text:
Fiscal Cliff Used as Leverage in Bidding War
The threat of tax increases has some companies selling themselves or at least a share of themselves, as WSJ reported this morning, but the looming changes have also become a cudgel in a bidding war coming to a head next week.
In a public fight for chemicals company TPC Group Inc. one side is arguing its smaller offer is actually richer because it would be done this year.
Private-equity firms First Reserve Corp. and SK Capital Partners first reached a deal to buy TPC, a specialty-chemicals producer, but now has traded buyout proposals with another rival team: chemicals company Innospec Inc. and a fund of Blackstone Group L.P.
The current standing has First Reserve and SK Capital in a signed deal with TPC Group for $45 a share. But Innospec and Blackstone say they would offer $47.50 a share if they can complete due diligence.
The catch?
First Reserve and SK Capital argue their smaller offer is actually worth more, touting their ability to close this year while warning about tax changes if shareholders wait for the higher offer next year.
Innospec and Blackstone have yet to make an official offer, so TPC Group has not actually had to take a stance on the tax implications. Shareholders are scheduled to vote on the offer from First Reserve and SK Capital next Wednesday.


text: Is it The Light at the End, Big Finish's audio drama extravaganza, with the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Doctors appearing with their respective companions? Or is the, admittedly more eagerly anticipated live-action Special, with the Eleventh Doctor joining forces with the Tenth Doctor and the, mysterious-to-date Forgotten Doctor, portrayed by John Hurt? I must admit, I find both quite enticing... But with Big Finish, the certainty of quality is more assured than it is, sadly, with the live-action counterpart. But, in any case, whats your vote? Vote away!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Detroit Area Study and Chicago Area Study, 2004 (ICPSR 23820)
Principal Investigator(s): Farley, Reynolds, University of Michigan. Sociology Department; Krysan, Maria, University of Illinois-Chicago; Couper, Mick P., University of Michigan. Survey Methodology Program
The 2004 Detroit Area Study (DAS) is a face-to-face survey of adults in the Detroit, Michigan tri-county area. The 2004 Chicago Area Study (CAS) is a parallel survey conducted in Chicago, Illinois. Topics in this survey addressed racial issues, residence and housing, neighborhood evaluations, racial attitudes, labor market issues, and racial segregation in the Detroit and Chicago areas. Respondents were asked for opinions on their local and surrounding communities, their experiences searching for housing, feelings about possible relocation, and opinions on the redevelopment of neighborhoods in the city of Detroit and the city of Chicago. Other questions addressed the household's financial situation, home ownership, amount of household debts and assets, and history of receiving public assistance. Information was also collected on the types of schools children in the household attended, whether respondents and their parents were born in the United States, and languages spoken at home. Interviewer observations about the condition of the respondent's neighborhood were also included. Demographic variables include respondent's sex, age, marital/cohabitation status, United States citizenship status, political philosophy, household income, number of children in the household, and the race, ethnicity, education level, and employment status of respondents and their spouses or partners.
Series: Detroit Area Studies Series
Access Notes
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
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Study Description
Farley, Reynolds, Maria Krysan, and Mick P. Couper. Detroit Area Study and Chicago Area Study, 2004. ICPSR23820-v2. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2016-04-01. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR23820.v2
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR23820.v2
Export Citation:
- RIS (generic format for RefWorks, EndNote, etc.)
- EndNote XML (EndNote X4.0.1 or higher)
This study was funded by:
- University of Michigan. College of Literature, Science, and the Arts
- University of Michigan. Institute for Social Research. Survey Research Center
- Ford Foundation
- National Science Foundation (SES-0317730)
- United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (1R03HD051677-01A1)
- University of Illinois at Chicago
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: attitudes, cities, citizenship, communities, debt, economic behavior, education, families, home ownership, household income, housing, housing conditions, housing costs, housing needs, labor markets, neighborhood conditions, neighborhoods, political philosophy, public assistance programs, race, racial attitudes, racial discrimination, racial segregation, real estate, relocation, residential segregation
Smallest Geographic Unit: county
Geographic Coverage: Chicago, Detroit, Illinois, Michigan, United States
- 2004
- 2004-04-03--2005-08-11
Unit of Observation: individual
Universe: Adult residents of the Detroit Tri-County area and the Chicago Cook County area.
For the Detroit Area Study (DAS), A stratified multistage area probability sample was drawn from the master sample. At the first stage, area segments were selected with probability proportionate to size (PPS) with measures of size (MOS) based on the number of households using data from the 2000 United States Census data for counties. Segments were assigned to four strata by racial composition. Interviewers made face-to-face contact with sample households and took a household listing. One adult household member (21 years or older) was randomly chosen as the respondent, using a Kish table.
Similar to DAS, the sample design for the Chicago Area Study (CAS) was a stratified, multistage design with five strata. At the first stage all census blocks in Cook County were clustered into 14,186 Primary Sampling Units (PSU). Each Unit was assigned to one of the 5 strata by racial composition. The data were collected via face-to-face interviews. One eligible adult (21 years or older) was randomly sampled from each household, using the Kish method of respondent selection.
Please refer to the codebook documentation for more information on sampling.
Weight: The data are not weighted and users should weight the data prior to analysis. The data contain two weight variables: CASDAS_SAMPLEWGT (combined normalized sample weights) and CASDAS_POP_WGT (combined population weights). The data also contain a Sampling Error Variable SECU, which should be applied prior to analysis.
Mode of Data Collection: computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI), computer-assisted self interview (CASI), face-to-face interview, paper and pencil interview (PAPI)
Response Rates: 56 percent in Detroit area, 47 percent in Chicago
Extent of Processing: ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Created variable labels and/or value labels.
- Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.
Original ICPSR Release: 2009-04-09
- 2016-04-01 58 new variables and respondents from the Chicago Area were added to the study.
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- List all ~15 citations associated with this study
- View citations for the entire series
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text:
Pipeline Perspectives: Triple-A Iowa has best lineup
Top prospects Bryant, Baez, Alcantara just a step away from making impact for Cubs
By Jim Callis / MLB.com
There's a good amount of subjectivity regarding baseball prospects. With the evaluation of talent being in the eye of the beholder, finding consensus is often difficult. Even Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLBPipeline.com don't always see eye to eye. They discuss their viewpoints regularly in a feature called Pipeline Perspectives. Submit a topic for them to debate.
Enduring a slow and painful rebuilding process, the Cubs are headed for their fifth consecutive fifth-place finish in the National League Central. While the Theo Epstein/Jed Hoyer regime has made finding pitching a priority since taking over in October 2011, they're actually doing just fine in terms of run prevention.
Chicago ranks 10th in the Major Leagues with 3.9 runs allowed per game, ahead of three of the 10 clubs that would make the playoffs if the season ended today. Scoring runs, however, has been another story.
Despite the presence of building blocks Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro and a surprisingly effective performance by journeyman Luis Valbuena, the Cubs have managed to score just 3.9 runs per game, the seventh-worst figure in baseball. That's actually an improvement for Chicago, which had the third-worst offense in both 2012 and '13.
Help is on the way, however. The Cubs have the best crop of position prospects in any farm system, and their Triple-A Iowa affiliate has the most promising lineup of any team in the Minor Leagues.
Jonathan writes that Oakland's Class A Advanced Stockton team has the top prospect lineup in the Minors, and I'll grant that the Ports do have the deepest lineup. But when it comes to impact, no one can top the I-Cubs.
And, no, I'm not counting player/coach Manny Ramirez and his 555 big league home runs.
All kidding aside, Iowa does have the most devastating hitter in the Minors in third baseman Kris Bryant. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, he led NCAA Division I with 31 home runs last spring -- more than 223 of the 296 Division I teams hit. Bryant went deep nine times in his 36-game pro debut, then he topped the Arizona Fall League with six long balls.
That adds up to 46 homers last year, a total Bryant might surpass in his first full pro season. The 22-year-old opened 2014 with 22 homers in 68 games at Double-A Tennessee and has hit six more in his first 15 games in Triple-A. He has everything a power hitter needs: size (6-foot-5, 215 pounds), strength, bat speed, loft and patience.
Now hitting .353/.451/.713 overall, Bryant has surpassed shortstop Javier Baez as Chicago's top prospect. Baez has struggled for the first extended period of his pro career since signing as the ninth overall choice in 2011, batting .240/.307/.433 with 100 strikeouts in 75 games for Iowa.
Though his numbers aren't as pretty as Bryant's, Baez remains an elite prospect. After all, he's the youngest regular in the Pacific Coast League at age 21, and he still retains what may be the best bat speed in the Minors. He's able to barrel balls out of the strike zone, but Triple-A pitchers are beginning to educate him on the perils of chasing pitches.
Bryant and Baez give Iowa the most dynamic duo of position prospects anywhere, and one day, they could bat third and fourth for the Cubs and combine for 70 or so homers on an annual basis. Iowa also has the top second-base prospect in the Minors. With Mookie Betts getting promoted to Boston, that distinction now falls to Arismendy Alcantara.
The 22-year-old Alcantara keeps getting better and better, and he's in the midst of the best season of his six-year career. He's hitting .310/.350/.546 and paces all PCL hitters in runs (60), triples (11), extra-base hits (43) and total bases (171). That offensive production is for real, as he's a switch-hitter with solid pop and above-average speed.
In Bryant, Baez and Alcantara, the Cubs have three potential All-Stars just a phone call away from Wrigley Field. Beyond them, the Iowa lineup also features two other players who could fill roles in the big leagues.
A football star at Villanova, speedy Matt Szczur profiles as a useful fourth outfielder. Logan Watkins already has played everywhere but catcher and pitcher for the I-Cubs, and he can fill a utility role in Chicago.
Because the Cubs aren't in contention, there's less incentive to promote their top prospects from Iowa and get them started on the road to arbitration and free agency. As a result, Bryant, Baez and Alcantara could spend the entire season in Iowa. Once they get the call to Chicago, the Cubs should find it easier to score runs and return to contention.
Jim Callis is a reporter for MLB.com and writes a blog, Callis' Corner. Follow @jimcallisMLB on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
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text:
Sergio Santos has taken an unusual route not only to the big leagues but to the role of closer. After being drafted as a first-round pick in 2002, he bounced around the Minor Leagues as a shortstop for eight years before converting to a pitcher. He has 28 saves in 32 opportunities for the White Sox, posting a 2.63 ERA in 53 games. Santos recently spoke to MLBPLAYERS.com.
MLBPLAYERS.com Describe the journey you took to get here.
Sergio Santos: It wasn't the way I drew it up, but I will take it. My goal was to become a Major League baseball player, and here I am. I thought I was going to make it as a shortstop, as a lot of guys do, but that's not the way it worked out. Now, I'm enjoying the life of a Major League player, and I'm enjoying every second of it. The goal was always to make it here, and I'm very blessed and fortunate to be where I am now. It's great.
MLBPLAYERS.com Why didn't you make it as a big league shortstop?
Santos: I think it came down to consistency. I had the tools to be an everyday player in this league, but I didn't do it on a consistent basis like other guys do. That's why guys in this league who make it as shortstops make the money they do. They are able to come in day after day, and managers know what they are going to get out of them. They may have slumps here and there, but they know how to get out of it. That's something I just couldn't do. I had a habit of playing good for a month and then follow it up with two bad months. I couldn't turn that corner.
MLBPLAYERS.com Was the experience of making it to the big leagues, the Minors, the grind and everything else what you thought it would be?
Santos: I'm not sure. You think when you get drafted that you're going to be playing every day, but you don't take into the account the day-to-day stuff. There are the grueling bus rides. The hotels, the time spent practicing, it all goes into it. When you finally make it here, you realize that after all that it was worth it. Things are just so much better up here. It was worth all the sacrifices and everything you had to do to get here.
MLBPLAYERS.com Through all those hard times in the Minors was your family there to support you?
Santos: They played a big part in me getting to where I am now. My wife was an integral part of my support team when I was converted from shortstop to pitcher. It was tough because it was like starting all over. We had two kids, and my main goal the whole time was to be able to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. She had all the confidence in the world in me, and it got me through the whole thing.
MLBPLAYERS.com There is Interleague Play, of course. Do the coaches here know that you might have that itch to pick up a bat and step in the box?
Santos: Oh trust me, I've told them since last year. I just want to get one at-bat, one crack at it. They always joke around and tell me that I made it to the big leagues as a pitcher for a reason. I keep pestering them for even some batting practice time. I just want one more try.
MLBPLAYERS.com Can you talk about your limited experience in the closer spot?
Santos: I think if you talk to any reliever, that is the role they want to play. They want to be they guy who, after nine innings of your team playing hard, is given the chance to close out the game. They want that responsibility. I feel like we have more than enough guys on our team who can fill that role. We have more than enough guys who are capable of doing that. We just want to get a win any way we can. We kind of dug ourselves into a hole at the beginning of the season, but we were hopeful things would turn around for us.
MLBPLAYERS.com What are some of the keys to your success?
Santos: I feel like I've thrown the ball well and gotten ahead in the counts early on. I think I've done the job I'm supposed to do by working off my fastball. I have a lot of confidence and had early momentum that I just wanted to keep going.
MLBPLAYERS.com In your first 16 games this season you did not give up a single run and set an MLB record -- previously held by Mariano Rivera -- by not allowing a run over 25 road appearances to start a season. Was your plan to have a perfect ERA this year?
Santos: Obviously, I knew they were coming at some point. I just felt that if I kept throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters I could keep the runs to a minimum. If I kept attacking hitters the way I had been, I will be OK. On the road, it's one of those things that just kind of happened. I was pitching pretty well, and it just so happened on the road.
MLBPLAYERS.com How do you think you are doing in the big picture?
Santos: Hopefully, I haven't scratched the surface of what I can do as a big league pitcher. To be honest, I think I've made big strides and improvements over last year. A lot of it is my mental approach to the game. It seemed like everything was new and thrown at me last season. This year I kind of knew what to expect from it all. Now when I'm working with our catchers we have a plan of attack to work from. If I can do it all effectively, then the outcome is usually good.
MLBPLAYERS.com What is something that you can work on, physically, to improve your game?
Santos: I think time will tell, but maybe increasing my workload. Last season I had 56 innings. That was my first full year. It will all depend on how far I can go this year. In the Minors I only had 20 innings or so to go on. That will be the big question mark -- how many innings can I go? I will have to see what I have to do off the field to make me as strong as possible on the field. I just want to help my team by going as long as I can.
Jeff Moeller is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles.
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
(Scene shows the 4 hokage's reaction)
Hashirama: Is this Edo Tensei???.... again.... hmm...
Tobirama: Brother... didn't taught my own forbidden jutsu would be a threat for the future...
Hiruzen: Impossible!!! to be able to break the Seal of the Shiki Fuujin!!!!
Minato: 1st, 2nd, 3rd... even me... Orochimaru!!
Orochimaru: Its a pleasure to see you four...
Hiruzen: Why you!!! (Make sudden movements)
Orochimaru: Not so fast 3rd!... dont worry im no harm, in the meantime... This Uchiha brat with me have questions.
Sasuke: hmm... You four testifies the war and conflicts in the ninja world. I may have some questions but one...
Sasuke: What is the reason behind the execution of the Uchiha clan??
(Scene shows the Four Hokage, Orochimaru, Juugo & Suigetsu silenced)
Hashirama: Execution??
Tobirama: Uchiha Clan??
Hiruzen: hmmm..
Minato: hmm..
Sasuke: Seems the 3rd and 4th have something to say really.
Hashirama: With due respect to Uchiha Clan, my rival Uchiha Madara. He has principles that really would be a threat for the future
Tobirama: As the conflict with the Senju and Uchiha, I build the Police System at Konoha to repair the bonds with us.
Hiruzen: Its Madara! who cause the execution of the Uchihas
Minato: (eyes glares)
(Scene shows Orochimaru, Sasuke, glares)
Sasuke: Explain it to me 3rd... before I make the judgement in crushing the leaf!
Minato: Naruto....
Orochimaru: Minato, your brat is out there heading the whole ninja army in battling out Madara and its comrades.
Minato: What???
Sasuke: Naruto's father is the Yondaime???
Hiruzen: Its a top secret between konoha... hmm.... you orochimaru really caused trouble!!
Sasuke: So the truth??
Hiruzen: After the establishment of the Konoha Police (Uchiha Clan) Rumors about an estrange uchiha beginning a coup' de etat.
Minato: Coup???
Hiruzen: We Taught Madara is behind this, but we only settled the root of all this is your father Fugaku!!
Sasuke: My father???
Orochimaru: I think its the climax of the story...... so.... get on with it 3rd
Minato: May I interfere???
Hiruzen: wait 4th, Fugaku headed the Uchiha clan to take over Konoha by force.
Hiruzen: And madara brainwashed Fugaku....
(Scene shows Fugaku and Madara speaking)
Madara (Supposedly Tobi): Fugaku, I need your forces to take over Konoha and rebuild our clan's pride.
Fugaku: It will only result to another war,,,
Madara: Oh no you dont disagree, Sharringan!!!!
(Scene shows Fugaku is under genjutsu)
Fugaku: This Dream world of yours are incredible!!!! we can go with it as long as the senju dogs are the ruler of Konoha!!
Madara: So what's your plan???
(Scene shows back at the 4 hokage)
Minato: Fugaku is a good friend of mine, he's just brainwashed by madara!!!
Hiruzen: Hmm... but after that... your brother heard their meeting and come up with the sacrifice in exterminating them all except you...
Hiruzen: According to Itachi, the Uchiha Clan is planning to take over Konoha and willingly to help Madara in collecting the Bijuu's in reaching their Dream World...
Minato: I faught once the masked guy in my time that unleashed the 9 tails...
(Scene shows Orochimaru Stand up, from the floor as Juugo helds him)
Orochimaru: The Masked Guy is not Madara... Its Obito!
Minato: Obito??? Why??? alive?? no!!!
Orochimaru: I knew it from the time I absorbed my Chakra from Kabuto, also from extracting those Zetsu from Sasuke
Sasuke: Who is this Obito anyway???
Minato: He's my Student... we taught he died from that war....
Sasuke: So to know the total truth about this is to speak with that Madara, Obito and with this Kages!!
Orochimaru: I think it would be interesting and for sure the battle will stop just by seeing this powerful four!!
(Scene shows the 4 Kages, Oro, Sasuke, Juugo & Suigetsu is heading on the battlefield)


text: After trying many things wit Pompadour who refused to eat raw organs, I tried things like given them hole, mince, frozen, etc but they didn't work. So I tried blending them and mixing them wit ground meat and it worked well but........ the mix it's a horrible sticky mess and it stains everything, it's really hard to clean :cry: For me cleaning this mess was really hard since I'm in a medical treatment that has really nasty side effects :/ so it had to be a better way. So after experimenting, I found a better way to make the mix to reduce the sticky factor : Step 1 : blend the organs, and add a few spoons of canned dog food so the mix is less sticky, also add a bit of water to be easier to blend , put the mix in a small recipent. I use canned science diet since it's the only canned dog food I can find without meat-byproducts, I still want to find something to replace this (I have to experiment more) Step 2 : drop the mix into an ice maker recipent and freeze it Step 3 : mix is finally frozen Step 4 : take the cubes and add it in the same place as the ground meat , no more sticky mess.. when you unfreeze the portion, just mix it well wit a spoon.


text:
CFDA Awards Swarovski Nominees 2013
Get to Know the CFDA Up-and-Comers Nominated for Swarovski Awards
There are few honors in fashion that can make a designer's career like a CFDA Swarovski Award. This year's nominees represent the best new talent in three divisions: womenswear, accessories, and menswear. Each approaching fashion with their own perspective and aesthetic, the nominated brands and designers have all quickly established themselves as front-runners of new talent in their respective markets.
The nine nominees may have already introduced themselves last week at a cocktail party to debut a collection of specially designed Swarovski-encrusted objets d'art, but we've gathered them all up again — complete with engaging videos and a cheat sheet of need-to-know facts — to make sure you're completely informed on this stylish set come Monday's main event.


text:
Wednesday, 22 August 2012 00:00
Clogging classes starting in Bryson CityWritten by Admin
- font size decrease font size increase font size
Beginner clogging classes will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. every Tuesday at the N.C. Cooperative Extension at 60 Almond School Road in Bryson City.
Learn basic clogging steps with fun and energetic instructors. The classes are free and open to all ages. No prior dance experience required.
Register at 828.488.3848.
Published in Archived Arts & Entertainment


text:
Free Horse: Pretty Dun Mare
Pretty Poco Bueno bred dun mare w/all the stripes. She would be perfect for an intermediate rider. Excellent ground manners, good w/farrier, barefoot, lots of trail experience but has been out in pasture for a few years. She's just too pretty and way too young to retire. Still has get up and go and is in perfect health. Too many horses, not enough time. I'll be very particular as to where she goes; I've had her since she was a yearling.
Horse NameLil Bit's Hobby
BreedAmerican Quarter Horse
Height15 hh
Weight980 lbs
SireSilk Smoke
DamLil' Bit of Smoke
LocationTemecula, CA, USA
StatusFound Home


text:
I think there are very few of us who haven't at one time or another dreamed of being a superhero. The chance to fly, manipulate objects with our minds and be nearly invulnerable would be wonderful. I'm sure we'd all like to think that we would be noble and use our power for good. Chronicle is the record of three teenage boys who after encountering a strange object underground begin to develop special powers. They start slowly at first but over time their powers develop. Having such new powers invites mistakes, accidents, and failures.
The story is told totally through the lens of cameras. Some are personal cameras, security cameras, dashboard cameras, but without the use of a professional cameraman. When the film started I had fears of the "Blair Witch Project" and motion sickness. Instead, after a rocky start, I found a film that was very easy to watch and I was entertained. The film flowed easily and believably. I could imagine myself as a teenager facing these same issues. The film was directed by Josh Trank who paces the film smoothly, flowing from one scene to another. The actors, Dane DeHaan, Alex Russel and Michael B. Jordan managed to make themselves believable teenagers. I never once thought of them as anything else. They are the kind of kids I would have hung out with as a teen. I could have called them friends. This film is not without its action moments. I don't want to spoil the ending so that's all I will say except...sometimes hard choices have to be made. The question is, if you are young and have super powers, will you make the right one?


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Amia Miley
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It went up until her stomach.
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http://www.youporn.com/watch/333997/18-year-old-cute-pornstar-wannabe Is it the same girl from this video?
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i fucked her before he did
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Aim is a little off
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I would like to see this guy making anal 8)
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tht looks like it hurts
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That guy's been "Supersized",holy fuck whatta Giant Dick,so beautiful and uncut.
...and I thought I was fairly well hung
why does she keep spitting like that.
You would be spitting too if that huge meat squeegee was pulling the saliva outta your mouth.
Some flattering camera angles and the girl is obviously tiny but even so, he's got to be the biggest (white) actor in the industry at the moment. Very impressive.
skip the blow job seen less sucking and more fucking who told her to fuck a dick that huge if she can't handle it next porn star please she handle dildos bigger than that
how the hell u get a dick that size.........
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He Is A Big Boy
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MEDIA CONTACT: Hilary Dickinson at email@example.com or 608-363-2849
An alumnus with over 40 years of experience as an executive leader, entrepreneur and private investor will join the ranks of the college's board of trustees when it convenes for its spring meeting in April. Bill Boyd'63 was recently elected to the board where he will serve a three-year term expiring in 2015.
Boyd is the chairman of the board of Agility Recovery Solutions, a leading provider of business continuity and disaster recovery services located in Charlotte, N.C. His executive experience includes service as chairman and/or CEO of a variety of leading companies such as Muzak (the world's largest audio architecture firm), Broadcast International (a broadband distribution and video compression technology company), ScentAir (the world's largest provider of on-location, scent-based marketing solutions), and iVerify (a leader in virtual security services.)
Boyd is also a partner in Salem Investment Partners, a $150 million mezzanine fund that provides investment capital to lower middle-market companies located in North Carolina. Additionally, he serves on the Advisory Board of Ironwood Partners in New York City and Driehaus Private Equity Fund in Chicago.
Boyd serves as an Executive in Residence at the McColl School of Business at Queens University, and is a frequent lecturer at Beloit College, Davidson University and most recently lectured at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
In 2001, Boyd was a recipient of the regional Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He is currently a member of the selection committee for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and serves at the national and regional levels of that process.


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On Thursday, October 23rd, I spent the day at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado (elevation 6,872 feet). The college is located about 25 miles north of the New Mexico and Colorado border and it is really one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.My day was packed! I had an 8:00 a.m. presentation, a radio interview on KDUR, lunch and dinner discussions with students (who were all exceptionally bright), an afternoon presentation, and finally a screening of I.O.U.S.A.. My guides at the "Fort" were Professors Jennifer Stollman and John Gadbois.The theme for the day was fiscal literacy. Both Professors Stollman and Gadbois are concerned that students are not being exposed to the implications of the long-term challenges our nation faces and that younger people are not being given the skills to be literate about fiscal issues. The professors had already traveled to Washington, D.C. for a presentation by Concord Chief Economist Diane Lim Rogersand the Heritage Foundation's Stuart Butler, and have been encouraged to focus on fiscal education by Acting President and Provostfor Fort Lewis College, Steve Roderick. I was thrilled that Provost Roderick joined us at most of the day's events.
During my morning presentation, I discussed the basics of the federal budget, the long-term challenges facing Social Security and Medicare, and I did a brief overview of Senator McCain and Senator Obama's tax and spending proposals. The best part of the presentation was how engaged the students were once I took questions. They were quite thoughtful and really seemed to grasp the size of the problem. All of this before 9:00 a.m.! And, the students I met with the rest of the day were similarly impressive.
The day ended with a screening of I.O.U.S.A. at the Abbey Theatre in historic downtown Durango. It was so crowded that students were standing behind our seats, making it literally standing room only! The film was a hit and most of the crowd stayed around for a question and answer session, which lasted another 30 minutes.
That ended my long, but fruitful, day in Durango on a really up-beat note. As I answered questions from the audience, it was apparent that although these issues may not be the sexiest in the world, the audience cared deeply about them and how they will help determine the future of our country.
--Jeff Thiebert, National Grassroots Director, (based in Lufkin, TX)


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In Stock
Create a high-rise haven for the birds! With this sturdy four-arm stand you can offer a buffet of different foods. Consolidating feeders on a single station makes them more convenient to refill, too. The station comes in sections and stands over 8-1/2 feet tall; remove a section if you prefer it shorter. Also includes a birdbath and a feeding tray for seed, fruit or mealworms (a bluebird favorite), plus an extra hanging arm. A spiral finial adds a decorative finishing touch.
(based on 22 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
5 Stars
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of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
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Reviewed by 22 customers
Displaying reviews 1-10
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(3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)
Nice, but not as sturdy as I would have liked
By Kristin
from Carpinteria, CA
About Me Midrange Shopper
Comments about : Birdfeeding Station:
Love the look of this product, but the hanger is not sturdy and wobbles. I would be worried that in high wind the 3 feeders I have hung on the stand/hooks would topple over.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
Was this review helpful? Yes / No
- You may also flag this review
(1 of 4 customers found this review helpful)
Awesome piece!!
By ERM2
from NC
Bird feeding station
(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)
Love it!
By Cinke
from Mankato, MN
I purchased this pole for my parents and had to adapt it to a pole so it could be near their second story window. They love the versatility of this pole and the many feeders they can hang from it. The bird feeding station is attractive and well built of quality materials.
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
I Love it!!!
By Tina
from Akron, PA
About Me High-end Shopper
The bottom 2 sections seem wobbly where they come together, but the rest of it is fine!
(2 of 3 customers found this review helpful)
a hard to find item. Perfect for bird watching.
By Vee
from West Mifflin, PA
About Me Budget Shopper
To ensure stability, my husband did set in concrete base. Not going to move now! Love it.
Great bird feeding station
By Greek lady
from Richmond, VA
I have not seen this size.bird feeding station anywhere near me. And it was a really good price too. It looks really nice.
Simple Yet effective
By Bird whisperer
from Fortson ga
Easy to assemble strong and sturdy
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
Perfect for small area
By Duckie
from Largo, Florida
Attracts lots of variety in a small area. Perfect for a small yard. No matter how you try can't keep the squirrels away, baffles and all
(12 of 12 customers found this review helpful)
Good Pole but...
By putterput
from South Carolina
My pole was a gift and has been in place for over a year. It looks great, lots of hooks, etc. BUTit is difficult to get it pounded far enough into the ground to keep stable and so hard to keep straight. A stabilizing foot would be a huge improvement. Bolts/nuts rusted quickly making it difficult to impossible to readjust attachments.I like the look and all it offers but I cannot recommend it.
Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Merchant response: We are so sorry to hear about this reviewer's experience! Unfortunately, we were unable to find the original order with the information that was provided. We stand behind our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee on every product, so a quick call to our friendly customer service staff at 1-800-876-5520 will get this issue resolved right away!
Revised review
By Brenda
from Madison, WI
I'd like to revise my earlier review. I wasn't able to drive the pole into the earth very straight initially, so as a result my birdfeeder pole continued to sag and lean, and it got worse with the next rain. I got a friend to help reinstall the pole with a sledgehammer (I'm short on tools) and now it's almost exactly what I wanted - the birdfeeders are high enough now that I can see them from my window. It still seems a bit unstable, in that the pole at the top seems a little bendy with the weight of fully loaded birdfeeders. However, the birds and I are really enjoying it!
Images shared by Brenda
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Email This Page
Boost Custom Paintball
do you think?
Boosted HALO
By Bill Mills - Oct 2005
David Cross, working under the name Boost Custom Paintball has been marketing assorted custom loader battery solutions, as well as building customized loaders for his customers.
While each Boosted HALO may be different, depending on the customers specifications, the model reviewed is typical of what Cross produces.
Central to the Boost modification is a boosted electrical system. A 1400 mAh Lithium Ion battery pack acts as the main power supply for the Boosted HALO. Lithium Ion batteries have been a staple in the world of camcorders for years. Their typical discharge curve provides a steady current with little drop off until the battery is completely drained. This provides full operational power for a longer period of time than most rechargeables that will provide less and less voltage over time as they discharge.
Lithium rechargeable batteries are a bit more sensitive than typical NiCD or NiMH rechargeables. Overcharging, draining too fast, or over-draining lithium ion batteries can all lead to damaging the cells. As a protective measure the boost lithium ion battery packs feature an internal charging and discharging circuit to prevent overcharging, or overdischarging, ensuring a long and useful life for the batteries, without the need to modify the items powered by them.
The lithium ion pack in the Boosted HALO replaces the six cell AA pack, and remains inside the loader. Rather than needing to remove it to recharge, a charging port is installed near the HALOs feedneck. A lithium ion compatible battery charger can be attached to the port, between game days, and the HALO stays fresh and ready to go. The rechargeable battery pack is rated to provide 750 milliamp hours of power at 10.4 volts. According to Cross this is usually enough for five to six cases of paint ample power for a typical day or recreational paintball, and even on par for 5-man tournament play.
An option available for the lithium ion battery charge is a Watts Up power meter. This meter checks battery voltage, measures the wattage drawn by the battery during a charge, and uses timing circuits to calculate and display the charge that has been placed on the battery in milliamphours it is a very sophisticated battery meter, far more telling than a simple volt meter.
Because the battery pack delivers 10.4 volts, rather than the 9 volts with normal alkaline batteries used in the HALO, it ends up driving the HALOs motor with higher voltage for a faster speed.
Behind the charging port is a small switch, the Boost switch. Because the lithium ion batteries maintain a steady voltage, and are cut off by their discharge circuit they dont just get progressively weaker warning the user that its time for a recharge. They run, run and run some more, then simply dont have the energy to run anymore.
As an added player protection, the boost switch kicks in a second battery pack a boost hot pack single use lithium battery. This 1300 mAh 12 volt battery not only backs up the rechargeable, but can be used on demand to drive the HALO at an even higher voltage for higher speed.
A small guard adhered to the loader body provided added protection to both the charging port and the Boost switch. While this guard held up through use, it looked as though it might not be quite as durable as the components it was protecting, which were likely to handle a paintball hit without problem.
When the Boost mode is enabled, the HALO has the ability to draw more power from the combined battery packs, either to give a performance boost, or to act as a reserve, to keep playing after the rechargeable battery is used. A small red light emitting diode (LED) sits low on the back on the HALO, indicating the Boost switch status. In the field the LED proved a little difficult to see in bright sunlight. Shading it with a hand was necessary to clearly see whether the loader was in its Boost mode or not. It was a simple matter, however to learn that with the switch forward, Boost was activated, and with the switch back it was not.
In addition to the battery pack, the reviewed Boosted HALO was equipped with a custom Trinity drive cone. The CNC machined cone features paddles slightly larger than the stock drive cone, and the Cross modified the loaders catch cup to handle the beefier cone. While installing the cone, Cross also puts additional pressure on the drive cones spring, increasing the amount of force the HALO delivers to the paint stack when the motor is at rest.
Another custom feature Cross offers are vanity plates custom engraved back plates with a player or team name identifying the loader. These plates replace the stock plate and sticker found on the HALO. Additionally Cross provides cut vinyl text stickers for the sides of the loader.
Extra switches and lights are fun, but with loaders, performance is the bottom line. To see what difference the Boost modifications made, the loader was tested on the WARPIG Ballistic Labs test stand with a Matrix LCD body.
Run though the standard WARPIG 10 shot burst test, the Boosted HALO with its HALO B board performed flawlessly up to through 18 balls per second. At 19 balls per second, it missed 2 feeds on one trial, one feed on a second trial, and feed all ten shots on its third attempt. Then the Boost switch was flipped, tying in the 12 volt lithium hot pack. Through the same testing procedure, the Boosted HALO now performed one ball per second better than with just the rechargeable battery. This compares very well to the stock HALO B which fed without fail to 14 bps, and HALO B Victory which fed without fail to 16 balls per second on the same test, when powered by fresh alkaline batteries.
To review the test data, click here.
In practical testing, the loader performed as it should. The simple plug and play use of the charging port was a very convenient feature. Since the loader performed without problem there was no need to kick in the Boost switch on the field, but the knowledge that it was there in case of a problem with the rechargeable pack was reassuring.
In addition to the Boost built to order
custom loaders, the Boost Hot packs, wiring harnesses, rechargeable lithium
ion batteries, and hopper bodies wired with charging ports are available
through Bradys Paintball.
Copyright © 1992-2012
Corinthian Media Services. WARPIG's webmasters can be reached through our feedback form.


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Getty ImagesAs technology improves, plastic surgery is getting cheaper, safer, better, and more popular around the world.
Nowhere is it catching on faster than in South Korea, where one in five women in Seoul have had some type of procedure, according to a 2009 survey by Trend Monitor.
It has become so common in South Korea that most of the stigma regarding surgery has dropped away, and celebrities and beauty queens openly discuss treatment.
Americans should take a good look at what could be a glimpse into the future.


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Guilford board votes to cut middle school
GUILFORD -- School board members on Thursday adopted a budget that closes the town's middle school and sends seventh- and eighth-graders to Brattleboro this fall.
The $2.9-million budget for the 2013-14 school year still is subject to Town Meeting approval. Also, voters will consider a separate article asking whether Guilford should tuition its students to Brattleboro Area Middle School.
But Dan Systo, the Guilford board's chairman, said he has come to the conclusion that students would have more opportunities in Brattleboro.
"It's about the educational benefits that we feel BAMS can provide to our students," Systo said.
The board has scheduled an informational session for parents at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Guilford Central School. BAMS administrators will be present to answer questions.
"We encourage everyone to come to Monday's meeting," Systo said.
Supporters of keeping Guilford's middle school intact had argued that students benefit from a "place-based" curriculum and a close relationship between faculty and students.
And there would be job cuts associated with shutting the middle school: The budget adopted by four members of the board who attended Thursday's meeting eliminates the full-time equivalent of 2.6 teaching positions and one para-educator position.
It also reduces spending on specialist positions in art, music, physical education and the library.
But officials have cited a steadily declining enrollment as a major reason to consider closing the school. If voters agree to the BAMS option, just 21 Guilford students are expected to transition to Brattleboro next school year.
Systo said those students will benefit from additional academic instruction including a foreign-language program, which Guilford does not offer. Also, there are more extracurricular activities and after-school programs available at BAMS.
Board member Carole Mills called Thursday's vote a "huge step" and said Guilford no longer can afford to keep up with the larger middle school.
"In terms of money, there is no way we can compare to what BAMS can offer their students," Mills said.
The BAMS arrangement also has a financial benefit for Guilford: Officials say it would have cost $80,000 to $90,000 more to keep seventh- and eighth-graders in town next year.
Mills said that, while eliminating the middle school has been considered before, this is the first time officials have been able to make the finances work for Guilford.
The middle-school agreement also includes a deal that caps Guilford's tuition payments to Brattleboro for the first four years. After that, it's expected that Guilford will join the district.
The deal, approved Wednesday by the Brattleboro Union High School #6 Board, sets annual per-student and total tuition limits:
-- 2013-14 school year: $10,750 per student, not to exceed $230,000.
-- 2014-15: $11,019 per student, not to exceed $240,000.
-- 2015-16: $11,294 per student, not to exceed $270,000.
-- 2016-17: $11,520 per student, not to exceed $300,000.
The caps insulate Guilford from big tuition increases if, as is expected, the number of middle-school students rises in coming years.
For instance, Systo said an enrollment spike is expected in the 2015-16 school year. Without a cap on total tuition, Guilford would be forced to pay $400,000 or more that year, he said.
Ron Stahley, Windham Southeast Supervisory Union superintendent, said the cap agreement is allowable under state education regulations. And he said there was incentive for the Brattleboro board to accept the cap, since the tuition agreement with Guilford still will send more than $1 million to Brattleboro over the next four years.
"That's a million-plus that they would not have had without the tuition," Stahley said. "That benefits all of the Brattleboro district schools, because it lowers their equalized cost per student."
If voters approve the special article at Town Meeting, that would designate BAMS as the middle school for Guilford students. That means parents would not be able to use tax money to send their children elsewhere.
But Stahley noted that parents still have the option of choosing another school.
"They'd pay their own tuition," he said.
Mike Faher can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 802-254-2311, ext. 275.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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ooh ooh ooh I can't breathe
ooh ooh ooh I can't breathe
image courtesy amareisreal
Dane Cook about being late:
It's kinda long, but it's hilarious.
Not sure if this belongs here or in the rap thread....
Right "funny video" thread:
Here's one for you Paul, mainstream style:
Ok, we're not going to turn this thread into a conspiracy one. Sorry for the gif, you're right Paul, it's not funny. It's sad that innocent people have died, and other innocent people were being blamed for, while the real "terrorists" are still laughing at us.
Back on topic
Yahya funniest Egyptian guy ever. just listen to the way he speaks cracks me the **** up!.
DaTPRiNCE...That EGYPTiAN Fella, #MeloMafia
Katt Willams' new comedy "it's pimpin Pimpin" is hilarious i love that dude(no homo).
DaTPRiNCE...That EGYPTiAN Fella, #MeloMafia
Yea i saw that on Comedy Central the other day. He swears so muchh lol. I dont think i could go a minute without hearing a few beeps haha
yea lmao. The new Kevin Hart stand-up is hilarious.
DaTPRiNCE...That EGYPTiAN Fella, #MeloMafia


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Johnson feels 'a lot better' as Nats prep for Game 1
By Adam Berry / MLB.com
Johnson exited Wednesday's regular-season finale against the Phillies early due to numbness in his left leg caused by a narrowing of the L3 and L4 vertebrae. The manager said he was given novocaine and a cortisone shot -- the same type of treatment that turned around Ryan Zimmerman's season -- to ease the inflammation in his back.
Johnson said he felt pain free Saturday, complaining only of a stiff back irritated further by the sub-50-degree temperatures.
"This St. Louis weather ain't helping it," Johnson said. "I'm going to be fine."
Left-hander Gio Gonzalez, who will start Game 1 for Washington on Sunday, poked fun at Johnson's situation when describing his first year with the 69-year-old manager, the oldest in the Majors.
"He's a guy that brings excitement. He's always smiling," Gonzalez said. "I think with Davey, he's just got to stay healthy."
Nats set rotation, with Jackson getting Game 3
ST. LOUIS -- As expected, manager Davey Johnson named right-hander Edwin Jackson the Nationals' Game 3 starter on Saturday, meaning lefty Ross Detwiler will start Game 4, if necessary, against the predominantly right-handed Cardinals lineup.
Both pitchers were roughed up in their last starts against St. Louis, with Jackson giving up nine runs over 1 1/3 innings on Sept. 28, and Detwiler surrendering seven runs in 2 1/3 innings two days later.
Unexpectedly, however, Johnson said he might have lined up his rotation exactly the same way against the lefty-laden Braves, had they beaten the Cardinals in Friday's Wild Card game. Before Saturday, Johnson had been implying that Detwiler would start Game 3 against Atlanta, with Jackson taking Game 4, but he pointed to Jackson's track record in October -- he pitched in the 2008 and '11 World Series -- as the difference.
"I kind of like the experience that Edwin Jackson brings," Johnson said. "Even if it had been Atlanta, I would have probably gone with Jackson."
Johnson emphasized his trust in his pitchers throughout his media session Saturday afternoon at Busch Stadium, saying he had no concern about starting southpaw Gio Gonzalez in Game 1 on Sunday, even if the Cardinals are more likely to beat up on a left-handed pitcher, and that he wasn't worried about Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann taking the mound on extra days' rest.
"Right-handers have just as much trouble hitting Gio as left-handers," Johnson said, a statement backed up by the Cardinals' .179 (5-for-28) average against Gonzalez this year. "When he's locating his fastball, and he's hitting the low side of the plate, he's got a devastating curveball. I don't care if they have all right-handers out there. He's tough.
"Gio would have hung me if I didn't have him going first. Gio had one heck of a year. I think he was lowest hits-per-inning, and most clubs stack their clubs with right-handers. I admit, St. Louis has some awfully good right-handers in the middle of the lineup, but you have to make good pitches."
Garcia in 'pen as Nats set Division Series roster
ST. LOUIS -- There were no major surprises when the Nationals finalized their Division Series roster on Saturday. Washington kept 13 position players, four starters and eight relievers.
Veteran infielder Mark DeRosa and left-hander John Lannan traveled with the team to St. Louis but were left off the playoff roster. Perhaps the most surprising player to make the cut was right-handed reliever Christian Garcia, given that he was a September callup who broke spring camp with Double-A Harrisburg before moving up to Triple-A Syracuse.
But Garcia pitched his way onto the roster with some dominant performances, a 2.13 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings, and the Nationals could use another righty given the number of dangerous right-handed hitters on the Cardinals' roster.
"I'm just trying to take it all in and enjoy it most of all, go out there and put my best foot forward," Garcia said. "I can't say it was a surprise, because I have high expectations for myself and big goals, but it's obviously something I didn't have control over, so I was very excited. I wouldn't use the word surprised. I would say more excited than anything.
"You imagine it. It's what you dream of. When I was rehabbing, the thing that helped me get through days I didn't want to work out was days like this, like being able to pitch in a postseason game -- and not just pitch in it, but be somebody in the postseason and make a name for myself."
The rest of the Nationals' bullpen includes closer Drew Storen, setup man Tyler Clippard, right-handers Ryan Mattheus and Craig Stammen plus lefties Sean Burnett, Michael Gonzalez and Tom Gorzelanny. Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Edwin Jackson and Ross Detwiler round out the starting rotation.
Rookie slugger Tyler Moore made the cut, joining outfielders Jayson Werth, Bryce Harper, Michael Morse and Roger Bernadina; infielders Adam LaRoche, Danny Espinosa, Ian Desmond, Ryan Zimmerman, Chad Tracy and Steve Lombardozzi; and catchers Kurt Suzuki and Jesus Flores.
The Nationals sent catcher Sandy Leon and outfielders Eury Perez and Corey Brown back to their Spring Training facility in Viera, Fla., in case they are needed, while Stephen Strasburg joined DeRosa and Lannan as non-roster players with the club in St. Louis.
Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Microsoft has lofty ambitions for its next generation
Windows Vista operating system as witnessed by statements made by the company in
early October. Today,
IDC issued some new projections for Windows Vista including the notion that
over 90 million units of the operating system will ship in 2007 worldwide. That
figure far outpaces Microsoft's assessment of 67
million units in the first year of availability for Windows XP.
"After a long wait, the adoption of Windows Vista will
take place almost immediately among consumers, while businesses will follow a
decidedly more conservative adoption curve," says Al Gillen, research VP
of System Software at IDC.
On the consumer side, Vista Home Basic is expected to garner
67% of Vista purchases while Vista Home Premium will account for 30%. The
enthusiast-oriented Vista Ultimate will account for 2% of the product mix with
just 1% of consumers choosing Vista Business for use in home deployments.
For businesses, Vista Business will account for 82% of Vista
deployments while Vista Enterprise will capture the remaining 18%.
Overall, IDC projects that 90% of new Windows client
installations for home users will be comprised of Vista Home Basic/Vista Home
Premium during the first year. On the business side, Vista Business/Vista
Enterprise will account for just 35% of new client installations during the
first year – that number rises to 80% during the second year of availability.
But while consumers buying new PCs will pretty much be
forced into using Windows Vista after the start of the year, businesses are likely to be a
bit more discriminating. Businesses typically wait until at least the first
service pack for a new Windows operating system is released before they do any
large roll-outs throughout the company.
Gartner suggests that companies should spend as much as 18
months testing a new operating system before moving to large-scale deployments.
With Vista being launched for businesses tomorrow,
now is the time to begin the testing phase (if companies haven't already done
so with earlier versions of Vista). "If companies do decide to upgrade the
biggest barrier will be application compatibility - 80 per cent of your
applications will work and 20 per cent won't work. The vast majority of
customers we speak to are looking at 2008 to upgrade but they need to start
planning now," said Frank Foxall of Windows migration specialist Camwood.


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COLUMBUS — The Columbus Crew announced its full 2013 preseason schedule on Thursday. The Black & Gold will spend the majority of their preseason in Florida, training at the IMG Academy in Bradenton before heading to Orlando to take part in the Walt Disney Pro Soccer Classic.
Players report to Columbus on January 17 for the club's initial preseason training sessions. The Crew opens camp at its Obetz training facility and SuperKick – an indoor soccer training facility located in Lewis Center – while in Columbus January 17-23.
On January 24, the team heads to Bradenton, Fla. to train at the IMG Academy for 10 days before returning to Columbus on February 2. During this first phase of preseason, the Black & Gold has three exhibition matches scheduled against Eastern Conference rivals D.C. United, the Chicago Fire and New York Red Bulls.
The Crew returns to Florida on February 6 to take part in the Disney Pro Soccer Classic, where it will compete against seven other professional teams to prepare for the 2013 MLS Season. Taking place February 9-23 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., the Crew will make Austin Tindall Regional Park in Osceola County its preseason training home during the club's stay in central Florida. Fellow MLS sides D.C. United, Philadelphia Union, Sporting Kansas City, Montreal Impact and Toronto FC, as well as Orlando City FC (USL Pro) and Tampa Bay Rowdies (NASL) have all committed to participate in the tournament.
Following the Disney Pro Soccer Classic, the Black & Gold return to Columbus to prepare for their season opener on March 2 against Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
Columbus Crew Preseason Schedule
Jan. 17 Preseason camp opens
Jan. 18-23 Team trains in Columbus
Jan. 24 Team departs for Bradenton, Fla.
Jan. 26 Crew vs. D.C. United - 11:00 a.m. ET
Jan. 30 Crew vs. Chicago Fire - Time TBD
Feb. 1 Crew vs. New York Red Bulls - Time TBD
Feb. 2 Crew returns to Columbus
Feb. 6 Crew departs for Orlando, Fla.
Feb. 6-24 Disney Pro Classic and Central Florida Sports Commission's Soccer Spring Training
Feb. 9 Crew vs. Toronto FC – 1:00 p.m. ET*
Feb. 13 Crew vs. Philadelphia Union – 1:00 p.m. ET*
Feb. 16 Crew vs. Orlando City SC – 6:00 p.m. ET*
Feb. 23 Disney Pro Classic Championship Day – Time TBD*
Feb. 24 Crew departs from Orlando, Fla.
* Disney Pro Soccer Classic games
Note: Dates and times are subject to change. Preseason friendlies may be added at any time.


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Sounds like you had a great day. You always seem to live in the fast lane. You go girl.
Vinton, Virginia
quiltylee:Nana, congrats on your new baby. Isn't your nursery getting full with all these babies?
My nursery is pretty full...LOL> But I sure love all my babies. I am loaning one to my oldest DD. She wants to learn to do some home decorating sewing. I am letting her use my Bernina with embroidery. And yes I pretty much know how each one works immediately. All machines are basically the same. Once you learn the basics the rest is pretty easy. Right now I am still playing with my new one to learn all her tricks. I feel sure it will take a will to learn everything but that is the fun of having a new machine. I can hardly wait to try her out for quilting. I want to use the embroidery unit to do quilting.
I hadn't heard about the fire in Pigeon Forge...that is horrible. I sure hope they get it under control soon.
What happened at UCF? Really out of the loop today..LOL>
You can vent anytime you want. I will have you and your family in my prayers. And have fun with Tyler. He sure is a sweetie.
I'm back from dentist . I think i''l be searching for new dentist got totally insulted in the chair i'm livid. can't even say what happened . I guess its a good thing to change but i really hat to break in a new one.
Quilting My Rainbow
I had a dentist last year cut my lip, break the temporary crown and start swearing about it and tell me to sit ... .... still. I make him stop, had the head dentist finish and put the proper crown in, and I am looking too. Such a shame when they are convenient and take the insurance to have to go looking.
Jan in Rochester.
I'm back from dentist . I think i''l be searching for new dentist got totally insulted in the chair i'm livid. can't even say what happened . I guess its a good thing to change but i really hat to break in a new one.
Thanks Susan, I needed that hug!
Millbury, MA
Diana: You know that your quilting sisters are always here for you no matter what
I knew that Diana, that's why I hit "post". I know I can always count on my quilting sisters to make me feel better, thank you. Love you too.
Thank you Nana, Tyler is one of the positives in my life right now and I plan to enjoy him as much as I can.
ls2116: got totally insulted in the chair i'm livid
Sorry you had to experience that Is, don't blame you for searching out a new dentist.
Well, tomorrow DD has her stent removed and her "rock" as the girls call it. Something they can understand. I have the 3 kiddos till at least tomorrow afternoon. DD has never been under, so have to see how she handles it. I wouldn't think it is a long procedure, but you never know. The GKs are 5, 4 and 9 mos. Such good babies too. Will watch movies and get baths tonight. I love it!
Dawn, prayers going up for your DD that all will be fine. Enjoy those GK's, they are so very special.
Bone marrow test today, so no quilting. Have been practicing making feathers after participating in the Angla Walter's class on Crafty. Want to get back to it.
Bless you Marie. I know all about family drama, sometimes we just have to encourage them to find their own way and keep them heavily in our prayers while they find their way. Jut let them know they can bounce their ideas off of you, but that you can't really make their decisions for them. Ginny


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One solution is the US cutting all aid to Muslim Countries no food no money.
It is hard to fight a war on empty stomachs. One other stop buying oil from the middle east, what else do they have to sell? Sand?
As for the issues in the OP, Israel has annexed land from the Arabs, blockaded Gaza among other things, also carried out summary executions without trial of Arab leaders. Understandably the Arabs aren't particularly happy about this, but lobbing rockets into Israel, controlled by an extreme right-wing government and in control of the biggest military in the region, was only going to bring about one response, and they got it.
Hamas also has in its charter that it wants the complete obliteration of the Jewish state - the absurdity of this position points to the fact that what has happened over time is the gradual radicalisation of each sides position in response to each new atrocity. Can't see any winners going forward in this situaiton, just more death and destruction.
They have an app for that... log on and post, your megaphones are screaming.
What inspired international human right charter? How soon people forget... yet they claim they will never forget.
You must be a liberal posting this blather. I wonder what you think Israel's motivation is for this current action in Gaza? If they wanted the land they could easily exterminate the vermin that live there. If that was too harsh but they still could expel all the animals that live there and take it over. Yet they don't. They only ask that the terrorists there stop firing missiles at Israeli schoolchildren and civillians. The Israelis provide those people with food, power, aid and money. Years ago before the Hamas terrorists took over they even had access to plenty of jobs in Israel. The Muslims in Israel have more freedom and a higher quality of life then anywhere else in the Muslim world. They can vote. They are members of Israeli Parliament, Supreme Court and have generals in the Israeli army.
A martyr, and people pretend that civilian population isn't in league sympathizing with those attacking Israel.
Any deaths of adult civilians stilling residing in the Gaza strip ought to be labeled suicides. Any deaths of Palestinian children, prolicide.
Anyway, this isn't going to stop any time soon and a ground invasion is likely given Hamas rockets are still firing into Israel, so more of these types of stories are sadly likely. I do agree that Hamas is at least partially responsible for the death of Palestinian children - what else did they expect except retaliation of their firing rockets into Israel?
And there is a stark contrast between making sense of the death of a child by believing they are with God, and believing they were martyred.
Hamas fired over 1000 of these missiles at Israeli citizens before the Israeli government finally responded. Here is a taste of what civillians in the south of Israel have gone through on a daily basis for years on end.
The land they call "Israel" is occupied land. Second the Israelis started this current onslaught when they assassinated one of their own subcontractors who was working on a peace agreement. The current administrations motivation in sparking this war was the upcoming election and that's not just what I think, that's what quite a few Iraelis have gone on record stating.
Rabbi Brant Rosen summed it all up best.
Israels military assault on Gaza in 2008-09 represented an important turning point in my own relationship with Israel. I recall experiencing a new and previously unfamiliar feeling of anguish as Israel bombarded the people living in that tiny, besieged strip of land over and over, day after day after day. While I certainly felt a sense of tribal loyalty to the Israelis who withstood Qassam rocket fire from Gaza, I felt a newfound sense of concern and solidarity with Gazans who I believed were experiencing nothing short of oppression during this massive military onslaught.
And now its happening again. Only this time I dont think the term anguish quite fits my mindset. Now its something much closer to rage.
Its happening again. Once again 1.7 million people, mostly refugees, who have been living in what amounts to the worlds largest open air prison, are being subjected to a massive military assault at the hands of the worlds most militarized nation, using mostly US-made weapons. And our President is not only looking on he is defending Israels onslaught by saying it has a right to self-defense in light of the barrage of rocket attacks being launched from Gaza against Israeli civilians.
Lets be clear: this tragedy didnt start with the Qassams. It didnt start with the election of Hamas. And it didnt start with the instability that followed Israels withdrawal from Gaza.
No, this is just the latest chapter of a much longer saga that began in 1947-48, when scores of Palestinians were ethnically cleansed from their cities and villages in the coastal plain and lower Galilee and warehoused in a tiny strip of land on the edge of the Mediterranean. By all accounts, most were simply too overwhelmed to realize what was happening. Some tried to return to their homes and were killed on sight. Others resisted by staging raids in the newly declared state of Israel. Sometimes they succeeded, more often they did not. Either way, Israel decided early on that it would respond to each of these reprisals with a overwhelming military show of force. And those reprisals and that show of force have essentially been ongoing until this very day.
I realize, of course, there is plenty of political subtext to this latest go-around. Ive read the timelines and have formed my own opinions on the latest who started it? debate. Ive also read plenty of analyses by Israeli observers who believe that this was not a response to Qassam fire at all but was very much a war of choice waged by an Israeli administration looking to shore up political support in an election season.
Ive also read a widely circulated article from Haaretz about Israels recent execution of Ahmed Jabari (the head of Hamas military wing). I learned that up until now, Jabari was Israels subcontractor for security in the Gaza Strip, that Israel has been literally funding Hamas through intermediaries in exchange for peace and quiet on their southern border, and that when Jabari failed to deliver of late, the decision came down to take him out. Another article, written by the Israeli who negotiated with Jabari for the release of Gilad Shalit, revealed that negotiations were still ongoing between Jabari and Israeli officials when Israel assassinated him with a drone strike.
Yes, the wonky side of me has been avidly reading all these analyses. And while I do believe they provide an important counterbalance to the mythic statements by Israels Foreign Ministry and the US State Department, the more I read the cynical political subtext for this war, the sicker I get. No, this isnt about Qassams, but dont be fooled into thinking its about elections either. Its really just the most recent chapter in a much longer litany of injustice the latest attempt by Israel bring the Palestinians to their knees through the sheer force of their formidable military might.
Of all the analyses Ive yet read, one of the very few that truly seemed to grasp this truth came from Yousef Munayyer, of The Jerusalem Fund/Palestine Center:
The problem Gaza presents for Israel is that it wont go awaythough Israel would love it if it would. It is a constant reminder of the depopulation of Palestine in 1948, the folly of the 1967 occupation, and the many massacres which have happened since them. It also places the Israelis in an uncomfortable position because it presents a problem (in the form of projectiles) which cannot be solved by force
Israel has tried assassinating Palestinian leaders for decades but the resistance persists. Israel launched a devastating and brutal war on Gaza from 2008 to 2009 killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, but the resistance persists.
Why, then, would Israel choose to revert to a failed strategy that will undoubtedly only escalate the situation? Because it is far easier for politicians to lie to voters, vilify their adversaries, and tell them we will hit them hard than to come clean and say instead, weve failed and there is no military solution to this problem.
Like last time, I know many in the Jewish community will say it is unseemly of me to criticize Israel this way while Israelis live in fear of Qassam fire out of Gaza. I know there are those who believe that by writing these words, Im turning my back on my own people in their time of need. But I know in my heart that my outrage at Israels actions goes hand in hand with compassion for Israelis particularly those who know that their leaders devotion to the sword is leading them into the abyss.
Additionally, as I wrote under tragically similar circumstances in 2009:
I believe Israels response to Hamas missile attacks have been disproportionate and outrageous. I believe their actions only further endanger the security of Israelis while inflicting collective punishment and a severe humanitarian crisis upon Gazans. Indeed, just as I cannot understand what it must be like to be a citizen of Sderot, I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to be a Gazan citizen at the moment, living under constant air attack, with no running water or electricity and dwindling food, as hospitals fill up with wounded and corpses lie rotting in the streets because relief workers are unable to reach them.
When will we be ready to accept that this is not a balanced conflict or even a war by any reasonable definition and that it never was? When will we face the painful truth that this is not a story about one side versus the other but about one side oppressing the other? Frankly, all the well-meaning liberal comments about praying for peace on both sides and leave me cold. Worse, I find them insidious because they simply serve to support the myth that this is a conflict between two equal parties. It is not. And peace will not come until we admit this until we admit that there is an essential injustice at the heart of this tragedy and that try as it might, Israel will never be able to make it go away through the sheer force of its increasingly massive military might.
Beyond the rage, Im heartened that this time around there is a growing community of conscience that is speaking out publicly and in no uncertain terms to protest Israels latest outrage in Gaza. I am so deeply grateful for my friends and colleagues at Jewish Voice for Peace, who is alone in the Jewish world in condemning this latest assault. I urge you to read JVPs courageous statement, which I know gives voice to increasing numbers of Jews and non-Jews, young and old, religious and secular, who are coming together through the courage of their conscience.
At this point in my posts I would typically write click here to lend your voice to some kind of collective statement. Im going resist that temptation and urge you instead to take to the streets.
Ill see you there.
You only look at this conflict from the eyes of an Israeli, you can't even acknowledge Palestinians are people. Those little children you see dead in videos and pictures are REAL, they're not TERRORISTS, they're not VERMIN. They are INNOCENT CHILDREN who are being massacred as we speak.
I've been to Gaza, spent three years there on a mission, I witnessed with my eyes what these people are going through. You'd might as well call Gaza a concentration camp. Two million people crammed into 140 square miles of extreme poverty, hunger, disease and the constant threat of annihilation. Yet you wonder why these people fight back? How would you feel if the sheriff decided tomorrow morning that he's going to evict you from your home to give it to some family whose great great grandfather used to live on the land and told you to setup living quarters for your family in the shed?
Lastly unlike you I don't take sides in this great calamity, I sympathize just as much with Israelis who have to deal with rockets flying over their heads. I don't blame Israel, I don't blame Palestine, I blame the sheriff who placed them in this mess.
I don't expect a high-grade partisan schmuck such as yourself to understand any of this.
I commend you for going to Gaza to do your mission work. I suggest that now is a good time to go back there and help out. They are going to need you there.


text: Okuribito(Departures)-This movie won this years Academy Award for best foreign language film. It was an 'upset' over another highly rated film, Israeli documentary 'Waltz with Bashir'. Anyway, Departures is a FANTASTIC movie. It's about a guy who takes on a job as an encoffiner, someone who prepares the dead to be put in a coffin. Despite the subject matter, it's so warm and tender. I ended up crying because I was thinking about my aging parents throughout the movie. I can't recommend this enough. You'll probably cry, but not really out of sadness. More out of appreciatively love for your family and other loved ones. I'm trying to find other movies from this director, but it's tough looking for Japanese movies.


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Tigers hopeful as Dotel keeps throwing off mound
By Jason Beck / MLB.com
DETROIT -- Octavio Dotel continues to throw off a mound at the Tigers' Spring Training in Lakeland, Florida, and the Tigers continue to believe all is not lost in his chances for pitching again this season.
"I think shortly, if things continue to move forward, there will be some progress on him," manager Jim Leyland said.
Dotel hasn't pitched in a game since April, when inflammation in his right elbow led the team's medical staff to shut him down. His rehab process has essentially been a summer-long series of starts and stops, each time halted when Dotel has experienced more discomfort in his elbow.
This time, this officials said, his arm feels better than at any other point.
Peralta's focus remains on field with Cleveland on deck
DETROIT -- Jhonny Peralta kept his focus on the field Sunday afternoon, then kept his answers to baseball questions only after the Tigers finished off his sweep of the White Sox. He was not addressing the looming question of what awaits him off the field, or when he might take the field again.
While multiple reports say Major League Baseball will announce suspensions Monday coming out of its months-long Biogenesis investigation, to which Peralta has been linked, Peralta went about Sunday like he was preparing to hit the road with the team on its upcoming road trip.
He was driving rather than catching the team flight to Cleveland, he said, but that's not a sign in itself. His wife is from Cleveland, and they still own a home there from his years with the Indians.
Where he goes from there is anyone's guess. That includes his teammates, who have been reading and seeing reports.
"I think we're all a little worried," Tigers catcher Alex Avila said. "I think everybody's a little curious, that's for sure. We'll just kind of take it in stride, whatever happens."
As far as the roster goes, the Tigers are prepared. They acquired Jose Iglesias from Boston Tuesday night touting him as the shortstop of the future, but also admitted that the uncertainty surrounding Peralta played a role. Depending on what Major League Baseball decides, and what Peralta decides in turn, Iglesias could be their shortstop of the present. For the weekend, he was their third baseman in a pinch, filling in for the injured Miguel Cabrera.
Peralta could appeal any possible suspension and continue playing while awaiting a hearing with an arbitrator, a process that could linger through the season. A 50-game suspension served immediately, on the other hand, could bring him back with three games to go in the regular season and leave him eligible for the postseason.
Whatever Peralta was weighing off the field, his performance on the field didn't show it. He had a single, a walk and a run scored Sunday to go with an over-the-shoulder catch on an Alexei Ramirez liner to start an inning-ending double play in the 10th to keep the game tied. He went 9-for-25 for the homestand.
"He's definitely been able to block it out and not let it affect him," Avila said. "That's not easy to do. I mean, there's very few players that can do that. I think he's always been that way, at least since he's been with this team."
Tigers call up Bonderman to join bullpen
DETROIT -- Two months after Jeremy Bonderman made it back to the big leagues, he has made it back with the Tigers. It won't be in his old role, but with a chance to get back to the postseason with his old club, he'll take it.
The Tigers announced after Sunday's win that they're purchasing Bonderman's contract from Triple-A Toledo. He'll join the team in Cleveland on Monday to fill the long relief spot in the bullpen held by Evan Reed, who was optioned to Toledo.
Whenever he gets into a game -- the way Detroit's starters are pitching lately, innings have been tough to find for most of Detroit's supporting relievers -- it'll be Bonderman's first appearance in a Tigers uniform since Oct. 1, 2010. He has had Tommy John surgery, a year of retirement, a year of injury rehab and a comeback with the Seattle Mariners since then.
This makes it a homecoming.
"We were trying to get another veteran arm with our big league club," team president/general manager Dave Dombrowski said.
This one comes with a history. Ten years after Bonderman broke into the big leagues with Detroit as a 20-year-old rookie starter, beginning an eight-year stint in the organization, he's back as a veteran reliever.
Bonderman signed a Minor League deal with the Tigers last month after he was designated for assignment in Seattle, where he went 1-3 with a 4.93 ERA in seven starts. He had some strong starts in June before struggling his last couple outings.
The Tigers planned on using him as a starter in Toledo, but he asked to pitch in relief, knowing it was the one way he could get back to Detroit barring an injury in the rotation. He thrived in a middle relief role from the first moment, delivering 9 2/3 scoreless innings on three hits over seven appearances with no walks and five strikeouts.
The Mud Hens stretched him out as a test on Monday and Thursday, and he responded with 4 2/3 scoreless innings combined on two hits.
"He's pitched very well," Dombrowski said. "He has consistently thrown strikes. His velocity has been solid. He's had good movement. His slider has been good. He's actually thrown some changeups. He's quicker to the plate than he used to be. He's done a lot of good things for us."
Reed, a 27-year-old rookie, had delivered 5 2/3 scoreless innings over his last four outings, but team officials opted for experience in the role.
"Reed did nothing wrong. He pitched very, very well for us," Dombrowski said. "But really, it's more a matter to trying to get a veteran arm to pitch a few innings for us."
It wasn't an easy call for Reed, who was clearly surprised by the decision.
"It's tough," said Reed, who replaced injured Darin Downs as Detroit's long reliever July 7. "You just pitch as good as you can every chance you get."
Cabrera sits until key pinch-hit single in 12th
DETROIT -- Miguel Cabrera doesn't get the chance to step off the bench and play the hero very often. On Sunday, he stepped very carefully and delivered the leadoff single that sparked the game-winning rally in the 12th inning off Dylan Axelrod.
"It's unbelievable. He hasn't seen a live pitch in I don't know how many days, and gets a base hit up the middle," Rick Porcello said.
After a slow jog to first base, Cabrera was gone, lifted for pinch-runner Matt Tuiasosopo. When Cabrera's next at-bat will be is anyone's guess.
Asked about his health, Cabrera changed the topic.
"It was a good win," Cabrera said.
Cabrera was out of the lineup for the fourth consecutive game as manager Jim Leyland gave his abdominal strain one more day to recover before the Tigers begin a four-game divisional clash in Cleveland. Cabrera looked fine in his pregame workout, taking ground balls and batting practice, but hitting and lateral movement have never been the problem for him. It's running, Cabrera said, that tests his injury.
"He felt a lot better [Saturday]," Leyland said, "but that was my decision not to play him."
Jose Iglesias started at third base for the third straight game and made several slick plays. Don Kelly, who started in right field as Leyland gave Torii Hunter and his Achilles a day off, batted third in Cabrera's spot.
Downs stays at Triple-A after ending rehab assignment
DETROIT -- Darin Downs completed his rehab assignment for Triple-A Toledo Saturday night, only to be optioned there to pitch full time. The Tigers activated the lefty reliever from the 15-day disabled list Sunday morning and optioned him to the Mud Hens.
Downs was scheduled to pitch an inning in his final rehab appearance for the Hens on Saturday. Downs allowed four runs, three earned, on three hits over three innings with two walks and five strikeouts for his rehab assignment. He went 0-2 with a 5.18 ERA in 26 appearances for the Tigers before going on the DL, allowing 36 hits over 33 innings with 10 walks and 37 strikeouts.
Benoit's adjustment to closing leads to fewer homers
DETROIT -- Tigers manager Jim Leyland explained Joaquin Benoit's intelligence and his use of it in the closer's role before Sunday's finale against the White Sox.
"There's the pure-stuff-type closer, and then there's the figure-it-out closer," Leyland said.
Benoit, he said, is a little bit of both. That looks evident in the stats.
A year ago, Benoit led Major League relievers with 14 home runs allowed, more than double his total in any other season in which he has been a full-time reliever. With just under two months to go, Benoit has allowed two home runs in 45 innings.
It would be lowest home-run ratio of his career if he keeps it up. Coupled with that, his .66 ratio of ground balls to fly balls would be the highest of his career.
It wasn't any major correction in mechanics, Benoit said. His best explanation is that it's a product of a change in approach.
"In the role that I'm in right now, they're taking more pitches," Benoit said. "And I'm throwing more fastballs. I'm just trying to throw first-pitch strikes down in the zone and go from there."
That, if anything, is the one major adjustment he has made to closing. In the ninth inning, especially trailing by two or three runs, hitters are more likely to try to work a count and draw a walk than in other situations.
Leyland rested Benoit on Sunday after he pitched the ninth inning the previous couple nights. He has racked up 13 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, allowing 10 hits while walking four and striking out 16.
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. Read Beck's Blog and follow him on Twitter @beckjason. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text: Seriously think about this logically. How can a flying spaghetti "whatever†live or make something? If we are made in Gods image, I'm not spaghetti am I? you have probably ruined millions of people's lives. Y is there pirates in ur religion? I am trying 2 act like u don't have mental disabilities, but it's very hard. This is blasphemy and u will probably burn in hell for the next eternity for ruining the lives of millions of people. I don't know ne1 who "believes†in ur load of #$^@!like the words of others GET SOME HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!