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BRONX, NY - Throughout the season, there has been a groundswell that has questioned Omar Calhoun's ranking as the best player in New York City.
On Friday, that consensus made its way into St. Raymond gym as the home crowd chanted "Overrated" every time the UConn-bound senior touched the ball. Thirty-two minutes and 33 points later, Calhoun would have the last word as Christ the King topped the Ravens, 84-74.
"That was just motivation," said Calhoun in response to the crowd's taunting him. Referring to NBA stars who were frequently taunted, Calhoun said, "Growing up, I watched a lot of Michael Jordan and Reggie Miller so that didn't bother me."
As evidence of the ice in his veins, Calhoun would score 20 of his points in the first half as the Royals took a 44-39 halftime lead into the locker room. Each bucket that Calhoun scored seemed in-sync with the crowds chant.
Anything you can do, I can do better seemed to be the theme of the game from the tip-off as St. Ray's matched the Royals tit-for-tat from the perimeter. Defense for both teams had left the building momentarily as Daniel Dingle (25 points) and teammate Nkereuwem Okoro (15 points) put up points which kept the Ravens in hunt.
St. Rays would tie the game at 19 and again at 28 but that would be it as clutch buckets by Isaiah Lewis (10 points) and Jordan Fuchs (13 points) helped put Christ the King ahead for good. Poor free-throw shooting by the Ravens also hindered the Bronx team's progress.
Another key factor in Christ the Kings victory was the play of Adonis Dela Rosa (12 points) in the paint. The 6'9" center was a major defensive presence. "I had to play a big game being that they had Daniel Dingle," said Dela Rosa. The sophomore was instrumental in ultimately causing Dingle to foul out late in the game. "We had to live up to the hype," he said.
As a team, the Royals did a good job at sharing the ball and increased their lead to 13 points with a little over 2 minutes remaining in the third.
Point guard Shane Rector (14 points) would cut the Ravens deficit to 10 points to start the fourth quarter but Dela Rosa would re-extend the Royals lead to 72-59 with 4 minutes left to play with a nice midrange shot.
Realizing the game was slipping away, the Raven's crowd became somewhat silenced and the chants of "Overrated" eventually morphed into "Let's go Ravens" as the focus shifted off Calhoun and onto motivating their team to come from behind.
With 3:17 left to play, a jumper by Myron Hickman (5 points) sparked a 7-0 Raven's run capped off by a foul on Okoro. The Iowa State bound senior would miss the first foul shot but would have to leave the game due to an injury to what appeared to be his wrist. Lawrence Graves (12 points) would replace Okoro at the charity stripe and hit the second free-throw. Suddenly the Royals lead was cut to 6 points and the fans were momentarily invigorated.
Fuchs, Jon Severe (12 points) and Calhoun would soon dash all hopes at a comeback as they collectively pushed the Royal's lead back to double digits as time wound down. With 32 seconds remaining, the Christ the King fans, who were in the minority for most of the evening, began to shout "Ceeee Kayyyy. Ceeee Kayyyy" as Dingle picked up his fifth and final foul.
"This is a big weekend for us," said Calhoun. "We got [the win] today and we have Cardinal Hayes [on Saturday]."
As far as beating St. Raymond, Calhoun said the win was more about bragging rights. "[There are] a lot of seniors who feel that they're on my level," he said.
With five players in double figures, Dela Rosa believes that if the Royals continue to play like they played against the Ravens they have a good chance of also defeating the #2 ranked Cardinals. "We just gotta bring the same intensity, keep the same chemistry and we'll be fine."
Royals head coach Joe Arbitello is perplexed as to why the crowd was chanting "overrated" asking, "If he's not the best player in the city, who is?"
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The Blytheville City Council is to consider the request on Tuesday. Nucor announced planned expansion last year. It's expected to create between 10 and 15 jobs.
The Blytheville Courier News reported the company wants to add a new line so it can produce a new product known as wide sheet piling. The product will complement Nucor's existing products.
Nucor has been active lately in opposing a $125 million state financing package for Big River Steel, a $1.1 billion mill that would also be located in Mississippi County.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Data show how much time SD kids spend in class
By Beth Wischmeyer, Argus Leader
SIOUX FALLS (AP) — Fourth- and fifth-grade students in the Sioux Falls School District spent less time in the classroom last year than most other students in the state, and Rapid City students spent among the most time in school, according to new data released by the South Dakota Department of Education.
The data, broken down by school at the request of state lawmakers looking into potential changes in the school funding formula, shows schools vary widely in the amount of hours in the classroom students logged last year.
State law requires schools to meet a minimum number of hours each year. The required hours vary by grade level.
Grades 1-3 are required to log 875 hours in the classroom each year, and grades 4-12 must have 926.5 hours.
In Sioux Falls, most elementary schools had just more than 963 hours for the 2012-13 school year, which clears the bar easily for grades 1-3, but fourth and fifth grades in elementary school narrowly cleared the minimum, which officials are attributing to weather closures.
Todd Vik, Sioux Falls School District business manager, said last year was unusual because of an unprecedented ice storm in April, which caused school to be closed four days, and two days were made up.
"In a typical year, we might have one day off because of the weather," Vik told the Argus Leader.
According to state law, a school is not required to make up time for school closures because of weather once it has reached the minimum number of hours in the school term.
Vik said usually, students in the school district spend about 21 hours above the state minimum in the classroom. The length of the school day in elementary schools, he said, has remained the same for the past decade.
Rapid City Schools came in among the highest in number of instructional hours logged last year, with more than 1,200 hours in most schools.
Superintendent Tim Mitchell said the school district has had the same amount of days in the school year but has increased each school day by about an hour.
In addition, the district started dismissing students early on some Wednesdays last year, Mitchell said, which then provided teachers time to work together in collaborative groups to develop curriculum, instruction and assessment activities.
"We try to provide both quantity and quality time students spend in the classroom," Mitchell said.
He said the district also makes a commitment to make up days missed because of weather, even if already above the state minimum for hours.
Brandon Valley also saw high instructional hours logged last year, with more than 1,100 instructional hours in each of its elementary schools.
"Success comes, in our mind, with time in school," said Brandon Valley Superintendent Dave Pappone.
Pappone said the district tries to make up any snow days, and it extends its elementary school day a bit longer than some other schools, including Sioux Falls. Sioux Falls Elementary schools dismiss at 2:45 p.m., while Brandon Valley's elementary schools dismiss at 3 p.m.
Adding time to the school day has been a method schools across the country have used in an attempt to improve persistently low student achievement on state assessments, said Mary Stadick Smith, director of operations and information for the South Dakota Department of Education. However, the state doesn't require schools to add time to their day.
Schools nationwide have debated the merits of a longer school day in relation to student achievement, but research doesn't point to a clear connection.
Tiffany Miller, the associate director of school improvement for The Center for American Progress, an independent, nonpartisan educational institute, said research varies in the amount of time needed in classrooms to make a significant difference in student achievement. The center actively advocates expanding school days across the nation by at least 300 hours.
"Ideally, the school day would be expanded by a significant amount of time," Miller said. "You can't just take on five minutes here or there, or cut back on recess to add five or 10 minutes, and expect something to change. Ideally, when you're looking at expanding the learning day for students, in order to impact student achievement, it really needs to be part of a comprehensive school redesign."
Miller said adding time as well as making improvements to teacher instruction, curriculum and how time is being used can make a difference in turning around "low-performing schools."
Joshua Goodman, an assistant professor in public policy at Harvard's Kennedy School, agrees.
Goodman recently helped complete research done in the Chicago Public Schools, which focused specifically on the effects of providing two consecutive periods of math instruction to underperforming freshman students.
"We found that the program had a fairly big impact on their grades and on the probability that they would graduate from high school," Goodman said. "That intervention there was not just about doubling the amount of time the kids had, but it was more about really focusing the curriculum on that particular set of kids with a particular set of needs."
Several school districts in Massachusetts, several years ago, received additional state money to add two to three hours to their school day as part of an extended learning time initiative. Goodman, who studied the results, said there was no significant change in test scores in relation to a longer school day.
In South Dakota, the issue of how much time students are spending in the classroom has been a part of talks about how to improve the state's school funding formula.
Some lawmakers say an increase of a few days per year for several years should be required to see whether graduation rates and test scores improve. No decisions have been made.
Stadick Smith said the Department of Education will continue to break down per-school instruction hours each year.


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One of Rona Inc.'s largest shareholders is calling for the ouster of its board of directors in the wake of a spurned takeover overture and weak results, paving the way for a faceoff between influential shareholders and the provincial government.
Invesco Canada Ltd., a long-time Rona shareholder that controls more than 10 per cent of its stock, said on Wednesday it plans to launch a proxy fight "for the purpose of removing Rona's current directors and electing new directors in their place."
Invesco was among a handful of major Bay Street investment firms that backed a $1.8-billion informal offer by U.S. home-
improvement rival Lowe's Cos. Inc. for the Canadian merchant last summer.
Invesco didn't elaborate on its goals for removing the board, but other shareholders expect a renewed effort to resurrect a Lowe's deal, which was rejected by Rona's board.
"Invesco's end game is still to try to get a deal done," predicted Norman Levine, managing director of Portfolio Management Corp., which is a small shareholder in Rona. "I'm thrilled. … They were the ones that had to do this."
Shares of Rona jumped nearly 5 per cent Wednesday.
The battle is unfolding with the backdrop of the Parti Québécois government, which opposes a foreign takeover of a retailer described by the province's former finance minister as a "strategic interest."
He warned an acquisition by Lowe's would squeeze Rona's employees in the province and its suppliers.
Invesco is pushing for board reform after Rona parted ways with its chief executive officer last week amid signs that the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, which also opposed a Lowe's takeover, was getting impatient with the Canadian retailer's poor results. The Caisse is Rona's largest shareholder.
Now Invesco, which has seen Rona shares fall sharply in recent years, is feeling the pressure to force radical change.
While dissatisfied shareholders in Canada lack an activist track record, their approach could be changing, following some funds that have moved more aggressively in recent years to shake up such lagging companies as Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. and Maple Leaf Foods Inc.
Last year, U.S. investor William Ackman, with a key stake in CP, agitated for reform by getting a new board installed as well as his hand-picked CEO.
Fund manager Irwin Michael, whose firm is Rona's third-largest shareholder, hinted he would support Invesco's bid to replace Rona's board.
"We support change because the status quo of the company, we believe, is untenable," said Mr. Michael, whose firm owns nearly 3.7 million Rona shares in its ABC Funds. "The earnings that came out last week were very weak. … Rona is losing market share, certainly in relation to Home Depot, which is picking up share. And you have no one running the company."
Last Friday, Rona said it had hired recruitment firm Korn/Ferry to find a new CEO to replace Robert Dutton. But the process could drag on for three to 12 months, Mr. Michael said.
Rona spokeswoman Michelle Laberge said the board of directors was meeting late Wednesday to decide the next steps, but that it had not formally received the requisition from Invesco.
Invesco's Ian Hardacre declined to elaborate, but last August he said his firm was "extremely disappointed" in Rona's management team and its running of the company.
"There has been an extraordinary misallocation of capital over the last five years," Mr. Hardacre said at the time. "The return on capital has decreased every single year."
Last week, Rona released weak third-quarter results that saw profit plummet 89 per cent to $5.1-million. Michael Sabia, CEO of the Caisse, made it known to Rona's board that he wasn't happy with the retailer's performance, a source said. A Caisse spokesman wouldn't comment.
Domestic retailers have struggled with a sluggish economy, debt-ridden consumers and steeper foreign competition. Still, U.S. giant Home Depot Inc. reported this week that its Canadian division had enjoyed "positive" third-quarter same-store sales, an important retail measure of sales at outlets open a year or more. Those quarterly sales at Rona dropped 1.2 per cent.
Rona's results have been challenged for the past five years, prompting Mr. Dutton, the CEO of two decades until last Friday, to introduce a new strategy earlier this year of focusing more on smaller stores and closing some big-box outlets.
Mr. Levine said political opposition in Quebec to a foreign takeover of Rona may now change. "If it's going to be a basket case, what's the point?"
He said Invesco's strategy of trying to get shareholder approval to overthrow the board is easier than trying to get the nod for a Lowe's takeover. Replacing the board requires a 50.1-per-cent vote compared with a two-thirds majority needed for an acquisition, he said.
In a statement Wednesday night, Rona said Invesco had contacted it in the past few days to request a meeting with Rona chairman Robert Pare; they had agreed to meet later this week. But Invesco indicated earlier in the day that it no longer wanted to hold the meeting and issued its press release saying it intended to seek new directors, Rona said.
The retailer said it will hold its annual meeting for shareholders on May 14.
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- Lowe's Companies Inc$107.11+0.41(+0.38%)
- Updated January 22 4:01 PM EST. Delayed by at least 15 minutes.


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" Brand: Galt "
* Prices may differ from that shown
When I first started teaching I worked as a substitute teacher and so I always had a 'bag of tricks' at hand that I could bring with me when I got a last minute call to cover a teacher away or off sick. One of the things that I had in my bag of tricks which my daughter now uses, was this Galt box of Cotton Reels, which currently retails at £4.99 on amazon, and to be honest, I cannot remember what I paid for them at the time.
This box contains 20 various coloured cotton reels that come with a thick white cord for threading the reels on. Although on the box it states that this product is suitable from age 3 to 5, I really think that is quite a high age suggestion and it is certainly suitable for child younger than this. My daughter is almost 15 months old and she really enjoys playing with these reels. No, she cannot thread them onto the cord yet, but she loves trying to stack them and then knock them down, putting them in and out of the box and banging them together and it is enough to keep her entertained for 10 minutes if we are in a cafe or somewhere. I put a handful of these in a sandwich bag in my handbag and pull them out as a little toy and it works a treat.
As I said at the beginning, I actually bought these reels at the time when I was a substitute teacher as I thought they would be useful for number work, colour sorting or to keep a group busy whilst I listened to reading etc. especially if you are in a room where you are unsure where a teacher keeps their resources. I found when I was in classes with younger children this was a good toy to bring out for various activities albeit it could only be used with a small group of children, but I think there are some really positive benefits of such a toy, including improving hand eye coordination, plus encouraging imaginative play.
All in all, these are a great basic toy which has sooo much potential. It has potential for number work, colour sorting, threading, stacking and rolling and can be a great help for improving hand eye coordination. I am so glad I purchased these at the time, and my daughter will get much more use out of them as she grows.
My daughter was bought this set for her second birthday from a friend of ours that doesn;t believe in age guides although I agree with this toy that it is completely suitable for my 2 year old.
Like I say this was a present so I don't know how much it costs although I have seen this toy on sale on the Amazon site whilst I have been going through looking for things for Christmas for her and it's current selling price is £4.99 with free delivery.
The cotton reels come packaged in an orange cardboard box which is plenty strong enough for keeping the reels in, it also has a carry handle on the top of the box which Emily loves as she loves carrying things round with her for some odd reason. It states on the box that these are suitable for ages 3-5 although I never understand why they put an upper age on as surely it is up to the child when they have finished playing with them. The box is very brightly coloured as it has pictures of the cotton reels on it in red, yellow, green and blue.
In the box you get 20 cotton reels of four different colours and then you get a piece of thick tring to thread them onto, the string is about a metre in length so you can thread all of the cotton reels onto it at one time as they are about 4cm in length each.
The reels are made of plastic and they have no weight to them at all, the string is really thick so doesn;t snap and the ends are bound so that it doesn't fray. The cotton reels have a hole through the middle as well as having to holes around the outer fo the circle too.
Emily loves playing with these reels and does more than just threading with them, she is always supervised when playing with them due to the worry of strangulation with the string but I don;t honestly think this risk passes by the time a child turns 3. We thread the reels onto the string and Emily struggles a little but if we hold the end of the string for her she can manage to put them on, she also likes to build towers with the reels and we build pyramids too which she likes to knock down. Emily doesn't name her colours yet so we have been using the reels for this and if we give her a reel ad tell her to put it with one the same she can do it so she does recognise the difference.
This is a really good set for a couple of quid and has a few different ways it can be played with so your child can get a lot of play out of it as well as a lot of learning opportunity.
I'd never thought of buying my daughter any kind of threading toys when she was younger, it was only until earlier this year when she started going to nursery and took a keen interest in these types of toys that I thought it would be a great idea. The first threading toy I purchased was this cotton reel set from Galt.
I purchased the cotton reel set from Amazon for around the £4 mark. I haven't seen it on sale anywhere else so I'm not sure if Amazon is the only place you can purchase it.
The set includes 20 cotton reels and a piece of string to thread them on to. The cotton reels come in four different colours, red, yellow, green and blue and there are five reels of each colour. They are around 4 centimetres long and a few centimetres in diameter, although they are quite big and solid looking they aren't very heavy at all. To me when I am holding these reels they just feel like I'm holding air, obviously for children they will feel a little heavier but they aren't heavy in the slightest. The piece of string has a nice thickness to it so there is no need to worry about it snapping or anything through vigorous play or putting too many reels on it. The string is between 100-110 centimetres long
The cotton reels have a hole down the middle and several holes around the edge too so there is a variety of different places children can put the string through. I got this for my daughter when she was around two and a half years old and she had no trouble in threading the reels onto the string, at first it was a little fiddly for her but now there is no stopping her. I'm also using the reels to teach her colours as she struggles quite a bit with these but the bright colours of the reels are engaging and hold her attention for a little while.
I think perhaps these cotton reels would have been a good toy to play with from an earlier age too, despite the recommended age being three years as it can help with fine motor skills. I can see how the toy can be a danger if children were left unsupervised with it as the string could easily get stuck around the neck or something along those lines but if children are fully supervised I see no problems in younger children playing with this too.
For only a few pounds my daughter has had great enjoyment from these cotton reels from Galt and for that reason I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. Not only are they fun but they are educational and multifunctional too.
I have got these cotton reels for my two young boys - 2 and 3 years old, who have both enjoyed playing with them.
Threading the reels onto the shoelace helps with fine motor skills and hand eye coordination so I felt like its a beneficial toy for their development, but as far as they are concerned it's just fun. They will sit and concentrate for quite a while with it, so I think it helps to develop concentration span and focusing skills too.
As well as threading the reels, they also used them to build towers and then knock them down. You can use these reels to work on colour recognition, and making simple patterns such as threading red, blue, red, blue or whatever else, which can is also good for learning as they will later look at number patterns for maths.
The quality of the reels is good, they are quite a thick strong plastic and not too brittle. The string is also quite thick, like a shoe lace but one of the ends came off from ours and we have had to fix it with cellotape. I might be able to just replace it with a new shoe lace though, to do the same job but was slightly disappointed with that, however it had been used quite a lot before it happened so may be just wear and tear and I would still recommend this product despite that. I bought it very cheaply from amazon, for about 3 pounds so can not really complain.
I would happily buy other products from this brand.
I brought these for my eldest son 2 years back although the age recommendation was 3 years plus I knew we could make use of them before then as my niece has the same ones. They retail at £4.99 but Amazon always have them on special offer and I think we paid £2 for ours which is great value.
In the box you receive a selection of 20 solid plastic cotton reels 5 of each colour available and also a strong thick thread for use with them which is a good size for little ones hands and as it is thick it does not wear down even after years of use.As the cotton reels are made from plastic they are durable which is essential for toys designed for toddlers and these are also rather chunky so little one can hold and play with them easily and very light.
What I love most about these is there are so many ways to play with them so as child grows they can be used over again and yet do not become boring. They can grow with the child and as they reach different development stages the toy can be changed in the way that we play to suit that.
Stacking - As they are round yet have a flat top and bottom they can be used just like building blocks and little ones get to practise their balancing skills which helps give them a steady hand while they are having fun.
Rolling- Simple fun for little one they just need to put the reels on their side and watch them roll although I did not realise how interesting this could be my children think it is amazing.
Colours and counting- Although they only come in yellow, blue green and red this is a great starting tool for teaching little ones their colours. As they are playing you can introduce the colours to them and this helps them learn them in a fun way. As the child is playing with the reels simple counting can be used to introduce numbers. Also my 4 year old boy uses these for low level sums. Although there are only 20 so it does limit the sums available we have used these to introduce him to adding and taking away simply by settle puzzles out with the reels. It has been a big hit and has helped him actually concentrate and want to learn.
Threading _with the thread that comes in the set it helps children with their fine motor skills as they need to concentrate and think carefully about getting the thread through the holes in the cotton reels my children love to do this over and over again.
Last but not least my children love to bang them together and make some noise and just examine these reels. We would carry these around with us in our changing bag in a sandwich bag and half the time they would not need to take them out the bag but simply use it as a rattle instead and examine ways they could move the reels around in the bag. As they are so small they are easy to carry around and they will not break from the rough and tumble of shaking around on the pushchair.
My only downside is the thread is rather long and although this is good in one way as it can fit most of the reels on to it even for my 4 year old it scares me him playing with something that can act as a rope. This is simple to solve and we play together with them and I think I may just be a paranoid mummy.
We love these and so far they have lasted for 3 of my children with no signs of wear and they have provided hours of fun. There are so many ways to play and it helps little ones imagination soars. The age recommendation is correct for independent play but my 18 month old son also finds ways to play with these and under adult supervision I see no reason to spoil his fun.
I love buying my boys fun but educational things and one thing I remember from my childhood is threading cotton reels I had lots of fun doing this and thought my boys would do too. It wasn't hard to find some aimed at young children. Galt, a good old trusted educational toy maker make a set of cotton reels for children aimed three to five years. I purchased this set last year for my eldest son who was three at the time.
*****The set*****
The set comes in a strong cardboard box that can be used again. You get twenty cotton reels and one thick threading cord. The cotton reels are about 3cms in height and are made from strong durable plastic. They are perfect size for a little one to hold onto. The twenty reels come in four different bright colours there is the three primary colours red, yellow and blue and the last colour is green. These are the main colours your little one generally learns first. As I have mentioned the set only comes with one thick threading cord which is about 120cms in length.
*****Using the cotton reels with my four year old*****
Galt state that using the cotton reels encourages hand eye coordination and manual dexterity. The main idea is to thread the reels onto the cord. My eldest who is now nearly four found this a little bit simple. What he does like to do with them is make patterns up when threading them onto the cord. We began with a simple two colour pattern and over time we have increased it. He now attempts a pattern with all four colours and does well only getting a little mixed up sometimes. He likes to make patterns with the cotton reels independently.
As well as threading the reels we do use them lose on the flour for counting and putting in groups. Another great thing to use them for and I remember doing this at school is to use them to print with paint. They are made from plastic so are very easy to clean. My son loves making patterns with them and again we are getting more use out of them.
*****Using the cotton reels with my two year old*****
I didn't buy the cotton reels with my youngest son in mind but we have begun to use them together. My son is a little behind in his development and has been assessed by the local portage service. He will begin his weekly home visits from a member of their team next week. It was during their visit they assessed whether he could thread some cord through some large wooden blocks. He really struggled with the concept of pushing the thread in and pulling it through but after some time managed to get the hang of it a little. It was after then I decided to spend some time playing with these with my son and I have to say he is really getting there with them. So I would recommend you don't listen to the age range too closely.
One thing my youngest loves doing independently with this reels is stacking them. Both boys enjoying stacking them up and watching them fall, although my eldest does tire of it quite quickly.
The great thing about these cotton reels is they are versatile.
*****Age range*****
Galt recommend this product for children aged between three year and five years old but I would disagree. I think for most five year olds they will have tired of the very simple structure of it. At the other end of the scale I feel children younger than three should be enjoying them. I do understand safety with it being a piece of cord but under supervision these will really help with your child's development. I feel they would be perfect for a child eighteen months and above. My youngest who is two is certainly going to get a lot out of them.
*****Overall opinion*****
These cotton reels are wonderfully simple and bring some great memories back for me. Both my boys are getting use out of them although I would say my younger son is getting more use from them now. What is there not to like about them, apart from there needs to be more. They are fantastic value for money. I managed to get them for £2.99 on Amazon sale last year they are currently priced at £4.99 (Jan 2012) I would say that is still great value for money.
This review may be posted on other sites under the same user name
20 plastic cotton reels with a long threading cord ideal for young children to delevop there hand eye cooridination.


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In-Car Infotainment
MyFord/MyLincoln Touch, the successor to the very successful
SYNC, is really pushing the boundaries of in car information,
entertainment, and communication. Priced in the mid-range mass
market segment, the new system features some truly amazing features
like an applications API that can allow for smart phone-driven apps,
complete with voice commands and text-to-speech.
Here's how
we'd like to see this promising feature employed:
Ford already has
the ability to download turn-by-turn directions from an attached
phone via Google Maps. Imagine if you created an iPhone (or
Blackberry) app like Urban Spoon that allowed you to select a food
type via voice. Then imagine reading the user each option,
reading them reviews/menus, if asked, and then finally allowing a
voice selection. Then imagine the app automatically grabbing
directions and directing the user to the location. All the
pieces are there -- someone just needs to put them together.
noteworthy were infotainment systems from Fiat and Hyundai Kia.
Fiat's Blue & Me has less features overall, but does pack a nice
driving analysis suite, which will likely be offered as an
interesting option when the Fiat 500 hits the U.S. shores later this
year. As for Hyundai Kia, its
system appears to be the second best solution on the market, but
it will certainly be the cheapest. It may be well behind Ford's
offerings in its current iteration, but then again it's just starting
out and if its budget price make it a strong competitor to Ford's
pricier upgrade packages. The new system, dubbed UVO, offers
the conglomerate a great way to continue to improve the quality of
its low-cost vehicles, allowing it to snatch more market share from
the stale Honda and Toyota, which are getting left behind in the
infotainment movement.
Mobile Graphics
NVIDIA has
basically had the laptop discrete graphics market cornered in recent
years. That hasn't always been a good thing, given the
abundance of overheating issues in previous generations.
NVIDIA's GeForce 2xxM series of GPUs lays most of these problems to
rest, but without competition its maker seems unlikely to be inclined
to seriously push its successors' mobile GPU power.
As at
least one DailyTech writer games primarily on his laptop, this
would be a disappointing state of affairs. Fortunately, AMD has
at last decided to translate its recent success in the desktop
graphics segment into a big
mobile launch.
AMD is promising that we'll see many
notebooks with 5000 Mobility Radeon series GPUs in the next year.
We're adopting a wait and see strategy on this one, but even if AMD
can succeed in getting its GPUs on a wider range of notebooks, that
would be a tremendous improvement. There's a scattering of AMD
GPUs in notebooks currently offered at Fry's, Best Buy, Newegg.com,
and Amazon.com, but they remain scarce. If AMD could match
NVIDIA in terms of models offered with its mobile GPUs, that would be
a wonderful accomplishment and very good for competition.
always skeptical of big claims, so we're not sure what to make of
AMD's claims that the top of the line 5000 series mobile GPU will
best NVIDIA's top of the line GeForce GTX 280M. We like their
spirit, though, and we certainly hope that they can deliver on their
promises of some excellent drivers. We also hope they can
deliver on their promises of bringing external
GPU upgrades to the U.S. market, with the help of partners like
When it comes to mobile graphics, there's plenty to look
forward to, from the eventual launch of a mobile version of Fermi, to
AMD planning to aggressively improve its mobile performance and
availability. There's a lot of unknowns, but there's plenty of
reasons to be optimistic that we'll be gaming on the go as never
Two "Most Overblown":
3D was the buzz word on the tongues of
major LCD screen maker. Even the cabbies were talking about
it. However, this colorful fad ultimately seems like another
questionable promise from a technology that has been flirted with for
decades, but never fully embraced.
The fact of the matter is
simple. As wonderful as watching your media of choice --
sports, movies, or pornography -- in 3D might be, it still requires
you to put on goofy glasses. Outside the movie theater, this
has never caught on in the past (despite repeated attempts), and it
seems unlikely to now. Can you imagine a bunch of guys sitting
down to watch a football game, and the party host saying, "Wait!
We've all got to put on our 3D glasses!"?
Such as scene
seems pretty unlikely, so that leaves 3D gaming. Sure gamers
might be able to swallow the nerd-factor (its hard to be offended by
uncool glasses when you're logging 10 hour runs in Warcraft).
However, in more cutting edge titles many gamers will be unable to
use the tech, as it cuts frame rates by as much as 20 or 30 percent.
Final benchmarks remain to be seen, but if early estimates hold true,
it seems many gamers will be hesitant to trade their frame rates for
3D glitz.
That leaves so-called "auto-stereoscopic"
technologies, still in their nascent stages. Such glasses-free
3D tech is certainly promising, but currently lack the pop of its
awkward glasses-driven brethren, raising questions on their price.
Many models also suffer from image distortion at certain viewing
angles. Clearly this is the more promising approach, but it has
a long way to go.
Some analysts estimate that 3D TV revenue
could reach
$22B USD by 2018. That could certainly be true if
manufacturers throw in the chip on most of their lineup.
However, that still doesn't mean that anyone will be using the
awkward TV plus glasses setup. The 3D chip (unless its of the
glasses free variety) will likely sit gathering dust. You
couldn't find a more perfect example of overblown CES 2010 hype than
Tablets, tablets, tablets!!! Okay,
we're sad to say Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer didn't cheer that at
CES, but he might as well have. His keynote address focused
heavily on tablets, including the HP
Unlike 3D TV, tablets do hold some serious promise
as a niche product, in the short term. For certain users,
particularly those who spend lots of time on-the-go, a light tablet
like the HP Slate, Microsoft Courier, or the upcoming
Apple Tablet could be a fun an useful tool. That said, the
major focus on them was a bit overblown.
It is hard to see a
tablet appealing to the majority of consumers. Touch input is
currently somewhat poor (as touch screens with smart phone-scale
touch sensitivity are rather expensive -- you can either multiply the
screen cost or scale up at a lower fidelity) on most of the devices
we played with. Even if it can be perfected, typing and input
will be slower than on a standard Notebooks/Netbooks.
may certainly conquer a niche market (perhaps surplanting E-Book
readers, like the Amazon Kindle). However, they're unlikely to
storm the business or consumer computing quite like notebooks and
netbooks have. No matter how hard top OEMs try to pitch the
devices, it seems unlikely that the majority of consumers will
The Ugly:
CEA and Hotel Security Escort
Out Vendors:
If certain vendors' stories are to believed they
asked thoroughly when renting rooms at local hotels in Vegas about
exhibiting product and holding business meetings, and were told that
it was perfectly okay. After they reportedly had paid in full
(and extra for corporate parties), we personally witnessed at least
one hotel bowing to the CEA and kicking
these vendors out for failing to pay an exhibition fee.
hotels screwed up on the info they gave vendors, they should have
refunded them a portion of the suite rental, corresponding to the
remaining booked time. From what we've heard they've done no
such thing, and vendors were left to try to book another hotel,
farther away, to carry out the rest of their business.
to a security guard at The Venetian whom we talked to, these
"problems" were abundant, and as many as 30 vendors had
been kicked out. We heard personally from two vendors -- one
who got kicked out, and one who paid to avoid it. We also heard
of a third vendor running into trouble. Ultimately, its hard to
get a cold hard number on exactly how many vendors got the boot, but
the mess cast a dark cloud over our final day of meetings at CES.
can only hope that next year hotel management and the CEA do a better
job communicating exactly what the rules are and enforcing them from
Day 1 -- not selectively deciding to enforce them mid-show.
you at CES 2010, or following our coverage and think we missed
something? Disagree on one of our top items? Feel free to
give your picks and thoughts!


text:
Be the first to know about our latest deals, product launches, and exclusive promotions.
12 Port CAT5e Patch Panel.
45 degree downward tilted ports.
Black painted steel panel.
Numbered ports.
White blanks for easy labeling and identification.
Color coded wiring diagram on back.
UL Listed.
CAT5e Certified.
568A/B Compatible.
for 19" wide racks.
*Monoprice continually strives to improve its product line to bring our customers the best products available. Therefore, changes may be made to listed specifications without prior notice. Item received may not match photo or specs shown.


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How Long Will the Sun Last?
by John D. Morris, Ph.D.
Recent solar activity caused great concern among many people, including "New Age" prophecies that the sun was burning out, and the end was near. While we don't know the timetable for end-time events, we do know that giant solar flares shot far into space, producing beautiful displays of Northern Lights while disrupting the functions of communications satellites worldwide. We also know that such flares happen from time to time on the sun, related to its 11-year cycle of sunspots, and its rotating magnetic field. This series of flares in late October, however, was perhaps the largest ever record-ed, causing many to wonder, "just how long will the sun last?"
Despite the pronouncements of overly enthusiastic astronomers, processes within the sun are not fully known, and controversy swirls around even their nature. The most common view of the sun's nature is related to uniformitarian ideas of stellar evolution, in which the entire solar system coalesced out of an inter-stellar cloud of mostly hydrogen, some five billion years ago. The vast majority collapsed into the center where it concentrated and eventually became so dense and hot that it spawned nuclear fusion, with some hydrogen combining to form helium, giving off unthinkable amounts of energy. Energy levels, and thus the sun's brightness, have increased over time to its present level. The earth and the other planets collected from the leftover dust, which included a wide array of other atoms and molecules. Parenthetically, in this theory, the sun was only about 40% as bright as now when life is thought to have evolved, thus the earth would have been completely frozen and inhospitable to life throughout most of its history.
Stellar evolution proposes that a star goes through many stages during its life, and astronomers can point to stars which appear to be at each stage. Most stars are quite unstable (our sun being a notable exception), periodically convulsing and erupting, throwing off vast amounts of material into space, all the while using up their internal fuel. A star "dies" when it runs out of energy or catastrophically explodes in a nova or super nova. We see the remnants today as expanding gas clouds, which are not contracting into new stars. In stellar evolution theory, our sun still has about five billion years of life left. Other theories of stellar life predict a shorter tenure, but still quite long.
Thankfully the Creator of stars has told us about the birth of the stars on Day Four of Creation Week (Genesis 1:17) and their ultimate destiny. They were created for man's use and enjoyment, and to bring the Creator great glory (Psalm 19:1). He has also told us that sin's penalty affects all of creation (Romans 8:20-22), and thus even stars "die." One day the heavens and earth will pass away, but will be made new once again (II Peter 3:10,13), with no scars of sin and death. The sun won't have the same function in eternity (Revelation 21:23), but it will continue forever (Psalm 148:3,6) and praise its Creator.
Cite this article: John D. Morris, Ph.D. 2004. How Long Will the Sun Last?. Acts & Facts. 33 (1).
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Miles for SMILES
Four employees of the $800 million St. Anne's Credit Union in Fall River, Mass., helped raise more than $700 at the recent "Miles for SMILES" walk/run/bike/skate-a-thon event at UMass Dartmouth. SMILES is the SouthCoast Mentoring Initiative for Learning, Education, and Service (SMILES), a one-on-one mentoring program for at-risk youth. Five St. Anne's employees currently serve as volunteer mentors in the program.


text:
We're not fans. We're not spectators. For us it's not just a game. It's the beautiful game.
It's 90 minutes of pride on the line, throats-raw, hands-numb. It's a chant, a pulse like a drumbeat, a heartbeat, the pounding footsteps of a breakaway run.
When you take us for granted, when you doubt our passion, when you attempt to push us around? We tend to lash out.
We're not fans. We dare to be part of something bigger.
We're family.


text:
Scoggins, Minnesota is a strange place full of odd people, and the folks over at Telltale Games are revisiting the snowy locale in Puzzle Agent 2. Like its predecessor, this quirky puzzler doesn't take too many risks, nor does it offer much in the way of incredible puzzle design, but it does throw 30+ brain teasers at you, most of which are fairly enjoyable. While you might not get the biggest bang for your buck, there are plenty of reasons to play Puzzle Agent 2.
You once again fill the shoes of Nelson Tethers, the FBI's resident puzzle solver. Upon arriving at Scoggins, the sole member of the Department of Puzzle Research is greeted by suspicious townsfolk and quickly undertakes the task of determining why so many people have gone missing. The tale rapidly unravels and becomes a lot more complex than expected. But even with its intricacies and twists, the story itself isn't as worthy of merit as the characters in it. That's not to say the plot isn't notable—you're bound to get into the narrative as you discover secrets about Scoggins and its people—but the real stars here are Tethers and the many people he encounters. During the course of your investigation, you come across a delightfully superb cast of people, who range from mysterious to sexy to hilarious. And what makes these characters so colorful is their voice work, which is largely impressive and will constantly have you chuckling.
While about half of the game consists of plot development and character interaction, the other half consists of several brain teasers. These start off simple enough, and then the difficulty amps up fairly nicely … and then it gets easier again, only to get surprisingly difficult once more. A major issue I had with the puzzles in this detective game was the inconsistency in the difficulty. I never felt like the game was setting the puzzles up to get progressively tougher. Instead, random difficulty prevails throughout the entirety of Puzzle Agent 2. One moment I was solving a puzzle with ease, and then struggling with one a few minutes later. This not only caused short bursts of frustration, but also confusion as to why the game chose to deliver its puzzles in such a manner.
Difficulty gripes aside, I was impressed by the majority of the game's puzzles. Most of the content in Puzzle Agent 2 is fairly logical, though a handful of math puzzles are thrown in for good measure. Overall, I had a lot more fun trying to figure out the brain teasers as opposed to the math problems because of their inviting nature. While I was capable of figuring out the mathematical challenges, I felt like these could alienate some gamers, especially people who would rather have a much more free-flowing experience with this type of game.
A lot of what you do in the challenges is typical puzzle game fare. You have to slide blocks around, connect certain items to other objects, and draw lines on the screen to cut through multiple obstacles in a single swipe. Nothing is overly risky, and that's part of the game's main problem. Yes, the puzzles are fun, but they are so predictable that you're never surprised. Luckily, they're still fairly challenging, and if you want some good, clean fun, there's plenty to be had in Puzzle Agent 2.
The biggest challenge in Puzzle Agent 2 is refraining from using hints and trying to solve puzzles in one go. Some solutions are instantly detectable, while others require more thought. You can use up to three hints on any given puzzle, but doing so will lower your score once you finish. Multiple attempts also deplete your score, and it's hard not to feel like a dope when you get a single star rating on some of the game's more challenging tasks. Apart from ratings, though, you aren't penalized for using hints or trying more than once.
Visually, Puzzle Agent 2 is enjoyable to look at. The entire game has a nice hand-drawn look to it that's stylish and full of charm. Character models are excellent, giving you a cast that's both funny and aesthetically pleasing. Tethers is easily one of the most nervous-looking video game protagonists to come along in quite some time, and his facial expressions and animations are just plain hilarious. There are a few rough spots here and there, and don't be surprised if the game's frame rate gets a bit disorderly at times, but for the most part, Puzzle Agent 2 delivers quality visuals that are quirky and stupendous.
As previously mentioned, line delivery is rich and creates an environment that you really come to care about. The game's music is also fairly good, though it does repeat often. But you probably won't notice the soundtrack all that much because you'll be actively listening to what the game's cast of characters are saying.
In case you haven't already noticed, I really dig Puzzle Agent 2. But what I dig most about it is its characters and storytelling. The puzzles are fun, if inconsistent, but the performances of each of the game's characters makes the experience for me. That's not to say Puzzle Agent 2 is bad from a gameplay standpoint—because it's not. The game is a fun puzzler that should keep you busy for the better part of four hours, but it does seem to overstay its welcome even despite its short length. If you want to have a few good laughs all the while solving some fiendish brain teasers, Puzzle Agent 2 is definitely a worthwhile purchase.


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Blue Jays use caution in giving Bautista day off
By Gregor Chisholm / MLB.com
TORONTO -- Jose Bautista was forced to sit out Friday night's game against the Red Sox because of a twisted right ankle, suffered while attempting to beat out a double play in the eighth inning of Thursday's 10-8 win against the Indians.
There was hope that Bautista wouldn't have to miss any time, but it was clear Friday afternoon that he would need an additional period of rest after arriving at Rogers Centre.
"Much better right now than when I woke up and got here today," Bautista said. "I still believe that the proper precaution was taken with taking today off and see how it feels tomorrow, possibly play tomorrow."
Bautista said that his ankle isn't swollen and he described the symptoms as soreness, not pain. He was hoping to be available for pinch-hitting duties, but that also was ruled out prior to Friday night's game.
The Dominican Republic native said if the game was taking place later in the season, there's no doubt he would be playing. But with his club just four games into the season, there was no sense risking further damage that could cause lingering problems.
"It's the right move," Bautista said. "It's early in the season, and I'd rather do that, take one or two games off, instead of trying to play on it and have to take a full week or 10 days off.
"There's no pressing need for me to be playing right now, but if this was at the end of the season, and the games were to put us in the playoffs, or we were in the playoffs, I would definitely be playing."
The Blue Jays can ill afford to lose Bautista for any prolonged period of time. He homered in back-to-back games Wednesday and Thursday, and is showing no ill effects from a wrist injury that prematurely ended his 2013 campaign.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said that should Bautista return for Saturday's matinee, it would be as a designated hitter.
Players offer Farrell warmer welcome than fans
TORONTO -- The Rogers Centre crowd greeted former manager John Farrell with a series of boos Friday night, but Blue Jays players did not share that ill will for the first-year Boston skipper.
Farrell became one of the most despised sports figures in Toronto when he asked out of Toronto during the offseason to pursue his "dream job" managing the Red Sox. It angered the Toronto fanbase, but the players appear to be more understanding of the decision made by their former boss.
"There's no hard feelings. If you polled 100 people, even yourselves, and have your dream job, would you take it?" catcher J.P. Arencibia said. "Darn right you'd take it. That was his dream job, that's where his heart was, that's what he did.
"I understand it, he treated me great, he gave me an opportunity to play in the big leagues and start. It's not the Blue Jays against Farrell. It's our team going to play against another team."
Designated hitter Adam Lind was one of the few Blue Jays players who spoke out about Farrell during the offseason and then again during Spring Training. Lind said Toronto deserves a manager that acts like a true Blue Jay instead of an employee of the Blue Jays during the winter. He also said that Farrell seemed more energetic and in tune with what was going on when the Blue Jays made their frequent road trips to Boston.
The 29-year-old Lind backed down from that point of view prior to Friday's series opener against Boston.
"That was over the winter," Lind said. "We're in the season now, and the most important thing is the game. Not who's managing against who, who's playing against who. The most important thing is who wins.
"We brought [John Gibbons] back. It's his second tenure. I think he really enjoys it here and I know he's comfortable and confident in our team and the way he goes about our business."
Lind, Davis set to platoon at DH
TORONTO -- The Blue Jays appear set to go with a platoon of Adam Lind and Rajai Davis at designated hitter during the early stages of the season.
Lind will continue to receive all of the at-bats at either DH or first base when there's a right-handed pitcher on the mound. Davis will get the start when it's a lefty, as was the case Friday night, when Felix Doubront started for Boston.
The decision to go with a platoon doesn't mean Lind will be lifted for a pinch-hitter every time a left-handed reliever is brought into the game, but it will apply to all starts for now.
"If Lindy's in the lineup, and they're bringing a left-hander in, he may face them, depending on what's happening with the game, the score, his history against that particular guy," manager John Gibbons said. "But for right now, that gives us a chance to get Rajai in there, get him some at-bats."
Lind has notoriously struggled against left-handers during his career. He is a .220 hitter with a .607 OPS against lefties, compared to a .280 average and .832 OPS versus right-handers.
Red Sox's Butterfield enjoys return to Toronto
TORONTO -- John Farrell wasn't the only familiar face back at Rogers Centre on Friday, as former Blue Jays coach Brian Butterfield also made his return as a coach under the new Red Sox manager.
The 55-year-old Butterfield had been with the Blue Jays since 2002 before following Farrell to Boston in the offseason to become the club's third-base coach. Butterfield was the lone steady face in Toronto for much of his tenure, surviving five different managerial changes and working for two general managers.
But Butterfield preserved, and his return was a welcomed one from both sides.
"It's fun," he said. "There's a lot of good people here in Toronto. [It's] good to get back."
Butterfield was in the running for the Blue Jays' managerial position before John Gibbons was rehired, but the former Toronto coach had nothing but high praise for the team's skipper.
"It's a great choice," Butterfield said, "He's a great baseball man and even better man. So, they did hire the right guy and I'm glad that he got it."
Butterfield, who coached alongside Gibbons in the latter's first stint as manager, would love a chance to manage one day.
"If anybody ever thinks enough of me to go in there as a manager, then I would gladly jump at the opportunity," Butterfield said.
As for leaving Toronto, it was merely a matter of opportunity and the job security that went along with it.
"In Major League Baseball, especially as a coach, you aren't afforded the luxury of spending a lot of time weighing your options. You better not wait when a good opportunity [arises]," Butterfield said.
"I love coaching; if that's all it is for the rest of my career until they take the uniform off me, then I'll gladly do that."
Gregor Chisholm is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, North of the Border, and follow him on Twitter @gregorMLB. Associate reporter Evan Peaslee contributed to this story. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Blo.gs has been transferred from Yahoo to Automattic. We look forward to beefing up and refreshing the service. More news to follow. Apr 21 12:00am more news
blo.gs lets you keep an eye on your favorite weblogs via the web
and email. you can even put the list on your site: a
blogroll that knows what is new!
create an account, select your favorite weblogs, and get started.
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Sarasota County and city of Sarasota commissioners will meet Feb. 5, for the first time this year to discuss topics ranging from homelessness issues to the future of public transit.
The conversation will begin with the city initiative to hire two caseworkers work with the Sarasota Police Department, and continue with short-term and long-term strategies both municipalities can employ to reduce homelessness.
County and city commissioners will also discuss the future of the Community Redevelopment Agency, which is set to expire in 2016. The county has contributed $53 million to the CRA through the current fiscal year, and will spend an additional $11 million through 2016.
County staff will show a presentation about bus rapid transit, a progressive public transportation system that will require the city's participation if both decide to use Tamiami Trail as the primary route.
What: Sarasota County and city of Sarasota Commission joint meeting
When: 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5
Where: Administration Building, Third Floor Think Tank, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota


text:
© 2010 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Crain defects within division to White Sox
Former Twins right-handed reliever signs with AL Central rival
By Scott Merkin / MLB.com
CHICAGO -- To be honest, Jesse Crain isn't sure what's going to happen with the Minnesota Twins' bullpen for the 2011 season. Joe Nathan, arguably the game's best closer without the name Mariano Rivera, should return healthy from Tommy John surgery, and the defending American League Central champions will have Matt Capps for an entire year. But beyond this duo's presence and that of left-hander Jose Mijares, one of the Twins' past strongsuits has become a bit uncertain. That situation no longer is a Jesse Crain problem, to paraphrase a famous quote once uttered by White Sox general manager Ken Williams. A new three-year deal between Crain, 29, and the White Sox officially was announced on Monday, with the right-handed reliever making the move within the division. Crain earns $13 million under the teams of the contract, receiving $4 million in 2011 and $4.5 million in each of the '12 and '13 seasons. He joins Joaquin Benoit, Scott Downs and Matt Guerrier as free-agent relievers inked to three-year deals during this offseason, with Crain pointing to the White Sox offer of a third year as a deciding factor. Guerrier and Crain were two of the late-inning forces in the Twins' bullpen. Now Crain will have to adjust to facing the only organization he has ever known since being selected in the second round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft. "I don't know how it's going to be. It will be weird," said Crain during a Monday afternoon conference call. "I've never been anywhere else. I'm good friends with a number of guys over there. "They have an idea of what I do, and I have an idea of how they approach things. It will be fun, weird and interesting to face those guys so many times." During an interview with KFAN Sports Radio 1130 AM in Minneapolis last week, Crain expressed a healthy dose of respect for his former employer. But make no mistake about it: Crain is "ecstatic," to invoke his description, to be part of the White Sox. Williams and the White Sox employed their typical quick-strike, under-the-radar approach to bring Crain to Chicago. Crain's camp was engaged in significant talks with the Rockies and also had talks with the Red Sox, before the White Sox came into the picture on Tuesday. This deal only took 24 hours to basically finalize. It was three days prior to this initial exchange of offers when Williams told MLB.com how the team actually had more money to spend to fill a bullpen vacancy, after Williams talked of the team being tapped out at the Winter Meetings, and he quickly put it to good use. In 71 appearances for the Twins last year, Crain posted a 1-1 record with a 3.04 ERA. He tied for the eighth in the AL with a career-high 21 holds and limited opponents to a .215 average, including a .196 average for left-handed hitters. His ERA sat at 5.26 on June 13. But Crain began a stretch of 21 consecutive scoreless appearances on June 12, covering 20 innings and ending on Aug. 4. He put together a 0.28 ERA in 35 games from June 10 until the close of August, allowing just one earned run over 31 2/3 innings. Working in pitcher-friendly Target Field stands as a bit more inviting than coming in with the game on the line at U.S. Cellular Field, especially when the ball jumps off the bats during warm summer months. Crain doesn't seem intimidated by the ballpark, nor does he seem to be affected by the weight of expectations coming with this new deal. There will be times when Crain gets beat, and there will be times when fans get on him. It's all part of the job, from Crain's point of view, with a short memory always serving as key for a late-inning reliever. "That's what I'm going to try to do, just try to not to let other things factor in," said the laid-back and confident Crain. "You start thinking too much, and you start struggling. "Through the ups and downs, peaks and valleys, you have to keep the same mindset every day and stay on an even keel. This is just a game we play and you try not to think about the other stuff, but I feel like I deserve [this deal) and worked really hard to get here." Along with the third year, Crain's chance to close played into his White Sox selection. Rookie Chris Sale and Matt Thornton appear to be the White Sox best options from the left side, but if a right-handed closing option is needed, Crain figures to get the call from manager Ozzie Guillen. Closing was on the agenda for Crain in Minnesota heading into the 2004 season, before the Twins acquired Nathan in the Pierzynski trade. Crain will be throwing to Pierzynski with the White Sox. "You know, asking for my opinion right now, on Dec. 20, I'm going into it saying Jesse Crain, and this is just my thinking, he's going to be a valuable member of the bullpen late in the game," White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said. "More than anything, what he gives us is not just another valuable piece, but a talented, flexible piece." Flexibility and talent clearly were not enough to keep Crain with the Twins, who Crain said made it clear they weren't going over two years or $3.5 million per season. Instead, the Twins probably will follow a practice of filling from within, with names such as Pat Neshek, Alex Burnett and Anthony Slama emerging as bullpen candidates. Meanwhile, Crain will be trying to go "all-in" with his new team in pursuit of a championship. "We have a chance to go to the World Series," said Crain of the White Sox. "I'm really excited and feel like I'm only getting better."
Scott Merkin is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Being Ozzie Guillen and follow him on twitter at @scottmerkin. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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National Rentals, SHARWay
Whether you are just starting out or steadily improving, SHAR is committed to helping you achieve the highest possible musical goals.
A Silent Violin?
Aren't violins made to be heard? Why would you want a silent violin? We explore the advantages.
FAQs from Parents & Beginners
You asked, we answered. Read the FAQs from parents and beginning players.


text:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Milwaukee Bucks general manager Larry Harris has been ticketed for drunken driving.
Harris was pulled over May 4 for driving erratically, and his breath test showed a blood alcohol level of 0.10 percent, police Lt. Dave Dunn said. The state's legal limit is 0.08 percent.


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To add extensibility to the Clojure reader in a composable way.
General Goals
- new syntax for "tagged" literals in the reader
- tags can be namespaced
- non-namespace-qualified tags are reserved for Clojure
- when the reader encounters a tagged literal, it invokes a function associated with that tag
- users may define new tags and tag-reader functions
- users may override functions for built-in tags
- Common Lisp-style reader macros
- Custom parsing of the character stream
- Reader will parse tagged literals as data and pass that to the tag function
Open Questions
- What is the syntax for tags?
- Keywords, like
#:tag form
- One character longer
- Slightly easier to parse
- Symbols, like
#tag form
- One character shorter
- Slightly harder to parse
- Ambiguous with record constructors?
- Not if we assume that:
- 1) record names always contain a dot
- Which they must, because deftypes occur in namespaces
- 2) user-defined tags are always namespace-qualified
- 3) built-in tags do not contain a dot
- 1) record names always contain a dot
- Not if we assume that:
- Keywords, like
- What happens when the reader encounters a tag for which no function is defined?
- Error?
- Return form unchanged?
- Return form with extra metadata?
- Only possible if form supports metadata, ignore otherwise?
- How to associate tags with reader functions?
- file containing mapping from tags to Vars
- "magic" file name gets loaded before other files
- doesn't load any code directly
- If 2 JARs on classpath have a magic file, who wins?
- map stored in dynamic var
- thread-local binding for each source file
- created in
- created in
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Please can you identify this spider for me
It's a bit fuzzy but it looks like a Steatoda nobilis, the false widow spider about which elements of the media were getting into such an unnecessary frenzy a while ago.
For comparison here are some more photos of this species:
Best place for it is outside, particularly if you're concerned about it. Here's what the NHM has to say about them and spider bites in general
Yes sorry about that I had to zoom in from afar as I thought it might be a False Widow. It had already put it outside. Thank you for your help


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parks all over the United States have had problems in the past
involving visitors being injured by wildlife, touching scalding hot
geysers and so on. While incidents like these are bad enough, rangers
within the national parks are now saying that technology
is a key component that's helping to cause these mishaps. To
make matters worse, visitors are using their technology for non
emergency-related purposes.
National Park, for example, has had a record number of
visitor-related accident's during the month of July, and according to
rangers, technology is often to blame. Recently, the park had an
issue with a visitor who got a little too close to a buffalo in order
to obtain a picture, and it charged toward the woman causing injury.
isn't the only case where a camera got a visitor into trouble. Just
this month, a French teenager fell 75 feet from the South Rim of the
Grand Canyon while backing up to take a picture.
both of these accidents were careless, they were legitimate
emergencies that called for rescuing. What has rangers frustrated
with visitors is when they use their technology to call rangers for
"emergencies" that are not really emergencies at all.
once in awhile we get a call from someone who has gone to the top of
a peak, the weather has turned and they are confused about how to get
down and they want someone to personally escort them," said
Jackie Skaggs, spokeswoman for Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
"The answer is that you are up there for the night."
instance of emergency misuse on
a cell phone was when a group of hikers traveled to the
Grand Canyon last fall and constantly pressed the emergency rescue
button on their electronic device (which does not allow the sender to
explain why they're calling for help) and every time the rangers
showed up in a helicopter, the group would have an excuse like their
water was too salty, or they were short on water. By the third time
that this had happened, the group was sent home and the leader was
issued a citation.
rangers not only lose time dealing with potential real emergencies
when these incidents occur, but they also lose a hefty amount of
money. According to Maureen Oltrogge, a spokeswoman for Grand Canyon
National Park, it costs about $3,400 an hour to send
a helicopter into the park.
of having that electronic device, people have an expectation that
they can do something stupid and be rescued," said Skaggs.


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I was one of the first to endorse Mike Huckabee for president. He was a former governor of Arkansas who I felt had great leadership—and he not only shares but embodies our Christian values. But this year I took a wait and see attitude until just a few days before the Florida primary, which was held Jan. 31.
I was recently interviewed on PBS for a show that aired before the primary. Kim Lawton, the respected correspondent who has interviewed me before and always reported fairly on the evangelical community, wanted to know whom I'm endorsing. I told her I'm endorsing Sen. Rick Santorum. If you want to see what I said, click here.
I've admired Rick Santorum from afar for years. I met him briefly when he spoke for Christians United for Israel. I know of all the candidates he's the strongest supporter of Israel and probably understands the danger of what he calls "Islamo-fascism" better than any one else in the race.
But the biggest factor is that compared to the other candidates, he's squeaky clean. It's like my good friend Rep. Scott Plakon (R-Longwood) said to me: "he's like a boy scout."
Scott decided independently of my decision to support Santorum. Like me, he knows Santorum is behind in the polls. We know he hasn't raised as much money as Gov. Mitt Romney or Speaker Newt Gingrich. But to me that didn't matter.
I told Kim Lawton: "I want to make a statement that character is important and not think that we have to give it to somebody just because all the pundits say that they have the election wrapped up and they are the ones that can beat President Obama. I think that it is unknown."
I'm not alone. A group of evangelical leaders met in Texas recently and decided to endorse Santorum. They, like me, seem to respect Gingrich's stand on the issues and his grasp of the problems our country faces. But Gingrich's past raises questions about his character.
Kim asked me if his past would be a problem with Florida evangelicals. I said: "I think Newt Gingrich's past is a huge issue, and it isn't so much that he couldn't be forgiven. Forgiveness is the essence of Christianity, and we've all been forgiven. But it shows his character, and not once, but a couple times. I have no doubt he's changed. No doubt. But it is troubling."
As far as Gov. Romney, I respect his business acumen. "I have no criticism of Gov. Romney personally other than the fact that you have to question how conservative he is by some of the things he did in Massachusetts," I told Kim. "Thankfully his flip-flopping, in my opinion, was flip-flopping in the right direction. That is a factor, but for me that is more of a factor than what church he goes to."
This year I've been slow to endorse. Maybe it's because I worked so hard for Huckabee and was disappointed when he didn't win and also when he decided not to run this year.
I knew there were several good candidates. I could have endorsed Michele Bachmann or Rick Perry.
I have no illusions my endorsement will swing many votes. But I suspect there are many like me who believe Santorum is a good man; believe he's right on the issues; who don't care what the polls say and want to make a statement that character matters in who we pick to lead this nation.
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Treatment for Compulsive Gambling Addictions Norwalk CT
Project Reward
Norwalk, CT6854
(203) 831-6301
Intake Phone Numbers:
(203) 831-6301x11, (203) 831-6301x13
Services Offered: Substance abuse treatment
Residency: Outpatient
Payment Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance
Specializing in Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Pregnant/postpartum women, Women
Last year more than 10,000 individuals of all ages and all walks of life experienced life-altering, positive changes as a result of their work with Family & Children's Agency.
For instance:
After living in a hospital for four years, Amiya who is six and has a serious chronic medical condition requiring constant care, was adopted by her foster mom and is now attending school and developing friendships.
Jamie, a middle-schooler in Norwalk, was functioning significantly below grade level. After participating in the After School Program, he is now at the appropriate level and getting above average grades.
After living in the homeless shelter for 15 months, Anita was able to secure treatment for her depression, find consistent employment, and move into supportive housing, all as the result of working with our staff in three of the many different Agency programs.
Greenwich Hospital
Greenwich, CT6830
(203) 863-4673
Services Offered: Substance abuse treatment, Detoxification, Buprenorphine Services
Residency: Hospital inpatient, Outpatient
Payment Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, Private health insurance, Military insurance (e.g., VA,TRICARE)
Since opening in 1903, Greenwich Hospital has evolved into a progressive medical center and teaching institution with an internal medicine residency.
We represent all medical specialties and offer a wide range of medical, surgical, diagnostic and wellness programs. High quality care, coupled with Greenwich Hospital's convenient location, are reasons many patients choose to be treated here.
The state-of-the-art main campus at 5 Perryridge Road encompasses the Helmsley Medical Building and the Thomas and Olive C. Watson Pavilion. Located across the street from the hospital at 77 Lafayette Place, the Sherman and Gloria H. Cohen Pavilion houses the Smilow Cancer Hospital Greenwich Hospital Campus, home to the Bendheim Cancer Center and the Breast Center. Greenwich Hospital also has an Endoscopy Center at 500 W. Putnam Avenue, the Greenwich Fertility Center, Helmsley Ambulatory Surgery Center, and the Weight Loss & Diabetes Center at 55 Holly Hill Lane, a facility for diagnostic imaging and physical therapy at 2015 W. Main Street in Stamford, Conn., as well as multiple satellite blood draw stations.
McDonough House/Intensive Residential
Danbury, CT6810
(203) 792-4515
Intake Phone Numbers:
(203) 793-4515
Services Offered: Substance abuse treatment
Residency: Residential short-term treatment (30 days or less)
Payment Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance
Specializing in Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Seniors/older adults, Women, Men
Headquartered in Danbury, MCCA maintains locations in Danbury, New Milford, Bethel, Ridgefield, Waterbury, Torrington and Sharon. MCCA primarily serves clients residing in Connecticut State Demographic Area Regions 1 and 5, encompassing the entire western portion of the state. These regions are economically and socio-demographically diverse, and include urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Residential Services Division
Bridgeport, CT6610
(203) 337-9943
Intake Phone Numbers:
(203) 781-4357
Services Offered: Substance abuse treatment, Buprenorphine Services
Residency: Residential short-term treatment (30 days or less), Residential long-term treatment (more than 30 days)
Payment Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid)
Languages: Spanish
Specializing in Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, Persons with HIV/AIDS, Gays and Lesbians, Seniors/older adults, Pregnant/postpartum women, Women, Men, Criminal justice clients
Founded in 1970, the APT Foundation's mission is to promote the health and recovery for those who live with substance use disorders and/or mental illness.
It is the philosophy of the APT Foundation that the disease of addiction must be treated in a holistic way. It is our belief that addiction is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit, affecting a person's social and emotional functioning, and that treatment must address all of these needs.
As such, clients receive services within the context of a treatment community that embraces the strengths of each of its participants and a strong commitment of collaborative learning both in the context of a group driven program and treatment milieu setting. Clinical services are predominantly led by licensed or certified clinical staff that has specific training that includes motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma & recovery and co-occurring disorders. Group therapy is the primary modality of treatment. Individual therapy is viewed as adjunctive to the group driven format and is available based on each client's individual needs. Psychiatric services are available at each of our clinical sites.
Group programming topics address, but are not limited to education on the biology of addiction, co-occurring disorders groups, coping skills development, twelve step education, self-esteem building, health and recovery, vocational programming, trauma and recovery, and gender specific groups. Additionally, the Foundation provides specific trauma recovery groups for men and women.
The APT Foundation currently maintains accreditation with Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) an international, independent, nonprofit accreditor of health and human services. When a service or program is CARF-accredited, it means that the organization has met the rigorous CARF guidelines for services it provides, the results of its standards of conformance, as well as its quality improvement efforts. For more information, please access the CARF website at http://www.carf.org
The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) licenses all of the treatment programs at the APT Foundation. For more information, or to view a copy of our current licenses, please access the CTDPH website at http://www.ct.gov.
Westchester Div/Alc Inpt Rehab Program
White Plains, NY10605
(914) 682-9100
Intake Phone Numbers:
(914) 997-5700
Services Offered: Substance abuse treatment, Buprenorphine Services
Residency: Hospital inpatient
Payment Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Medicare, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance
Languages: ASL or other assistance for hearing impaired, Spanish
NYP/The Allen Hospital
NYP/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital
NYP/Columbia University Medical Center
NYP/Weill Cornell Medical Center
NYP/Westchester Division
NYP/Lower Manhattan Hospital
Our Commitment
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. When you or a member of your family requires care, we will provide the exceptional services that you expect from a first-rate medical institution.
NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System
The NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System serves residents of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx, as well as Westchester, Long Island, New Jersey, Connecticut, and several upstate New York counties. Members of the System include acute-care and community hospitals, continuum-of-care facilities, home-health agencies, ambulatory sites, and specialty institutes committed to providing high-quality, cost-effective, and conveniently accessible care to the communities they serve. Each member of the System is an affiliate of either Weill Cornell Medical College or Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Adolescent Services Unit
Glen Cove, NY11542
(516) 674-1868
Intake Phone Numbers:
(516) 674-7852
Services Offered: Substance abuse treatment, Buprenorphine Services
Residency: Outpatient, Partial hospitalization/day treatment
Payment Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance, Military insurance (e.g., VA,TRICARE)
Payment Assistance: Sliding fee scale (fee is based on income and other factors)
Specializing in Adolescents
Here you can learn more about North Shore-LIJ, including:
Our mission and goals
Fellowship opportunities
Our commitment to quality
Hospital service plans
Facts and statistics about the health system
News and publications
Opportunities to support our facilities and programs
Career opportunities
Our regional, state and national awards and recognition
Outpatient Clinic
Mount Kisco, NY10549
(914) 666-6740x123
Intake Phone Numbers:
(914) 666-6740x110
Services Offered: Substance abuse treatment, Buprenorphine Services
Residency: Outpatient
Payment Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, State financed insurance (other than Medicaid), Private health insurance
Payment Assistance: Sliding fee scale (fee is based on income and other factors)
Languages: Spanish
Specializing in Adolescents, Women, Men, DUI/DWI offenders
We strive to provide quality community-based service delivery to anyone affected by the tragedy of chemical dependency, during the day or evening, during the week or on the weekend.
We remain at the forefront of providing successful new programming solutions to underserved populations.
A nonprofit contract agency of the Dutchess County Department of Mental Hygiene, the Rockland County Department of Mental Health and the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health and Social Services
Treatment programs are licensed by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
Primary goal is to offer a program of recovery which respects dignity and individuality of each person affected by alcohol and substance abuse
Our programs operate in six Westchester communities, six Dutchess communities and two Rockland communities
Affordable services and treatment offered to children, adolescents, and adults
Promotes holistic approach to addiction treatment by addressing all the needs of clients and their families
Chemical Dependency Outpatient Clinic
White Plains, NY10603
(914) 683-8050
Services Offered: Substance abuse treatment, Buprenorphine Services
Residency: Outpatient, Partial hospitalization/day treatment
Payment Accepted: Self payment, Medicaid, Private health insurance
Payment Assistance: Sliding fee scale (fee is based on income and other factors)
Languages: Portuguese, Spanish
Specializing in Adolescents, Persons with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, DUI/DWI offenders, Criminal justice clients
INNOVATIVE HEALTH SYSTEMS operates under the administrative direction of Ross Fishman, Ph.D., a New York State certified psychologist and the medical supervision of David L. Marshall, M.D. an internal medicine physician.
INNOVATIVE HEALTH SYSTEMS offers comprehensive chemical abuse and dependence outpatient treatment services to Westchester, Rockland, Bronx and Fairfield County residents and employees since 1985 and was the first free-standing outpatient alcoholism clinic in Westchester County. In 1990 it expanded to include all substances of abuse.
If alcohol or other drug use is disrupting your work, family or life or that of someone you care for, we invite you to call us to discuss your concerns or learn the details of our programs. You will receive a warm reception and be given the time to ask all the questions you may have. We also invite you to visit our facility. Whether you call for information or choose to visit - either way there is no obligation on your part.
INNOVATIVE HEALTH SYSTEMS is certified by the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services and has been serving community needs for over 25 years. We participate in many insurance plans including Medicaid. For the non-insured a sliding scale may apply.


text:
"The government will on Wednesday publish the report of the ministerial commission into the death of Yasser Arafat, which will include the report of the French hospital where he was treated,"
Related quotes
"I am convinced that it is not the fear of death, of our lives ending that haunts our sleep so much as the fear... that as far as the world is concerned, we might as well never have lived."
"The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A Death! What's that, a bonus? I think the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you live in an old age home. You get kicked out when you're too young, you get a gold watch, you go to work. You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You do drugs, alcohol, you party, you get ready for high school. You go to grade school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities, you become a little baby, you go back into the womb, you spend your last nine months floating...
...and you finish off as an orgasm."