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Johnson, a native of Water Valley, Miss., saw action in 51 games for the Wonder Boys, drawing 49 starts. He played a flawless center field, posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage while making 104 putouts, adding a pair of outfield assists.
The junior's flawless play helped anchor the Great American Conference's best team defense and the 35th best defense in the nation, as the Wonder Boys finished the season with a team .967 fielding percentage and a league-low 63 errors on the season.
Johnson was one of two GAC players to earn a selection, as Southern Arkansas' Jon Mark Abbey was also selected.
Johnson will advance to the ballot for the national Rawlings/ABCA Gold Glove team, which will be announced in conjunction with the Division II championships in Cary, N.C.


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A study of Junior National Team weightlifters showed that daily ingestion of 1,000 mg of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) had a significant impact on lowering one's body cortisol levels after hard training. Subjects were assigned to one of two groups equated for body weight and weightlifting totals lifted during training. One group received the ascorbic acid each day for 14 days while the other group received a placebo.
The weightlifters participated in a competitive, high volume, high intensity training program. Both groups lifted at the same intensity and had equal lifting volume of training for the 14 days. Cortisol was lower at one hour and statistically significantly lower at 24 hours post exercise in the ascorbic acid supplemented group. Lower cortisol levels are important since excessive cortisol has be shown to have a detrimental inflammatory effect on muscle cells and suppresses the body's immune system.
Dosage Guidelines: 1,000 mg of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) taken on a daily basis will have a positive effect upon improved muscle health and recovery.

subset: commoncrawl


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Blue Jays claim Wells off waivers from Mariners
By Greg Johns / MLB.com
SEATTLE -- Outfielder Casper Wells was claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays on Wednesday after being designated for assignment by the Mariners on their final roster cutdown.
Wells is out of Minor League options, so he was designated for assignment on March 31 when the club decided to go with Jason Bay as its final outfielder on the 25-man roster. That gave the Mariners a 10-day window to trade, release or outright Wells to the Minors if he cleared waivers.
Wells, 28, is an excellent defender, who hit .225 with 17 home runs and 51 RBIs in 124 games for the Mariners over the past two seasons. He batted .189 with two homers, 14 RBIs and a .646 OPS in 53 at-bats this spring.
Wells was one of four players acquired from the Tigers in the Doug Fister trade on July 30, 2011, coming to Seattle along with pitchers Charlie Furbush and Chance Ruffin and third-base prospect Francisco Martinez, who has since been shifted to center field.
The Blue Jays will either need to keep him on their own 25-man roster or go through the same procedure of designating him for assignment if they want to send him to the Minors.
The Blue Jays have a starting outfield of Jose Bautista, Melky Cabrera and Colby Rasmus, with Rajai Davis the primary backup at all three positions. Emilio Bonifacio is also capable of playing in the outfield, though he has been used mostly at second base early this season.
Greg Johns is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregJohnsMLB as well as his Mariners Musings blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Aragorn, Apr 15, 2011.
I think Peter's done a bit too much LDS.
Now remember they have to plant the idea......oh wait wrong movie.
and now Inception begins..
We're on the same page there, Sam.
The first glyph is F.
Walter seems friskier in her subconscious.
Yeah, he does, doesn't he?
Broyles is trippin'.
They need to go to the dream within the dream.
who wrote this episode..Christoper Nolan? lol
Oh c'mon even the chase sequence? Where's the locomotive now.
Bye, Nina!
Yeah, who wrote this ep? Souders & Peterson?
oh boy..
"Belly, why are you in a Charles Schwab ad?"
So Nimoy will do voice overs but his days of acting are over.
I think the ep will end with Olivia spinning a little top on the table.
The next one is E.
Separate names with a comma.


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Discussion in 'College Tennis Talk' started by Fedace, Jun 6, 2010.
wow what a terrible way to see it.
It's not all meant to sound like doom and gloom. It is just the reality. Time after time, I will read something like, what happened to so and so? Why do they suck now? - Well it ends up he or she is a junior and has to start thinking about grades and internships, they have an injury (Klahn has been battling a back injury this year), or someone died, or they have a girlfriend, they've been sick, or their focus is shifting, or they are graduating in a month...They have more to their life than entertaining us. And now I read Klahn fizzled, frankly he's entitled. Good for him for giving Stanford and tennis those D1 years, he's been an amazing player, I say let him graduate without bashing him.
It's a shame that Klahn has plateaued, but it's a fact of life. Tough to feel bad for him. He's about to graduate from one of the top schools in the country with an NCAA championship on his resume. Can't imagine he will have too tough of a time finding a career after tennis.
This was just another example of the Curse of Fedace :twisted:...
naw .. it's the coach's fault.. both Ryan T. and Bradley K. stopped improving when they got to Stanford .. I would have bet anything that Thacher would be the next American pro.. oh well ..
... can't really blame the coach. The player bears responsibility for his own improvement. If he felt like the coach was holding him back it is his responsibility to make a change. If he really had pro level talent, playing at Stanford is not the reason he is or is not going to make it.
So wait are you guys saying that he has fizzled or that he isn't pursuing a career in the pros anymore? Btw does anybody know what time him and jenkins play today?
Playing right now.
From what I can tell, he may not be fully recovered from back surgery
He has played very well throughout the NCAA tournament.
So how's this guy doing these days? Is he still on track to make the top ten on the ATP?
118 in the world isn't too bad....
Klahn is solid and has a good coaching team behind him.
Brave showing in Oz under tough conditions in the Challenger at Traralgon,
he justified going down there as did Yuki Bhambri who got the win.
I know it is almost a national sport bashing Feddie/Nostro on here as he does
post some amazing stuff but BK could serve, smash, grind his way into top 50.
Klahn has the weapons but lacks flexibility.
If he gets a backhand pass when attacked, he will win more.
Boster will be working flat out to get him there.
Brad won the Hawaii challenger today and will be ranked 82 in the world from tomorrow! Great job Brad, you are now one of the best ranked American players, and the best ranked former college player from the class of 2012.
He will be the NEW US open champion.
Is there a year where you are predicting it will happen?
I would give him even odds at winning the US golf open as I would tennis
Separate names with a comma.


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I recently wrote about getting blocked on Facebook and the emotional distress this caused me, or to be more accurate, the brief moment of surprise when I figured it out and then the laugh I had when I thought about how stupid it was.
Admittedly, I spend more time on Facebook then I should, otherwise, I probably wouldn't have even noticed that I'd been blocked. But I think Facebook is kind of a fun diversion and I like to see what cool pictures, interesting links, and good news my friends have to share. I even appreciate the occasional sad news post so I know to reach out to a friend who's going through a tough time. These are fine as long as they're specific, such as, "RIP, Goldie the goldfish," or "Bad news. I didn't get the job. :("
The thing that really, really drives me crazy, though, are what I call, the "I Need Attention" posts.
These posts usually go something like, "Just made an extremely hard decision," or "Could life possibly get any harder?" or simply, "I'm Sad."
There are also the ones that try to be poetic but are also begging for sympathy, such as, "The rain outside matches my mood today," and "We come into the world alone and we leave it the same way," and my personal favorite, "Life is cruel."
All of these are purposely vague, often despondent status updates that beg for a response such as "Oh no!" "What's wrong?" and "Sending you hugs!"
Now I'm not heartless. I know the person posting updates like these is clearly having a tough time. But why the need for ambiguity? When I want to support someone, I don't want to have to go on a fishing expedition to find out what's bothering them. I think if you are looking for support, then be upfront about it. You want your bruised ego soothed? Ask for it. Try something like, "Just got another rejection letter for a book proposal and I'm really down. Say nice things about me to make me feel better!"
Can you imagine if people did this in real life? If I ran into a friend on the street and she said, "Could life be any harder?" and then she walked away, I'd be so annoyed I'd probably chase her down the street and hit her with my bag just to prove that yes, life actually could be harder.
Since it's the same people I see doing this over and over again on Facebook, I guess I could do one of two things. I could private message them and suggest they try being more direct.
Or I could block them!
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text: We recently stumbled upon this DIY cuff on I Am Momma – Hear Me Roar, and instantly fell in love with the adorable bracelet. Cheri used gems from our store to create this cute cuff, and we adore the way she arranged them in a scattered formation. Now we're dying to make one of our own! See the full tutorial at I am Momma – Hear Me Roar.


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Gregg, Gonzalez appealing suspensions
Showalter misses Thursday's tilt; Boston's Ortiz gets four games
By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com
Gregg and Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz -- involved in Friday's benches-clearing brawl after taking offense to a trio of inside pitches and Gregg shouting at him to run out his sacrifice fly -- each received a four-game suspension, with Gregg slapped with a $2,500 fine as well.
Gonzalez was fined $1,500 and suspended three games for throwing behind Ortiz in Sunday's game -- which automatically got Showalter tossed -- after Red Sox manager Terry Francona and rookie starter Kyle Weiland had already been ejected. Francona was not suspended because Major League Baseball ruled Weiland, who was making his debut, didn't have intent in hitting a pair of batters, whereas Gonzalez did.
Red Sox pitcher John Lackey, who hit a pair of batters without immediate repercussions in Saturday's start, was fined an undisclosed amount. Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Orioles reliever Jim Johnson (fined $500) were both ejected following Friday's fracas.
"I definitely think they need to go back and do their homework," Gonzalez said of the punishment, which both he and Gregg are appealing.
"[The series] was definitely frustrating. They lead the league in batters hit. Obviously, a few of those seemed intentional. They're hitting our star guys and you're going to get frustrated as a pitcher. Those are your guys. It's kind of a family thing and they were getting hit. Anyone's going to be pretty mad about it."
"It's pretty steep," Gregg said. "You break down the situation. [Ortiz] actually came out at me twice. I defended myself. To get the same time, suspension, I don't agree with it."
In the bottom of Friday's eighth inning, Gregg threw three straight inside pitches toward Ortiz, who stared angrily before popping the fourth pitch of the at-bat into shallow center field. Gregg didn't take kindly to Ortiz's baserunning and let him know, and the big designated hitter turned and charged the mound. The pair exchanged punches --none of which landed -- and a benches-clearing incident ensued.
Lackey hit both Nick Markakis and Derrek Lee on Saturday, which didn't sit well with Showalter. Boston's right-hander was officially fined for the latter, but he was not ejected or suspended.
"It gives me the idea that they were looking at more than one game," Showalter said of Lackey's punishment. "That's the first I've heard of that. I think [hitting Lee was] obviously intentional."
Showalter, who is not allowed to appeal his suspension, served it on Thursday night. Bench coach John Russell served as skipper for Baltimore's series opener with Cleveland. The Red Sox face the Rays on Friday in St. Petersburg, but Ortiz plans on appealing his suspension.
"They've hit 55 guys on the year, we've hit 18," Gregg said. "We hit one guy with a changeup, and they hit the guys that they hit. So, I don't know. I don't agree with it. I don't.
"They seem to get more hit batters than we did. The way the process went down with the umpires, you know, it's their job to handle the games, keep them under control. That's their job. I will appeal my suspension and see what happens."
Gregg and Gonzalez are eligible to play until their cases are resolved.
"Take a look at the finished product when the appeals are heard, what is reduced and what's not," Showalter said. "We've seen in the past that what's initially handed down and what gets served are two different things in a lot of cases. So, we'll let the process play out."
Brittany Ghiroli is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, Britt's Bird Watch, and follow her on Twitter @britt_ghiroli. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Summaries of EU Legislation
Summaries of EU legislation: direct access to the main summaries page.
Air traffic management: Organisation and use of airspace in the Single European Sky
Despite the disappearance of land frontiers, airspace frontiers nevertheless still exist. For this reason, the European Commission adopted, on 10 October 2001, a package of measures on air traffic management with a view to establishing the single European sky by the end of 2004. The objective is to put an end to the fragmentation of European Union (EU) airspace and to create an efficient and safe airspace without frontiers. In order to ensure that the Single European Sky is an airspace without frontiers, the Commission proposes in the regulation on the organisation and management of airspace to set up a unique flight information region by merging all the national regions into a single portion of airspace within which air traffic services will be provided according to the same rules and procedures.
Regulation (EC) No 551/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2004 on the organisation and use of the airspace in the single European sky (the airspace Regulation) [See amending act(s)].
The regulation is part of a package of legislation on air traffic management to establish the single European sky as of 31 December 2004. This objective will help to optimise the use of European airspace, reducing delays and promoting the growth of air transport.
The creation of the Single Sky seeks to:
- increase air traffic control capacity: until 2000 air traffic increased at a rate of approximately 5% per year. Although the growth rate has slowed in the last two years, the medium-term forecasts are for a significant increase in traffic.
- improve safety: The same levels of discipline are not observed in air traffic control in all EU countries with regard to the systems and procedures used to guarantee safety levels or ensuring that such measures are applied;
- reduce the fragmentation of air traffic control: Differences in rules and organisation and varying national approaches to air traffic management lead to inconsistencies and shortcomings which have an adverse effect on the efficient running of the internal air transport market;
- improve the integration of military systems into the organisation of air traffic control;
- facilitate the introduction of new technology.
The ultimate objective is to enable Europeans to make journeys in a single European sky without frontiers, while maintaining the highest levels of air safety.
European upper flight information region (EUIR)
Under the Chicago Convention, the concept of Flight Information regions (FIRs) defines homogenous regions of airspace, which should efficiently cover air route structures. Up to now, air frontiers have been fixed by reference to land and sea frontiers. Against this background, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recommends that the delineation of internal airspace should be related to the need for efficient service rather than to national boundaries.
Accordingly, the Single European Sky arrangements provide for a single European upper flight information region (EUIR). The EUIR encompasses the upper airspace falling under the responsibility of the EU countries and, where appropriate, will include adjacent airspace of European countries that are not EU members.
The creation of a single flight information region in upper airspace will enable this space to be reconfigured into delimited control areas without regard to national frontiers, thereby ensuring the more efficient use of airspace, systems and personnel.
To harmonise aeronautical information within the area of the EUIR, steps will be taken to ensure the creation of a single source for the publication of such information, taking account of relevant ICAO requirements. The Commission is responsible for ensuring the development of an aeronautical information infrastructure in the form of an electronic integrated briefing portal with unrestricted access to interested stakeholders.
Network management and design
In order to support initiatives both on a national level and on the level of functional airspace blocks, the air traffic management network functions will allow optimum use of airspace and ensure that airspace users can operate preferred trajectories, while permitting maximum access to airspace and air navigation services.
Flexible use of airspace
As regards the use of airspace for military purposes, the Commission recommends the adoption of criteria permitting the application, first of all in upper airspace and then in lower airspace, of the concept of flexible use of airspace, as devised by Eurocontrol. The Commission urges EU countries and Eurocontrol to take appropriate measures to ensure uniform application of the provisions governing civil-military air traffic service provision.
Coordination will be increased between the civilian and military authorities, in particular for the allocation and efficient use of airspace for military purposes, including the criteria and principles which should govern allocation and use, and in particular access for civilian flights.
A safeguard clause will enable EU countries to request the suspension of the application of the Community rules in the event of conflict with national military requirements.
Entry into force
Deadline for transposition in the Member States
Official Journal
Regulation (EC) No 551/2004
O J L 96 of 31.3.2004
Amending act(s)
Entry into force
Deadline for transposition in the Member States
Official Journal
Regulation (EC) No 1070/2009
OJ L 300 of 14.11.2009
Successive amendments and corrections to Regulation (EC) No 551/2004 have been incorporated in the basic text. This consolidated version is for reference purposes only.
Commission Regulation (EU) No 255/2010 of 25 March 2010 laying down common rules on air traffic flow management [Official Journal L 80 of 26.3.2010].
Communication from the Commission of 20 December 2007 - First Report on the implementation of the Single Sky Legislation: achievements and the way forward. [ COM(2007) 845 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
Commission Regulation (EC) No 730/2006 of 11 May 2006 on airspace classification and access of flights operated under visual flight rules above flight level 195 [Official Journal L 128 of 16.5.2006].
Commission Regulation (EC) No 2150/2005 of 23 December 2005 laying down common rules for the flexible use of airspace [Official Journal L 342 of 24.12.2005].
Regulation (EC) No 549/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2004 laying down the framework for the creation of the single European sky (the framework Regulation) [Official Journal L 96 of 31.3.2004].
Regulation (EC) No 550/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2004 on the provision of air navigation services in the single European sky (the service provision Regulation) [Official Journal L 96 of 31.3.2004].
Regulation (EC) No 552/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2004 on the interoperability of the European Air Traffic Management network (the interoperability Regulation) [Official Journal L 96 of 31.3.2004].
Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament of 1 December 1999: The creation of the single European sky [ COM(1999) 614 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Accelerating the implementation of the Single European Sky [ COM(2013)408 of 11.6.2013]. Based on an analysis contained in this Communication and the associated impact assessment, the Commission is proposing a legislative package (SES2+) to consolidate and where possible accelerate the process of reform of ATM in Europe, by further addressing the inefficiencies in the supply of air navigation services and by continuing to drive towards the defragmentation of the European ATM system. The legislative proposals build on, and do not supplant, previous reforms in the sector. They should result in a more efficient integrated operating airspace in the future.
Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the implementation of the Single European Sky [ COM(2013)410 final of 11.6.2013].
Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 216/2008 in the field of aerodromes, air traffic management and air navigation services [ COM(2013)409 final of 11.6.2013 - not published in the Official Journal].
Last updated: 10.04.2014


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Google Play Security Reward Program Rules
The Google Play Security Reward Program recognizes the contributions of security researchers who invest their time and effort in helping us make apps on Google Play more secure. All Google's apps are included and developers of popular Android apps are invited to opt-in to the program. Interested developers who aren't currently in the program should discuss it with their Google Play partner manager. Through the program, we will further improve app security which will benefit developers, Android users, and the entire Google Play ecosystem.
Scope of program
For now, the scope is limited to RCE (remote-code-execution) vulnerabilities and corresponding POCs (Proof of concepts) that work on Android 4.4 devices and higher. This translates to any RCE vulnerability that allows an attacker to run code of their choosing on a user's device without user knowledge or permission. Examples may include:
- Attacker gaining full control, meaning code can be downloaded from the network and executed (download and execute arbitrary code, native, Java code etc. Javascript)
- UI Manipulation to commit a transaction. For example, causing a banking app to make money transfers on behalf of the user without their consent.
- Opening of webview that may lead to phishing attacks. Opening webview without user input or interaction.
There is no requirement that OS sandbox needs to be bypassed.
How it works?
Reports follow this process:
- Researcher identifies vulnerability within an in-scope app and reports it directly to the app's developer via their current vulnerability disclosure or bug bounty process. Visit the program page on HackerOne for in-scope apps.
- App developer works with the researcher to resolve the vulnerability.
- Once the vulnerability has been resolved, the researcher requests a bonus bounty from the Google Play Security Rewards Program hosted on HackerOne
- Android Security team issues a reward to the researcher to thank them for improving the security of the Google Play ecosystem.
Note: all qualifying reports sent to the Google or Chrome Vulnerability Reward Programs will automatically be considered for a reward from the Google Play Security Reward Program. There is no need to submit vulnerabilities submitted to Google again to the Google Play Security Reward Program.
Reward amounts
The Play Security Reward Program will evaluate each submission based on the above Vulnerability Criteria and reward accordingly. A reward of $1000 will be rewarded for issues that meet this criteria. Any and all reward decisions are ultimately at the discretion of the Google Play Security Reward Program. In the future, other vulnerabilities may be introduced into scope.
Legal points
We are unable to issue rewards to individuals who are on US sanctions lists, or who are in countries (e.g. Crimea, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria) on US sanctions lists. You are responsible for any tax implications depending on your country of residency and citizenship. There may be additional restrictions on your ability to enter depending upon your local law.
This is not a competition, but rather an experimental and discretionary reward program. You should understand that we can cancel the program at any time and the decision as to whether or not to pay a reward has to be entirely at our discretion.
Of course, your testing must not violate any law, or disrupt or compromise any data that is not your own.
To avoid potential conflicts of interest, we will not grant rewards to people employed by Google or Google Partner companies who develop code for devices covered by this program.
More information
For more information, visit the Google Play Security Reward Program hosted on the HackerOne Interested developers can also contact their Google Play partner manager.


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Harwell's life, legacy remembered
Baseball community mourns passing of legendary broadcaster
By John Schlegel / MLB.com
Harwell's golden baritone clearly was a voice that resonated like few had before.
"All of Major League Baseball is in mourning tonight upon learning of the loss of a giant of our game, Ernie Harwell," Commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "This son of Georgia was the voice of the Detroit Tigers and one of the game's iconic announcers to fans across America, always representing the best of our national pastime to his generations of listeners.
"Without question, Ernie was one of the finest and most distinguished gentlemen I have ever met. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest sympathy to Ernie's beloved wife Lulu, his four children, his friends and his countless admirers throughout our game."
Harwell's passing at age 92 was not unexpected after he'd made public his terminal cancer last year, but that did not ease the loss, which can be felt nowhere as strongly as in Michigan. That's where he broadcast Tigers games for more than four decades, and that's where he vowed he would spend his last days.
"Ernie Harwell was the most popular sports figure in the State of Michigan," Tigers owner Michael Ilitch said in a statement. "He was so genuine in everything that he did -- from his legendary broadcasting to the way he treated the fans and everyone around him. He was truly a gentleman in every sense of the word. Ernie has a special place in the hearts of all Detroit Tigers fans and the memories he created for so many of us will never be forgotten. Baseball lost a legendary voice this evening, and we have all lost a dear friend."
Many voices would agree and suggest that "we" means baseball as a whole.
Words like class, love, faith and friendship dotted the landscape of reaction from coast to coast when word of Harwell's death made its way around clubhouses on Tuesday.
So did stories of his humanity, how he treated the superstars and those out of the limelight the same endearing way, how he was an esteemed colleague to his peers in the Hall of Fame and a trusted mentor to any young broadcaster who crossed his path.
Named the Ford C. Frick Award winner in 1981 -- a Hall of Fame voice 20 years before he retired -- Harwell's popularity among his peers may have been unparalleled.
"He was such a lovely man," Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully said during his broadcast Tuesday night. "Everybody loved Ernie. And eventually, he just stole the hearts of everybody in Detroit, in the state of Michigan and, for that matter, anyone who loves baseball."
Scully literally followed in Harwell's footsteps in 1950, when he began broadcasting Dodgers games as Harwell moved across New York to the Giants.
"Ernie was a very gentle man, more than anything else, and so very, very kind," Scully said. "He was extremely kind to me since I was the kid picking up where he left off as best as I could, giving me advice, counseling me and above all just being a sweet, wonderful human being."
The community of baseball broadcasting greats, which lost Harry Kalas just last year, mourned the passing of one of its own with the type of fondness that only can be reserved for a true friend.
"Ernie was a very gentle man, more than anything else, and so very, very kind. He was extremely kind to me since I was the kid picking up where he left off as best as I could, giving me advice, counseling me and above all just being a sweet, wonderful human being."
|-- Vin Scully, on Ernie Harwell
"Ernie Harwell, it goes without saying, was one of the greatest in the history of our profession," longtime Reds broadcaster Marty Brennaman said. "More important than that, however, he was one of the finest people I've ever known. I was privileged to call Ernie my friend. I will miss him greatly."
Said Astros voice Milo Hamilton: "I've known him since the early '50s, and he would have to be considered one of the greatest broadcasters of all time. Everything's subjective in our business, but there's no way he wouldn't be in the top five. He was a legend in Detroit."
Truly a legend in his field, his illness and now his passing have been felt deeply in broadcast booths everywhere.
"It's very sad. It's been very sad since Ernie had to leave the booth," said Marlins voice Dave Van Horne, who boasts four decades of baseball broadcasting himself. "He put up a long and valiant battle against cancer. The game is missing one of its great all-time voices.
"But beyond just the voice and the storytelling of Ernie on the air, what a wonderful gentleman. A kind man. A man blessed with a great sense of humor. He had a love for this game that ran deep within his soul."
Harwell did not reserve that love and friendship only for those who had been broadcasting for decades. He reached out to any broadcaster he could, encouraging them, counseling them, helping them improve.
Among the many who cherished that experience, Rangers broadcaster Josh Lewin got all that and dinner, too. Lewin worked with Harwell in 1998-2001, and said Harwell was the first to call him up and welcome him. In fact, the very first night he arrived at Spring Training, he was introduced to the kindness of the Harwells.
"He invited me over to his condo so that Miss Lulu and [he] could cook me dinner," Lewin said. "I went over there with my knees shaking. He was an idol of mine growing up. I thought I'd be over for maybe an hour, but I was over there for five hours. He didn't talk about himself at all. He asked about my dreams and aspirations. It was just a great gesture and made it easier for me in Detroit."
"He was a great citizen of the game and everywhere in baseball -- not just Detroit, but everywhere -- figuratively at least flags should be flown at half-mast, because this was a great citizen of the game who's passed on."
|-- Bob Costas, on Ernie Harwell
While players are obviously busy when a broadcaster is plying his trade, Harwell had a profound effect on many who played for the Tigers during his time behind the microphone.
Kirk Gibson, however, was fortunate enough to grow up in northern Michigan, listening to Harwell's calls of "two for the price of one," and home runs as "looong gone!" growing up, so he came to know him on many levels.
"It's sad, but he had 90-plus great years," said Gibson, the MVP on the 1984 World Series Tigers and currently bench coach for the D-backs. "I talked to his advisor, Gary Spicer, every day this week and knew what was going on. He says he was ready to go on Monday. He's in a better place. He was the guy that was loved by everyone and for good reason."
Cubs bench coach Alan Trammell played 20 years in Detroit and became very close to Harwell during that time.
"He'll be sorely missed. A lot of people will be mourning, but he didn't want any of us to feel that way," Trammell said. "A great life, 92 years old, and I think we all could hope we could live that long. He did it with class, with dignity. It's sad. We shed a tear tonight. He's a great man."
Said Twins broadcaster Jack Morris, who pitched for the Tigers from 1977-90 and was the ace on the '84 club: "I think he was so well-connected to the game. He had passion for the entire game of baseball, whether it was the fans, the players or just the game itself."
Harwell's baseball life included the rarity of being traded for a player so he could replace legend Red Barber on Dodgers broadcasts in 1948, and only three years later, announced the Shot Heard 'Round the World -- Bobby Thomson's National League pennant-winning homer. His life away from baseball was blessed with a wife of 68 years in Lulu, and he served in the Marine Corps in World War II. He loved writing poetry.
"He was a common man. That's what he was," said Jerry Coleman of the Padres and a fellow Marine. "He wasn't a stuffy guy. He didn't think he was better than anybody. He was the people. He was one of the best baseball broadcasters in baseball, period."
Now that this voice of the Tigers is no longer heard in this land, it's clear baseball has lost more than a broadcaster.
It has lost a great friend.
"Ernie was so engaging," said David Dombrowski, president, CEO and general manager of the Tigers. "He had such a genuine gift of making people feel like he was your friend. Ernie made you feel good about life and brought a smile to everyone he knew. His passion and wisdom during each broadcast gave you insight to his love for the Tigers, and for the State of Michigan."
And there was the love of baseball, which came through to everyone within earshot.
Said Orioles voice Gary Thorne: "I always said, if there was ever a rocking-chair broadcaster, it was Ernie Harwell. You could sit there for 20 innings and listen, and never got tired of what he did on the air."
Longtime national broadcaster Bob Costas conducted the last extensive interview with Harwell last November on the MLB Network, and the depth of the love of baseball and life Harwell shared with fans was still vibrant in his voice.
As Costas said Tuesday, that is a love that was very much returned by so many who share Harwell's passions.
"Someone like Ernie Harwell could not possibly have met all the millions of people he touched," Costas said. "But those millions of people didn't just admire him. They honestly thought he was their friend, and they felt tremendous fondness for him.
"He was a great citizen of the game and everywhere in baseball -- not just Detroit, but everywhere -- figuratively at least flags should be flown at half-mast, because this was a great citizen of the game who's passed on."
John Schlegel is a reporter for MLB.com. Several reporters and contributors for MLB.com contributed to this story. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Whats stupid about this? Andrew Luck has amassed as many wins in 4 games this year as his team had all of last year.It's incredibly stupid comments like that need to stop.
Andy Luck has 2, 4th quarter comebacks in his 1st 4 nfl games. and if it wasnt for a blown coverage and cecil shorts miraculous 80 yard td, he would have 3 4th quarter comebacks in his 1st 4 games.
Andrew Luck is one of the best qbs in the nfl already.


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Oh, Bella DEFINITELY takes advantage of his selflessness. Just like he, sometimes, takes advantage of her lust/breathlessness over him. It's one of the sticking points that, for me, makes their relationship not so great as it seems on the surface.
I feel like they can't communicate openly with each other very well. I feel like Bella spends too much time being dazzled by him to communicate her wants and needs and when she does, Edward has a serious stubborn streak combined with a bit of arrogance that makes her words fall on deaf ears. I think Edward "knows what's best for Bella" and does them, and then rather than fight it out with her afterward on the rare occasion that it's either wrong or something she doesn't like, he pretties up his words (or his bedroom) to distract her.
But Bella is no better. Edward can't communicate HIS own needs because Bella can't hear any sort of criticism.


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Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1789-1949 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
Libraries that Have It: Bellflower herald American. ([Compton, Calif.) 1950-1951
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No way Jeter missing Opening Day
Shortstop ready to play final opener at Yankee Stadium
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
Jeter took a ball off his right hand during infield practice on Saturday at Dolphin Stadium, playing three innings and going 0-for-2 with an error before leaving the Yankees' 4-2 victory over the Marlins.
Jeter went through a workout on Sunday in New York, taking ground balls on the Yankee Stadium field. He said, predictably, that he was ready to play in Monday's season opener.
"I'm good. No problems," Jeter said.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi announced his Opening Day lineup before Sunday's workout, listing Jeter as the club's No. 2 hitter and shortstop. Girardi was similarly concise about Jeter's condition.
"Derek's fine," Girardi said.
The Yankees' complete Opening Day lineup behind starter Chien-Ming Wang for Monday's game against the Blue Jays is as follows: Johnny Damon, left field; Jeter, shortstop; Bobby Abreu, right field; Alex Rodriguez, third base; Jason Giambi, first base; Robinson Cano, second base; Jorge Posada, catcher; Hideki Matsui, designated hitter; and Melky Cabrera, center field.
Bryan Hoch 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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"After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. ... In today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005 ..."
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The question of whether to fund my own and my husband's retirement or our children's education is a very significant one for me. We really want the option of sending the boys to private school in a few years, so our current financial priority is saving as much as possible before our oldest heads off to middle school.
We still save for retirement, but not nearly as much as we could be saving because of our other priorities. So I read this Daily Worth article on retirement vs. educations savings with great interest. It didn't say anything new, but it did remind me of the justifications for putting retirement ahead of education:
- There's no other provision for retirement – You might have a pension or even Social Security, but your retirement planning and saving is all on you. If you don't provide for your future, you might well end up becoming a financial burden on your child in retirement – and that would be worse than not being able pay for all of their educational expenses.
- There are other means of funding an education – A student can get scholarships, grants, and loans, and maybe even work while in school to help pay for tuition and living expenses. You won't have options like these to fund your retirement.
- Discussing how to fund college will instill a sense of responsibility in your child – As much as I would love to present my children with fully paid-for college educations, I think a lot of good can come from this. In retrospect, I think my parents spoiled me too much by paying for my college education and not discussing how I could contribute more. Not that I don't appreciate all that they did for me, but I'm sure I would have been more responsible with money if I had been raised a little differently.
- There are more "upfront" tax breaks for retirement savings – I wish the article went into more detail on this, but I'm thinking that it means you get to deduct most retirement contributions from your taxable income when the contributions are made (as with 401(k)s and traditional IRAs). With college savings plans like 529s and Coverdells, you're putting in taxed income, but the earnings are not taxed upon withdrawal.
Ideally, of course, I would love to be able to fully fund everything – our retirement, the kids' education, and maybe a nicer house and a timeshare in Hawaii. 🙂
But that's not our reality, which is made more complicated by the fact that alternatives like scholarships, grants and loans aren't really options for middle and high school, which is what my husband and I are saving for. So for us, saving is a difficult balance that's all too common for our generation.
Personally, I think a doable, balanced approach is to figure out a minimum for retirement savings. And then the remainder can go toward education. (This approach assumes that other savings needs, like your emergency fund, are already met.)
For example, if your employer matches 401(k) contributions, the minimum retirement savings could be the maximum that will be matched. Or maybe it's 5% of your gross salary. If you feel you have very little to save, then maybe with each paycheck, half of what can be saved goes toward retirement and the other half goes into a Coverdell or 529 account.
I do think that making the money difficult to touch is important, especially if you would have a tendency to touch it if it were accessible. To that end, retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs, and education accounts like 529s and Coverdells, can be very useful.
How do you balance retirement and education savings? Or do you not even try?
Sign up for Daily Worth emails and get articles like the one mentioned above delivered right to your inbox! Affiliate banner via Escalate Media Network


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Get certified - Transform your world of work today
See all CSPO courses near ChicagoSee all CSPO courses within Illinois.
3Back Scrum Consulting & Training
Doug Shimp
3Back Scrum Management Consulting & Training
Date: 12-13 July, 2010
Location: Chicago, IL, United States of America
Regular Price: 1260
This intense interactive training workshop focuses on Scrum's Product Owner role, which focuses on visioning, release planning, roadmapping, and driven by stories.
Scrum is a proven lean and agile approach to delivering results, a simple "inspect and adapt" framework used to organize work for maximum efficiency and effectiveness using three roles, three ceremonies, and three artifacts wherein stories express requirements and tasks express work.
While the Product Owner role is conceptually simple and involves a few guidelines, the role emphasizes a particular mindset. Many product owners enact the role, but don't readily internalize the mindset, and thus don't experience the benefits of the role.
This workshop not only provides participants with the skills for creating compelling visions, actionable roadmaps, and useful requirements using agile techniques, but it also gives participants practical hands-on experience applying these techniques throughout the workshop. Participants will be introduced to agility and create a vision, roadmap, and work with user roles, user stories, and acceptance tests.
This is not mere presentation-based training but a workshop using experiential learning (learning by doing, including robust simulations and discussions). It is facilitated by active practitioners / coachs with decades of real-world industry experience, which is used to highlight and expose participants to many common pitfalls. Experiential learning techniques are used to illustrate key concepts in a comprehensive manner that is interactively tailored to the participants' particular needs. Participants will not only gain a foundational understanding, but will also gain practical insight around the nuances of putting the techniques into practice to maximize results.
Read Scrum In A Nutshell to get upto speed quickly on foundational topics.
Though each CSPO course varies depending on the instructor, all Certified Scrum Product Owner® courses focus on Scrum from a product owner's perspective. Graduates will receive the CSPO designation. All CSPO courses are taught by Trainers approved by the Scrum Alliance.
Venue:Marriott Courtyard - Schaumburg1311 American Lane(847) 619-8100Chicago, IL 60173 United States of Americahttp://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/chics-courtyard-chicago-schaumburg/Get Directions
Examination & Scrum Alliance Membership
Upon successful completion of the 2 day course and online exam, you will receive the Certified ScrumMaster designation as well as a 1 year membership into the Scrum Alliance.
Professional Development Units (PDU's)
PMP's - You can receive 16 PDU's upon successful completion of this course.
• Morning and afternoon breaks will be served• Parking is free and conveniently located right outside • Lunch is served
Overview Agility: Values and Principles Agile Framework: Roles, Artifacts, and Ceremonies
Agile Visioning: Crafting a Vision Problems and Solutions Stakeholders and Users Needs and Features Assumptions, Dependencies, and Constraints Other Requirements
Agile Roadmapping: Crafting a Roadmap Layers Releases and Milestones Elements and Dependencies
Working with User Roles, User Stories, and Acceptance Tests Understanding Context and Users User Stories and Gathering Techniques INVEST in Good Stories Acceptance Tests and Detailing User Stories
The Product Owner in the Enterprise (for more reading review scrum topics and other sources)
This course is for people who have some background in agile project work. It is intended to help experienced agile practitioners focus on the difficult challenges of tuning aspects of their agile implementation:


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I agree with what epiphany212 said about how she behaves towards Draco as well as her attitude towards both her sisters, but I think there is quite a bit of love between her and Lucius. At the start of Deathly Hallows, when Voldemort is looking for a new wand and wants Lucius's, Rowling writes: "Malfoy glanced sideways at his wife. She was staring straight ahead, quite as pale as he was, her long blonde hair hanging down her back, but beneath the table her slim fingers closed briefly on his wrist. At her touch, Malfoy put his hand into his robes, withdrew a wand, and passed it along to Voldemort, who held it up in front of his red eyes, examining it closely."
Lucius is looking to her for advice, and without a word she shows him what's important. Granted, Voldemort is living in the house at the time, and it is in her best interest to go along with him, but I think it shows a lot about Narcissa's relationship with her husband that he's looking to her at his time of need, and she's helping him instead of coldly brushing him off as she does to almost everyone else in the room.


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I found this on the shore of a beach at Sancti Petri, Chiclana de la Frontera, Cadiz Province.
I thought it was a lovely big shell, went to pick it up and found it attached to a rather large heavy occupant! It weighed at least a kilo and was about 4" round. You can see some little bits of shingle seem to have adhered to the creature itself but it was basically a reddish brown and mottled.
Can anyone identify it please?
Photo attached
Have you had any luck identifying this yet?
Nope - do you have any ideas?
Ive also posted a picture of Ispot.org.uk but no luck there either.
Amazingly the Ispotters (Martin Harvey via Simon Taylor etc) have found the result, Cymbium olla, see http://www.ispotnature.org/node/297049


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Hey all, used this forum a couple weeks ago and it was great...have a couple of questions about arrays right now...
I have this code:
the array astring suppose to get only 10 elements right?!Code:
#include <stdio.h>
int main()
char astring[10];
scanf( "%s", astring );
printf("%s", astring);
return 0;
but if I put aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ( which is more than 10 elements), it will print it out all of the As!!! why is it like that?!
and why if I press "space" in between my characters when I'm inputting them, it won't print out the characters after space?!
what can I do to assign an empty element(like space) in one of my slots in the array?!
(I mean I wanted it to print a FIRSTNAME LASTNAME thing, like John Terry, with space in between, but it will only print out John...)


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NCSE is among the scientific, academic, and educational institutions endorsing the March for Science that will take place in Washington DC on April 22, 2017, with satellite marches planned in almost three hundred communities across the world.
Iowa's House File 480, introduced and referred to the House Education Committee on March 1, 2017, would, if enacted, require teachers in Iowa's public schools to include "opposing points of view or beliefs" to accompany any instruction relating to evolution, the origins of life, global warming, or human cloning.
NCSE is pleased to announce that the latest issue of Reports of the National Center for Science Education is now available on-line.
NCSE's annual report for 2016 is now available (PDF) on NCSE's website.
Indiana's Senate Resolution 17, which targets the teaching of evolution in Indiana's public schools, was passed on a 40-9 vote by the Senate on February 27, 2017.
National Center for Science Education, Inc.
1904 Franklin Street, Suite 600
Oakland, CA 94612
fax: 510-788-7971
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Texas Computer Forensics
|Computer forensic investigations for Texas attorneys, law firms, corporate counsel, and individuals, including but not limited to...
Texas computer forensics: With more than ten years of experience, our investigators are experts at gathering and analyzing electronically stored evidence from most computer hardware, peripherals, operating systems and applications, A computer forensic investigation uncovers digital evidence from all types of documents, internet history, computer log files and email correspondence.
In virtually every legal case, critical and relevant evidence is stored electronically on computers, external hard drives, thumb drives, CDs, DVDs and cell phones. Proper collection and examination of this evidence is critical to avoid spoliation, preserve evidence, and mitigate risk.
A computer forensic investigation involves the acquisition, preservation and analysis of electronic evidence from computers, storage media and electronic devices so that it can be used in court to prove your case. Digital evidence for use in litigation can be found by uncovering data trails from emails, document modification and looking for data and files that have been copied or transferred to external devices: thumb drives and external hard drives. Locating these data trails and identifying time / date stamps must be done in a forensically sound manner so that evidentiary status is maintained in the process.
If proper processes and procedures are not followed, you run the risk of jeopardizing your case because the court may disallow your evidence. For more details and information about our services, please see the following: Electronic evidence acquisition, evidence analysis.


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Ignoring them has not worked as far as I can see.
My niece crossed the line earlier by 15min. Thank God
I know of at least 3 people now who just left the area minutes before the bombs went off.
Truly unbelieveable.
My heart goes out to the victims and all of the folks in the Boston area. As per usual in situations like this, we are seeing the best and worst of mankind at the same time.
I hope all our JI brethren are all accounted for and unharmed.
Just like the Newtown shooting, Internet rumors are fast and furious and fit neatly into our preconceived narratives.
I personally dont mind graphic pictures being published, short of seeing dead kids. It is what it is. Its history and it happened in a public place. I'd rather an upset public versus a naive one. Just my 2 cents....
Whats up with these rumors though? they said they used water canons to "diffuse" 2 other bombs and now they have great evidence as a result.
Now, the two other bombs dont exist. wtf? Its like the ploice saying there were no rifles used in newton, and that an assault rifle was found in a car but then changing the story and saying everything was done with the rifle.
I'll bet this is the work of a lone american nutjob. He built the crudest bombs you could build, walked down the street, tossed one in one garbage can walked a lil more and threw the second into another can and just kept on walking.
terrorists usually take the credit


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September 25, 2012 - submitted by Keish, Australia
Q. Do Roadie #42 and the Anchorman take turns to do blogs for the live shows? Or is it usually Anchorman who does the job?
The Oracle replies:
Anchorman takes the helm for all the live blogs as Roadie #42 is busy being a roadie during that time. #42 writes his retrospective blogs rather than reporting live.


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About to head to work in the mountains, so before i left i had to find a way to keep the hunting itch away. Started with a 3 day trip to the Owyhee River catching big Browns on the BWO hatch. Phenomenal fishing some of the best I have ever had. between 3 of us we landed over 50 browns all over 18". Next was a 3 day Steelhead trip just north of home. Nothing like hooking a big steely on a fly rod. Had fish action all day every day and enjoyed every minute of it. Its a good thing im headed to work otherwise I would be living in my truck fishing Steelies until i ran out of money and gas.
-Couple Browns


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Reviewed By Nicholas P (LAS CRUCES, NM) Reviewed for a 2005 Ford Econoline —10/4/2014 3:50 PM
The product options are not related to the wheelbase as stated, one is for a regular Ford van and the other is for the extended BODY van; the wheelbase of both vans are the same. I ordered the wrong one, and had to exchange it. If your van has the fifth little side windows in back, be sure to get the extended model BedRug for it. BedRug reduces noise and road heat considerably, and has enough friction on top to keep your things from sliding around. Gives your van interior a fresh new look too!


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Medicine Dispensing Systems Inc., which makes the machines, had sued Jerry Cox and the Family Council Action Committee over comments he made about the machines last year at a news conference. U.S. District Judge James Moody dismissed the lawsuit Wednesday after the two sides reached an agreement.
Cox, who declined to describe the specific terms of the settlement, said he and the committee agreed they wouldn't refer to the machines in certain ways. He said the group did not pay any money to settle the suit.
"At the end of the day this will not affect our ability to oppose any efforts to legalize marijuana in Arkansas," Cox said. "The agreement is narrow enough that we have plenty of leeway to talk about the issue of medical marijuana."
Moody's one-page order did not include any details on the settlement. MDS officials and their attorney did not immediately return messages for comment Friday.
Cox made the comments about the machine at a news conference where he and others were campaigning against a medical marijuana legalization measure. Standing next to a cardboard cutout of a Medbox machine made by the company, Cox said similar machines could be placed at convenience stores if medical marijuana was legalized. Voters rejected the legalization measure in November.
MDS accused Cox of defaming the company and its machines with statements that included comparing them to vending machines that offer snacks. MDS said its machines are found in hospitals, pharmacies and doctor's offices and identifies authorized users through key cards and fingerprints.
At least two groups are trying to put medical marijuana legalization measures before Arkansas voters next year, but neither group has been given initial approval to begin gathering the signatures needed to win a spot on the ballot.


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Detailing Kits
Dr. Beasley's Protection Prescription has everything you need to properly preserve all of the surfaces in your car. Whether you need to protect from pet messes, your kid's soccer team, or simply normal wear and tear, we've got you covered. A little bit of protection goes a long way and your car will thank you when it comes time for a wash.Learn More


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Jeremy Laing Fall 2009: Stilled with Steel
>> Jeremy Laing continues to be a well-kept secret, but every season he makes a pilgrimage from his base in Toronto, the cult following increases, judging by all the people packed into the small, naturally-lit space — all the body heat made for quite the warm experience. But maybe warm was appropriate, since his Fall 2009 collection, in addition to his usual thick wool geometric pieces, featured fiery prints inspired by a trip to a welding shop — dresses came with names like "anvil," prints "pyro," and gray colors dubbed "steel." Fascinated by the welding uniforms and safety apparel, Laing siphoned the utilitarian appeal into exposed zips and bulging leather gloves, and tempered the edge with feminine pieces like seamed bunchy two-tone tights, flowy silk hems, and laser-cut net tunics.
*image: source


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Doll maker injects life and color into a child's dearest possession
Nancy McLaughlin took an idea that originated in Germany after World War I and gave it more life and color.
She makes Waldorf-inspired dolls, but instead of giving them natural colors and expressionless faces like dolls used in Rudolf Steiner's education system, she gives them brightly colored locks and facial features.
"It's not true Waldorf," said McLaughlin, the owner of Dragonfly's Hollow.
The handmade dolls were created to allow children to use their imaginations, she said.
McLaughlin made the first Waldorf-style dolls for her own children, and her early creations were more natural-looking. Since then, she's made more than 2,000 dolls.
The dolls, which come in several sizes, are stuffed with wool and have hair made of mohair yarn. McLaughlin's husband, Robert, ties all the heads onto the doll bodies.
She calls her two youngest children her quality control team because they would play with dolls and McLaughlin would find what would work and what wouldn't work.
Customers can custom-order the dolls, choosing skin color, hair colors, eye shape and gender.
"It gives them the ability to get what they want," McLaughlin said.
Or they can buy dolls designed by McLaughlin, who finds inspiration in children she sees. When she spotted one boy with long, wavy brown hair at a Green Day concert, she decided, "I need to make him."
So, she said, "I made a doll like him."
She designs 10 "ready-to-go" dolls a week, in addition to filling custom orders.
About 30 to 35 dolls are sold each week, at prices from $100 and $300.
Because the business outgrew her home, McLaughlin is opening a store in Denton across from the Texas Woman's University campus, on the corner of Oakland and Austin streets. But she will continue to sell online, where her business has grown over the past four years.
She finds it hard to believe she now has a physical shop.
"It's almost like it grew in spite of me," McLaughlin said.
It also involves more pressure because she used to make dolls whenever she wanted and now she has orders coming in each week, she said.
She sells on Etsy, an online marketplace for handmade items, and has also started an online store using Volusion's e-commerce software.
Dragonfly's Hollow has a large customer base in Australia but it also sells to people in Canada, Europe and Hong Kong as well as the United States.
Business grew through word of mouth, Robert McLaughlin said.
And Nancy McLaughlin takes customer input on her doll designs. Her dolls originally had no noses, but she added noses to her designs after a customer requested one.
"I began to alter and change things the people wanted," she said.
Another suggestion from a customer was to name the dolls alphabetically.
Every week McLaughlin uses a different letter of the alphabet to name the dolls. After she's made it through all 26 letters, she starts over. Last week was S.
"It's a challenge every week to come up with names using the letter," especially with Q, X, Y, I and U, she said.
She also gives her customers the option to make their own dolls through the "Mama Made" line of products. Customers can buy a kit and go through an online tutorial, McLaughlin said.
She plans to eventually have workshops for "Mama Made" dolls at the store.
With more work to be done in this new phase of her business, McLaughlin has hired about eight women, many of whom are stay-at-home moms, to help make the dolls.
McLaughlin and Lindsay Lee, a recently hired employee, dye a lot of the yarn used in the doll designs.
"I dye every week," Lee joked.
McLaughlin met Lee after getting a dragonfly tattoo on her neck from Lee's brother.
She said she was talking with the tattoo artist about needing help, and he told her his sister was crafty.
"It's the best tattoo ever," McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin enjoys seeing the dolls come to life each week. She likes making something with the sole purpose of bringing happiness, she said.
McLaughlin receives photos from parents about the adventures the dolls have with their children. For children in the hospital, she has made custom dolls with hearts located on the same place where the child has a scar.
"It's more than just a doll," she said.
RACHEL MEHLHAFF can be reached at 940-566-6889. Her e-mail address is email@example.com.
Dragonfly's Hollow
Address: 1429 Oakland St.
On the Web: www.dragonflyshollow.com


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Lasted 3 Years
2004 Toyota 4Runner
Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
Bought the SC-C1 Sirius Tuner back in 2012 as a package with my Clarion CX-501 Tuner. All was working fine until few days ago when the Sirius Tuner got stuck on channel 114 with no audio ouput. The display still works fine as does the AM-FM Tuner but when in the Sirius mode, I cant change the channel, have no audio and no presets work.
Pros: Worked well for 3 years
Cons: Quit working after 3 years.


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Clicking View All displays all results and may take longer for page to load.
Gold Soccer Gear at Soccer ProShopping for gold soccer gear? Soccer Pro has made it easy for you to get what you want this season. Find all the gold soccer gear you need and save when you shop at SoccerPro.com. Gold is of course the color that signifies wealth, but did you know it also shows good health (yup, as a soccer star you cannot be any good if you are not healthy) and optimism!


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"Drugs have done a lot of good. A lot of good songs have been written. 'Penny Lane' is worth 10 dead kids. 'Dark Side of the Moon?' 100 dead kids. At least that many were conceived by people listening to that record anyway." (Bill Maher)
"Everything that used to be a sin is now a disease." (Bill Maher)
"I watched that Donald Trump show and I almost hijacked a plane." (Bill Maher, on the reality TV program, The Apprentice)
"We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2,000 miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, it's not cowardly." (Bill Maher, on Politically Incorrect)


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I've been into, as I refer to it, "the wine thing" for a few years now, including starting this blog in 2010. And each year I've found myself becoming more and more fascinated, not just with the finding and consuming wine, but also with how wine is produced. Not so much how wine is made, but more so the decisions made along the way from the vineyard to the bottle. So when Ridge Vineyards announced their #Harvest2012 celebration tasting, a unique experience including:
- A brief talk from (and Q & A session with) a key member of our Monte Bello Vineyard Team
- A multi-media presentation from a staff member embedded with the Vineyard Teams
- A five-wine Single-Vineyard Estate flight that concludes with a very special library offering
As we headed up the winding road up the mountain to Ridge, I was eagerly anticipating our arrival because it was a spectacular day weather-wise. And as I hoped, when we arrived,we were rewarded with spectacular panoramic views of the Bay Area.
The Monte Bello Suite patio was an ideal place to be on such a beautiful day. There was only one challenge…
The wine was in this beautifully rustic room…
After our all the members of our group arrived and we were all gathered around the table, Christopher Watkins, Ridge's indefatigable ambassador and Tasting Room Manager introduced us a couple of members of the Monte Bello vineyard team – Kyle Theriot, Monte Bello Viticulturist and Sam, whom I know from the Tasting Room, but who got his start Operations side of Ridge.
After some brief introductory comments by Christopher, the wine and the conversation began to flow.
Here are some factoids presented by Ridge for their #Harvest2012:
- 282.5 ton grapes picked
- First grapes harvested; Chardonnay/Last grapes harvested; 63-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon
- Lowest ton/acre = Cabernet Sauvignon: 1.5 tons/acre
- Highest ton/acre = Merlot; 3.63 tons/acre
- .50 tons of grapes – 1 barrel – 24 cases – 288 bottles
- 40% of vines harvested on Monte Bello are certified organic
There was plenty of good conversation about the Harvest, and of course the flight of five wines we were served ( not to mention some fine charcuterie and cheeses!)
Among the things I found more interesting were:
- There is Zinfandel planted on Monte Bello!; The fruit goes into the Three Valleys bottling
- Santa Clara County was the epicenter of California viticulture before prohibition
- One of the questions asked was "Are the grapes ever washed"? I must confess I'd never thought about it before. The answer was "No" because washing would wash off the native yeast.
- The differences in how wine ages in a half bottle (375ml) compared to a full bottle ( 750ml). This came up because the '92 Monte Bello we tasted was poured from a 375ml bottle. Sam indicated that's because it was felt the wine was showing better from the smaller bottle. Why? Because, it aged faster in the smaller bottle. Presumably, because of the relative differences in surface area for a given volume, wines in smaller bottles age faster than wines in larger bottles.
During the course of our conversation with the Monte Bello team, one another and the wine (you do have a conversation with your wine don't you, or is it only me? 😉 this video was cued up:
It's a fascinating look at the the grape picking process via a "canopy cam". It was amazing to watch the skill and speed with which grapes were harvested…
As our dialogue continued, the topic of a "wine build to age" arose. This is a question, I've wondered about many times. I've wondered is the grapes? Is the barrels, Is it the length of time in barrel? It turns out the answer is "all of the above", and then some. Of course the best fruit is picked, then Sam mentioned the importance of sorting said fruit on a contraption called a mistral sorting table. The mistral is a sophisticated machine that sorts the fruit in such a way that only the cleanest, purest fruit gets crushed. A relative small number of wineries use mistral sorting tables (I'm sure they cost a bunch-o-money, so it's cost prohibitive). Once the fruit is picked, sorted and crushed, there are also differences in how the fruit is processed (frequency of pumpovers, percentage of new barrels used for aging, etc.) Fascinating stuff in my mind…
As for the tasting itself, my tasting notes follow:
- 2007 Ridge Chardonnay Monte Bello – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Medium straw yellow color with creamy tropical, apple, mineral, and a hint of creme brulee aromas. On the palate, it's medium-full bodied, with a creamy plush mouthfeel followed by apple, citrus, mineral, and sweet oak flavors. Medium-long finish. (92 pts.)
- 2005 Ridge Geyserville – USA, California, Sonoma County
Medium garnet color with black cherry liqueur, plum and dried herb aromas. On the palate, medium-bodied and focused with wonderful acidity and savory black cherry, raspberry, and vanilla flavors. Long finish.(90 pts.)
- 2009 Ridge Merlot Torre Ranch Monte Bello Santa Cruz Mountains – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Violet color with aromatic beautiful black and fruits, violet, and spice aromas. On the palate, it's light-bodied, fresh, complex, and balanced with smooth tannins and blackberry, raspberry, cassis and mineral flavors. Long finish. (92 pts.)
- 2009 Ridge Monte Bello – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Garnet color with perfumed earthy black cherry, cassis, licorice, sweet oak and a bit of dark chocolate aromas (it really depends on when you sniffing it. It's showing a wonderful complexity which is manifest in evolving aromas with time spent in the glass – hell even when the glass was empty the aromas were still very present and inviting). On the palate, it's medium-bodied, complex and balanced with dusty tannins and black cherry, cassis, licorice flavors. Long finish. Double-decanted 30-45 minutes prior to tasting. Showing better than when I tasted a couple of months ago. Still young, but already a classic! (94 pts.)
- 1992 Ridge Monte Bello – USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
Medium garnet color with earthy, cassis, black cherry aromas. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, fresh, complex, and balanced with well-integrated sweet tannins, and cassis, black cherry, and mineral flavors. Long finish. From 375 ml (92 pts.)
The burning question at our end of the table after tasting through the wines was "Do you prefer the '92 Monte Bello,or the '09 Monte Bello?". There were 8 of us who participated in the discussion. What I found interesting about it is that the preference was based on gender. All the men (3) preferring the '92,and the women preferring the '09. Hmmm…
It was a brilliant learning, sensory, and fun experience, and one I highly recommend!