he dropped one weight class since he fought Aldo, so we had some changes here," he said. "Of course Aldo's support is a key point, but I only expect a war, a great fight and I'll bring to the table the best tactics to get this victory."
During those last 90 days prior to the main event of UFC 149, Renan Barao passed through several different emotions, including uncertainty and happiness. But we can't forget that this is a Barao's dream and he wants to make it happen in real life with a happy ending. So he foresees the final result of the match as such:
"Arm raised, belt around my waist and a smile bigger than the one when I found out I would fight for the interim UFC bantamweight belt. That is what I imagined for me and a dream [a mission] accomplished."


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Recently I have been enjoying onions a lot and when I came across this recipe for roasted parmesan onions on Proud Italian Cook I knew that I had to try them soon. I thought that pairing them with the steak in green peppercorn sauce would be a nice fit. When you bake or roast onions they get all nice and soft and tender and they release their natural sweetness and they are just plain good! Add some melted golden brown cheese on top and a creamy wine sauce and you have one amazing side dish. The roasted onion gratin was an absolute treat! The onions were nice and tender and full of that magically sweet onion flavour. I am glad that I paired the onion gratin with such a strong main course as this side dish could easily steal the show from a lesser one. I have a feeling that these onions will be making a regular appearance on my dinner table.
Onion Gratin
A slow roasted sweet onion gratin with a cheesy cream sauce.
- 4 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1/4 cup of white wine
- 1/4 cup of parmigiano regginao (parmesan), grated
- Spread the onion slices out in a baking dish and drizzle them with olive oil.
- Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the thyme.
- Bake in a preheated 375F/190C oven for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat the heavy cream and wine in a sauce pan until it starts to bubble on the edges.
- Spoon the cream over the onions.
- Cover in foil and bake for another 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Increase the temperature to 450F/230C and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Asiago Roasted Onions
Potatoes au Gratin
Hot Sweet Onions Dip
Herb Roasted Onions
Onion Chutney
Rutabaga Gratin
Brussels Sprouts with Smoked Bacon, Mustard Cream and a Parmesan Crust
Fennel Gratin
Roasted Cauliflower and Aged White Cheddar Gratin
Butternut Squash and Feta Gratin
Creamy Asiago Bacon Wrapped Roasted Onions


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In Advice for Strays Justine Kilkerr challenges our perceptions of reality and presents a case study on coping with mental illness.
Advice for Strays is the startling debut from Brighton-based author, Justine Kilkerr (b. 1970). A hugely original novel, it is an engrossing story about love, loss, family and a very unusual friendship. Marnie, the central character and narrator, lives alone with her cat, a do-as-I-please pet, the moody Mr Knuckles. The novel opens with Marnie's discovery that her father, a famous writer, has disappeared. This is not in itself all that unusual as her father is schizophrenic and prone to literal flights of fancy; but it becomes clear that this time is different and Marnie is struggling to cope with his absence. Added to this strain is the fact that cats in Marnie's neighbourhood are also starting to vanish, including Mr Knuckles – no one knows if they've been taken or scared away.
Soon, Marnie's insomnia and deep-seated anxiety regarding the whereabouts of her father begin to take over her life as she becomes increasingly lost in her past. Advice for Strays engages with a wide range of subjects, including mental illness, depression, family relationships and the validity of memories. The overall effect is a intriguing novel from a new writer capable of tackling serious issues within the parameters of story that is both moving and mesmerising.
Given the scope and reach of the narrative, it is surprising that the development of the novel was an entirely spontaneous process, as Kilkerr explains: "The novel grew from a very short story I wrote as a writing exercise, which was to find a photo of yourself as a small child and write something from the child's perspective. I dug out the photo of me aged five with a lion cub. Something about the 500-word story stuck with me and I carried on writing. The novel grew organically from this point, with different ideas popping into my head as I wrote and being put down on paper, like using stories from my childhood, writing a grown-up, dark fairytale."
There is certainly a feel of fairytales and the fantastic about Advice for Strays. Weaving in and out of Marnie's ongoing search for her father is an almost supernatural element consisting of an imaginary friend who is the lion cub from the photo used by Kilkerr as a basis for her original short story. Jericho, who has matured with Marnie and is now a fully-grown lion, is Marnie's near constant companion and is one of the most fascinating voices in the book. How he is perceived – as real or not real – is probably down to the mindset of the reader and how open they are to such imaginative leaps of faith.
However he is regarded, Jericho is an unforgettable creation and it is a testament to Kilkerr's talent as a writer that she not only brings him to life so convincingly but also creates a story in which he fits so comfortably. He also provides some welcome relief from Marnie's struggles with herself and her family by bringing humour and repartee into the narrative. His voice is dry and ironic, his impatient words replace the claws that were, we are told, removed from him as a cub in the circus, which again harks back to the photo that is the basis for the novel. Despite the fact that Kilkerr didn't know where the story would take her when she began, she had a very clear idea of what Jericho's voice should be. "I very much didn't want him to be kind and cuddly and self-sacrificial, a saviour. I wanted the opposite of CS Lewis' Aslan. The idea being that as a young lion he was a playmate and an escape, a confidante for Marnie. But now he's back he is old and weary and the last thing he wants to do is help anyone. But I also wanted him to have a wry, desperate sort of humour, a sort of gallows humour, to break up his general misery and grumpiness." Quite where Jericho comes from is never fully explained, but that he was an important part of Marnie's childhood and that he has reappeared at a time of crisis, is indicative of her troubled mind. Underneath the fantasy and the gallows humour is the serious subject of mental illness and what it is like to grow up with a mentally ill parent.
Marnie's relationship with her father was at best unpredictable and at worst emotionally abusive. Either through desperate unhappiness or an urgent need to feel safe, Marnie's younger self called up this creature she met once on a visit to the circus and was forced to cuddle by her over-enthusiastic dad. A bond was formed, somewhere in the place between reality and fantasy, that was real enough to the child Marnie that she can vividly describe the feel of his coat against her toes at night and the sensation of his tongue on a blooded knee. Ultimately, Jericho represents escapism. His reappearance (especially in the context of a chain of events which leads to him causing damage and physical harm to someone Marnie resents) represents one of the themes Kilkerr was keen to explore – what would happen if our daydreams took on a life of their own? "It's something that fascinates me, the letting go of adult restraint and what that looks like, feels like, considering that our dreams as adults are so very different, so very much more coloured by harsh experience, than those of children. The bitterness and the vengefulness, the idea of all that coming pouring out in some tangible way."
Another theme that binds the narrative is that of the act of remembering. Marnie's relationship with her father is told entirely in the form of recollection of childhood and more recent experiences of him. As he is missing from the beginning of the story, we never get to witness a scene with him first hand. Kilkerr's decision to leave him absent from the present adds poignancy to a relationship that would otherwise only be disturbing. As most of the episodes relate to the experiences of Marnie as a child, the reader is left with a distinct and unforgettable sense of what it is like to grow up with an affectionate father whose behaviour is nevertheless erratic, often unreasonable and occasionally threatening. Our sympathies lie wholly with Marnie, but Kilkerr never loses sight of the fact that behind Marnie's father's behaviour is a serious mental illness. Mental health issues are far more common in our society than most of us realise or are prepared to accept. It is still a taboo subject, yet one in four of us will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year and cases of common mental disorders, especially among women and young people, are on the increase.
Marnie's search for her father in the present is mirrored by her efforts to understand him in her past. Marnie finds herself swimming in a sea of lost time, struggling to deal with her memories of her father. In the process, she also is in danger of losing herself as she becomes increasingly reliant on Jericho for company and support. Just as each chapter of the novel opens with a different poster for a lost cat, loss and feeling lost are two more unifying ideas that span the novel. Marnie is losing herself to the extent that she's almost stopped feeling altogether – she internalises everything and won't even allow herself to cry. It takes the sudden and shocking death of a close friend to kick-start her emotional engine and set her on the road that will hopefully take her out of her memories and back into the present.
Advice for Strays is a moving account of one woman's battle to come to terms with her past and to face her future. It is a confident and accomplished debut, which combines lyrical writing with unforgettable characters. Questions are left unanswered, but not unsatisfyingly so, which was Kilkerr's intention from the outset: "I like ambiguity, open endings, avenues being chosen by the readers themselves. I like to give the reader a little bit of 'work' to do, if that makes sense, and really want people to make up their own minds what is happening throughout the book and what happens in the end; to Marnie, to her father, to Jericho." Marnie's life is fragmenting, which isn't always easy to witness, but this doesn't lessen the enjoyment of a touching and captivating novel.
Advice for Strays was published by Jonathan Cape in April 2010, for more information visit www.randomhouse.co.uk, and to learn more about Justine Kilkerr, visit www.amihumanyet.co.uk.
Rachel Hazelwood


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Smyrna is a town in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Smyrna's population was 53,070 at the 2020 census, making it the largest town in Tennessee by population in that census. In 2007, U.S. News & World Report listed Smyrna as one of the best places in the United States to retire. Smyrna is part of the Nashville metropolitan statistical area. == History == The town of Smyrna has its European American roots in the early 19th century and began as an agrarian community.