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My dad, Stuart Daw, published a tongue-in-cheek article many years ago; and although it does not involve getting into roasting, it certainly pertains to the unforeseen pitfalls involved in any young entrepreneur's journey from startup to successful business. Enjoy!
Why do many new, small operators, seem to last for a while, then sell out? Good question. Let's look at one possible scenario: Young man gets job selling for a coffee service. Good salesman, does good work, gets well paid, has nice car, nice home. Doesn't know squat about accounting -- thinks a balance sheet is something a butcher puts on a scale before the meat gets weighed; thinks gross profit minus his wage equals net profit. Thinks boss has the really good life.
Young man gets Napoleonic complex, thinks he'll go into business for himself. Boss trusted him; no non-compete agreement. Salesman has lots of customers who are "good friends" that he knows will buy from him. Arranges equipment leases through manufacturer. Gets 30-day credit line from coffee company.
Attempts to place machines on location, finds he doesn't have as many friends as he thought. Surprised he has to cut prices and furious that old boss keeps cutting right beside him. Annoyed that "friends" seem willing to stay with old boss, and that the ones that do change want upgraded coffee machines. Very expensive. Gets a few locations at low prices -- after all, he knows where all the high-volume accounts are. But he has to spend more and more time servicing accounts -- special deliveries, equipment repairs, something called collections. Competitors won't leave him alone -- he forgot other people were also in the business. Finds the wide range of allied products needed to compete with others are not that easy to buy -- takes time, too. Wife has to quit her job -- going to have a baby. Roof seems to be falling in.
Runs out of money. Can't understand why. After all, he had borrowed $5,000 from his father-in-law as the capital needed to run a business -- should have been enough. Goes to the bank. Gets bad vibes. Stunned to hear bank manager saying negative, hurtful things. Finally has to go through trauma of mortgaging his home.
Personality subtly changes. Not the nice man he used to be -- his mother tells him so. "What happened to my carefree little boy?" Doesn't sleep so well at night either. Looks tired, haggard. In old selling job had his work day down to four hours on the road, actually two hours of effective production. Now does 12 hours a day at least, even slugs it out on weekends. Finally gets business up to 250 machines. Decides to bail out.
What was missing in his plan? At the risk of being a bit simplistic, this is likely what happened. Assets are needed to support sales. In any business, some assets in one form or another are always there before a sale can take place. A listing of them is what we see on the left-hand side of that thing called a balance sheet.
In coffee service, one will find there is a fairly constant relationship between assets and sales, perhaps between 40¢ and 50¢ in assets for every annual sales dollar; e.g. $500,000 in assets for sales of $1 million. The exact ratio will be dictated primarily by average account size, how well receivables are collected, and the care with which equipment is handed out.
Now, what about the numbers on the right-hand side of the balance sheet? And why do there seem to be two basic categories there, while there's only one on the left side? Well, those assets on the left side didn't fall out of the blue. They had to be financed, either by money that the owner(s) injected into the business or by borrowing from others such as creditors, banks, relatives, leasing companies, etc. The former is known as equity, the latter, liabilities (debt), and the more of the former, the better.
By the time the young man cited above got a few machines on location, the equity was negative and there was a lot of debt. At first, he and his wife had to be very frugal with the household money. But as sales grew, and even though he was stringing his suppliers out well beyond 30 days, they began spending more. In fact, they spent all the seemingly available cash from the business on personal consumption. After all, they had "sacrificed" so much in the early days. The bigger car they bought was nice for the young capitalists, too.
Equipment lease payments piled up. The balance sheet still balanced, but only through a "balancing act" involving a towering debt and still no equity (the father-in-law wants his money back some day, too, it seems). Breathing strength into an exhausted balance sheet through leaving some money there in the form of retained earnings was a foreign idea to the young man.
He begged at the bank, only to hear the manager mutter something about debt-to-equity ratios, and that his was terrible. And liquidity? What the heck was that? The bank told him it should be two to one, and pointed out that the young man's ratio of one to 10 just wouldn't cut it.
A mild recession hits. Average per-machine sales drop 15%, and the young man realizes he's in deep trouble. If he is lucky, a large coffee service operator will appear over the horizon waving his checkbook. But he may have to seek out a buyer, usually from a group of competitors who can afford to be laid back about his predicament. He finally says "to hell with it," and the business goes the way of all flesh, sold to another service.
This was the big "come and get it day" he dreamed would take place some time, but much later and for much more money. He and his wife calculated the extra hours he had worked compared to the old job, and the money made before and after he left that job. They found that by dividing the extra hours worked into the money gained by the sale, his per-hour "wage" was lower than when he worked for the old boss. Indeed, if he had stayed with and worked as hard for the old boss as he did for himself, he would be a well-to-do young man instead of a somewhat older, wiser one.
KEVIN DAW is president of Heritage Coffee Co. (London, ON, Canada), a leading private-label roaster serving the breaktime management industries in North America. He is in charge of coffee buying for Heritage. A 30-year veteran of the workplace service business, Daw has served as a commission coffee service salesman, a principal of a vending operation and president of a bottled water company. Since 1990, he has concentrated on coffee roasting. Active in industry affairs, Daw is a Specialty Coffee Association of America Certified Brewing Technician, a member of the National Beverage and Products Association Hall of Fame, a recipient of the National Automatic Merchandising Association Supplier of the Year Award and a NAMA Coffee Service Committee member.
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Preview: Phillies v. Marlins at Dolphin Stadium – 7:10 pm Eastern.
The Phillies (6-8, 3rd) start a three-games road trip with the Florida Marlins (11-4, 1st), who are presently mired in a three games losing streak. The first game of the three-games set will be played tonight at Dolphin Stadium in Miami, Florida. It will start at 7:10 pm Eastern. The Phillies will send to the mound Brett Myers (1-1, 5.03), who is coming off a recent no-decision against the Padres on April 18, where he pitched a strong six and two-thirds innings, giving up just three runs on six hits and four walks, while striking out three, in the Phillies' 8-5 lost. He will be shooting for his second straight win. His opponent will be Josh Johnson (2-0, 2.91), who is also coming off a no-decision, with his coming against the Nationals, also on April 18, as he pitched six innings, giving up six runs on six hits and two walks, while striking out six Nats, in the Marlins' 9-6 extra-innings win. He will be trying for his third win of the season. The Phillies hope to improve their record at the expense of the fish, while hoping that the pitching staff, especially the starters, won't be giving up any more gopher balls to opposing batters for a while. Meanwhile, the Phillies' batters hope to come back from being only able to score two runs in the last eighteen innings while also hoping that their starters won't force them to once again come from behind early in the ballgame.

subset: commoncrawl


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Maximise your tax deductions on car expenses
There are many ways to claim a tax deduction for car expenses. Some require little to no record-keeping, while others mean keeping a detailed log book for 12 weeks.
Q. My wife and I are about to buy a used car and trade in our current car, which is registered in my name. I am a self-employed consultant (sole trader) and use the business kilometres travelled method to claim an income tax deduction for my business use of the current car. If we register the newly purchased car in my wife's name, will this affect my ability to claim tax deductions for future business use of the new car?
A. For you to be able to claim a tax deduction for car expenses you must either own or jointly own the vehicle. I am not sure why you want to register the replacement car in your wife's name. If you want to claim a tax deduction for your business use you should at least register the car in your joint names.
If the car is jointly owned, and your wife will be using it for business or employment-related travel, she will also be able to use the kilometre method to claim a tax deduction as well.
The kilometre method of claiming a car tax deduction relates to the individual claiming the tax deduction and does not relate to the vehicle itself. This means you could claim up to 5000 kilometres of business use of the vehicle and your wife could also claim up to 5000 kilometres of business or employment use.
If the car will not be used by your wife for tax-deductible purposes you might want to consider using the one-third of running cost method to claim your car expenses. Under this method where a car travels more than 5000 kilometres a year on business, one third of all of the running costs can be claimed as a tax deduction.
Running costs include fuel, repairs and maintenance, registration, insurance, lease costs, interest on loans taken out to purchase the vehicle, and the write-off of the cost of the vehicle by way of depreciation. If the cost of the replacement vehicle is high enough, and if your business use will be more than 5000 kilometres, the tax deduction you can claim could be greater under the one third of running costs method.
For example, the maximum claim that you can make under the cents per kilometre method for the 2013 year is $3750. Given that depreciation on a $35,000 car at 30 per cent is $10,500, it would not be hard to exceed $11,250 in total expenses for the car that would result in the one third of running cost method producing a greater tax deduction.
Questions on small business tax or other issues can be emailed to firstname.lastname@example.com "Tax for small business, a survival guide", by Max Newnham is available in bookstores and as an ebook.
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Inter-Continental Hotels Overseas N.V.
List of Deals
- 1971 7% guaranteed debentures due 1986 (convertible on and after March 20, 1972 into capital stock of Pan American World Airways, Inc., and guaranteed by Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation)
Intercontinental Hotels Corporation was created in 1946 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Pan American World Airlines. Pan American went into the hotel business at the behest of the U.S. State Department. The idea grew out of the U.S. government's hope that increased tourist and business travel would bolster the dollar balances of Latin American republics.
The company's early expansion was developed along Pan American's airline routes into Latin America and later throughout the world. The creation of this hotel chain complemented the growth of Pan American by providing accommodations for tourists and businesspeople who were previously reluctant to travel to these areas of the world because facilities there did not meet first-class American standards.
Tourism boomed with the end of World War II, and Intercontinental, like other major American hotel chains such as Hilton and Sheraton, expanded to accommodate this demand. Beginning in 1948 and through 1951, the company built eleven hotels for $80 million throughout Latin America, ranging from a 150-room facility in Guatemala to 1,000-room hotels in Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro.
The business strategy that Intercontinental pursued over many years when developing these hotels was to take a small equity interest in the hotel with the remainder owned by local businesspeople or government. The company earned profits by providing sales, advertising, and promotion services in addition to managing the property.
In the 1950s Intercontinental expanded its hotel operations to other parts of the developing world, including Bangkok, Beirut, and Puerto Rico. It also opened new hotels in major cities such as Paris and London, which were experiencing hotel shortages created by increased tourist and business traffic.
Intercontinental added hotels in Vienna and Frankfurt in 1960, and in 1961 it built three more in Ireland. This type of expansion continued unabated through the remainder of the decade. Pan Am strengthened the ties between the airline and its car rental and Intercontinental hotel subsidiaries in 1962 by acquiring a $25 million worldwide electronic reservations and communications system that allowed customers to make multiple reservations.
By 1964 Intercontinental had thirty-four hotels on six continents, including countries such as Pakistan, Indonesia, and Ghana. That number increased to sixty-three hotels by 1969 and seventy-four hotels in 1971.


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Duke, Garcia called up to add depth to Nats' pitching
By Mike Fiammetta / MLB.com
To make room for both players, Henry Rodriguez was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. Rodriguez underwent surgery on Friday to clean up a bone spur in his right elbow.
Duke, 29, is a seven-year veteran left-hander who was an All-Star starter for the Pirates in 2009. But after being dropped by the Astros in Spring Training -- the team with baseball's worst record last year -- Duke's prospects for returning to the big leagues seemed slim.
"Obviously you're always hopeful about going back to the big leagues, but the way that my Spring Training went and the last year went, getting released in Spring Training, the whole thing was just trying to get back to where I felt like I was the pitcher I was a capable of being, regardless of what the numbers and everything else was," Duke said. "So I feel like I was able to accomplish that, and this is just icing on the cake for me. I feel as good on the mound right now as I have in years. It's a very comforting feeling for a pitcher."
Duke, who is 48-74 with a 4.56 ERA in 181 games (168 starts) in his big league career, expects to pitch out of the bullpen, which he did for the second-half of last season while with Arizona.
Garcia, meanwhile, is on a Major League roster for the first time in his career. The 27-year-old right-hander has undergone two Tommy John surgeries to his pitching elbow after he was a third-round Draft pick by the Yankees in 2004.
Garcia signed with the Nationals last season, spending 2011 with Class A Auburn and Syracuse. He started this season in Double-A Harrisburg before moving up to Syracuse. In total, Garcia went 2-1 with a 0.86 ERA, 66 strikeouts and 17 walks in 52 1/3 innings in the Minors.
"To be with guys as talented as everybody in here is an honor, just to be able to put a jersey on," Garcia said. "Knowing that they're in first place and trying to clinch a playoff spot in the NL, just being here is an honor. Hopefully whatever I can do to help will be awesome."
Johnson on Strasburg: 'I know how he feels'
WASHINGTON -- One morning after Davey Johnson announced Stephen Strasburg's last start will come on the road Sept. 12 against the Mets, the Nationals' brass sat down with their young ace to discuss his shutdown.
Johnson announced Strasburg, who has thrown 156 1/3 innings to date, will make two more starts after his six shutout innings in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Cardinals. Before Monday's series opener with the Cubs, the Nats' manager explained how Strasburg took the news in the meeting with Johnson, general manager Mike Rizzo and pitching coach Steve McCatty.
"McCatty, Mike Rizzo, myself and [Strasburg], we were able to have a nice little conversation," Johnson said. "He hates McCatty more than he did before the meeting, and me and Rizzo. It's no secret that [Strasburg] is an intense competitor, that he wants to be here, wants to be contributing, wants to be helping, and I'm sure it's probably eating him up more than anybody involved in this whole thing, because he wants to be here and helping his teammates.
"He's worked harder than anybody coming back from that surgery, and this is what you dream about being a part of. I know how he feels."
The Nationals set out from the beginning of the season with an innings limit for Strasburg, believed to be between 160 and 180 innings, in his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in September 2010. After Sunday's gem, the 24-year-old right-hander is 15-6 with a 2.94 ERA and a National League-leading 195 strikeouts.
When asked if Strasburg understands the decision to shut him down, Johnson said, "probably not."
"I'm not sure any of us understand, but it's the right thing to do," Johnson said. "The way I look at things, the job that the [team owners, the Lerner family] and the front office have done building this organization, I don't look at this as the only chance you're going to get to be in the postseason, the World Series. This team wasn't just piecemealed together for one year. It was built to last, and we're trying to make sure it lasts."
After Sunday's game, Strasburg said he was expecting to have a talk with Johnson soon.
"I just don't have anything to say," Strasburg said. "I'm in it with these guys and we've still got a long way to go, but I'm going to fight with [Rizzo] until the end."
The Nationals recalled left-hander John Lannan from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday to eventually fill Strasburg's role in the rotation. Lannan will initially pitch out of the bullpen before assuming Strasburg's spot in the rotation. In two starts with the Nats this season, Lannan is 2-0 with a 3.46 ERA in 13 innings pitched.
If the Nationals do in fact reach the postseason, it is widely expected they will opt for a four-man rotation of Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Edwin Jackson and Ross Detwiler. Lannan would then return to the bullpen.
Skole, Karns take home Nats' 2012 Minors honors
WASHINGTON -- The Nationals named third baseman Matthew Skole their Minor League Player of the Year and right-hander Nathan Karns their Minor League Pitcher of the Year on Monday.
Skole hit .292 with 28 doubles, one triple, 27 homers, 104 RBIs, and 83 runs scored in 118 games for Class A Hagerstown. His 27 home runs led the South Atlantic League, were most among Nationals Minor Leaguers, and good for third in all of Class A. The 23-year-old had a .989 OPS during the 2012 campaign, including a South Atlantic League-leading 1.013 OPS in just 101 games for Hagerstown.
Skole hit home runs in three consecutive games from Aug. 1-3, including a walk-off grand slam on Aug. 3 vs. Lexington. He proved to be the South Atlantic League's most prolific hitter during the 2012 season, averaging one home run every 12.70 at-bats. Last week, the South Atlantic League named Skole its Most Valuable Player in addition to his selection as both a midseason and postseason All-Star.
A native of Woodstock, Ga., Skole was selected in the fifth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Georgia Tech.
Karns went 11-4 on the year, posting an organization-best 2.17 ERA (28 earned runs in 116 innings) in 24 games (18 starts) for Hagerstown and Class A Potomac. The 6-foot-5 righty began the season with Hagerstown, going 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA in 11 games (five starts) before being promoted to Potomac in early June. For the Potomac Nationals, Karns went 8-4 with a 2.26 ERA in 13 starts. He struck out an organization-best 148 batters, and his 11 wins were good for second among Nationals Minor Leaguers.
In nine starts from June 15 to Aug. 2, Karns went 8-0 with an 0.94 ERA in 57 1/3 innings, with 65 strikeouts against just 14 walks.
A native of Arlington, Texas, Karns was selected in the 12th round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft out of Texas Tech University.
Skole and Karns will be honored for their 2012 accomplishments during an on-field ceremony prior to Friday's 7:05 p.m. ET contest against Miami.
Johnson to give Burnett's ailing elbow a rest
WASHINGTON -- Nationals left-hander Sean Burnett is dealing with irritation in his pitching elbow and will rest for a couple of days, manager Davey Johnson said on Monday.
Burnett struggled in his two appearances against the Cardinals last week, blowing two saves after allowing a combined three runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings. Burnett also dealt with elbow tightness after the All-Star break, though he never landed on the disabled list.
"He has a little bit of irritation there, so I'm just staying off him," Johnson said. "With the expanded roster, you just give the guy some rest."
For the majority of the season, Burnett has been a solid eighth-inning pitcher for the Nats. In 50 2/3 innings this season, Burnett is 1-1 with two saves and a 2.49 ERA.
The Nationals' bullpen nevertheless received a boost on Monday, when Zach Duke and Christian Garcia were called up from Triple-A Syracuse. To make room on the 40-man roster, Henry Rodriguez (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list.
Mike Fiammetta 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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"Here's your headline, boss: 'Small-Town Dame Lands in Big Apple, Goes Wild, Tries to Stop Resurrection of Antichrist.' It'll sell bundles! Indeed it will, as Bray continues her winning streak with this heedlessly sprawling series starter set in Prohibition-era New York.... The book is big and wants to be the kind of thing you can lose yourself in. Does it succeed? It's jake, baby."Booklist
"One kick-ass setting, a cast of brilliant characters, a host of amazing supernatural powers and one creepy-as-hell killer on the loose.... Rich, complex and addictivean elaborate web of stories, winding together to create one masterpiece tapestry of a book."guardian.co.uk


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That's why sometimes, in the quest for the perfect way to say something, a writer can get hung up on last-minute changes and revisions, ever in search of an elusive sense of completion, and not let go of a piece.
How do you know when your careful editing becomes too much?
Take a look at the top three telltale signs it's time to overcome perfectionism, release your writing, and move on:
1. You've already edited—thoroughly.
A top sign your piece is ready to publish is when you've already edited it well. How can you be sure you edited sufficiently? Run down this checklist of important editing tasks:
Correct grammar and spelling errors.
Not to set the bar too high, but "good writing is error-free," says Anna Goldsmith of Copyblogger. "This means perfect spelling and no typos."
Writing clean content isn't as impossible as it sounds. Run spell-check, and then read through your writing a few times. Look for commonly misused words that sound alike, such as to, two and too; your and you're; their, they're and there, etc.
Also double-check the spelling of proper names, and refresh yourself on ways to make your copy readable. Then, trust that you've performed these checks.
Read it out loud.
One of the most powerful ways to edit is to read your writing out loud. It exposes the rhythm and clarity of your text.
"Sometimes when we write, we create filler," says Jane Friedman of Writer's Digest. "We don't think deeply about what we're saying. We include throwaway lines. Reading something out loud has an unusual way of bringing this to your attention."
To carefully edit your text, read it out loud a few times, and then move on.
Sleep on it.
One time-tested key to effective editing is to get a fresh perspective—just once. Get away from your work for a little while—even if just for a night—to give your mind a break while you find new inspiration and distractions.
"Wait at least a night, and preferably longer," says Dustin Wax at Lifehack.org. "Ideally, you want to forget what you wrote, so that—again—your brain doesn't see what it expects to see but only sees what's really there."
Once you allow yourself to return to your work anew, revise, rearrange and rest assured you've done what you should.
Enlist help from a fresh set of eyes.
Sometimes you have to get an outsider's opinion before you can really rest. "If you have a critique partner that rips your work to shreds and points out every glaring plot hole, good. Hold on to them. They're invaluable," says Avalon Jaedra of Writability.
But she also adds, "After they've gone through your manuscript and you've made the necessary changes, trust your readers."
2. Your inner critic is talking.
Many writers recommend enforced periods of just writing or just editing, if only to quiet their inner editor who questions and revises every word they write.
If you hang on to your writing because you're not sure it's good enough, ask yourself why. Is your inner critic at work? Consider these signs that the voice you hear isn't the one to listen to:
You're worried you won't like the piece.
It doesn't matter whether you're an actor, painter or writer—creative people seldom feel confident about their work. That's probably why many don't like to view or read their material years later. We all know something could have been better, but if we wait until the moment when we no longer feel that way, we could wait forever.
You let fear dictate your editing.
Do you keep editing because you're afraid of what will happen if you don't? Are you afraid someone will reject or misunderstand your work, or deem it incomplete?
"Perfectionism can be a good thing. It can lead to great accomplishments. But it can be damaging, too," says Meghan Ward of Writerland. "It can slow us down, it can prevent us from putting ourselves out there, from taking risks. And in order to get published, we need to be willing to put ourselves out there. We need to take risks—in our writing and in our lives."
You're after some illusory perception of genius.
Writers often get hung up on the writing of someone they admire and discourage themselves from completing a project until it meets that perceived level of greatness.
"If you aspire to high-level creative work and/or depend on your creativity for a living, then the myth of genius could seriously damage your work and your career," says Mark McGuinness of Lateral Action.
3. Time is not on your side.
Over-editing wastes time. Every minute you spend taking out commas and putting them back in, rewriting the introduction only to change it back, or staring out the window while you wish for inspiration is a minute you could spend on your next project.
Your deadline will still come. When you know time is against you, it's probably time to metaphorically lay down that red pen.
Your productivity suffers.
Over-editing can be the biggest time suck known to the writing profession. When you no longer actively improve your piece—whether through revising grammar mistakes or reading your words aloud—you know you're wasting time.
You reach your deadline.
For some writers, the only way to finally stop tweaking is to face a deadline—whether real or self-imposed. "When that deadline comes, I'm done—whether I like it or not," says Nina Amir of WriteNonfictionNow.com. "At that point, I stop working on the article, essay or book. Many times I don't ever reread the piece. I don't want to know if I could have improved it!"
The reason deadlines can be so helpful is they force a writer to end the quest for perfection. Though we can always improve our writing, we will never feel satisfied if we seek the epitome of creativity, clarity, and brilliance.
After you edit, recognize the voice of your inner critic, and realize it's time to stop tweaking, avoid the vicious cycle of editing and re-editing and take our advice: Give yourself permission to be done.
Shanna Mallon is a food blogger and freelance writer. A version of this article first appeared on the Straight North blog.
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Im doing a small thing for school, and i want to make a program to have you enter a number, and have it count the digits, and then tell you how many digits there are.
I only know a little C++, and would like to know how to go about haveing it count the digits. thanks for anyone who helps.


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Houston police: Man protecting woman in bar fatally shot by brothers
Published 3:54 pm, Thursday, July 18, 2013
Two brothers have been arrested in the shooting death of a man at a bar in north Houston last month.
A third suspect in the case is on the run.
Matthew Longoria, 19, and his 23-year-old brother, Richard Longoria, are charged with murder in the death of 39-year-old Jesus Geraldo Solis about 2:10 a.m. June 30 at Vara's Sports Bar at 2700 North Freeway, according to the Houston Police Department.
Police said witnesses told investigators three men walked into the bar and tried to force a woman to dance with one of them. Another man, identified as Solis, intervened to help the woman, saying she had a boyfriend inside the bar.
One of the suspects then walked outside, grabbed a handgun from a vehicle, walked back into the bar and shot Solis in the leg.
As Solis attempted to leave, the man shot him several more times. Solis collapsed and died at the scene.
The suspects left after the shooting.
Investigators later identified two of the suspects as the Longoria brothers. They were arrested without incident on Monday. Police are still looking for the third suspect. No description of that man was available.
Anyone with information about the case is urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713 308-3600 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.


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I hope that this column finds everyone off to a great 2013 and having enjoyed a little touch of this snow and winter blast we received last night from mother nature! With being said, I wanted to follow-up on a great non-profit that I featured back in early December and provide you a winter update. We have had an extremely positive response to this column on non-profits and charity organizations, which is due to you our readers, so thank you thank you for your feedback and passion. If you are interested in having your organization recognized on this column or on our non profit spotlight segment, please contact me at email@example.com or (919) 240-6037. – See more at: http://chapelboro.com/Non-Profit-Spotlight-by-Brian-Chacos/14881977#sthash.Z2wWqWdE.dpuf
First and foremost, I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and a great start to 2013. Looking back on the year, Kids2Carolina had a great first year! We were able to send over 1400 kids to football games this past year. These are kids that traveled from all across the state to come visit UNC, from southwest Virginia to Asheville from Boone to Wilmington.
Our mission at Kids2Carolina is to enrich the lives of underprivileged youth by providing access to a world-class university and state of the art athletic venues. Through attending athletic events and experiencing a "Carolina Game day", kids in our community will have the opportunity to be a part of a college setting, inspiring them to be on a path to higher education!
We felt that we are off to a great start but, we are nowhere near satisfied. We could not have gotten this far without your contribution and we are grateful to have such passionate support.
This spring, we would like to send kids to Boshamer stadium to watch the #1 Baseball team in the country, in arguably the most beautiful college baseball venue there is. We are currently nailing down logistics with the UNC administration but, we are taking donations to help us get kids on campus so that they can have a unique opportunity to visit a world class educational institution. If you are interested in donating please visit our website.
We also of course are accepting basketball and soon, baseball ticket donations which can be mailed to Kids2Carolina, P. O Box 9135 Chapel Hill 27514. These will either be given directly to youth organization that we have already cleared by us to host kids to the games or auctioned off and in turn the auction money will go to buying more tickets for kids.
We are also looking for anyone who would like to help support the program with their time and effort. So if you are interested in helping out with volunteering, please contact me for logistical information (firstname.lastname@example.com)!
You can follow Kids2Carolina on the web. Or on Facebook and Twitter.
In closing, we hope that you and your families have a blessed and prosperous 2013 and also look forward to much success from our lady and men Tar Heel sports teams!
Best Regards,
Cody Thompson
Founder/President Kids2Carolina
– See more at: http://chapelboro.com/Non-Profit-Spotlight-by-Brian-Chacos/14881977#sthash.Z2wWqWdE.dpuf


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Bluffton Town Council approves a-tax distributions but calls for reform
Bluffton Town Council suggested getting tougher with groups that routinely lobby for accommodations tax money at its meeting Tuesday, arguing they'll need to become more self-sufficient as others push for their own slice of the pie.
Council approved the full $90,800 in distributions pushed forward by an advisory committee that reviews applications, but not without a lengthy discussion that ended with a recommendation to hold workshops aimed at curbing reliance on what the town calls "seed money."
Revenues from taxes tacked onto lodging bills are first distributed to the town's general fund and its designated marketer for tourism promotion. The rest — $147,000 this fiscal year — is set aside for groups that promote tourism or provide for out-of-town visitors through regular services or special events.
Council members questioned the direct benefit to tourism provided by groups that usually receive quarterly contributions and argued the distribution isn't equitable.
Councilman Mike Raymond said the status quo advantages the Old Town Merchants Society to the exclusion of businesses at developments such as Buckwalter Place and Berkeley Place.
"It just seems to me that there's something inherently unfair to turn around and give this money to one group of private merchants," he said.
He added the one new applicant this quarter, a town beautification committee, is working toward more far-reaching improvements with its effort to create entryways and greenery along the lines of other municipalities that use the money to update parks and build gateways.
Noting the application guideline that encourages groups to match tax funding with their own, Mayor Lisa Sulka said the pie will inevitably shrink as other groups vie for a piece.
"There's gonna be a day when there's not just one new group — it's gonna be 10 new groups," she said.
Councilman Karen Lavery questioned the salary expenses and relevance of the Bluffton Historical Preservation Society's Heyward House, which functions as the town visitor center and receives the highest quarterly contributions of any group.
"I'm not seeing anything coming out of this visitor center, and I'm seeing a lot of money put into it," she said.
Maureen Richards, the organization's executive director, challenged Lavery's claim that visitor numbers have fallen because of poor visibility. Although $100,000 of the $125,000 the group will receive this fiscal year will go to salaries, the full budget amounts to $265,000 and includes funding from events, grants, membership and other fundraising, Richards said.
But Sulka affirmed her workshop recommendation, calling the Heyward House roof restoration project a "money pit" that more than doubled in cost from $25,000 to $53,000.
At the meeting council also approved a resolution creating a Metropolitan Planning Organization for transportation planning among Bluffton, Hilton Head, parts of Jasper County and portions of Beaufort County north of the Broad River.
An ordinance allowing the town to transfer ownership of the six homes that are part of the Wharf Street redevelopment received a first reading along with the homebuyer agreement for the affordable housing initiative. The agreement bars home buyers from making modifications without town approval, rental agreements and open-market sales.


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Matsui gets the start on his birthday
By Greg Zeck / MLB.com
"It's very easy -- it's Matsui's birthday," Maddon said. "That's it."
The always-colorful Maddon then tried to justify his reason even further, saying Matsui was primed to have a big game because of the occasion.
"Sometimes you have to look beyond the stats and numbers and just look at the birthday," Maddon said.
He even went as far as to say that he read somewhere that players who played on their birthdays this season had good games.
Members of the Japanese media even took part in the celebration. They presented Matsui with a giant red velvet cake, complete with a Rays hat and baseball decorations and "38" across the front for the now 38-year-old.
Longoria could begin rehab assignment Friday
ST. PETERSBURG -- Rays third baseman Evan Longoria took more batting and fielding practice Tuesday and also did some running drills.
Manager Joe Maddon was optimistic about what he saw from Longoria, saying there were no setbacks. He is scheduled to also run before Thursday's game against the Mets. If all goes well, Longoria could begin a rehab assignment Friday.
Longoria is still not 100 percent, according to Maddon, who added that it might take another day as well.
"With a hamstring, you have to be extremely prudent and wise," Maddon said. "We wanted to make sure that he was well."
Tampa Bay was 20-17 entering Tuesday since Longoria partially tore his left hamstring April 30. In 23 games, he was hitting .329 with four home runs and 19 RBIs.
Farnsworth pitching in rehab games at Class A
ST. PETERSBURG -- Fresh off a rehab assignment in Port Charlotte, Fla., Rays reliever Kyle Farnsworth is scheduled to pitch again for the Class A Stone Crabs in Jupiter on Thursday.
In his first appearance, the 36-year-old pitched one scoreless inning on just five pitches, but he said he still isn't quite ready to rejoin the Major League club.
"The arm strength is still not there, but that will eventually come," Farnsworth said.
Farnsworth added he'll probably make "six or seven" appearances and hopes to be back during the team's final home stand in June, which begins against the Tigers on June 28.
The righty hasn't pitched at all for the Rays this season. A year ago, he made 63 appearances and recorded 25 saves for Tampa Bay with a 2.18 ERA. Current closer Fernando Rodney has done well in his absence and holds a 0.94 ERA with 18 saves already this season.
Worth noting
Second baseman/right fielder Ben Zobrist was out of the lineup Tuesday due to soreness in his hand. Maddon said he is listed as day to day but joked that he wished Zobrist was out "hour to hour" instead.
Infielder Jeff Keppinger was back in the Rays' clubhouse Tuesday, this time without the walking boot he was last seen wearing. Maddon said he can begin taking batting practice "in a couple days."
Greg Zeck 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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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urges public to vote on "The Future You Want"
Jun 12th, 2012 |
Experts from more than 150 countries propose recommendations on how to move towards a sustainable future at vote.riodialogues.org
future at vote.riodialogues.org
New York, 6 June 2012. The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on people around the world to cast their votes in an online global poll on solutions to the planet's most pressing social, economic and environmental challenges, the results of which will be presented to world leaders at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, or 'Rio+20', in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, later this month.
"Go to vote.riodialogues.org. Tell us what you think," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today in statement. "Those votes – the voices of the people – can make a difference in building a prosperous, equitable, stable and sustainable world for all."
The voting will close on Friday 15 June 2012 and includes also the subject of "water".
"The dialogues are an attempt to create a bridge between civil society and the official proceedings of the upcoming UN Conference on Sustainable Development," said Ban Ki-moon.
More than 100 heads of state and government are expected to participate in Rio+20 scheduled for 20 to 22 June 2012, some 20 years after the first Earth Summit, which also took place in Rio.
The vote.riodialogues.org poll follows a global discussion about the world's future that took place on a social networking forum launched earlier this year by the Government of Brazil and the UN.
The discussions covered ten main themes related to sustainable development: Water and cities management, oceans, food and nutrition security, energy, forests, employment, poverty, economic crises, sustainable production and consumption.
Several thousand people from more than 150 countries participated in the discussions – including activists, human rights advocates, community leaders, civil society members, economists and urban planners – and came up with some 100 policy proposals on how to move forward on these critical issues, in a way that ensures a sustainable future for all.
The public are urged to visit vote.riodialogues.org and cast their votes on these proposals, among them, putting a price on carbon emissions, setting up a global network of international marine protected areas, and adjusting Gross Domestic Product for environmental damages.
This is the first time that a social networking medium like the RioDialogues.org has been used ahead of a major international conference to enable citizens to speak up via the Internet, to articulate the kind of sustainable future he or she would want.
"We are using the power of social networks to turn Rio+20 into the first global meeting where everyone can have a say – in person and virtually, through the web," said Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, Brazil's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The vote.riodialogues.org site is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.
For more on the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, please visit: www.uncsd2012.org
For more information, contact: New York: Sandra Macharia: +1 212 906 5377, email@example.com


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| Topic: Al-Ihsan Projects: Pray Before You Are Pr
Posted: 28 May 2013 at 3:45pm
Salah is a pillar of the religion (Islam).
Verily, the prayer keeps one away
Many sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam) as well as commands in the Quran highlight the importance of prayer. For those of us performing the prayer out of habit or those of us falling slightly short or lazy in meeting our prayers, the importance of such a virtuous act can always necessitate a reminder.
Do we really know the importance or has it been forgotten?
Join us and lets reconnect with the importance of Salah
Al-Ihsan Projects presents:
'A Reminder Discussing The Importance And Value Of The
Yusha Evans currently works as a full-time lecturer and caller to Islam, as well as teaching workshops that have taken him all across the globe. He is the founder and co-founder of two Islamic television stations in North America as well has appeared on many Islamic stations throughout the world. He has studied under numerous teachers and scholars in the various sciences of Islam and is a Phycology major. He is currently studying under Shaykh Waleed Al-Menesse, one of the worlds foremost Scholars in the Quran and its various sciences. He also is a multiple discipline Black belt holder and runs a martial arts academy in Minneapolis
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Hi everyone :hey: :hey:
im guessing everyone watches the opening songs?? because they're some people who don't. Aha, crazy i know right?
In the Manga their son's picture was never shown but you all must have noticed in the new opening of Naruto TV series
(looks exactly like him)
Thought it was fitting as it was Asuma's birthday recently
__________________________________________________ ____________
also, have you guys noticed that in the opening we see stuff from manga which is to come in the future like nagato & itachi v naruto n killer bee ??
Is this the anime makers teasing us or something aha ?


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The New York Yankees scored a dramatic 14-inning win over the Oakland A's Saturday, but at least one member of the Bronx Bombers was fuming after the victory.
The Yankees' Eric Chavez says members of the A's engaged in "high school-ish" and "pretty unprofessional" behavior during the 13th inning of Saturday's game, when Oakland launched three homers to take a 9-5 lead over the Yankees.
During the inning, as the A's piled up four runs, most of those on the team's bench participated in what Chavez called "an orchestrated clapping, chanting" celebration, Chavez told the New York Post. He was playing first base at the time and says he had a clear view of the Oakland dugout.
"I thought it was distasteful," said Chavez, who spent the first 13 years of his big league career with the A's. "That's not cool. That's not how you play the game. I am all for having fun, but that crossed the line. It is all about being humble."
Chavez told the newspaper he was not sure if any of his teammates saw what was happening on the Oakland bench and he doesn't think it helped fuel New York's comeback. The Yankees rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the 13th, then won in the 14th when A's first baseman Brandon Moss' made a two-out error to allow a run.
The A's for their part, made no apologies.
"Listen, we've got 17 rookies in here, you know?" A's outfielder/designated hitter Jonny Gomes told ESPNNewYork.com. "I mean, these guys are playing the game to have fun, you know? These guys aren't playing the game to go to arbitration. These guys aren't playing the game for free agency. They're playing the game for fun, you know? And when you take fun out of the game, you're going to have 17 rookies crumble."
A's manager Bob Melvin said his team plays hard and respects the game. "We play the game the right way on the field, definitely. If you try to keep things loose in the dugout, there's nothing wrong with that."


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The Miami Marlins swept the Atlanta Braves by a combined score of 23-7 this week to bring their season record up to .500, and that has the Braves asking some questions. In particular, Atlanta is wondering how it is that Miami managed to light up Braves starters Alex Wood and Aaron Harang, who entered their starts with season ERAs of 1.54 and 0.85, respectively, and had allowed a total of just two runs in 14 innings against the Marlins in Atlanta the previous week. In Miami, however, Wood and Harang combined to allow 16 runs in just 9 2/3 innings. The Marlins are now 12-4 at home, where they have scored 6.2 runs per game. On the road, however, they are just 2-10 and have scored 2.7 runs per game, all of which strike the Braves as signs of foul play.
Are the Marlins stealing signs? The Braves had their best men on the case on Wednesday night, as Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
If you would have taken a look at our dugout at one point in the game, it was like the fourth or fifth inning, they were hitting balls everywhere, we got three guys looking at the scoreboard. You got two guys looking at their bullpen. I'm calling [bullpen coach] Eddie [Perez], 'Eddie do you see anything?' I'm looking at [catcher Evan] Gattis, thinking he's maybe tipping his pitches. [Bench coach] Carlos [Tosca] is looking in the bench over there, maybe somebody is whistling or something. . . . Yeah, you have this conspiracy theory, but at the end, we came up with nothing. It wasn't like we saw a guy with the [binoculars], like Mick Billmeyer in Colorado. . . . There was one guy sitting [in the outfield seats] who had a red hat and an orange shirt. I said 'Boy that's a bad combination to have.' I told [Jordan] Schafer and [Tyler] Pastornicky to keep an eye on that guy over there. The guy got up, went to get a Coke.
Gonzalez told the AJC that he changed signs five times while Harang was on the mound and used multiple signs even with the bases empty, but saw no change in the Marlins' success against his pitchers. Nor, said Gonzalez, did the Braves detect anyone hiding in the Marlins' home run sculpture relaying signs. The Braves next move was to review video of their pitchers to see if they were tipping pitches.
That last would seem the most likely. Pitch tipping is quite common, and the Marlins faced both Wood and Harang in consecutive starts, giving them ample opportunity to sniff out their tells before either had a chance to correct them. Looking at the pitch charts, it's possible the Marlins knew when Wood's curveball was coming, as they took 12 of the 14 curves he offered and, of the two they swung at, one was a Giancarlo Stanton home run. Looking at Harang's start, a game I watched, it seems telling that the Marlins either made contact with or took for a ball the first 15 sliders Harang threw, but that four of the last five Harang threw resulted in either a swing-and-miss or a called strike (the fifth was a ball in the dirt). Perhaps the change was the result of one of Gonzalez's sign changes, or perhaps Harang unconsciously altered his tell on the pitch.
Of course, there's another possibility here: That Aaron Harang getting lit up in a major league start is not an unusual occurrence and that his success coming into Wednesday's start was far more suspicious than his lousy outing against the Marlins. In 2012, Harang gave up two more runs than innings pitched eight times, three of those coming in his first six starts of the season. You'd be hard pressed to find someone outside of the Braves' organization who didn't think he was overdue for a shellacking heading into Wednesday's game. Watching that game, nothing Harang was doing looked terribly impressive, as he spent the early innings scattering upper 80s fastballs around the strike zone. He had better success with his changeup and curve as he got deeper into the game, but the Marlins were indeed all over his slider. As for Wood, he only gave up three runs in his first five innings, two of them on that Stanton home run, hardly a suspicious outburst by the Marlins.
Whatever the source of Harang's disastrous outing, it was fortuitously timed, as the Braves will be forced to activate Gavin Floyd on Sunday with Floyd's 30-day minor league rehabilitation assignment having expired. Atlanta has already bounced rookie David Hale to the bullpen to make room for Mike Minor, who will come off the disabled list to start against the Giants on Friday night. Harang, who has a 91 ERA+ since the start of the 2008 season, is on his sixth team in the last two years, and will turn 36 next week, making him the obvious choice to surrender his rotation spot to Floyd. But the Braves would have had a difficult time pulling a starter with a sub-1.00 ERA from the rotation, no matter what his track record might be. As it stands, Harang's first five starts may yet earn him another turn, which would come against the Cardinals on Monday, but the Floyd/Harang swap would seem inevitable, even if it doesn't happen immediately.
Floyd allowed just one run on a solo home run while striking out five against one walk over five innings in his last start at Triple-A and topped out at 86 pitches in the start prior to that. He'd be on regular rest on Tuesday, leaving open the possibility that the Braves could use six starters this time through the rotation, with Floyd following Harang, then make use of Thursday's off-day to start Floyd in Harang's place if he does indeed out-pitch the veteran against St. Louis. The caveat there is that pitchers coming back from Tommy John surgery typically require some time to return to their previous form, something the Braves don't need much of a reminder about given their recent experience with Brandon Beachy, and Floyd was merely a league-average pitcher in his last three qualifying seasons (2010 to 2012). Given that, there wouldn't seem to be much harm in letting Floyd re-acclimate himself to the majors out of the bullpen for a week or two.Kris Medlen tied with the A's Ervin Santana


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Southern Vt. will see boost in cell service
POWNAL -- Barring any unforeseen glitches, access to high-speed broadband internet is on track to become available to every household and business in Vermont by the end of 2013, according to Gov. Peter Shumlin and Connect Vermont Chief Karen Marshall. The goal of 100 percent high-speed connectivity by the end of this year was a pledge of Shumlin's during his first term in 2011, spurring the Connect Vt. initiative.
Concurrently, the governor's office announced a $5 million grant Monday to expand cellular service in Southern Vermont in Bennington, Rutland, Windham, and Windsor counties. That award will go to VTel Wireless, a Springfield-based affiliate of Vermont Telephone, slated to invest $15 million total within 19 areas of the southern part of the state, including Route 7 in Pownal and also:
* Andover Road from Andover to Weston
* Route 9 in Marlboro and Wilmington
* Routes 100 and 100a in Plymouth
* Route 100 in Wardsboro
* Route 103 in Mount Holly
* Route 133 from Pawlet to Middletown Springs
Overseeing the initiative to "connect Vermont," Marshall said the mission was twofold: Universal broadband and vastly expanded cellular service.
"This grant ... represents a significant investment in leading-edge micro and macro cell technology that will meet the needs of Vermonters. ... Our public funds leverage federal and private funds already at work as we avoid duplication of infrastructure and stretch our resources further," she wrote in a prepared statement.
The grant was recently approved by the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) Board. Shumlin's office said the investment of state funds would help fill in challenging gaps in coverage. Funding was included in state appropriations as part of the broadband initiative.
VTA Executive Director Christopher Campbell called the award the most significant to date for expanded cellular service from the telecommunications authority. Marshall said Vermont was "one of the most connected places on the planet" following two years of infrastructure work, both cellular and broadband. According to her, in 2010, there were 256,343 locations with broadband access and about 37,761 lacking.
As of this past June, Marshall tallied 282,066 locations with access to a high-speed provider -- just over 95 percent -- and 12,494 in the process of receiving service (4.2 percent). With about 500 locations left, largely in remote areas of the state, Marshall said those areas remained a challenge; but the governor's release said the push was on to "find creative solutions to bring broadband access to those locations."
As part of the VTel cellular upgrade, the company will also install "small-cell sites" on utility poles to bring cell service to areas that are especially difficult to serve because of topography. The small-cell equipment is installed at short intervals along roadways to boost signals.
The soon-to-be upgraded 4G LTE-technology system is part of VTel's Wireless Open World, a federally funded project to deliver home broadband service over wireless networks. Many of the WOW broadband service areas overlap with "target corridors" for cell service, which are main travel routes identified as either lacking cell service completely or having inconsistent coverage.
Vermont now ranks fourth in the U.S. in terms of average broadband speed connection according to the governor's office. Marshall said the venture was creating "both connections and jobs" in the telecommunications sector.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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On paper, this race should go the 911 Turbo's way especially considering it gets a car length and the hit. That is enough to make one raise their eyebrows and know something is up. The Porsche owner definitely should have known better. Especially considering there are videos online of this same Mustang taking down much stronger opponents like a 900 horsepower Corvette. Know your enemy.
Video is below, enjoy and the Mustang shows why a properly prepped rear wheel drive can beat all wheel drive in a drag race.


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Parents wish their children are active in their parishes and have a comfortable prayer life with God, several parents said at a recent workshop in Prince Albert, Sask.
The parents also hope their children serve in their parishes and give direction to young people in their own parishes.
They were responding to the discussion question, "What would you like the Catholic faith to be about for your children in the next 10 or 15 years?"
Presenter Dan Moynihan, youth ministry specialist for the Diocese of London, Ont., told the group a recent study found most young people follow the faith of their parents, which is typically very conventional.
"The vast majority of teens are not alienated or rebellious, most are quite content to follow in their parents' footsteps."
The Strong Catholic Families, Strong Catholic Youth program began as a research study in the United States on 3,300 youth and their insights, challenges and reflections on religion.
During the study, teens were asked: If they could change something about family dynamics, what would they choose?
A huge response pointed to the need to be closer to their parents. After being asked why they were not, the youth stated they were unsure how to achieve a close relationship.
Moynihan said his role is to assist parishes, schools and families in their efforts to draw young people into meaningful relationships with Jesus and the Church.
Parish youth groups, retreats, mission trips and Sunday Mass are all key components in passing faith onto teens, he said.
Parents also matter a great deal in the faith development of their children, he said. But the task of passing on the faith is not easy.
Parents' commitment to their children is a strong witness that they believe this gift must be passed on to them.
According to Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 2221), the role of parents in education is of such importance that it is almost impossible to provide an adequate substitute.


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Q. I have a mare that is very protective of her foal. How can I check on the foal to make sure he's thriving without putting myself in danger?
Ellen, Bedminster, N.J.
A. Although it's always a good idea to acclimate young foals to handling in the first few days or weeks of life, it certainly is not obligatory for having a very manageable foal. Depending on how aggressively the mare is trying to protect her foal, there are some instances where, for safety and welfare concerns, it might be wiser to just observe the foal rather than try to get a hand on him. You can still get a good idea of whether the foal is thriving by just observing him. Look for signs that he is bright and alert, responding normally to sounds and events, moving comfortably, has no nasal or eye discharge, and has normal feces (see page 26). Play behavior is a sign of good health, so if you see the foal running and frolicking, he is likely -thriving.
To actually handle the foal when the mare's protective behavior is of concern, it might be wise to recruit one or more assistants that have experience handling broodmares and foals. The general plan many professional handlers use for most mares is to first get a lead rope on the mare and calmly reassure her in whatever way works best--grooming, giving her a treat, ignoring the foal, etc. Be as nonconfrontational as possible with the mare. Once she settles, the foal should also settle. This might take a few minutes but it is worth the wait. When the mare seems settled, calmly position her where she can see the foal and where her hind end is placed away from where you will be. One handler can stay with the mare to keep her calm. You might need to provide another minute or two of calm reassurance for the mare and foal to settle with that arrangement.
Foals instinctively position themselves on the opposite side of the dam from any imposing threat (i.e., you). Hence, the foal will likely keep scooting around to the other side of the mare if that option is available. Having someone on either side of the mare will help prevent this back-and-forth. What you don't want to do is to prompt the side-to-side escape behavior.
Depending upon how aggressively your mare protects her foal, you might want to create a barrier of some sort between the mare and the foal. You might be able to simply use straw bales to build a little half wall on one side of the stall, or position the mare along the edge of the stall. The goal is have a sufficient barrier to create a safe environment for yourself, but not to separate the mare so much that she becomes agitated. Any agitation on her part will add to the foal's fear and agitation.
When you actually handle the foal be sure not to chase him, rush toward him, or grab at him aggressively. Rather, calmly cradle him and be prepared to move with him while he settles. Foals tend to scurry toward their dam, and if you position yourself on the foal's off side, the mare will likely be less disturbed as well as less likely to try to bite or kick you "through the foal," so to speak.
About the Author
Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB
Sue M. McDonnell, PhD, is a certified applied animal behaviorist and the founding head of the equine behavior program at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine. She is also the author of numerous books and articles about horse behavior and management.
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Vanguard Variable Annuity - Capital Growth Portfolio
The performance data shown represent past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results. Investment returns and principal value will fluctuate, so that investors' shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data cited. See performance data current to the most recent month-end. Expense ratio information can be found on the Overview page.
*A widely used barometer of U.S. stock market performance; as a market-weighted index of leading companies in leading industries, it is dominated by large-capitalization companies.
** Since inception on 05/01/2003


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0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Dear Robin, here's my way of praising the fruits of his efforts, connotatively:"Dear Craig, will you let me be your roommate, please? I will make your garage my room if you let me. And, since you said, 'Nobody would complain about your smoke if you lived in Texas. . . .', I will also bring my WFO to be used as a side-arm."
Craig,I tip my hat off to you and guest pizzaiolo. Both of you made very beautiful looking pizzas. You both are all-star pizza makers! Norma
Stellar, Really.
But someday I do intend to try that pizza!
craig, that margherita looks nice and juicy just the way i like it. a knife and fork pie! can you tell me about the clam pie. if has been discussed above just note it.i will pm on all of my sofo information,should have it today. ever think about a mobile pizza garage? that way you can keep your real job and spread the faith.
Wow you have amazing pizzas and to find out you live in houston too is like finding out that Elvis is your neighbor! You take the word passion to a whole Nother level and here i am thinking im obsessed learning about pizzas at 3am when I have to work at 7am lol. Yea my gf thinks I'm crazy but that's what happens
ok maybe its more like having tim the tool man taylor as a neighbor....you know with over kill ovens lol
Are you a Karbach fan or do you work there?
Gee, I sure would love to try a few Hopadillos! (hint hint)


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Symantec mail security (Messaging Gateway, Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange, Message Gateway for Service providers and similar) has missed spam, newsletter, or marketing messages or generated a false positive which needs to be submitted to Symantec Security Response Center for examination.
(Customers of Symantec's Email Anti-Malware.Cloud or ATP Email who believe they have encountered a False Positive from the Cynic component, please see Email Anti-Malware.Cloud and Advanced Threat Protection Email (ATP) False Negative, False Positive and Request For More Information Process.)
Please see the Connect article Symantec Insider Tip: Successful Submissions! for details on how to safely submit missed suspicious files that entered an organization via mail attachments or URLs in mail, how to report suspected phishing sites and much more.
Symantec defines spam as unsolicited bulk email (includes unsolicited commercial email). Many end-users, customers and even analysts are actually referring to spam in a broader sense as all unwanted communication. Symantec does not include the following in its definition of spam:
- Unwanted direct marketing emails that have been solicited by the recipient
- Unwanted newsletters that have been solicited by the recipient
Symantec Messaging Gateway 9.5 has new disposition verdicts on Newsletter messages, Marketing mail messages and Suspicious URL messages. Details on these depositions and messages submission procedures to Symantec can be found under here.
Suspect Spam
Messages which are marked as suspect spam will not be treated as false positives. The suspect spam feature of Symantec Brightmail products is intended to augment the spam filtering. It is up to administrators of the product to determine a threshold which is suitable for the organization. Unlike spam, which is determined by Symantec and not subject to adjustment by administrators, the suspected spam threshold should be configured to an appropriate level, or disabled completely. Administrators of Symantec Brightmail products are advised to use policies to specify less obstructive actions for messages identified as suspected spam than messages identified as spam by Symantec
False positive
A false positive is a legitimate email which has been incorrectly given a verdict of spam.
Missed Spam Submissions
Messages which have not been blocked by the anti-spam filters and which match the definition of spam above can be submitted to Symantec for analysis and possible filter creation.
NOTE: Customers using Symantec Message Gateway (SMG) or Symantec Mail Security for Microsoft Exchange (SMSMSE) can use the add-on product Symantec Email Submission Client (SESC) to easily submit spam to Symantec. SESC is available from Symantec Fileconnect using the standard product serial numbers for SMG or SMSMSE. See the following forum post for information on the release of SESC: Symantec Email Submission Client (SESC) 1.0: NOW AVAILABLE.
To analyze a missed spam message, Symantec must receive the original spam message:
- Within 24 hours of receipt
- As an "message/rfc822" email attachment*
- One email attachment per submission**
Send the spam message as an email attachment to the appropriate address for your region:
Americas: firstname.lastname@example.com
EMEA: firstname.lastname@example.com
APAC: email@example.com
Japan: email@example.com
Instructions on how to attach messages for common email clients are provided below. For all other email systems, please check the documentation or contact the service provider for help.
What happens to missed spam submissions?
Only messages sent following the procedure above will be accepted for analysis and possible spam filter creation.
The Security Response Center processes the received message using a sophisticated algorithm which groups the message with other messages received from customers or through the extensive probe network. When a group of messages that are similar enough reaches a threshold, it becomes an attack. At this point, an automated process or a Security Response technician will create a filter to respond to the attack as accurately as possible without creating a potential False Positive. Adding the filter to the appropriate ruleset completes the process in our Security Response Center. Your Inbox becomes protected from that attack after the ruleset is updated on the Brightmail filtering mailserver.
Feedback on missed spam submissions
Symantec does not acknowledge messages submitted to the above addresses. Due to the volume of submissions received, Security Response cannot offer any guarantee that filters will be written. For creation of specific rules, customers should be using the custom rules, compliance policies, and blacklist modules.
For Mail Administrators who want to enable end user spam reporting
A "report spam" button can be configured in the mail client interface to allow end users to submit missed spam directly. Administrators should work with their mail client provider to do this. An alias should be configured for the appropriate submission address above. The action of the button should be to forward the original spam message to the alias as an RFC 822 email attachment with full headers and body preserved. A copy of the message may also be sent to the customer's internal support desk.
False Positives Submissions
A legitimate email which has been incorrectly given a verdict of spam can be submitted to Symantec for analysis and filter review. As explained above, messages with a suspect spam verdict are not considered false positives and these will not be reviewed.
To analyze a false positive message, Symantec must receive the original false positive message:
- As an "message/rfc822" email attachment*
- One email attachment per submission**
Send the false positive message as an email attachment to the appropriate address for your region:
Americas: firstname.lastname@example.com
EMEA: email@example.com
APAC: firstname.lastname@example.com
Japan: email@example.com
Instructions on how to attach messages for common email clients are provided below. For all other email clients, please check the documentation or contact the service provider for help.
What happens to false positive submissions?
Only messages sent following the procedure above will be accepted for analysis.
Messages that have a spam verdict will be processed within 24 hours. Each false positive submission is examined individually to assess what caused the message to be detected as spam and what corrective action, if any, needs to be taken. Note that Symantec does not guarantee that each submission will result in an alteration of our filters.
Feedback on false positives submissions
Symantec does not acknowledge messages submitted to the above addresses. Ensure that you are following the procedure outlined above to submit in a correct format. If this fails to resolve the matter please contact your administrator or Symantec support.
What happens if the false positive email was deleted?
If the action for a spam verdict is to delete and you are aware of a legitimate email getting deleted due to a spam verdict, you can work with the original sender to re-send their email plus:
- You can create a temporary whitelist for the sender's address in order to obtain the sample message from the recipient for submission.
- The whitelist should be removed after the sample message has been obtained as email addresses are often spoofed by spammers and this could lead to messages bypassing spam scanning.
In Symantec Messaging Gateway it is possible to submit messages directly from the quarantine:
- Create a new group policy for the recipient of the email and change the action to quarantine
- Ensure the option to send Misidentified Messages to Symantec Security Response is enabled on the Spam -> Settings -> Quarantine Settings page.
- Ask the sender to resend their email
- Release the email from the quarantine.
Submitting Messages for Customer Specific Spam Rules
You can obtain custom spam rules specifically for your organization based on the missed spam messages and false positive messages that administrators and end users submit.
This feature provides the following benefits:
- It improves Symantec Messaging Gateway's ability to detect spam and helps administrators control false positive incidents
- It makes it easier to submit missed spam messages or false positive messages to Symantec for analysis and ruleset creation
- It provides visibility into the submission status and ruleset creation
See the following documents for additional info on Customer Specific Spam Rules:
Setting up customer-specific spam submissions: www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO77719
About submitting messages for customer-specific spam rules:www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO77718
Mail client instructions for submitting valid samples (missed spam and false positives):
The following mail clients have been tested and confirmed to be able to submit messages in the required format. If your mail client does not appear in the list below please consult the Technical Information section of the document for email submission requirements and your email software documentation to determine whether submissions are possible using your mail client.
Microsoft Outlook 2010
Select sample message, right click the sample message More Actions choose Forward as attachment
Microsoft Outlook 2007
Select the sample message and press Ctrl + Alt + F
Open a new message and drag the sample message you want to forward out of the "messages" pane into the body of the new message window
Open a new message, select the "Attach Item" icon and choose 'Item' from the drop down list. Then select the sample message you wish to attach from the "Insert Item" dialog box
Always forward messages as attachments. Select Tools -> Options -> Preferences Tab ->E-Mail Options. In the 'On replies and forwards' section, select "Attach original message" from the "When forwarding a message" drop down list. Click OK twice. Then select the sample message and click the forward button.
Microsoft Outlook 2003
Open a new message and drag the sample message you want to forward out of the "messages" pane into the body of the new message window
Open a new message, select the attachment icon and choose 'Item' from the drop down list. Then select the sample message you wish to attach from the "Insert Item" dialog box
Always forward messages as attachments. Select Tools -> Options -> Preferences Tab ->E-Mail Options. In the 'On replies and forwards' section, select "Attach original message from the "When forwarding a message" drop down list. Click OK twice. Then select the sample message and click the forward button
Windows Live Mail/ Microsoft Outlook Express 6
Right-click the sample message > Forward as an attachment.
Netscape Messenger
Right-click the sample message > Forward as an attachment.
Mozilla Thunderbird
Select the sample message (message is highlighted). Click Message -> Forward As -> "Attachment". (Message" is at the top, next to "File Edit View Go")
Mac OS X Mail
Highlight the sample message. Click Message > "Forward as Attachment" from the menu.
Lotus Notes
For information on using Lotus Notes, read How To Export Messages From IBM Lotus Notes.
Technical Information
* Email attachments MUST be in "message/rfc822" attachment format. RFC 822 is a mime subtype, specified here: http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2046.txt. Section 5.2 of RFC 2046 addresses the "Message Media Type", and section 5.2.1 addresses the "RFC 822 subtype". The full internet headers and body of the message should be retained exactly as the message was received and forwarded intact as an attachment.
As a general guideline, email attachments should be in the same file format that the mail client uses. For example, .msg attachments will work from Outlook providing the step-by-step instructions above are followed; .eml attachments will work from mail clients such as Windows Live Mail / Microsoft Outlook Express / Hotmail etc.
NOTE: Symantec DOES NOT see submissions as valid if email attachment are in a format other than message/rfc822. For example, submissions with eml attachments from Outlook or submissions with msg attachments from Outlook Express will be seen as invalid submission.
** Multiple sample emails may be attached to one submission email providing the overall size limit of 2MB per submission, including attachments, is not exceeded.
Note that any false positive or missed spam messages that you submit to Symantec Corporation may contain personally identifiable information such as email addresses and information in email message body and/or enclosures. Symantec uses this information globally only for creating spam detection rules. We encourage the submission of false positives or missed spam, because it makes our product more effective and enables us to serve you better. Access to this information is not shared with any third party and it is restricted to Symantec personnel involved in spam rule creation. For any question regarding your personal information you may read our Privacy Policy or contact us at email@example.com.
Imported Document Id
Terms of use for this information are found in Legal Notices.
Terms of use for this information are found in Legal Notices.


text:
Gawker.TV: The Five Best Videos Ever of the Day
Today at Gawker.TV, Bill Murray's zany antics on The Late Show, forgetful Robin Roberts, the best sinister laughs from Sci-Fi movies, How I Met Your Mother's teacup pigs, and Howard Stern's Leno-bashing appearance on The Early Show.
Robin Roberts Awkwardly Forgets Reporter's Name on GMA
Everyone hates those uncomfortable moments when you run into someone whose name you just can't remember. But what happens when you're Robin Roberts on live national television and you forget that nice blond coworker's name? Awkwardness—lots of it.
The Evillution of The Sinister Laugh In Under Two Minutes
When did the evil laugh get so powerful? We distilled your favorite Sci-Fi movies to answer these questions and to pump out a recap of all the most sinister yucks of all time.
Bill Murray Is Just the Best
Bill Murray hobbled out onto Letterman last night in crutches, shorts and a parka to do an "interview", but it was more like two comedic masters trying to outweird each other the whole time—and it was hilarious.
Howard Stern Makes a Rare TV Appearance to Castigate Jay Leno
The day after Leno's Tonight Show premiers, The Early Show invites Howard Stern onto their show to
discuss bash Jay Leno. Stern didn't hold back, saying the mere mention of Leno's name makes him want to vomit.
How I Met Your Mother Delights all by Incorporating Teacup Pigs
During Barney's quest to bed the ladies, he stumbled upon a sure-fire way to get girls to come back to his apartment: Teacup Pigs. We dare you not to squeal with delight at the sight of these miniature piggies.


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The Devil's Mischief #566
With the recent mass shooting in Florida, the dark comedy of DOUG STANHOPE offers some third-side perspective. Also hear the misanthropic stand-up of MARC MARON, plus novelty from STEPHEN LYNCH and the comedy of PAUL F. THOMPKINS. It may not be episode #666, but #566 is close enough for now.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:54 — 61.7MB) | Embed


text:
© 2013 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
D-backs to honor fallen firefighter on Friday
By Joey Nowak / MLB.com
The D-backs will honor the life of Brad Harper, a Phoenix firefighter who was killed while responding to a fire last month, before their Friday evening game against the Reds.
Harper's widow, Lena, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch and will be supported by friends and family, including several firefighters from the same academy where Brad Harper was stationed.
He was killed while responding to a mulch fire in Phoenix on May 19.
Joey Nowak is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @joeynowak. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Hi guys,
Sorry if this topic has already been discussed.
My configuration: ZAES 11.0.780.000 + new and powerful PC, all updates regularly downloaded...
It has been a few months now, I can hardly watch videos on Youtube and most other video sites.
I have tried to do what has been recommended here (clean uninstall + reinstall, etc.), nothing works. In order to watch videos, I need to exit ZAES (can't do that for long coz PC is no longer protected...)
I have no other 'protecting' software running + my add-ons and plugins on Firefox are always up-to-date. I run CCleaner once a day. So I don't think another software is bugging my system.
Any advice would be appreciated.


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"Let some of these other kids, the second string, who practice hard every day get a chance to play on the field," the second-year coach said.
Taylor put the second string on the field in the middle of the third quarter after the Wildcats (6-1, 5-0 2A-4 Conference) had made the spread insurmountable for the Mountainburg Dragons (3-3, 2-2) during Hector's 42-7 victory at Wildcat Field on Friday.
"We jumped on them early and we set the tone for the game," Taylor said. "I think that was the key. We handled our business early."
The Wildcats did get an early start, but not without a rocky beginning. After receiving the opening kickoff, Hector went three-and-out. Fortunately for the Wildcats, that was the end of their offensive woes.
"I was very disappointed with that first drive," Taylor said. "I was worried we were going to have a letdown. We had a mental mistake, a wide receiver that cost us a big play."
But Hector bounced back. On its next drive, it moved the ball 69 yards in three plays and scored on a 30-yard keeper by freshman quarterback Tanner Gaines. Karson Lee added the PAT to make it 7-0 with 7:22 left in the first quarter.
The Wildcats scored again four plays into their next drive, this time on a 3-yard jog across the goal line by Gus Nichols. Gaines, who finished the night 4-of-9 for 94 yards and two touchdowns, hit Nichols for 35 yards on the previous play to set up the touchdown and after the successful PAT, Hector took a 14-0 lead with 3:24 left in the first.
Mountainburg took over on its 20-yard line, but fumbled two plays into the drive. Steven Ester fell on the ball and gave the Wildcats a short field on the Dragons' 23-yard line.
It only took one play. Nichols, who has 1,018 yards on the season added 202 and three touchdowns to his totals against the Dragons, tore off the length of the field on the very next snap to put Hector up 21-0 after the PAT with 3:08 left in the first.
Mountainburg earned its initial first down of the evening on its next drive and followed it with three more en route to the end zone. The Dragons capped a 10-play, 70-yard drive with a 16-yard rush by Samuel Copeland across the goal line to make it 21-7 after the PAT as time expired in the first quarter.
Nichols continued to shred the Mountainburg defense and broke off 17-, 9- and 10-yard runs before taking a final 3-yard scoot across the goal line.
With a 28-7 lead and 8:37 left in the half, the Wildcats defense kept the Dragons from scoring again, despite two questionable penalties that gave the Mountainburg offense the ball on the Hector 25.
Facing fourth-and-10 the Dragons took a gamble on a keeper by Josh Skattebo. Skattebo, who weighs in at 305 pounds at the quarterback spot, met Lee at the line of scrimmage and bit the turf.
The turnover on downs gave the Wildcats possession on their 25. From there, Nichols, Gaines and Tyler Brashear took turns padding stats on a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Nichols opened the drive with a 35-yard gain and Brashear picked up 10 more two plays later before Gaines found Shawn Lusk for 27 yards and a touchdown to make the score 35-7 at the half.
Hector picked up where it left off on its first drive of the second quarter. After forcing Mountainburg to another three-and-out, the Wildcats took four plays to find the end zone. Brashear busted through the line for 29 yards, then another 11 on the next play before Nichols hit Lusk in the end zone for 16 yards and a touchdown to make the score 42-7 after the PAT with 7:46 left in the third.
Hector forced and recovered a fumble on the next Dragons drive, but was unable to capitalize. Then, on the second play of the following Mountainburg drive, Eric McGowen stepped in front of Skattebo's pass and gave the Wildcats possession on the Dragons 33.
Hector moved the ball to the 11-yard line but was unable to come away with a touchdown. From there, the teams bounced back and forth across the field, but neither found their way to the end zone.
"Our offense really bounced back," Taylor said. "Last week, I felt like we had a lot of errors, but we played a better game. Tanner had lots of time to throw and the holes for Tyler and Gus were huge. We wanted to be able to get those two into space and we did, and when we did they made huge things happen."
The Wildcats will take on Union Christian next Friday to continue conference play.


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Early Life on Earth and Amino Acids
A comet is an icy small Solar System body that, when close enough to the Sun, displays a visible coma (a thin, fuzzy, temporary atmosphere) and sometimes also a tail. Occasionally, they will collide with planets such as the Earth. New research from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists shows that comets that crashed into Earth millions of years ago could have produced amino acids – the building blocks of life. Amino acids are critical to life and serve as the building blocks of proteins, which are linear chains of amino acids.
Comets are often described as "dirty snowballs". Comets also contain a variety of organic compounds; these may include methanol, hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde, ethanol and ethane, and perhaps more complex molecules such as long-chain hydrocarbons and amino acids. In 2009, it was confirmed that the amino acid glycine had been found in the comet dust recovered by NASA's Stardust mission.
Amino acids are molecules containing an amine group, a carboxylic acid group and a side chain that varies between different amino acids. These molecules contain the key elements of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Amino acids are critical to life, and have many functions in metabolism. One particularly important function is to serve as the building blocks of proteins, which are just linear chains of amino acids. Just as the letters of the alphabet can be combined to form an almost endless variety of words, amino acids can be linked together in varying sequences to form a vast variety of proteins. Due to their central role in biochemistry, amino acids are very important in nutrition and are commonly used in food technology and industry.
Most amino acids can form via natural chemical reactions unrelated to life, as demonstrated in the Miller–Urey experiment and similar experiments, which involved simulating some of the conditions of the early Earth, in a scientific laboratory. In all living things, these amino acids are organized into proteins, and the construction of these proteins is mediated by nucleic acids. Which of these organic molecules first arose and how they formed the first life is the focus of origin of life debates.
In the September 12 online edition of the journal Nature Chemistry, Livermore's Nir Goldman and colleagues found that simple molecules found within comets (such as water, ammonia, methylene and carbon dioxide) just might have been instigators of life on Earth. His team discovered that the sudden compression and heating of cometary ices crashing into Earth can produce complexes resembling the amino acid, glycine.
Comet computer simulations show that long chains containing carbon-nitrogen bonds can form during shock compression of a cometary ice. Upon expansion, the long chains break apart to form complexes containing the protein building amino acid glycine.
"There's a possibility that the production or delivery of prebiotic molecules came from extraterrestrial sources," Goldman said. "On early Earth, we know that there was a heavy bombardment of comets and asteroids delivering up to several orders of magnitude greater mass of organics than what likely was already here."
Comets range in size from 1.6 kilometers up to 56 kilometers. Comets of these sizes passing through the Earth's atmosphere are heated externally but remain cool internally. Upon impact with the planetary surface, a shock wave is generated due to the sudden compression.
Shock waves can create sudden, intense pressures and temperatures, which could affect chemical reactions within a comet before it interacts with the ambient planetary environment. The previous general consensus was that the delivery or production of amino acids from these impact events was improbable because the extensive heating from the impact would destroy any potential life-building molecules.
However, Goldman and his colleagues studied how a collision, where an extraterrestrial ice impacts a planet with a glancing blow, could generate much lower temperatures.
"Under this situation, organic materials could potentially be synthesized within the comet's interior during shock compression and survive the high pressures and temperatures," Goldman said.
For further information: https://publicaffairs.llnl.gov/news/news_releases/2010/NR-10-09-03.html


text: I am 14 years old with hot pink hair, grey eyes, and am 5'3. I love Harry Potter fan fiction because it takes a twist on the real characters, things that wouldn't normally happen in the books. Please read my stories! (If, that is, I can figure out how to post the damn things...)


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Hillman impressed by Fukudome
Outfielder could be good fit for Cubs if he leaves Japan
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
"Given left-handed hitters over the course of my five years in Japan, there's really only one other Fukudome-type that I would put in the same classification, and I managed him, and that was [Michihiro] Ogasawara," Hillman said.
"Ogasawara was the best pure hitter that I ever managed who was left-handed, too. Fukudome is in the same classification. Some of his slug and power numbers are not as consistent as Ogasawara's. But they played in two different leagues. Sometimes that is advantageous, sometimes it's a disadvantage."
Ogasawara won two batting titles from 2002-03, and led in home runs and RBIs in 2006 to win the Pacific League MVP award. A six-time Japanese Gold Glove winner at first and third, he was Fukudome's teammate on the Japan team that competed in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
Hillman, who managed in Japan before getting the Royals job, likes Fukudome's approach.
"He's short to the ball, he's got great balance, he stays inside the ball," Hillman said. "He's got more balance than left-handed, Japanese-style hitters with the leg lift. He's athletic defensively. A lot of people don't know his high school background -- he was originally a shortstop in high school, so that gives you an idea with athleticism and lateral movement. His reads and routes are very pure in the outfield.
"I've been asked ... whether or not he could play center field if there was a need in the right ballpark," Hillman said. "I have no reservations with that. I'm not sure it's a long-term fix in center, but I wouldn't have any reservations about putting him in a center field that wasn't a huge gap-coverage outfield."
The Cubs would be interested in having Fukudome take over right field. Could he be a middle-of-the-order-type hitter?
"Yes," Hillman said. "I think he's a run-producer. Just throwing it out there -- five, six, somewhere in there. Possibly after getting acclimated with the league and the pitching he's facing, maybe even a three. I don't think he's got the consistent slug of a No. 4."
Before the Cubs can write his name in the lineup, they first need to know if Fukudome wants to leave Japan. He has received an offer from the Tokyo Giants, and his agent, Joe Urbon, has said Fukudome will likely narrow his choices by the end of the week.
There were plenty of rumors swirling around the hotel lobby during Day 2 of the Winter Meetings as to who the Cubs might get for right field if Fukudome doesn't chose them. Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Tuesday he had not met with any clubs regarding a possible deal for an outfielder.
Other teams have expressed an interest in Cubs pitcher Mark Prior, who is hoping for a comeback this season following arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder. The Cubs must decide by Dec. 12 as to whether to offer Prior arbitration.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.