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HOUSTON - A suddenly shuttered reception hall in northwest Harris County has caused problems for people who planned to have weddings, retirement parties and other special occasions at the facility.
Events with Elegance, located at 20320 Northwest Freeway, closed in mid-July without notice, customers told Local 2 Investigates.
"I don't know if this was her plan. I really don't know what to think," Melanie Garcia said.
Garcia paid $3,794.67 to have her daughter's Sweet 16 party at the venue. She learned through a friend that Events with Elegance had been closed.
Garcia and others told Local 2 Investigates that they have made repeated attempts through email and phone calls to track down the owner of the business for refunds, with no luck.
A form letter emailed to some clients by the registered owner, Genita Martin-Mehlhorn, urges customers to "be patient."
"I don't think it takes a long time to get a money order and mail it back to someone," Ana Rubio said.
Rubio had planned to hold her daughter's quinceanera at Events with Elegance in October. She said she is now scrambling to find an alternative, and with very limited funds after losing a $900 deposit.
Local 2 Investigates tried to reach Martin-Mehlhorn by phone, by email and by her listed addresses without luck for days. Late last week, Martin-Mehlhorn contacted Local 2 Investigates via email.
"We have been working diligently to get the customers placed at a different hall. We have every intention on getting the customers refunded. We just ask for patience at this time," part of the message read.
The full text of her letter is at the end of this story.
The Better Business Bureau suggests paying for such events with a credit card rather than cash or check, that way if trouble arises, customers can dispute the charge. Also, try to avoid paying in full before the day of the event.
The Better Business Bureau also recommends checking their website for customer complaints to find reputable vendors. In this case, consumers would not have seen negative reviews. However, since the closure, the Better Business Bureau has "several unanswered complaints on file."
Letter from Genita Martin-Mehlhorn:
"How are you this evening. I decided to go ahead and respond. This has been a very trying time right now for me. I expected some unhappy people at me, but not my family. I pray that now you will respect me and my family and give us some space. I don't want this around my children, please.
"Events With Elegance made a decision to close it's doors. Everyone was notified with a formal letter. As expected several were upset. We have been working diligently to get the customers placed at a different hall. We have every intention on getting the customers refunded. We just ask for patience at this time. I know some customers wont understand that as they are very upset, but again it was a business decision to do so not personal.
"I have tried not to make this personal, but it has also affected my family. I put my all into the business including my time. Something i had to sacrifice from my children. So making this decision has been the hardest one for me. Although i knew some people would be angry whether we chose to close the doors now or in 10 years, it hurt me to see how people have made me look. I am not heartless and understand how this had inconvenienced those. But again it was a business decision not a personal one."
If you have a news tip or question for KPRC Local 2 Investigates, drop them an e-mail or call their tipline at (713) 223-TIPS (8477). Copyright 2012 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

subset: commoncrawl


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1337924 Glamour by Catherine Lansfield P+S-International
Our wallpapers are always shipped with the same batch number. And naturally always in highest quality.
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Please note that online images may vary from the actual items. The image of the room shows a sample mounting of the wallpaper.


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Colin Kaepernick responds to 911 tapes: 'Truth is getting out'
Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after teammate running back Anthony Dixon scores a one-yard touchdown in the first half against the Seattle Seahawks during the 2014 NFC Championship on Jan. 19. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images/AFP)
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick tweeted Wednesday he is "glad the truth is getting out" in response to the 911 tapes released in the investigation in Miami involving a naked woman.
The woman who referred to herself as "Jesus" was the focus of two emergency calls placed April 1, according to 911 tapes released Tuesday.
Kaepernick wrote on Twitter:
"On 911 calls, I'm glad the truth is getting out. Info that came out earlier was totally wrong. I look forward to this matter being resolved."
Kaepernick denied any wrongdoing when word of the occurrence because public. Miami police continues looking into what it terms a "suspicious incident," not a criminal investigation.
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Ricardo Lockette and 49ers receiver Quinton Patton were also named in the original police report, made in the wake of an unnamed woman ending up in a hospital the morning of April 2.
In the first 911 call, a male caller who identifies himself as "security" says of the woman, "She said her name was Jesus, and she don't have no clothes on." He added that she was visiting one of the men in the room.
The second call was made by Lockette, multiple media outlets reported. The male caller said, "I want to report there's a young lady in my friend's bed. He's not here. She's going to wait in his bed. She's not leaving. We asked her to leave. We told her he won't be here tonight. She said she's not leaving until she sees him."
The 911 operator asked the caller if the woman was seeking her boyfriend.
"No, no," the man said. "He's not her boyfriend. He's just someone she wants to sleep with. But he's not here, so she went in and got in his bed naked. And said she's going to stay there until he gets back."
According to the police report, the incident occurred when a woman went to Lockette's apartment. Kaepernick and Patton were there.
According to police, the woman said she passed out and later awakened in a hospital.
Kaepernick strongly defended himself on Twitter after news of the incident first spread. He also spoke about the incident last Friday in his hometown of Turlock, Calif., at a public event.
"It's been put out that I did something wrong," he said, according to the Modesto Bee. "Even though it's a bad circumstance, a bad situation, I feel like ultimately I've been blessed because it's changed my way of thinking. It's made me stronger. It's made me look at things differently."


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By Linda Noel-Batiste and Tiffany Toledo
When new teachers make decisions about where and why they want to teach in certain school districts, salary often drives their final choice. But as they continue in their careers, what becomes important is the attention that the district pays to professional development and how the rest of the staff contribute to a positive school environment.
Unfortunately, those concerns rarely are considered until problems start, particularly for minority teachers. Their struggle to exist in culturally homogeneous school environments is often overshadowed by the quest to raise test scores. Many suffer in silence while others simply go through the motions.
Through our research at Virginia State University, we have examined how minority teachers view where they work and how it affects their ability to grow professionally. By examining some of the social and cultural factors that obstruct and hinder learning for minority teachers in culturally homogenous environments, school boards and administrators can assess how to help them develop professionally and deepen their content knowledge.
From our experience, administrators have limited knowledge of the needs of minority teachers. The statement is not an indictment, but an area where educators have not devoted considerable time or effort. Until we do, it is our belief that many minorities will not actively and fully engage in professional development opportunities. They will hold back a vital part of themselves -- their cultural identities -- because they fear rejection and feel their colleagues will be insensitive to their educational experience and pedagogical practice.
In our view, minority teachers are at risk of being left behind because professional development opportunities are overshadowed by school environments that are not as inclusive as they initially thought. When school administrators fail to observe that minority teachers are not fully engaged, they contribute to those feelings of isolation and frustration.
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Lindsay Lohan is set to return to acting, starring as porn star Linda Lovelace, according to several reports.
A pal of Lindsay's – photographer Tyler Shields — told E! News' Marc Malkin that Lindsay was definitely set to the play the '70s porn star in a film titled "Inferno."
Additionally, Wali Razaqui, who is producing the film, told the Los Angeles Times that Lindsay had been cast in the role.
"We've all thought that Lindsay would be a great choice for a while now, and we're all convinced that she is going to do it," the producer told the newspaper.
Razaqui said, however, that Lindsay would have to dig deep for the role, which would see her play the star of "Deep Throat."
"[Linda] was so battered and beat up emotionally, that I think it's gonna take everything Lindsay has to really be able to pull it off," the producer also told the paper.
"Inferno" is one of two films currently being planned based around the life of the porn star, who turned anti-porn activist, before her death in 2002.
Another film, "Lovelace," previously had rocker Courtney Love attached. Courtney planned to make her film comeback following her legal troubles, which landed her in rehab in 2005.
Someone who answered the phone at the production company making "Lovelace" on Tuesday told Access Hollywood that they were looking at several actresses for the role of Linda in that biopic.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Angelina! Cameron! Jen! Smokin' Hot Ladies Of The Big Screen
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Lindsay Lohan - From Teen Queen To 'Mean Girl'
PLAY IT NOW: AH Nation: Would Jail Be A Good Thing For Lindsay Lohan? (May 3, 2010)
PLAY IT NOW: Access Extended: Dr. Drew Pinsky - Does Lindsay Lohan Have An Addiction?
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Lindsay Lohan - Courtney Love - Rehab - Rock - News


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GRAMMYs On The Road With Blitzen Trapper And Of Monsters And Men
The Recording Academy Pacific Northwest Chapter played host for GRAMMYs On The Road At The Sasquatch! Music Festival, held May 25–28 in George, Wash. The Chapter conducted exclusive backstage interviews with artists performing at the festival, including indie country-rock group Blitzen Trapper and six-piece indie pop/rock group Of Monsters And Men.
Blitzen Trapper vocalist/guitarist Eric Earley and keyboardist/vocalist Marty Marquis discussed performing at Sasquatch!, the Pacific Northwest music scene and musical influences, among other topics.
"It was an exciting time when we were teenagers [in the Pacific Northwest]," said Marquis, regarding the development of the grunge genre in the early '90s. "I think it energized a lot of people to really get invested in playing rock music."
Formed in 2000 in Portland, Ore., Blitzen Trapper features Earley, Brian Koch (drums/vocals), Marquis, Erik Menteer (guitar/keyboards), and Michael VanPelt (bass). After releasing several independent albums, a self-titled set in 2003, Field Rexx in 2005 and Wild Mountain Nation in 2007, the band landed a record deal with Seattle's Sup Pop Records. Their label debut, Furr, was released in 2008 and attained moderate success on the Billboard 200. The EP Black River Killer was released in 2009, followed by Destroyer Of The Void (2010), which peaked at No. 10 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart. Blitzen Trapper's most recent release is 2011's American Goldwing.
Of Monsters And Men discussed songwriting, performing at Sasquatch! and advice for aspiring artists, among other topics.
"We write everything before [entering] the studio," said vocalist/guitarist Ragnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson. "The songs develop a lot in the studio, but in a different way."
Formed in their native Iceland, Of Monsters And Men are a six-piece indie pop/rock group featuring piano/accordionist Árni Guðjónsson, vocalist/guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson, guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, and Þórhallsson. After winning a battle of the bands competition in Iceland in 2010, the group earned a record deal with Universal Music Group and in 2012 released a four-song EP Into The Woods. Their full-length debut album, My Head Is An Animal, was released in April.


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Robin, you make a difference in my life every day.
Linny T
Good afternoon Everyone,
Ever had one of those days were you felt like you didn't accomplish anything of value? Well, that was my day. Everything I tried to do seem to fall complete apart or get totally interupted by one thing or another.
But I'm home now and hubby took be by the ice cream shop today, so things are better. We have this new ice cream shop in down that serves hand made ice cream from central Florida. It has some of the most unique and amazing favors I've ever tasted, I think I could be falling in love.
Hope you're having a white April, which seems really weird to say.
Get the work done so you can play all day.
Robin: Everything I tried to do seem to fall complete apart or get totally interupted by one thing or another.
I hate those kind of days, don't you? Sounds like Don tried to cheer you up with the ice cream. Yum! Sounds heavenly. Just finished my day about a half hour ago. Mike brought me home truffles, but the were all melted. LOL. It's the thought that counts....
Time for American Idol. Music soothes the soul.....
Robin: Everything I tried to do seem to fall complete apart or get totally interupted by one thing or another.
I hate those kind of days, don't you? Sounds like Don tried to cheer you up with the ice cream. Yum! Sounds heavenly. Just finished my day about a half hour ago. Mike brought me home truffles, but the were all melted. LOL. It's the thought that counts....
Time for American Idol. Music soothes the soul.....
Got say that yesterday I would have licked those puppies up off the paper.
Good Morning Everyone,
Week 8 in this nine weeks is rapidly coming to a close. I'm book with two foods lab today and two ECE classes. I hope that it goes smoother today than yesterday.
I just can't seem to get a quiet moment in the day to find my thoughts. I need some time just to get done the jobs I can't do with everyone in the room. But my sweet students who have college classes or online classes love to come and "help" me. I just can't find enough to keep them busy. Partly because I'm do busy to think about what I need them to do. It's so bad to complain about good kids and extra help.
On top of that I had to report a child abuse case, which never makes for a great day, it's bad enough that it ate of a chunk of my planning period. It's horrible it happened in the first place.
Then the guy that was visiting from Kieser for the last two days pop in at lunch looking for food and so I couldn't say no. I mean he fed my classes and most of the staff for two days. So I gave him access to by lab supplies for him to fix himself some lunch.
Anyway, the year is wrapping up and I'm just counting the blessings.
I hope you all have a terrific day.
Robin, I hear you about not having a quiet moment to find your thoughts. Lately I've been so consistently interrupted while having more work to do. Not fair, I say! That's sweet about your not so helpful helpers. They love you.
Terrible about the child abuse and your being the one who had to report it. This on top of all else. That's not the kind of thing that's a task and once done leaves your mind. You could be saving a life, though.
Only a few more weeks left and then....summer break. A blessing on the horizon. Hang in there.
Today is celebrating Walk on Your Wild Side Day!
And here I thought that's what I did everyday!
Friday is fast and furious. We will be having short periods as usual. The weekend weather report promise rain in this area so I will be in doors. A chance to work on quilting the t-shirt quilt after I spent the morning with a couple of students who have volunteered to work with me at organizing and cleaning the food lab. It needs a good going through with all the items put in it's appropriate place. I'll be excited to have that done.
Be careful where your walk takes you!
Robin, I'm with you. Going to work is a Walk on the Wild Side every day. At my age that's as wild as I care to get, lol. Hope you got your food lab cleaned.
Diane is still trying to get her password issue resolved. She asked me to say Hi to everyone for her.
Everyone home after a typical day at school, a visit to the bank and police station to do the report funds stolen from our join bank account and a trip to the ice cream shop for a large cone of raspberry chocolate ice cream. Yep, someone borrowed a chunk of my paycheck to make purchases from a variety of places fortunately our banks fraud system and ebay were able to catch it and stop them. The bank was very polite about it and has return my funds, in exchange for a case number for a file police report.
Hopefully all the fun is over and I'll be able to get things back on track for the rest of my weekend. However, the pressure is still really low and messing with my head.
I finish digging up some flowers that never bloomed in the backyard yesterday and got something new planted in time for the rain. Apparently this front moves like some of my students slowly. According to Donn this is going to go on for a while, so it's time to find some kind of remedy.
I hope you all have a terrific evening.
Hello All,
I just went onto FB to say hello to Diane and after being on FB, my computer crashed. I'm wondering if they are having some serious issues on their web site. I am reluctant to go on FB again. Anyone else having an issue with them?
northern colorado
Sounds like you're going to have to plant, or dig up, in between the rain drops. I hate it when the barometric pressure changes. I wake up with a terrible headache. Or go to bed with a really bad toothache. You'd think living at 5000 + feet, you wouldn't have these issues.
Take care of yourself Robin.
Everyone-I wish you a wonderful stress free, relaxing, and productive weekend.
Hi everyone.
Sounds like your week was pretty stressful and on top of it all to have your account hacked into. That really bites! Hope the in between rain drops gives you time to plant your flowers and relax a bit.
Know what you're saying about everyday at work being a walk on the wild side. LOL. This weekend an Art/Craft Show?
Thanks for the well wishes for the weekend. Hope you have a nice one too. Not sure about FB in general, but I have been having some issues with Internet Explorer period. It seems to be ok now. My son has had all of his contacts in FB hacked into and sent out spam mail with his name on it a couple times. I just rarely go there anymore....
Hi, Miss you! There was a post in the forum that premium members need to sign in with Google Chrome? Have you tried that?
I don't know what happened to my post yesterday. LOL. Disappeared into cyberspace I guess.
My worker brought his moving van and all of the kitchen cabinets the customer gifted me with today. OMG, I didn't really take note of how big that kitchen was, and I have a motherload of them to work with to do the built in areas I want to do. Lot's of drawer units and slide out shelves. I feel quite blessed. I didn't go to sleep until 3 am over the excitement of it all. Back up by 6:30 to empty the china cabinet and move stuff around out of the way.
Then we had furniture to spray finish on for a job, and tuck away to dry. I'm officially worn out now. LOL. But in a good way. It's nice to make changes, even if I do most of the work to make it happen. The lighter cabinets as opposed to the dark china cabinet are already refreshing and make the space seem lighter and bigger. I feel a need to do this while I am still young enough to manage. A few more years and I think things probably won't be as pressing as my easy chair. LOL
Have a great weekend girlfriends. I'm still sharing my laptop and lots to do this weekend. Will check in when I can......................
Lillie, I was just on Facebook and it was fine for me. Of course I just went on to message 1 person, so not even 5 min.
Robin, that front has stalled out over top of everyone. The pressure is messing with my head, too. It is a good time to plant, though. Nice and wet.
That sucks when that happens to your bank account. Something like that happened to me a while back and then started again a month later. Keep an eye on your account for awhile. Did you tell the ice cream store it happened after visiting them?
Stephanie, you're going on adrenaline, lol. The cabinets sound like fun. Hope you keep us posted on your progress. What a blessing to get the cabinets for free. I know you're about doing it now while you have the energy and gumption to do it.
I've had that lost post thing happen lately, too. Very frustrating!
How's the weather in your neck of the woods?


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You are here
Gallery: Porsche's Le Mans heroes
The countdown to Porsche's Le Mans comeback has officially begun. If the French classic is the king of endurance racing, if not the greatest race of all, then Porsche is the king of Le Mans. In 2014, the German geniuses are returning to La Sarthe in their first full works effort since 1998, aiming to add to their record 16 overall victories. So cool was the opportunity to drive for the squad that Red Bull driver Mark Webber parlayed his retirement from F1 into the lead drive.
You can only imagine the pressure, but at an event at Hockenheim this week the mood was positive, not least because the company had managed to gather half a dozen of its Le Mans-winning heroes to kick-start the campaign. It's difficult to think of anyone else who could pull that sort of thing off, or that still generates such goodwill.
Porsche's first overall win at Le Mans came in 1970, when British driver Richard Attwood and German legend Hans Herrmann - a former team-mate of Juan Fangio and Stirling Moss in the 1950s Mercedes Silver Arrows F1 squad - piloted the incomparable 917 to victory. For many motorsport fans, the 917 - all 585bhp and 850kg of it - is the most revered racing car of the lot, which makes it all the more surprising when you discover what a pig it was at first. Both Attwood and Herrmann still shiver at the memory.'In 1969, we were eight laps in the lead,' Attwood recalls, 'and then the gearbox broke. I was absolutely delighted! Remember, I hadn't won Le Mans at that point, and nobody believes me when I say I was glad we went out, but the car was truly horrible to drive. It suffered from understeer, oversteer, it had no balance, it lacked downforce… frankly, it was bloody awful. They'd tested it at an airfield, but didn't go much beyond 180mph. That wasn't much use to us when we were touching 235mph on the longest straights, and most of the problems occurred at 200mph. Of course, they developed the upswept tail, sorted the chassis out, and that did the trick. It was 20mph slower, but much more manageable…'
Proper heroes, these guys, no question, and a hard-fought win came in 1970 despite fog, rain, and rivals like Ferrari, Ford and Lola. 'The 917 was charismatic, it had character, and it was dangerous. It was a wild beast that had to be tamed, as much by the designers and engineers as anyone else. A mythology has grown up around it because it was a wild beast,' Attwood adds.
Other wins soon followed, with the 935, 936, and most successfully of all, the 956, which bestrode the 1980s endurance racing scene like a colossus. The mild-mannered mastermind who presided over it was Norbert Singer, who remembers a typically methodical Porsche approach. 'The 956 featured ground effect, and had an aluminium monocoque. We did it all ourselves, in about nine months. Maybe we didn't get it right immediately, but then we'd take the next step. As it was, the 956 was pretty good from the start…'
No kidding. The 956, and its 962 successor, would win Le Mans seven times. The late Stefan Bellof lapped the Nordschleife in one in a barely believable 6min 11 seconds. It's a racing masterpiece, a Picasso on wheels.
It's also part of a heritage the 2014 LMP1 car and team have to live up to, and bolster. Fritz Enzinger is the man who's leading the charge, a former stalwart of BMW's motorsport effort lured into the Porsche fold by this unparalleled opportunity. A team of 220 people are flat out on the project right now, 135 of them engineers. We'd probably all enjoy seeing Porsche storm to victory, but Enzinger is more restrained. 'It's all new. We need to gather experience on the track more than anything else. We need every kilometre we can get. How will we perform? It's difficult to know right now. It's all still theoretical. Mark [Webber] is texting me regularly asking for updates. He'll get to drive the car in Bahrain in early January.'
One of his team-mates in the two car line-up is Timo Bernhard, who has been testing the Porsche since its June roll out. 'Hopefully, this car will enable Porsche to define a whole new era for sports car racing,' he says. 'Right now, all we want to prove is that we can be genuinely competitive.'
And who would bet against that?
Photography: Rowan Horncastle
What do you think?
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Collins not fazed with Niese not wanting to come out
By Caitlin Swieca / MLB.com
MILWAUKEE -- Though Mets left-hander Jon Niese expressed strong disagreement with his removal from Saturday night's game in the sixth inning, manager Terry Collins said Sunday morning he wasn't worried about the remarks.
"I've known Niese long enough, he never wants to come out," Collins said. "I love that about him. He wants to continue to pitch. He thinks he can continue to put up zeros, and he probably will."
Niese was removed for a pinch-hitter with two outs and a runner on third base in the sixth inning. At the time, the Mets trailed 3-2 after the Brewers had mounted a three-run rally with two outs in the fifth. He had thrown 89 pitches.
"The point is, there's a time when you've got to get your team back in the game," Collins said. "You've got a runner on third base in the sixth inning, even though you're down a run, Jon's got basically one more inning to go anyway. He's at [89] pitches and he's only going to go 105 anyway. You just can't give up that opportunity to try to tie the game up."
In part, Niese was a casualty of the Collins' unconventional lineup, which had him batting eighth. Had he been batting ninth, he may not have come up in that inning, or the run may have already scored.
"I thought I should've been out there anyway, despite if I was up eighth or ninth," Niese said Saturday night. "Terry makes those decisions. Those are out of my control. I could've went one or two more."
Though pinch-hitter Eric Campbell struck out to end the inning, Collins stood by his lineup and decisions from Saturday's 5-2 loss.
"You can't have a crystal ball. You can't look ahead. You've got to just say, I think this is going to give us our best shot to win the game with this particular lineup," Collins said. "You know he's going to get up earlier in other innings than he normally would.
"The biggest thing, had he been able to get out of that [fifth] inning without a lot of damage done, he would've still been in the game. I go back and say, 'put a cap on it and get us out of this thing and you'd stay in the game.' When you're down a run and you haven't been scoring, we've got to take that chance."
Niese said that he did not express his unhappiness to Collins when the decision was made.
Caitlin Swieca is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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I've used this board to my benefit for a few weeks now, so I thought I'd better register and say "Thanks".... "Thanks!"
Here is a problem I'm currently kicking around (yes, it is for a C++ class, no it is not due tomorrow:)), any ideas are appreciated.
I have a simple program that creates "rectangles" (a class with "width" and "length" data members). I have to create multiple rectangles, change lengths or widths on some, check to see if any of them are squares... no sweat so far. The catch is:
*we have to send our output to a file--AND the output has to include a notice of each object going out of scope (when the program ends)*
SO, how do I go about getting two or more destructors from different objects writing to the same output file?
I am working on getting a static ofstream object in the public data members of my rectangle class-- with some trouble. I'm not sure that can be done yet...


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A number of Indians to participate in winter ball
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
Cleveland announced on Wednesday that a handful of its big leaguers would be joining a solid sampling of farmhands for winter ball. The Tribe has players lined up to take part in the Arizona Fall League (currently underway), as well as the Winter Leagues in Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Panana, Colombia and the Dominican Republic.
Here is a look at this winter's participants by league (Major Leaguers in italics):
Arizona Fall League: Pitchers Cory Burns, Preston Guilmet, T.J. McFarland and Tyler Sturdvent; catcher Roberto Perez; infielder Jesus Aguilar; and outfielders Tim Fedroff and Chad Huffman.
Venezuelan Winter League: Pitchers Eric Berger, Rob Bryson, Paolo Espino, Jose Flores, Jeanmar Gomez and Hector Rondon; infielders Jesus Aguilar, Manuel Boscan, Asdrubal Cabrera, Argenis Martinez, Karexon Sanchez and Luis Valbuena; and catcher Alex Monsalve.
Dominican Winter League: Pitchers Fausto Carmona, Luis Encarnacion, Ubaldo Jimenez, Rafael Perez and Felix Sterling; infielders Juan Diaz and Ronny Rodriguez; outfielders Delvi Cruz, Jerad Head and Luigi Rodriguez; and catcher Moises Montero.
Puerto Rican Winter League: Pitcher Giovanni Soto and catcher Roberto Perez.
Panana Winter League: Pitchers Francisco Jimenez, Toru Murata, Danny Salazar and Steven Wright.
Colombian Winter League: Infielder Giovanny Urshela.
Masterson undergoes surgery on left shoulder
CLEVELAND -- Right-hander Justin Masterson developed into a leader within the Indians' rotation this past season, and an argument could be made that he is more than deserving of taking the mound on Opening Day come 2012.
Even after offseason shoulder surgery, Masterson might still earn that honor.
The Indians announced on Wednesday that Masterson underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left (non-throwing) shoulder. The operation was performed by Dr. Craig Morgan in Wilmington, Del. Masterson is expected to be recovered and without restrictions in time for the 2012 campaign.
"He had some discomfort at the end of the year," general manager Chris Antonetti said. "It just made sense to take care of it now."
Masterson, 26, has had issues with his left shoulder since before Cleveland acquired him as part of the July 31, 2009, trade that sent Victor Martinez to the Red Sox. The injury only became a problem for the pitcher down the stretch this past season.
Masterson went 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA over 34 appearances in 2011, during which he struck out 158 and walked 65 over 216 innings. Over his final seven starts, however, he went 2-3 with a 5.23 ERA for the Tribe. Masterson had posted a 2.22 ERA in his previous 15 outings.
Antonetti noted that the surgery is unlikely to hinder Masterson's ability to have a relatively "normal" offseason and Spring Training routine, considering the issue deals with his non-throwing arm.
This winter, Masterson will be eligible for salary arbitration for the first time, after tying Josh Tomlin for the team lead in victories. As things currently stand, Masterson and Tomlin figure to join Ubaldo Jimenez and Fausto Carmona in the 2012 rotation. David Huff and Jeanmar Gomez are among those currently in the mix for the fifth-starter spot.
Indians close to finalizing 2012 coaching staff
CLEVELAND -- The Indians are moving closer to putting the finishing touches on their coaching staff for next season.
"We continue to work through completing our Major League coaching staff," general manager Chris Antonetti said on Wednesday. "We've made progress over the last couple weeks, and are hopeful that we'll have that process completed in the next few days."
Cleveland is currently looking for a new pitching coach and first-base coach. Tim Belcher and Tim Tolman stepped down from their jobs as pitching coach and bench coach, respectively, at the end of this past season. First-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. was subsequently promoted to the bench-coach role under manager Manny Acta.
Antonetti has indicated that the Indians have considered both internal and external candidates for the open jobs. The GM noted that he hoped to be able to announce the new coaching staff in its entirety by early next week at the latest.
"I don't want to handicap it," Antonetti said. "I can certainly say we have a number of quality internal candidates who we'll certainly give consideration to. I would hope in the next few days that we'll be able to have resolution on that."
Two internal possibilities for the pitching-coach role include Indians bullpen coach Scott Radinsky and Triple-A Columbus pitching coach Ruben Niebla. If Radinsky shifted to the pitching-coach position, that would create an opening for a new bullpen coach, as well. Niebla, who has experience as a reliever, might also be a contender for that job.
Acta indicated that the first-base coaching job would likely be filled by someone who could also provide baserunning and outfield instruction. Candidates currently in Cleveland's system would seem to include Minor League field coordinator Tom Wiendenbauer and outfield and baserunning coordinator Gary Thurman.
Tribe plans to take time on Grady, Fausto
CLEVELAND -- The Indians have until three days after the conclusion of the World Series to make a decision on the club options contained in the contracts of center fielder Grady Sizemore and pitcher Fausto Carmona.
Cleveland plans to take its time in weighing its options.
"I don't think too much has changed," general manager Chris Antonetti said on Wednesday. "I would expect our decision on both Fausto and Grady to come down to [being made] on or around the deadline that is in place. These are big decisions for us."
Sizemore, who underwent surgery on his right knee on Oct. 3, has a club option worth $9 million for the 2012 season. If the Indians decide against exercising the option, the team would be required to pay a $500,000 buyout, which would then make Sizemore eligible for free agency this winter.
Carmona -- coming off an inconsistent season for the Indians -- has a club option worth $7 million for next season. If the Indians elect not to pick up the option, Carmona would still be under team control and eligible for salary arbitration.
Members of the Indians' front office convened last week in Goodyear, Ariz., to begin deliberations over upcoming moves, including the options for Sizemore and Carmona. Antonetti said he will continue to weigh the team's options in the days leading up to the deadline.
"We're still working through the process," Antonetti said. "It's not something where you just make a decision. It takes time."
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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When I install zonealarm, it ask that the CHECKPOINT VPN client service
be disabled. Any reason why it's doing that ?
Would have thought that since both products are from the same company there should not be any compatibility issues.
Operating System:Windows Vista Ultimate
Software Version:8.0
Product Name:ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite


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July 24, 2009
Now this is what I call a Happy Birthday: Rob Fan Gets a Birthday Surprise at Work
7 comments:
Awsum cake !I'm really jealous!grrr!That's like the best suprise any Rob fan can have.FinallyReplyDelete
HAPPY BIRTHDAY , KATIE!!!!Enjoy the smexy , delicious Rob cake , your so lucky!!!
~Renesmee =)
- AnonymousJuly 24, 2009 at 4:29 PM
Happy Birthday Katie!!!ReplyDelete
Your cake looks so yummy!! ;OP LOL
Thanks my cake was delicious! I had the slice with the "I 'heart' Katie" on his neck :)ReplyDelete
now thats some real friends!!! Happy Birthday Katie!ReplyDelete
You have great friends!! Can I borrow them, my friends don't dare encourage my obsession!!! Happy Birthday!!ReplyDelete
That is one of my favorite pictures of Rob. I LOVE that cake!ReplyDelete
That is like the best cake everReplyDelete
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DANVILLE - Music teachers say the $20,000 grant awarded to Danville's music department is "an answer to a prayer."
The school district was one of two districts in the United States to receive the 2005 GRAMMY Signature Schools Enterprise Awards, which recognize efforts made by schools that are economically underserved.
"This will be a prayer that's been answered," elementary music teacher Julianne Johnson Sommers said. "It's been a lot harder on the high school, but it's been hard on all of us because we don't have enough room."
The $20,000 will be used to renovate an existing room at the high school that will be available for use for music classes from pre-kindergarten through high school.
According to Julie Rutherford, assistant band director, when Danville began it's pre-kindergarten program, the elementary music program lost its classroom to that program.
"In the fall, the elementary music teacher lost her room, and she's been having to wheel a cart around to all the classrooms with all her stuff on it," Rutherford said.
Rutherford said Sommers applied for the GRAMMY Foundation grant in the fall. Shortly thereafter, however, the school board approved the construction of a music classroom for the 2005-06 school year that will serve pre-kindergarten through fourth grades.
So, when Sommers received notification that Danville was a finalist for the grant, she, Rutherford and Alana Smith, music department chair, decided the money should go toward an additional classroom for the secondary programs.
The additional room will allow the school to develop a choir program, a goal Sommers has been working on this year.
"This is definitely an opportunity to build a choir program," Smith said. "We will also be able to divide the band students into classes for brass and woodwinds and percussions. That will help improve our band, because we will be able to give a lot more detailed instruction."
Sommers is currently working with a high school choir during the regular schedule as well as a select choir that must meet after school because of scheduling limitations.
"I've been trying to get a choral music program going," Sommers said. "It's hard for a lot of the kids to take choir because that period is the only spot available in the schedule."
Smith and Rutherford both agreed a new room would allow the school to have a junior high and a high school choir.
"The kids who have worked with Mrs. Sommers are excited," she said. "I think if we can get a room and get the choir developed, it's really going to mean so much for our music department."
The choir will soon have to be relocated for the remainder of the school year because other teachers will need its current room. Sommers said a lot of materials and equipment is stored in an old locker room, where water damage and moisture are concerns.
Rutherford said an additional room would also allow all three of the music department faculty members to be fully utilized.
"It will give us a place to rehearse when other things are going on in the cafetorium because it will be sound-proofed," Rutherford said. "Right now, if anything's going on out there, they can hear us through the wall."
The current band room is located just off the cafetorium and has only thin walls separating it from the meeting area.
Part of the grant application process included submitting a recording of the high school band. Sommers said that recording "sealed the deal" for Danville to receive the award.
The high school band is in its fourth year under Smith's direction, and, despite the limitations she and the other teachers face, Smith said she has seen a lot of growth in the program.
"This is my fourth year here, and the superintendent and school board have always been supportive," Smith said. "When I came four years ago, it was just me for kindergarten through 12th grade. Two years ago, they added an elementary teacher, and this year, they added an assistant band director.
"So our music program has really come a long way."
The band received an excellent rating at the Jessieville Marching Contest. Three students were selected for the All-Region band, while five were selected for the Arkansas All-Star honors band. Band members received 60 excellent medals and 50 superior medals at the solo and ensemble competition.
Sommers said the additional money will help the many students at Danville who excel in music to further develop their talents.
"The kids have really missed having a room," Sommers said. "This is going to help us all. We don't have to worry so much about how good they are. What's important is that the kids enjoy music and carry it with them.
"These kids really love music. I would love to see Danville on the map for our music program, and I think this award is a good start."
The grant will be officially presented during a ceremony at 7 p.m. April 26 in Ted Lyons Gymnasium. The ceremony will feature performances by elementary students, the high school choir, the sixth and seventh grade bands and the high school band.


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Members of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Credit Union Advisory Council told Credit Union Times that CFPB officials listen to credit union concerns and seem to understand the unique relationships between credit unions and their members. However, they said, CFPB officials don't have an answer for why they can't simply exempt credit unions altogether from some or all regulations.
John Buckley, president/CEO of the $124 million Gerber FCU of Fremont, Mich., attended the council's March 12 meeting in Washington. He said while CFPB officials seem to appreciate that credit unions didn't cause the housing meltdown, they also seem to feel constrained by Dodd-Frank and the law's congressional mandates, which "doesn't really allow for common sense implementation."
The 15 council members have stressed the differences between credit unions and community banks, he said. In particular, they have tried to explain to CFPB officials that the CFPB's mission to protect financial consumers from shareholders doesn't really apply to credit unions because credit union shareholders are also the consumers.
"You could justify exempting [credit unions] from any and all regulations proposed by the CFPB because our owners, who are ultimately baring the profit or loss from the cost of operations, are the same consumers the CFPB purports to protect," Buckley said.
When council members have pressed this point with the CFPB, he said, the bureau officials nod approvingly, but so far the cooperative education hasn't yet translated into a blanket credit union exemption.
Gregg Stockdale, president/CEO of the $35 million 1st Valley CU of San Bernardino, Calif., also attended the March 12 meeting and said he was encouraged by the CFPB's good grasp of Dodd-Frank Act mandates.
"I think we moved the needle on their regulations in the favor of credit unions," Stockdale said. "How far is up for grabs. They still hold to what is stipulated in Dodd-Frank and are careful not to violate any of those mandates."
Marc Schaefer, president/CEO of the $1.6 billion Truliant FCU, attended the meeting and confirmed the group has asked the CFPB pointblank for a credit union exemption, but hasn't received a satisfactory answer. Schaefer said the group has further suggested the CFPB expand its exemptions to at least include credit unions that serve low-income or underserved areas.
Credit unions would do themselves a favor developing a litmus test that would help the CFPB feel more comfortable exempting the cooperatives from rules designed to protect consumers, he said.
"I've tried in the past in credit union roundtables to define, for example, five things credit unions don't do that would separate us from predatory lenders," he said. "Some sort of litmus test that clearly shows your main reason for existence is to serve members and improve their financial lives."
Yes, there are some credit unions that aren't as strongly aligned with the credit union philosophy, Schaefer said, and he theorized that perhaps the NCUA could help the CFPB separate out those institutions and determine which credit unions wouldn't be eligible for the bureau's exemptions.
Schaefer was complimentary of the CFPB's organization of the council, calling it "one of the most organized groups I've ever been involved with." Members receive a meeting agenda well in advance, he said, and the CFPB even organizes a pre-meeting meeting to discuss the agenda and what kind of feedback they're seeking.
In addition to reviewing mortgage rules, Schaefer said CFPB officials discussed potential rules on overdrafts, the bureau's new Project Catalyst and expressed interest in indirect auto lending.
"They seemed very concerned about letting car dealers mark up the loan rate during indirect lending," he said.
The Truliant chief executive was also complimentary of CFPB Director Richard Cordray, who he said arrived at the council meeting immediately after testifying before the Senate Banking Committee regarding his pending confirmation.
"He didn't get any lunch, he was grabbing a sandwich with the rest of us," Schaefer said.
Cordray and his senior executives ask a lot of questions of the council and run a very informal and informative meeting, he said.


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COURSE: 63-370 Wireless Security (3)
This course provides students with practical exposure to setup and operate a wireless network. Common threats to wireless networks will be explained, network attackers will be demonstrated and steps to control attacks will be discussed. Students will be able to detect and prevent wireless attacks by gaining an understanding of various security technologies and common attacks and vulnerabilities. Prerequisite: 63-335


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Hi again.
Basically, I'm really thinking about changing majors from Computer Science. I'm now going to be starting my 4th semester at it, and I still have very very basic C++ knowledge and practice at it. I've been at it for 8-10 hours a day my entire winter break and I still am stuck with so many 'programs' not working at all. Compiler errors with no idea why.
I'm just looking for some information as how programming or Computer Science is in real industry, not in school.
My college only teaches C++ for 4 months, during my 1st semester. They taught from "Hello World" to introduction to pointers, (with flow of control, declarations, basic stuff in between). We never really used and of them in any programs, just read from the book up to there. After that, every other course has been a lecture on basic computer theory. We never code again.
I tried talking to my CS advisers, and they admitted that they are not CS majors, (in fact, it seems they never touched Computer Science or programming with a ten foot pole!) They pull out the school's guidlines on CS and repeat it.
My school doesn't help students get work experience till our junior year, basically my 5th semester, and I don't really think I could get a job anyway, with my lack of computer knowledge and programming skills.
I can't get tutor help for coding, since that is only assigned to 1st semester CS students. I ask professors, and they don't answer me in emails or in person, especially since they just teach theory from a book and not code themselves. I've asked my peers, and almost all of them know just about as much as me, save for a few who learned coding a while ago and are just waiting for their degree. They aren't too willing to help out so many people also, (I don't blame them, everyone here is in need of help and ask them...)
I have 3 C++ books, and have been going throught them, but it doesn't help much if I don't have answers to look at and compare to my code, nor a way to find out why my implementation doesn't work, or what that complier error that I'm getting.
I really don't think I'm ever going to be able to get a CS job with the knowledge I got, I'll be graduating in only 2 more years I just don't know how it is in the industry, seems no one does at my school. I'm thinking of just changing majors to Information Technology, or to ensure I actually get a job, change schools and go for business.....
It's not like I slack off or anything like that. I'm good at science and math, which I have to take along with the Computer classes, but for all the studying I do, I seem to get no where with it.
Any information about what to do with programming or Computer Sciene in the work field would be very appreciated. I have no where else to ask. I'm stuck.
Thank you for your time.


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Smarter Working UC Toolkit is an online library of UC audio device rollout resources and tools created by Plantronics, specifically for IT professionals. The goal of the Smarter Working UC Toolkit is to accelerate end user adoption of the audio devices by ensuring users have the correct device, have a seamless transition to their new device, are properly trained, and are empowered to work smarter.
The Smarter Working UC Toolkit iPad app is full of resources and tools to help IT successfully integrate UC audio devices into your organization. Use the app for quick access to best practices for all phases of deployments, links to key planning tools, the ability to easily send your end users training tools that allow them to setup their own devices, and more.
Phases: Learn the best practices and recommendations for deploying UC audio devices in each phase of the lifecycle – Trial, Plan, Deploy, Adopt, and Evolve. View FAQs, Guidelines, Checklists, and Surveys and use the Tools for proper planning.
Wireless: Use the Wireless Resources for education and guidance when planning for wireless voice in office environments. Read the white paper, use the tool, and listen to the podcast.
Setup Guides: Send your end users links to the Plantronics Quick Setup and Video Setup Guides, manage your UC audio devices, and view sample training videos.
All Resources: Visit the Resource Library for quick access to all UC Toolkit resources and tools.
Overview: Watch the Video and read the Overview to fully understand what's included in the UC Toolkit.
Communicate: Connect via social media, read the UC Voice for IT blog, visit our website or drop us an email.
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Longo feels, and looks, back to normal in field
By Bill Chastain / MLB.com
ST. PETERSBURG -- Evan Longoria's bat work has been difficult to miss, as he has been the team's most consistent hitter since the start of the season.
Equally encouraging has been his return to form in the field after being slowed last season with his hamstring injury that eventually required surgery.
Those observing the Gold Glove third baseman since the beginning of Spring Training have witnessed a gradual progression from tentative movements to where he is now, back among the top fielding third basemen in baseball.
"In the spring I was just coming off the surgery, and I hadn't played at all, so a little bit of the hesitations and reservations were because of that," Longoria said. "I was just working myself back into baseball shape. Now I have a bunch of games under my belt, and I've felt good. I think just a lot of it is being back on the field."
Rays infield coach Tom Foley has seen the fluid nature of Longoria's movements and noted: "I just think he's playing the way he's capable of playing."
"In Spring Training he was taking it slowly," Foley added. "He was taking his days off, making sure he was taking care of his legs and stuff. Now he's out there, and he's doing his work. To me, he's Longoria.
"When he was hurt, you knew there were balls he wasn't going to get to. He was cautious with his legs. He had a little bit more trouble at the time last year going to his right than going to his left. So we moved him a step or two closer to the line, where going to the left was easier for him. For me it's just a gradual thing for him. He's probably not even thinking about it now."
Rays manager Joe Maddon was asked if anything he had seen about Longoria in the field told him that he had indeed returned to form.
He answered: "I think two things: the hard play to his left, when he really gets extended to his left, because he's really good with the ball to his right. When he gets extended to his left and gets up quickly to make a good throw. That tells me something. And the other one is just a slow roller with the bunt. That's just a hard play. And he makes that play great. But my point is, to be able to do that all the time, his legs have to feel good to do that. He's made a couple of those already."
Longoria acknowledges that he has been surprised about how good he has felt so far.
"You could say that I'm more fluid or whatever it is; I think it's just a product of being more comfortable," Longoria said. "Feeling like my legs are underneath me and I don't have anything to worry about as far as that goes."
Rays place Gomes on DL, call up Lueke
ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays on Friday placed reliever Brandon Gomes on the 15-day disabled list with a right lat strain and recalled Josh Lueke from Triple-A Durham to take his place.
"This is something, it happened quickly," Gomes said. "A couple of games in Colorado, I wasn't feeling great, just trying to power through it. I was warming up last night. But once we won the game, it definitely was a good thing, because I didn't feel good. And I came in here, and I was like, 'I can't throw through it anymore.'"
Gomes, who last pitched Tuesday, had retired the three total batters he faced over his last three appearances. In 14 appearances this season, the right-hander had tallied a 5.40 ERA to go along with 16 strikeouts and just two walks over 11 2/3 innings of work.
"It's just painful every time I go to throw the ball," Gomes said. "I was trying to get through it with treatment. It was getting to the point where it was starting to affect stuff."
Lueke, meanwhile, had compiled a 2-0 record, seven saves and 0.95 ERA in 14 appearances with Durham.
"It's always surprising to get the news, because everybody up here's been doing their thing and just kind of going about it," Lueke said. "Every day, you follow the big club just to see what's going on up there, but in the same sense, you've got to kind of just stay level-headed and do your own thing. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, go out there the next day."
Lueke feels confident and more positive than he has in the past, thanks in part to a new approach.
"The physical adjustment would be just the change in work ethic, the change in the offseason workout approach altogether," Lueke said. "Working out with Gomes pushed me a lot harder than I've done in the past. Working with him and then getting into the earlier throwing -- because normally I'd kind of wait until like December to start throwing. We kind of started right when their season was over up here, so we got right into it. Then I just carried it over all the way through spring and just kind of rolling the ball uphill, I guess."
Because the two worked out together, Lueke called it "tough news" to be getting an opportunity at the expense of his friend.
"I'm glad he's not getting sent down or anything," Lueke said. "It's never good when somebody goes on the DL, especially obviously the guy I've been working out with the whole offseason. It'll be a quick comeback, and he'll get back out there and do what he does."
Established at plate, Scott might expand role
ST. PETERSBURG -- Since returning from the disabled list, Luke Scott has been hitting the ball like he once did with the Orioles before arriving to the Rays via free agency. However, he has been used as the DH and not in the field, which leads to speculation about what might happen the next time the team plays an Interleague contest in a National League ballpark. Could he be used in the field?
Scott was asked whether he was ready to play the field.
"Definitely, I'm getting even better as the days are going along," said Scott, who had right-shoulder surgery during the 2011 season. "Before it would be that I'd have a good day, then a day I'm sore, another good day, and a day I'm sore. Then it was two good days and a day I'm sore. Now it's three and four, five good days and a day I'm sore."
While some Rays fans might remember Scott when he played outfield for the Orioles, others have only recent memories of him solely as a DH.
"I played great defense my whole career," Scott said. "I made a bunch of diving plays early in my career. I ran into the wall a couple of times. I went after home run balls. I played really, really aggressive. But my body bounced back, and it healed."
The Rays' next Interleague contest at a National League park will be May 29-30 in Miami against the Marlins. Rays manager Joe Maddon said using Scott in the field would be a possibility in that series, given the way he had been looking with the bat.
Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Crown Central Petroleum Corp.
List of Deals
- 1968 Crown Central Petroleum Corporation: 5 3/4% convertible subordinated debentures due December 1, 1993
The Crown Oil and Refining Company succeeded in striking oil in 1917. The proceeds from this success enabled the company to build its own refinery. The refinery, one of the first built on the Houston Ship Channel, opened in 1920 with lube oil as its only product. At that time, the majority of Crown Oil and Refining Company's stock was held by White Oil Corporation. In 1923 White Oil was acquired by United Central Oil Corporation; therefore United Central gained control of Crown Oil. The company began producing gasoline in 1925. The same year, United Central changed its name and was incorporated as Crown Central Petroleum Corporation.
Crown Central went public in 1935 and was listed on the Curb Exchange. The company pioneered the manufacturing of 100-octane aviation gasoline, which the U.S. Navy used in its airplane engines in World War II. The company benefited greatly from the boom in its business during the war, and Crown Central branched out into the retail gas business. It opened its first stations in 1943 and began an extensive marketing and distribution chain spanning from Texas to Maryland. By 1968 the company's products included gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel, diesel fuel, fuel oils, lubricating oils, and petro-chemicals.


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KMeleonWiki > Documentation > TipsAndTricks
Single Window Mode - Make all new windows open in layers("tabs").
Webpage Appearance - Manipulate webpages with these tweaks.
Faster Page Loading - Display webpages faster with these settings.
QuickSearch & Nicknames - Quickly search the web or go to your bookmark from the URL Bar.


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First Sign Price Might Not Want to be a "Rays Lifer"
What a great and grand New Years day present to hear the Tampa Bay Rays and their ace, David Price have come to an agreement for his 2013 salary. Sure a 1-year, $10.1 million dollar payday for the upcoming 2013 season is nothing to sneeze at (or if you are Astro..snort at), but the reality is so many of us had hoped the recent decision of Evan Longoria to basically announce he wants to be a "Ray for Life" might rub off a bit on his condo-sharing neighbor Price. Realistically you had hoped the Rays would have pushed harder for at least a 2-year deal to hedge their own "fiscal cliff" and keeping Price at least in a Rays jersey until late July 2014.
But the blatant fact here is Price knows his stock will soar yearly as he meanders towards his Free Agency years, that if he stays consistent and produces number that are in the higher echelon of the MLB hurlers, the dollar signs and length of contract will increase tremendously. That by itself would surely dictate a 1-year deal for 2013.
I think I'm not the only one hoping somewhere within the Rays 4th floor there is someone trying to not only persuade Price and his agent to think long-term, but that the new Rays pitching leadership figure might want to stay with the thoughts of teaming along side Longo for at least the next 5 seasons possibly pushing the Rays past their present post season darkness. You want to think someone who has not only embraced the region, but its fan base with such smiles and up-lifting comments would make a visual or fiscal move to show confidence in the system and the Rays composition.
Maybe I'm a bit naive in thinking Price would make a gesture towards this community showing his want and eagerness to stay beyond his proposed 2015 payday. Possibly my sugarplum and sunshine daydreams are all well and good, but Price's own agent has basically let it slip out Price want to be the best, and that might not only pertain to the playing field. If that rhetoric stands, new Dodger SP Zack Grienke and his MLB record 6-year, $147 million dollar acquisition might be pushed to the #2 slot when Price hit the Free Agent market.
Price himself has let out little sound feelings that suggest he wants to be the best, and by the way he has produced on the field and stayed clean off it during his career, teams would be crazy not to line up and try to get him signed on the dotted line. So maybe I'm throwing some rain water on the pure sunshine that Price is signed, sealed and delivered for 2013, but behind all that glitter that is Price's new gold is the common fact this might be the first step towards the final parting of Price and the Rays.
I want to be just like so many other and be naive to the fact Price will command a possible $13-14 million dollar payday as he goes through salary arbitration again next Winter. This kind of financial burden would not cripple so many other ball clubs, but with the Rays coffers not lined in silver and gold, anything over his present $10.1 million salary could stagnant the Rays chance at improvement at other positions, especially the devoid Designated Hitter slot.
With just a 1-season contract at this moment, could Price realistically be entering the twilight of his Rays adventure? Could this type of thinking snowball and take on such momentum this season that by the Trade Deadline, Price's name goes from a whisper to a deafening shout as a trade piece?
You want to thrust such thoughts deep down into your gut and not make them even public, but the truth is unless there is some form of futuristic commitment over the next 7 months as to his financial and physical standing with this team, He could be gone.
Price has been a great Ray since his relief efforts during their World Series run back in 2008, and his star has risen to such heights even over the past 2 seasons that the Rays may not be able to hitch their wagon to him anymore as Price might have finally entered that red zone of outgrowing the Rays fiscal comfort area.
Price is that one pitcher who come but once a generation for a team struggling with their payroll like the Rays. He has produced above and beyond expectations, shown his All-Star savvy and even garnered a few pieces of lifetime hardware for his efforts. He has made his dog Astro one of the best known MLB canine groupies ever and have even brought him to cult status in Tampa Bay and around the MLB. Price has had his bumps and bruises along the way, but has shown with class and confidence his style both on and off the hill are of the top order.
Some might say his $10.1 million salary was at the high-end of what the Rays would want to pay for Price, but the figure is in line with estimates and media speculations. You want to be optimistic at a moment like this and applaud and commend Price for a job well done during his career and embrace his achievements as we become anxiously awaiting his 2013 return to the playing fields of Port Charlotte, Florida for Spring Training.
Maybe by then we will have heard more out of the Price camp about the future, the present situation and his own opinions on him possibly being a "Ray" long-term. But as always, there is some darkness under this ultimate floating cloud's silver lining, especially in the hopes of tying Price to a long-term deal or extension. Some would say I'm trying to pry open the Rays Carolina Blue curtain and further exposing the approaching danger on the horizon, but maybe it is more I'm finally coming to the conclusion Price might not be the type of player who wants to be a "lifetime" Ray. Hopefully he will prove me wrong….sooner rather than later.


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"I'm happy that someone like you has appeared in the world of shinobi that we foolish old people created. Everything I've ever done was a mistake. But now, at the end, it looks like I'll finally be able to do the right thing. The Sand Village and Konoha. Their future will be much different than the way things were back in my day."
Basic Information
Name: Honored Grandmother Chiyo (チヨバア様, Chiyo-baasama)
Nickname(s): Puppet Granny
Gender: Female
Age: Senile
Clan: - (Puppet Brigade, Honored Siblings)
Appearance: Chiyo appears to be frail and senile. Her hair is of a lilac colour and falls down to her shoulders, occasionally seen in a bun atop her head. She's also often seen wearing a headband. Her clothing is a simple black robe which seems to be quite native of those to Sunagakure. She looks old with wrinkles, having two distinctive brown patches on her face; one above her right eye and one below her left.
Personality: Chiyo being an elder in the village showed her to be very wise, to the extent that Baki had asked her for help when the village was under peril. Although she lacked the motivation to do much, due to the course her life has taken in retirement and felt the village should be able to look after themselves. She was disappointed when she had found out the village had become reliant on others like Konohagakure. Aside from this serious side, she also has a mischievous side to her, acting like a senile woman at times and even playing dead to her brother.
Unlike other ninja who believe the mission comes first and thus, emotions should be put aside, Chiyo was quite emotional and caring for people, especially her grandson Sasori. She would be willing to do anything to support him, no matter how far into darkness he had fallen. In fact, it's Sasori's involvement with the attack on Sunagakure which made her help out at Baki's request. Her love for him beared a grudge on Sakumo Hatake, the person who killed his parents and tried to kill his son, Kakashi due to the resemblence.
Chiyo also shows deep respect for Sakura Haruno, despite being the disciple of her rival Tsunade. She holds many regrets in her life, with one of the main regrets being the person to seal Shukaku inside of Gaara.
Village Information
Village of Birth: Sunagakure
Village of Alliance: Kirigakure
Rank/Chakra Information
Shinobi Rank: S-Class Ninja
Specialty: Puppetry Techniques, Lightning Release, Red Sand Fist Playing Dead
Wind Release: In TrainingYour Ninjutsu
Lightning Release: Mastered
Fire Release: B-Rank
Earth Release: B-Rank
Water Release: C-Rank
Ninjutsu: E-Rank
Genjutsu: Mastered
Kenjutsu: B-Rank
Puppetry: Mastered
Summoning: Buzzards
Background History
When Sasori was young, his father and mother were killed by Sakumo Hatake in battle, leaving him in the care of his grandmother, Chiyo. When Chiyo attempted to cheer him up by teaching him puppetry at age five, Sasori's innate aptitude for the art became apparent, and he even began to devise masterful ways of eliminating a puppet master's weaknesses in battle. His skills even allowed him to create two puppets in the image of his parents in an attempt to discard the terrible loneliness he felt. However, as the puppets were unable to give him the real parental love that he desired, Sasori lost interest in them, and they later fell into Chiyo's possession.
Kazekage Rescue Arc
After Gaara is kidnapped and Kankurō is poisoned by Sasori, Baki requests that Chiyo help in curing the poison. Chiyo initially refuses, no longer concerned with the fate of the village, but Sasori's involvement persuades her into helping. In spite of this, Sasori's poison is beyond her expertise to cure. Much to her own dismay, she admits that Tsunade would be the only one capable of healing him. Even with such an admission, she is not willing to contact Tsunade, believing firmly that asking other villages for help makes their own look weaker.
When Team 7 arrives after learning of Gaara's kidnapping, Chiyo instantly attacks Kakashi Hatake under the mistaken impression that he is his father: Konoha's White Fang, who had killed Sasori's parents. Naruto blocks the attack and Ebizō clears up the confusion, after which Chiyo plays the attack off as senility. With that over, Sakura is able to heal Kankurō, much to Chiyo's surprise. Once Kankurō is healed, Team 7 prepares to go after the Akatsuki to rescue Gaara, and Chiyo joins them as an adviser from Sunagakure. She explained to Naruto what a tailed beast was, and confessed to sealing the One-Tail into Gaara. When Team 7 encountered Itachi Uchiha, she remained in the rear in order to cancel any genjutsu that was cast on her comrades.
After reaching the Akatsuki hideout, Team 7 splits up to pursue the only two members present; Kakashi and Naruto go after Deidara, leaving Chiyo and Sakura to fight against Sasori. The battle goes in their favour at first, with Chiyo controlling Sakura to help her avoid Sasori's attacks and smash his "puppet armour", Hiruko. The destruction of his puppet forces Sasori to reveal himself, which also reveals the fact that he hasn't aged a day since departing the village twenty years earlier. Now unmasked, Sasori brings out the first of his human puppets: the Third Kazekage. This puppet is decidedly more powerful than Hiruko, and Chiyo is forced to summon Sasori's mother and father puppets just to fend off its powerful attacks. Even with the two puppets, Chiyo is overwhelmed by the Third's Iron Sand techniques, which prove to be a puppet's biggest weakness, leaving Sakura to be the one to destroy the Kazekage puppet.
Down another puppet, Sasori reveals the secret of his youth: he has converted himself into a puppet. The only living part of him remaining is his heart, making him difficult to kill. Since neither she nor Sakura can destroy his puppet body, Chiyo summons the Chikamatsu Collection. To mock the summoning, Sasori summons one hundred of his puppets, a feat only possible thanks to his unique body. In the ensuing battle, Chiyo destroys many of Sasori's puppets and vice versa. Both collections seem to be about equal in power because, despite the fact that Sasori's overwhelm Chiyo's in numbers, the quality and teamwork of her puppets far surpass his. She is wounded and poisoned by one of Sasori's puppets that slashes her right shoulder, but the puppet was quickly disposed of was quickly by Sakura, who then applied an antidote on Chiyo.
Using a special chakra-sealing orb given to her by Chiyo, Sakura tries to seal Sasori's Chakra Pathway System, only to catch his empty puppet body. Sasori, having ditched it moments before, simply goes to a spare body and tries to stab Chiyo with a poisoned sword. Sakura takes the blow in her place, giving Chiyo a chance to stab Sasori through the heart with his parents' puppets in the form of a hug. Before Sasori dies, he insists that at least Sakura cannot be saved. Chiyo disagrees, and uses a special life force-transferring technique to heal her. While this would normally be fatal for the average shinobi, Sakura is was not quite dead, thus Chiyo does not die in the process. After Sasori dies, Chiyo speculates that he had actually taken the attack willingly, since he simply wanted his parents to hug him.
Puppet Master
Chiyo was a renowned Puppet Master in Sunagakure, famous for her abilities in both controlling and creating them. She taught Sasori the techniques herself which led him to creating his own puppets, his mother and father now in Chiyo's posession. She's modified them to become battle worthy with multiple weapons. Her Chakra Threads technique has been so refined that she is capable of tapping them into a human and controlling them, should she have no puppets avail. It's also to the calibre that she can suppress them to become invisible, as well as using them to control and fire weapons such as kunai. She has also inherited the Ten Puppet Collection of Chikamatsu from the first puppet user, Monzaemon Chikamatsu and is said to have taken down a castle entirely on her own with that brigade.
Rank: B
Type: Supplementary
Range: N/A
Chakra Cost: 20
Damage Points: N/A
Description: After Sasori's parents were killed by Sakumo Hatake, he created these two puppets to fill the void left by their deaths, though they were not human puppets. At first, they were simply meant for Sasori to fill the void left by the death of his parents, but later, after Sasori left Sunagakure and left these puppets behind, Chiyo enhanced both of them, adding weapons to them to make them usable for battle. Both have chakra shields installed in them, and they also have steel wires that link together with their fingers that are usable for cutting. The mother puppet has a katana while the father has a chain of kunai.
Note: Usable only by a Sasori or Chiyo character.
Note: Can be summoned separately.
Rank: S
Type: Supplementary
Range: N/A
Chakra Cost: 40
Damage Points: N/A
Description: These ten puppets were created by the maker of puppetry—Chikamatsu. It is said that when used by the right puppet master, it can take down a castle. Each of the ten puppets have their own abilities or weapons. The first puppet, resembling a demon, does not hold any weapons, but its strength is immense, able to use its large fists to break things as strong as rocks and trees with a single punch. The second puppet can extend its arms in a cage, and then shoot out explosives from its mouth. The explosions are small and accurate, allowing them to hurt the enemy badly but not damage the cage at all. The third puppet has but a single eye, and is very proficient in taijutsu. Puppets four, six, and eight all work together to make a three-man pyramid and they then create a large amount of wind, using it as a vacuum to suck everything in front of them towards them. The fifth is a red puppet that works together with puppet nine, able to lift its face, revealing an orb of four spinning blades between its head and neck, and because these blades are made of chakra and spin very quickly, even as small scrape can prove deadly. Puppet #7 holds two dual swords and resembles a girl with her hair tied in buns. The two swords were able to cleave through enemies with ease, making it the main attacking puppet, though the largeness of them reduced the puppets speed. Puppet nine, which works with puppet 5, extends it hand like a chakra link, allowing the puppet to connect it to puppet five and then swing puppet five around wildly, using the spinning blades under its face to cut through anything it passed by. Finally, the tenth puppet is bald with holes in its head. From those holes, cords can extend out of its head, able to pierce many enemies at once, even from a long distance. These puppets put together can make a very deadly force.
Note: Only usable by a Chiyo character.
Note: No other puppets may be used while they are out.
Similar to Sasori, Chiyo also modified her arm to be mechanical. She's capable of using the Chakra Shield technique with it.
Lightning Release
Although not shown due to Chiyo preferring to use puppetry in battle, it is rumored that she may be quite versed in the Lightning Element. According to the rumors, Chiyo is capable of creating lightning techniques much faster than most other people.
Red Sand Fist
Red Sand Fist is a style created by Chiyo's grandson, Sasori in order to counter-attack those who tried to get into close range. Through the fight between himself and her with Sakura, she picked up on a lot of the details he had used to fight with the style. The style incorporates more flexible movements which the regular body wouldn't be able to keep up with, without having a puppet body. This allows Chiyo's right arm to be far more flexible, using rather intricate movements to fight.
Practitioner of Buzzards
Being one who signed the buzzard contract, Chiyo bears a tattoo of a strange mark wreathed in a teal flame on her left shoulder, showing her allegiance to the Buzzards. She can wipe blood onto the seal to summon a buzzard if need be.
Chiyo can also play dead to the point of fooling her brother multiple times with the same trick.
Other Information
Battle Music:
Battles Won: 0
Battles Lost: 0
Dropping Maka Albarn, should this be approved.


text:
Many French rivers polluted by banned chemical
PARIS (Reuters) - Rivers in eastern and northern France are contaminated with chemicals that have been outlawed since 1987 and are proving very hard to eliminate, a government report said on Wednesday.
Earlier this year fishing was banned in much of the River Rhone which runs through the southeastern corner of France because scientists said it contained dangerous levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB).
The latest report said other rivers were in an even worse condition because of industrial dumping dating back decades, including the Seine which runs through Paris.
"It's a huge clean-up job," Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, the secretary of state for ecology, told a news conference. Other big rivers in Europe are affected by the same problem, she said.
PCB was used primarily as a cooling and insulating fluid for electricity transformers and capacitors. It has been banned in France since 1987 after research showed it could cause fertility, growth and cancer problems in humans.
Kosciusko-Morizet said PCB had been very heavily used in industry since the 1930s and France was suffering the consequences of long-standing pollution.
"Cleaning it up is far from easy. It's very complicated because there are impressive amounts of sediment." She said it would be technically and economically impossible to clean up the whole Rhone.
She told Le Parisien daily she wanted to see the results of more tests before deciding whether to stop fishing in the Seine.
© Reuters2007All rights reserved


text:
Li Po
Li Po (701-762 / Chu / Kazakhstan)
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
Hearing A Flute On A Spring Night In Luoyang
From whose home secretly flies the sound of a jade flute?
It's lost amid the spring wind which fills Luoyang city.
read more >>
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text: Finally go the gun I have been looking for its a 6.weather5x57R under 12g 3" just the right caliber to hunt in southern Ontario for Coyote and big game in northern ontario . I brought it from Slovakia while I attended the Andre Rencol memorial XX . Great trip hope to do it again . Many great kopov dogs tested would be wonderful to import some for the growing pig problem here. I got a couple , but the best is to import from tested champion blood .


text:
SACRAMENTO (AP) — Minors in California will have a chance to remove embarrassing photographs and potentially damaging postings on social media websites under a bill that has been signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown.
The Democratic governor on Monday announced signing SB568 by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. Its central purpose is to give those under age 18 a second chance after they post something and later regret it.
Under the law, which takes effect in January 2015, website operators would be required to erase postings when asked by the minor to do so. California would be the first state with such a requirement, although it would not apply if the content had been reposted by a third party.
The bill also includes restrictions for online marketing to minors.


text:
Prescott Valley Print Facility
Prescott Valley Print Facility
8249 East Hwy. 69
Prescott Valley, Arizona 86314
(928) 775-3804
fax: (928) 775-0514
About the Prescott Valley Print Facility
WNI's Prescott Valley Print Facility in located in Prescott Valley, approximately 8 miles from Prescott, Arizona. The production department operates 24-hours a day, 7-days a week with three crews.
Western News&Info, Inc.® has a long history in the business of printing and publishing, beginning in the mid-1930s with the Yuma Daily Sun. Combining efforts through the years, Foy F. McNaughton and former Board Chairman Don Soldwedel purchased or started additional newspapers properties. Besides operating Newspapers through the years, the Soldwedels were also involved in commercial printing and television operations.
As of today, Western News&Info, Inc.® owns newspaper publications throughout Arizona and California, an outdoor advertising company, two radio stations, a variety of shoppers, real estate guides, two phone books and three commercial printing businesses.
The corporate offices are in Yuma.
Facility Contact: Gary Brinkman
Send an email
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text:
NYT Apologizes for Freudian Slip About Obama's Mom
Turns out The Onion's President Obama Tiger Beat image wasn't the only Obama-related error The New York Times printed on Sunday:
An article on Page 30, about President Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham, misstates the title of the book from which the article is adapted. It is "A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother," not "A Single Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother."
Independent ladies raising babies! Kenyans in America! Americans in Indonesia! Birth certificates that don't use the word "negro," and a woman with the first name of a man! Someone fetch our smelling salts, the Obama-Dunham-Soetoro clan is just too much for America to handle. [NYT via Jezebel, image via Wikimedia Commons]


text:
Rumor: Apple internally seeding iPhone unit with 1GB of RAM, upgraded iPod touch device
Date: Monday, April 9th, 2012, 09:48
Category: Hardware, iPod, Rumor
With one iOS device update out of the way for 2012, Apple is working on updates to the iPhone and iPod touch. While these updates are expected, some additional iOS device details have leaked.
Per 9to5Mac, Apple has internally seeded a prototype next-generation iPhone with the iPhone 4 design. The actual next-generation iPhone is specifically said to not include the iPhone 4/4S design, but Apple is testing these new devices in older casings to throw off leaks. The purpose of the prototype iPhone that we heard about is to test a variation of the "A5X" chip in an iPhone. The A5X processor in the new iPad was specifically built to drive the new Retina Display, so that chip wouldn't make much sense in an iPhone.
Instead, the iPhone prototypes feature a variation of the A5X's S5L8945X architecture. Like the A5X-powered iPad, these new iPhone prototypes are packing 1GB of RAM. This prototype is labeled N96 internally, so it's not certain if this internal codename will carry over to the actual next-generation iPhone. Again, this iPhone is an internal-only unit built for testing the performance of a new chip in an iPhone, not an actual phone that Apple will produce.
The iPod touch was an interesting product for Apple last year as it was the only iOS device to not receive internal nor cosmetic changes (save for a new white model). However, it looks like Apple is still interested in the iPod touch and wants a future for it. According to a file inside of an internal iOS 5.1 build, Apple is working on a fifth-generation iPod touch that is labeled iPod 5,1 internally. No specifics have been confirmed regarding the new iPod touch hardware, but the jump from 4,1 (the current internal iPod touch label) to 5,1 indicates major internal changes, at the very least. Perhaps Apple is finally moving to an A5 or A5X-like chip in the iPod touch. After all, the iPod touch is one of the most popular gaming devices on the market, and Apple's dual-core iOS device processors offer top-of-the-line graphics performance.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.


text:
On August 10, 2012, I was sitting with a bureaucrat friend of mine, in a Delhi restaurant. This friend occupies an important position in the government connected with maintaining law and order. We were discussing my blog post – Pune Blasts: The Story Behind the Story". At one point in the article I elaborate upon the chilling fourth degree torture unleashed allegedly under the overall superintendence of Rakesh Maria—the current Maharashtra ATS chief—way back in 1993—on the kin of the 1993 Mumbai blast. The alleged torture story is truly horrific and contains unspeakable instances of state-sponsored sadism on men, women and children.
Our conversation drifted to the framing of innocent Muslim youth in terror cases—the most glaring of which remains the 2008 Malegaon blast instance. Here, even after the late Hemant Karkare exposed the hand of right-wing, Sangh Parivar backed terrorism behind the blasts, Muslims initially charged with the crime—in which nearly all victims were Muslims—were not let off till 2012—and that too only on bail.
The said bureaucrat was worried over several Malegaon blast type incidents existing in India—and the deep sense of alienation that Muslim youths are passing through. At one point, I remarked in the usual arm chair discussion mode that "what will happen if 25 crore Indian Muslims decide to revolt?"
My friend replied calmly that forget about crores—the Indian security apparatus will not be able to handle even a 10,000 strong, militant crowd.
Next day, on August 11, 2012, my friend's words came back to haunt me as I saw the footage of not more than 500-1000 people, thrashing up the police, media and anyone who came their way. This aggressive mass had emerged from a 50,000 strong gathering at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, called by different Muslim groups such as the Raza Academy to protest against Assam ethnic violence and the systematic killing of Rohingiya Muslims in Myanmar.
Now, newspaper reports/commentators are talking about the hidden NCP-Congress fight in Mumbai; how the Raza Academy group of maulavis are close to NCP; and how the Azad Maidan protest was used by Sharad Pawar to shift focus away from the investigations (of corruption charges) against a NCP minister and the like.
As an active participant in several mass movements—some of which I actually led in my capacity as a Left student leader of Allahabad University—a campus famous for anti-establishment student militancy—I could not but express scepticism at the NCP-conspiracy angle. I remember in 1985, the students of Allahabad University had organized a massive movement against fee rise; ordinary students—some of them toppers of their disciplines—fought the police for hours with nothing but stones—so much so that several companies of the famed Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) of Uttar Pradesh had to retreat, not once but twice.
During the 1985 Allahabad movement, several elements who kept hand-made guns (katta) and hand-made bombs in their rooms (a normal practice in Uttar Pradesh campus' at least till the 1990s), too came out to fight when the PAC started invading hostels and beating up the students mercilessly in the lathi-charge melee. Bombs were thrown—guns were fired—at PAC jawans. All this was done without exception by senior, upper caste Hindu boys, dominating the hostels, some of whom had clear, but small time, criminal connections.
Yet, guns and bombs constituted less than 5 per cent of the student upsurge. The nature of mass movements is such that all elements of society—including the criminal-lumpen constituent—tend to participate. But ordinary people/students/youngsters always—without exception—form the bulk.
Things have changed quite a lot since the 1980s and 1990s. Indeed, the last 15 years has not seen a major mass movement even in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the traditional hotbeds of turbulence. I think media—which has emerged as a phenomenal force in precisely these 15 years—suffers from a lack of experience and perspective as far as mass movements and actions are concerned.
In politics as well, a new breed of managerial-technocrat—yuppies and foreign educated—politicians have emerged. They dominate nearly all parties. Let alone mass movements and mass actions, they do not understand mass dynamics. In 2011, they failed terribly in reading the dynamics behind the Anna phenomenon. In 2012, incidents at Manesar and Mumbai leave them speechless.
This is unfortunate. The attitude which sees politics as an entity that can be `managed'—or masses as consumers who can be manipulated into buying poll promises—misses the entire point. Several 21st Century, fab-india jholawala types—not Leftists but NGO marka activists—also suffer deeply from this malaise. These elements see masses as objects of suffering, passive and bhola-bhala. They commit the fatal mistake of viewing violence or aggression as some outside impulse, brought into a mass action either by vested interests or certain lobbies and so on and forth.
Violence and aggression are part and parcel of mass movements/actions. After an incident of mass violence in Chauri Chaura, Gorakhpur, Mahatama Gandhi withdrew the non-cooperation movement in 1921. But the same Mahatama did not utter a word of condemnation of the massive violence unleashed by the Indian people against the British colonial State in 1942.
After Independence, though violence remained part of mass movements and actions, the art of negotiation and growth of leaders who could talk to—or listen to—masses—minimised to a great degree the role of bloodshed. However since the late 1990s—the art of going deep into the people—entering people's homes during election campaigns to have a cup of tea—and occurrences of leaders breaking security cordons to shake hands with the people—allowing literally the tearing apart of their kurtas—has vanished. Especially in the 2000s, political leaders have ceded the middle ground of interacting with the people, going on padyatras and the like. Even when they take such initiatives, it is for a limited period of time. In some cases, it even appears pretentious.
Mumbai violence essentially emerged out of the pent-up rage of Muslim youth. The brutal killings in Assam and Myanmar may have served as a trigger—and yes, some lumpen elements were definitely present to add fuel to fire. But serious issues should not be reduced to mere manifestations—one has to understand the reasons behind incidents of mass violence.
There is something seriously sick with a society that allows 4,00,000 of its own citizens to live like animals in Assam in relief camps—and does not condemn the planned violence unleashed on them by trained anti-national militias. Instead, political leaders are seen harping on the illegal immigration issue—forgetting conveniently that at least 20-30 per cent of the 400,000 people living in camps in Assam are Bengali Hindus, Santhals or Biharis.
A society which looks the other way when haves unleash violence on the have-nots has no business complaining when the have-nots retaliate. In Manesar we saw how while the profits of Maruti Suzuki soared by 2200 per cent, wages of workers stagnated at 5.5 percent. Violence is written in the script of the new India that emerges following the liberalization process. In Manesar, many workers who took part in the movement are graduates—in Mumbai and other metros, a new generation of Muslims—with university degrees, skills, MBAs up their sleeves—have emerged. The material wealth around them has made their aspirations run high. They want more—and unlike their fathers or grandfathers—they are vocal and aggressive about their wants. But the delivery is poor. Most of the educated Muslims still live in ghettos and slums where basic amenities like electricity, water, health centres are missing. They seldom see the face of their local body representative, MLA or MP. Unlike the old days, there is no one to organize at least a meeting in their locality, to express shame and regret, at say, Assam type killings.
On the other hand, these youths have mobiles and can access the internet. They are tech savvy; when the political class fails to address them, they go by what they see on the screen or what they hear from their mobile phones. Why will they not react with violence?
Right wing bloggers will now say that the combination of education, technology and backwardness is not particular to Muslims. True, this is a general Indian phenomenon. That is why I quoted Manesar where 95 per cent workers are Hindus of different castes. So don't say that Muslims resort to violence because their ideology or religion says so—try instead, to understand—irrespective of caste or creed—the social roots of contemporary violence in all its shades and complexity.