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Porter to begin implementing replay during spring
By Brian McTaggart / MLB.com
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Astros manager Bo Porter plans to simulate the use of instant replay as much as he can during Grapefruit League games, even though he won't always have access to a replay monitor. For Porter, it's about identifying potential plays to challenge and learning the terminology and what he can or can't do.
Officials from Major League Baseball, led by Joe Torre and Tony La Russa, briefed the Astros, Nationals, Tigers and Braves during a two-hour, 45-minute meeting Friday on expanded instant replay that will begin this year.
"They did a tremendous job of putting the information together and kind of giving us scenarios," Porter said. "It was long, but it was very much needed, and I think it was very beneficial at the same time."
Porter said one of the issues that was addressed during the meeting was the timing of when you can challenge.
"There were some questions that came up, 'OK, if you have to make it before a pitching change is being made, if that guy leaves the bullpen when does that constitute him being in the game?'" Porter said. "We were able to kind of clarify all of those issues and I think everybody left there yesterday feeling comfortable with the rules, and it's a thing we're actually going to be able to put into practice this spring."
Torre said each team will have at least five games during Spring Training during which it can implement replay, but the Astros are going to have their own program and use walkie-talkies to communicate with their video staff when they're able this spring.
"We're going to go ahead and start from Day 1 and implement our process among myself, [bench coach Dave Trembley], the coaching staff, the video people, so we can practice it the entire spring," Porter said.
Many prospects to report early to mini-camp
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Several of the club's top prospects are scheduled to report to Osceola County Stadium on Sunday in advance of a mini-camp that will begin Monday. The group will work out each afternoon until the full Minor League workouts begin in early March.
Among the pitchers participating in the camp are right-handers Travis Ballew, Michael Feliz, Lance McCullers Jr., Brady Rodgers, Andrew Thurman, Vincent Velasquez and Kyle Weiland. The position players include catchers Brian Holberton and Roberto Pena, infielders Nolan Fontana, Tony Kemp, Chan Moon and Rio Ruiz and outfielders Teoscar Hernandez and Brett Phillips.
Astros director of player development Quinton McCracken said the camp will feature some of the top arms in the organization, some players should who could fill in on the Major League side and pitchers who could be headed to a full-season club for the first time so they can get stretched out and get a jump start of learning throwing programs and working with new stuff.
"We've had a third of the guys show up already," he said. "It's been a nice surprise to have guys eager to get the season underway."
The mini-campers, unlike last year, will play five to seven games against other teams.
The full Minor League Spring Training begins for pitchers and catchers when they work out for the first time on March 3. Position players will work out beginning March 7.
Astros focus on defense after early rain
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Astros had to alter their schedule Saturday because of early-morning rain showers, with the pitchers throwing live batting practice first to make sure they got their work in before more rain fell. Position players took batting practice and then worked in a large group focusing on defensive drills.
"We had some weather early on, so we wanted to make sure our pitchers that were scheduled to throw live, we wanted to keep them on schedule," manager Bo Porter said. "We were able to get that in, and it turned into a defensive day from that point on."
Porter said the defense needs improvement, which meant the players weren't able to give each other the post-workout "Astros win!" handshake.
"We didn't execute, and that's why we actually [turned it] into a day of execution from the defensive side of it," Porter said. "We all understand the game of baseball. It's about runs being scored, and I'm a firm believer that the best offense is a good defense. We have to defend the baseball."
That's more than about just making the throws or fielding cleanly, Porter said.
"We've explained this to our guys, from a defensive standpoint it's not just the physical aspect of making the plays," Porter said. "There are a lot of mental things that go into positioning, situations, understanding what to do, what not to do, given the situation. We're going to put our guys in as many of those situations as possible throughout the course of the spring to try to emphasize the importance of these decisions based on situations."
Odds and ends
• Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, who was named the Astros executive advisor two weeks ago, will arrive in camp on March 10. As part of his duties, Ryan will work with Astros owner Jim Crane, president Reid Ryan and general manager Jeff Luhnow.
• The Astros will play an intrasquad game Sunday against a curveball machine, with the losing team serving the winning team lunch and banana splits. An intrasquad game against live pitching will be held Thursday, one day before the Grapefruit League opener.
• Crane was scheduled to arrived in Kissimmee, Fla., and be in camp Saturday, but morning rains kept him away.
Brian McTaggart is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Tag's Lines. Follow @brianmctaggart on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Police dog dies after Harris deputy leaves him in hot car
Updated 4:39 pm, Thursday, August 22, 2013
K-9 officers at the Harris County Sheriff's Office are mourning the loss of one of their own - a canine that died last week after being accidentally left inside a hot patrol car by its partner.
From all indications, the bomb-sniffing K-9 died from heat exhaustion, said Alan Bernstein, the sheriff's director of public affairs.
"This is a tragic accident," he said. "Our officers have a wonderful bond with these animals. The deputy is grieving, and it is a difficult time for the entire (K-9) Unit."
The deputy, a 21-year veteran of the sheriff's office, arrived home on Aug. 14 and left the dog inside his patrol car.
In the wake of the tragedy, the sheriff's office is looking into ways to prevent a similar incident from occurring, Bernstein said.
One option, he said, would be to install a key mechanism that would sound an alarm if the vehicle's car keys and the K-9 remain in close proximity after a certain period of time.
No charges have been filed and the deputy has been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation, Bernstein said. He has been with the K-9 Unit for 12 years.

subset: commoncrawl


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Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber fought all year for bragging rights as the king and queen of social media, but it's Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus and Tiger Woods who stole the crown with Internet searchers.
The "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" reality star was the most-searched person and overall top query for 2010 on Bing.com, the website announced this week.
But Miley Cyrus edged out Kim K as the top celebrity on Yahoo!'s Year in Review list. The teen pop star, who spent the year reminding us she wasn't Hannah Montana anymore, landed at no. 3 in overall queries, below the BP oil spill and the World Cup.
AOL Search broke down its 2010 Year End Hot Searches list by category, with Tiger Woods' infamous fall from grace drawing the most interest among star searchers. Coming in at no.2 and no. 3 on the list were Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga.
Both performers made the top 10 in all three companies' search lists, which should come as no surprise: the Biebs and Gaga drew headlines for hitting new heights of online popularity this year on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
Don't count out either performer when Google's year-end list comes out later this month.
Whoever leads the search giant's list could arguably lay the greatest claim to Internet fame.
After all, Google is the no. 1 search engine in the industry by a mile.


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Classic Gawker Stalker: In Which We Watch 'Trump and Grace' For the First Time Ever
Sightings are sent in by readers and posted to our Gawker Stalker Map. This is our occasional, old-school compilation. Send yours to firstname.lastname@example.com.
In this vintage edition of the Stalk: Ivanka Trump and Topher Grace, Sasha Baron Cohen, Penelope Cruz and Pedro Almodovar, Kate Boswoth, Senator Clinton, Parker Posey, Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany, Uma Thurman, Winona Ryder, Steve Martin, Matthew Modine, Scarlett Johansson, J.J. Redick, Matthew Broderick, Jessica Biel, Mark Ruffalo, Janet Jackson, Isabella Rossellini, Jane Pratt, Bridgette Moynihan, Rachel Weisz, Darren Aronofsky, Jake Gyllenhaal, Will Arnett, Mr. T, Stephanie March, Walter Cronkite, Dylan McDermott, Jude Law, Dean Winters, Christopher McDonald, James Lipton, Gary Busey, Oksana Baiul, Levi Okunov, and Carrot Top.
Sat across from Ivanka Trump and Topher Grace at the Spotted Pig on Friday night 9/29 around 10 pm. Topher was there first with some other guy and then Ivanka showed up with a friend. Looked like a double-date. Topher and Ivanka chatted basically the whole time while the other two looked somewhat bored.
On Friday night, I ran into Ivanka Trump and Topher Grace in the back part of Sway. I was a little drunk but I remember she looked very striking in person and I could have sworn he had frosted tips.
Sasha Baron Cohen was at Yom Kippur Services on 110th Street and Broadway at Ramat Oreh Congregation. He was wearing a funky bukharien yarmulke and was awkwardly tall in a sea of diminutive Jews. Surprisingly, no one really noticed him.He went up to the Torah for a honor that Kohanes (descendents of Aaron) - remember his last name is Cohen which means he's a Kohane. After coming down from the Torah I shook his hand. He ducked out of the synagogue minutes before the service ended which left some wondering if they actually saw him.
Penelope Cruz and Pedro Almodovar at 10:15pm Saturday 9.30 at corner of10th and Broadway. They paused at the corner, looking a bit lost.
Just passed Kate Bosworth outside my apartment on 13th/8th... Full on winter coat, tall boots and bag- all black. Day-glo blonde hair, seriously freaky looking!!! Her model boyfriend looked good.
Spotted Senator Clinton shopping at ABC Carpet and Home. By the way she was looking around, it seemed like her first visit to the place. She was being trailed by two cute SS agents who I originally mistook for a gay couple.
So I'm sitting with my boyfriend in the balcony of Town Hall at the Sufjan Stevens show on Friday the 29th, partly ecstatic that I'm going to see Sufjan and partly laughing at the obviousness of all the hipster folk ..there was a guy wearing a "Scritti Politti" shirt somehow trying to reach the 80's trivia nerds and be ironic at the same time. *sigh.* Anyhow, close to the start of Sufjan's set, my boyfriend happens to see a woman dressed in various layers of black wearing a large capey-coat walking extremely strangely to her seat..like an exaggerated bad runway walk that would have made even Miss Jay scoff. He said "who the hell walks like THAT?" in a rather incredulously annoyed tone. I looked up and said "that's because it's Parker Posey, and she's probably high". She was with a smaller guy who seemed kind of gay, and she even did a little wave to her hipster fans from her seat. Funnily enough, while Sufjan played 'John Wayne Gacy', she and her companion did a quick dash out the door, only to return after the song casually rubbing their noses. Sudden allergy attack? Anybody's guess. Sufjan Stevens? FANTASTIC show.
Yesterday 10/1, at Back to the Land on 7th Avenue in Park Slope- My husband & I were in line behind Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany & their cute, well-behaved son. They bought a bunch of health food & seemed so totally nice. Not to mention they're the hottest couple on the planet. That was quite the Sunday treat.
Uma Thurman enjoyed front row seats at the Absinthe late show in the Spigeltent on Saturday night. She was so impressed with the Norwegian rubberman that she gave him a personal standing ovation. Even with no make-up she looked stunning.
Winona Ryder at INA Women on Prince street in NoLiTa consigning all the clothes she gets for free from Marc Jacobs. The staff had to explain to her several times how consigning works, but she still looked confused and started trying random clothing items off the racks. Super tiny and aging.
I spotted Steve Martin walking alone on 72nd Street Transverse on the west side of Central Park Sunday at 11 a.m., looking dapper and happy in a natty suit and nearly translucent yellow rain coat that flapped behind him. He wore dark sunglasses and a baseball cap. Other than the baseball cap, very chic. He strode confidently down the center of the road, unnoticed by half-marathoners who had just finished the "Greta Gallop."
Saw Matthew Modine at Joe the Art of Coffee, 141 Waverly Pl, in the Village at noon or so today. Bearded with jeans and green tee shirt. Got a coffee to go.
At around 7pm on saturday I saw Scarlett Johansson walking east on Houston, right past Lafayette. She's tiny. And gorgeous. Her hair was a few shades darker than it appears on her latest movie poster. An hour later I saw Julianna Margulies with some guy in the Aroma cafe on Houston. I couldn't tell if she was giving me a dirty look, had something in her eye, or wanted my table. Then I found five dollars.
Magic player JJ Redick and French girlfriend having a PDA heavy diner at> Gotham B&G. Both very good-looking. A guy asked him for an autograph as they> were on their way out. I left at the same time, he had a town car waiting. I'm pretty sure he said something about the Mercer Hotel.
September 29, 7:30. Matthew Broderick keepin' it real on the orange line, or maybe he's still a little shaky about getting behind the wheel. Had his arm in a sling. Backed up against the train door trying to be inconspicious, maybe because he saw me staring. Only a few people stole glances at him and I think everyone else didn't notice. Had bedhead and had that cranky "don't talk to me" look.
Jessica Biel at aroma on houston and greene. Sitting with a girlfriend and gently patting her trout lips with a napkin. 2:30pm on saturday the 30th
Mark Ruffalo was ordering a fruit smoothie (red!) at The Pinnacle Deli on 115th and Broadway. Clean cut, in black jacket, with a bit of gray in his hair, and very polite. I told him I was a fan, and he introduced himself and thanked me. MUCH cuter in person that even his cuteness in movies would have you believe!
Janet Jackson, entering the ParkerMeridian hotel on 57th around 2pm today, wearing a big nylon jacket with bright orange sleeves. Looks good though.
Isabella Rossellini on Air France flight 008 to New York last night looking very much like her mother from the neck up.
Spied a haggard-looking Jane Pratt at Smith and Warren Streets in Cobble Hill Sunday. She was very blonde, slim, and youthfully-dressed in a mini and flowing top, but looked old and tired. Was carrying a Scoop bag.
Saw Bridgette Moynihan at corner of West Broadway and Spring. Pizza to go in hand. Is very tall and effortlessly beautiful!
Rachel Weisz and Darren Aronofsky, 10 minutes ago walking with their bebe at Washington Sq. Park East. She's gorgeous!! Bebe was crying. Darren didn't look nearly as guilty as he should be for eating part of my soul with Requiem for a Dream.
Jake Gyllenhaal on bike w blue helmet at houston & westside hwy
In front of my apt, W.18th between 7th and 8th, there is a bench and when I came home from work yesterday GOB (aka Will Arnett) was sitting on it with a brunette. He was wearing a red, white and blue track suit coat and jeans and saying "And then when the door opened, I was like 'oh man'" Looks the same in real life as he does on TV.
Mr. T rocking an American flag bandana and a young asian girlfriend, outside the Daily News building. Lots of loud mumbling with a mild palsy, but still had some playful growls and advice for the fans
2pm Tuesday October 3rd. Just ran into Stephanie March of Law & Order (married to Bobby Flay) on the corner of Broadway and 52nd. Looking smokin'in a tight black tank top & high black leather boots talking on her cell phone. She looks much more demure on TV.
Walter Cronkite in Penn Station, in a wheelchair, being pushed by a red cap. A woman in black walking next to him asked if he wanted to go shopping. Helooked at her with mild amusement. 12.28pm, 3 October 2006.
Saw Dylan McDermott and his wife Shiva Rose at Craft restaurant last night. Didn't see any alcohol. He was looking stubbly as usual. Shiva looked delectable, but not as delectable as the doughnuts and chocolate sauce I had for desert.
I just saw a scruffy-looking Jude Law riding and chaining up his red bike on 20th Street between Park and Broadway. No idea where he was going.
Saw Dean Winters of Oz and Law & Order fame this afternoon around 3 pm walking by The Little Owl. Scruffy, tired and looked like he was doing a walk of shame. Not as wrinkle-free as you would think.
Saw Christopher McDonald (Shooter McGavin) chatting away walking down bleecker and leroy smoking a stoagie with two other guys puffing away.
September 29th, 8:00pm: 44th and Broadway. James Lipton (Inside the Actor's Studio) and wife at The History Boys sitting two seats down from Gary Busey, of all people, and male companion. They both looked really old, but Busey looked downright scary!
At the Russian Vodka room...figure skater Oksana Baiul with fashion designer Levi Okunov. They were last seen as couple at the Heatherette show during fashion week.
October 1 @ 9pm: Carrot Top at Firenze at 83rd & 2nd. Eating with female companion. Super super buff. I'll refrain from any harsh comments about him b/c he wished me happy birthday.


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Public Tasked with Determining if News Coverage is Fair, Writes Prof. Jeff McCall '76
August 25, 2012
Twenty-five years ago this month, the Federal Communications Commission stopped enforcing the Fairness Doctrine, which required broadcasters to provide balanced coverage of issues. "The problem, of course, was that the policy put a government agency in the position of deciding whether independent news organizations were reporting fairly," writes Jeff McCall in the Indianapolis Star.
A professor of communication at DePauw University and author of the book, Viewer Discretion Advised: Taking Control of Mass Media Influences, Dr. McCall opines, "News consumers should know that they have to figure out journalistic fairness on their own. The government won't, and shouldn't, referee for them. Yet, news consumers have to wrestle with a reporting agenda they perceive as unfair."
Public opinion polls show Americans have lost trust in news organizations, the professor notes. "A major challenge for news consumers is to separate reporting from commentary. In newspaper, the the opinion section is clearly labeled. But it's harder for viewers watching network television news, where reporters seem to have trouble distinguishing between reporting information and editorializing. One recent example of blurring that line: NBC's Andrea Mitchell, reporting live on Paul Ryan's selection as Romney's running mate, proclaimed, 'This is not a pick for suburban moms, this is not a pick for women.' No indication that this was commentary. No attribution or sense of how Mitchell reached that conclusion."
McCall, a 1976 graduate of DePauw, offers, "The media industry should be troubled that polls show declining public confidence in its news products. Credibility can't return until audiences are convinced that news organizations have the public's interest in mind. Broadcast and print news executives need to assess their newsrooms systematically to see if a culture of reporting fairness prevails."
His column concludes, "Citizens today can't be casual news consumers if they want to be fully informed. If you get all your news from watching Sean Hannity on Fox News Channel, you are not fully informed. If you read only Newsweek magazine, you are not fully informed. It takes time and effort to scan many news sources and create the mosaic needed to get a wide and accurate news agenda. In a sense, news consumers need to create and execute their own Fairness Doctrine if they want to achieve balance in their news."
Read the complete text at College News.org.
Jeffrey M. McCall is regularly cited in articles on media matters. He recently spoke to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the resignation of CNN's worldwide president and authored a column on viewers' disdain for "dumbed down" TV newscasts.
Source: Indianapolis StarBack


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Hey Anna are a NY band comprised of three sisters – including lead singer Anna Rauch-Sasseen – and two best friends. You can download a free, legal mp3 of "Blackout" from their new, self-titled EP below.
Hey Anna – Blackout (mp3)*
*mp3 hosted & posted w/ permission of band's PR rep


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New Year's Night my wife and I attended a session of SkateFest at the Savannah Civic Center. Even though I entered with low expectations, I was shocked, appalled and saddened at the Civic Center's execution of hosting public ice skating.
I'm not even really going to get into the quality of the ice itself. The Civic Center is not an ice arena with the cooling system needed to have real, quality ice.
What I found disturbing was the Civic Center's shameful moneygrab at the expense of the safety and enjoyment of those on the ice.
When you go skating at the Civic Center there are several signs and announcements made over the loudspeaker informing you that you "Skate At Your Own Risk." They do this because they know that the occurrence of someone wearing a pair of their rented "ice skates" and managing to not snap an ankle is nothing short of miraculous. These are not ice skates in any way, shape or form. What they rent out are blue plastic boots, more closely resembling ski boots than ice skates, with a narrow strip of metal on the bottom. These "skates" have more of a butter knife than a skate blade on the bottom and come with two plastic snaps, like you'd find a roller blade, rather than laces. As a result, you get people with limited (or no) skating experience who pick out skate sizes too big for their feet (skates should be about a size smaller than your shoe size) which, because plastic straps cannot hold as tight as laces, are too loose and the skater ends up skating on the ice on the insides on his/her feet. It's just dangerous.
The Civic Center needs to invest in a skate sharpener, train someone to use it and sharpen those things! Then have that person tell people which size skates they need because most people didn't have a clue. I don't blame them, they didn't grow up around the ice. But the power that be at the Civic Center are taking advantage of their ignorance.
Add to that, there were at least 300 people on the ice in this session, 95 percent of whom had little or no skating experience. Of the 5 percent of those who are comfortable on skates, almost all are teenagers who have to show off or play tag and dart in and out of large groups of slow moving skaters.
Yeah, there is a police officer on a loudspeaker who yells out orders from off the ice, but he is not a deterrent. There needs to be Civic Center workers on the ice patrolling the skate sessions who can kick off punks causing trouble and making the situation more dangerous.
Also, guess what happens to a sheet of ice when it has 300 people skating in a circle for 90 minutes. It gets beat up. One should not be able to bend down while skating and pick up enough ice shavings to make a snowball. Just for giggles, about halfway through the session I asked one of the ticket takers (what a group of friendly folks!) if there were any plans to re-surface the ice midway through the session. The woman looked at me as if I had two heads. Of course, what was I thinking? What good could re-surfacing the ice possibly do?
The Civic Center obviously had no plans whatsoever of making Skatefest an enjoyable experience for those who paid $7 for the privilege of skating in circles (Never mind that $7 is a high price for public skating). No, all the Civic Center wanted was to cram as many people as possible who don't know any better, in inferior skates, onto a sheet of lousy ice which only gets worse as time goes on, so they can make as much money as possible.
Don't think of me as some scrooge. You won't find anyone who loves hockey or ice skating as much as I. I just want everyone to be able to have the same experiences on ice as I've gotten to enjoy. But the fond memories that come from having fun on the ice cannot be found at SkateFest at the Civic Center as it currently exists.


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Yes, it contains all natural ingredients that will not irritate skin further.
We recommend using this product 2-3 times a week and rinsing off with the Botanical Acne Body Wash.
Yes, it contains Salicylic Acid which helps to kill surface bacteria and keep acne away.
The mask will help to open up and deep clean pores.
We recommend using this mask on areas where you are prone to, or currently have, acne.
The active ingredient is Salicylic Acid which will kill surface bacteria and keep acne at bay.
This product is a little more potent as it is meant for the body, where the skin is a little tougher, but you can try it on your facial skin if you use extreme caution.


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Western Huntingdonshire is a low limestone upland generally about 200 feet (60 metres) in elevation and covered by Oxford Clay. Situated in the catchment basins of the Rivers Nene and Ouse, the county gradually descends eastward and extends into the Fens, an area of reclaimed marshland in the northeast. The clay-covered chalk uplands are generally in pasture or meadow; the more fertile peat soils of the Fens are intensively cultivated for cereals and sugar beets.
In prehistoric times the county, which consisted mostly of dense woods and marshland, was thinly populated. During the Roman occupation the clay uplands were cleared and settled, and towns were established at Godmanchester and Chesterton. Little is known about the settlement of the county by Angles or Saxons during the early Middle Ages, but invading Danes established a headquarters in the town of Huntingdon in the 9th century. During the 10th century the English reconquered the area. Many medieval abbeys (now in ruins) were established within or adjacent to the former marshlands, which were drained and brought under cultivation by the 18th century. Old stone (mostly medieval) bridges still in use attest to the historic importance of the towns of St. Ives, St. Neots, and adjacent Huntingdon and Godmanchester. Oliver Cromwell spent his childhood in the town of Huntingdon. During the English Civil Wars the town and surrounding countryside nevertheless remained steadfastly Royalist. Huntingdonshire has been primarily an agricultural area for most of its history.
The town ("parish"parish) of Yaxley, atop thick Oxford Clay deposits in the north, is now one of the principal brick-making centres of England. Huntingdon, Godmanchester, St. Ives, and St. Neots have expanding light industries. Huntingdon is the administrative centre and county town (seat). Area administrative district, 351 square miles (910 square km). Pop. (1998 est.2001) administrative district, 156,400950.


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|869: Grace Episcopal, Chicago, Illinois, USA
|Other reports | Comment on this report
Mystery Worshipper: Anglicub.
The church: Grace Episcopal, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Denomination: Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA).
The building: Grace occupies a brick office-style building (Grace Place) in downtown Chicago, in the center of "the Loop", where the lines of the city's elevated mass transit system converge. The worship space itself is on the second floor in a loft-style area, made more church-like by means of a circular wall that surrounds the space. This wall is pierced with a series of window-like open spaces which give it a feel more like that of a monastery's ambulatory than an office building. The decor is uncompromisingly modern, though; the altar is in the rear center of the circular space on a slightly raised dais, and the rows of pews are arranged in front of it, giving the whole sanctuary a very intimate feeling. The cross above the altar is one of the riveted steel panels which ties the beams of the building together.
The neighbourhood: The area is in the heart of the city, and consists mostly of office buildings, hotels, restaurants and coffee shops, catering to the professionals who work there and the visitors who come for conferences and business.
The cast: John Dally, a member of the parish and a priest, was filling in for the rector, who was on a retreat.
What was the name of the service?
Communion with music on the day of Pentecost.
How full was the building?
There were about 25 people present; the space could have seated about 125 if they were really packed in.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
I was greeted on the second floor by a lady who gave me my hymnal, bulletin and liturgy booklet. One of the wardens (who later read the lessons) welcomed me as well with a friendly "Good morning!"
Was your pew comfortable?
It was a basic wooden pew, quite short, but comfortable. The pews had built-in kneelers, but we didn't use them.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
The five member choir was practicing the offertory anthem accompanied by the piano. After that, there was mostly silence.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
"Good morning! Our worship today begins on page two of the booklet."
What books did the congregation use during the service?
We used the Hymnal 1982, a service bulletin with the psalm, and a booklet titled A Sung Liturgy for Easter Season, which mentioned in its notes that it was compiled from authorized ECUSA sources. The liturgy was mainly the 1979 Rite II with elements from ECUSA supplements, together with excerpts from A New Zealand Prayerbook. We spoke most of the sung liturgy as the rector was away, but looking at the booklet, it seemed like it would be quite a joyful liturgy when sung.
What musical instruments were played?
We were accompanied by a piano.
Did anything distract you?
During the eucharistic liturgy, I noticed by looking up through a skylight that it was pouring rain. As I'd walked from my hotel without an umbrella, I was distracted by thoughts of my wet return. I also noticed that a neighboring building's window opened directly between the sanctuary and a residential living room. I thought it would actually be quite nice to look out my window and into a church, though I can imagine that wouldn't be everyone's idea of a good view.
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
It was very relaxed and casual. The only vestments in evidence were the stole that was worn by the celebrant during the eucharistic liturgy, and the stole that was draped over the music stand used as a lectern for the lessons. (Both were red for Pentecost, of course.)
Exactly how long was the sermon?
11 minutes.
On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
7 His message was concise and well-delivered. I was a bit distracted by his method of delivery, which consisted of sitting down on the steps in front of the altar, much as I'd imagine the late Mr Rogers might have given a sermon.
In a nutshell, what was the sermon about?
The Spirit that was given to the church often leads us to work for change; the preacher focused on the habit of institutions to say "no!" to the Spirit's "yes!" He illustrated this by referring to Chicago's labor struggles in the 19th century, the fight for women's suffrage, the civil rights movement, and the current movement for lesbian and gay marriage in Massachusetts and the struggle within the church regarding this latest development.
Which part of the service was like being in heaven?
The feeling of welcome and of Christian community that the small congregation radiated.
And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
The walk back to my hotel after the service was probably the worst part: the rich man in Jesus' parable begged for a drop of water to cool his tongue, but in my personal "other place" the sidewalks were flooding onto the street in the deluge.
What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
I made a run for it soon after the service, alas, as there was a momentary break in the floodwaters. From my initial welcome, I expect I wouldn't have looked lost for long.
How would you describe the after-service coffee?
There was to have been a cake for the 153rd anniversary of the parish's founding which was also being celebrated that day, but as mentioned above, I missed it.
How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
4 I loved the welcome and the simplicity of the service, and the social justice focus of the congregation, but as my tastes run more towards the Catholic end of the Anglican spectrum, I would miss the other sensory inputs that make worship fuller for me.
Did the service make you feel glad to be a Christian?
Certainly. I left thankful for the gift of the Spirit.
What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The celebrant preaching from the altar steps.


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"This exuberance we're experiencing on this day — this feeling of limitless possibilities — don't ever forget it," Student Body President Jessica Tam told her classmates.
Tam spoke of countless tests and quizzes, sneaking food into the library, enduring the noise of campus construction, getting hit by Frisbees, naked seniors in the quad and "crying over rejections, crying over acceptances and making the best friends we will ever have."
Two of the three other student speakers struck the theme of academic stress.
In her speech "To the Average Student," Abby Bromberg said she had sensed an unwritten code at Paly that "cool kids don't try and still get As in every class."
Comparing herself to accomplished friends, she felt she never measured up until, after some "unsubtle hints" from her parents, she realized it was pointless to compare herself to others.
She came to recognize she had talents of her own, in language and speaking.
"I had only seen my friends' abilities and none of my own. ... So my challenge to you isn't just to follow your dreams but to find your aptitude. Don't compare yourself to people better than you — don't compare yourself to other people in general.
"As you move on, do what you can, and be proud of what you can do."
In her speech "Stress Case," Soo Song said she'd felt unsettled to have been voted "class stress case" at the beginning of senior year.
"I knew I was stressed about tests and grades and little details — about almost everything — but it was part of me, and being the class stress case forced me to look at myself a little harder.
"Was there something wrong with me? Did I care about the right things? Does living life to the fullest mean giving everything your best shot, or not taking things so seriously?"
Song was disappointed by rejections from some colleges she'd set her heart on but felt better after seeing the raft of rejections posted on Paly's "Rejection Wall" in the quad.
At Paly it's easy to "get caught up in things" and forget what matters and what doesn't, Song said. "It all comes down to you. You must measure yourself not by what others think you achieve but what you know about yourself. What we know about ourselves may be tiny now, but it's a start."
In his speech "Lessons from Gatsby," Justin Zhang spoke of arriving and adjusting to Palo Alto seven years ago after having lived in Oakland, New Jersey and China.
"If there's one lesson I took from Kirk Hinton's American Classics course it's that Jay Gatsby died because he tried to live in the past. Instead we must live in the future," Zhang said.
"Let us fear not the change that will come with the new day but instead seize the opportunity and add a new twist to our own personal stories.
"Tonight all of us will be writing the final pages of Chapter 1, our childhood. Let us cheer for the end of our beginning."
Music was provided by the Paly Band, as well as separate singing performances by graduating senior Julian Hornik and the trio of Helen Cane, Yoko Kanai and Annie Vainshtein.
Faculty members presented the Viking Award for exemplary students to graduates Jessica Tam and Ethan Cohen.
Paly Principal Phil Winston recognized teacher Ron Williamson, who is retiring after more than 20 years at the school.
Diplomas were presented by Palo Alto school board members Melissa Baten Caswell and Camille Townsend as well as by Superintendent Kevin Skelly and district business officer Cathy Mak.
More photographs of graduation and the lists of graduates from local high schools have been posted on www.PaloAltoOnline.com.
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K D Aubert Curly Casual Updo Hairstyle - Dark Brunette Hair Color
Description(Added: 30th October 2013 )
These dark brown locks are dressed in waves and curls all through the back and sides then pinned to the back of the head to create this casual updo best suited to compliment a long face. This look is easy to re-create at home with the tools and needs product for shine and hold.
- Hair Category: Casual
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- Age: Under 21, 21 - 30, 31 - 40, and 41 - 50
- Height: Any
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- Glasses: Suits with and without
- Styling Time: 30+ minutes
- Styling Tip: Allow up to 2 hours styling time for hot roller setting, teasing, pinning and spraying. This long lasting style is great for all occasions and all weather conditions.


text: New Mexico Tech Performing Arts Series presents Presidential Chamber Music Concert IV: Piano Quintets. Willy Sucre on viola will be joined by Krzsztof Zimowksi and Julianie Collier Lee on violins, Sandra Rivers on piano and Joanna de Keyser on cello, to perform piano quintets by Shostakovih and Brahms. Free admission. 7:30 p.m. at Macey Center. For more info, visit http://www.nmtpas.org


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Desert bacteria could help boost crop yields
Desert soil microbes could help halt desertification and boost agriculture in arid regions of the Middle East and North Africa, according to a study.
Scientists from the United Arab Emirates [UAE] have isolated local salt- and drought-tolerant strains of Rhizobia, soil bacteria that fix nitrogen when they become established inside the root nodules of legumes.
Rhizobia bacteria establish a mutually beneficial relationship with their host plant in which they exchange nitrogen they fix for nutrients plants produce through photosynthesis, and could be integral to improving the quality and nitrogen content of soil.
The discoveries could pave the way to improving the production of leguminous plants cultivated in arid environments, says the study published in the February issue of the Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture.
The study was carried out by scientists from the Dubai-based International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) in collaboration with the Dubai branch of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science.
Article continues at ENN affiliate, Science and Development Network
Desert Farm image via Shutterstock


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The Epiphone Les Paul Standard is simply the best way to get into an authentic Les Paul without breaking the bank.
If you can handle everything about a Gibson Les Paul except the price, check this out! Gibson engineers designed this modern classic with the arched top and fast neck of the best Les Pauls. It has an arched, figured curly maple, carved top for that great Les Paul look. And, like all Les Pauls, a solid, glued neck joint for great sustain and stability. These guitars are built 100% to Gibson's specifications.
Since 1910, Epiphone has been building quality instruments and this Les Paul Standard will only enhance their great reputation. The Les Paul guitar is synonymous with Rock and Roll. No other guitar gives you the power, the sustain and the sound of a Les Paul. If it's got Les Paul's signature on the headstock, it's the real thing... Accept no substitutes! Authorized by Gibson USA!
Also available with Gator Deluxe Molded Hardshell Case at an incredible price!Epiphone Les Paul Standard Electric Guitar


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Pies featured at Festival of Trees
The Bake Shop at the Festival of Trees scheduled for Nov. 28-Dec. 2 will offer mini pies by Leslie Logemann.
There will be some three dozen of the 4�-inch pies, donated under the entrepreneurial name of "Ms. American Pie Company."
Logemann's day job is as a graphic designer and copy writer in an office on Jordan Street. But among her passions is baking pies, which she's been doing since she was 9 and growing up in Iowa.
Throughout the year, Logemann makes the pies in a variety of flavors, from strawberry-rhubarb in the spring to apple, pear and pecan in the fall.
All the ingredients are as local, seasonal and organic as possible, Logemann says, with much of the fruit coming from local farms. Often she shops alongside customers at the Transylvania Tailgate Market on Jordan Street and the Whistlestop Market in Cedar Mountain.
The pies cost $3.50. Shoppers can taste bite-size samples of the day's selection on display.
The Festival of Trees is the major fundraiser each year for the Children's Center of Transylvania County, which runs active and preventive programs to combat child abuse and neglect. The five-day event features some 30 decorated Christmas trees in Brevard's historic Silvermont Mansion.
Logemann works out of a commercial caterer's kitchen.
Visit msamerican piecompany.com for more information.
Weinhaus to host holiday wine tasting
Friday Night Flights will present its Holiday Favorites Tasting from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. 30 at the Weinhaus, 86 Patton Ave., Asheville.
The evening will feature wines from the holiday sales flier. The tasting gives customers the opportunity to sample a selection of wines from the newsletter and take advantage of savings.
The wine tasting will be accompanied by light hors d'oeuvres. The price is $10.
Call 828-254-6453 for more information.
Market Place Italian Night on Dec. 5
The Market Place Restaurant, 20 Wall St., Asheville, is hosting an Italian Night on Dec. 5.
The Guggino Trio — Barrett Smith (of the Shannon Whitworth Band), Nicky Sanders and Mike Guggino (both of the Steep Canyon Rangers) — will play a selection of Italian string music.
The music found in the Italian mandolin repertoire offers a romantic, festive atmosphere. The dramatic trills and tremolos of the mandolin, accompanied by the soothing sounds of guitar and violin, create a sound that is sophisticated, fun and thoroughly Italian.
Chef William Dissen will feature a locally inspired Italian American menu with fresh fall ingredients.
Wednesdays are also half-price-wine-by-the-glass night.
Call 828-252-4162 to make reservations.
Compiled from staff reports
Morsels: Pies featured at Festival of Trees


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The Supreme Court's decision last week to largely uphold the 2010 Affordable Care Act cleared the way for a dramatic expansion in the number of Americans with health insurance coverage. But while the law includes some measures designed to curb rising health care costs, much more remains to be done."Despite the partisan rhetorical exchanges over today's ruling, the fundamental fact remains that policymakers still have a lot to do to put rising health care costs onto a sustainable track," Concord Coalition Executive Director Robert L. Bixby said Thursday. "Those rising costs, together with the aging population, are putting tremendous pressure on private companies and government at all levels in the United States, and especially the federal government."The case focused largely on the law's "individual mandate" that will require people to buy health insurance, a provision designed to prevent some people from gaming the system by waiting until they are sick or injured to pay for coverage. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. surprised observers across the political spectrum by joining the court's more liberal justices in a 5-4 ruling that the individual mandate was a constitutional use of federal taxing authority.At the same time, however, the high court restricted the federal government's ability under the new law to push states to expand Medicaid programs. While Washington can tie new federal assistance to Medicaid expansion, the court said, the federal government cannot threaten states that do not want to participate in such an expansion with the loss of existing aid.The fiscal effects of this part of the decision remain to be seen. It could result in lower spending if states opt out of covering new individuals through Medicaid. On the other hand, it might lead to higher spending because some of those not covered through Medicaid could be eligible for subsidized insurance in the exchanges, which would be more costly. The Congressional Budget Office is expected to weigh in with an analysis soon.
The Supreme Court's Health Care Decision
Blog Post


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OXO Silicone Sink Strainer
Easy, hassle-free returns online and in-store for eligible items.Learn More
- Summary
This brilliant update of the traditional sink strainer is made of flexible silicone, which greatly simplifies emptying of the basket – just give a pull of the post and food drops out easily. Ideal as a food catcher in the kitchen sink.
- Perfect for sinks without a disposal or to protect your disposal from harmful food debris.
- Durable, perforated silicone is stain resistant and won't scratch your sink basin.The silicone's flexibility makes the basket easy to empty: simply pick up by the center post and invert the silicone basket to remove food without having to scoop it out.
- Outer rim is sturdy stainless steel.
- Fits any standard kitchen sink drain.
- Dishwasher safe.
- Dimensions & More Info
- 4 1/3" diam., 1 1/2" high.
- Made in China.
- Use & Care
- Dishwasher safe.
- Shipping
Shipping Information
UPS can deliver most in-stock items within 3-5 business days. UPS is unable to deliver to P.O. boxes.
Shipping Rates
The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Next Day Delivery
For an additional charge of $17.50 per address, we can expedite delivery to most destinations. This service is not available for some oversize items, items shipped directly from the supplier (including perishable and custom-manufactured items), out-of-stock items and items to be shipped outside the contiguous 48 states.
Orders received by 9:00 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Thursday will arrive the next business day; orders placed Friday through Sunday will arrive on the following Tuesday.
Return Policy
At Williams Sonoma, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction are our priority. Upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage; we will arrange for a prompt replacement.
If within 30 days, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value. An original receipt or gift receipt is required for all returns and exchanges. Returns with a gift receipt will be refunded in the form of a Merchandise Credit for the amount indicated on the gift receipt. Returns with original receipt will be refunded in the original form of payment, cash and check refunds over $100 will be issued as a company check (may take 14 business days from time of request).
For all cutlery returns (knife sets, single knives, cutting boards, knife sharpeners, and knife storage) please contact us at 888.922.4108 to initiate the return.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, custom upholstery, food, items shipped direct from the vendor, or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned.
Made to Order and Final Sale Furniture items are non-returnable, and cannot be cancelled once the order is placed.
For returns of items purchased from your Williams Sonoma Gift Registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later. View Full Returns Policy.


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Tai Chi, Xing Yi, Push Hands, Yi Quan, Kong Jing Seminars and a FREE report on Internal Power
I am pleased to announce two Internal Martial Arts Workshops in Vancouver, BC, Canada this Summer!
On July 21st, 22nd, 23rd Master George Xu will be having a three day seminar on Tai Chi, Xingyi, Push Hands and Detailed Practice Improvement.
On August 26th and 27th, Master Fong Ha will be having a two day seminar on Tai Chi, Tai Chi Ruler, Push Hands, Yi Quan, with a special discussion on Kong Jing, also known as "empty force" and the "invisible throw" (aikido).
Both Masters are internationally well known and have ample experience teaching the internal martial arts, both having studied with very famous masters of various martial arts on their own right.
These workshops are for all levels, from beginner, to intermediate, to advanced and you are guaranteed to leave with a deeper and new understanding of the Chinese Internal Martial arts.
And the best part is that the seminars are held in Vancouver, voted one of the best places to live, very easy to get around to, and the costs of the seminars are less than what they would be in the United States.
Please go to the website, www.masterseminars.com for more information about the course, schedule, masters, and to register ONLINE, and where everyone to sign up to get a FREE report on INTERNAL POWER.
Please email this notice to your friends and print it off and post it at your school, so they can sign up and get the free Internal Power report as well.
Masters: George Xu and Fong Ha
Dates: July 21st-23rd, August 26th, 27th
Location: 4310 Slocan Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Contact: Ronald Ng, firstname.lastname@example.com, 604.781.7093
Website (where you can REGISTER ONLINE): www.masterseminars.com


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By Ben Golliver
The NBA has entered the post-Christmas ad cycle with a strong first effort thanks to director Spike Lee, who makes Clippers point guard Chris Paul disappear in a new spot dubbed "Unbelievable is BIG."
The 30-second ad features Lakers legend Magic Johnson, Lakers guard Steve Nash and Paul seated at a diner's booth watching a game between the Clippers and the Grizzlies on television. The visual cuts between the point guard trio and the game action, which is narrated by Clippers television broadcasters Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith. Paul transports back and forth between the table and the game in rhythm with his fakes on the court.
"Chris Paul is on their side," the voice-over begins as Paul darts on the perimeter, before disappearing in a poof. "Where did he go?"
Paul reappears on a different portion of the court as the voice-over announces: "Unbelievable. He's in the right place all the time."
He then transports back to the restaurant, where Johnson asks: "Shouldn't you be headed to the hoop?"
Paul disappears one final time and returns to the game, finishing a basket at the rim. "He made that all by himself out of nothing," the broadcast team explains. Lawler concludes with one of his catch phrases: "Oh me, oh my."
The spot is paced well and it arrives at the perfect time: Johnson said recently that Paul's Clippers are the modern Showtime. Paul's skills on the ball deserve a little love from the league. He's led the Clippers to a 27-8 start and has emerged as a top-five MVP candidate, averaging 17.0 points, 9.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 2.6 steals while shooting 48.0 percent from the field.
Lee was in front of the camera for one of the NBA's Christmas spots titled, "Royalty is BIG," in which he talked up the greatness of former Knicks forward Bernard King. Another recent NBA ad starred Thunder forward Kevin Durant and his mother, Wanda Pratt.Video via the NBA on YouTube.


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For Bank Transfer Day, It's All CU Hands on Deck
The week prior to the official Bank Transfer Day, credit unions were busy encouraging consumers to take action.
Launched by Kristen Christian, a Los Angeles art gallery owner unhappy with her bank, Nov. 5 has been dubbed Bank Transfer Day, when consumers act on their growing frustration with big banks by switching to a community bank or credit union. While many are uncertain how many people will actually change financial institutions, credit unions have been making the most of the media blitz.
Three of Long Island's largest credit unions, the $4.3 billion Bethpage Federal Credit Union, the $4.1 billion Teachers Federal Credit Union and the $1.7 billion NEFCU joined forces to launch BetterBankingforLongIsland.com to show locals how good banking can be by proving that there is a better way to bank. The microsite encourages consumers to "Take a stand: Join a community credit union today" or on Bank Transfer Day. According to Edward Paternostro, president/CEO of NEFCU, the day provides yet another opportunity for credit unions to educate consumers about the value of credit union membership.
"We are seeing significant, fundamental changes taking place in the banking industry that are transforming the way people do their banking," said Kirk Kordeleski, president/CEO of Bethpage Federal Credit Union. "These changes, coupled with consumers overall discontent in the financial arena, are creating positive awareness about the advantages of banking at a credit union. We are very enthusiastic about this national movement and are proud to all work together to help promote it."
"With more and more individuals and businesses getting frustrated with the additional fees they are being charged by banks, people are starting to look at their options," added Robert Allen, president/CEO of Teachers FCU.
The $2.5 billion Wescom Credit Union decided one way to promote the campaign to join credit unions was to play off the "I voted" stickers given out on election day.
So the Pasadena, Calif., CU has handed out "I Transferred My Money to Wescom" stickers to consumers who mention they are opening an account at the CU due to the Bank Transfer Day initiative.
CUNA and the state leagues have also pushed out marketing and advertising efforts for Bank Transfer Day, employing an array of tools, including model press releases, Q&As and management and staff talking points with an eye toward spiking account volume.
Social networks and more traditional means need to be considered, CUNA advised. NAFCU also said it has on the shelf a panoply of new and existing marketing materials to help credit unions get the word out, including posters and inserts.
North Jersey FCU has plans to hold open house events on Nov. 5 at its four branches, offering services and incentives such as free credit scores, credit counseling, $25 for opening an account or taking out a loan, a two-month skip-a-payment every year for the duration of a new personal or auto loan applications, and giveaways and children's entertainment.
"Often times, the reason why people don't take advantage of credit unions isn't because they don't like what we offer. They simply aren't familiar with our products and services," said John Holt, president/CEO of Nutmeg State Federal Credit Union. "We've seen more traffic on accounts opened online, but I wouldn't say it's a dramatic increase for us. I think the opportunity that Bank Transfer Day presents is that more people are looking for banking alternatives. I think the more we talk about the value of membership and build that understanding that, yes, they can be member, I think more consumers will join over time."
Holt said the Rocky Hill, Conn.-based Nutmeg State FCU has created an easy switch kit online and for the branches, which requires one signature. The credit union handles transferring everything from direct deposits to automatic payments.
Tampa, Fla.-based Suncoast Schools has also focused on taking the hassle out of the equation for consumers. As part of its "Make the Switch" campaign, the $5 billion credit union has formed a switch team in its contact center to provide the extra attention that some new members may need.
"Feedback we get from frontline staff reinforces what's being reported in the news, that a barrier to consumers moving their checking relationship is the perception that it's a hassle," said Patti Barrow, marketing vice president at Suncoast. "While it does take some effort to switch automatic payments, direct deposits and other ACH transactions, it's really not that complicated. Our key component is that Suncoast will spend the time necessary with members who need assistance. "
Staffed with five to 13 call center agents, the switch team is composed of supervisors and experienced call center agents who specifically expressed an interest in providing an increased level of help.
So far the effort has been paying off.
"We've had a greater increase in checking accounts already this month than during the entire second half of 2010," said Barrow.
For San Jose Credit Union, Bank Transfer Day will mark the kickoff of its "Be Free" promotion, where each month during November and December, for every 10 debit card transactions, a member will receive an entry to win an iPad 2 or $500 cash.
"Our debit card has always been free, so we've been toying with the idea of debit card promotion for a month. With the Bank Transfer Day grassroots effort, we decided what better day to kick it off?" said Sara Holtz, marketing manager at the $125 million San Jose, Calif.-based credit union. "We're excited to educate and show consumers how convenient credit unions can be and just how easy it is to make the switch."
For some credit unions, the timing could not have worked out better.
First Community Federal Credit Union will unveil its "Skip the Fee, Swipe for Free" campaign.
Over the course of the three month campaign, the $650 million credit union has committed to give an estimated minimum of $200,000 back to members.
During the months of November, December and January, the Parchment, Mich.-based credit union plans to pay its members up to $5 each month based on their aggregate debit card point of sale transactions. In addition, First Community will hold weekly drawings based on the previous week's POS transactions to award $500 to 12 members. At the end of the promotion, one person will be randomly selected for a grand prize of $5,000.
"It was our CEO Cheryl A. DeBoer's idea to show how we're different from banks. Not only has our MasterCard check card always been free, but we'll pay members to use it," said Nancy Loftis, marketing manager.
"Giving back to our members is what we do as a standard business practice," said DeBoer. "Our recent loan transfer campaign was an example of this, along with our Skip the Fee, Swipe for Free Debit Card campaign, where we are very excited to send this ongoing message to our current and potential members".
The $269 million OMNI Community Credit Union in Battle Creek, Mich.. took the opportunity to debut a checking rewards and cash-back program tied to debit cards called "OMNI Pays in Many Ways."
The campaign, which runs through year end and includes $3,000 in prize drawings keyed to usage, encourages current OMNI members who don't have a checking account at the credit union–as well as those in the community who aren't yet members–to make the switch with a chance to win $250 in free debit card purchases each month for a year.
"There are both immediate and long-term benefits and we're paying our members in two ways," said OMNI CEO Ted Parsons. "One is the chance to win free debit card purchases for a year. The other is to increase their share of the cash-back rebate paid out at year end."
Despite the marketing push and reports of an uptick in accounts at some credit unions, some industry analysts remain skeptical about what the actual results will be.
"Much like the Occupy Wall Street movement, Bank Transfer Day feels like it wants to be a full-blown revolution, but in the annals of history, this event will probably be regarded as little more than a minor bank customer uprising," wrote Jeffry Pilcher of the Financial Brand, in his blog titled "4 Reasons 'Bank Transfer Day' is Silly."
He compared Bank Transfer Day to the Huffington Post "Move Your Money" efforts, which drew little new business to credit unions.
"The challenge for credit unions is this," maintained Bill Handel, vice president-research/development at Raddon Financial Group, the Chicago consultancy, "If indeed consumers do begin to migrate their accounts to credit unions, the credit unions have to be willing to take the bad with the good. The bad is the single-service, low-balance checking accounts which will need to be subsidized by the rest of the membership."
The good part, said Handel, "is the accounts where relationships are built. But if too many bad checking accounts are attracted and the credit union is not successful in cross selling, then at some point I believe they will need to move away from free and move toward a relationship-based pricing structure."
Research, said Handel, does show clearly that consumers detest additional fees, but surveys also show that big banks "no longer have as much of a concern with the mass market for checking. They will not impose debit card fees on valuable accounts."
Handel urged CUs to shy away from claims, statements or oaths that "we will never impose fees and never do evil." Statements like that "can come back to haunt us two or three years later," he warned, adding that includes "throwing so much mud" against big banks.


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Islander News Articles 12/16
Newsday: John Jeansonne has head coach Scott Gordon's on the Islanders injuries and what they have meant to what he calls an offensively challenged roster already with comments from Kyle Okposo and Mike Comrie.
NY Post: Dan Martin has Scott Gordon on DiPietro traveling to Minnesota and Mike Comrie on injuries.
Mr Martin also reports as many as three callups could be made for tonight's game.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
I think this goes beyond normal team injuries when we see players expected out weeks come back early and get reinjured or others projected out for a day or two all of a sudden are downgraded to a month or longer.
Gervais went from healthy to a few days to off the radar entirely. Okposo went from a few days to a few weeks to an additional four-six weeks to where he is back at practice?
Now DiPietro goes from Monday to Friday? How many times can Nate Thompson have ankle problems before it's time to ask questions?
Josh Bailey is on his third injury if he sits tonight.
Not blaming anyone but I have never seen such a thing on any NHL club to this degree and there have been Islander seasons when they go through fifty players.
Just not like this where injury prognosis change as quick as the temperature.
Washington Post: Tarik El-Bashir has updates from Washington's practice on Monday.
Washington Times: Corey Masisak reports the following on the Caps:
*Nicklas Backstrom is fine and will play tomorrow.
*Alex Ovechkin and Alexnader Semin were just taking the day off and will play tomorrow.
*Jose Theodore will not make the trip to New York, Brent Johnson will start in net. Simeon Varlamov will back him up.
*Sergei Fedorov will not make the trip.
*Tyler Sloan will make the trip but he is not sure if he will be able to play.
*Both Tomas Fleischmann and Eric Fehr will make the trip, but their availability is also in question.
*John Erskine and Chris Clark did not practice.
Sarina Observer: Dave Borody reports Islander prospects Matt Martin & Justin DiBennedetto could be on the trade block for the struggling Sting and that defenseman Mark Katic could return to the OHL next season for his fifth year, but word has it the New York Islanders will sign him after this season and he will turn pro next year.
The Star.com: Rick Westhead reports when word got out Kirill Petrov was content to play for a one million-plus salary and stay near his family in Russia, his stock plummeted allowing the Islanders to select him in the third round.
Columbus Dispatch: Tom Reed reports Islander head coach Scott Gordon is not a proponent of the three-point format for NHL games awarding an additional point for a skills competition like a shootout according to the reporter.
Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio's update is a feature on Sound Tigers winger Trevor Smith with comments from head coach Jack Capuano.
2 comments:
1) Come on you know better than to ask the franchise about injuries. LOL Its none of our business.ReplyDelete
2) Actually the team the Isles play tonight have had as much if not more of an injury issue this season. The difference is they have the organizational depth to sustain them and replace them (at least temporarily) without going into a tail spin.
Hi Faux,ReplyDelete
1. The Islanders apparently decided not to stick with league policy (which did nothing but upset Msg/Cablevision/Newsday) and bring a ton of negative publicity.
I cannot defend the change but it sure seems they were bullied out of it by the local paper like no other club in hockey.
They started getting a pregame the same week the policy was changed but for what that is worth but who knows?
You know I followed the criticism and reporting of injuries in other markets.
It's none of our business unless the club wants to tell us something, then league policy mandates they cannot mislead anyone with what they report.
2. Obviously Caps have organizational depth, just as important the key prospects and franchise talents like Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin are healthy.
I would speculate no other club has had near what the Isles have gone through top to bottom with only about five regulars playing every game but I could be wrong.
Thanks, Happy Holidays.
No profanity permitted under ANY circumstances. Please agree or disagree respectfully, however make any hockey point (hopefully somewhat related to the entry) you would like. No advertising, link exchanges, or promotion of this site or yours anywhere.
Non-profit/publicity site.
Thank You


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May 12, 2010
New/Old Video - Rob at Open Mic
1) His hair looks huuuge!
2) That's what she said :D
3) I wish he still played open mics like this...
Via TwiFans
- Lorabell
7 comments:
- AnonymousMay 12, 2010 at 3:26 AM
He sounds kind of cracked out and nasal-y but you can hear the passion in his voice and how much he feels his music.ReplyDelete
I just don't get it. I can appreciate almost anything in the music world, but - ugh!ReplyDelete
WOW he's rockin a FROReplyDelete
Lorabell, I know you're a Marcus Foster fan. I just bought his EP. OMG its so good! My fave - "14 Times." Anyway, is it just me or do Rob and Marcus' voice sound scarily similar? Well, Marcus annunciates his words a lil' more ;) But sometimes its uncanny, no?ReplyDelete
You can see his hair? You must have eyes like a BAT!ReplyDelete
@ illyria, sometimes the light shines on his hair and then you see how huge it is there xDReplyDelete
@Luxie: Tumble Down is my fave :) he's playing in London tomorrow if anyone's around?ReplyDelete
- Lorabell
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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The Guidelines for Protected Areas Legislation, Environmental Policy and Law Paper No. 81, is now available in print and electronically. The publication is the result of a three-year project led by the IUCN Environmental Law Centre (ELC), in cooperation with the IUCN Global Protected Areas Programme (PAP) and with extensive contributions from the Commission on Environmental Law (CEL) and the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), as well as important inputs from the Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP).
The purpose of the Guidelines is to assist all those involved or interested in the development of protected areas legislation to take stock of recent development, trends, and progress in this sector of environmental law - which is at the intersection of biological diversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation and also at the core of livelihood preservation.
It is composed of a printed volume containing the English version of the Guidelines for Protected Areas Legislation, and a CD attached to the book back cover, which contains the Guidelines text, as well as the 15 case studies which illustrate them. A French and Spanish version of the Guidelines will be available later in 2011. Thereafter a CD with all three language versions and the case studies will be available. In addition, the Guidelines and its case studies are posted on the IUCN ELC web site at: www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/environmental_law/elp_resources/elp_res_publications
Information about receiving complimentary copies of the Guidelines is available from IUCN ELC at email@example.com
This volume adds to the series of Guides and Guidelines for which the IUCN Environmental Law Programme has become well known.


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Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Mike Neal took to Twitter to break the news himself that he's agreed to a two-year deal with the Green Bay Packers:
Hi Green Bay!!! I'll enjoy your winters for two more years!!
— Michael Neal (@mneal96) March 12, 2014
Reports since the start of free agency on Tuesday indicated that the Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals were interested in Neal.
Exactly how far that interest went is up for speculation, but in re-signing Neal, the Packers will have added depth to the outside linebacker position and perhaps the defensive line.
Neal made an admirable transition to outside linebacker in 2013, dropping weight and leading the Packers with 37 quarterback hurries, according to ProFootballFocus.com, although he still played occasionally as an interior pass rusher in obvious passing situations.
Whether Neal's signing might preclude any interest in other free agent outside linebacker types like Lamarr Woodley and Julius Peppers is similarly up for speculation.
Bringing Neal back in the fold perhaps lessens the need to address outside linebacker in the NFL draft.
The question now might be, if the Packers are committed to Neal at linebacker, can he take the next step and become a better player in space, such as chasing down running backs to the sideline and dropping into pass coverage?
Neal was an effective player when able to pin his ears back and get after the quarterback, making a career-high five sacks and 16 QB hits in 2013. His lateral agility was still a work in progress, however.
This past season was also an improvement for Neal from a health standpoint, playing in all 16 games for the first time in his career, starting 10. For the most part he was able to put the myriad shoulder and knee injuries behind him or fight through them. Several weeks during the 2013 season Neal was withheld from practice during the week but still managed to play on Sundays.
Details of Neal's contract have not yet been reported.
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- 18 points


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Anna Wintour's 60 Minutes Profile
Vogue's Anna Wintour was profiled on 60 Minutes tonight, a piece in which she expressed reluctance to glam down during tough times, defended her bitchiness, and basically said she's in it for the free clothes.
While Morley Safer's profile was, in its totality, quite interesting, as its vexing and somewhat mystery-shrouded subject tends to be, what may be even more interesting is what the profile made didn't mention:
- Wintour's contract with Vogue is set to expire soon and that she and Conde Nast have a long history of using the media to gain advantages during tough contract negotiations.
- Longstanding rumors of S.I. Newhouse's desire to replace Wintour with French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld.
- The overall decline in financial health over at Conde Nast, which recently reported a 26% drop in ad pages in its first quarter and shuttered Portfolio, its perpetually struggling $100 million business magazine.
But to her credit, Wintour did look like 200,000 bucks.
Click to view
Anna Wintour on 60 Minutes [CBS News]


text: It got me thinking that this might be a cool place to discuss films and other experiences that have had unique moments of silence or deaf characters prominently featured throughout. Are there any others your would recommend? I'm mostly looking for prolonged stories and not just a sequence or scene.


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Prepare to Hang Up the Phone, Forever
Telecom Providers Want an End to the Landline
At decade's end, the trusty landline telephone could be nothing more than a memory.
Telecom giants AT&T and Verizon Communications are lobbying states, one by one, to hang up the plain, old telephone system, what the industry now calls POTS--the copper-wired landline phone system whose reliability and reach made the U.S. a communications powerhouse for more than 100 years.
Last week, Michigan joined more than 30 other...


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All was still at Airlie Gardens last Wednesday morning -- until the geese got a glimpse of the newest employee.
All was still at Airlie Gardens last Wednesday morning. No visitors had yet arrived, the sun was shining overhead and a flock of geese sat quietly on the Airlie Gardens Lake.
That is until the geese got a glimpse of Airlie Garden's newest employee – a black-and-white border collie named Reilly.
"They stay about 20 feet from the edge and honk at him, trying to scare him. It doesn't bother him at all," said Scott Childs, Reilly's handler and Airlie's grounds supervisor.
Ignoring the loud honking, Reilly growled and stared the birds down until they turned and began to paddle the other way.
Reilly has been working at Airlie Gardens since last August to help curb the problem caused by the growing Canada Geese population that have settled at the county-owned facility.
For the past couple of years, the geese have caused huge problems at Airlie. Childs said the birds had wrecked some of the turf and flower beds, and that cleaning up the geese droppings had become a never-ending task.
"We had a full-time employee dedicated to it," he said. "The road by the lake looked like it was gravel because there were so many droppings on it. He would barely get finished cleaning it before he would have to start over and do it again."
Childs said they knew they needed to find a more sustainable solution and the idea of using a border collie was brought to their attention.
"Using a border collie has been proven to be effective, environmentally responsible and humane," he said. "The collie is not trying to catch the geese, but is rather using its natural instinct to herd them."
Still, Childs said it was a challenge to find exactly the right border collie for the job.
"We needed the right balance of herding skills and being good around people," he said.
After a couple of months of searching, Childs found Reilly at the Carolina Border Collie Rescue.
Reilly had been abandoned by a breeder because of his "conformation flaws." Childs said his long tongue and a pink spot on his nose would have kept him from being a show dog and evidently, the breeder did not think he could fetch a high-enough price.
Before his adoption, the Carolina Border Collie Rescue kept Reilly at a foster home in Pittsboro, N.C., where he began to show off his natural herding skills. His lovable demeanor impressed his foster family, but he still needed a permanent home.
Ellen Pearson, a volunteer at the rescue, said they received many applications for Reilly, but none seemed like quite the right fit until they received the application from Airlie Gardens.
"The rest is history. Volunteers at CBCR are thrilled that Reilly has found the home he deserves with a wonderful family and a special job in such a beautiful place," Pearson said.
Reilly comes at no cost to New Hanover County. All of his expenses are paid for by the Airlie Foundation, including his herding training.
Reilly has about eight months of training left, according to Childs.
This training goes far beyond the basic training most puppies receive. In addition to "sit," and "stay," Reilly must learn commands such as "come by," and "that'll do." "Come by" means to do a clockwise loop around the herd, and "that'll do" means to come back.
"He's a better student than I am. I had to stop saying 'come' to get him to come back to me because he'll get those commands confused," Childs said.
Before Childs can finish explaining Reilly's training routine, a flock of geese flies over the Airlie Garden Lake and Reilly springs into action.
As the geese begin to dive toward the lake, Reilly lets out a series of deep barks. Surprised, the birds fly off. Reilly waits at the edge of the lake until he is satisfied that the birds will not return.
"Reilly, that'll do," Childs said.
Reilly returns to his place at Childs' side and sits tall, taking pride in a job well done.
Ashley Withers: 343-2223
Twitter: @AshleyWithers


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CONSTRUCTED OF HEAVY-DUTY POLYETHYLENE. SCREW-ON DESIGN MAKES ATTACHMENT OF QUART SIZE JAR EASY. Great for feeding up to 8 chicks at once. Works well for most wild birds with conventional wild bird seed mix too. Makes a great gift.
Top and bottom separate for easy cleaning. Measures approximately 6 x 6 x 2½-inches. Base only, mason jar not included!


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Why do we never re-post Melo on the kick out, great teams(Spurs, Lakers) do that
Why do we never re-post Melo on the kick out, great teams(Spurs, Lakers) do that
5 in a row now and only one made???
LMFAO Melo for MVP!?
thats a good one
Sweet pick & roll - Melo to Chandler that end with a slam...
These were probably the very first MVPs Melo received as a Knick and considering his last several games, well deserved.
Philly won as expected but bucks lost. That pretty much eliminates them..3.5 games out with 5 left for them and 4 each for Knicks and sixers
They were playing Mobb Deep music....dedication to our deep bench?
LMAO they're playing shook ones
its ironic because its a song by Mobb Deep.........our bench's nickname
Wow..Walker got chubby...Walker always looked like a dude I knew from 149th and Grand Concourse.
u right, some mediocre team will pay JR $4M to $6M, but it wont be a playoff team....JR is known for his inconsistency, nondefense, and bad attitude.
Did u forget who drafted JR (PG-CP3 & SG-JR), they traded JR for Tyson Chandler, and coach Skiles refuse to let JR in the Chicago lockerroom, so a money deal was quickly made to send JR to Denver. It was AI who put JR on track to become the 6th man. It was Billups who made JR the 8th /9th man putting Lawson, Affalo, and Birdman ahead of JR.
Humphries is a bum...
I played against Jordan Williams in high school, refs gave his fat ass every call in the book


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Idaho Police Dog Back On Duty After Serving Suspension
Sun Valley Idaho's star cop, a 5-year-old German shepherd named Dax, was suspended last month for attacking a small schnauzer. Police Chief Cameron Daggett said that after some time off duty, "Dax will be receiving more training."
According to the Idaho Mountain Express, Police Chief Daggett said "It was an unfortunate situation," when Dax attacked Max the schnauzer, and he is undergoing more training with the "goal of preventing this from happening in the future." The town will pay Max's owner $600 for vet bills. But it's hard to blame Dax, who is trained to sniff out narcotics and criminals and perhaps is lacking in social skills. Readjusting to normal life after a day of hunting down drugs and bad guys has got to be tough.
And this was Dax's second offense: In 2007, he attacked a small border collie in a nearby town. His handler, Cpl. Mike Abaid, was reprimanded after leaving Dax alone when the latest attack occurred.
[Image via Sun Valley Police Department]


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Hey, guys, gals, does the wixom fairing that came off of a/5 fit on a /6?... With little or a lot of modifications, how about the instrument cluster?... I am looking at a fairing now on fleabay and the bidding ends in an hour or sooooo. Any info will help.
Thanks again to all and Merry Christmass and Happy New year.


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People don't believe in our defense, but we held Celtics to 17 points when it mattered the most - in the 4th quarter. I like what I saw today.
People don't believe in our defense, but we held Celtics to 17 points when it mattered the most - in the 4th quarter. I like what I saw today.
We won and all I heard was
No Paul Pierce
You only won by 2
Chandler had 3 rebounds, he's overpaid
We did not Baron Davis
We held them to 17pts in the 4th quarter
Chandler had 6 blocks and changed like 10 shots
Not to mention we been together for 2 weeks while their core has been together 4 years, while other have been there for 2 years(O'Neal, Sasha, Daniels and Bradley)
@CA7: you forgot about the refs making calls against the C's.
Marv and Steve Kerr discussed Execution (Celtdicks) vs Talent (Knicks), and that's just what we saw today. Rondo taking apart the Knicks with swooping and hooping, driving and thriving, easy transition buckets, exactly what I fear will happen with every opponent's good PG and offensive players. Will Knicks be able to stop Derrick Rose, Lebron/Wade, CP3, etc?
Yes, the 'dicks have 4 years of being together, but newbie Brendan Bassturd took apart the Knicks with 'bounding and balling as well. If 'Melo didn't have his stroke going on, we would have lost this game. and STATS gotta grow some balls to get those 'bounds.
I really don't know if Knicks will get it together as long as D'amntoni runs this team. I've seen the same thing over and over 4 years in a row, if the Knicks aren't running and gunning, they're a stagnant team relying on the hot hand, as opposed to the 'dicks who have an offensive AND defensive scheme at all times.
The Knicks now have a legitimate 3, 4 and 5, but everyone whines about how we need a 1 to make this team go, and I have to agree. Steve Nash made it happen for D'amntoni in Penix, and we're all seeing it game after game. Without a legitimate PG, this team does not run the D'amntoni signature SSOL; With a halfcourt offense, this team blows, unless we have a hot hand.
Other than that, this was a great game!!!!!
sucks that Shumps got hurt, he was looking good for the most part, other than missing most of his shots, I believe that will come. i did not like seeing Girafferies and Walker out there as first men - 2nd team. I'd rather see Jorts and Balkman getting their minutes. I was amazed the Giraffe actually hit a shot, had a block, a flop, and a defensive maneuver on Garknee, but that's about all we can expect from him.
Walker = invisible.
Toney D seems to do better manning the 2nd unit, and I believe he'll take those reins once Baron and The Bib are healthy. However, his +/- was +12, and 19 points, 4 dimes, 3 steals is not a bad game
Laundry is folding. 34 minutes, 7 points (+/-) = -11. he needs to step it up, drive more, get set and shoot more, without hesitation.
Chandler? more time = more game, 6 blocks were sweet.
all in all, a good first game of the season.
Bostonians are talking only about how good Rondo was. I understand he's one of the best point guards in the NBA, but how is that possible that they didn't notice that we do not have any real point guard at the moment? No word about Baron being injured, everyone just feels good about Rondo's numbers. They don't realize that if you put Davis, a veteran point guard, one of the best active passers, against Rondo, he would never make his 31 points and God knows how many assists. And with Davis playing Amare would score around 30 points, not to forget Chandler constantly getting alley-oops and making way more than his 9 points. I know, Pierce didn't play either, so we're even, but how for Christ sake can you keep sucking Rondo's dick and saying the Knicks won only because Pierce was injured?
What a treat!
Melo's my current favorite Knick, and Baron will probably be tied as my current favorite. When he comes back things are gonna get brutal for the rest of the league!
Sig made by Sons of Thunder
We've seen the seeds of a defensive transformation on this team already.
That groundwork will only get stronger. When you have what many consider the worst backcourt in the NBA, you can't expect there to not be things ****ing up, especially after that lockout. That we still beat the 'dicks? Yes, please; more please.
We are seeing our Knicks at their *utmost* disarray and point of weakness. Cohesion, consistency, and our most potent blend of lethalness is yet to come.
Imagine what the 'dicks would look like if you took away Rondo? (whose offense alone gave them the luxury of trying to compete with us and win) Give those fools a healthy Pierce and even Perkins and they'd look like **** without a true facilitator like Rondo.
Shumpert was a brilliant pick to me. You ask about Rose, Rondo, Lebron....Shumpert is here to be that athletic freak in the backcourt while we have Chandler up front, who can guard all those bastards, and still being an aggressive threat to score.
Think a juiced up Tony Allen expectation and career when Knicks drafted him. Anything better, gravy.
I'm sure the plan was for him to get quality minutes while Baron is out, and to a point where come playoffs we have a potentially game changing impact on the defensive end and give us a puncher's chance of winning a title this year.
Shumpert as our 6th man, with Fields playing the role of the rebounding, hustling SG who can nail his jumpers with corner range, spreading the floor for Melo and Amare to do their thing. With Douglas thrown into the max as further bench spark and scoring combo guard.
Knick brass knows we are going to have our MLE's going forward to perfect the team's PG slot; they know that with D'antoni we don't need to bring in a superstar PG to have him turn into a superior, starting PG either; and that we have stashed away a stable of uniquely skilled, young 2's to find our SG and backup guard from.
Whats up my fellow knicks? I hav'nt been on much but will now b/c of the season has started.I hav'nt watched the game yet but getting ready to.I watched the last six minutes or so and was nervous but glad we came out with the win. I heard that we got destroyed in the 3rd quarter and got us behind.What was it bostons defense or did the knicks just get cold.
Anyways im glad to be back talking to all my fellow knick fans and look forward to a great season.
All I gotta say is, if you STILL think the Carmelo trade wasnt the right move for this team. then STFU! Melo baby saving the day, My favorite Knick since Ewing baby
..but Walker was the one who got his hand in the face of Garnett on the last shot. Without that hand, most likely a bucket.
I liked to see Walkers hustle tonight..... I mean come on, it was his first game action of the year bc he's been injured.
WANT TO SEE MORE JORTS!!! AND TONEY D CAN'T DRIBBLE DRIVE PASS worth a damn.


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About the Community & Neighborhood Development Program ||| Currently Funded Activities ||| Results ||| Proposal Qualifications and Process ||| Materials Available from Us ||| How To Contact Us
Area boundaries are mapped and described in terms of their streets on the City's Neighborhood Resource Teams website.
This is a rapidly growing area that includes new subdivisions, as well as older single-family and multi-family homes built during the 1950's. The CD program has been heavily involved in the Allied-Dunn's Marsh neighborhoods, where the program has supported a variety of housing and neighborhood service focused activities designed to improve housing conditions, reduce the residency turnover, and build linkages between the neighborhood and outside resources. The program has helped facilitate some strategic project planning initiated by the mayors of Madison and Fitchburg, and involving the Madison and Verona School Districts. Residents and community leaders identified higher priority projects in a series of neighborhood and leadership summit meetings that encouraged the Madison Metropolitan School District to implement its plan to purchase an eight-unit apartment building and convert it to a school-community learning center for elementary school children. Mayoral discussions led to the closer cooperation of the two police forces in the area and a sharing of neighborhood office space. Over the last decade, the CD program has provided over $800,000 in equity financing to two non-profit organizations to purchase 12 apartment buildings in the area, renovate, and then manage them as affordable housing. In 2005, one of these complexes, Prairie Crossing, completed a major landscaping project to provide resident amenities. The second complex suffered resident turnover and poor management performance in the face of challenging rental market dynamics, and was put up for sale by its non-profit owner, Friends Community Housing. The Office continues to facilitate two City inter-agency teams to use City resources in this area in a productive and coordinated manner.
The major 2007 activities in this area will include continued support of the Boys and Girls Club's Allied-Dunn's Marsh Neighborhood Center. The CD program will also sponsor efforts to expand the range of housing choices in the Allied neighborhood through conversion of some two-bedroom units into larger ones, and the creation of some rental units into ownership opportunities. The strategies for the focus of these activities are described in the summary City of Madison Strategic Action Initiatives in the Allied-Dunn's Marsh Neighborhoods (copies of which are available from our office upon request), and in the Mayor's Vision for Allied. In addition, using a special grant from the City, the CD Office will contract with the Urban League and the Building Trades Council to provide Allied residents access to pre-employment and pre-apprenticeship training and support.
The South West area is also served by our community-wide core/basic activities, which are available to residents in all areas of the City of Madison.


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Now he applauds for himself after an improbable return to a state House seat he was forced to give up in 2011.
"I made history. After going through my storm, I made history," Smith said, clapping into the telephone.
Smith, who played for the Globetrotters in the late 1990s and early 2000s, last week became the second Green Party candidate to be elected to the Arkansas Legislature. And he could prove particularly important this coming legislative session as Republicans currently hold 51 of the House's 100 seats, with a recount for one of those seats under way.
Both Republicans and Democrats said they have already contacted Smith.
"We have obviously reached out to him," said House Democratic Leader, Rep. Greg Leding of Fayetteville. "I imagine our Republican colleagues have also reached out to him. I don't know that that necessarily gives any power, but it's certainly a unique position for an incoming member."
House Republican Leader, Rep. Bruce Westerman of Hot Springs, said he, too, has reached out to Smith.
"I have called Rep. Smith and congratulated him on his victory," Westerman said in an email to The Associated Press. "I spoke with him briefly at the Capitol as well.
"I told him that I hoped we could work together in the upcoming session on important issues," Westerman said.
The situation didn't seem likely just months ago.
After being elected to the Arkansas House in 2010 on a Democratic ticket, Smith resigned last year when a judge found him guilty of felony theft of property delivered by mistake.
He filed paperwork to run as a Democrat again in March, but the party sued to keep him off the ballot because of the felony charge. A judge dismissed the theft case and Smith went on to find support in the Green Party of Arkansas, which nominated him for the House District 50 race in east Arkansas' Crittenden and Cross counties.
Smith was set to face off with Democratic Rep. Hudson Hallum, who claimed the seat in a special election after Smith resigned. Then, in September, Hallum pleaded guilty to a federal election fraud charge and stepped down from the House. A judge weighed in just hours before polls closed on Election Day and ordered that no votes be counted for Hallum, paving the way for Smith to become the lone third-party legislator in Arkansas this year.
"The odds of me doing what I'm doing is like, I'm going to be honest, it's like one to a million," Smith told The Associated Press.
Smith said he's willing to work with both parties, despite his spat with the Democratic Party this year.
"Even though I had been denied by the Democrat Party and others, I'm not mad at no one. I'm not bitter," Smith said.
Still, even Democrats acknowledge the situation is awkward.
"With the efforts of the Democratic Party of Arkansas in their official capacity trying to keep him off the ballot, I understand that there was quite a bit of tension there," Leding said. "But we absolutely are still willing and eager to work with him if he's willing to work with us."
Leding said Democrats aren't pressuring Smith to return to their party, but he said it would be difficult for Smith to pivot to the GOP.
"If he were to switch to the Republican Party, I think people back home in his district back home would find that difficult to swallow," Leding said. No Republican ran for the seat.
Hallum didn't return a phone message for comment.
Green Party of Arkansas Secretary Mark Jenkins said he's not worried about Smith switching parties.
"I don't believe he's that kind of person," Jenkins said.
If Smith were to change parties, he wouldn't be the first.
Richard Carroll, the first Green Party candidate elected to the state House, switched to the Democratic Party the year after he was elected as a Green Party candidate in 2008. He lost re-election in the Democratic primary in 2010.
For now, Smith, a Globetrotter from about 1997-1998 to 2002-2003, has said he's thankful to the Green Party and to a higher power that he says brought him back to the Legislature.
"You got to watch how you try to hurt people because you never know who you might have to depend on," Smith said. "And that's what God is getting ready to try to show this House."


text:
And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself DVD
Mexico's most notorious revolutionary goes Hollywood in the historical satire "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself" (2003). In fact, Antonio Banderas plays Villa, who approaches movie producers to fund and film his 1914 battles against the Mexican government. Directed by Bruce Beresford from a screenplay by "M*A*S*H" co-creator Larry Gelbart, the light-hearted, fact-based film features Colm Feore as legendary director D.W. Griffith, Kyle Chandler as actor (and future director) Raoul Walsh and Matt Day as journalist John Reed, the subject of Warren Beatty's film "Reds."
Read MoreLess
More Details
- Format: DVD
- Rating: Not Rated
- Number of Discs: 1
- Run Time: 115 Minutes
- Region: 1
- Aspect Ratio: Widescreen
- Language: English
- Studio: HBO Home Video
- DVD Release Date: May 11, 2004
- Packaging: Amaray Case
- Subtitles: English, Spanish, French
ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
ENGLISH: Dolby Digital Stereo [CC]
SPANISH: Dolby Digital Stereo
FRENCH: Dolby Digital Stereo
- Director: Bruce Beresford
- Cast: Antonio Banderas,Alan Arkin,Kirk Douglas,Jim Broadbent
- Genre: Drama
- Color: Color
Audio Commentary by Oscar Nominated Writer/ Executive Producer Larry Gelbart (Tootsie, Series Creator of M*A*S*H).
Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
- Release Date: 2003
Availability: In Stock
Ready to ship in 5-7 Business Days
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- Engaging Characters
- Entertaining
- High Production Value
- Informative
- Not What I Expected
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- Adult Viewers
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- Perfect Gift
Comments about this product:
LOVE all HBO productions. This is one of their Best!


text:
Right now I'm running Win 7 Pro and want to upgrade my HDD so I was planning on reformatting and re-activating with the same key... does MS allow this? If so, what steps should I take before I reformat? Does my current install have the product key somewhere? I forgot what it actually is. Do I need to call them after I format?
any help is appreciated, thanks!
Shouldn't be a big problem. Your PC or installation DVD should have the fancy Microsoft hologram/watermark with your product key. If you can't find that, ProduKey should be able to extract what you're running with now. There's some chance than when you reactivate that it'll ask you to call in, but even the times I've had to do that it's been a minimal hassle.
Are you upgrading to an all new drive, or are you adding on to what you have now? My preference is to do a clean install on a new drive, and leave my old system drive intact (and usable as it was) until I'm sure the new drive and install is working properly. When you're installing Windows, the safest way to do it is to physically unplug all the other drives except for the one you're installing on -- no chance to accidentally select the wrong drive and wipe out the stuff you were trying to save.
If your license is an upgrade license, then Windows will want to see your previous windows installation. Otherwise it shouldn't be a problem. If you have an install disc that came with your PC, it will recognize your PC brand and be preactivated.
what if it's a MSDN key?
MSDN keys activate online at least 10 times, there is no problem, just logon to the site and get the key.
Activation Backup & Restore for OEM Windows Vista and Windows 7 is a handy utility that saves your activation information to an USB drive and then allows you to re-activate without calling. I can't remember if I tried it on non-OEM systems. I don't see why it would not work. http://directedge.us/content/abr-activation-backup-and-restore


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« Exit photo gallery
How well do you know Gabriel Gomez?
There's a special election June 25 for a Massachusetts Senate seat between Democratic Rep. Ed Markey and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez. POLITICO presents two quizzes ahead of that contest. On Monday, we're featuring Gomez, and Tuesday, we will feature Markey.
Answer: D. All of the above. Gomez has said he supports expanded background checks for gun purchases, supports gay marriage and considers himself a "green Republican."(Photo: AP Photo)
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