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Will the Moto X launch right after Thursday's announcement?
0. phoneArena posted on 28 Jul 2013, 09:50
Founder of Android and Me, Taylor Wimberly has been posting a steady stream of rumors on his Google+ feed about the upcoming Motorola Moto X. He has posted with confidence about the possibility of various material options for the backplate as well as the overall design of the device including Moto Magic Glass. Today, Taylor isn't so confident in his info, and neither are we...
This is a discussion for a news. To read the whole news, click here
1. Mxyzptlk (unregistered)
Everything said about the X has been nothing but rumor and speculation. Unless there's something concrete, I don't see it releasing anytime soon.
2. InspectorGadget80 (unregistered)
And you're a blind simpleton fool. Motorola conference is this Thursday so just wait so we can hear what they have too show the long awaited X PHONE for full specs.
10. Mxyzptlk (unregistered)
Don't get your panties in a bunch. They said the same thing at another Motorola event and it got shot down.
12. Berzerk000 (Posts: 4275; Member since: 26 Jun 2011)
There was a press conference in July that was suspected to announce the Moto X but turned out to be fake, yes. But this time, Motorola sent invites that actually said "Meet Moto X" on them with the date August 1st.
3. Berzerk000 (Posts: 4275; Member since: 26 Jun 2011)
Not everything. We know it's going to be announced August 1st, it's going to have an OLED based 720p display, it will have a dual core Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU (possibly in Motorola's own X8 configuration with 2 additional cores dedicated to certain tasks), and it's almost certain that you'll be able to customize the color (and maybe material) of the back plate, side trim, and front panel of the device independently.
9. Droid_X_Doug (Posts: 5993; Member since: 22 Dec 2010)
"(possibly in Motorola's own X8 configuration with 2 additional cores dedicated to certain tasks)"
Isn't this (the 2 additional cores) what differentiates the X8 from the S4 Pro? I thought the Moto X was confirmed to have the X8 SoC?
11. Berzerk000 (Posts: 4275; Member since: 26 Jun 2011)
It is, without those 2 extra cores it's just an S4 Pro, that's what I was saying. All we've seen from benchmarks is a dual core processor with Adreno 320 for the GPU, which is the S4 Pro, but that doesn't confirm whether it's the X8 SoC because the benchmarks don't recognize the other 2 cores. That's why I'm hoping it is the X8, but we'll have to wait until the official announcement to be sure.
13. TheLolGuy (Posts: 483; Member since: 05 Mar 2013)
I don't think its an S4 pro. The new Nexus 7, while thought to be a quad-core S4 pro, was actually basically an underclocked S600 -- it could explain why the Moto X and new Nexus 7 could score noticeably better. Software optimizations can help performance certainly, but the leaked scores were a bit of a stretch.
14. Berzerk000 (Posts: 4275; Member since: 26 Jun 2011)
That's what I was confused about with the benchmark scores. Benchmarks placed it among the quad core Snapdragon 600's, and this is supposed to be a dual core S4 Pro? I mean, the benchmarks only recognized 2 cores and Adreno 320 as the graphics, that's consistent, but it shouldn't score so high. Not even software optimizations can stretch it that far.
That's why I first thought that maybe Motorola put something in the software that makes benchmarks think it's not what it actually is, to keep the specs from being leaked out I guess. I don't know what else it could be though.
I remember you saying on a previous article of the Moto X that it might be a dual core variant of the Snapdragon 600, but I don't think Krait 300 is such an improvement over Krait 200 in the S4 Pro that it would boost benchmarks to the point where it's as powerful as the quad core variants, even when paired with major software optimization.
4. rabidhunter (Posts: 90; Member since: 05 Jul 2013)
FCC Filings are not rumor and speculation, they're a matter of public record and in black and white.
7. roldefol (Posts: 4674; Member since: 28 Jan 2011)
And when the Moto X launches successfully in a few weeks, then what will you squawk about?
8. Droid_X_Doug (Posts: 5993; Member since: 22 Dec 2010)
Ummm. If you want 'facts', don't waste your time on sites that aren't published by the respective manufacturers. The whole attraction of the non-manufacturer sites is the speculation. Some sites are more accurate than others, which gets them greater following compared to the sites that always miss the target.
17. Daftama (Posts: 619; Member since: 03 Nov 2012)
Can u name a few sites that r better.. I for one could careless what this site says just fun to read comments better than the story lol
15. VZWuser76 (Posts: 4933; Member since: 04 Mar 2010)
I've said this to you before, ANY information about ANY phone that comes before the official announcement is rumor and speculation. I thought that was understood by all, but you continue to be surprised by this. Try and take it to heart this time.
I find it funny that you have no problem speculating on the rumors that come out for any Apple products, as if those leaks are somewhat more credible simply because they are for an Apple device. If anything, those leaks should be met with more skepticism due to Apple's iron fisted secrecy regarding upcoming products.
19. roldefol (Posts: 4674; Member since: 28 Jan 2011)
But Apple has never announced a device and then cancelled it. See, there was that one time that Motorola announced the Droid Bionic at CES '11 and then cancelled the phone. And then there was that other time that Motorola announced the Droid Bionic at CES '11, and then they cancelled the phone. And don't even get me started on the Droid Bionic. What a fiasco that turned out to be. Almost as bad as the Droid Bionic. So what we've seen is a persistent pattern of announcement and cancellation on the part of Motorola. Why should we expect the Moto X to be any different from those other 1 phones?
20. VZWuser76 (Posts: 4933; Member since: 04 Mar 2010)
Myx.........? Oh I see what you did there.
21. maxx013us (Posts: 1; Member since: 29 Jul 2013)
Get your facts straight ... Droid Bionic was not cancelled but delayed by 4 months. Instead of launching in April 2011 it was eventually launched in Aug 2011.
22. roldefol (Posts: 4674; Member since: 28 Jan 2011)
No, the Bionic (codename Etna) displayed at CES 11 was out and out cancelled and the name was reassigned to a different phone (codename Targa). You don't delay a phone for half a year and then change the SoC and body entirely. That thing was dead. Only the name carried on. But that's ancient history to everyone except Mxy.
5. rtol1 (Posts: 21; Member since: 18 Jul 2013)
Didn't Dennis Woodside mention something along the lines of the phone arriving late summer? I'd imagine that would mean closer to the end of August. That would give Motorola some time to build enough supply of the phone to distribute to the carriers and other sellers that should meet consumer demand.
6. GTR722 (Posts: 270; Member since: 20 Oct 2012)
I hope the phone cost less than 300$ unlocked and that you can pick one in amazon
16. flynfree (Posts: 374; Member since: 09 Jun 2013)
Is there anyone can suggest which video player is compatible with 4.3jb for gnexus? Even mx player is not compatible with it, that's the one flaw of nexus, there's no native video player and lack of video codec.
18. itsdeepak4u2000 (Posts: 3718; Member since: 03 Nov 2012)
try vlc..


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The North Face Men's Grey Peak Triclimate Jacket is a super beefy/versatile jacket with a 3-in-1 layering system. It can be worn so many different ways.... have you ever seen the movie or show Transformers? Wearing this jacket is pretty much the closest you will ever come to being a Transformer. Is it stormy outside? Throw on the ultra-durable HyVent exterior outer shell. Getting a little chilly or heading into the mountains? Zip in the Heatseeker mid-layer, then further regulate warmth with pit-zips and a Velcro front zipper stormflap. Then if it gets warmer or if you're hitting the town just transform the Grey Peak jacket into just the stylish mid-layer. *cue transformation noises*
So sorry, but only 4 items are allowed for comparison, so we're comparing the first 4. I blame the gnomes and so should you.
Would you like to compare the products you have selected now?

subset: commoncrawl


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(Reuters) - The Dominican Republic edged Caribbean neighbors Puerto Rico 2-0 in Miami on Saturday to complete an unbeaten run to the semi-finals of the World Baseball Classic as top seeds.
The victory gave the Dominicans (6-0) a day off before they meet the Netherlands in the semi-finals on Monday at AT&T Park in San Francisco, venue for the final round of the 16-team international tournament.
Puerto Rico will return to the diamond on Sunday in San Francisco to face defending champions Japan, winners of the first two WBC titles in 2006 and 2009.
The championship game will be on Tuesday at AT&T Park, home of the World Series champion San Francisco Giants.
Catcher Carlos Santana of the Cleveland Indians, crushed a long home run to lead off the fifth inning and Pittsburgh Pirates lefty Wandy Rodriguez pitched six innings of two-hit ball to earn the win for the Dominican Republic.
Puerto Rico squandered a good chance to score in the third when Irving Falu was thrown out at the plate on a fielder's choice grounder to Dominican shortstop Erick Aybar of the Los Angeles Angels.
Aybar also made a heads-up play in the eighth on a fielder's choice grounder, helping to quell a Puerto Rico threat by getting Martin Maldonado at third base to short-circuit a rally.
The shortstop was in the middle of the action in bottom of the eighth as well, singling with one out, reaching third on Robinson Cano's single and scoring on a two-out single by Francisco Pena for an insurance run.
Fernando Rodney, the Tampa Bay closer, pitched the ninth for his fifth save of the Classic.
The game drew over 25,000 fans to Marlins Park for a total of more than 153,000 for the six games in Pool 2 play in Miami.
Reporting by Larry Fine, Editing by Gene Cherry


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Discussion in 'General Trek Discussion' started by Shaw, Apr 15, 2009.
^ Good work Gary.
^ Thanks, Gary.
The Starfleet Department of Parks and Recreation:
^^^^That is awesome! April is PERFECT as a Klingon. I can't tell. Is that Jerry as Neelix?
Yeah it's Jerry. It's difficult to tell because I used a picture where he's actually smiling and because I tried to keep a lot of Neelix's head.
If Aziz were in trek photoshoot somehow I think he would have that exact same grin.
"What are some Star Trak words?"
"Look at me, I'm firing the Phasers"
Earlier in the thread were examples of actors in other shows 'shopped into Trek uniforms for RPG characters they created.
So, without further ado:
I apologize about the size; I used to have this as my avatar here, and it was the only version handy.
^Cool. And somewhat creepy. Good work.
Thank you.
Na'vi-ish Treksters - JJ and Pine
Nice work everyone.
Okay, so this month being about costumes and all that, I decided to have some fun with an Avatarish theme. First, I started out with this trusty photo of JJ Abrams seen below:
It was the best one I could find of him doing a search. It'd be nice if he had some professional pictures taken so that his best photos aren't paparazzi pics from the red carpet. I like his freckly complexion, but like most people, his skin-texture is very uneven in these situations and it took some trying to get it smoothed out while still looking like human skin. Hopefully, with the Star Trek promos coming, he'll have a couple of professional pictures done for press junkets or something, and maybe one without the glasses. Anyway... here's my Na'vi-ish JJ.
I know the nose isn't too much like a Na'vi, but I wanted him to still be recognizable, and I've seen manips where the person before looks nothing like the Na'vi made after. I also made a Na'vi-sh Chris Pine. His photo was a lot easier to work with because he's an actor, and so that means he's got a number of professionally made photos to choose from. This was the one I picked (mainly because I already had it on file, lol.)
And here's what I ended up making:
A close-up:
One thing about these is that when I enlarged Chris' eyes, they were absolutely perfect the way that they were, but the blue eyes didn't look as good against blue skin, so I changed the color. I still might try another one where his eyes stay blue. Anyway, it was fun and in the spirit of the holidays.
Oh, and the hair really is the same color; it just looks red against the blue skin. Interesting. And "I see you," is from the Leona Lewis song of the same name (Avatar Movie Soundtrack) that was blaring in my head while I was making these, lol.
Nice stuff.
A continuation of Gary 7's earlier masterpiece - I present "You can never have enough Bacon unless you're a Klingon".
I think Kevin Bacon looks awesome as Data.
Oh my goodness! Brilliant!
Absolutely Priceless!
"Admiral, there be whales here!"
Nice one.
Separate names with a comma.


text:
Don't miss out on a lower price on this property
Get an overview of this hotelOne of St. Lucia's best beachfront locations
Popular property highlights
Caribbean Sea views
Located directly on Reduit Beach, widely regarded as the best beach on St. Lucia, and surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens. Local Rodney Bay Village is a short walk for local shopping and entertainment.
All-Inclusive resort
The St. Lucian by Rex Resorts All-Inclusive plan includes meals and drinks.
Patio or balcony
Guestrooms at St. Lucian by Rex Resorts have patios or balconies facing the gardens, pool, or sea. Tropical decor includes rattan furniture and tile floors. TVs provide US/international cable channels.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us! Opens in a new window.
St Lucian by rex resorts - All-Inclusive
Resort Amenities
All-Inclusive Details
This resort is all-inclusive. Onsite food and beverages are included in the room price (some restrictions may apply).
Gratuities and taxes
Gratuities and taxes are included.
Food and beverages
- Buffet meals, snacks, and local beverages included
- Dining and beverage availability limited at one or more venues
Activities and facilities/equipment
Land activities
- Fitness facilities
- Volleyball
- Onsite live performances
Not included
- Golf green fees
- Use of golf cart
- Use of golf equipment
- Miniature golf
- Motorized water sports
- Sailboats
- Scuba-diving certification
- Scuba-diving excursions
- Scuba-diving lessons
- Snorkeling excursions
- Snorkeling gear
- Tennis lessons
- Tennis racquets
- Windsurfing equipment
- Premium food items
- Premium and/or non-domestic beverages
- Bottled wine
- Minibar
- Room service
- Airport transfers
- Childcare
- Laundry/dry cleaning services
- Spa/beauty facilities and services
- Activities and services offered by independent operators
- Offsite tours
- Transportation to offsite activities
Resort Amenities
The resort's open-air Mariners restaurant, located on the beach, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets, with à la carte menus also available at lunch and dinner. The Oriental restaurant, open for dinner only, serves Asian fare from an à la carte menu. The resort has entertainment 3 nights a week - a solo guitarist or guitarist with singer.
Shops and a beauty salon face 2 fountain courtyards. A full-service spa is located next door at the sister property, Royal by Rex Resorts. The Royal Spa offers a wide array of treatments ranging from massages and pedicures, to skin care from Dermalogica, to hydrotherapy baths (charges apply); a full gym is also available. A vendors' market selling local arts, crafts, and clothing is nearby. The Internet center contains 2 computers with high-speed access. Guests have complimentary access to the fitness center, use of sun loungers, and beach towels. Babysitting or childcare is available for a surcharge.
- Free use of nearby fitness center
- Bar/lounge
- 24-hour front desk
- Conference space
- Free breakfast
- Porter/bellhop
- Grocery/convenience store
- Restaurant
- Beach sun loungers
- Free self parking
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Pool sun loungers
- Free WiFi
- Outdoor pool
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Smoke-free property
- Supervised childcare/activities (free)
- Supervised childcare/activities (surcharge)
- Hair salon
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Shopping on site
- Pool umbrellas
- Beach towels
- Total number of rooms - 150
- Number of floors - 3
- Wedding services
- Multilingual staff
Family Friendly Amenities
- Outdoor pool
- Supervised childcare/activities (free)
- Free Wi-Fi
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Grocery/convenience store
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- Refrigerator
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking
Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- Room service (limited hours)
- Balcony or patio
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Air conditioning
- Access via exterior corridors
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Phone
- Refrigerator
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Shower/tub combination
- In-room childcare (surcharge)
- In-room safe
- Cable TV service
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Cribs/infant beds available
- Free WiFi
- Partially open bathroom
Where to Eat
Admiral's Bar & Lounge - Piano bar offering evening entertainment.
Mariners - Friendly and informal open-air restaurant/bar overlooking Reduit Beach serving buffet style meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast and lunch dress code: casual T-shirts with sleeves and regular shorts for men, modest wraps for ladies. Dinner dress code: long pants, sleeved shirts, no beach sandals for men. Open daily 7:30 AM-9:45 PM.
The Oriental - Air-conditioned Asian restaurant with walls and ceiling painted in rose-colored pattern. Fabric-draped light fixtures, Asian artifacts. Dinner only. Reservations required. Dress code: long pants, sleeved shirts, no beach sandals for men. Open daily except Wednesday, 7-10 PM. This restaurant is not part of the all-inclusive package.
Nearby Things to Do
The hotel faces golden-sand Reduit Beach along the Caribbean Sea. Waters remain calm in most weather. Beach lounge chairs are provided. In addition to a wide range of water sports in the calm blue waters of the Caribbean Sea, the St Lucian is one of many hotels St Lucia that caters for particularly active guests, with one outdoor pool and a fully equipped gymnasium at the adjacent Royal by rex resorts.
Scuba diving, scuba-diving instruction, snorkeling excursions, water skiing, banana-boating, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, tubing, and sailing lessons are available to all guests for surcharges. Guests receive a discount for sailing lessons.
St. Lucia Golf & Country Club's 18-hole course is 3 miles (5 kilometers) away.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or near the resort; fees may apply.
- Snorkeling on site
- Golfing nearby
- Volleyball on site
- Beach volleyball on site
- Kayaking on site
- Water skiing on site
- Parasailing on site
- Ziplining nearby
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Boat tours nearby
- Sailing on site
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Personal motorized watercraft on site
- Scuba diving nearby
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
Resort Policies
Check-in time ends at midnight
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 18
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available.
- Cribs (infant beds) are available.
- Pets not allowed
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Resort Name
- rex resorts
- rex resorts All-Inclusive
- St Lucian rex resorts
- St Lucian rex resorts All-Inclusive
- St Lucian rex resorts All-Inclusive Gros Islet
- St Lucian rex resorts Gros Islet


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Some teams ascending, some...
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Some teams ascending, some are going down towards Camp 1 (500 vertical meters down on the glacier), which is located just right of "The Tooth". This is one of the easier parts of the climb in between C 1 and C2. Only shorter sections with snow up to 70 degrees. Altitude: 6450m.
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text:
Paul McCartney has spent a lot of time on the road with his current band in the past few decades. With a huge catalog of hits from his Beatles, Wings and solo eras, you'd think by now that he has left no stone in his set list unturned.
You'd be wrong.
On Saturday (May 4) in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, McCartney kicked off his "Out There" tour with the Beatles classic "Eight Days A Week," a song Sir Paul only performed once back in 1965 with the Fab Four (according to McCartney's official website).
Other Beatles songs making their first appearance in a McCartney set list that night included "Your Mother Should Know," "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!," "Lovely Rita" and "All Together Now." He also played two Wings classics that he'd never done in his solo career: "Listen To What The Man Said" and "Hi, Hi, Hi."
McCartney's concert comes months ofter local fans started a Facebook petition to get the Beatle to play in Belo Horizonte. At the end of the show Paul stood on stage with the ladies who started the petition: Priscila Brito (27), Luisa Mattos (25), Camila Flores (25) and Cecilia Cury (21). Paul publicly thanked the women and also signed Cecilia's Beatles tattoo.
— Brian Ives, Radio.com


text:
Torino will always be welcome in Serie A. Their presence there just feels...right. Few clubs are quite as evocative of Italian football's history as the Granata, even if the events they are most strongly associated with – the Superga disaster, the death of Gigi Meroni – are tragic ones.
No tragedies have befallen them this summer, but preparations for their return to the top tier after three years away have been far from ideal. Back in May they threw away the Serie B title, their 0-0 draw with already relegated Albinoleffe on the last day allowing Pescara to take the cadetti crown. In Serie B promotion is the be-all and end-all, but having led the division for so much of the season, Toro's collapse was both disappointing and avoidable.
Last week they joined the multitude of clubs punished by the FIGC for their part in Calcioscommesse. Torino might look at Siena's six-point penalty and €100,000 fine, and reflect that they got off lightly with a one-point penalty and €30,000 fine, but with players Jean Francois Gillet, Salvatore Masiello, Giuseppe Vives and Alessandro Gazzi all still under investigation, their part in the betting scandal isn't finished yet.
Away from the courts, President Urbano Cairo has been pilloried by fans for the club's transfer market inertia. Cairo - who reportedly whipped his shirt off and danced on a table at a promotion party in May - saved Toro from extinction when their promotion to Serie A was revoked in 2005 for financial mismanagement, and lead a very hastily thrown together side back into the top flight just one year later. But the goodwill that act won him has gradually been eroded in the intervening years.
In recent weeks, the club have shaken off that inertia, snapping up Gazzi, Mario Santana, Matteo Brighi and Guillermo Rodriguez, with Abdelkader Ghezzal soon to follow. Solid, experienced Serie A pros, but they aren't inspiring supporters to rush out and buy season tickets, and they aren't likely to inspire any fear in the opposition either. In fact, their most exciting signing is the one who hasn't appeared in Serie A before, Gianluca Sansone, the third highest scorer in Serie B last season with 20 goals for Sassuolo.
"As more days pass," the Gazzetta dello Sport writes today, "Toro are losing the momentum of promotion, the enthusiasm of their fans, and confidence in the players themselves."
It's a good thing therefore, that they have a man at the helm who has thrived in spite of chronically low expectations at a newly promoted outfit before. When Giampiero Ventura took over then Serie B champions Bari shortly after the shock departure of Antonio Conte in 2009, the southerners were expected to sink without a trace. Instead they shocked everyone by finishing 10th and playing what many regarded as the most attractive football in Italy at the time.
Ventura has now brought a number of those Bari players to Turin's Stadio Olimpico, and still favours the 4-4-2/4-2-4 formation which underpinned the Galletti's success. The Granata have also, despite an abundance of speculation to the contrary, managed thus far to retain Angelo Ogbonna and Rolando Bianchi, the leaders of their defence and attack respectively. "We all work for the good of Torino and hope to do well," striker Alessandro Sgrigna stated on Saturday. "The group that is growing is very reminiscent of last year, very united."
"For them it is not an easy time but they try not to show it," he went on, referring to his teammates embroiled in the match fixing scandal. "We all try to be around them as much as possible."
With Ventura in charge and a decent if not exactly dazzling squad taking shape, Torino should have enough about them to survive, but their chances of achieving anything beyond that, or troubling Juventus in the Derby della Mole, look slim. Don't expect to see Cairo dancing on a table anytime soon.
Keep up to date with the latest news and action from Spain's Primera Division with Football Espana - from the team behind Football Italia.


text:
Meet Captain James Fritzen Taylor, The Southwest Pilot Ranter
[There was a video here]
So we now have a name and a face to put to the voice heard around the world — the prick of a Southwest pilot whose hateful thoughts on the "gays, grannies and grandes" of the flight crew were accidentally broadcast and caught on tape for all to hear.
His name is Capt. James Fritzen Taylor and he hails from the town of Argyle, Texas. Taylor, who in the rant complained that two "chicks" from work refused to sleep with him, lives with his wife and two children, aged 18 and 20. How proud they must be of their dad.
KPRC, who broke the original story, now reports that Taylor — who was suspended without pay and underwent diversity training before returning to his job — has issued a statement of apology to his co-workers.
The full text:
June 28, 2011
To All Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants and all Employees:
Because of the impact of my comments, I wanted to communicate with you directly. Please accept my most sincere apology for the inappropriate and disrespectful remarks I made in March with an open microphone. I deeply regret the derogatory remarks I made and the hurt I have caused - I take full responsibility for those comments. It was truly insensitive of me and I would like all of you to know that from now on, I will show nothing but the utmost respect during my interactions with all employees. In addition, I would like to extend a special apology to all Flight Attendants, and especially those of Houston. I hope you will allow me to maintain a working relationship with all of you that will provide me the opportunity to extend an individual, personal apology to each one of you whenever we fly together. Please know that this event has forever changed me and I hope that others can learn from my mistake. I have learned a much-needed lesson to be more sensitive of others and I hope you will see me as a more tolerant and considerate person. I am proud to be employed by Southwest Airlines and I am committed to representing our Company, and its employees in the most professional way possible.
With My Sincere Regards,
Captain James Taylor
Terrible apology! And his co-workers agree — particularly the part about him promising to be more "tolerant" of their various, totally un-bangable lifestyles, ages, and body-types. (Houston gets a special shout-out because he called them "the ugliest group company-wide.")
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly, meanwhile, is under heavy fire for not having shitcanned this person who clearly should have been shitcanned. He recorded a voicemail message for the entire company, in which he explained that he hadn't been made aware of the suspension at the time, only learning about it once the story hit the news. But since that was the company's decision, his hands were tied. Right. If Taylor had a shred of decency, which of course we know he does not, he'd have resigned by now. How he still manages to show up to work and face these people every day is beyond all comprehension. [KPRC]
Previously: Southwest Pilot Accidentally Broadcasts Misogynistic, Homophobic Rant


text:
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anche da due insieme...
Voglio farmi sbattere da una trans!
avevo giusto voglio di tirarmi una sega prima di cena, certo che anche sukkiare il bel cazzo di una travona ci sta' dentro. Anche farselo ficcare in culo... mi sborro in mano al pensiero...
I would love to let her fuck my so hard
I want her to fuck me
que chido
TS Foxxy
Can someone do this to me pls
Great tits. I want her to fuck me.
filmed in San Francisco at Kink Studios
does anyone know her name!?!?
she is gorgeous in that turquoise lingerie so he gets ass fucked to pay for bj lol good the way she pounds him
i'd let her fuck me i hope she's a bit more gentle with me though where is taht castle from... eastern europe.. where is this filmed any1 know?
she can fuck me all nite long
Wow very hot gal..who is she??
mark, bro, im the same way so i can say for a fact, no, it does not make u bi or curios, just a straight guy who likes trannys.
Woow shes hot but omg surprise- a dick?
i'd gladly get fucked by her
WOW she is fucking HOTTT would let her fuck my any day
I have a girl friend, but this is what I want. Does that make me bi-sexual or just curious? She looks fantastic.
anybody know her name
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text:
Rays Will not Rush Price
I was sitting here last night re-reading some of the comments made during my blog about the fifth rotation spot for the Tampa Bay Rays basically coming down to two guys, with another having and outside slim chance of maybe slipping if some one implodes and burns on the mound. The fact that Rays tall Texan Jeff Niemann is showing the type of dominance and confidence they saw in him when they drafted him with the fourth pick in the first round years ago. Also the fact I had Jason Hammel's name tied to this two-some left people blank on him.
Everyone was running David Price's name across the comment line and wanting, no yearning to see if the Rays would do the right thing and put their "best" guy at their fifth spot. The problem with this scenario is not as simple as we all might want it to be. I am a huge Price fan, and I would love to see him throw from now until October by hook or by crook. But I also see the Rays front office and Ray Manager Joe Maddon's side of things that we do not hurt the future to keep the present situation par for the course. Come on people, the oldest member of our pitching staff is not even 30 years of age yet.
And our youngest starter is Scott Kazmir, who has several Rays records already at such a young juncture in his Rays career. Kazmir is 25 years old people and has years of experience beyond what Price has right now. The Rays rushed Kazmir to the majors in part because he was the best they had in the system with no one even close to his talent and potential level near the top of the minor league system. If the Rays were competitive when they traded pitcher Victor Zambrano to the New York Mets for Kazmir, he would have started in the minors too. When your system boasts at least 5 of your minor league pitchers as your Top 10 list of prospects in your system, you can take your time and let them mature.
People tend to forget that Price went from Class-A Florida State League Vero Beach Rays to Double-A Montgomery Biscuits, to Triple-A Durham Bulls in less than a season. He started the year on the mend and did not pitch, but still accelerated through the system fast and furious. And he did nor suffer a loss until he hit the Triple-A level in 2008. 4 months, that is the total amount of time he has spent in the minor this year. Around 120 days and we want to rush him up for good? And even there, he had limited starting gigs compared to Wade Davis, Mitch Talbot and Jeff Niemann. For example, Niemann made 24 starts in Durham last years and 2 up with the Rays early in the year. So you would think that if Price has something to work on, and has options, why not use that to your advantage and send him down and let him get ample work without stress or high expectations.
I think the high expectation route will follow him from now on whenever he hits the big time. Because people threw the name "Bob Gibson" out there, he is going to get comparisons to everyone who was ever a left-handed pitcher in the major leagues. Funny, people forgot that Gibson got his start in a little hamlet in Florida when he was a rookie with the St. Louis Cardinals. What was the name of that town again…………Oh, yeah, St. Petersburg, Florida where the Cardinals held their spring training at the Busch complex out on 62nd Ave NE. Price has nothing to prove to Rays fans. He made a prediction that went unnoticed to some people that he wanted to be at the major league level at some point in 2008.
Well, we all know he got here. And where did he get his first professional appearance? Well, he got to give his own personal goodbye to Yankee Stadium when he came in to replace Edwin Jackson in that game and went 5.1/3 innings. He also gave up 3 hits and 2 runs in that relief appearance, which included a solo home run to Derek Jeter. But people focused more on the fact he had 4 strikeouts in that game, and put A Rod and the Yankee hitter on their heels for a bit that day. How many people remember that he did get one start in 2008 against the Baltimore Orioles late in the season while with the Rays. And also who knew that he made 5 total appearances in the 2008 regular season for 14 innings, and gave up 9 hits and struck out 12, plus posted a nifty 1.93 ERA in his short time up with the Rays.
So why is it that the Rays are willing to send down their best right now when he can help them at the start of the season this year? Well, the Rays have always valued a young pitchers arm and have been very protective of their talents. I was reading a recent St Petersburg Times article that stated that the Rays: "did extensive research a few years back and discovered younger pitchers were at greater risk for arm troubles when they had an increase of more than 20 percent in innings pitched from one season to the next. Considering Price's long-term value, it seems unlikely the Rays will allow him to jump from around 130 innings in 2008 to more than 200 innings this season. They'd probably prefer 170. They might push 180. Anything else is a game of roulette. "
Now it is beginning to make sense right? With the great rotation already in place, why risk a future top of the line guy right now for a few extra innings in April. The best case situation for the Rays is that another team comes sniffing around looking for a starter and either Hammel or Niemann get plucked to make the Rays decision easier. But they still might not put Price right into the rotation based on his possible innings he could throw. He might just slip into the Bullpen like in the later part of 2008 and mature and study the American League hitters. Some pitchers never get that luxury in their careers to sit back and learn by watching other pitchers dissect and manipulate batters. They do not get the top of the line scouting reports and the video breakdowns as consistent in the minor leagues.
Believe me, Price's day will come. He is not only bound for glory, people have already put him to almost cult status after a few months. Everyone remembers that Game 7 strikeout of J D Drew to seal the Rays trip to the World Series. It made him a star in both leagues and cemented his name in Rays lore for life. But what we fail to remember is that when a guy come out of the Bullpen into a game, he is really concentrating on two pitches to get him through the battle. When Price came up he had a major league level fastball and slider, but lack a consistent third pitch. Relievers can blow people out of the box with well-placed pitches, and most of them only rely on two types. The Rays told Price to put his change-up in his back pocket and concentrate on his big two pitches.
This bring about the biggest reason for him to go down for a short time. He was a reliever in the last part of 2008. It takes a different mindset to be a starter than a reliever. Most people think that is BS, but the preparation is different. He just has to get that rhythm and flow again to start games and last through 5-6 innings. To add some more finesse to his increasingly improved change-up will only further make him a better pitcher. To understand why you need three pitches, let's go back to Kazmir. For most of 2008 after his injury in early Spring Training, he did not throw his former "out" pitch, his slider. This gave batters more of a chance to guess right on his other two power pitches and he got hammered a little more than usual.
The Rays know that their future is in the left arm of Price. They also know that for him to be a productive member of this staff for a long time will take some delicate moves and maybe baby him through the process for a short time. It might seem to be a waste right now, but in the end, he will be a better pitcher and a more successful Rays player for it. I did some research and found out that the Rays might have Price under control due to his present contract to 2014. With this contract, it looks as if they might not have the arbitration worries I brought up before as a reason to keep him down on the farm. I can admit when I am wrong, and in this case I left one high and hanging over the plate.
Worst case scenario is that he is down in the minors for most of the season. But people also forget that he only had 4 starts at Durham total. And in those 4 starts, he averaged 17.5 pitches per inning. If you really add that up to be a usual 6 inning outing, he was at 105 pitches. Price is the future of the Rays, and with the recent success, they do not need to rush him or themselves to make harsh and hasty decision in 2009. With a 162 game season, the first 5-6 times through the rotation will not Price or the Rays with him up in North Carolina getting stronger and developing that change-up to be a "out" pitch for him. With other options that are not dangers to the club at the fifth rotation, throwing him into the fire would not be to anyone's advantage. But by bringing him along slow and easy, he can transition perfectly into his major league career and never have to look back or wonder.
photo credits for today's blog go to: ( James Borcheck)www.stpetersburgtimes.com, www.knucklecurve.com, firstname.lastname@example.com, www.yahoo.sports.com.
21 Comments
I'd like to see Price in right now, but at least now I understand why the Rays are sending him back down. He'll be up at one point this year, even if it is in September when the minors finish their year. We'll find out who will get number 5 spot when camp breaks, I suppose. Good news with Price is everyone in the organization has his back. They'll help him along – even the other starters. All the starters are under 30 yrs old – so, hopefully, they'll be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come!
Thanks for the insight!
oh, and congrats on making it to the next round in the Max Madness!
It makes perfect sense Rays Renegade! The Red Sox also take it slow with their young guys – and I think it is the right thing to do! In the long run a team can get so much more out of a player if they are patient.
Everyone knows the potential of the kid. He is 1 year and bit over 7 months younger than Scott Kazmir. And he already has 47 wins in the big leagues at 25.
Why rush the guy, you have very amble guys to man the fifth position for awhile this year, and you can make their stock rise by having them show their stuff during the season.
Niemann and Hammel deserve a shot to show they belong in the league.
You forget the Rays drafted Travis Phelps in1996 with their 89th selection ( 1721st pick) with the lowest pick in the MLB draft at the time and he made it to the MLB level. He will always be the record holder since the MLB doesn't go that far down in the drafting segment anymore. He played two years for the Rays, then went into the Florida Marlins system, then in 2004 he was last seen with the Brewer's .
True story.
Rays Renegade
I was checking it out a few times last night seeing it go from 64 – 70 percent.
I do want to thank anyone, everyone and someone for taking the time to vote for me last night. I did some off the brain thinking and I might have my next round maybe next Tuesday or so if they keep the same format.
I might have beaten one American League East blogger, but I have another one in the next round. This is all for fun and giggles, but I am biting back the competitive edge.
Rays Renegade
I agree totally with you.
It is not always about a players confidence or even their maturity level. They also have to fit into a nice hole in the system to get everyone to work in unison towards the goal.
I have seen a few guys come onto the Rays in the past ( Gerald Williams) that was all about himself and his stats. It caused friction, and during the first Boston vs Tampa Bay brawl with Pedro Martinez on the mound, the team rushed out, but not after Williams fought by himself for about a minute.
Rays Renegade
I understand teams wanting to take it slow with pitchers at times but I wonder what the hell happened to pitchers now from a generation ago when they could pitch till their arms fell off and now it's a set number with a set percentage. I really would love to see some era research from guys like the Nolan are and now and why these young pitchers today have so much to worry about with injury.
I sometimes come to the opinion that it is all about the managements level of mental Chess with the teams. Sometimes it seems like today's players are only pushed to a certain level and because of the financial considerations, they are backed off or removed to save the dollar signs.
I remember back when pitcher were left out there in a rut to see if they could endure the pain and finds themselves. But back then the money was so lo compared to now that it boggles the mind. $ 400,000 yearly minimum can go a long way in the current economy. Where $ 3,000-5,000 a year way back in the 1930's did not go as far, and you had to find an off season job.
Rays Renegade
Yeah, I would not push the kid…Price is going to be great! We pushed Kendrick (out of necessity, at the time) and now he is stinking the place up. Hoping he'll find his pitches soon :O)
You can always send him to Japan again for Akinora Kobeyashi again. that video is still my favorite prank.
I know the kids is special, but sometimes like a fine wine, if you let it set for a bit, you get a better result out of being patient.
Rays Renegade
No shame whatsoever in taking it slow with Price. Everyone's amazed by Rick Ankiel right now because he was a hot shot pitcher and now he's a capable and exciting position player…but it's not like he was a good pitcher one year and a good outfielder the next. He basically lost six years of MLB playing time because of what he went through, and he was rushed into the Cards rotation in 2000. Sometimes a young kid can hack it, but it's rare. Better to be smart about it, for the good of the player and the team.
I am so glad you brought his name up on here. I have total respect for Rick Ankiel going down and re-finding himself either as a fielder or a pitcher.
He is always one of my fantasy picks because I have s oft spot for how far he fell , and how fast he found himself again.
Rays Renegade
I, too, think the Rays should be careful with Price. The worst thing an organization can do is mess around with a young pitcher, trying to figure out if he should start or pitch out of the bullpen. It seems to have a terrible effect on a guy's confidence. I mean, look at the Yankees and the Joba Chamberlain debacle. That poor kid has no idea if he's supposed to be a starter or reliever, and should probably be in the bullpen (yes he's got great stuff, but he struggles to pitch more than five innings). The Rays have a strong rotation as it is right now, there's no reason to rush Price to the majors.
You made it to 7th spot in the reader's list! Way to go!!!
Joba is going to interesting to watch this year. He has changed his spot on the rubber and it is bringing positive effects to his pitching. He used to pitch basically on top of it, but now he is more towards the plate side of the rubber and get a little more push off with the ball.
He is another guy that I think should have been left to develop on his own, but last year they needed a positive out of the pitching staff after all the injuries.
Rays Renegade
Thank you. I had to go back and check, but no Rays has ever worn the number 7 jersey. So I decided to make my dedication to Jennifer Beil.
Rays Renegade
March has been good to me on MLBlogs.com.
First I got a Q & A blog about myself on Tommy' s "Outsdie Coors Field Looking In" series.
Then last night won my first round battle on the Max blog.
And to top it all off, I have been 8th and now 7th, plus I have beaten the baseball cleat blog now three weeks in a row.
I might have yo go out Friday night.
Rays Renegade
Live it up! You've earned it! :0)
You got me rethinking my David Price 2009 Rookie of the Year prediction. I had heard the Rays may not be calling him up until May or June but I like him that much that I felt he was the frontrunner for the award. I still do. What's his closest competition? Wieters in Baltimore? Snider in Toronto?
Either way, Price will be a stud for a long time.
The great thing about the Rookie of the Year voting is that it is at the end of the year.
A few years ago both the Rays Rocco Baldelli and the Yankees Hedeki Matsui were fighting for that honro and the award went to Royals shortstop Angel Berroa, who is now with the Yankees.
It is never a done deal until the engraving is on the trophy. And the two guys you spoke about might be the guys to watch. I think only Travis Snider is set to start out in the majors. I have heard a few rumblings that Wieter might go down for a month like Price. But things change fast in the spring.
Rays Renegade


text:
I voted for option #2, as I see three scenarios that play to the Raptors advantage when going this route:
1) add salary that another team wants to dump
- An example of this would be adding the bad contract of a player like Okafor from New Orleans, while also gaining an additional lottery pick as a 'thank you', similar to how Cleveland got the Clippers' pick last year for taking on Baron Davis' contract. The Raps could trade Amir for Okafor, and could also include any/all of JJ, Forbes, 2nd round picks (#38 & #56) in the deal.
2) trade down/out of the draft
- If the Raps are stuck with the #8-11 pick in the draft and aren't confident enough to draft a player who will be on the board in that slot, they could get a jump on other teams in similar position, by offering up their pick (potentially along with other assets too) for a legit player who's under contract with another team, before other teams have the cap space to do so and start a bidding war.
3) TPE is useless in scenario #1
- Another reason to like scenario #2 is that once July 1st rolls around and the Raps fall under the salary cap, the TPE acquired in the Barbosa trade is effectively lost. The raps can only use it (up until March 2013) if they are at/above (and stay at/above) the salary cap - taking on salary prior to July 1st would keep the TPE in play throughout the offseason.
The only downside to option #2 is that it effectively takes players like Batum, Mayo, Nash and Dragic out of the conversation, unless salary cap space is freed up by other means, or the Raps talk to team ahead of July 1st and work out a S&T ahead of time.
Last edited by CalgaryRapsFan; Wed May 2nd, 2012 at 10:43 AM.
That can't be done though. You can only add a free agent, like Batum, after July 1st.
Simply put, this thread is about making the choice to use money below the soft salary cap on free agency after July 1st or a trade before July 1st.
How the money below the salary cap is spent is the issue here. You can use it via trade or free agency - but not both.
Daps for doing so much heavy lifting on this thread. What you said about cap space is true. I never said we would have more cap space. All I said was that after next year we will have a way better idea of what we have given the profile of several contracts and the 2 or more incoming rookies. Also, one full year of Casey coaching this team can't be underestimated. If Casey really is the best asset this team has, then it also doesn't hurt to see what he can do with these young players.
And I still think some teams will get a rude awakening next year when it comes to the post-lockout salary situation.
Is there a real chance of us signing Batum next year??? I mean he was the Blazers go-to perimeter guy at the end of this past season. They're not gonna let him go.
I foresee a lot of sign and trades to do the majority of upgrading
I foresee ONE major signing
and using the TPE, Mid Level Mini Mid Level and Bi Annual to fill out roster spots
I agree with the idea of more evaluation for players currently under contract but i don't think staying status quo is going to be the best way to go. If the goal is to build a deep playoff team or championship team, much of the flexibility to add talent will be gone by July 1st, in my opinion. If the evaluation comes back negative, where do the Raptors go from there?
I really like the idea of adding young veterans (25-28 year old... although some 23/24 year olds would also fit the bill). If they are a young veteran, most likely they are proven. They might not be superstars but at least they have value for future trades - such as getting a star player.
I definitely agree with a couple of teams getting a rude awakening. However, the majority of the league are under the luxury tax anyways and some those teams that were well beyond it (like LAL and DAL) have already begun getting ready for the new reality.
I agree with you on Batum. That is why I think (and am hoping) the Raptors take on some salary via trade in one way or another before July 1st. I don't think the Raptors are going to add a significant piece via free agency outside of an exception.
I would personally go #2.. but some how I think Bryan might go #1. I think Bryan wants to hit a home run - similar to what he tried to do with Turk. He has been itching for a proper off season and he has money to play with. I think he's going to try and net a major free agent like Nash or Batum and its going to hurt their flexibility of getting future assets since I don't think they have a lot of decent trade assets (which included this draft pick).
And as CalgaryRapsFan says, and the reason I quoted you, is do you know what the rules are on sign and trades of upcoming restricted FAs? Can we discuss Batum with Portland to the extent of discussing figures, before July 1st? If we can, then we can attempt to acquire pretty much anybody except unrestricted FAs before July 1st, can we not?
Last edited by white men can't jump; Wed May 2nd, 2012 at 01:48 PM.
It's always the restricted free agents that confuse me the most in terms of creative ways to acquire them
when i look into my crystal ball i see gray and uzoh being retained, a couple solid FA pickups to bolster the bench, a surprising trade involving bargs or demar + parts (players? second rounders? $$$?) that lands us a stud and a draft pick that contributes right away. i don't see bayless anywhere in the picture... its getting hazy now...
that's all i got, folks.
No reason to think in terms of only next season. Taking action before July 1st provides greater flexibility and the ability to collect talent without over paying. Having talent allows you to make deals in the future. Which provides you with flexibility. You can trade for picks, cap space, etc.
Option 2 give BC the greatest capability for this year and the future.
I want O.J. Mayo! Pursue, pursue, pursue!
I'm definitely with Matt on this one hoping they take on the salary prior to the 1st of July. Being slightly over the cap with the exceptions is better flexibility IMO then 10 million in cap space and a depleted roster with numerous holes to fill.
I'd be surprised if BC doesn't make a draft day deal this year of some sort.
Honestly, I'd save the Cap Space for the Free Agent market ... there are players there, even if we need to wait on an RFA.
Nic Batum is valued by Portland, but how much will they pay to match? Are they anywhere near contending with big contracts tied up in Aldrigde, Batum and Wes Matthews? It's not bad, but that core won't compete in the West if it doesn't leave room for another star piece. Maybe we can offer enough to make them blink.
O.J. Mayo is highly valued by the Grizz, but with huge deals bringing them near the cap for the next 4 years in only 4 bodies (Gay, Gasol, Randolph, Conley) ... can they even be competitive in offers for Mayo? A reasonable market value offer would already be too much for them to match.
Steve Nash. Unlikely? Maybe ... But also impossible NOT to at least take a close look for many reasons, on the court AND off.
Other reasons to wait until free agency?
-Goran Dragic
-Matt Barnes
-Louis Williams
-Jeff Green?
-Jameer Nelson
-Aaron Brooks
-George Hill
-Eric Gordon
-Landry Fields
-Grant Hill
These all could help add to us hitting the ground running!
If we stay put at #8, take a guard: Lillard, Marshall, or Rivers.
If we move into the top 3: Davis (1st), MKG, Beal (2nd, 3rd).
The only way to bag a classy lady is to give her two tickets to the gun show... and see if she likes the goods.
The only way to bag a classy lady is to give her two tickets to the gun show... and see if she likes the goods.
I like Batum and all... but 10 million? No thanks, that's a bit too much. Rajon Rondo makes only around 10 mil and hes a top 5 PG in the league. I'm starting to think that people are overrating Batum.
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Two cars had their windows smashed by vandals in what police believe were targeted attacks.
In the first incident, on Wednesday, February 5 at around 8.30pm, the windows of two cars parked on a driveway in Rant Meadow, Bennetts End, were smashed.
Then on Wednesday, February 19, just before 10pm, windows to one of the same vehicles were broken again.
PC Michael Ball said: "These appear to be targeted acts and we are investigating the incidents fully.
"I would ask anyone who was in the area around the stated times to think back and see if they remember anything out of the ordinary."
Anyone with information can contact PC Ball via the Herts Police non-emergency number 101, quoting crime reference D1/14/750. Alternatively call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


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Two degree Celsius climate target may need to be adjusted
A widely agreed international target to avoid dangerous global warming must take account of local impacts and may need to change, said the chief scientist at the MetOffice Hadley Center, Britain's biggest climate research center.
Julia Slingo said the target of limiting global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius (2C) may need adjusting to take into account research into local and regional effects, particularly on rainfall patterns, as climate science advances.
More than 120 nations agreed to the U.N.'s Copenhagen Accord last December which aimed to limit average global warming to less than 2C, in one of the main outcomes of a fractious summit.
But hopes are low for agreement on a global climate deal, to succeed the Kyoto Protocol on curbing greenhouse gas emissions after 2012, at a follow-up U.N. conference in Cancun, Mexico later this month.
Slingo said the world should keep the 2C target for now to aid negotiations, but that it should be kept under review.
She said better local and regional data would "enable individual countries to enter negotiations in a more informed, engaged way because it doesn't seem like an arbitrary target that's just been set at a global level."
Slingo added: "Temperature change in many respects is not the most dangerous part of climate change. The most dangerous part is arguably around the shift of regional rainfall patterns.
"It would be wrong to suggest in any way that the target is inappropriate, but in parallel we want to start to put some more substance on it."
Article continues: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6A35CV20101104


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President Obama addresses seafood fraud and illegal fishing
This morning, President Barack Obama announced an initiative to tackle seafood fraud and illegal fishing in the United States. His announcement coincides with the Global "Our Ocean" conference convened by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. In President Obama's announcement, he referenced the negative financial repercussions of overfishing as one of the key reasons for the initiative:
"Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing continues to undermine the economic and environmental sustainability of fisheries and fish stocks, both in the United States and around the world. Global losses attributable to the black market from IUU fishing are estimated to be $10-23 billion annually, weakening profitability for legally caught seafood, fueling illegal trafficking operations, and undermining economic opportunity for legitimate fishermen in the United States and around the world."
As Beth Lowell of Oceana noted in an earlier post, between 20 percent and 32 percent of seafood imported into the U.S. comes from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. "These pirate fishermen often use illegal gear, fish in prohibited areas or catch endangered and threatened species. Illegal fishing is a major threat to the worldwide fishing industry, undermining decades of conservation measures and provoking billions of dollars in economic losses." Oceana sites traceability — that is, tracking seafood from catch to plate — as one of the key solutions to the global problem.
President Obama's initiative starts with stronger guidelines and better enforcement of existing traceability standards: "It shall be the policy of the United States for all executive departments and agencies (agencies) to combat IUU fishing and seafood fraud by strengthening coordination and implementation of relevant existing authorities and, where appropriate, by improving the transparency and traceability of the seafood supply chain."
Continue reading at ENN affiliate, Triple Pundit.
Seafood image via Shutterstock.


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Powerful narcotic being sold as heroin in Vermont
BENNINGTON -- Drug users beware, Fentanyl, a narcotic easily 10 times as potent as a typical heroin dosage, is being sold as though it were heroin and has been blamed for three overdose deaths in Addison County.
There is no way to tell the two drugs apart before ingesting them without a lab test, said Forest Weyen, executive director of the Bennington Rescue Squad. There have been no Fentanyl overdoses locally so far, he said.
According to the Vermont Department of Health, the three deaths in Addison County occurred in January and resulted from users taking pure Fentanyl as though it were heroin.
"We are very concerned about heroin users buying heroin laced with Fentanyl, or people using pure Fentanyl as if it were heroin," said Bennington Police Chief Paul Doucette.
He learned Thursday about the concern from Vermont State Police. According to Doucette, there have also been deaths in states south of here due to heroin users overdosing on Fentanyl.
Doucette said he has reminded his officers to follow all safety protocols when gathering evidence. "I don't want any of my people coming in contact with pure Fentanyl," he said. "It can be absorbed and it can be lethal." He said heroin comes packaged in glassine bags with code names stamped on to them indicating what they contain, but those labels are not to be relied on.
Mike Iglinski, director of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center's pharmacy, said the danger is that a heroin user might not know they are taking Fentanyl, or Fentanyl-laced heroin. Even if they do, he said, it can be far more potent than they expect.
Iglinski said when the two narcotics mix their potency increases tremendously. As with any narcotic, it slows the body's systems down, such as the lungs and heart. "The larger the overdose, the quicker it will kill you," he said. Many people who overdose vomit while sleeping and do not wake up.
He said Fentanyl in its liquid form is only administered in hospitals, but there is a patch version that drug users have been known to take apart and make use of.
According to Doucette, the most common method of heroin ingestion in Bennington is via injection, however people have been known to snort it as a powder or sprinkle the powder onto marijuana and smoke it.
"Heroin users may not know they are shooting up Fentanyl, or they may not know just how deadly it is," wrote Health Commissioner Harry Chen in a release. "Even a very small amount of pure Fentanyl, just a few grains, can stop your breathing and kill."
Contact Keith Whitcomb Jr. at firstname.lastname@example.com or follow him on Twitter @KWhitcombjr.
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.


text:
Our mother has survived two bouts with cancer and had, just a few years ago, recovered enough to move from nursing home to assisted living and then back to independent living in her own home.
When given the choice between therapy and activity, she always chooses therapy, even though it is hard and demanding.
Our father, the recent Republican presidential primary candidate, is known for his visionary thinking, eternal optimism and focus on hard work. After losing twice before winning his congressional seat in 1978, he went on to lead the 1994 Contract with America and has continued to bounce back after setbacks that might have kept other men down.
Resilience is what they have in common.
Resilience is defined as the "ability to bounce back after encountering difficulty," in the book "Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life's Greatest Challenges," by Steven Southwick and Dennis Charney, (Cambridge University Press, New York, 2012). They interviewed survivors of severe stress (prisoners of war, victims of terrorism, etc.) and reviewed and analyzed scientific research.
They conclude that there are 10 factors to resilience: "Optimism: belief in a brighter future; facing fear: an adaptive response; moral compass, ethics and altruism: doing what is right; religion and spirituality: drawing on faith; social support: learning the tap code; role models: providing the road map; training: physical and strengthening; brain fitness: challenging your mind and heart; cognitive and emotional flexibility; meaning, purpose and growth."
Life presents challenges to everyone. What differentiates some of us from others is how we respond.
The good news is that, according to Southwick and Charney, resilience is something that we can learn and practice throughout our lives. Part of resilience is accepting what cannot be changed, while simultaneously looking for role models from whom to learn.
Moving the focus from ourselves and our plight to others can change our perspective and lead to greater resilience.
New parents often go through weeks, if not months, of sleep deprivation while taking care of children. They do so willingly and without focusing on themselves. When celebrities, successful business people or athletes are often feted and adored, it might seem that those of us who are mere mortals are less important.
But, in viewing the larger purpose of life, it might be helpful to reflect upon Southwick and Charney's conclusion: "We need not be the swiftest or the strongest. What counts instead is that we 'come in' — that we develop our talents, put forth our best effort and commit ourselves to a life of purpose, growth and resilience."
To find out more about Jackie Gingrich Cushman, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com.


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Playoff Permutations
Here are the playoff scenarios for each Angels affiliate.
Salt Lake — The Bees (67-61) currently lead the PCL by 2 1/2 games over Colorado Springs with fifteen games left. That includes five games August 22-26 at Colorado Springs, so we should have a better idea by Sunday evening whether the Bees will have a post-season.
Arkansas — The Travelers (28-26 in the second half, 59-65 overall) are tied with Springfield for first place in the Texas League North. Springfield won the first half. If Springfield wins both halves, then the team with the second-best record in the season goes to the playoffs; the Travs trail Tulsa by 1 1/2 games in the wild card race. If the Travs win the second-half title, then they go to the playoffs against Springfield. Arkansas has 14 games left, including three at home against Springfield and then three to end the season at Springfield.
Rancho Cucamonga — The Quakes (28-29 in the second half, 61-66 overall) are seven games behind Lancaster, which also won the California League South in the first half. In the Cal League, the first-half winners get a bye, while the second-half winners face the wild card in each division. If Lancaster wins both halves, then the second place team (currently Lake Elsinore) qualifies as the second-half winner and faces whichever team had the next-best record. Basically, the Quakes need to make up five games on Inland Empire with 13 games left — none of them against Inland Empire.
Cedar Rapids — The Kernels (29-26 in the second half, 67-57 overall) play in the Midwest League's West Division, which has eight teams. The East Division has six teams. Needless to say, with that many teams there are a lot more permutations than other leagues. The Kernels' Media Relations concludes that they're one game out of the last available slot with fifteen games to play; the team needs to win 12 of 15 to secure a post-season appointment.
Orem — Usually by this time of year, the Tom Kotchman mojo has kicked in and the Owlz are on a roll to the post-season. So far, it's yet to arrive in 2007. The Owlz (11-9 in the second half, 28-30 overall) have yet to roll off a consistent win streak, although they did win yesterday 22-5 at Missoula. To go to the post-season, they need to finish first in the Pioneer League South. They currently trail Idaho Falls, which won the first half, by only one game with 18 games to go. Dunno what happens if Idaho Falls wins the second half too, whether it's a wild card situation or Idaho Falls gets a bye.
Tempe — The Tempe Angels have the best overall record at 31-16, but finished one game behind the Peoria Mariners in the first half (19-9) and currently trail the Surprise Royals by 1/2 game in the second half (12-7). The first and second half winners meet in a one-game championship game on August 31. Tempe has nine games left, including one against the Royals.


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This convenient member benefit is worth $10 to family members, as classified ads with standard run-on copy normally cost 50 cents per word for non-commercial advertisers (minimum of 10 words).
Ads for motorhomes for sale should include information such as year, make/model, length, description, and phone number and/or e-mail address of seller. To aid persons wishing to call you, we suggest that your ad include your state or province abbreviation and the asking price.
All motorhomes-for-sale ads — whether commercial or non-commercial — must include the last five digits of the coach chassis serial number at the end of the ad.
Family members also may design an "enhanced text" classified advertisement for inclusion in the Classifieds section. This type of ad includes bold type, centered lines, and uppercase or lowercase letters (no photos or logos). The cost is $8 per line of type (maximum 30 spaces per line) for non-commercial advertisers. Enhanced text ads are not subject to the member discount.
The rate for commercial advertisers is $1.15 per word for standard run-on copy and $17.75 per line for enhanced text classified copy. Commercial advertisers must include the company name in their ad.
The Classifieds section of the magazine is an excellent source for those who wish to buy, sell, or trade a motorhome or coach accessories and components. Members who wish to place an ad in the Classifieds section may use the form that appears in that section of each issue of the magazine, or they may send the ad copy to the national office on regular stationery or letterhead. Ads also may be e-mailed to [email protected].
Download Classifieds Advertising Form (PDF)
Please read all instructions included in "FMC Classifieds Ad Rates And Procedures," appearing on the page preceding the ad form in each month's Classifieds section, before preparing your ad. Important: All classified ads must be received in writing; ads WILL NOT be accepted over the telephone.
Those who place their ad in the magazine may also choose to have the ad appear online at FMCA.com. This Online Bonus Ad option is listed on the Classifieds advertising form. Check the option on the form to indicate that you would like your ad to appear online at no additional charge. Advertisers must select this option for their ad to appear on FMCA.com.
MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT DISCLOSURE: FMCA Member Benefits are subject to change, including the discontinuation of any particular benefit, at any time and without prior notice. FMCA assumes no liability for damages, either direct or consequential, to any person or organization as a result of the use of services offered to members. All benefits may not be available in all states and foreign countries.


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Bryn Mawr College Special Collections manages extensive collections of art, artifacts, rare books, manuscripts, and photographs, as well as the historical records of the College. Please consult the individual pages for the Art and Artifact Collections and Rare Books, Manuscripts, and Archives to learn more about the collections.
Special Collections is also the home of many digital collections including the Castle Collection of Natural History Illustrations, the Catt Collection Suffrage Photographs, and the Early Advertising Collection. We have also digitized many items from the College Archives, including selections from the Bryn Mawr College Photo Archives, the Scrapbook and Photo Album collection, early editions of the College News, and a number of other College Publications. Learn more about our digital collections in the Digital Collections at Bryn Mawr College research guide.
The collections mentioned above are part of Triptych | The Tri-College Digital Library, a digital initiative of the Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore College Libraries or part of Scholarship, Research, and Creative Work at Bryn Mawr College, the open access repository of the scholarship and publications of the Bryn Mawr community. Browse or search these collections at triptych.brynmawr.edu and http://repository.brynmawr.edu/.
Our Art and Artifact Collections Database is now live. View over 30,000 objects from the Art & Artifact Collections, plus objects from Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges, at triarte.brynmawr.edu.
Finding aids for many of our archival and manuscript collections can be searched along with those of other Philadelphia-area collections using the PACSCL Finding Aids website or on our page of guides to our collections.
Special Collections is also home to The Albert M. Greenfield Digital Center for the History of Women's Education, which aims to foster scholarship and dialogue on the history of women's education by providing a digital space that will act as a locus for inquiry and research into these diverse histories. Learn more at greenfield.brynmawr.edu.
Bryn Mawr College's painting Madonna and Child by Romare Bearden will be in an upcoming exhibit at the Neuberger Museum of Art open from September 10, 2017 through December 22nd 2017. For more information about the exhibition see their website: … Continue reading
The Collections are open to students, faculty and staff of the Tri-Colleges. Researchers from other institutions and independent scholars are also welcome. Please contact us before your visit to ensure that we will be able to provide assistance with and access to the research materials you need.
2nd Floor, Canaday Library
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am-4:30 pm
(Wednesdays until 8:00 pm during the academic year)
(610) 526-6576
(610) 526-5093
Through our partnership with


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The university joins names like Oxford, Harvard, UCLA and the New York City Public Library as institutions that are handing their collections over to Google.
The company, known for its ubiquitous online search engine, scans the text of the collections and makes them available in the developing books search area of the Web site.
University librarian Wendy Lougee is convinced greater access to the books can only be a good thing.
"Materials that can be fully searchable in the text -- the use just goes up exponentially," said Lougee. "I was at the University of Michigan previously, and we had a project whereby books that hadn't circulated in several decades, once they were digitized, they were used a million times worldwide."
All the Big Ten schools and the University of Chicago are entering the Google agreement together. Google expects to digitize a total of up to 10 million books from all the institutions.
The University of Minnesota estimates one million of its six million materials will end up on Google's servers.
Those materials will most likely include the U's 250,000-book collection of Scandinavian publications, a renowned collection on forestry, and a store of beekeeping books started 80 years ago by faculty member and beekeeping pioneer Father Francis Jager.
Lougee says in addition to making the texts available to scholars worldwide, the Google effort is a boost for local students, who are from a generation more accustomed than their predecessors to digging online for sources.
"We have a lot of good experience that they do heavily use what's online," Lougee said, adding that online access is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, "from their dorm room, from the grass outside using wireless technology. So it's clearly going to be significant part of their educational experience."
That said, Lougee doesn't believe library buildings loaded with paper books are becoming relics in the digital age. She draws her confidence from anecdotes she's heard that once people find a source online, their appetite is whetted to physically handle the real thing.
"This is massive copyright infringement. Google is ... exploiting the value of these books for commercial advantage. Plainly, it's not doing this as a charity."Paul Aiken, director of the Author's Guild
This new agreement more than doubles the number of institutions providing library resources to Google. Provost Tom Sullivan says Google's involvement provides an opportunity the university could not individually afford.
"If we were to do this alone, by ourselves, the value for this project would cost the university somewhere around $60 million," said Sullivan.
As it is, the university is responsible merely for the staff time it takes to package and re-shelve books as they come and go from the place where Google does the work. Officials estimate that to be less than $150,000 a year.
Provost Sullivan says the university benefits by increasing access to its materials, preserving important texts, and expanding the institution's reputation.
"We are proud to be among the premier universities in the world to advance this new form of information and research for the public," Sullivan said.
With the momentum of a monolithic online company and several big educational names behind it, the Google Print project has little going against it -- except for the fact that it might be against the law.
"This is massive copyright infringement," said Paul Aiken, director of the Authors Guild, which has filed suit against Google over the scanning project. Several publishers are also suing Google.
"Google is ... exploiting the value of these books for commercial advantage. Plainly, it's not doing this as a charity," said Aiken. "The digital future should be for book authors too. It's not something for Google to determine or earn value from alone."
Nearly everything printed before 1923 is considered to be in the public domain. Most publications after that are protected by copyright. Google works around the copyright by providing only short excerpts of copyrighted works. The company claims it the use falls under fair use.
U of M Librarian Lougee says the university is aware of the copyright dispute, but is confident any legal recourse is with Google, not the participating universities.
"Copyright is certainly a dynamic concept these days, with a lot of interesting challenges. I think the kind of fair use that Google is making is innovative. But I think the institution stands by this decision."
Google has a six-year agreement. Officials believe they will finish what they need in that time.


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Hi there,
I have a strange problem with ZA 7.1
I forwarded the port I specified in Azureus, also allowing incoming and outgoing TCP and UDP.When I start Azureus everything is going fine.
But after about 1 hour or so downloading, I get the error messages "Port xxxxx is not allowing inbound connections"How can this happen??
What can I do against that? That's really disturbing, I can't even download a day long or so because everytime I get this error.Also, when I end Azureus, the process keeps running... seems that ZA doesn't allow it to end.
Any hint on those problems?
Operating System:Windows Vista Home Basic
Software Version:7.1 (Vista)
Product Name:ZoneAlarm Pro


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Quote:Translation: Made some points, they were answered.. didnt like them.. didnt fit with my feelings.. write line above instead of continuing discussion.
Quote: 1. When ITFunity mentioned MMA he was refering to how TKD mixed different arts togethor (or parts of) in its formation.. not that it was the same as the current MMA (as seen on TV etc.). This has been explained, but continually ignored by certain posters.
Quote: 3. No one has said TKD is the forerunner of the current MMA scene, but many have alluded that TKD has allowed floor based stuff (including but not limited to, continuing a fight/spar if it went to the ground) and this was happening before the MMA scene came about.. again, no one is claiming this is anything to do with the development of the current MMA scene.. just that TKD was not limited to pure stand up only. Again this is ignored over and over
Quote: 5. When asked for conformation that this type of sparring had gone on and was "allowed" and part of TKD .. but from higher and older sources.. ITFunity offered to point to references in the Ch'ang Hon manuals and Mr Flynch actually asked a first generation pioneer of TKD.. again, ignored.. when it was exactly what was asked.
Quote: The references he is just not posting.Why cant he jusy type the quote.It might b e a while before I get to see the encyclopedia if I can.
Quote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAx466yXTD0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8dC1Pw1gycI was going to write a post on how eVidence points to how was it was trained yet found these to sum it up.Now I expect ITFUnity to mention the unbrella and apples and oranges again.Not sure if he is shopping on a rainy day or what(No offence a slight jest).It demonstates that classic one hit approach they take.In then out.Not the boxing type footwork movementthat WTF influenced on TKD.Military,so Ivbeen told, style refers to grappling as defending against it with strikes and anti grappling breaks and strikes maybe.Not in the sense of a TKD guy deliberarly trying to grapple.From my understanding thats a no no.Strike to finish or stun philosophy as its a soldier with baggage and a weapon.As I say,My understanding and what everything points towards.It also shows there was a chance of someone filming it.Even shows some military guys watching.
Quote:THAT is play ground bull.I dont want to be apart of that anymore or in discussion with you unless I have to clarify things.
Quote:You write and book
Quote:,go on forums
Quote: and talk about how people dont know TKD
Quote:Make a big song anddance about it.
Quote:Then you think it is ok to do exactly that,what you dont want done to TKD, to other styles.
Quote:Thats hyppocrasy.No two ways about it.And your trying to worm your way out of it.
Quote:I dont want to deal with people like that sorry.
Quote:That was cleared a while ago.So dont stir.Go and read back.ITFUNITY was thinking in a different way to what I was.It was two people using the same phrase for different meanings.
Quote:This started with yourclip Stuart.I said post a clip of this hardcore, original, military TKD and it would shut everyone up. You posted yours. Yes?
Quote:I said that is TKD with modern updates and progressin in other words influenced TKD,not how I believe it was. Thats basiicaly it.
Quote:Iv made good points and slowly you admitted that but t hen didnot,then did etc.
Quote:ITFUNITY still seems addamant (not adam ant the singer) that is how they trained.
Quote:You,and others, keep twisting by it saying I am arguing that TKD never had some grappling or throws ort akedowns.
Quote:I am arguing aboutthe way t hey did it andd ont agree it was in an MMA way going on and on rolling.Now yes.Not then.[.quote]I dont believe its an MMA way then or now... so what are you arguging about!Quote:I can make a good claim to thinking this and have been and will be more.We`ll we ahve been waiting 22 pages of this thread for you to do so.. so unleash it and set us free from our misconceptions will you Quote:G b ackj and re read by comments on what Mr Flynch instructor said.We are waiting still.Geesh!!! Quote:Again your ignoring that iv adressed that and bringing itback up again.How can I be ignoring it if Im bringing it back up again... doh! Not that I know what you are referring to!!Quote:Thats two sources so far wow.There are tonns that state how it was trained that dontfit what you and ITF are saying.Erm , Me, ITFunity, Mr Flynch, VDJ, Trevek, GM CK Choi and Gen Choi, some others on this thread.. as opposed to.................................................... .................. you!Stuart
Quote:I can make a good claim to thinking this and have been and will be more.
Quote:G b ackj and re read by comments on what Mr Flynch instructor said.We are waiting still.
Quote:Again your ignoring that iv adressed that and bringing itback up again.
Quote:Thats two sources so far wow.There are tonns that state how it was trained that dontfit what you and ITF are saying.
Artifacts from the Ryukyu Kingdom missing since WWII.
Visit www.ShisaLion.Org
to view pictures
Stun Guns
Self Defense Products-stun guns, pepper spray, tasers
and more
Complete surveillance systems for covert operations
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Asylum Images
Book presents photo tour of the Trans-Allegany Lunatic Asylum. A must if you're going to take a ghost tour!


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ultimate adventure ride could be coming soon to an airport near you.
It's called "Skylon" and the special aircraft is being
developed for commercial use to carry tourists out into space within
the next ten years. Skylon would take off from a
standard airport runway and travel at more than five times the speed
of sound, according to the Telegraph and Daily
Mail. The
revolutionary aircraft was developed by Reaction Engines, with
support from the new UK space agency. The 270 foot-long
spaceplane is unpiloted, has no external rockets, and has two engines
that use hydrogen and oxygen to propel it more than 18 miles out of
the Earth's atmosphere. The propulsion and
attitude control are provided using computer systems while in orbit.
The engine uses the propulsion to reach the edge of the Earth's
atmosphere before switching to rocket power.The aircraft –
which can can remain operational in orbit for up to seven days –
would take off from an airport, fly out into orbit, and then land on
the runway. The craft is expected to carry up to 24 passengers
into space at a time, revolutionize space travel, and cut
costs. The reusable spaceplane is intended to provide
inexpensive and reliable access to space within a decade. "Access
to space is extraordinarily expensive, yet there's no law of
physics that says it has to be that way," said Technical
Director and one of the founders of Reaction Engines, Richard
Varvill. "We just need to prove it's viable. The simple truth
is that the Earth is part of a much bigger system."In
the future, Skylon could be used in place of NASA's Space Shuttle to
transport astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station.


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+ County offices closed for Thanksgiving holiday
Sarasota County government offices, including libraries, the History Center and recreation centers, will be closed Thursday, Nov. 24, and Friday, Nov. 25, for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Some county services, however, will be available on Friday, Nov. 25.
Libraries will be open Saturday, Nov. 26, and other county offices will reopen Monday, Nov. 28.
The Payne Park Tennis Center will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 25.
There will be no Sarasota County Area Transit bus service Nov. 24; however, full service will resume Nov. 25.
Residents who live in unincorporated areas of the county will not have yard waste, recyclables or garbage Nov. 24. For residents whose regular collection day is Thursday, yard waste, recyclables and garbage will be collected Friday, Nov. 25. For residents whose regular collection day is Friday, yard waste, recyclables and garbage will be collected Saturday, Nov. 26. Because collection times vary, residents should place refuse materials at the curb by 6 a.m. the day of pickup.
Sarasota County's chemical collection centers at 8750 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota, and 250 S. Jackson Road, Venice, will be closed Nov. 24-25. The Citizen's Convenience Center at 4010 Knights Trail Road, Nokomis, will be closed Nov. 24, but it will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 25. All three centers will be open Nov. 26.
The landfill at 4000 Knights Trail Road, Sarasota, will be closed Nov. 24, but open Nov. 25. The landfill administration offices will be closed Nov. 24 and 25.
For more information, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 861-5000.
+ City changes garbage schedule for holiday
No garbage will be collected in the city of Sarasota Thanksgiving Day.
The schedule for collection will be as follows: Thursday garbage, recycling and yard waste collection will occur Friday, Nov. 25. Regularly scheduled Friday garbage, recycling and yard waste collection will occur Saturday, Nov. 26.
City of Sarasota administration offices will be closed Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving. All offices will reopen Monday, Nov. 28.
For more information regarding trash collection, call the city of Sarasota Solid Waste Division at 365-7651. For questions regarding recycling, yard waste or bulk waste, contact Waste Management at 497-8088.
+ Collins named SMH Physician of Year
Dr. John J. Collins has been named both Sarasota Memorial Hospital's new chief of staff and its 2011 Physician of the Year.
Collins' practice was one of the earliest adopters of an electronic medical records system. He also has been instrumental in helping SMH develop an electronic health information exchange between physicians in the community and the hospital.
Sarasota Memorial's medical staff also announced the recipient of its 2011 Lifetime Achievement
Meetings & agendas
• County Commission Meeting with City of Venice — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 30, Venice Community Center, 326 Nokomis Ave. South, Venice.
• County Commission Retreat — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 1, Administration Center, Second Floor A/B Conference Room, 1660 Ringling Blvd., Sarasota.
• Siesta Key Association — 4:30 p.m. Dec. 1, St. Boniface Episcopal Church, Room F, 5615 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key.


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There are a few other stories I have written, and these have been removed to put them onto another site. You can read them at http://www.fanfiction.net/u/991894/ My apologies to those who have put those stories in their favourites list - thanks for that by the way!
If you read my stories, please review them, whether that review be good, bad or otherwise. I need feedback! Don't make me beg. It does nothing for my dignity.


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A state legislator from Taunton is sticking up for auto dealerships, including those on the Route 44 Auto Mile in Raynham, against potential efforts to skirt a Massachusetts law intended to prohibit car manufacturers from selling directly to customers.
A state legislator from Taunton is sticking up for auto dealerships, including those on the Route 44 Auto Mile in Raynham, against potential efforts to skirt a Massachusetts law intended to prohibit car manufacturers from selling directly to customers.
State Sen. Marc Pacheco, D-Taunton, has sponsored a bill that would amend the current state law, preventing direct sales of vehicles by manufacturers in Massachusetts. While there is already a law in place — with temporary exceptions for new dealerships being started, former owners leaving and dealership owner diversity initiatives — Pacheco's bill "clarifies" the wording to emphasize a "blanket prohibition" on manufacturer ownership of dealerships.
The law was thrust into the spotlight by the emergence of a Tesla location in Natick, which had its grand opening in September 2012. "Tesla, Massachusetts," a subsidiary of the California-based Tesla car manufacturer, operates the store. That resulted in a lawsuit by the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association, which was initially thrown out by a Superior Court judge last January, although the litigation continues as the dealership association appeals that and is also suing the Natick Board of Selectmen for issuing a dealership license to a manufacturer.
Tesla has said the dealership model doesn't work for the company, which sells the award winning, high-end Model S electric with prices ranging from $60,000 to $100,000.
Pacheco said his legislation back to before Tesla cars were ever created, and said the amendments to the existing law were actually related to the bailout of Chrysler and General Motors, which resulted in waivers to similar laws around the country. The point, he said, is to protect an industry that employees 20,000 in Massachusetts, including many his district on Route 44.
"The rationale for the bill and the reason why the bill is filed is because the big manufacturers have been squeezing the auto dealers, and the franchisees are in a place where they were," said Pacheco, who in January 2013 filed the bill, which remains in committee. "Especially after the financial collapse, a lot of the existing statutes in states were relaxed. … It wasn't about Tesla at all."
The proposed amendment to the bill related to manufacturers not being allowed to sell directly, adds a new statement in front of previous language, saying that, "This blanket prohibition on manufacturer ownership applies notwithstanding whether a manufacturer or distributor has previously used independently owned or operated dealerships to distribute its vehicles."
Pacheco said the bill also represented a range of issues to help protect the local dealerships from the manufacturers.
On the other hand, State Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick, filed a bill earlier this year that would modify the franchise laws to allows for companies like Tesla to set up shop with a manufacturer- or distributor-owned dealership. Linksy has said that the state should not decide how cars are sold, and that the law is outdated.
Pacheco, who is a proud advocate of environmental causes, said electric cars are welcome in the state but that the Tesla car "is not a plug-in for the average working family," adding that, "this is a high end model that would be available to a very small percentage of the general population."
Robert O'Koniewski, executive vice president for the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association, said the laws intended to prevent manufacturers from selling directly in Massachusetts are good for the consumer, because it allows for competition.
"For Tesla to be exempt (from the law) is simply ridiculous from our perspective," O'Koniewski said. "We have dealers that sell electric cars, whether Toyota with the Prius, Nissan with Leaf, or the Chevy Volt. There are dealers selling electric cars. They have to follow the law just like everyone else. Many new electric models were just unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Those vehicles will be sold in Massachusetts by dealers for those manufacturers."
O'Koniewski said if manufacturers were exempt from the dealership law, there would be 25 points of competition (representing the manufacturers), rather than 412 dealerships.
"You will not have price competition among Ford dealers like you do now," he said. "The Ford price will be the same from store to store. Much like in Burger King, the price of Whopper is the same whether in Revere or Malden."
Along with competition, having dealerships allows for better consumer protection, because consumers to have a place to return faulty vehicles, get warranty work and special repairs, Pacheco said.
O'Koniewski also claimed that Tesla expected the lawsuits and are using them as a media relations gimmick, to draw attention to their car.
An email left with the Tesla press relations office requesting comment on Wednesday was not returned in time for this article.
O'Koniewski said he doesn't understand why they didn't just sign up an independent dealer to sell the product.
"They can sign up a dealer, it can be their Uncle Charlie," he said. "Instead they are spending half million dollars in legal fees to pursue a scheme where it does everything a dealer does, without signing up individual dealer. It's just generating attention."
Contact Marc Larocque at email@example.com.