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Mazdaspeed test drives
punkr77 Posts: 183Test drove a Mazda3 and Speed3 this weekend. My wife and I weren't very impressed with the Mazda3. Didn't feel sporty compared to the Civic Si and Sentra SE-R. No oomph, even when revved hard.
The Speed3 impressed me a lot. Really quick, felt like a totally different car. The only two complaints we really had were the weak A/C (never got cool on a 98 degree day) and the bland interior. No available sunroof was a hangup,too. We probably would have bought the Speed3 if it weren't for the snotty attitiude of the salesperson and sales manager and the $2000 ADM. My experience has been that if the sales team are jerks, the service team is, too. Big deal breaker since there's only one Mazda dealer within 60 miles of us.
We'll probably go with the civic or sentra since we can pay cash for them, then pick up a 350Z or WRX STI in a year or two for a real "fun" second car.
missyc1 Posts: 17See now I think the Mazda3 definatly has the more sporty and better quality interior then the Civic does. The thing I hate the most on the Civic is the dash layout (the speed odometer on the dash) and that sliding plastic cover thingy for the center console. That will break in no time and look like crap from the dust getting all stuck in it. The Civic Si is a cool car, but when I took it out I now why the dealer immediately turned the music on before I drove it. It's really loud inside the car with no music on. But they make it loud on purpose after I read the specs. I found that out. Also, you have to put PREMIUM gas in it, which the dealer failed to tell me.
I love my new Mazda3. I get tons of compliments on it and the color is a head turner! :P
We drove up to Cincinnati yesterday and checked out a Mazdaspeed3(the Louisville dealers didn't have any in stock). It turns out that the dealer- Kings Mazda- had just sold the exact car I was interested in- a True Red GT with NO options. However, I was able to test drive a MS3 in Deadly Dull Silver. The salesman was great- a true car nut, he even encouraged me to wind it out. FWIW, they are selling them at MSRP+@$275. For anyone interested, Kings is getting another Red GT in a couple of weeks, but I won't be buying it. The MS3 is a nice and solid little pocket rocket, and my wife and son loved it, but it just didn't light my fire. Too bad really, I was really hoping I'd found my next car. Oh well...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport / 2014 M235i / 1999 Wrangler / 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2016 i3 REX/2009 Cooper Clubman Son's: 2009 328i
The thing I hate the most on the Civic is the dash layout (the speed odometer on the dash) and that sliding plastic cover thingy for the center console. That will break in no time and look like crap from the dust getting all stuck in it. The Civic Si is a cool car, but when I took it out I now why the dealer immediately turned the music on before I drove it.
to each his own. i love the civics dash. the interior is MEANT to be loud, just like it is in the gti AND mazdaspeed3.
The sliding platic thingy on the civic is no dust trap, and i don't think it looks 'cheap'.
you have to put premium gas in pretty a lot of the sporty compacts nowadays.
23109vc Posts: 218Bookmark | Reply | Edit | Delete
I am torn between these two cars. I like the power of the MS3, and the fact that you *could* fit three people in the back. Price of MS3 is great for what you get.
I test drove an 8 and was blown away with how it cornered, and how it took the twisties. The RX8 seems more sporty - it's RWD, has a great shifter, and looks more agressive when fitted with the appearance package/body kit.
for those of you who have had a chance to test drive them back to back - what were your thoughts or observations?
the RX8 only fits two in the back, and I might need to fit more than 2 people in the back of my next car...so I'm reluctant to get an 8, not to mention bad MPG and reliability issues...but it was so much fun.
you guys think a MS3 would outrun an RX8 on a twisty backgrod...or would the RX8 just walk awawy from teh MS3...in a straight line the MS3 would outrun an 8...but what about in the twisties???
blitzebill Posts: 25i just bought a habanero red civic si sedan...it flies, i like the way the dash is divided and it does not hinder my ability to see the tach and speedo at the same time...
the black interior is cool lookin', audio system is great...
and using premium fuel improves gas mileage...i'm getting in the 30s and it has only 360 miles on it, and i DO rev the tach before shifting...
i get people looking at it everywhere...
I test drove the Civic 4d si, and the speed 3 and the mini s
among others. the mini was the most impressive of the three, but on the small side. I need a car to throw may rc equipment or my bike. Maybe with the front wheel off...
the civic drove like most hondas, however the revs did not drop between shifts. that was annoying because the high revs caused the car to lurge forward. It was a turn off. I've heard there is fix for this. I hope so.
I loved the styling of the Speed 3 and it had lots of room in the back. and lotsa power, the power cause the car to pull even at low throttle applications. loved the power.
I've heard people complain about the shifting. They should drive my BMW 325i manual with rubbery stock shifter. after coming from that the speed 3 shifted like a champ.
the mini was perfect, shifted like a breeze, good low end torque, cornered like a champ. hated the chrome speedo the size of your head. I'll have to check to see if my bike will fit inside.
I have 6 more months to make up my mind. my lease ends in Jan 08.
btw I tested the Audi 3 loved the DSG. Hated the sales man.
He seemed nice enough at first, but when he called me back. I couldn't get him off the line and he would not come down the the price.
funny how the littlest annoying things can turn u off to buying a car.
I may have to retest the MS3 later or wait for the 2008s.
you should check out the gti 4 door, it has the same engine, suspension and dsg as the a3 and its cheaper.
unless you prefer the styling of the a3 and some content, i guess you will still need to consider the mini and ms3
I've test driven them all and will probably test the volvo c30.
I will be purchasing next year. so far I like the styling and the utility of the MS3, it torgue steers a little. the A3 doesn't look right. it's to long and narrow. and ths salesman became annoying. the mini is a great car, too small for me, I have two bikes.
Don't believe the magezines about the 08 wrx. this cars can out handle all the above. and no it does not understeer. susp. is soft similar to my BMW 325i. but awd is amazing. uterly amazing.
I you like the MS3 don't get frenetica about being refused a test ride, stocks are low. and they can get premium for the car right now. Like everyone says look for another dealer. Unless you have to purchase a car today, just keep looking, I have. Time is on our side. :shades:
fuerteox Posts: 1Hey, I am very interested in purchasing the new Mazdaspeed 3. I've realized though that it comes with 18 inch summer tires. Does anyone know if you can purchase all season tires for this car, and if so where? I think they only way to drive the car in the winter would be to buy winter tires for the car, which would be an unfortunate pain. Any input would be helpful.
Does anyone know if you can purchase all season tires for this car, and if so where?
The Pirelli P Zero Nero M+S is available in the 215/45ZR18 size. Tire Rack has them for $131 each. Mazda calls for a Y speed rated tire, but a Z rated tire should suffice unless you intend to track the car. I don't plan to drive my MS3 in icy/snowy conditions, but if I did I would buy a set of winter tires mounted on aftermarket wheels. It only takes @45 minutes to swap them over, and the increased capability in the nasty stuff is well worth the trouble, IMHO.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport / 2014 M235i / 1999 Wrangler / 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2016 i3 REX/2009 Cooper Clubman Son's: 2009 328i
tiff_c Posts: 531Hey, I am very interested in purchasing the new Mazdaspeed 3. I've realized though that it comes with 18 inch summer tires. Does anyone know if you can purchase all season tires for this car, and if so where? I think they only way to drive the car in the winter would be to buy winter tires for the car, which would be an unfortunate pain. Any input would be helpful.
A friend of mine is a Mazda salesman and while we usually hang out and watch Top Gear when he's not busy and I have some free time. I have thought about trading in my WRX on the Speed3. Bottom line, if you want it you will NEED snows if you live in Upper mass or New hampshire or any of the snowbelt areas. I run Nokian WR's on the WRX for winter basically that's November to early May. No idea what I would have to run on a Speed3 but maybe Nokian RSi's since it has all that torque. I don't think you will need anything but Nokian WR's unless you are upstate New York, or upper NH or Maine. They are a great all season tire, no idea about FWD tho, but they have the snowflake rating. The RSi's are better but wear out faster on dry pavement. My Rex loves the Nokians! Don't use all seasons in the Summer :confuse:
scoobasteve Posts: 3Since I'm poor, but will need to buy snow tires for my MSP3 GT, I'll be buying 215/55-16 Blizzak WS-60 snow tires on black steel wheels for the winter. It won't look pretty, but it will get the job done. I'm going to buy them through Tirerack, $624.00.
I just joined so I know I'm late for most of this discussion. I test drove a MSP3 way back in February or March of 07. The dealership had no problem with me taking it out. I didn't end up buying it at that time. In July, I was driving by the same dealership and they had a Cosmic Blue GT in their used car section. I pulled in and again was allowed to drive the car without any trouble. I got a good deal and bought it on the spot. It had 10K miles on it and was fully loaded except for the Nav system. I even got them to install Sirius for free
Hey aviboy97, I live in CT and bought my Speed3 in Hartford. Where do you work?
rsalyerds Posts: 1I went to an imports dealer in Hamilton NJ called Hamilton Imports. They sell Mazda and VW. Let me test drive the Speed3 with no problem at all. It was actually one of the most stressfree experiences of my life and I'm now been driving the 08 Mazdaspeed3 for a couple months and love it. But they're not officially a mazda dealer, they just happen to sell mazdas so maybe thats why there wasn't a test drive problem.
networkguy Posts: 53But they're not officially a mazda dealer, they just happen to sell mazdas
I didn't think a dealer could get a Mazdaspeed model unless they were a Mazdaspeed approved dealership. Regardless, welcome to the happy owners club
aviboy97 Posts: 3,159didn't think a dealer could get a Mazdaspeed model unless they were a Mazdaspeed approved dealership.
1,000,000,000% correct. It is IMPOSSIBLE to get a Mazdaspeed3 from Mazda Motors of Japan UNLESS you are a Mazdaspeed authorized dealer!
indydriver Posts: 620I don't understand why you would want to downgrade the three season performance of your Speed3 by putting all-season tires on it. Remember that the great skidpad, slalom and braking numbers all the magazines raved about are almost entirely due to the tires. If a car comes with OE "summer" tires, you just have to plan on buying winter tires to go with it. That way, you will have max performance all year long. All you have to do is call TR. You can buy decent alloys for $100 ea. Make your life easy and put a new set of TPMS in there. Then you can change over in your garage whenever you like. BTW, if you want max traction, TR will tell you to go -2 on your winter tire/wheel combo with WS-60 Blizzaks. Smaller tires are better tires in the snow (greater psi in the footprint). Plus, 16's are a lot cheaper than 17's or 18's.


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Metro: Last Light - Faction Pack
Metro: Last Light - Faction Pack Summary
Latest news
Faction Pack add-on now available for Metro: Last Light on Steam
4A Games' DLC expansion Faction is out today for Metro: Last Light as it emerges on Steam. Three new missions feature which give fans some differing perspectives as you take the role of different factions.
Well, they certainly aren't employing nonsense when it comes to naming their DLC; it does exactly what it says on the tin. On its own Faction will raid your wallet £3.99. You also get 5 new weapons.
Faction Pack DLC coming to Metro: Last Light next week
As teased earlier, Deep Silver has officially announced that the first of four downloadable content packs, the "Faction Pack", for Metro: Last Light will be hitting Steam, Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network next week on the 16th July in North America and 17th July in Europe.
Metro: Last Light receiving 'Faction Pack' DLC details today
Deep Silver has teased a few screens for the upcoming announcement and details of the Faction Pack DLC for Metro: Last Light. The publisher has said that multiple DLCs are due out over the summer.
Their named as the Faction Pack, Chronicles Pack, Tower Pack and the Developer Pack. The details of the first DLC are expected sometime today. Last Light launched earlier in May.

subset: commoncrawl


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January 23, 2018
Currently: 39° — Complete forecast
Steve Marcus
Old Fart (Enoch Scott), left, and Chump (Garrett Grant) perform in "Pawn Shop Live!" at the Golden Nugget Thursday, Jan. 30, 2014. The production show is a parody based on the story of Gold & Silver Pawn, home of the History Channel's Pawn Stars television series.
© Las Vegas Sun, 2018, All Rights Reserved


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It's test time again for Indiana students. Children in grades 3-8 are taking the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress Plus (ISTEP+) tests to measure student achievement in the subject areas of English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science (Grades 4 and 6), and Social Studies (Grades 5 and 7). This seasonal event - and the recent news that teachers and parents in Chicago decided to boycott the Illinois Standards Achievement Test, an annual test for Illinois students in third through eighth grade - brought to mind the book: The Report Card by Andrew Clements.
Clements is one of my favorite authors. He writes thoughtfully about school-age students, the issues they face, their relationships with each other and with their teachers. And many of his books pose a "what if" question that make for marvelous discussion opportunities. In The Report Card, it's 5th grader Nora who ponders: what if students just all refused to take tests? What if they intentionally answered all the questions incorrectly?
Nora is an exceptionally brilliant child who enjoys reading the Encyclopedia Britannica for fun. Because she doesn't want to be "different" she does just enough schoolwork to get mediocre grades and cruise contentedly along in the middle. But when she observes the emotional toll the state mandatory test has on many students, she starts questioning the value of these tests: "All the kids started keeping track of test scores and homework grades. School was suddenly about the competition, and grades were how you could tell the winners from the losers."
Nora knows she is smart and can master the subject matter presented to her. She doesn't need a grade to confirm that. So she makes a choice. She sets out to get all Ds on her report card. And now Nora is no longer coasting along unnoticed by her teachers. She quickly realizes: "Most kids think that if they get bad grades, it's their problem. But that's not true. The fact is, when a kid gets a bad grade, it's like the teacher is getting a bad grade too. And the principal. And the whole school and the whole town and the whole state. And don't forget the parents. A bad grade for a kid is a bad grade for everybody."
The novel doesn't address how students should best be evaluated to make sure they are learning, but it does raise intriguing questions about intelligence, opportunities to be creative and thoughtful, and working to the best of your ability. In her effort to help herself and fellow students not feel categorically defined by a grade or a test score, Nora and her teachers and parents get to discuss these and other questions.
Find The Report Card and other thought-provoking books by Clements, such as Frindle and No Talking in the Library Catalog. Click on "More Information" to the right of a title and scroll down to find reviews of the title with age or grade-level recommendations. The Report Card is recommended for children in grades 3 and up. Interested in questions about Indiana's state mandatory tests? Read news reports of this and other education issues on the website: StateImpact – Indiana: Education, from the Capitol to the Classroom.


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I just acquired my 2003 K1200RS a few days ago off an E-Bay deal, with 11.5K miles on it. For those unfamiliar with E-Bay here is the essential trick: you have got to make one bid to "test" the market, in case there are just no buyers around. Then, essentially, you make your play in the last 30 seconds of the auction. If you try to become the leading bidder going into the last minute, you have a pretty good chance of being snipered in the last minute or so by a lingering bidder waiting until the last 30 seconds. So, you may want to throw in your own last minute bid in the last 30 seconds, and then may the man with the most toys win!
BMW leased this bike in March 2004 and in January 2005 it was turned back in, bone stock. I had mucho trouble getting the bike running due to a low battery and some other problems like my not knowing much at all about these bikes!
Today I finally got the bike inspected, and I took it out for about a 100 mile ride around Port Aransas TX here on North Padre Island, and around Corpus Christi. What a surprise, I came accross a gagle of Gold Wing riders while out there. Well, it is riding season!
The K1200RS impresses me as a heavy but powerful bike. Since Corpus is so damn windy, the extra weight actually helps. But, high winds are not much fun to ride in. Take her up to 80 in a 20 mph wind and you have some serious buffeting! Now I know how those dudes at this years Daytona 200 were feeling!
My previous BMW back in the 80's was an old 1976 R60/6, arguably the smoothest boxer they ever made. The K1200RS does not have that "Airplane Wings" feeling that the boxer gives you, but the K1200RS is also a pretty smooth bike. Lots of power on tap compared to the old R60 that's for sure! But then, the R60's Continentals could last as much as 13,000 miles as I recall. I wonder why? I am going to find out: Power costs money.
Is the K1200RS a crotch rocket? Well, maybe, but it impresses me as a little too heavy for that. My impression is that the sport boxers are probably a lot easier to ride.
Mine came with the saddle bags, which are pretty cool. I instantly realized, though, that a top-box like the one my R60/6 had as an accessory is actually a better piece of luggage, conceptually. I guess I will be going to get a Givi. Why? Well, a top box on a rear luggage rack is easy to fiddle with you are standing around the bike, easier opening is from the top, and of course it can hold the helmet, gloves, and rain gear when you are in the restuarant. When you are on the bike it holds beer and food a lot easier. What a nifty fact of riding that has not changed ever! But it does hang out there
In these 20 mph winds, I realized that my cheapie XXL HJC helmet got too loose at 80 mph. I have a XL Shoei helmet that I plan to wear on my next ride, that is a tight fitter. I hope that helps, a tight fitting helmet. Are ear plugs a good idea?
Also, I realized that riding 100 mph is not much fun unless you are gonna ride in still-air weather. That pretty much eliminates Corpus Christi man, don't even thing about it! This is the wind-surfing capital! I am heading to the hill country!
OK guys, now for the 64,000 question, what is the ratio of the maintenance costs for the 2003 K1200RS vs. the maintenance costs for a 2008 R1200GS ? I know the market values are this: right now the GS would cost twice as much money to just get one. That is an amazing fact: The K1200RS on the used market is really a pretty good buy right now. I got mine for under $8000.
The one thing I can't believe is the dual disk brakes on the K1200RS. You can operate them with one or two fingers! Hydraulic assist ABS man this thing has professional brakes. The old R60/6 of 1976 vintage had drum brakes. Believe me these disc brakes are like coming from another world. I have lot to learn to ride the K1200RS.


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What can be done for someone who is addicted to heroin?
What can be done if you know someone who may be addicted to heroin?
Retired Major James Pyles, who worked with Maryland State Police for 26 years and managed drug-related incidents in the Northern Command, talks about what a person goes through when they try to quit heroin, and lists several treatments that are now available to help a person quit.


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High school students who participate in the Action Team volunteer initiative were awarded certificates of achievement by Carlos Delgado and Brian Schneider in a pregame ceremony at Shea Stadium on Thursday night.
Administered by Volunteers of America and the Major League Baseball Players Trust, the Action Team program was created to encourage young people throughout the United States to volunteer in their communities.
To date, Action Teams of high school students and Major Leaguers across the country have inspired more than 12,000 high school students to help more than 55,000 people in need by volunteering in their communities.
Delgado and Schneider, who are among dozens of players who work directly with local high school students to encourage volunteerism, awarded the certificates to the New York Action Team captains: Megan Kagahastian, Elizabeth Granados and Kelly Yevoli of Cathedral High School; Armando Avila, Esteban Soler, Angel Tejada and Steven D'Elena of Queens Vocational and Technical School; and Marlene Bueno, Carlos Collado and Jessica Garcia of the High School for Arts and Business.
Yevoli also received a $1,000 college scholarship from the Players Trust in recognition of her dedication to community service.
The New York Action Team captains inspired hundreds of fellow students to volunteer in various community outreach efforts. Included in those efforts this past school year was hosting a holiday party for more than 200 senior citizens.
The Action Team program is currently underway in Cincinnati, Denver, Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Mobile, New York City, Oakland, Philadelphia, Portland (Maine), San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C.
Volunteers of America and the Players Trust are planning to expand the Action Team program to Chicago, Cleveland and Tampa during the 2008-09 school year.
Furcal no longer hobbled by ankle: An injured ankle slowed Rafael Furcal all season last year. Fully healthy in 2008, Furcal is among the leaders in the Major Leagues in batting (.407), on-base percentage (.500) and runs scored (15).
"I'd seen him on TV and I saw him in Spring Training the last couple of years, but I didn't realize how good he was," first-year Dodgers hitting coach Mike Easler told The Los Angeles Times.
It's quite a turnaround from last year, when the injured ankle held him to a .270 batting average.
"I felt insecure at the plate last year because I was hitting on one leg," Furcal said. "My ankle didn't help me, especially on the left side. This year, I feel surer of myself."
Furcal is also enjoying a better season in the field, showing greater range and improved arm strength.
"Last year, there were times I got to balls, but, when I tried to stop my body and plant my foot to throw, I couldn't," Furcal said.
Smoltz just four K's away from 3,000: John Smoltz struck out 10 batters in five shutout innings on Thursday night to lead the Braves to an 8-0 win over the Marlins. Smoltz is now just four strikeouts shy of 3,000 for his career.
"Strikeouts are coming because of the lineups" Smoltz told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "and I feel like my slider's as good as it's ever been." Manager Bobby Cox removed Smoltz after 81 pitches because the Braves had such a big lead and wanted to be cautious with Smoltz's shoulder.
"Can't pitch any better than that," Cox said of the right-hander's performance Thursday. "Ten punchouts in five innings is phenomenal. We just don't want to take any chances."
Velez steps in looking for a triple: A September call-up in 2007, Eugenio Velez has used his speed to accumulate four triples in his first 15 hits in the Majors. Giants first base coach Roberto Kelly, who was Velez's manager in the Minors two years ago when he hit 20 triples, helped give the infielder the right mindset. Kelly taught Velez to look for a triple right out of the box.
"He told me, 'Every ball you hit in the corner or in the gap, it's going to be a triple,' " Velez told The San Francisco Chronicle. "He said, 'You have good speed. If you have good speed, you have to get a triple any time you hit a ball that way.' That's what I try to do every at-bat -- hit a ball into the gap."
Thome will join Ott with next blast: Veteran slugger Jim Thome is climbing the all-time home runs list. With a three-run shot on Wednesday, Thome now has 510 career blasts and is within one of catching Mel Ott for 21st all-time. Ernie Banks and Eddie Mathews are just ahead of that with 512.
"Those are special names," Thome told The Chicago Tribune. "Those are guys who have done tremendous things in the game, and sometimes you don't think about it 'til we talk about it, but it's special and very cool."
Morneau lends a hand to Bartlett: Former Minnesota Twins shortstop Jason Bartlett had a gift waiting for him in the visitor's clubhouse Wednesday when the Tampa Bay Rays took on the Twins. Former teammate and Twins first baseman Justin Morneau sent a bat to Bartlett's locker. Bartlett hopes the bat helps his average, which was .191 entering Wednesday's game.
"I used to use his bat in BP," Bartlett told The Tampa Tribune. "I guess he saw that I'm not hitting, so he's trying to help me out."
Guerrero felled by swollen index finger: Vladimir Guerrero asked for a day off on Thursday due to a swollen right index finger. It's rare for Guerrero to be out of the lineup, but the slugger insisted that the injury is nothing to worry about and hopes to be back for Friday's game against the Mariners.
"I got hit by a pitch in Class A in 1996, and since then, when I start taking a lot of swings, at some point in the year it swells up," Guerrero told The Los Angeles Times. "Once it swells up, it won't go down. It's something I've lived with my whole career. I play with it."
Sweeney to get a look at Royals from the other side: For the first 13 years of his career, Mike Sweeney was a member of the Royals, where he was a five-time All-Star. Sweeney plays against his old teammates for the first time when Kansas City visits Oakland on Friday.
"I don't look at it as hard or easy," Sweeney told The San Francisco Chronicle. "I look at it as special."
The A's played the Royals in Spring Training, but this matchup will have more significance for Sweeney.
"Eventually, there has to be some separation between the past and the present," Sweeney said. "I think it'll be good for me. It doesn't take away the love that I have for a lot of the guys over there and the memories that I [had] in Kansas City all those years. But, I am an Oakland A now, and I'm very proud of that."
Wainwright picks up a home run and victory: Adam Wainwright did it all for the Cardinals on Wednesday night, picking up his second win of the year with 7 2/3 innings pitched in the Cardinals' 5-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. He gave up only one earned run on the mound and picked up his fourth hit of the season with a solo home run in just his eighth at-bat.
"I take pride in my hitting because I believe it can really swing the result of a game," Wainwright told The Belleville News Democrat. "If a pitcher's out there swinging the bat, keeping his team in the game and putting a quality at-bat on the pitcher to get base hits, there's always a better chance for you to score runs. It's something I take seriously, but pitching is what I'm here to do. I would have never made it out of Rookie ball as a hitter."
Kendrick settles in nicely at home games: Kyle Kendrick loves to pitch at home. Coming into Wednesday night's game against Houston -- a game in which he worked seven innings but didn't get a win as the Astros prevailed, 2-1 -- Kendrick had started 11 games at home and was an impressive 7-1 with a 3.76 ERA in those starts for the Phillies.
"I don't know what it is," told The Philadelphia Daily News. "The mound is great. It's pitching at home in front of the fans. I don't know what it is, but I like pitching at this park. I can't say what it is."
Galarraga puts up impressive outing: Filling in for Dontrelle Willis, Armando Galarraga worked 6 2/3 innings on Wednesday night and gave up just two runs on one hit in the Tigers' blowout victory. He also struck out six and, at one point, retired 16 straight Indians hitters.
"I was a little bit nervous, but when I gave up the home run, I had to get going," Galarraga told The Detroit Free Press. "The runs made me feel more relaxed."
Fontenot to get his turn in leadoff spot: Mike Fontenot hasn't spent a lot of time leading off over the past few years, but with Alfonso Soriano on the shelf, the Cubs are looking at Fontenot to take his cuts as their leadoff hitter.
"It's been a few years since I've done it," Fontenot told MLB.com. "When I was coming up with the Orioles, I led off. I keep my same approach. I usually don't hack at a lot of pitches -- I try to see a few pitches, so it works out."
Wright mows 'em down in relief: If Wesley Wright wondered how much confidence manager Cecil Cooper has him, he found out Wednesday night against Philadelphia. The Rule 5 selection entered the game in the eighth inning and had to face Pedro Feliz, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard while trying to protect a one-run lead.
Wright, a left-hander, struck out the right-handed Feliz on three pitches, then struck out the left-handed Utley on three pitches. After throwing a first-pitch strike to Howard, Wright fell behind in the count 3-1 before coming back to strike out the Phillies' slugger.
"It's exciting, man," Wright told Astros.com. "When I got the call that I was coming in the game, I was thinking, 'Just do whatever you need to do to keep us in the game.'"
Hill faring well in No. 2 hole: Searching to find a spark at the top of the lineup behind leadoff man David Eckstein, Toronto manager John Gibbons inserted second baseman Aaron Hill into the second spot. Since then, it seems the Blue Jays' offense has started to come to life.
"He's having such a good year," Gibbons told The Toronto Star of his underrated second baseman. "We put him up there a couple of times early, but that's his spot. You've got him, Rios and Wells -- your cornerstone guys. You figure you've got them a long time -- you've got to keep them all together."
Longoria's return gives Rays options: Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon had an idea of how he wanted the lineup to look this season during Spring Training. But when third baseman Evan Longoria was sent to the minors before the end of camp, it changed Maddon's plans.
But the Rays have since recalled Longoria from Triple-A, allowing Maddon to bump B.J. Upton to third in the order and Carlos Pena fourth. With Carl Crawford hitting second and Longoria hitting fifth, the Rays are able to go left-right-left-right in the batting order from No. 2 through No. 5.
"That's something we've been wanting to do; I've just been waiting," Maddon told The Tampa Tribune. "With Evan here now I feel a little bit more comfortable doing it, so we're going to give it a shot and see how it works."
Ankiel gets ovation after 17-pitch walk: St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Rick Ankiel got quite an ovation on Wednesday night for something that doesn't often garner much attention -- foul balls. After drawing a walk in a 17-pitch at-bat against Milwaukee's Carlos Villanueva, the St. Louis fans let him know that his efforts were appreciated.
"It's fun to come out on the good end," Ankiel told The Belleville News Democrat.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Since it's a new year, could someone please put some new stories in the 'Featured' box on the archives? I used to look at these, but don't any longer since the current ones have been there three months! I get the impression the mods have forgotten this box exists, but when a new visitor comes to the site it is one of the first things they start clicking around on.
The page would look more active if these were changed weekly or biweekly, and it would let us all discover some lost gems that don't show up any longer on the 'Most Recent' page. It shouldn't be a big chore to take turns and have a different mod each week or two post a favorite one-shot, favorite chaptered, and favorite dark/angsty or romance. How about it?


text:
Toronto, ON (PRWEB) February 13, 2013
Køge is simplifying the vitamin buying experience, so that customers can obtain premium quality vitamins, selected just for them, at truly remarkable prices. Køge does not charge 5x product mark-ups like other premium vitamin retailers; instead, the company is disrupting the entire industry by cutting out the middlemen and selling directly to the consumer, offering the highest quality products, under Køge's own brand, for one third of the price.
At Køge, premium quality is guaranteed all the way down to the most basic ingredient. Each vitamin package is purposefully formulated by an expert team of doctors and nutritionists and is made exclusively at Køge's North American manufacturing facility. By controlling every stage of the production process and selling directly to the consumer, Køge maintains stringent quality standards while eliminating all excess costs. The final result is a premium product at a fraction of the price available at retail locations.
Buying vitamins should be simple. That is why Køge is doing away with the hundreds of single-product options found at local stores and is instead offering multi-product vitamin packages, designed to allow customers to receive the holistic benefits they desire without the hassle of spending hours on research. Køge even ships directly to the customer's doorstep each month, ensuring product is always available and the customer is never inconvenienced.
One third of all childhood deaths are attributable to malnutrition. With the help of each customer, Køge will change that. For every sale made, the company has pledged to donate vitamins to children in Africa under the age of five suffering from malnutrition. These nutrients build the foundation for good health, and give children the opportunity to lead long and happy lives.
The founders of Køge, Andrew Lenjosek and Alex Hyssen, are focused on leading healthy lifestyles and are building a business to make a positive difference in the lives of others. These 23-year-old entrepreneurs both take their daily dose of vitamins and want everyone to be able to do the same. That's what gave birth to Køge, a vitamin company like no other. Andrew and Alex offer customers exactly what they themselves want: premium quality products with no excess markups and no confusion.


text:
Live fully. Laugh deeply. Love widely.
BMW MOA Ambassador / FOM / Roving Forum Moderator/
Selected Friends of Wile E Coyote/ A Million BMW sMiles
But I might change it to:
"If you can't fix it with a hammer, it's electrical." -somebody's dad
I'd like to but haven't figured out how yet. I did manage to post it it on my profile page somehow. ( Two Nortons in winter BTW) Wishing for spring!
About a year ago I switched from bike photos to photos of the little guy. Here he is about 1 year.
Jeff in W.C.
1988 R100 RT (the other woman)
"I got my motorcycle jacket but I'm walking all the time." Joe Strummer
ride what you've got; enjoy the ride!
Reid - Stone Ridge, NY - BMWMOA #69187 - Turbo Fluffy Motoclub - IBA #50182
This was from a little while ago, far away ....
Bob Smith
2005 Rocket III
Here's mine, Finger Lakes 2005
Work is the curse of the riding class
'06 Triumph Scrambler (Trans-Labrador veteran)
The kids are always changing mine, had to close all my windows and look, good
god, it's just grey! But I gotta killer screen saver......
Original litter
Original owner
2012 Ural Gear Up
I've had this background image for a month and a half - probably time to take a new photo and change it. The black dots under one icon were just to hide the company name as this is my work laptop.
Here's my adorable desktop!!
Leaving Gillette Rally last July
... as soon as I can work it, she's going to be a rider
Bob Weber
Larry's River, Nova Scotia, CANADA
come on guys, with icons, sheesh..............


text:
Related News
- Apple making app-specific passwords mandatory to access iCloud with third-party apps
- Rumor: Apple working on health tracking 'smart bands' for Apple Watch
- New iPods coming July 14?
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- Report: New 12.9" iPad will feature Force Touch, Bluetooth stylus, NFC
- Alleged 'iPad Pro' photos show second Lightning port?
- Apple to add 3X Retina Display support to iPhone 6?
- iPhone 6 to feature haptic feedback?
- New photos claim to show iPhone 5S
- Purported iPad bezel leak; iPhone 5S in more colors?
- iLounge launches Rumor + Speculation Roundups
- iOS 7 running late; iPad event possibly April?
- Fingerprint sensor, NFC in iPhone 5S?
- Developers already showing early iPad 5 cases
- Next iPad mini shell photos leaked?
- Report: Apple losing power over carriers, subsidies changing?
- Leaked photos show iPad 5 back piece
- Rumor: Apple plans 4.8" iPhone, another by Christmas?
- Next iPhone rumors: 5S and low-cost phones
- Schiller: Apple will not make a 'cheap' iPhone [Updated]
Other Reports
If you have a comment, news tip, advertising inquiry, or coverage request, a question about iPods/iPhones/iPad or accessories, or if you sell or market iPod/iPhone/iPad products or services, read iLounge's Comments + Questions policies before posting, and fully identify yourself if you do. We will delete comments containing advertising, astroturfing, trolling, personal attacks, offensive language, or other objectionable content, then ban and/or publicly identify violators.


text:
Submit News
Microsoft Prods Apple to Make iTunes Metro App for Windows 8
Jason Mick
May 10, 2013 1:30 PM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
Apple is reportedly a huge fan of Metro and is "borrowing" its design, but won't help Windows 8 out
Windows 8 has its
fair share of detractors
, but its latest struggle has been with a snub from Apple, Inc. (
). While Apple designers are reportedly looking towards a
"flatter" UI for iOS 7 a la the Metro/Windows 8 UI
, they don't appear to be in any rush to bring out a Metro version of iTunes for Microsoft Corp.'s (
) Windows 8 operating system.
Microsoft's Windows chief financial officer Tami Reller
, "You shouldn't expect an iTunes app on Windows 8 any time soon. ITunes is in high demand. The welcome mat has been laid out. It's not for lack of trying."
While Apple has not officially dropped support for the Windows platform -- its largest iTunes customer base -- it's not putting much effort into it either. Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro users can still access the legacy iTunes, but only
in desktop mode
. Windows RT users (not that there are many of them -- reportedly
only 200,000 Windows RT tablets sold
in Q1 2013) can't access iTunes at all, as Windows RT only runs Microsoft-approved apps compiled to run on the ARM architecture.
While Ms. Reller says that Microsoft firmly
believes in its first-party
Xbox Music app
, she acknowledges that Apple's music store remains the most popular digital music store. That's why she's so frustrated at the snub.
Despite (relatively)
weak sales
of Microsoft's first-party
Surface Pro
Surface RT
tablets, Apple is reportedly concerned that designing a Metro app could make the playing field a little too level between the iPad and Surface.
So far
100 million Windows 8/RT licenses
have been sold, so there's probably > 50 million Windows 8/RT users in the wild to be conservative. That's a lot of customers to overlook.
It remains to be seen whether the move backfires on Apple. After all, Windows users have access to other digital music stories such as Google Inc.'s (
) Play music store and Amazon.com, Inc.'s (
) Amazon MP3 service -- both of which are reportedly working on Metro editions of their music marketplace apps (Google recently released a Metro edition of its YouTube app, so it knows a thing or two about developing for the platform). And then there's Microsoft's own bundled offering.
If Apple refuses to play ball with Metro, it may see purchases from Windows users decline. And while Apple typically would cheer at Microsoft's loss, in this case that loss might be mutual.
CNN Money
"This week I got an iPhone. This weekend I got four chargers so I can keep it charged everywhere I go and a land line so I can actually make phone calls." -- Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
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text:
HP investors sue over losses from alleged Autonomy fraud
Hewlett-Packard has been sued by shareholders over its $US8.8 billion writedown that the company said was partly related to falsified finances at Autonomy, the British software maker it bought last year.
The complaint, filed in federal court in San Francisco, alleges that Hewlett-Packard issued false and misleading statements. The company concealed that it had gained control of Autonomy based on financial statements that were unreliable because of accounting manipulation, according to the complaint. Hewlett-Packard chief executive Meg Whitman and the company's former CEO, Leo Apotheker, are named as defendants, along with chief financial officer Catherine Lesjak.
"At the time Hewlett-Packard agreed in principle to acquire Autonomy, defendants were looking to unwind the deal in light of the accounting irregularities that plagued Autonomy's financial statements," according to the complaint.
Hewlett-Packard said last week that $US5 billion of the total charge is due to accounting practices, which were disclosed by a senior executive at Autonomy. Hewlett-Packard said it referred the matter to US and UK securities regulators and will also pursue civil litigation.
Financial performance
Hewlett-Packard said in a statement last week that some former members of Autonomy's management team used accounting misrepresentations to inflate its underlying financial performance before the acquisition. Mike Lynch, who founded Autonomy, has defended the company's accounting practices.
Deloitte said last week that it didn't find any evidence of improper accounting methods or misrepresentations when it last looked at Autonomy's finances before Hewlett-Packard bought the software company. Deloitte, which said it wasn't employed to do due diligence on the deal, last audited Autonomy's finances for the year ended December 31, 2010.
Apotheker, 59, agreed in November 2011 to buy Autonomy for $US10.3 billion to diversify away from hardware and expand into cloud-computing and add software that searches a broad range of data, including emails, music, videos and posts on social networks such as Facebook. Apotheker left in 2011 after less than a year on the job following repeated strategy shifts and forecast cuts.
The complaint seeks class-action status and unspecified damages for all investors who bought company shares from August 19, 2011 to November 20, 2012.
Michael Thacker, a spokesman for Palo Alto, California- based Hewlett-Packard, declined to comment immediately on the complaint.
The writedown is another blow for the company, which is already suffering from management turmoil and slowdowns in its personal-computer, printer and technology-services businesses.
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text:
Clarence wrote:With a., that is listening to the webcasts and practicing the Lojongs, Rushens, Semdzins, and GuruYoga of white A? Do you know whether or not we have the permission to practice those?Namdrol wrote: One should pay attention to what one is doing, that is all presence means. When you can join presence with instant presence, than your presence becomes a truly liberative practice.
Dzogchen practice means you are a) trying to understand Dzogchen practice b) you understand Dzogchen practice and are moving ahead.
With b., well, I will see when the time is right.
Regarding a) merely by attending a retreat, you have permission. Get the Precious Vase. Study it. Apply it.


text:
Prospective PhD Students
Would you like to join our team of PhD students, researchers and academics that are world leaders in their fields and are making a major impact on the world we live in?
Find out about our current PhD Opportunities.
Research in the School is centred around a number of research groups:
- Antennas & Electromagnetics (Antennas)
- Centre for Digital Music(C4DM)
- Cognitive Science (CogSci)
- Computer Vision (Vision)
- MultiMedia and Vision (MMV)
- Networks
- Operational Research
- Risk and Information Management (RIM)
- Theoretical Computer Science (Theory)
plus an EPSRC Doctoral Training Centre in Media & Arts Technology (MAT).
Several of our groups are involved in our research centres qMedia and the Centre for Intelligent Sensing.
Current PhD studentships
Please see our Current PhD Opportunities section for current information on studentships.


text:
No one likes turning off their portable electronics on a flight during takeoff and landing, especially if they're as harmless as an iPod or an e-reader. And the rule if often the subject of debate as we all become more reliant on these devices on a daily basis.
Thankfully, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now ready to reconsider the rule, and it's asking passengers, flight attendants, airlines, and the makers of electronic devices for their opinion. Tell the FAA you think the rule is silly and you could help towards getting it abolished.


text:
DxOMark reports lens performance Scores for five Use Cases: Travel & Family, Portrait & Studio, Sports & Wildlife, Reportage, and Landscape & Architecture. The Lens Use Case Scores are provided on a 5-star scale. When a lens does not have the focal length or aperture range for a given Use Case, it is reported as "not applicable".
Read more about Lens Use Case Scores.


text:
As a young photographer at LIFE in the 1960s, Steve Schapiro cavorted with celebrities like Barbra Streisand, Paul Newman (above), and a young Jodie Foster, and managed to extract something personal from them with his crisp, emotive shots. He was the public's connection to the faces of the times.
In Steve Schapiro: Then and Now, a retrospective art book, we follow the photographer through the glamorous, playful, and bizarre past before settling into our foreboding reality.
"The worst is yet to come!" screams the headline of an undated newspaper photographed toward the end of the book, between an image of Martin Luther King, Jr. and one of contemporary activists protesting the Iraq War. "In the world of photography, nothing is real," Schapiro recently told the book's publisher, Hatje Cantz. "Above all, you cannot equate it with the truth. Photography is primarily the moment when the photographer presses the shutter release."
Steve Schapiro: Then and Now is available now. Click to see a few examples of the portraits on the following pages:
Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver


text:
Tributes have been paid to the dedication and public-spiritedness of the West Midlands police and crime commissioner, who has died suddenly.
Colleagues and friends of Labour's Bob Jones, including shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, spoke of their shock and sadness at his death aged 59.
Mr Jones, who served as a councillor in his home city of Wolverhampton for more than 30 years, was elected as the first police and crime commissioner for the West Midlands in November 2012.
In a statement offering her sympathies to Mr Jones' family, Ms Cooper said: "This is very sad news and comes as a terrible shock to us all.
"Bob was a very kind and intelligent man who cared deeply about the communities he represented. He served with great distinction as police and crime commissioner for the West Midlands, and before that leading West Midlands Police Authority, always championing neighbourhood policing and victims' rights.
"I have benefited from his advice and wisdom over the years and he was rightly awarded a CBE last year."
Roger Lawrence, the leader of Wolverhampton City Council, described Mr Jones as a great public servant who had represented the city as a committed ward councillor for over 30 years.
"He held numerous positions on the council and was a long-standing member of the Police Authority, chairman of the Association of Police Authorities, and most recently was elected police and crime commissioner, a role he was making his own," Mr Lawrence said.
Mr Jones never lived more than a mile from where he was born except when studying for a degree in public administration in Nottingham.
During his time as a councillor between 1980 and 2013, the commissioner took up a variety of senior roles, including cabinet member for leisure and community safety.
He was also a member of the West Midlands Police Authority from 1986 to 2012, and chaired the authority from 1995-2000.
Last month Mr Jones stepped into the row over the so-called Trojan Horse schools takeover plot by calling on Education Secretary Michael Gove to explain his department's apparent inaction over the allegations.
He also questioned whether Mr Gove would have reacted in the same way if he were made aware of allegations of "socially conservative" Christians, Jews, or Sikhs seeking influence in schools.
Staffordshire's Conservative police and crime commissioner Matthew Ellis also offered his sympathies to Mr Jones' family, friends and colleagues.
"Although we didn't share the same philosophies, I liked Bob very much as a person and will miss the banter we had on so many occasions," Mr Ellis said.
"He was never afraid to speak his mind, even if this sometimes caused him to be in a minority of one among PCCs.
"The critical area where Bob made a significant difference in the last 18 months was in fundamentally changing and improving the way the police engaged with local people."
West Midlands deputy police and crime commissioner Yvonne Mosquito said in a statement: "This is a huge loss to the West Midlands and to policing. Bob was a dear friend and a deeply committed public servant. All our thoughts are with Bob's wife Sarah and his family at this sad time."
Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.


text:
He was about to go to prison for Flagler County bank robbery, but police say that didn't stop him from going on a bank robbery spree.
Kevin Lee Cotterman was about to go to prison for 15 years after robbing a bank in Flagler County last year, but that didn't stop him from going on a recent bank robbery spree, law enforcement officials maintain, including hitting up a bank in Ocala.
On Tuesday, the 42-year-old was arrested at a Kissimmee motel on a warrant out of Marion County in connection with the March 15 robbery of Wells Fargo at 3201 S.W. College Road.
He also is suspected in at least four other bank robberies in Seminole County, according to law enforcement.
Cotterman was arrested by the United States Marshals Regional Task Force Service, which includes elements from the Marion County Sheriff's Office. The Marshals' Fugitive Apprehension and Tactical Investigations units, on a tip from Sheriff's Office Detective Donald Buie, tracked Cotterman to the Sun Inn Suites in Kissimmee.
When officers arrived, Cotterman refused to come out and said he was armed. After an hour-long standoff, he surrendered. He was booked into the Osceola County Jail, where he awaits transfer to the Marion County Jail.
Tuesday's was the latest in Cotterman's lengthy list of bank robbery arrests. In 2008, he was arrested for robbing three Seminole County banks in less than two months. He was sentenced to three years in prison and was released in December 2011, according to Florida Department of Corrections records.
Six months after his release, Cotterman was arrested on suspicions of robbing five banks from Jacksonville to Deland, according to an Orlando Sentinel article from June 22, 2012.
He was eventually able to get bail bond companies to post his bonds and was again out by December, according to court records.
Cotterman pleaded no contest to one of the robberies in January. He was facing at least 15 years in prison, with his sentencing set for April 9, according to Flagler County court records.
Two robbery charges from Jacksonville remain open. Cotterman had a court date scheduled on Tuesday, according to Duval County Clerk of Court records.
The two cases out of Deland were not prosecuted, according to Volusia County court records.


text:
Rin: Kakashi.. Im sorry
Kakashi: No.. RIN! What have i done..
Obito stares without emotion.
Fodder mist: Haha, just as i planned.
Kakashi: ??!!! What have you done!!
Foddermist: I used an genjutsu on you, you thought you little girl was me right?
Kakashi: noo.. Rin..
Rin: Its okay Kakashi(bloodspitting) It is not your fault, i shouldnt come near you when using the chidori.. I will see our beloved Obito again..
Kakashi: I cant lose you too.. Rin.
Rin falls dead to the ground.
Kakashi: Rin... OBITOOO!!!!
Kakashi turns back to the mistninja with anger and tears.
Suddenly the fodder mist ninja falls to the ground uncounscious.
Kakashi sees a green monster standing behind the mist ninja.
Kakashi: Who are you.
Zetsu: (let me talk for you Obito).
Green monster: You shouldnt make promises in this cursed shinobi world stupid Kakashi.
Kakashi: You...You know who i am?
Green monster: I know more of you then you think.
Kakashi: ...
Green monster: In some years this world is no longer bound to promises and sacrifices.
Obito: Zetsu...
Kakashi: What do you mean?
Spriral zetsu goes in the ground. Good bye Kakashi, use that left eye with caution.
Kakashi:...... Minato sensei.. Where are you..
Zetsu: Obito... where do you wanna go now?
Obito: I have no place to return to anymore.. now Rin is gone.
Zetsu: You can come with us, and spend some more time together.
Obito: Your right.. You are my friend now, lets go see grandpa uchiha.
Zetsu: Good choice. He is a boring guy, so im happy you come too.
Back at the madara office.
Madara: You have returned.. I told you.
Obito: Thanks for saving me, madara sama. Im no longer in this world of shinobi, im done with the sacrifices, promises and endless casualties... please train me and help me to grow stronger.
Madara: ( perfect) Fine, we will start right away. first i give you some senju dna to burst up your sharingan...
At the end a close up of Obito's crying sharingan with two tomoes, turning in three tomoes, and next page its turning into a mangekyou sharingan.


text:
Super Bowl XLII: Party of the Gear
Quick, think of the person you know who always throws a great Super Bowl party. That's right - Phil. Phil has that big-screen HDTV, a cool sound system, and that comfy couch. People are always high-fiving him after the game, telling him what a great party it was.
Dude, that could be you. You can do the Super Bowl just as well as Phil, if not better. Sure, he's got some great equipment, but yours could be better, and everyone knows throwing a killer party is all in the details: tweaking your settings, setting up the room, and getting the right accessories are the ways to maximum 'Bowl-ing. We asked the experts for a play by play on how to compete in the Super Bowl party big leagues.
The Screen: Go Big, Go Deep For an event like the Super Bowl, the type of TV you get is a lot less important than the size. Matt Polk, a cofounder of Polk Audio, sums it up perfectly, if predictably: "Bigger is better." The lesson is clear: If in doubt about size, lean toward more inches, not fewer.
But can it be too big? With today's HDTVs, not really, says Polk. In fact, he recommends going with the largest of the large - a front projector with a screen - as long as your room can handle it. Traditionally, those types of setups can suffer from a washed-out image if there's any room lighting, but Polk says modern technology has solved that problem.
"Most DLP projectors are plenty bright," he explains. "Just be sure to get an HD screen that has high gain [reflectivity]." But don't go too high on the gain, or your off-angle viewing goes bad.
If a front projector isn't your thing, Janna Robinson (a.k.a. The Chic Geek / Entertainment Lifestyle Specialist) says your room lighting should determine the type of set you get. Says Robinson &mdsash; whose company, Janna Rachelle, routinely sets up home theaters for celebrities - LCD is the best choice for a brightly lit room, while a plasma set is the way to go for dim light.
John Sciacca, S&V's resident custom installer, agrees. "I'm partial to plasma because of its handling of motion and off-axis viewing."
Sound: Surround Still Matters That big screen is virtually useless unless you have great sound to go with it - you don't want your guests competing with the color commentary, since it's natural for people to be yelling at the screen during the game. Surround sound is definitely the way to go, says Robinson. "While you're obviously not getting the nuances you'd get from a movie soundtrack, the surrounds play a role. The crowd is often back there."
Polk agrees, and has a few tips on setting up your system for best sound. "If you're using anything bigger than small bookshelf speakers, set your front speakers to 'large' and use the sub's crossover controls to fine-tune the sound. Receiver crossovers are generic. Your subwoofer's crossover is designed to match well with the rest of your system."
But stringing cable to the back of your room might give you nightmares of people tripping right into your dip bowl. If that's an issue, Robinson and Polk both think a single speaker that simulates surround sound should be part of your game plan.
"I have a Philips AmbiSound speaker, and it's great," says Robinson. "If you don't have a lot of money and want something really simple, that's an easy solution."


text:
County Distribution
Juglans nigra L. -
black walnut
in the state of Pennsylvania
Click the map above to view a larger image.
Our county data are based primarily on the literature, herbarium specimens, and confirmed
observations. However, not all populations have been documented, so some gaps in the
distribution shown above may not be real. Remember that only native and
naturalized populations are mapped!


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Royals behind steals pace of last season
Kansas City's leaders are Jarrod Dyson with 20 and Alcides Escobar with 19.
Last season the Royals, led by Escobar's 26, finished second in steals among AL teams with 153, just two behind league-leading Tampa Bay's 155.
But this year, the Royals are well behind that pace. A year ago after 104 games, the team had 102 steals or 26 more than this year's total.
"We got to the point last year where nobody paid attention to us and we took advantage of it," manager Ned Yost said. "This year they're playing a lot closer attention to us, so we're trying to be opportunistic. We're not just running to run, or to steal a base. Dyson can do that, [Chris] Getz can steal a tough base, Esky can steal a tough base but everybody else, we're really picking our spots."
Moose tweaks bruised knee while sliding
KANSAS CITY -- Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas was out of the starting lineup against the Rangers on Friday night because of banged-up right knee.
While sliding into second base in Thursday night's 11-inning, 7-6 victory over the Indians, he aggravated the knee he bruised on a fielding play last Saturday at Seattle. With left-hander Matt Harrison starting for the Rangers, manager Ned Yost figured it was a good time to give the left-handed-hitting Moustakas a break.
"He banged his sore knee trying to break up the double play last night. It's a bone bruise in his knee, where the bones kind of banged together in Seattle, and he banged it again," Yost said. "It was a little more sore than it has been. So with the lefty [Harrison] going today, it's a good opportunity to give him a break. If he didn't bang it, I probably wouldn't have given him a break, but it's a good opportunity to and I think he's going to be fine for [Saturday]."
Yuniesky Betancourt, who would have started at second base, instead took over third base. Chris Getz was at second.
Moustakas is expected to play on Saturday when right-hander Scott Feldman starts for the Rangers.
Back in the lineup after not starting for four games was slumping right fielder Jeff Francoeur. Did Frenchy get his batting woes straightened out in practice?
"We'll see," Yost said. "My crystal ball's not working right now."
Royals run their way to history vs. Tribe
KANSAS CITY -- Under the heading of historic facts you'd never know unless it was dug up by those inquisitive guys at the Elias Sports Bureau in New York comes this:
In Thursday night's 11-inning, 7-6 walk-off win over the Indians, the Royals became just the second victorious team in Major League history to score six or more runs in the first inning and then not score in each of the next nine or more innings.
The Royals got six runs in the first, then went scoreless for nine innings (second through 10th) before getting the decisive run in the 11th.
The only other team to do that, according to Elias, was the 1931 New York Yankees in an Aug. 22 victory over the St. Louis Browns, 8-6, at Sportsman's Park on the east side of Missouri. The Yankees scored six runs in the first inning and two in the 11th. Hall of Fame first baseman Lou Gehrig was 3-for-4 and shortstop Lyn Lary knocked in four runs.
Royals lefty Everett Teaford termed Kansas City's inclusion as the second team in this odd category as "infamous" and blamed himself for giving up a two-run homer that pulled the Indians into a 6-6 tie.
"I think I caused the infamy by giving up the home run, because we should have won in nine innings and not had those extra innings," Teaford said. "So I feel I caused the unfortunate history and made people stay here later than they might have wanted."
Late though it might have been, the Royals did emerge on top and Teaford could smile about it.
"You can laugh about a win, but if it was a loss, it wouldn't be quite as funny," he said.
Gavel among winners in RBI program
KANSAS CITY -- Jacob Gavel, who participated in the Kansas City, Kan., RBI program, is one of 12 high school seniors to win a $5,000 college scholarship from Major League Baseball Charities.
Gavel plans to attend the University of Central Missouri where he'll study actuary science. The winners are college-bound athletes selected on the basis of academic record, leadership, participation in school and communities activities, and financial need.
In high school, Gavel was active in the band and baseball and was on the youth advisory board for KCK RBI.
Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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© 2011 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Santo, Hodges among 10 on Golden Era ballot
Minoso, Oliva, Tiant also up for Hall of Fame consideration
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com
Ron Santo and Gil Hodges, long a pair of Major League Baseball's most disputable candidates for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, are back on a Veterans' Committee ballot representing the Golden Era of the sport from 1947-72, it was announced on Thursday. Santo, a third baseman for the Cubs, and Hodges, the first baseman for the "Boys of Summer" Brooklyn Dodgers, are members of the 10-man ballot along with these fellow players: Cardinals third baseman Ken Boyer, White Sox first baseman Minnie Minoso, Twins outfielder Tony Oliva, and pitchers Jim Kaat, Allie Reynolds and Luis Tiant, who all played for multiple teams. Oakland A's owner Charlie Finley and Buzzie Bavasi -- a general manager and architect of those Dodgers teams -- round out the ballot. The 16-member committee will gather on Dec. 4 in Dallas prior to the Winter Meetings. If anyone is elected, he will be announced the next day and inducted, during next year's ceremony slated for July 22 in Cooperstown, N.Y. As in any election to the Hall, a 75 percent vote is needed, which in this case is 12 votes. Santo and Hodges failed to make the Hall during their 15 years of eligibility on the ballot circulated to the eligible members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America and by numerous forms of the Veterans Committee since then. The results always have produced huge cries of foul from their legions of fans and supporters. "It's a travesty," Santo said after he missed by nine votes on a 2008 ballot of a post-1943 committee. Santo, a beloved television announcer for the Cubs in this era, passed away from the complications of diabetes and cancer in 2010. Santo was a National League All-Star nine times, who had 342 home runs, 1,331 RBIs, a .277 lifetime batting average and five Gold Gloves, during a playing career that lasted 15 seasons and ended in 1974. Like fellow teammates Billy Williams, Ferguson Jenkins and Ernie Banks -- all enshrined in the Hall of Fame -- he never played in a single postseason game for the Cubs. Santo's highest vote total on the BBWAA ballot was 43.1 percent in 1998, his last year on the ballot. Hodges played 18 seasons, 16 of them for the Dodgers in both Brooklyn and Los Angeles, and was an NL All-Star eight times. His career ended in 1963 with the Mets, the unlikely team he managed to its first World Series title in 1969. He died of a massive heart attack during Spring Training only three years later. Hodges finished with 370 homers, 1,274 RBIs and a .273 batting average. He played in the World Series seven times, winning in 1955 and '59 with the Dodgers. "If he gets in, we'll be absolutely elated," said Joan Hodges, his long surviving widow prior to the 2008 election. "If he doesn't, he's in mine and my children's Hall of Fame forever." Like Santo, Hodges is still waiting. Adding to the frustration of his friends, family and supporters is this stark fact: Hodges is the only player no longer eligible for the BBWAA ballot to garner at least 60 percent of the vote and subsequently not be elected. Hodges did that three times: In 1976, '81 and '83, the latter when he earned 63.4 percent of the vote in his last year on that ballot. "It's beyond us why he hasn't been elected," Marty Adler, founder and president of the Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Fame, told the New York Times in '08. "Some people say I'm so prejudiced toward the Brooklyn Dodgers that I can't accept the fact that he's just not good enough. But you're supposed to look at a player during his playing tenure, and in my honest opinion he was clearly the best first baseman of an entire decade." The Hall has received sharp criticism because Joe Gordon, a second baseman for the Yankees and Indians, is the only MLB player to be elected by a Veterans Committee since Bill Mazeroski. Another second baseman, whose walk-off homer won the 1960 World Series for the Pirates, Mazeroski was inducted in 2001. Gordon was elected by a pre-1943 committee in 2008. "When I saw nobody got in again, I go, 'Whoa, this is wrong,'" Santo said at that time when his committee failed to elect a player. "They can't keep going the way they're going. They've got to put a [different] committee out there.'' And so they did. There are now three distinct Veterans' Committees, but in its first iteration last year, a committee voting on players, executives and umpires from the expansion era -- circa 1973 to the present -- did not elect a player, going only with general manager Pat Gillick, who was inducted last summer when second baseman Roberto Alomar and pitcher Bert Blyleven were the BBWAA electees. The Golden Era Committee is taking its first crack at it this year with a pre-integration, pre-1946 committee to hold its first election next year. The trio of smaller committees cycle every three years. Finalists each year are selected by a BBWAA-appointed Historical Overview Committee. To be eligible this year, candidates must have played at least 10 Major League seasons, not appear on MLB's ineligible list and have been retired for 21 or more seasons. Managers, umpires and executives must have spent at least 10 years in baseball and be retired for consideration. Members of the Golden Era Committee are Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Al Kaline, Ralph Kiner, Tommy Lasorda, Juan Marichal, Brooks Robinson, Don Sutton and Williams; Major League executives Paul Beeston, Bill DeWitt, Roland Hemond, Gene Michael, and Al Rosen; and veteran media members Dick Kaegel, Jack O'Connell and Dave Van Dyck. Here are thumbnails on the remaining candidates: Buzzie Bavasi served as Dodgers general manager for 17 seasons from 1951-67, winning four World Series championships and eight National League pennants. He also was president of the Padres (1968-77) and Angels (1978-84). Ken Boyer played 15 Major League seasons as a third baseman with the Cardinals, Mets, White Sox and Dodgers. He was named to seven All-Star teams and won the 1964 NL MVP Award while leading the Cardinals to a World Series victory. Charlie Finley owned the Kansas City/Oakland A's from 1960-80, helping build a team that won five American League West titles, three AL pennants and three World Series titles. Finley was noted for his creativity and penurious ways with his players. He inspired night baseball in the World Series and supported the designated hitter. Jim Kaat pitched 25 seasons with the Senators, Twins, White Sox, Phillies, Yankees and Cardinals, winning 283 games, the third-highest total for those eligible but not enshrined in the Hall of Fame. He was a three-time All-Star and part of the Cardinals' 1982 World Series championship team. Minnie Minoso played 17 seasons with the Indians, White Sox, Cardinals and Senators, winning three Gold Glove Awards and being named an All-Star seven times. A native of Cuba, he was one of the first great Latin American players in the 1950s. Tony Oliva played 15 seasons for the Twins, winning three batting titles and leading the AL in hits five times. The 1964 AL Rookie of the Year also was an eight-time All-Star. Allie Reynolds pitched 13 seasons with the Indians and Yankees, winning 182 games while pitching in five All-Star Games. He also pitched in six World Series, leading the Yankees to six titles in seven years while posting a 7-2 record with four saves and a 2.79 ERA in 15 World Series games. Luis Tiant won at least 20 games in four of his 19 Major League seasons with the Indians, Twins, Red Sox, Yankees, Pirates and Angels, finishing his career with 229 wins and a 3.30 ERA. He also was named to three All-Star teams and led the league in shutouts three times.
Barry M. Bloom is national reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, Boomskie on Baseball. Follow @boomskie on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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By Shannon Carlin
They say a picture's worth a thousand words, but a recent photo of Madonna hanging out with Disclosure backstage at Governors Ball in New York City doesn't say any of the words you might have originally hoped.
Disclosure's Guy and Howard Lawrence told Billboard they are not — repeat, not — teaming up with the Material Girl for any upcoming tracks on either their follow-up to 2013's Settle or her upcoming record.
Related: Disclosure Talk New Album: "We've Been Experimenting With Different Sounds"
"She came to our gig at Governors Ball," Howard explained, "and within a few hours, there were articles being written about how we were producing her album — and we had met her that day. How could we even have done that?"
Read more about what Disclosure had to say about Madonna on Radio.com


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After his 1995 murder acquittal, O.J. Simpson lived in Miami's Kendall neighborhood for years before he was convicted and sentenced to prison for a 2007 armed robbery attempt at a Las Vegas hotel.
The home, which was foreclosed in 2012, is now listed for sale for $1,299,900, according to Zillow.com.
The renovated home has four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The 1.65-acre property comes with a pool and a mini-basketball court. It is currently owned by Southern Farms International USA, Inc.


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Strong Aussie group set to buck PGA curse
A big Australian contingent on the US PGA tour is ready to reverse a curse in southern California this week.
The Pacific Ocean frames the course, the fairways and greens have grass most Aussies find at their local, eucalyptus leaves give off their unmistakable aroma but, despite the similarities to home, Australia's best golfers are yet to tame Torrey Pines.
For 45 years, the now Farmers Insurance Open has been held on the famed ocean-adjacent public course and you can throw in the 2008 US Open for good measure
But while a few Australians have come close, none have won here.
There were recent near misses, like Nathan Green in 2006, who shot a 69 on the final day to force a playoff with Tiger Woods and Jose Maria Olazabal but fell short.
Or Marc Leishman and Michael Sim in 2010 who had eventual winner Ben Crane in their crosshairs down the stretch but ended up one shot short.
Stuart Appleby led the 2008 US Open through two rounds but shot a 79 on the Saturday to fade into oblivion.
Jason Day was a world junior champion at the venue, Aaron Baddeley a runner-up, but neither has fired since on the layout.
But in 2013, a 14-strong Australian contingent lines up ready to not only break the Torrey curse but also kick-start a resurgent season in the US after a lacklustre 2012.
With just one victory last year on the US Tour, Australians had their worst season since 2002. It marks just the third time in the past 25 years (2002, 1996, 1988) that Australians have won just once in a season.
"It surprises me to hear we haven't done so well here," Greg Chalmers told AAP.
Chalmers' final-round 63 in the 2002 event remains a South Course record at Torrey Pines (since redevelopment) but wasn't even good enough for a top-10 finish that year.
He has yet to find a top-10 finish from 10 starts.
"It definitely has an Australian feel as a course so I can't put a finger on why we haven't done extremely well in this tournament," he said.
"No doubt the south course is a beast of a golf course but it is windy, the grass is what we grow up with and there are gum trees everywhere so this city reminds me of Australia and New South Wales mainly with the coastline and the trees."
Leishman, the lone winner in 2012 and the hot hand of the 14 at this venue with two top 10s from four starts, isn't sure why the results haven't been positive for Australians other than to point out Tiger Woods has won it six times and Phil Mickelson three.
"I love it here. It's such a comfortable place for me, the most like Australia here in America and I have friends in the area I catch up with so it is really like a home event, to be honest," he said.
"I'm feeling really good, hitting the ball well and the putter worked really well in my last start so there is no reason why it can't be a really good week."
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text: Hello, Some of you know me from rides and Ephrata cycle gatherings. On May 11 I was involved in a collison with a Jeep. I had the right of way when the jeepdriver drove into me from my right side. The outcome for me was not so good. I spent two weeks in intesive care in Phila HUP and then was then sent to Magee Rehab in Phila where I am now. The accident has cost me my right leg above the knee and I am now a paraplegic. This is a dissapointment for a guy who has ridden for almost 40 years. I wanted to share this with the people who know me so they will know why I am not around. The wreck distroyed my new 2012 DL650 which was a 60th birthday present to myself. I am still around and able to communicate because of my newer HJC full face helmet and Olympia long jacket. That safety gear left the upper body totally intact and undamaged. Buy the best gear you can. It works, I can attest to that. The hospital said that jacket was the most difficult they ever had to cut apart. So for now its rehab to get back to my new normal. Be careful out there. and keep me in your thoughts. Terry 12 DL650 destroyed 02 DL 1000 - For sale 99 Dr650- For Sale


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Meanwhile, in Orlando …
I'd hoped that right about now I'd be on a plane home to California, but weather in Texas has the flight schedule hopelessly FUBAR'd …
I got down to Viera for the Brevard County Manatees' Game #2 of the Florida State League championship series. The Manatees, a Brewers affiliate, play out of Space Coast Stadium which is the Washington Nationals' spring training facility. It's decidedly low-end, a brick structure with a rutted grass parking lot. A local told me that Viera was once swampland. I'm glad I didn't try to park when it was raining.
The Manatees lost Game #1 8-1. They took a 3-0 lead in Game #2, then 4-1 on a solo homer by 2B Mike Bell, but defensive FUBARs in the top of the 7th tied the game at 4-4. We left after seven innings — after all, we had to uphold California tradition and leave early. That turned out to be the right move, as the game went eleven innings iwth Clearwater winning 6-4.
Brevard County's starting pitcher was a 24-year old left-handed Aussie named David Welch, who looks pretty good if he can get his mechanics straightened out. Welch's four-seam fastball was regularly at 90-91 MPH until he ran out of gas in the top of the 6th, and dropped down into the 85 MPH range. He had a really nice 12-6 curve and a good changeup. His problem was that he'd step too wide with his lead foot and as a result drag his arm. Not only would he lose his location but also 2-3 MPH off his fastball. Clean that up and he might be a decent prospect.
It was kinda weird watching two teams that didn't play Angels-style baseball. Watching either the parent club or one of the affiliates, I've been programmed to expect a certain style of play, and a certain degree of developmental discipline. The Florida State League is the same level as the California League, but I saw basic mistakes more typical of Rookie-A.
The only Angels' connection I could find was the Manatees' hitting coach, Ken Berry, who was the Angels' center fielder in the early 1970s.
As mentioned earlier, the wireless connection in the motel was FUBAR, so the only way I could get out was to cable into their router in the lobby. I've been unable to closely monitor Angels baseball, but had to chuckle when I saw that Orem whupped Idaho Falls two straight to take the Pioneer League South Division title. The Chukars had a far superior record during the regular season, but Tom Kotchman manages to get the best out of his players in a short series. Now he has the luxury of two off-days before hosting Wednesday night the winner of the Helena-Great Falls series.
Too bad the Bees couldn't win one game out of the three in Sacramento, which would have put them in the PCL championship series against New Orleans.
Anyway, I'm held hostage by American Airlines, so I'll be on-line when I can. At least nothing is happening for a couple days … Oh, I have the fall instructional league roster, and will post it when I get home.


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"In our sundown perambulations of late, through the outer parts of Brooklyn, we have observed several parties of youngsters playing 'base', a certain game of ball. Let us go forth awhile, and get better air in our lungs. Let us leave our close rooms, the game of ball is glorious"
-Walt Whitman
Hugs, smiling, and interactive Twitter accounts, don't mean winning baseball. Until this community understands that we are cursed to relive the madness.
I'm guessing the Bengals organization has an extremely complicated, closely guarded formula that tells Mikey the absolute least he can spend on his organization without seeing a decrease in the size of the checks he gets to cash.
Brown could legitimately not care less about winning.
I wonder if his daughter has been conditioned to think the same way or if she sees what a buffoon her dad is and has silently resolved to do better when the team passes to her?
"....the two players I liked watching the most were Barry Larkin and Eric Davis. I was suitably entertained by their effortless skill that I didn't need them crashing into walls like a squirrel on a coke binge." - dsmith421
I have it on good authority that Mike Brown thinks 8-8 is the optimal record from an ownership perspective. Helps keep interest but you don't have to go the extra mile. That's what we're dealing with folks. The franchise has reached its ceiling with Mike and Marvin at the helm, and unfortunately I don't think either one is going anywhere anytime soon.
So if we can enjoy playoff appearances and the occasional divisional crown, great. But expecting more you're likely to be very disappointed under this regime.
Go BLUE!!!
Hugs, smiling, and interactive Twitter accounts, don't mean winning baseball. Until this community understands that we are cursed to relive the madness.
Dalton - 25 years old
Green - 24 years old
Geno - 24 years old
Burfict - 22 years old
Those are the two most important players on each side of the ball imo. You could make a strong case for Whit who isn't getting any younger, but the point is that our team is incredibly young. To even talk about our ceiling is crazy. I hope we haven't topped out, but there's really no reason to believe we have.
The jury is still very much out on Dalton. The other three you name are obviously undoubtedly the future of the franchise.*
Whitworth wasn't even the best offensive lineman this year. While still above average, he is hardly the best player on the team. Taking Dalton out of the equation (because he is such a wildcard - he could be #3 or off the list entirely by this time next year,) I'd probably rank the assets like this:
1. Geno Atkins
(tie) AJ Green
3. Vontaze Burfict
4. Kevin Zeitler
5. Hippo Smith
6. Andrew Whitworth
7. Leon Hall
8. Carlos Dunlap
9. Michael Johnson
10. Domata Peko
Almost everyone else is replaceable. Possible exception is Reggie Nelson and maybe even Josh Hall (who I'd keep next year over Nugent).
*so long as Burfict doesn't go all Odell Thurman
Last edited by Benihana; 01-07-2013 at 11:43 PM.
Go BLUE!!!
I'm afraid this is right. I remember seeing a picture of Dalton straight on through the facemask, and it looked just like Jon Kitna. I'm afraid that's what I see in Dalton. A slightly better version of Jon Kitna.
He's generally smart, (but still prone to huge mind numbing blunders.)
But he's a little bit undersized, not particularly mobile, and doesn't have very good pocket awareness so a lot of balls are going to get batted down at the line of scrimmage.
If he's surrounded by playmakers, he can facilitate well. But he doesn't strike me as someone who's going to make anyone look better than they are.
Dalton...as has been said...is an average QB. More a caretaker....But just better than a Dilfer, less mistake prone than Flacco....but not enough arm and pocket awareness or rollout and passing ability.
The Law Firm and AJ Green carried this offense most of the year.
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4-oz Cacti and Succulents (Mixed) (LWALTCS)
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Product Information
- Fascinating shapes and colors
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|Common Name
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|Bloom Color Family
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|Full sun
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alright, so I'm over at my friend's house, and someone crashed into his dad's store (attached to his house). Well they have security cameras, and we're sitting here trying to figure out how to convert the program "Zealous" for secuirty cameras' .SSF file format to something readable by windows media player or quicktime. Wotsit.org has no information on the subject, and this is driving us nuts.
any help?