text:
Day 18: Share encouragement
Today's blog post is a daily devotional from World Vision U.S. president Rich Stearns's new book, He Walks Among Us: "Every one of us can be a hero of the faith when we are willing to be used."
Today's challenge: Share this "you are my hero" image with a friend. Download it here, then share it on Facebook and tag your friend in the photo. And remember to tell them why they are a hero to you!
"I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies." —Hebrews 11:32-34 (NIV)
Heroes of the faith
The tsunami hit without warning. In less than thirty minutes, tens of thousands of people died, and hundreds of miles of coastal villages were washed away. Just fifty yards from the sea of Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, the roof had been torn off a three-story building, indicating a wave at least 40 feet high. I could see into a room on the third floor of this abandoned shell of a building. It was obviously the room of a teenage girl who had covered her walls with magazine covers and posters of pop stars. I don't know if she survived.
World Vision's Regional Operations Director Clarence Sutharsan was at home with his family that Sunday morning, far enough from the ocean to be safe. His phone rang, and he heard the frightened voice of the wife of one of his managers saying that the water had overwhelmed their home and they needed to be evacuated. With no thought for his own safety, Clarence jumped into his vehicle and rushed to help them. He drove through three feet of standing water and moved them to safety.
Then Clarence mobilized five other vehicles and hurried to the coastline to rescue the injured. Sadly, few were injured; most were dead. On the first day alone, Clarence moved some 75 bodies. In the days that followed, he worked 20-hour days burying the dead. He told me that what he witnessed that day will forever haunt him: the bodies of men, women, and children battered and twisted, strewn across the beach, trapped inside of homes, and draped in trees. Clarence is one of my heroes. This humble man of God was thrust by circumstance into something horrible, and he responded by doing whatever he could to help his fellow man.
Hebrews 11 has been called the "Faith Hall of Fame" because it recounts the heroism of people throughout Scripture who paid a great price for their faith. Clarence is just such a hero of the faith — not only because he rose to the challenge on that day, but also because he laid down his life in the service of Christ years earlier. Clarence was there that day because he had long ago committed his life to serving God, whatever the cost. The writer of Hebrews said of these heroes that "the world was not worthy of them" (11:38).
Thankfully, many such heroes serve Christ today, and not just in faraway places like Sri Lanka, but in places right where God has placed you. Today's heroes of the faith can be found working with youth in the inner city, comforting the dying in hospice care, supporting a struggling single mother, spending their time with a disabled child, or visiting each day with an elderly shut-in. Each one of us can be a hero for Christ if we intentionally seek to imitate Christ's compassion and love for people. But we have to be willing to pay the price. You see, heroism always comes with a cost.
At the top: Clarence Sutharsan talks with Jaganathan, a 12-year-old sponsored girl, who had found refuge in the World Vision center, along with many other families made homeless by the tsunami. (Photo: ©2004 Jon Warren/World Vision)
Featured item from our Gift Catalog: Share of a home for orphans. Be a hero to an orphan today. Orphans have already lost their parents, and many around the world are in danger of losing their homes. Thousands of orphans live in crumbling huts that offer little protection from the elements. You can help protect a family of orphans by providing a new or renovated home in a country like Uganda or Zambia.


text:
Western Digital today launched its SiliconDrive III solid state drive storage products, with technology based from its acquisition of SiliconSystems in March.
WD will release 2.5-inch SATA and PATA and a 1.8" Micro SATA that have read speeds up to 100MB/s and write speeds up to 80MB/s, with storage capacities up to 120GB.
The SSDs are being targeted for the enterprise market, though it's likely WD will release SSDs designed more for home PC users. Pricing and availability remain unknown for the SiliconDrive III line.
"SiliconDrive III is the first example of how WD plans to productize solid state technology developed by SiliconSystems," WD SSD business unit vice president Michael Hajeck said in a statement. "The launch of SiliconDrive III will also enable WD to leverage its global sales and distribution channels to accelerate the adoption of SSD technology beyond SiliconSystems' traditional embedded systems OEM customer base into data streaming applications such as multimedia content delivery systems and data center media appliances."
SSDs remain more expensive than traditional hard disk drives, but are growing in popularity as the storage capacity and price per gigabyte continues to drop. The lack of moving parts means they are more stable and also run cooler than regular HDDs, which make them ideal in the data center.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
AT&T seems to be in a giving mood
-- the company is offering its "most valuable customers"
free 3G MicroCells. For those unfamiliar with the MicroCell,
it's a device that will boost AT&T cellular reception in "dead
zones" by tapping into your home's broadband connection.
Over the weekend, reports from Engadget
and Gizmodo
explained that customers were starting to receive notices in the mail
saying that they qualified for the free MicroCells. Today, I found
one of the letters in my mailbox.
I nearly ripped the letter up and threw
it in the trash, as I was expecting it to be typical AT&T spam
mail about their home phone service or free after rebate mobile
phones. To my surprise, it was the free MicroCell offer that has been
making the rounds this weekend.
Considering I've only had AT&T
service for just over a year, I was surprised at being considered an
MVP. I've also never called AT&T to voice concerns over
issues in my area because I never had any until picking up an
iPhone 4.
I'll be stopping by the AT&T store
tomorrow morning to get my unit and will update this article to note
whether the MicroCell cures the "Death Grip" phenomena that
has stricken
my iPhone 4.
Updated 7/14/2010 @ 8:11 am
Just a small update to my story. I was finally able to snag a 3G MicroCell from an AT&T store in my area after numerous calls. After getting the device home, it took about 30 minutes for it to complete its initial setup.
With the 3G MicroCell active, I now get 5 bars anywhere in my house and performing the death grip on the iPhone 4 results in no dropped bars at all. It allows me to make calls with the death grip and incoming calls no longer go to voicemail when holding it firmly in my left hand.
The 3G MicroCell at least solves the issues I'm having at home, but it still doesn't begin to address the reception issues I face out around town.


text:
Attendance (4)
12.03.12 3:48 am
Awesome show (as always) but hope you'll come back to Electric Factory again so we can see you up close! Loved seeing you there and in AC too! Also, although I'm sure it's unlikely, I'd love to see you play at Susquehanna Bank Arts Center. Yes, it's Camden, but a rad venue with outdoor seating. Love you guys so much! And Black Keys were so good. Never would've listened to them if not for you so thanks!
11.03.12 11:44 pm
Last night was great! The set list was awesome too, even though my friends and I were hoping for 505. Can't wait until you guys come to Philly again!!
11.03.12 4:31 pm
Sad you guys didn't play A Certain Romance, but it was still an incredible night. I've been a huge fan since the beginning so it was awesome to see how far you've made it.
11.03.12 2:26 pm
Your live shows never disappoint and last night was fantastic! The setlist was perfect. So happy to have seen you again!
11.03.12 7:39 am
You guys were so perfect! I loved every second of your performance!
11.03.12 5:47 am
Amazing show tonight! Third time seeing you guys live, and it was just as amazing as the first time. Definitely looking forward to the next one.


text:
For Pets' Sake Humane Society will have its spring yard sale on two big weekends this year, April 19-20 and April 26-27, at the Cortez Christian Church Family Life Center, on the corner of Empire and Highway 145. The sale will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.Animal lovers are invited to have fun with their spring cleaning and donate those unwanted treasures to the humane society! Donations can be brought to the building on Thursday, April 18, from 2 to 7 p.m., or call For Pets' Sake at 565-7387 for other options or for pick-up of large items. (Please no computers or accessories, tires or television sets.)
For Pets' Sake needs lots of goodies to make money to help the dogs and cats in Montezuma and Dolores counties, so they ask supporters to look hard for donations and then get new treasures at the sale!


text:
ZoomSphere Workspaces separate different projects and can be shared across a company or an agency.
They consist of a variety of Modules.
Each module can be distinguished by name, color, icon or picture. Modules can be easily moved thanks to Drag & Drop feature.
Content calendar designed for publishing posts on social networks. Including approval process between client and agency.
Analysis of data from social networks. Supported metrics: fan's trend, the most active users, engagement, analytics of posts and more.
Monitoring of keywords on social networks, web articles, discussions and forums including setup of notifications.
Comparisons of data including Interactions, Response Rate, Top Posts and more.
Solving of user's posts and questions with possibility of assigning them to colleagues. Evaluation based on Response Time metric.
Creation of custom reports that combines data from various modules.
Identification of leads or ambassadors with overview of past communication and activity on other social networks.
Still have questions? Don't hesitate to contact us.


text:
This dataset is maintained and distributed by the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD), the criminal justice archive within ICPSR. NACJD is primarily sponsored by three agencies within the U.S. Department of Justice: the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
Impact of Legal Advocacy on Intimate Partner Homicide in the United States, 1976-1997 (ICPSR 25621)
Principal Investigator(s): Dugan, Laura, University of Maryland. Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice
This study examined the impacts of jurisdictions' domestic violence policies on violent behavior of family members and intimate partners, on the likelihood that the police discovered an incident, and on the likelihood that the police made an arrest. The research combined two datasets. Part 1 contains information on police, prosecution policies, and local victim services. Informants within the local agencies of the 50 largest cities in the United States were contacted and asked to complete a survey inventorying policies and activities by type and year of implementation. Data from completed surveys covered 48 cities from 1976 to 1996. Part 2 contains data on domestic violence laws. Data on state statutes from 1976 to 1997 that related to protection orders were collected by a legal expert for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Access Notes
The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup Stata Setup
ASCII + SAS Setup SPSS Setup Stata Setup
Study Description
Dugan, Laura. Impact of Legal Advocacy on Intimate Partner Homicide in the United States, 1976-1997. ICPSR25621-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2009-07-10. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR25621.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR25621.v1
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
This study was funded by:
- United States Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. National Institute of Justice (1997-WT-VX-0004)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: arrests, crime reporting, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, police reports, policy analysis, state legislatures, victim services
Smallest Geographic Unit: city
Geographic Coverage: Albuquerque, Arizona, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, California, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado, Columbus (Ohio), Dallas, Denver, Detroit, District of Columbia, El Paso, Florida, Fort Worth, Fresno, Georgia, Hawaii, Honolulu, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Kansas City (Missouri), Long Beach, Los Angeles, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Memphis, Miami, Michigan, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Missouri, Nashville, Nebraska, New Mexico, New Orleans, New York (state), Oakland, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (Oregon), Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, St. Louis, Tennessee, Texas, Toledo, Tucson, Tulsa, United States, Virginia, Virginia Beach, Washington, Wisconsin
- 1976--1996 (Part 1)
- 1976--1997 (Part 2)
- 1998
Unit of Observation: Part 1: Local police agency by year. Part 2: State by year.
Universe: Part 1: All local police and prosecution policies, and victim services in 48 cities implemented between 1976-1996. Part 2: All state statutes related to protection orders in 50 states and the District of Columbia in place between 1976-1997.
The study also utilized data from the state level National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) for the years January 1992 and June 1998. These state level data are not available as part of this data collection.
Study Purpose: The goal of this research was to understand the influence of jurisdictions' domestic violence policy on violent behavior of family member and intimate partner. There were also two secondary objectives: (1) to test the relationship between policy and the likelihood that the police discover an incident, and (2) to examine how policy relates to the likelihood that the police make an arrest.
Study Design: This study combined data from two parts. For both parts, data were retrieved from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Supplementary Homicide Reports, from the Bureau of Census, or were collected by the researchers. Part 1 contains data on local policy. There were 1,050 cases, one for each jurisdiction for each year. Informants within the local agencies of the 50 largest cities in the United States were contacted and asked to complete a survey inventorying policies and activities by type and year of implementation. The crux of this data collection strategy was to minimize measurement error by identifying the person(s) best positioned in the agency to answer the questions, and by phrasing the questions in standardized format, typically calling for a simple "yes/no" response. Part 2 contains data on state statutes. A total of 1,122 cases, one for each state by year, were included. Longitudinal data on state statutes related to protection orders were collected by a legal expert for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Sample: For Part 1 (Local Policy Data), information on local policy and Aid to Families with Dependent Children benefits (AFDC) was only available for 48 of the largest 50 cities in the United States from 1976 to 1996. Specifically, completed surveys were received with no missing data on prosecutor policies for all 50 cities, police policies for all but New York, NY, and Charlotte, NC, and domestic violence services for all but New York, NY. AFDC benefit levels were adjusted to 1983 dollars using the consumer price index. For Part 2 (State Statutes Data), information on state statutes was available for all 50 states and the District of Columbia for the years 1976-1997.
Mode of Data Collection: record abstracts, mail questionnaire
For Part 1 (Local Policy Data), data were collected by the researchers using surveys, and retrieved from the United States Bureau of Census, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Supplementary Homicide Reports, and annual versions of the "green book" compiled by the House Ways and Means Committee (1996). For Part 2 (State Statutes Data), legal experts collected data on state statutes for all 50 states.
Description of Variables: For Part 1 (Local Policy Data), variables on local resources include the number of hotlines in a city, a police index of the characteristics of local police department, a prosecution index of prosecution characteristics that provide support to victims of domestic violence, and the number of Aid to Families with Dependent Children benefits (AFDC) adjusted to 1983 dollars. For Part 2 (State Statutes Data), policy variables include five statute provisions and a discretion index which describes the available types of sanction.
Response Rates: Part 1 (Local Policy Data): Completed surveys were received with no missing data on prosecutor policies for all 50 cities in the United States, police policies for all but New York, NY, and Charlotte, NC, and domestic violence services for all but New York, NY. Part 2 (State Statutes Data): Not applicable.
Presence of Common Scales: none
Extent of Processing: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Standardized missing values.
- Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.
Original ICPSR Release: 2009-07-10
Related Publications
Export Options: RIS/EndNote
Metadata Exports
- Citations exports are provided above.
Export Study-level metadata (does not include variable-level metadata)
If you're looking for collection-level metadata rather than an individual metadata record, please visit our Metadata Records page.


text:
Forgot the posters name (dont care to look for his name)
I just wanted him to see Hibbs name on the front page and hang his head on shame...AGAIN
So he cant rebound huh ? So he not ballin out his mind and making our own italpasta spokesman look small huh ?
Member who told ya !


text:
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and Snow Patrol share top billing for the groups' Oct. 25 stop at Rogers Arena. Guest Jake Bugg opens the show. Tickets, $29.50, $49.50 and $72.50 plus services charges, go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. online at livenation.com, by phone at 1-800-985-5000, Ticketmaster outlets and Rogers Wireless Box Office.
Top Stories
We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.


text:
Ludwick happy to be living the dream with Reds
Outfielder pushed for a return after bounceback 2012 season in Cincinnati
By Richard Justice / MLB.com
GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Just to show you that good things do sometimes happen to good people, there's Ryan Ludwick's new life with the Cincinnati Reds.
He's a reminder that work ethic and heart and circumstances can be vital to a player's success. He's another reminder that few general managers are better at identifying talent and shaping a roster than Walt Jocketty.
It was Jocketty who signed Ludwick for the bargain-basement price of $2.5 million as Jocketty began putting the finishing touches on the 2012 Reds roster. It seemed like an odd signing at the time.
First, the Reds had one of their own guys, Chris Heisey, penciled in to play left field. Second, Ludwick was 33 years old and coming off a couple of very tough seasons with the Padres and Pirates.
What was wrong with this picture?
"I was looking for competition," Jocketty said. "I thought I had a pretty good idea of what Ludwick could do for us. I was looking for his leadership and experience to add to our club. We had a lot of quality young players, but we needed the veteran influence a guy like Ludwick brings."
Jocketty knew Ludwick from his days as Cardinals general manager. It was in St. Louis that Ludwick had four productive seasons after signing there as a Minor League free agent.
Even though the Reds would be Ludwick's seventh organization, Jocketty believed in him. Besides that, he liked the guy.
"He's great in the clubhouse, he's a great teammate," Jocketty said. "Those are all the qualities we look for."
Jocketty and the Reds got everything they could have hoped for, and then some. Thanks to plenty of help from Reds hitting coach Brook Jacoby, Ludwick rediscovered both his swing and his confidence and produced a 26-homer, 28-double, .877-OPS season.
"I think I just got back to hitting the ball the other way better," Ludwick said. "I think it was all mental. You see that big right-center gap in Petco [Park], and that's my best bolt. I just got so pull dominant. Me and Jacoby got together, and he looked at some film and said, `We've got to get you back grooving [the other] way.' He said, `I don't mind if you pull the ball, but we've got to have your approach to where you can hit the ball [the other] way.' We did it."
Oh, and the Reds won 97 games and finished atop the National League Central for the second time in three seasons.
"[Ludwick] wasn't a surprise because he'd done it before," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "If you've done it once, you can do it twice. The hardest thing is doing it the first time. He hadn't done it in a couple of years. Different ballparks psyched him out. He had a couple of down years."
After all the bouncing around, Ludwick felt like he'd found a home on many levels. He lobbied to stay with the Reds, and Jocketty signed him to a two-year, $15-million extension.
"I told Walt I'd take less money to stay here," Ludwick said. "I thank the Lord [that Jocketty] wanted me back."
Jocketty was excited to put Ludwick back in the middle of a lineup that has Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto and Jay Bruce.
Now, with the acquisition of Shin Soo-Choo to fortify the weakest leadoff spot in the Majors, the Reds appear to have a powerhouse offense.
Phillips might be the perfect No. 2 hitter behind Choo, and then Baker will have the thunder lined up in Votto, Ludwick and Bruce.
For Ludwick, it was the situation he'd dreamed of, and he may have wondered if he'd ever find another one he liked as much as St. Louis.
The Cardinals -- Jocketty was the general manager at the time -- signed Ludwick to a Minor league Contract before the 2007 season and opened the door for a big league promotion if a need developed.
Ludwick got that promotion and had four solid seasons. And then the Cardinals traded him to the Padres as part of a three-team deal in July 2010 that sent Jake Westbrook to St. Louis.
He allowed the huge power alleys of Petco Park to impact his swing and was dealt to the Pirates in 2011. He found PNC Park almost as intimidating for his gap-power swing.
Ludwick became too pull conscious and spun himself into a series of bad habits on his way to hitting a combined .237 for the two teams in 2011.
Enter the Reds, his dream team.
Ludwick grew up in the Cincinnati area and pointed across the clubhouse Saturday morning to former Reds great Eric Davis.
"My favorite player growing up," he said.
Ludwick makes his offseason home in the Austin, Texas, area, but Cincinnati won his heart in terms of a baseball home.
"I knew I was capable," Ludwick said. "I keep reiterating how tough that trade from St. Louis to San Diego was on me. For me, being comfortable has a lot to do with it. I loved St. Louis, and the trade shocked me. It was a dagger. The fans are amazing. There's no other way to put it. It's a baseball town. It's one of those cities where MLB trumps NFL. Mentally, that ballpark in San Diego kind of got in my dome a little bit."
Through it all, Ludwick has retained an optimistic outlook, never allowing the disappointment to morph into bitterness.
"I'd say if there's one area where I give myself credit, it's on the mental toughness side," he said. "I've been beat down a couple of times, but I've bounced back. It seems like whenever it's on the line and to the point where it might be do or die, I always tend to get back up.
"Whether it's injuries or being designated for assignment in the Minor Leagues or in the big leagues when people thought I was done, I've stayed with it. When I was in San Diego, people were saying, `He's done.' It gave me incentive to prove people wrong. That's the attitude I've had my whole career."
Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com. Read his blog, Justice4U. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
We live in a connected world -- some may say that we all are
too connected when it comes to electronic devices. American Airlines is looking
to satisfy our cravings for "all access anywhere" with in-flight WiFi
beginning this summer.
Southwest is partnering with Row 44 to provide high-speed
satellite Internet access. The airline will equip four of its aircraft with the
service starting in summer 2008.
"Southwest Airlines is pleased to announce its
partnership with Row 44, and we intend to deliver the highest bandwidth
available to commercial airlines in the United States," said Southwest
Senior VP of marketing Dave Ridley. "Southwest's selection of satellite
technology will offer a more robust experience for more Customers per aircraft
versus other solutions available in the marketplace. Southwest is looking for
the best solution for our Customers not only for Internet e-mail access, but
for additional in-flight entertainment as well."
American Airlines will first
roll the service out with its Boeing 767-200 airliners. These large aircraft
typically make long, cross-country flights. After the initial test phase with
the 767s, American Airlines will slowly add WiFi to its entire fleet.
The costs for in-flight WiFi are expected to range from $10
for short flight and up to $12.95 for longer, cross-country flights.
The high-speed Internet will be provided
by AirCell. According to AirCell, the cost of providing Internet
connectivity to a single aircraft is $100,000
USD and adds roughly 100 pounds to the airframe. The equipment can be
installed overnight by airline crews.
Southwest and American Airlines are not alone in their
testing, however. JetBlue is trialing
in-flight WiFi with a single Airbus A320 aircraft dubbed
"BetaBlue." JetBlue's service is also provided by AirCell, but it
will not charge customers for connectivity.


text:
The gasoline-electric hybrid news has come in at a furious pace at DailyTech over the past few weeks. Honda announced its intention to bring a small, sporty hybrid to market; Fisker announced its gorgeous hybrid sports sedan and GM yesterday showed off new hybrid full-size pickups and full-size SUVs.
Honda has a new fuel efficient vehicle of its own to tout and the word "hybrid" is nowhere to be found. The company finally pulled the wraps off the production version of its FCX fuel cell prototype -- now called the FCX Clarity.
Exterior design-wise, the FCX Clarity closely mimics the earlier prototype, but now features government-spec bumpers front and back and smaller wheels. Inside, the FCX Clarity uses a gauge cluster and heads-up display similar in fashion to the current Honda Civic. Otherwise, the interior looks rather normal if you can get past the overabundance of silver-painted plastic.
When it comes to the powertrain, the FCX Clarity uses a 100 kW V Flow fuel cell stack which is 65 percent smaller than the one used on the first generation FCX. Other powertrain components include a 171-liter, 5,000-psi hydrogen fuel tank, a lithium-ion battery pack and a 95 kW (127 HP) electric motor.
According to Honda, the FCX Clarity is good for an equivalent of 68 MPG and has a range of 270 miles. Also, since the FCX Clarity is a fuel cell-powered vehicle, there are no CO2 emissions -- the vehicle's only emission is water.
"The FCX Clarity is a shining symbol of the progress we've made with fuel cell vehicles and of our belief in the promise of this technology," said American Honda president and CEO Tetsuo Iwamura. "Step by step, with continuous effort, commitment and focus, we are working to overcome obstacles to the mass-market potential of zero-emissions hydrogen fuel cell automobiles."
The FCX Clarity will see limited service in the Southern California area beginning in summer 2008. Customers will sign up for a three-year lease at price of roughly $600 per month. Honda also notes that the FCX Clarity qualifies for a $12,000 IRS tax credit.


text:
I'm more than happy to agree to disagree with you on this one.
Making the All Star is recognizing a good season, fine, I agree with that.
Getting more votes than ANYONE ELSE IN THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL, is a bit more than that.
And like I said, I believe its just your opinion to say that if "Jose isn't making Endorsement money, then he's not being Recognized".
There are far more indications of ones Individual drawing power, than whether or not they are making Ads for Ford or Juicy Fruit.
He is given a Standing Ovation at, more or less, EVERY away stadium they play at.
The fans outside of Canada and Latin America are aware of what this guy is doing.


text:
The Gutter
"We're Gonna Sco-o-ore Tonight"
It's an indisputable fact that bowling never looked cooler than it did in Grease 2. Kingpin tried it, so did The Big Lebowski. None of them ever came close to matching the style of Michelle Pfeiffer in her Ray Bans, maybe it was the ridiculousness of the wind-milling arms before the release of the ball, or the not so subtle double entendre of "scoring" that appealed to my adolescent sense of humour. It's something that has stayed with me to this day and I can still remember most of the words to the song. When I was informed by Matt that "tonight we bowl", understandably, I was most excited.
I had no idea how competitive they all were, everyone was desperate to win and mind games came into play. Strike was matched with strike and at one point both lanes we had booked had three-way ties. In the end it was very close, however there could only be one winner. I don't like to brag, but needless to say it will probably be the first and last time I'm invited to play. Below is a sweet Bowleroid photo (pun courtesy of James O'Hara) that I took of the bowling team.
We finished off the night round at Al's with a bottle of whisky and a couple of wasted hours playing the pun game. For those not aware of this late night distraction, it is a word association game and the rules are simple.
Rule one - Take one subject - i.e. The Sea.
Rule two - Combine rule one with a quote/band/artist etc. to form a pun.
Hake That?
Sand-y Shore?
Half Manatee Half Biscuit?
Matt killed the game with a pun, which nobody could top.
Buoyancy Knowles.
With the first week of rehearsals over and some brand spanking new songs worked out, I rendezvoused with the band at their rehearsal space. I was treated to a run through of the fruits of their recent labour, a real mixed bag of up tempo bangers and slower melodic tunes. Already the album is shaping up to be another stunning piece of work.
Unfortunately my last video blog, The View From The Orange Stage..., was deemed in violation of the Youtube terms of use due to the split second of nudity. We have replaced version 1 with version 2, which substitutes the offending clip with a censored version. It's a shame because we lost the stats for over 20,000 views and a couple of hundred comments and ratings. Feel free to watch again and repost your comments, it will make me feel better if nothing else.
Good News. Next Monday is a date for your diary, we will be bringing you a video View from... , narrated by Matt from the rehearsal rooms. There will be the usual hi jinx from the band and a healthy dose of Mattire (Matt's Satire). Perhaps I should have put a consumer health warning in the pun game rules, that playing may impede your ability to converse without punning?
Kali Nichta


text:
Verizon Wireless has gotten its hands caught in the cookie
jar over the use of the term "unlimited" when referring to its EV-DO
broadband service. Verizon advertised the unlimited service even though users
could actually bump up against an artificial limit.
Verizon has been dropping
customers for the past few years for excessive data usage, but the actual
limits weren't until recently revealed in the terms of service (TOS). Verizon recently
changed its TOS to indicate that the previously invisible download cap is
actually 5GB per month.
In addition to the 5GB cap, the TOS also shows that,
"Prohibited uses include, without limitation, the following: (i)
continuous uploading, downloading or streaming of audio or video programming or
games; (ii) server devices or host computer applications, including, but not
limited to, Web camera posts or broadcasts, automatic data feeds, automated
machine-to-machine connections or peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing; or (iii) as
a substitute or backup for private lines or dedicated data connections."
The TOS continues, "Anyone using more than 5 GB per line in a given month
is presumed to be using the service in a manner prohibited above, and we
reserve the right to immediately terminate the service of any such person
without notice."
According to Verizon, its broadband service should only be
used for Internet browsing, email and intranet access.
Verizon Wireless' Jeffrey Nelson had this to say about the
change to the TOS, "Been reading and want to acknowledge that we added
the 5GB language to the Ts and Cs of our "Unlimited FOR" Broadband Access
plan several months ago. And, as some have noted here, while the Ts and Cs have
remained the same, for those who don't go through the fine-print and get their
impression of what the "plan" is just from advertising, we've been
migrating the visuals away from a big "unlimited for" to providing
more detailed information about our monthly broadband plan."
Verizon's website no longer uses the term
"unlimited" to describe its EV-DO service.


text:
NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana to Keynote NACUSO Conference
One of the NFL's most famous quarterbacks, Joe Montana, will be the opening keynote speaker at NACUSO's annual conference in Las Vegas on April 17.
Montana will share his lessons of preparation, teamwork and performance under pressure as well as what it takes to motivate credit unions and CUSOs, how to focus on the goal, and how to deliver for members, NACUSO said.
Montana and the San Francisco 49ers won four Super Bowls and three times he was the championship game's MVP. He also won more than 70% of the games he started during his 16-year career and is the all-time NFL leader in quarterback ratings.
Montana retired from professional football in 1995 and he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he received a bachelor's degree in marketing, Montana now lives with his family in California.
NACUSO's annual conference will take place April 16-19 at the Encore Las Vegas.


text:
Set departure tours!
book now!
Design your perfect private holiday with us!
Traveller testimonials
Stay connected with us
Selena Travel Reviews, customer testimonials
Mar 09, 2015. Mongolia spring tour - tailor-made & private journey
Dear Zola and the Selena Travel team,Thanks again for another fantastic Mongolian tour. Joe was wonderful a guide as ever, and our driver (the Commander) was very lovely too. They both looked after James and I very well, and we got to go dog sledding in the end too, so thanks again.I appreciate the kind and prompt service from all the staff of Selena Travels that I have met. Attached, a few photographs from this trip.CindyCindy . New Zealand
Jul 08, 2014. Naadam festival & National parks tour (tailor-made)
Dear Crystal,Apologies for delay in responding. Hope you have been well.My feedback from our last visit to Mongolia in July is also long overdue. We had a wonderful visit. Everyone in the group enjoyed Mongolia very much. Specially the children had a memorable trip with horse related activities. Thank you so much for all your patience in making the arrangements for us. Oggie was a wonderful and kind guide who took care of all the onsite coordination and tried to accommodate the group needs as best as possible. He was specially kind to the children which the family very much appreciated. The driver was also pleasant, on time, good, safe driver. Our gratitude from the group for their services. Your special arrangements for vegetarian meals were great. The group was amazed at the farm visit and vegan lunch on one of our day trips. It was very special and meaningful for everyone. The host family was wonderful and made great arrangements. Everyone specially enjoyed the evening cultural show in Ulan. It was very well done. Some went to see it again.Special thanks to you for accommodating our transportation needs at the last minute. Americans tend to like their space and would have been very uncomfortable and grumpy if luggage had been in the same van and they would tight packed with no room. Roads in Mongolia are rough and so people need comfortable space and not be tight pack with day packs and all.Much as everyone enjoyed the trip and would love to go back on a more extensive trip to the interior including Gobi and Khuvsgul. Hopefully we can make that trip some day. I don't think anyone is able to come in next couple of years as responsibilities back home have taken over.Thanks again for making arrangements for a memorable trip with many good and pleasant impressions.Wishing you the best,PamPam Aylward. USA
Jun 23, 2014. Following the nomadic trains in Western Mongolia - 14 days tour
Hello Crys,Here are a few photos from our trip. We had a great time and went very good with the diet.It was pretty cold in the mountains and snowing on the last night in our tent that was quite an experience to wake up after a hefty storm and to find you snowed under.We gave Somja our sheet and we hope you got that one. Baku took that all a bit lightly but otherwise no problems and we had a great time on the very rough roads. We loved all the contact with the local people we had that a lot more than our first trip. It was really good to see that nomadic life it is pretty hard out there.Is Somja still there she was good to have although all she wanted was being out of Ulaanbaatar. She gave us the CD's and the lovely little plates. Thank you very much for that.Yes the show was not on but that happens and on Sunday we wanted to see the concert on the square and we got rained out that was a shame because we wanted to see that show very much but weather we cannot control.
The train worked fine and we had a nice time around lake Baikal and made it home safely again. We had long days and lovely weather so all in all a very good holiday.Thank you Crys for all your care and organizing we do appreciate it. We love being in your country. I have to email the boys as well. It was fantastic to see them. We had a good time and very good driver at our last trip but Joe and Sodoo are very special to us. We just clicked so well together they are great guys.All the best and we have to keep in touch. Love Peter and Riet.Peter & Riet. New Zealand
Jun 20, 2014. Discover True Mongolia - customized, private tour
Dear Zola,
Thank you for checking. The flight back went well. And yes, we did have a wonderful time on our tour. Shinee and Baska were the best guide and driver we could have hoped for. We have already decided that we would like to see the Altai mountains and N/W Mongolia on our next trip.Thanks again for planning a memorable trip, especially with all of the changes. We couldn't be happier.Jean and Dave. USA
Jun 05, 2014. The Gobi & Karakorum - departure of Jun 05
Dear Crystal.In very few words : I had a great tour :)
Thanks Selena Travel to have made this possible ! It has been a great discovery of Mongolia :)I just wanted to make sure that you know this because I sent you a lot of mails and questions. You answered to all of them kindly and patiently making my trip a real special one. I will keep wonderful memories of this first trip to Mongolia.Thanks once again and best regards,Michael Bulle. Switzerland
Michael Bulle
May 26, 2014. Mongolia Stopover
We arrived safely in Beijing earlier tonight.Everyone just loved Mongolia and Joe - our trusted guide!After so many months in the planning, we finally made it to Mongolia! It exceeded our expectations. Everyone is so friendly and the country is very interesting.My compliments and appreciation to Selena Travel for the excellent services! What a great tour company!! I feel like I have trusted friends in Mongolia! Hopefully we can work together again in the future.I have submitted a Trip Adviser review. As you know, they have to approve it before making it public. You should be able to see it in the next few days.Thanks again for the nice hotels, wonderful meals, the neatest ger camp ever and everything Selena did to make that portion of our Trans Siberian trip a success!TEDTed Winder (Group of 10 people). USA
Aug 30, 2013. Discover True Mongolia
Good day!Julie Simpson. CanadaI wanted to write to you today to tell you how much I absolutely enjoyed my trip to Mongolia! I cannot say enough about Joe and Baagii and how wonderfully they took care of me throughout the 3 weeks. Joe's passion for Mongolia is evident in his teachings every day. Every day he taught me something about the culture, the people, the animals, or the land. It was quite a lesson!! I will tell anyone who wants to travel to Mongolia about Selena Travel. I felt like I was spoiled the entire trip!
Thank you very much : )
Aug 08, 2013. Tailored the Gobi desert & Karakorum tour
Selena Travel,en primer lugar queremos dar las gracias por los dias pasados en Mongolia y agradecer la profesionalidad de Uka y del conductor Bilgee. Estamos muy contentos con sus servicios.En relacion a Bilgee, nos indicó que queria unas fotos que le hicimos pero su correo electrónico nos retorna, podemos enviar las fotos a ustedes y Selena Travel se las puede hacer lelgar?En espera de noticias, daros las gracias de nuevoFrancisco Pubill & Carmen Garcia. Spain
May 24, 2013. Genghis Khan's Birthplace
Just wanted to tell you that Megan and I greatly enjoyed our tour out to Dadal and back.Probably one of the nicest aspects of the tour was our guide and driver. Ganaa was exceptionally knowledgable not only about the various sites but also about Mongolia itself. Baaska was a truly magnificent driver in all kinds of terrain and with all kinds of challenges.Plus these two were clearly a great team. We were so lucky to have them both. Thank you very much.Happy Children's Day. Megan and I are off to see a noon concert of Mongolian fiddlers.DanDan & Megan. USA
Aug 10, 2012. Gobi & Karakorum Explorer tour
Our recent "The Gobi & Karakorum Explorer" tour with you was excellent, everything exceeded our expectations! It was a super trip in our lives and we loved our Mongolia holiday so much. Our guide Joe was kind, well organised, accurate and informative, polite and caring and always provided us with timely information. And our driver Jack is super, very friendly, professional and always on time.We are wild travellers, having been to many places in the world - but Mongolia is still truly unspoiled and uncontaminated. Selena Travel's services were perfect right from the very first email. We would like to thank Selena Travel, our guide and our driver for having made this Mongolia experience a truly beautiful one with so many wonderful memories.Rafaella, Benedetta, Lidia. ITALY & SPAIN


text:
Orioles vs. Yankees 5/19/11
This day got off to an interesting start. After not coming the day earlier, Tim an Ben were here at this game. Tim texted me around 4:15 saying that the cage was out, surprisingly, after it had been raining on and off all day.
That raining on and off thing happened all night as well.
Walking up to the stadium, there were like 5 of these huge trucks lined up on Camden Street:
I went up to see, and it was horses. With the Preakness coming up, they had stuff going on for that. I got to pet a horse. Woooo.
Sitting at the gates, the rain took turns pouring for 10 minutes, then stopping. And repeat.
When we got in, the Orioles were taking BP. While we later found out there would be no Yankees BP, at least we were seeing almost a full O's BP, including Vlad and Markakis and such.
I snagged a HR on the fly from I think Reynolds, and another from Vlad. That was it. Ben got like a bajillion as usual. I'm sure Tim did, too. Matt got like 5 or so. Fun times.
Here's David Robertson and Joba the Hut talking with some O's pitchers (Jim Johnson, Clay Rapada, Chris Tillman):
All the Yankees did was take some scrappy infield drills:
I went down to the O's dugout to try for a warmup ball:
As you can see, there were people in front of the dugout, presumable for some award or something. Then there was first pitch. And you see grounds crew going to take the tarp off in the photo as well.
Where did I end up?
That's right, it started pouring, so no Orioles came out to warm up, and I found a seat at the top of the undercover sections.
Then, I decided to go visit Beth on Club Level (she works at the main desk there, they are so so nice). So after talking with her a bit, I found a nice view from a seat on club level on the 3rd base side:
You can see in the photo above, there are lots of words written on the jumbotron. Here:
The general message they always put up during rain delays. That's all.
The rain finally stopped. I headed back to the O's dugout:
Orioles were stretching:
And I got JJ Hardy to toss me his warmup ball (he was throwing with Brandon Snyder):
It was a disappointing ball. Not rubbed up or anything, as if some random ball from BP. Boo.
The game then happened:
This happened:
Then this happened:
That's a photo of Eduardo Nunez' HR post-shot. Ben caught the ball, marked with the #1 on his shirt. Tim is 2, positioned a few rows up. 3 is my friend Leah who came to visit, 4 is me, then 5+6 is Matt Gardner and his friend Mark (or Marc, who knows). Fun times. You can watch the highlight here. We were all standing around talking then in the 9th inning, and when he hit it, Tim and Ben ran to their rows, and Ben made a clean catch.
Then, Tim put his bag down and got a ball out, tossed it to Ben, who then launched it onto the field. People were telling him to throw it back, so he did. Sort of. We always talk about any home run against a rival, we just throw a different ball back. Perfectly executed, dudes.
Then the night ended, I headed home to sleep, and here we are.
Time for a weekend series against the Natinals.


text:
Not that the question was directed to me, but the intro to the following article might be a useful reminder of how things were done in the olden days...
The Buddhist Missionaries - By Ven. Dr. Rewata Dhamma, 1985
http://www.thisismyanmar.com/nibbana/mission.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Metta,"Go Ye, O Bhikkhus, and wander forth for the gain of the many, for the welfare of the many, in compassion for the world, for the good, for the gain, for the welfare of gods and men. Proclaim, O Bhikkhus, the Doctrine glorious, preach ye a life of holiness, perfect and pure."
This saying of the Buddha fully contained the missionary spirit. He further said:
"O Bhikkhus, don't go together two in one direction"; and because of this encouragement his disciples travelled in different directions wandering from village to village, country to country.
Two and a half centuries after the passing away of the Buddha, according to the tradition preserved in the Sri Lankan chronicles, the emperor Asoka (third century B.C.) organised a net-work of missionaries to preach the teachings of the Buddha outside India. At that time his son and daughter went to Sri Lanka to teach the Buddha-Dhamma. Also two monks named Sona and Uttara were sent to Suwanabhumi (Burma) to spread the Teachings. According to this tradition Buddhist missionaries went abroad from the third century B.C.
Buddhism was introduced to central Asia 234 years after the passing of the Buddha into Nibbana, i.e. in 240 B.C. China received Buddhism for the first time in the first century BC and within a century it was officially recognized as a religion by the state. Buddhist monks began going to China from the end of the first century B.C., and Buddhism arrived in Korea and in Japan in the fourth century A.D. and in the sixth century A.D. respectively. Tibet received the Teachings of Buddhism in the seventh century while the Buddha-Dhamma has flourished in Thailand from the first or second century A.D.
According to Chinese chronicles and archeological findings, Cambodia became a Buddhist country from the end of the fifth century A.D. A large number of inscriptions discovered in different parts of Malaysia are written in Sanskrit show that Buddhism was already flourishing in this part of Asia at this time.
From this it can be seen that these Buddhist monks travelled to many strange countries without any financial support, facing many hardships during their journeys. They did not know anything about the countries where they were going and relied only on a strong confidence in the teachings of the Buddha.
There were many religions born in India; but only Buddhism was flourishing all over Asia within a few centuries.


text:
This is the reflexology massager that uses soothing infrared light and invigorating vibration to stimulate pressure points on the feet, melting away pain and soreness. The device sets up like a footrest at the base of any chair and is activated with a convenient remote control. The molded footbed has 112 nodules strategically placed on its surface that target reflexology points to rejuvenate tired feet and loosen knots. While the high-frequency vibration penetrates tense muscles, the warmth can boost circulation and ease stress. It comes preprogrammed with relaxing 5-, 10-, and 15-minute sessions, or users can manually select from 12 vibration speeds (from 2,000 to 2,500 rpm) and eight levels of infrared light. Flexible rubber feet on the unit�s base provide stability and prevent marring of floors. Plugs into AC. 15 1/2" L x 13" W x 7 1/2" D. (14 lbs.)
Lifetime Guarantee
The Reflexology Foot Massager comes with The Hammacher Schlemmer Lifetime Guarantee. If this product ever disappoints you, for any reason, you may return your Hammacher Schlemmer purchase for exchange, credit, or refund.
Should you have any questions, we are available seven days a week (8:00 am – midnight EST). Please call 1-800-321-1484 to speak with a specialist or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com to receive a response within three business hours or less.
Shipping charges noted in parentheses apply in addition to our standard shipping & service.
We're sorry, but gift wrap is not available. Please call 1-800-395-7006 for Premium or Express delivery rates.
Oversized items scheduled for expedited delivery (Premium or Express) may incur additional shipping and services charges because of their unusual size. Please call 1-800-321-1484 for an estimate of S&S charges. International callers, please call 1-513-860-3397.
We're sorry, but gift wrap is not available for oversized items.
Shipped via truck and may require customer assistance upon delivery. You will be contacted to make an appointment for delivery.
We're sorry, but gift wrap and gift cards are not available.
GST still applies and will be charged upon processing. For complete shipping & service charges please call Customer Service at
May we recommend:
COPYRIGHT © 2018 HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER & COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. W109147 E. 57th ST • NEW YORK, NY • 10022 • 1-800-_321-1484


text:
[Photos] Chelsea Clinton's visit to Myanmar
On Saturday, Chelsea Clinton, board member of the Clinton Foundation, visited a remote village near Pathein, Myanmar, to see the partnership between World Vision and Procter & Gamble (P&G) to provide clean water to children.
P&G's Children's Safe Drinking Water Program has provided 6 billion liters of clean drinking water to children and families around the world, a milestone marked on this visit.
In Myanmar, clean water is a critical need. A third of the rural population of 15 million people have no access to it, according to UNICEF. The lack of this resource makes diarrheal diseases one of the leading causes of death for children under 5, illnesses that are preventable with access to clean water.
Gway Dauk Chaung, the village that Chelsea Clinton visited, often becomes waterlogged in the rainy season, polluting the water supply. Children used to drink untreated water from this pond.
Clinton toured the village with Dr. Greg Allgood, director of P&G's Children's Safe Drinking Water Program, and Win Zin Oo, World Vision's director of humanitarian emergency affairs in Myanmar. They crossed a bamboo footbridge to reach Gway Dauk Chaung in western Myanmar. Children in brightly-colored native dress greeted Clinton with flowers.
On this visit, Clinton and Allgood met Phaw Si Hser, 27, mother of three and expecting her fourth child, who told them that because of P&G's water purification program, "My children don't get diarrhea anymore."
Clinton and Allgood accompanied Hser and her husband as they collected water from the village pond using buckets.
They brought the water back to the village where Allgood, using the purification powder, began cleaning the water. P&G's water purification technology uses a powder that can quickly clean up to 10 liters of contaminated water by removing viruses, bacteria, and parasites that can cause diarrhea.
* * *
* * *
After sifting out the sediments…
…Clinton held up a cup of clear, clean water!
The children of the village prefer water this way, too; not only are they healthier, but purified water also tastes better!
World Vision and P&G have been working together in Myanmar since 2008 when Cyclone Nargis contaminated or destroyed most water sources. World Vision, which has worked in the country since 1991, responded to the disaster with P&G by providing water purification sachets to remote villages.
"Frequently after disasters, it is clean water that is needed the most," Clinton said. "So what World Vision is able to do, to ensure that it's prepared for the disaster relief work, which is so critical, but also how building real, durable relationships with communities like where we are here, is a real testament to World Vision.
"Very few organizations are able to do both: to ensure that they're working in a sustainable, systems-building way and responding to an urgent call when there's been a rapid disaster."


text:
Personal computing discussed
Moderators: Captain Ned, emkubed
The Wanderer wrote:Global warming.
(Seriously. Higher average temperatures means more energy in the system, which means more volatility, which means unseasonable and otherwise chaotic weather - of all types.)
The Wanderer wrote:just brew it! wrote:I agree that could be the cause... but until it happens several years in a row, we can't tell whether it is indeed a real trend or just a statistical fluke.
I'd argue that we have been seeing it, in varying forms, for at least the past couple of years - the "Snowpocalypse" on the US east coast being the first time I paid conscious attention to it as a significant factor. Admittedly, however, that's not remotely concrete yet; at best, it's anecdotal evidence, until someone does a comprehensive study of the subject.just brew it! wrote:I'll stop here, in an attempt not to push this thread over the R&P line...
Yeah... I wasn't even sure it was a good idea to make the comment in the first place, but in the end I went ahead with it.
I'd actually be interested in discussing the question in something resembling a calm and rational fashion, but I don't 'subscribe' to the R&P forum, because I know many of the topics discussed there would get me hot under the collar and emotionally stressed with no real benefit - and I'd have a hard time keeping out of them if I actually had the ability to drop in and look at them on a whim. So there's probably no good place for it.
The Swamp wrote:It's been very hot here, getting into the 80s every day. And it's been that way for weeks.
This is the hottest winter I have ever seen. It does not bode well for hurricane season. The Gulf is going to be boiling by July.
FireGryphon wrote:If you live in an area where it really snows, like in the midwest where 3 feet of snow and ice are common, is it just a given that snow gets cancelled, or are 'ya'll so used to it that you ignore snow unless it's over 10' deep?
FireGryphon wrote:A bit further west in NOVA, we have snow sticking on the roads. There were some exciting moments this morning on the drive in to work. And the temperature was 11 degrees F yesterday morning. It's all that hot air from Congress that keeps the snow off your roads.First snow in DC this year, after the first two days that were cold, in the 20's. Nothing stuck on the roads, but there's a nice white blanket on everything else. An excuse for me to wear my Tims to work!
FireGryphon wrote:My understanding is that schools stay open. In areas that get more snowfall, the infrastructure is better at keeping the roads clear, the vehicles are more suited to the climate and the nature of the snow itself plays a factor. The DC area gets this heavy, wet, almost-melted snowfall that is harder to deal with than the fluffy stuff that falls when it get really cold.If you live in an area where it really snows, like in the midwest where 3 feet of snow and ice are common, is it just a given that [school] gets cancelled, or are 'ya'll so used to it that you ignore snow unless it's over 10' deep?
Darkmage wrote:Two flakes from the sky and half the drivers in this area creep along at 10 mph whilst the other half floor it in their Lexus SUV.
Captain Ned wrote:A/K/A how a Vermonter knows it's winter: There's a Masshole SUV upside down in the median.
ludi wrote:I would enjoy seeing some winter weather. If you have any extra, please send it here.
FireGryphon wrote:Winter can't decide what it's doing around here. Half the time it's cold enough to turn standing water to ice, half the time it's warm enough to rain, and the other half it's in the 40's with gusty wind.


text:
KYB Gas-A-Just Monotube Shocks
- Regular Price: $39.10-199.75
- Our Price: $26.54- 135.60
- Shipping:FREE SHIPPING
- KYB Gas-A-Just Monotube Shocks give you far better handling, stability, and vehicle control over twin-tube shock absorbers
- Makes an ideal upgrade from OE twin-tubes
- Higher gas pressure rating gives your tires much better road adhesion
- Monotube design eliminates foaming and aeration present in inferior twin tube shocks
- Hardened chrome pistons ensure a long life
- No seam failures, thanks to seamless cylinders and eyerings
- Sold Individually
- Lifetime Warranty
Keep your tires hugging the road with KYB Gas-A-Just Shocks. These monotube shocks make a great upgrade from OE twin-tube shock absorbers, with a design that virtually eliminates all the pitfalls of inferior shocks. They're available for cars, SUVs, vans, and trucks, so no matter what vehicle you drive you can enjoy the improved performance of KYB Shocks.
KYB builds your Gas-A-Just Monotube Shocks to last. Their micro-smooth, hardened chrome pistons ensure a much longer serviceable life. Theit seamless cylinder and eyering design means that unlike other shocks there aren't any seams to fail. The KYB Gas-A-Just Shocks' monotube configuration eliminates foaming and areation for the utmost performance. Plus, their velocity-sensitive valve system responds quickly as road conditions change for a smooth and comfortable ride no matter the road quality.
Do away with your old tired shocks and upgrade to KYB Gas-A-Just Monotube Shocks. Your KYB Shock Absorbers are backed with a Lifetime Warranty.


text:
If you were in the Naruto Universe, What would you rather want?
Perfect Susanoo is included.
Rinnegan NOT included ( i know you need rinnegan for Perfect Susanoo, but oh well)
sharingan is included (amaterasu + Tsukyomi)
Itachi's Susanoo's weapons NOT included
Kyuubi mode
Rasengan technique included
Shadow Clone technique included
Rasengan Shuriken is included to people who would have Wind Element, But you can mix your Rasengan with any element you have
Choose Kyuubi or Susanoo, and tell me why you chose that over the other
I would personally go with Kyuubi Mode, because I think it's dope lol


text:
For anyone wanting to try a fabric art journal or album, this is a well-made and fun format. The pages, canvas and fabric, are removable and the whole thing is bound with two ribbons, so everything is decoratable. And you can by refill pages if you don't embellish with too much dimension that there isn't room for more. :) I like that there's batting between the canvas pages so paints, etc. aren't going to soak through. I've already used gesso and molding paste to prep pages and sprayed with dye sprays right onto the canvas and had no bleed-through. Highly recommended as a great fabric book!
You must be logged in to comment. Please click here to log in.


text:
Team building in Tuscany all comforts of a luxury hotel in Lucca
Team building is one of many activities that can be organized in Tuscany within the walls of the Tenuta San Pietro, in Capannori. The resort is nestled in a landscape of absolute and natural charm, surrounded by the rolling Tuscan hills covered by secular olive trees.
This beautiful setting is ideal to create group experiences, such as workgroups and outdoor corporate activities: you and your colleagues will enjoy an environment of great appeal, with all the comforts and an added quiet and relaxing value.
Team building in Tuscany, pick the chance for your team offered by an elegant luxury hotel in Lucca. The two modern meeting rooms of our facility, Cantina and Degustazioni, are available for guests to meet and confront. The training processes can take advantage of beautiful spaces, such as our rooftop terrace with a panoramic view or the beautiful adjacent countryside. Coffee breaks, lunches and dinners will be personally attended by Chef Guido, who will prepare custom menus, combining imagination and taste while enhancing regional and Mediterranean cuisine.Team building


text:
Personal computing discussed
Moderators: Captain Ned, emkubed
derFunkenstein wrote:Kind of depends on their personalities, but I would suggest something alcoholic in nature.
FireGryphon wrote:Multi-tools sound like a great idea. I use my Leatherman every day practically.
Dieter wrote:I second (fouth?) the multi-tool suggestion. I've been a groomsman in lots of weddings, and the only gift that I really ever used was a Leatherman Micro. It was awesome and I used it all of the time. So awesome, somebody stole it off of my keyring.... (but left the keys)
I have been given flasks, cigar sets (cutters, etc), glasses, cuff links, tie tacks, you name it. Most was either thrown out or dusting away. The Micro was used constantly, and was a quality item.
I'm not much for trinkets anyway (I'd rather you save the money than give me some useless crap, and I don't expect a gift anyway), so take it with a grain of salt....
balzi wrote:definitely useful is best, but I want to defend the cuff-links idea. I don't think that anyone ever uses them again, BUT my brother in law gave us all cuff-links with different icons on them and in different styles, but all blue and silver. so it looked kinda cool.
maybe you could get them but not make it hte gift.. I don't know how much they are though.
alcohol sucks IMO, there's no lasting memory unless it comes in some fantastic bottle that you mount or display on the mantle piece. I think the general intent is to give the fella's something to remind them of the great day they shared.
ChrisDTC wrote:Im already buying more alcohol than they could even dream of for the wedding
Common Sensei wrote:If you are willing to go to $60 a head, you can get them the Wow Putter:
ChrisDTC wrote:I went with the Gerber Crucial, I found a pretty good deal here http://www.fedtactical.com/crucial-tool ... 10548.html


text:
FREE SHIPPING on orders of $85 or more
An excerpt from www.HouseOfNames.com archives copyright © 2000 - 2018
Copelane Early Origins
Lancashire at Whittington. "This is the Witetvne of the Saxon era, and was anciently of considerable extent. William de Coucy in the 14th of Edward III. had a grant of free warren here; and in the 49th of the same reign, Sir John de Coupeland, successor of de Coucy, owned a third of the manor: the manor was therefore held in portions, but when they were united does not appear." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. Ashton in Lancashire was another ancient family seat. "Ashton is remarkable as the ancient seat of the De Courcys, out of which family it passed by marriage to John de Coupland (died 1363), the hero of Neville's Cross." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print. The squire from Northumberland captured David II of Scotland after the Battle of Neville's Cross in 1346. He was knighted for his actions but was ambushed and killed in 1363.
Copelane Early History
Copelane Early History
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Copelane research. Another 189 words (14 lines of text) covering the years 1160, 1200, 1346, 1455, 1515, 1515 and are included under the topic Early Copelane History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Copelane Spelling Variations
Copelane Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Copeland, Coupland, Copland, Coapland and others.
Copelane Early Notables (pre 1700)
Copelane Early Notables (pre 1700)
Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Copelane Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Copelane In Ireland
Copelane In Ireland
Some of the Copelane family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The Great Migration
The Great Migration
Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: John Copeland of Boston who arrived there on the "Speedwell" in the late 1640's. He was banished from Plymouth Colony in 1657. Lawrence Copeland of Braintree, Maine, lived to the age of 100.
The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.
Motto: Benigno numine
Motto Translation: By Divine Providence.
Copelane Family Crest Products
Copelane Family Crest Products
See Also
See Also
Sign Up
FREE SHIPPING on orders of $85 or more


text:
Lifting Accessories
Filter By
Your filter combination returned zero results. Please remove some selected facets.
This is where you can find virtually any useful accessory related to weightlifting, from gym chalk and lifting belts to knee wraps and wrist straps. Along with our own trusted Rogue products-- the Ohio Lifting Belt, Rogue Wrist Wraps, etc.-- we also stock top weightlifting accessories from leading brands like Spud Inc., Rehband, Risto, and more. Make sure your gym bag is well stocked with everything you'll need for the training days ahead. Click a product above to get more details or to place an order.


text:
when i started posting here, i actually didnt know anything about the "business" of basketball.
im a raptors fan, plain and simple. i keep tabs on the transactions, watch the games, hope they win.
not until i became a regular poster here that i looked more into the salary cap, TPEs, etc, etc.
i think forums are not just for people to voice opinions but to learn a few things here and there as well.
izbilla is posting as a fan and i find no fault in that.
the raps maybe building or rebuilding like the thunder, but their success doesnt necessarily translate to that of the Raptors.
Its not math. I dont think there's a sure formula when it comes to basketball or sports in general.


text:
Mary Jo White Sworn In as New SEC Chair
The SEC announced Wednesday that Mary Jo White was sworn in as its 31st chairman.
She was nominated by President Obama on Feb. 7 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 8.
"It is an honor to lead the talented and dedicated SEC staff on behalf of America's investors and markets," White said in a statement. "Our markets are the envy of the world precisely because of the SEC's work effectively regulating the markets, requiring comprehensive disclosure, and vigorously enforcing the securities laws."
White succeeds Mary Schapiro, who stepped down on Dec. 14 after serving at the SEC's helm since 2009 as the agency's first female chairman.
SEC Commissioner Elisse Walter was serving as chairman in the interim.
The SEC said White specialized in prosecuting complex securities and financial institution frauds and international terrorism cases when she served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1993 to 2002.
Under her leadership, the office won convictions against the terrorists responsible for the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and the bombings of American embassies in Africa.
Prior to becoming the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, White served as the first assistant U.S. attorney and later acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York from 1990 to 1993.
White also previously served as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York from 1978 to 1981 and became chief appellate attorney of the criminal division.
After leaving her U.S. attorney post, White became chair of the litigation department at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York, where she led a team of more than 200 lawyers. She previously was a litigation partner at the firm from 1983 to 1990 and worked as an associate from 1976 to 1978.
White earned her undergraduate degree, Phi Beta Kappa, from William & Mary in 1970 and her master's degree in psychology from The New School for Social Research in 1971. She earned her law degree in 1974 at Columbia Law School.
The SEC said White has won numerous awards in recognition of her outstanding work both as a prosecutor and a securities lawyer. The 2012 Chambers USA Women in Law Awards named her Regulatory Lawyer of the Year.
Among other honors she has received are the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award, the George W. Bush Award for Excellence in Counterterrorism, the Sandra Day O'Connor Award for Distinction in Public Service, and the "Women of Power and Influence Award" given by the National Organization for Women.
White is also a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International College of Trial Lawyers. She also has served as a director of the NASDAQ Stock Exchange and on its executive, audit, and policy committees and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.


text:
Kitchen Window Treatments
- Durable products are key in this room
- Go cordless over sinks or counters
- Faux wood blinds resist heat and moisture
- Easy to clean products are smart picks
- Top down/bottom up for flexible privacy
Levolor® Accordia™ Room Darkening Premium Cellular Shades
retail $165.67 $111.00 + an extra 20% off
Certified Best for Kids
Products with this label meet or exceed safety recommendations approved by the Window Covering Manufactures Association (WCMA) and have undergone rigorous third-party testing.
- Cellular / Honeycomb
- 9/16" Pleat
- Blackout
- Cordless
- Cordless Top Down/Bottom Up
- Privacy
- Top Down/Bottom Up
- Levolor
- Horizontal
- Beige / Neutral
- Black
- Blue
- Brown
- Gray
- Green
- Orange
- Purple
- Red / Pink
- White / Off-White
- Yellow / Cream
- Bathroom
- Bedroom
- Dining Room
- Family Room / Den
- Living Room
- Office
- Cellular
- Fabric
- Sidelights
- Energy Efficient
- Child Safe
customer reviews for kitchen
By TLC from Oklahoma
I love these shades. They are on a window facing the street and I've been keeping them pulled down from the top. Lots of light AND privacy. I would buy again.View this product
By CLL from Chicago
Great construction of materials and showed up exactly as pictured and explained on web site. Ease of installation super easy, and on-line instructional was greatView this product


text:
Man, if that's Jerryd, he should not have shaved his head.
Btw, Memphis is playing Chicago.
Man, if that's Jerryd, he should not have shaved his head.
Btw, Memphis is playing Chicago.
Twitter: @ReubenJRD NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.
lol check out Bayless' stats in the last two preseason games. First game against Real Madrid and second game against a Derrick Rose-less Bulls team. He averages 5.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, and 1.5 TO in 21 MPG. He's shooting 25% FG and 0% from 3FG. Maybe it was a massively good thing we let him go...
the love for Bayless here the last couple years was dumbfounding
Funny how quickly his supporters have seemed to disappear.
And I'm not sure why you find it funny ... he's no longer with the Raptors, therefore the conversations concerning have died down. Makes perfect sense. Doesn't mean I, and those others who supported him, still don't wish the absolute best for the guy.
He loved Toronto, and he loved for playing for the Raps. I'll get behind anyone who Reps Toronto as hard as he did. Period.
And now people are of the mindset that John Lucas is any different? Please.
Memphis signed Jerryd Bayless to a reasonable contract and I expect he will give them solid value for the money. I would have been fine with the Raptors extending him at that price before they traded for Lowry. But with the acquisition of Lowry, there was no place left for Bayless as he is too good to be a third stringer.
From day 1, it seems Lucas will have a fairly solid role, more than just the 3rd string point guard. I really believe he is capable of being the back-up to Lowry. Although, two things Bayless and Lucas do have similar (Bayless more than Lucas), is their cases of tunnel vision.
Twitter: @ReubenJRD NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


text:
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
Family Time Use: An Eleven-state Urban/Rural Comparison, 1978 (ICPSR 8240)
Principal Investigator(s): Sinclair, Robert O., University of Vermont; Lewis, B.A., Cornell University
This collaborative research project, established in 1977, consisted of a team of scientists from 11 states representing each region of the United States. The project served three overall purposes: (1) to establish a data bank for urban and rural families on time use for household, paid and volunteer work, and nonwork activities, (2) to compare time use among urban and rural populations in various geographic areas in the United States, and (3) to determine changes in family time use over the past decade. Those interested in measurement and valuation of nonmarket work use time as a factor in their models. Allocations of time between obligations and leisure are reflected in the time use of family members, as are the effects of role-sharing in dual-career families. At the micro level, a better picture of the quality of life can be seen if time use of all family members is analyzed. This approach allows the study of distribution of workloads, interaction of household members, and trade-offs that can be made in a family household unit. A total of 2,100 families participated in this survey through the use of questionnaires and time use charts. Of these, half were classified as urban families and half were classified as rural families. Variables in this dataset include the activities of family members (i.e., food preparation, dishwashing, shopping, maintenance of home, paid work, social and recreational activities) and the amount of time they spent on each activity. The data also record the condition and type of appliances and household equipment, the activities of the family seven days before the study, and information about the employment of the adults and children in the household.
Access Notes
One or more data files in this study are set up in a non-standard format, such as card image format. Users may need help converting these files before they can be used for analysis.
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
Study Description
Sinclair, Robert O., and B.A. Lewis. Family Time Use: An Eleven-state Urban/Rural Comparison, 1978. ICPSR08240-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 1985. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08240.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR08240.v1
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
This study was funded by:
- United States Department of Agriculture. Cooperative Research/Science Education Administration (NE-113)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: dual career families, families, family life, family work relationship, households, leisure, recreation, rural areas, rural population, time utilization, urban population, work
Geographic Coverage: California, Connecticut, Louisiana, New York (state), North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, United States, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin
- 1978
- 1977--1978
Universe: Households with two parents and two children under the age of 18 who were full-time residents of the household, in a predefined urban or rural area in California, Connecticut, Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Louisiana contains only an urban sample and North Carolina contains only a rural sample.
Sample: According to the age of the younger child, families were randomly selected from a pool that was developed using school census records, birth records and announcements, city and telephone directories, knowledgeable persons and organizations, and general area mailings.
personal interviews
Original ICPSR Release: 1985-01-11
Related Publications
Metadata Exports
- Citations exports are provided above.
Export Study-level metadata (does not include variable-level metadata)
If you're looking for collection-level metadata rather than an individual metadata record, please visit our Metadata Records page.


text:
SILVERTON Even newly revised federal guidelines on long-term liability will keep people from sticking their necks out very far, say participants in efforts to clean up toxic mine waste here.
The comments were made Thursday at a meeting of the Animas River Stakeholders Group. The discussion focused on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency clarification in December of requirements for good Samaritans who attempt to clean up polluted sites. The toxic waste is contaminating creeks and rivers here.
They offer guidance, but not rules, Steve Fearn said. But maybe they will help us get legislative relief.
Fearn, a mining engineer, is one of three coordinators of the stakeholder group, which was formed in 1994. He also sits on the board of the Southwestern Water Conservation District.
The stakeholders meeting came on the eve of a visit Friday by U.S. Sen. Mark Udall to the site of a 2006 spill of mine waste into the Blue River near Breckenridge.
Udall championed the recent EPA clarifications of principles covering the responsibility and risks of outside parties that take on mine-waste remediation.
Udall spoke to the public at the site of the abandoned Iron Springs Mill, where millions of gallons of reddish water broke through a mine tunnel in April 2006 to turn the Blue River a bright orange.
Officials speculated that snow and ice sealing the mine mouth may have given way to a surge of water built up from heavy winter storms.
Udall, D-Colo., cited the some 7,000 abandoned mines in Colorado that threaten safety, water quality and recreation.
Good Samaritans wanted to clean up mines, but they had to step back because it quickly became obvious that the responsibility they would assume under the Clean Water Act would put them in an untenable position, Udall said. So much of their interest and passion went unrequited.
But the recent EPA memorandum gives them an extended understanding with the EPA that they wont be subject to liability responsibility, Udall said.
He predicted cleanup projects soon would be under way at the Red and Bonita mine near Silverton and similar sites near Breckenridge, Creede and Leadville.
The Red & Bonita is one of four mines that leak up to 800 gallons a minute of heavy metals into Cement Creek, a tributary to the Animas River.
Congress ordered cleanup of toxic sites in 1980 after environmental disasters at Love Canal in New York in the mid-1970s and the Valley of the Drums in Kentucky in 1979.
Private parties, such as the Animas River Stakeholders Group, have carried out a legion of toxic remediation projects since. But they have to be careful because of liability that make them targets of lawsuits.
The EPA last year said it would not move unilaterally to clean up Silverton-area mines, but would work with the stakeholders group.
The EPA guide for good Samaritans issued in 2007 was revised in December to make mine cleanup of private parties less onerous.
But the revised guidelines, which focus on the definitions of owner and operator as a responsible party dont pass muster with Animas River stakeholders.
While the EPA interpretation of the 2007 guidance provides quite a bit of liability protection from the EPA, it is guidance, not regulation or statute, and therefore provides much less protection from a citizen (law)suit, a stakeholder memorandum said.
Ongoing maintenance of a treated site will require someone to do it, the memorandum said. It is hard to imagine that anyone doing maintenance is not going to be considered an operator.
Bruce Stover, director of inactive mine reclamation at the Colorado Division of Mining, Reclamation and Safety, said his agency is discussing issues with the EPA.
Ty Churchwell offered a written reaction to the EPA guidelines from Trout Unlimited. The organization said that holding offenders responsible is common practice, but that those responsible for mine waste in the West tend to be long gone.
Current owners have little to no incentive because of liability, the letter said. Cleaning up the sites is a legal quagmire.


text:
Silicon Valley Nation: Five epic road trips
1 comments post a comment
I spent most of 2012 on the road interviewing engineers. Here are five of the coolest stories.
SAN FRANCISCO -- I can safely say I have been the luckiest bugger on earth for most of my life, and 2012 was no exception.
How else to explain my then-boss's lapse in judgement to let me drive a car around the country for a year interviewing engineers? Top that off with a request to tag along on a really cool Littelfuse project that involved a lot of engineers and race cars.
For me, both of those projects, Drive for Innovation and Speed2Design, carved out in relief the nimble human minds, good humor and engineering brilliance behind the relentless technological progress we make every day. And it's everywhere in Silicon Valley Nation.
So, herewith, are five favorite stories from the road, in no particular order.
Pikes Peak
When we began planning the DFI road trip in early 2011, I was determined to try to get to the top of Pikes Peak in the Chevy Volt. In the spring of 2012, we'd already crossed over Donner Pass (7,000 feet) on the way to Denver. So we figured Pikes Peak, no problem!
We called my old colleague and electronics publishing legend Loring Wirbel, who lives in Colorado Springs, and demanded that he ride along. He's an easy mark. It turned out to be his birthday, so the night before we secured a growler of IPA from Rock Bottom Brewery, found a cheap cooler and packed it with ice and the beer and secreted it in the back of Volt.
The next day couldn't have been more beautiful, 70s in the Springs when we picked up Wirbel. The ascent couldn't have been slower. The Volt's gas-backed electric engine after 10,000 feet dragged us down to 5-7 mph. At one point, my brother Kirk got out and raced the car on foot!
Finally, we edged our way into the parking lot at 14,000 feet to whoops and hollers. We jumped out and started running around, only to nearly pass out like idiots because of the thin air.
After posing for a few snaps, we broke out the glasses and toasted Wirbel's birthday with the IPA (and at 14,000 that stuff goes to your head pretty fast!). After a decent interval, we descended and through regeneration picked up a completely full battery.
Here's the trip up...
..and the trip down:


text:
Undersink Water Filter Systems
Keep your kitchen space neat and tidy, while reducing contaminants in your tap water with an under sink water filter system.
The beauty of under sink water filter systems is that they neatly fit underneath your sinks and don't rob you of valuable counter space as countertop water filters do. Unlike other filter models, with under sink water filters there are no valves or tubing cluttering your counter. Because they remain out of sight, you can install larger under sink water filter models designed to filter out additional water contaminants such as fluorides, arsenic, and nitrates.
Below you'll find over 60+ OEM under sink water filter systems, housings and filters from some of the top brands, including Pentek®, Culligan®, Whirlpool®, Doulton®, OmniFilter®, and more.
Need help choosing the right under sink water filter system? Our experts can help you choose the perfect under sink water filter to address all of your water quality concerns, just give us a call at 1-800-277-3458.
USM2-S-S06 OmniFilter Undersink Water Filtration System$35.99MSRP: $48.29 Save 25%
AP117 3M Aqua-Pure Comparable Whole House Sediment Water Filter by Tier1$15.99 MSRP: $54.13 Save 70%
US-600 Culligan Slim Undersink Filter System$35.99MSRP: $41.39 Save 13%
QC10-TSGAC Pentek Quick-Change Water Filter Cartridge$26.39MSRP: $39.99 Save 34%
QC10-GAC Pentek Quick-Change Water Filter System$23.69MSRP: $42.99 Save 45%


text:
PM slams 'barbaric' hostage murder
David Cameron has condemned as "despicable and barbaric" the apparent slaughter of a second US journalist by Islamic State (IS) extremists - as it emerged that a British hostage is also under threat.
The Prime Minister said he would be chairing a meeting of the Government's Cobra emergency committee tomorrow morning after footage said to show Steven Sotloff's beheading was released.
The masked killer is thought to be the same jihadist with a London accent who carried out the on-screen murder of US reporter James Foley a fortnight ago.
In the chilling footage, Mr Sotloff - a freelancer for Time magazine among other publications - is pictured in a Guantanamo Bay-style orange jump suit against a desert backdrop.
He reads out a purported "message to America" in which he tells US president Barack Obama: "I am paying the price of your interference with my life ...
"You've spent billions of pounds US taxpayers' dollars and we have lost thousands of our troops in our previous fighting against the Islamic State, so where is the people's interest in reigniting this war?"
The jihadist, believed to be a Briton nicknamed "John" by captives, says: "I am back, Obama, and I am back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State, because of your insistence on continuing your bombings and ... on Mosul Dam, despite our serious warnings.
"Just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the necks of your people."
Dressed in black and wielding a short knife, the extremist also warns other governments against entering "this evil alliance of America against the Islamic State".
The video, which ends with a threat to another hostage who is said to be British, has surfaced in the week that world leaders are due to gather in Wales for a Nato summit.
Mr Cameron said in a statement: "If verified, this is a despicable and barbaric murder. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr Sotloff's family and friends tonight as they deal with this appalling and tragic situation.
"As I have said consistently over the last few weeks, (IS) terrorists speak for no religion. They threaten Syrians, Iraqis, Americans and British people alike and make no distinction between Muslims, Christians or any other faith.
"We have already been working hard to keep British people safe and we will continue to do all we can to protect our country and our people from these barbaric terrorists. Tomorrow morning I will chair a Cobra meeting to review these latest developments."
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of a video which purports to be the murder of a US national and includes a threat to another hostage. We are urgently working to verify the authenticity of the video."
Mr Cameron has warned that the West faces a "generational" struggle against the extremist ideology of IS, suggesting it is a more potent force than al Qaida.
Yesterday the premier announced a package of measures to combat the danger from British jihadists returning from fighting in Syria and Iraq to carry out attacks here.
He said police would be given powers to confiscate passports at airports, and suggested that suspected extremists could be barred from re-entering the country even if they are UK nationals.
However, Labour accused the Government of being in "disarray" after senior figures including former Attorney General Dominic Grieve have raised doubts about whether the latter idea would be legally possible.
The Liberal Democrats have also insisted they are not "definitively" signed up to proposals for beefing up terrorism prevention and investigation measures (Tpims) so suspects can be put into "internal exile".
Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "The killing by (IS) of another hostage and the threat of more violence demonstrates again their murderous barbarism.
"Their cold-blooded brutality against the innocent offends the values of people throughout the world, wherever they live.
"This shows, as we have recently said, that they are a threat which cannot be ignored.
"Our thoughts are with the families of the victims."
In a brief statement tonight, a spokesman for Mr Sotloff's family said they "know of this horrific tragedy and are grieving privately".
The journalist was seized in Syria in August 2013 and had not been seen until he appeared in the video of Mr Foley's killing released by IS last month.
Last week Mr Sotloff's mother Shirley made an emotional video plea for the IS extremists to be "merciful" and spare her son.


text:
Orioles vs. Red Sox 4/27/11+4/28/11
People STILL are coming here looking for the post on the
Jose Valverde spitting incident. Here. Here it is.
Sorry for the delay, folks.
Finals week[s] here at school, so been bogged down with more work than
one could imagine (yes, I'm a classic procrastinator).
Last week, I was at the entire 3 game Red Sox series. I posted then about the Tuesday game when I was
on the field for BP. I got 0 baseballs
that day, but it was still fantastic.
Check out more on that entry here
(some good pictures, if I may say so myself).
So without getting a baseball at the game before, I got back
at it today. And fast.
I would add the seating chart with ball locations, but they
are all clumped together so it would be hard to direct to which is which. But here they are by description:
Ball 1 was tossed to me by an usher named Al. He works the sections in LF next to Miss
Kelly (who works 82-86). He's a cool
dude. If you're out in the LF lower box
area, be nice to him. Always says hey to
me every day.
Ball 2 was a horrible call on my part, but still got
it. Headed my way about 10 rows into
section 82 (2 over from bullpen) and I reach my glove out for it and it blows
by into the seat and I picked it up from the seat. I remember this happening and all of us
laughing about it. I still have no idea
what happened, but the best reason we could come up with is allergies acting up
and my eyes were all watery (according to like 3 people) but who knows.
Ball 3 started the streak of balls that bounced away from
Ben and right into my direction. If you
don't know who Ben is, refer back to my new glossary of people that I put up last week or so. It was a Robert Andino pulled down the
line. Ben was a full section closer, but
also 8 or so rows farther down. As he
got closer to it, it took a bounce and went right towards me and I barehanded
it off some other guy's glove.
Ball 4 was a ball that Reynolds hit to the top of section
80, and Ben ran up completely to get it, but it took a bounce off the wall of
the aisle, then hit a chair, right to me like 4 rows down a section over. No joke.
And Ben was pissed (no worries, folks, he still had 5 on the day). I would have been, too, if I were him.
Ball 5 was a Jake Fox HR, his last on the day
coincidentally, that landed somewhere and I got it. I don't remember it, I just have that written
down on my phone that it was his last on the day and I caught it just not on
the fly.
Ball 6 a Dustin Pedroia home run hit towards the beginning
of Red Sox BP that I got somewhere around section 82 I know. Don't remember how, but I know it also was
not on the fly. Just going off my basic
notes from a week ago here, people.
Okay, fine. Here's
the ball chart. Though I didn't label
each individually, but when I put them on, I did roughly estimate where each
one was to the best of my knowledge, so have fun trying to match them all up:
So there, I had 6 balls on the day, none on the fly with my
crappy vision. My record for a single
game, by the way, was 6. People are
always surprised by that since most ballhawks have their days of double digits
and such.
Well, I spent the rest of the day being just close to
baseballs, but never reaching number 7.
We had some troubles getting Mark Connor to toss us one of the 5 or so
lying in the O's bullpen, but whatever.
I ended with 6.
There are 7 pictured there.
It includes my one spare I always have on me (in case I get none and
want to a) give one away or b) get one signed).
I just didn't feel like going through my notes to figure out which was
the odd ball out.
Josh Beckett was on the mound for the Red Sox, meaning it
was going to be a looonnnggg night.
Stayed in LF with people.
Don't remember who was there besides the usuals (Matt, Ben, Tim).
Spent the last 3 innings or so between the flag court, CF
seats, and going for foul balls. Here
were some of my different views as I positioned myself all around based on the
Season stats:
Baseballs: 33 (22
hit, 7 on fly, 8 toss up, 3 found)
Autographs: 4
(Scherzer, Guerrero, Oliver, Pavano)
Orioles home games
attended: 12
Orioles total games
attended: 12
Total MLB games
attended: 12
Total baseball
games attended (MLB+MiLB): 12
Rainouts: 2
Then there was Wednesday's (4/28) game.
I got three Orioles BP home runs,
including two from Mark Reynolds, one of which was on the fly. I don't remember where around, I just know I
got them. And all of my baseballs have
gotten jumbled up lately, so I don't know which to photograph to show you. You'll just have to believe me. If you don't, well… I don't really care. I know what I did.
For Red Sox BP, I went over to the flag
court when the group came up including Carl Crawford and Big Papi. Tim and Ben were also over there, so I had
some solid competition. Papi hit a blast
that I caught on the fly about 5 feet behind where I was standing and 10 feet
in front of Ben. I guess he laid off, or
didn't see it, or something. But I
jumped a bit back and caught it uncontested.
Mission accomplished. I had gone over to the flag court for two BP
sections now in my LIFE. This time, and
the one time against the Twins. Both
times, my goal was to get a ball on the fly from the ultimate mashers from
those two teams: Jim Thome and David Ortiz.
This night was interesting. I ran back and forth between LF and the flag
court for the first 5 innings or so based on who was hitting. It was a RHP for the O's, so the Red Sox were
STACKED lefty. Then from innings 6 and
on, I spent time in the flag court or CF seats for lefties and then moved down
the 1B side playing for foul balls for righties.
I got nothing. But hey, it was fun trying it for the night,
the whole running around playing the odds for a game ball thing.
Here's a picture I got earlier in the
game of the scene:
That's Tim's head on the bottom.
Looking at my camera, that is THE only
picture I took at the game.
So yeah.
But I'm writing this on Saturday night, 5/7. I have been to a game since, and will write
about that one soon, which has MANY more pictures and a bit of exciting news. Stay tuned.
Orioles game tomorrow will be exciting for one reason: Fundraiser. I wrote about it way back in this post, and it's finally happening tomorrow. Zevi and I sold tickets to tomorrow's game to support The Red Devils, and we hope it's a big success.
Well… peace.
Season stats:
Baseballs: 37 (26
hit, 9 on fly, 8 toss up, 3 found)
Autographs: 4
(Scherzer, Guerrero, Oliver, Pavano)
Orioles home games
attended: 13
Orioles total games
attended: 13
Total MLB games
attended: 13
Total baseball
games attended (MLB+MiLB): 13
Rainouts: 2
Oh, and by the way, in case anybody hasn't seen it yet, here's the newly released logo for the 2011 World Series:
Follow me on Twitter: @2131andBeyond
Email me at: indiansfan621 at aim dot com