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SALAMA links with Emirates Investment Services Ltd to offer Shari'a compliant investment funds
Tie-up will help SALAMA to offer the discerning investor a more comprehensive range of Shari'a compliant investment choices through its insurance products
SALAMA-Islamic Arab Insurance Co. (PSC), one of the region's leading Islamic insurance (Takaful) companies, today announced a tie up with Emirates Investment Services Ltd ("EIS") (Regulated by the DFSA) – the asset management arm of the Emirates NBD Group and one of the largest asset management businesses in the region.
As part of the alliance, SALAMA will offer a select range of Shari'a compliant funds managed by EIS, along with its Islamic insurance cover on a common platform to suit the diverse needs of customers across the UAE.
This relationship reflects the potential for world-class Takaful and Shari'a-compliant investment funds to be available to SALAMA clients. As a result of the tie-up, SALAMA customers will now have direct access to EIS's range of Islamic funds through SALAMA products, thus diversifying their choice for investments.
Noel D' Mello, General Manager- Family Takaful at SALAMA, said: "Our alliance with EIS is a pivotal step towards our strategy to diversify further our fund offerings in the region. The Emirates MENA Opportunities Fund will be the first fund to be offered on the SALAMA platform that invests in the MENA region. As a customer-focused organisation, our credo has always been working in close partnerships with leading companies to offer our clients a diversified portfolio and good value for money. Affordable and competitive product-offering is the need of the hour, especially in these very challenging times for all individuals, and our association with EIS is one such move in this direction."
Deon Vernooy, Senior Executive Officer of EIS said: "Amidst the growing importance of Shari'a compliant assets with excellent track records, we are happy to announce our alliance with SALAMA to offer our world-class products with Takaful cover. There is a latent market for Shari'a compliant funds within Islamic insurance products and our tie-up with a market leader like SALAMA will go a long way in making our funds available to a wider market."
SALAMA has a solid business profile in their traditional territories – Far East, Africa, Middle East and Central Asia, which is further improving with geographical expansion, business growth and introduction of new life lines. The company was nominated for Best Takaful Operator and Best Banca Takaful Operator at the 'Islamic Business & Finance Awards 2008' by CPI Financial. It has a paid-up capital of US$300 million and is listed on the Dubai Financial Market.
EIS, with assets under management of approximately AED 7 billion, provides a full range of investment products, offering exposure to the regional markets as well as global markets, covering all of the main asset classes.
Top Headlines
- SALAMA ties up with Crédit Agricole Asset Management Group (CAAM Group) to provide a bouquet of Sharia compliant funds to its customers
- TVM Capital MENA announces start of Investment Operations of Shari'a-Compliant Healthcare Growth Capital Fund, with First Close of $40 million
- Emirates NBD Asset Management Money Market Fund breaks US100 million barrier
- Bahrain Islamic Investment to Offer Wider Services
- SALAMA ties up with BNP Paribas Investment Partners to provide a bouquet of Shari'ah compliant funds to its customers


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|Andrew Shand
"On-site cleaners have a regime that uses an enzyme to remove wax" Tell us more please. Anything that removes wax is worth a look. Assuming you mean paraffin wax. Andy Shand -----Original Message----- From: email@example.com [mailto:email@example.com] Sent: 14 April 2003 16:02 To: Cindy Deriso; LINDA MARGRAF MD; firstname.lastname@example.com Subject: RE: flooring for histopathology lab Hi Cindy, I forward you Tony's recent message. We are also refurbishing our lab and will probably go for a non-slip flooring. I'll send you details but it is basically a resin coating with small glass beads added that makes the floor rough enough to be non-slip. Our on-site cleaners have a regime that uses an enzyme to remove wax. Cheers Steve ----- Forwarded by Stephen Eyres/GB-ALNWICK/RESEARCH/SANOFI on 14/04/2003 15:57 ----- Tony Henwood
u.au> "'firstname.lastname@example.com'" cc: 19/03/2003 22:11 Subject: RE: flooring for histopathology lab We have installed 3M's Safety-Walk matting (sometimes known as Safe-tique): "3M? Safety-Walk? Medium Profile Cushion Mat 3600, Yellow Beveled Edging on 2 sides, 35 in x 5 ft, 1/cs Durable, medium profile foamed vinyl mat designed to provide anti-fatigue and anti-slip properties. The open construction allows liquids and small solids to run easily through the mat. Yellow beveled edging on 2 sides, 1 per case. 3ĀId : 70-0708-2965-3" It is quite expensive so we only placed it around the microtomy and embedding areas. The wax shavings getĀtrapped between the ridges of the matt and can be easily vacuumed up at the end of the day. We recommend it Tony Henwood JP, BAppSc, GradDipSysAnalys, CT(ASC) Laboratory Manager The Children's Hospital atĀ Westmead, Locked Bag 4001, Westmead, 2145, AUSTRALIA. Tel: (02) 9845 3306 Fax: (02) 9845 3318 http://www.histosearch.com/homepages/TonyHenwood/default.html http://us.geocities.com/tonyhenwoodau/index.html -----Original Message----- From: Mack, Jacquie [mailto:email@example.com] Sent: Thursday, 20 March 2003 8:38 To: 'firstname.lastname@example.com' Subject: flooring for histopathology lab We are in the process of planning for a new lab.Ā I was wondering what type of flooringĀother labsĀare using.Ā Do you have non-slip flooring? If so, do you encounter any problems cleaning the paraffin off the surface? CanĀit be scraped?ĀHow are they to clean?ĀDo you have anti-fatigue mats? We have grossing area, embedding area, special stains, Immunohistochemistry, and a main cutting area to consider. Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks! Jacquie Jacqueline Mack Tech III Department of Histopathology Foothills Hospital Calgary Lab Services ph (403) 944-1574 fax (403) 270-4093 e mail:Ā firstname.lastname@example.com ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, please delete it and notify the sender. Views expressed in this message and any attachments are those of the individual sender, and are not necessarily the views of the Childrens Hospital at Westmead This footnote also confirms that this email message has been virus scanned and although no computer viruses were detected, the Childrens Hospital at Westmead accepts no liability for any consequential damage resulting from email containing computer viruses. **********************************************************************

subset: commoncrawl


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What is the correct way to measure one's inseam?
What is the correct way to measure one's inseam?
"What is beautiful is simple, and what is simple always works"....Kalashnikov, inventor of the AK-47.
Current bike: 2015 Yamaha TW 200, modified for road/street use with tire, sprocket upgrades. "Center yourself in the vertizontal. Ride a motorcycle...namaste' "
It's pretty much like getting a TSA pat down.
Kevin Huddy
Tm Pterodactyl MT Outpost
Check the tag on your jeans
2011 BMW R1200RT - 2013 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic Limited
2005 BMW GS (Gone)
That out of the way, wearing low-cut shoes, measure the inside of your leg from the crotch down to where the fibula protuberance (that knobby, outside ankle bone) is at its lowest point and intersects the interior tape measure - that is your inseam. A truly accurate inseam measurement means measuring down the inside leg to a point level with an outside portion of your ankle - obviously, best done with assistance (neighbor was a tailor)!
Personally, I'd just go to the airport.
Good Luck!
Last edited by Greenwald; 11-24-2010 at 01:07 AM.
Kevin Greenwald - MSF Lead RiderCoach # 121656 (BRC,SBRC,IS,IME,SMARTrainer)
Nationally Certified Law Enforcement Motor Officer (Ret.) / IBA Member #34281
Motorcycle/High Performance/Teen/Winter/ATV Driving Instructor - ROAD AMERICA Track
Assuming you are talking for motorcycle gear, sitting on your bike with your knee bent in riding postion. (Generally about 2 inches longer than standing.)
Don't the gear sizing charts take into account the bent-knee dimension? Its been a year or so since I bought the last set of gear, but I think the picture showing how to take the measurements had the figure standing.
If you're looking at a size chart I'd generally say yes they have. Thought you were wondering about method for something like a Stich -their site actually has a tool to use.
Now that we have obtained the inseam measurement, to which side does the Gentleman "dress"?
TSA probably doesn't care ... I hope.
"It is what you discover, after you know it all, that counts." _ John Wooden
Lew Morris
1973 R75/5 - original owner
1963 Dnepr
When I go for a pat down, I hope they dim the lights and put on a little mood music....
You'll need a bit longer inseam than you'd normally wear to account for the bend in your knees when riding. I wore my favorite jeans, mounted the bike, and had my better half measure from the bottom of the cuff to the top of my shoe. I then added that measurement to the measured inseam of the jeans and went with that as my inseam for riding pants.
Oh, and re: the TSA -- two words: Flying Pasties
2009 R1200RT, 2007 Shadow Aero 750 (sold)
2012 MINI Countryman S, 2004 MINI Cooper S JCW, 2000 BMW 328i
Yeah, but sometimes there just isn't enough room on one side of the room for the sofa.Doesn't matter as long as you have all of your furniture in one room.
Yeahhh Baby!!! American enterprise at work!!!... two words: Flying Pasties
"It is what you discover, after you know it all, that counts." _ John Wooden
Lew Morris
1973 R75/5 - original owner
1963 Dnepr


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Is This Madonna's Diary?
An eBay seller claims to be selling a corpus of material that used to belong to Melissa Crowe, Madonna's personal assistant "from years 1987-1996." If it's real, it's a memorabilia treasure trove. Selections from the multimillion-dollar listings below.
The biggest find is the purported Madonna's Personal Daily Journals 17 pcs Lot '88-'92, seventeen hand-scrawled notebooks filled with to-do lists and other scribblings. Starting bid is $2.5 million.
Madonna's Assistant Black Book Phone Numbers Actors contains vintage contact info for "Antonio Bandares, Her Brothers/Family, Dennis Hopper, Lenny Kravitz, Matt Damon, John Malkovich, Oliver Stone, Al Paciono and Steven Misel." Starting bid is $1000.
Original Mar 1959 Madonna Family B/W Photo Ciccone depicts baby Madge with her parents and siblings. Starting bid is $1000.


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Leaked photos of the RS3 gauge cluster as well as photos of the car testing on the Nurburgring have confirmed what many suspected, Audi is readying an RS3. We do not have any specs but the car will likely share the TT-RS drivetrain (2.5 liter 5 cylinder, around 350 hp) which makes the most sense. If that is true, the car is going to be the main rival for the 1 series M coupe. The other question becomes, will Audi even be able to get this car to the US? They did not bring the TT-RS over until it was deemed there was enough interest and the USA has yet to get the RS6 so who knows. We will keep you updated, but Audi clearly is aiming for BMW.
Audi decides to take on 1 M coupe - RS3 coming
This article was originally published in forum thread: Audi decides to take on 1 M coupe - RS3 coming started by Sticky View original post42 Comments
Just to save Footie from having to respond, yes, the Audi will be faster around a track during a torrential downpour or snow storm, when people usually are out driving their performance cars.
^ That is a bolt on motor?
Is this new TTRS motor closed deck and iron? Does it have forged pistons/rods and a sturdy crank? I haven't done any research on it, but I'm assuming it is "modernized" like the N54, and I don't see any advantages to less displacement and an odd cylinder count.
That is like me pointing to a built S52......
No U.S. buyer is going to cross shop the RS3 and the 1M Coupe... in Europe the A3 and 1 Series compete because the 1 Series also comes in a 5 door hatch design just like the A3. But in the States, the RS3 is a 5 door hatch while the 1M is a Coupe. And Audi is against exporting their cars anyways lol
isnt the 1m the inline 6 3.0L twin turbo? (n54) and the rs3 is a 2.5L 5 cylinder k04 turbo. i dont think either will kill either. 2.5l k04 has a lot of power esp when it is tuned right. and yes i am saying it will hang really close in a strait line to a chipped 335,135, etc with same supporting bolt on mods
this will be interesting when it comes out. i'm sorry but i'm going with the rs3 on this one.
the rs3 same engine as audi ttrs^ vs z4m which i can say is maybe a lil faster than stock 335i/135i or exactly the same in the top end region.
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text: Arthur Christmas - On Demand - I was searching for a holiday movie for the boys to watch while I was putting up the Christmas tree. We usually cut down our own tree but with us living in an apartment, we decided to go with a pre-lit artificial tree from Target. So set up was amazing fast and easy, allowing me to watch most of the movie with the boys. I was actually surprised at how much I really enjoyed it. I remember when it came out originally and had absouloutly no interest in seeing it. The story is simple and straight forward, but really engaging. The animation and voice acting is superb, with Jim Broadbent as Santa, Bill Nighy as GrandSanta, High Laurie as Steve Christmas and James McAvoy as Arthur. We'll be adding this as a family favorite for future Christmas time viewing.


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Building Block 5: Long Vowel Sounds
Long vowels have some special rules that 1st graders will have to master. Make it fun with this series of great worksheets.Download All (10)
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Early Reading Building Block 5: Long Vowel SoundsDownload Worksheet More info
Help your child master the special rules that come along with long vowel sounds, and make it fun with this great set of worksheets.
Long Vowels: Long A in TrainDownload Worksheet More info
Introduce your first grader to ai words with this long vowels worksheet.
Long 'I' PracticeDownload Worksheet More info
Kids practice sounding out and writing long i words as they complete the sentences with a word from the word bank.
Long A RhymesDownload Worksheet More info
Get on board the long a train with this reading and writing worksheet focusing on long a words.
Learning Long Vowels: Long UDownload Worksheet More info
Help your first grader get to know long u words by matching words and pictures with the long u sound.
Long 'I' RhymesDownload Worksheet More info
Packed with sounding out, writing, and rhyming fun, this worksheet is sure to help your first grader tackle the long i sound.
Y as a VowelDownload Worksheet More info
Although y is a consonant, once in a while it behaves like a vowel. Help your beginning reader practice sounding out a few of these tricky words.
Long 'O'Download Worksheet More info
Review the long o sound and practice reading long o words with your first grader with help from this phonics worksheet.
Learning Long Vowels: Long EDownload Worksheet More info
First graders practice recognizing long e by coloring the pictures that have a long e sound.
Games for Early Readers
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Annie Rouse: 2013 Fulbright Scholar
May 21, 2013
Program: Joint MBA/International Environmental Policy degree program
Undergrad: University of Kentucky
Fast Fact: Annie is an industrial hemp activist
"The Monterey Institute professors...really do understand what the U.S. Fulbright is working with and what they are looking for in applications."
As an industrial hemp activist, Annie Rouse (MBA/MAIEP '15) is used to the smirks and jokes. But the Kentucky native is completely serious about using the seeds, oil and fiber from hemp to impact the world and the environment. That's why she's going as a Fulbright Scholar to Canada to study the plant.
"I'm so excited to go study the industrial hemp industry and get the Fulbright," says Annie. "It's obviously a great opportunity for me and it's also giving me the chance to use the knowledge I've gained while at MIIS and put that into full force focus studying my passion."
Annie has been interested in industrial hemp since a young age. Growing up on a farm in Lexington, her dad and other local farmers supported and campaigned for the legalization of it.
"I saw it as an opportunity to develop sustainably and live off the land in a natural way," she says.
Annie Rouse (left) with Fulbright Director Michael Hawes at the University of Calgary.
Canada has a growing industrial hemp market and the United States currently imports millions of dollars of industrial hemp annually from our neighbors to the north. So, Annie will have a great opportunity in Canada to put to practical use what she has been learning about business and the environment as a part of the Joint MBA/International Environmental Policy program at the Monterey Institute.
"The combination of business and environment is one of the things that drew me to the Monterey Institute," Annie says. "It's something that is very unique to the area and it separates itself from other schools."
Annie says that the Monterey Institute professors are also a great help when applying for the Fulbright. "Because they have so many people that are accepted for a Fulbright annually, they have this whole idea down," says Annie. "They get what Fulbright wants and I was able to apply it directly into my application."


text:
Architectural finesse can sometimes be hard to reconcile with lowly practical
concerns. In the world of lighting, tiltable recessed downlights exist to bridge
this gab, but truly elegant solutions have so far been missing for multi-room
audio solutions.
BeoVox 2 brings new versatility to sleek and unobtrusive speaker installations
in your home. It can be flush mounted almost anywhere and still deliver great
balanced sound and hit the acoustic sweet spot. For further optimisation of
the listening experience, the inner speaker cabinet can be pivoted out of its
wall or ceiling installation for precise adjustment of the direction of sound.
Your options for placement of recessed speakers without compromising sound
quality increase with BeoVox 2, resulting in greater freedom for interior design.
Ceiling installations near walls or in corners would traditionally aim the sound
at no one, but become a positive advantage with a pivoting speaker. Wall-mounting
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text: This is my first attempt at a "ride report." Hope you enjoy the pics as I'm not one for words. Monday the boss tells me he can get me Wednesday off work if I want. A five day weekend, sure why not! It's not enough time to go see the family and winter hasn't set in yet so I may as well ride. Day 1: I didn't take many pics as I left late and just wanted to get to camp. After a few hours I turn off pavement I like the sound of this I'm getting poor gas mileage, I wonder if this has anything to do with it? The scenery My ride That's it for day 1


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Welcome to Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Naperville. This web site stands in the tradition of our patrons, St. Peter and St. Paul, and the other apostles, who, following Christ's command, proclaimed the Gospel to the ends of the earth. As they used the technology and means of their time, traveling on the Roman system of roads, writing letters to their communities, so we today continue the mission of the Church in the New Evangelization, reaching out to our brothers and sisters using the new technology and media of our day.
Our Mission
The members of Saints Peter and Paul parish are part of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ for the salvation of the world. We are a community of believers united in the Christian faith with Peter's successor, the Bishop of Rome, and all those in communion with him including our bishop, the Bishop of Joliet. As such, the mission of our parish, like the mission of every Catholic parish, is to help people grow in holiness by living lives that reflect the love of the Most Holy Trinity. We do this by studying and proclaiming the Word of God, and by celebrating the Sacraments of the Church, including, preeminently, the Eucharist in which Christ feeds the faithful with His very Body and Blood. By following the call of the Holy Spirit, by imitating Jesus Christ and seeking to do the Father's will, we share the truth of the Gospel with others by our testimony and example. Through acts of charity and social justice we seek to build a culture of life in the world today as we long for the Kingdom of God in the world to come.
To learn more about our parish, browse through our website and read about our many ministries and educational opportunities. To get started, click on any of the buttons below.


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Happy World Goth Day to all us dark-souled, black-hearted ghouls & gremlins! FOREVER ALLOOOOONNNE!!!
Keeping WGD in mind, it was good timing and tangentially relevant that BCB's ol' pally Steven Ho — despite having his arms full with real Asian baby twins (alas, Conan's fake Asian Baby got raffled off on YouTube) — walloped Conan with another action-packed plus BLOOD-DRENCHED appearance a couple days ago….and it literally GUSHED with gory goodness (sorry)!
If I had a quarter for every time someone said to me, "So, I'm gonna stick my sword inside you"….. I would have 50 cents. ANYHOO I learned a lot about how Hollywood works from watching these segments, including THIS awesome "dummy-soft-shoe-hand-punch-kick-to-the-face" trick (just watch, it will all make sense) and how they will serve you fake movie blood in a nice shot glass (FYI don't swallow). Classy shit! Side note: WHO is that hawt stunt piece with the axe & the earring?? (good band name). Yowza. Talk about gettin that blood pumping.
As always, Steven Ho kills it…and You Will Know Him By the Trail of Dead left in his grisly wake…Good Stuff! Great Fun! Uh, I mean….the victims have been bled…strewn with time's dead flowers…bereft in deathly bloom…
Thanks Steven!


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Pope decree allows earlier papal election
Pope Benedict XVI has issued a decree allowing cardinals to bring forward a conclave to elect his successor, as the resignation of a top cardinal and deepening intrigue in the Vatican clouded the run-up to the vote.
"I leave the College of Cardinals the possibility to bring forward the start of the conclave once all cardinals are present," said the Pope, who steps down on Thursday.
The conclave is traditionally held between 15 and 20 days after the papal seat becomes vacant although that period normally includes nine days of mourning for a deceased pope.
A climate of intrigue and scandal has gripped the Vatican at the approach of the conclave, accentuated by the resignation of British Cardinal Keith O'Brien over allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
Cardinal O'Brien, who as archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh was leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland, denies the allegations that he made sexual advances towards priests in the 1980s.
But Cardinal O'Brien, Britain's most senior Catholic cleric, said: "For any failures, I apologise to all whom I have offended."
He added he would not take part in the conclave to avoid the media attention he would attract.
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said cardinals who will kick off meetings to discuss the upcoming conclave on Friday could settle on a date "in the very first days of March".
"The Holy Father has decided that the documents, which only he has seen, will be exclusively available to his successor," Father Lombardi said.
Italy's Pan-orama news weekly and the Repubblica daily had said the cardinals' December report to the Pope contained allegations of corruption and of attempts to blackmail gay Vatican clergy, as well as favouritism based on gay relationships.
They submitted the report to Benedict just before the Pope pardoned his former butler Paolo Gabriele, who had been jailed for leaking the papal memos in the so-called "Vatileaks" scandal, while banishing him from the Vatican.
Suspicions linger that more people were involved.
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" Nike sports equipment. "
I personally dislike nike. And ther are many reasons for this. Firstly, I do not like what the brand stands for. It has turned sports clothing into some sort of fashion accessory, with T shirts, coats, gloves etc, rather than just say shorts and t shirts for actually doing sports in. Secondly, I really dislike just how ridiclously overpriced everything they sell is! Maybe I am old fashioned, but I thought the idea behind wearing a sports t shirt was to mean it didn't matter so much if it got ripped etc, because you could cheaply get another? Yet nike sells football t shirts ranging from around 20 quid! Personally I just pick up £2 or £3 shirts from primark instead, its way cheaper.
Another problem I have with Nike is the working conditions of the workers. For those of you who didn't know, Nike is one of the worst companies around (except maybe apple) in terms of treating its employees well. Now you could argue if they treated them well, they would have to raise the prices on their products, but the fact of the matter is they wouldn't have to. They already make a huge markup on everything, by paying an absoulute pittance to the workers, and keeping them indoors for long periods of time without things like breaks, or air conditioning. I don't think I could buy a pair of expensive boots for say £100 with that on my conscious. Now I am not suggesting that the workers should all get limosines or something, but I think if you are going to sell products made like that, you should sell them cheap, making massive profits with your workers living like that is not good.
Another problem I have with nike is the quality. Now I should tread carefully here, because Nikes expensive stuff is high quality, and most of the stuff they do is pretty good quality. But when you compare with other makes, like umbro, which is a lot cheaper, you kinda realise the difference doesn't justify the price. I honestly don't think it would make a big difference what brand you used between nike, umbro, addidas etc, you would still perform the same (or at least I think so). Also, some of the more "offbeat" nike items are terrible. Avoid getting things like nike weights, or something. Nike are only really any good at boots anc lothes, there other stuff just falls apart (in my experience, the handweights don't last).
Overall then, I give this brand 1/5. I just think they are overpriced, and these days seem more like a fashion icon rather than a sporting brand, which is a shame to be honest. That and some unethical trading means I actively avoid buying from Nike (haven't bought from them now for over 6 years at least, with no plans on changing this). Whats more is that other sporting brands are actually surpassing them in both quality and the price of the items. look at brands like no-fear, umbro, addidas, lonsdale etc, which have come on heaps and bounds lately, but still offer cheapish items.
Founded in 1964 when it was known as 'Blue Ribbon Sports', the American sports manufacturer Nike has become renowned for manufacturing quality and much sought after sports equipment over the years. I use Nike products in all of the sports that currently participate in, including squash, golf, running, and even swimming. In this review i'll take a look at my favourite Nike accessories and how I use them.
The gentleman's sport
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Let's start with golf, and for many years it was Titleist who ruled the roost when it came to golfing equipment - especially regarding ball manufacture. Their ProV1 model was the benchmark for a quality golf ball, but Nike came close to knocking it off the perch when they released their Nike One ball. This little white orb saw its sales flourish when Tiger Woods adopted it as his ball of choice, and subsequently won a number of majors when using it. Although the Nike One isn't one of Nike newest balls, it was the product which made me take Nike seriously as a golf manufacturer. In terms of its performance, the Nike One is excellent to use with a soft touch on and around the greens and a lot of or spin can be imparted onto the ball when pitching. In terms of the cost, you can currently purchase a pack of twelve Nike One golf balls for around £20.
A Nostalgic look at footwear...
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It would be foolish to talk about Nike without mentioning their trainers - i've had all manner of Nike shoes over the years, starting out in my schooldays when (along with Reebok, Puma, and Adidas) Nike was one of the 'must have' brands. back in the early 90's all trainers had a gimmick - there was the Adidas Torsion (with what was known as the 'Torsion Bar' on the underside of the shoe - although what it did was anyone's guess); then there was the Reebok 'Pump', the Puma 'Disc' and of course the 'Nike Air' - the trainer with the bubble set into the sole. My Nike Air trainers were quite frankly ridiculous - shaped like a basketball shoe and bright orange in colour - really garish, but I didn't care. Nowadays my Nike trainers are much more subtle - I use their running shoes for jogging, and find them to be especially comfortable and hardwearing. In terms of the cost, Nike shoes are a little pricier than other brands, but in my experience they are worth the cost - the current range starts out at around £26 which is by no means extortionate.
Other Sports & Final Word
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Nike are a company who seem to be able to turn their hand to producing quality products for sports that are often dominated by other manufacturer's products. Take squash for example where it's Dunlop who rule the roost - here Nike make some excellent equipment including their 'Mulitcourt 10' court shoes which retail at only £19.99 from JJB Sports. Whilst on the court I also use Nike sweatbands which cost £3 for a pack of two from Amazon - they're comfortable and very absorbent.
Overall my relationship with Nike has been a good one over the years, and although I certainly don't buy their products out of loyalty to the brand, I do feel that the products offer a lot. A good marker of a product's quality is if you don't notice using it (normally we only notice wearing trainers if they rub), and this is certainly something that is true with the Nike.
The future
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So what does the future hold for Nike? well if recent events are anything to go by, vehicle production may be the next step in the company's evolution. Sharing the same name as the company's flagship golfball, the 'Nike One' is a hypothetical concept car which was devised for the Grand Turismo video game... watch this space.
My obsession with all things Nike started at the young age of eleven years old. This was when I lived permanently in Dublin and it was my first year of secondary school, in fact this story is about my very first day of secondary school. This was an awkward age for me as it is for most. I had just made my confirmation in the summer and my mother had bought me my new uniform that was just a larger sized version of my primary school one. This just had a different badge on the jumper and the only thing that you could wear that wasn't controlled by the rules of the school, was your shoes.
I was dreading having to leave my friends (some of which had moved on to different schools) and mix with a new bunch of kids. I am very sociable now but back then I couldn't have been more shy. Also secondary school was the first time I would be sharing a class with girls, GIRLS! AHHHHHH!
As I said this was an awkward age and stage, it was the time that a care free child suddenly became very self conscious, insecure and eager to please. Throw in the fact that I resembled a badly drawn caricature rather than a human being, didn't make things any easier. Looking back at photos of this time, my arms seemed to be around two years ahead in terms of growth when compared to the rest of my body. I also had a rather fetching Tom Selleck lookalike moustache (I'll save you the trouble of looking back up to the top of the review to double check my age, yes I said eleven, I had a Tash at eleven years old) the fact that I have very dark hair made it all the more noticeable. This was a result of the fact that the "puberty postman" came knocking quite early for me.
But what has all of this got to do with Nike, well here we go...
Remember I said you could choose your own shoes to go with your uniform?
Well I walk up to the open door of the classroom, seat after seat full of unfamiliar, judgemental, moustache free children. Nervously I stand there and then to my horror I look down to see they are all wearing runners / trainers. Now pan down to look at what I was wearing, and you are greeted with the stunning sight, of highly polished Daniel O'Donnell inspired shoes. The silence in the room was defining, I wish they had all burst out laughing because the class room had a hard stone floor and as I left the carpeted doorway and began to walk towards my chair it sounded like Fred Astaire had just brushed passed Daniel and entered the room, click, click, click-ade-click! As I tottered across the room.
Then they finally decided to laugh, but it was too late, I was already the colour of lava. I wanted the ground to open up and eat me, so I would never have to go back to that school again. If I owned a monkey I would definitely have sent him in dressed as me and I don't think they would have noticed. Of course I can laugh about it now but at the time it was horrible.
Wanting to fit in I explained the situation to my parents, my father thought it was hilarious seeing it was my mother who had dressed me up in this way. He took me straight out in the car into town and spent more money than he could afford in order to guarantee I had the best runners possible and undo the embarrassment of my first day. We didn't go to O'Connell Street (the main street in Dublin) We went instead to Grafton Street the Poshest and most expensive street in Dublin when it comes to retail. He then said to the salesman one of the best sentences I have ever heard him say and it made me feel very loved, my dad isn't one for showing his feelings but this told me more than he could ever say "give my boy the best pair of runners you have, money's no object". We didn't have much money then but he wanted to make me happy, I'll always remember that.
The following day I repeated the walk down the corridor towards the class, looking at the open door as I approached. My heart beating hard in my chest, my palms sweating down by my ankles, but when I walked into the class I was transformed from the laughing stock of the school into the envy of the school (well the class at least)
"wear geh geah dem?" now translated from inner city Dublin into English "where did you get them?" I literally felt like a superstar, a long armed, premature moustache wearing superstar. And that is where my love affair with all things Nike began.
Since then almost every pair of runners I have ever bought have been Nike. The fact that they not only look great and come in so many styles to suit most tastes but they are also super comfortable and depending on the design they are also durable (some high end designs are more for fashion than durability). Nike's are not the cheapest of casual sports footwear but they are well made and for that little extra you will get a pair that will last you ten times longer and feel ten times more comfortable than a cheap pair from the market. They have designs to cater for your needs, walking, running, basketball, track, hiking, tennis you name it they can cater for it. I always stock up whenever I visit New York as the price of footwear is so much more affordable there than it is at home. Sketchers are also a very good brand and a half the price in Manhattan.
I have never had a pair of Nike's that let in, by this I mean a pair that leaked. The only problem I have had is some scuff very easily but they tend to be the high end ones I mentioned earlier that are not made of the most practical of materials and are meant for rap stars that just get out of their limo onto a red carpet (these designs do look great though).
Anyway we've come to the end of my therapy session. It felt good to get that off my chest. Since those awkward days my arms and body have grown into proportion, I have aged enough for a moustache to look normal and my crippling shyness has been replaced with an outgoing, almost annoying confidence and a sarcastic wit. Plus I can now carry off Daniel O'Donnell shoes without anyone laughing.
Thanks for reading :0) 2night
Nike has long been established as a quality manufacturer of sports based products, and I have owned various Nike things over the years. It started with a pair of trainers when I was in my teens, and of course you look for the brand as opposed to what might be the best for purpose when you're a teenager. Quality doesn't really come into the mindset as much.
Through the years though, I have owned various pieces of Nike equipment and not once have I felt like I have had a substandard piece of equipment. Every Nike item I've had has been quality in terms of design and manufacture, from wristbands to football boots, shorts to bags. Everything has been solid.
The thing that sets Nike at and around the top of the tree in terms of quality sports manufacturers is the quality of product and design. Have a look at Nike's products - the stitching is usually solidly cross-stitched and the fabric seems quality from the first moment you touch. I also find that the durability is a key issue - products can be of decent quality at the start but if they diminish and become unusable after only a short amount of time, then this is no good and you haven't had your money's worth. I have recently replaced a pair of running shoes that were Nike, and they lasted me a good few years. The pair I have replaced them with are nowhere near the quality and have already started showing signs of wear and tear.
These shoes were perhaps a third of the price of the Nike pair, which is why I opted for them, but in the long run this is actually a false economy, as you will spend more money buying rubbishy products and replacing them all too often, and potentially causing lasting physical damage to you as well, especially where shoes are concerned. The only downside of buying these Nike products is the initial cost, which has typically seen higher levels than most other brands that I have noticed. I don't like the fact that wherever I see the Nike brand I expect a higher level of price, but I also know that the quality is also higher and this is a reassurance.
In fact, over recent years, I have found that Nike's prices have been reigned in somewhat, seeking to fit in a bit more and appeal to a market where people just can't afford it any more. Previous products which soared above other cheaper brands seem to be more affordable now, and I think as people realise that products from Shoe Zone don't last very long, for example, I think there's more clever spending and this shows.
Nike have also traditionally used celebrities to endorse their products, perhaps the most famous being Michael Jordan, with his Air Nike trainers that they used to make you believe you could almost fly in! A company with so much money is obviously able to fork out for the top stars, but this was a particularly noticeable celeb. More recently, Federer and Nadal have used Nike headbands (which soak up pretty much everything by the way!) and the latest basketball star to do things with Nike is Kobe Bryant, one of the most prominent players of the past decade plus.
Having billions of dollars is obviously a bonus for the company. Being able to spend money to make money is a huge advantage for any company, but the key ingredient for them is quality of product, and this is how they have made their money. I shall continue to use Nike products if I feel I get more from them than other top brands, and I highly recommend what they do.
Lets face the facts. If you are buying sports equipment, chances are you are going to be buying something made by either Nike or Adidas, as both have expanded into different markets outside their usual football boots/trainer base. Nike have recently gone into skiwear products, and taking on the more extreme sports such as skateboarding and rollerblading, which develops there already huge brand specialising in boots, trainers, clothing and accessories. Today i am going to review my Nike ID bag, which i have had for years and has been a fantastic investment.
The bag
The great thing about Nike ID is that you get to create the bag yourself. I started with a blank canvas, just a fully grey bag, but you do get to also choose from 5 different styles of bag. I selected one with a nice zip down both sides to add storage. I then made it essentially blue, with yellow trimming, but you can make it anything you like - its great.
In terms of the bag itself, it is nice and big and i generally use it for a gym bag. That means it fits trainers, towel, alternate clothing and a few other bits. It is a really generous size and you will manage to fit everything you need in there i am sure.
This is my favourite thing about this bag. I have had it now for 5 years, and have literally taken it everywhere with me. It has been around the world, chucked into plane holds amongst other things. It has even survived the student lifestyle, which shows just how well it is made. The zip is now slowly giving up, but it has been used literally every day of my life for the last 3 years so i cannot really complain, and it certainly shows what a quality brand Nike is.
My bag was £50. I thought this was a bit steep at the time but it has easily surpassed that. The durability factor has made it worth every single penny.
Simply fantastic product from a great brand.
So I am reviewing two quality, if not small, piece of Nike Sportswear that I currently own.
First, have you ever wanted to be Federer or Nadal? Well I did, which is why I purchased one of those Nike Swoosh Bandanas that they both wear. I sweat A LOT when i play squash or go spinning and this bandana, aside from making me feel like a sports star, soaks up every drop of sweat coming off my head and gives me room to see! Also very sofa fabric and very stylish. A little on the expensive side at £12 and it is very hard to get colours other than black and white (Nadal and Federer seem to have different colours every tournament!)
Second, Nike Speedos Phwooooar! I know most women must despair at the sight of a man in skimpy swimwear but in terms of function, speedos are the best! This pair of Nike Speedos are VERY form fitting, if not a little crushing. Very stretchy and durable, they mould to you like a second skin, but do feel a little tight. That said, I glide through the water so they are perfect for training and are actually good value at around £10. They also have some squarecut trunks which I assume would be just as functional.
So for your headwear and swimwear needs, Nike do some great clothing worthy of adding to your sports attire wardrobe
Im sure nearly everyone has heard of the brand Nike. But I bet you didnt know they had revenue in excess of $18.6 billion USD in its fiscal year 2008 (ending May 31, 2008). I wont bore you with all the facts, but I will get straight onto what Nike is.
Nike are one of the leading brands in sports equipment and sportsware. Nike was founded back in 1964 under the name of Blue Ribbon Sports but later changed the name in 1978 to Nike, Inc. The main rival of Nike is widely considered as the brand Adidas.
Nike are well known for making football kits such as (Arsenal, Mancherster United, Barcelona and Inter Millan), they also make trainers which have become a trend for young people and even adults with the Nike Air Force one being the most popular of recent times. The Nike Air Force One is often spoke and rapped about in songs. Nike also make clothing, footballs, football boots aswell as lots of other things.
Nike also are the sponser of some sports stars that most people will probably heard of including; Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Juan Martin del Potro, Sebastian Coe aswell as many, many more. Michael Jordan was the first basketball player to sign for Nike in 1984!
Nike have always been a brand ive bought since well... as long as I can remember. There clothes and trainers are often seen as fashionable. They also tend to be comfortable and stylish (im even wearing Nike now!). I would recommened Nike to any younger person whether it be for clothes, sports equipment or trainers.
Nike is a well respected sports brand, it may have been adopted by chavs at some point during the 90s, but I still wear it for sports activities.
This particular review is about my running trainers, bought from TK maxx for £30. If I had bought them in an actual Nike shop they would have cost me £69.99.
The trainers are pink which is mainly why I chose them, they have the nike airmax heels which means they are nice and bouncy and aborb some shock to stop you getting injured.
I have had these trainers for over a year now, they are still in very good condition, I wear them outside for walking to the gym, and inside for aerobics classes. The soles are very well moulded to my feet, and I can bounce around for a lot longer than I could with trainers without the shock absorber in the back.
Nike also make a lot of sports clothing, I wear their very comfortable black trousers with breathable material. These were bought in Sports world for about £12. Again in a real nike shop they would be about 3 times that price.
Nike is a trendy sports brand, its quite expensive, but a lot of people wear it for actually doing sports which is a plus. Its a quality brand, and therefore charges a lot, so the best thing to do is to go to somewhere like sports world if you like the brand and you can get it all a lot cheaper.
Nike make clothes for men, women and kids, so you can get the whole family kitted out ready for sports. They also make things like footballs, sports bags, ipod addons, and loads of things that can be associated with sports.
Nike sports is one of the leading sports names in the world, and with its instantly recognisable TICK, becoming a must in many sports activities people around the world instantly know the brand name.
A leader in sports such as Golf, football and tennis. Nike sponsors the best players in the world constantly such as Tiger woods, Christiano Ronaldo and Roger Federer, each who have their own clothing brand with Nike now.
Nike cover many other sports as and also do clothing for leisure and sports wear.
Nike have made very good progress into the creation of running shoes, and with the Nike Pegasus been voted as one of the best running shoes available it shows their new progress. Having also teamed up with Apple they have created the NIKE+ ipod sensor which sits in your shoe and transmits information such as speed distance and time to your ipod so you can work out your progress in running. Very hand for those looking to do marathons.
Nike equipment and clothings tends to be made to a very high standard, however due to the popularity of Nike they can tend to charge very high prices and make huge profits on each item they make. However this does not stop people going out to buy the best Nike equipment as they want to look cool and trendy.
I like to use Nike equipment a lot, however for such things as football boots i do tend to find myself leaning towards their main competitor in Adidas.
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Last month, I purchased a pair of Nike tn air trainers from a good old seller on ebay. I had been looking for a pair of these for months but hadn't bought any because of the price. The only shop that sells them in the whole of Great Britain are Footlocker. They are notorious for charging extortionate prices for their products and these trainers were no exception. They would have set me back an astonishing £130 if I had purchased them here. However, I managed to pick them up for £47 including postage and packaging which I think is more than just a bargain, it's a steal!
These Nike trainers are very much the shoes of the moment and are in very high demand. Every time a new colourway or slight change of design is released, they are snapped up very quickly. These trainers come in many different colours, some just a single colour and others with creative designs using a number of different colours. The most popular colourways tend to be the plain white and black ones, closely followed by the light blue ones that I have. I wanted a pair of white ones but they are very difficult to get hold of in a size 10.
The trainers themselves aren't really geared towards any particular sport or type of usage. You can do pretty much anything you want in them. They are good for running, having a kick about in the park, playing any kind of sport, going out for a walk or just as a pair of fashionable every day trainers. I tend to wear mine pretty regularly, but not to do any kind of recreational or sporting activity. They do not really go with jeans very well which is a bit of an annoyance but that can't be helped.
I find them to be very comfortable and kind on the feet. The insides are very well lined and they offer a little bit of give when you walk. The soles of the trainers give you enough grip and the air pockets add to the comfort factor when you are walking along. There is also protection around the toe area, so if you stub your foot into the ground, a lot of the impact will be absorbed.
It is very strange that Nike don't advertise the trainers on their website. It is impossible to find out any information about the trainers, directly from Nike. I wonder if Nike are grooming 'tn' to almost become a company of its own because they already make nike tn apparel and accessories. They include tracksuits, t-shirts and hats and caps. Nike also refuse to sell these trainers in their outlet stores, such as the ones in Watford and Southampton. This does give Footlocker a kind of monopoly on the UK market, allowing them to charge whatever prices they want.
An example of the Nike tn trainers that I have discussed in this review, can be found at the following web address:


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Well, we're waiting!
How was the NFTandI?
Well, we're waiting!
How was the NFTandI?
The food was very good there when I went, but the desserts are even better. Claudia Fleming was the pastry chef at gramercy during it's heyday (which is not now IMO).
Been there a couple times now...
Best BnB: Cedar House on the Sound
Best Dinner: Jedidiah Hawkins
Best Vineyard: McCall Vineyard and Castello di Borghese--both have phenomenal pinots
Best Brunch: Love Lane Kitchen
Best Cheese Shop: The Cheese Shop, Love Lane
That's all I can think of...hope you had fun.
Stayed at the Harborfront Inn in Greenportwould definitely stay there again if (when) we go back. Right in the middle of town, walking distance to all the shops and some pretty good restaurants.
North Fork Table & Inn was outstanding, we did the 3 course tasting menu (because you could choose optionsthe 5 course tasting menu was setkind of off-putting), where I had the most delicious food I had the whole time I was therethe Fresh Italian Summer Risotto as an appetizer. Freaking unbelievableotherworldly it was so good. Also had the Butter Poached Maine Lobster with Baby Bok Choy, Shiitake and an Asian brothoutstanding. The GF did the Beets with Goat Cheese (its her favorite) and Poached Salmonalso very good. She did the Chocolate Cheesecake which was awesome, but me not being a dessert eaterI did the cheese plate and it was stanky great.
Ate at The Lobster Roll (Northside), good lobster roll, but considering its world famous, I have to insist not nearly as good as mine. Actually, the one we had in Greenport (at The Loft) was even better. Had raw oysters with cocktails a few times at Claudios right on the water, drinks late one night at the Blue Canoe while listening to a concert on the green, also did dinner and Porto Bellos and Alure both of which were really good.
On the vineyard front, easily the best was Bedell. The Musee was awesome, the Malbec was great and the GF liked the 2010 Tasting Red a lot. We also hit Peconic Bay, where I had a dry Reisling and I loved it, crisp and refreshing and the GF loved their oaky Chard. And Im not a Merlot fan, but gotta say, theirs was very good. We also hit Duck Walk for their Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier but their Sav Blanc was actually a little oaky which was a bit weird. And I had to stop in at Pugliese because they were the only vineyard that had a Sangiovese (not such a great vineyard).
Thanks for all the recommendations.
The Lobster Roll
Peconic Bay at dusk
View from Harborfront Inn
Bedell Vineyard
Bedell barrels
Malbec and Musee
Peconic Vineyard Wine Tasting
Duck Walk Vineyard
The local brew
Bedell Tasting Red
Osprey in Nest (couldn't get closer--he freaked)
Old carousel in the middle of town
Chenin Blanc at dusk
I was at The Loft in July. Had the local brew and mahi-mahi tacos. Delicious. Haven't eaten at A'lure in two years, but it was fantastic two years ago. Used to be the Seafood Barge.
And I used to live about a mile as the crow flies from Peconic Bay Vineyards. Everything there is on cesspools. There's probably a good chance you drank a molecule of my pisswater in your wine. Ha!
JS: As always, beautifully told and photographed. Glad you and your lady had a great time.


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Phelps pushing for spot on Opening Day bench
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Cord Phelps has opened plenty of eyes with his strong showing this spring for the Indians, but it is not clear whether the versatile infielder has played his way into being seriously considered for the Opening Day bench.
What is apparent is Phelps is firmly on Cleveland's radar.
"Regardless of whether he makes our team or not," manager Terry Francona said, "he's played to the point where he's going to help us win games, which we're thrilled about. I know we have decisions to make coming up in a couple weeks, but we're so happy with the way he's played.
"He can play second. He can play third. He can hit. He's going to go play first. His versatility, and the way he hits, is exciting for us as an organization. Does that start on April 1? We don't know yet. We'll see."
Through 18 Cactus League games this spring, the 26-year-old Phelps -- a switch hitter -- has hit at a .324 (12-for-37) clip with two home runs, three doubles, five RBIs and seven walks against six strikeouts. Last year with Triple-A Columbus, Phelps hit .276 with 16 homers, 34 doubles and 62 RBIs in 135 games. He posted a .368 on-base percentage and a .451 slugging percentage for the Clippers last year.
In parts of two seasons with Cleveland, Phelps has hit just .173 (18-for-104) in 49 big league games.
As things currently stand, the Tribe's Opening Day bench projects to include backup catcher Lou Marson and infielder Mike Aviles. There will be one or two more jobs available, depending on whether Cleveland begins the regular season with 12 or 13 pitchers. The Indians are weighing whether to carry an extra arm given that the team has 13 straight games with no off-days to open the season.
"We're discussing everything," Francona said.
Veteran Jason Giambi and utility man Ryan Raburn -- both in camp on Minor League contracts -- are leading candidates for cracking the Opening Day bench. Other players in the mix include catcher Yan Gomes and outfielder Ezequiel Carrera.
"It'll probably come down pretty much to the end," Francona said of the bullpen and bench decisions. "Because, even when you make your mind up, if something happens -- somebody sprains an ankle or something -- [things change]. We'll try to communicate as much as we can."
Capps uncertain of where he'll start 2013 season
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Matt Capps is not sure what his next step is right now. He knows he is still in Indians camp and he will not be on Cleveland's Opening Day roster. Beyond that, the veteran right-hander is not sure what lies ahead.
"I'm as lost as you guys," Capps said on Wednesday morning. "I've never been in this situation. I'm not really sure what to think or where to go or what to do. So, I'm just kind of here right now."
Capps is still technically a member of Cleveland's big league camp as a non-roster invitee, and the ballclub has let him know it has interest in keeping him in the Minor Leagues. The former closer was informed he was not in the Tribe's Opening Day plans on Monday.
Before accepting or declining the opportunity to stay in Cleveland's system with Triple-A Columbus, Capps will search for another opportunity to pitch in the Majors. His agent has been working the phones for the past couple of days.
"I think that's what you have to do," Capps said. "If a team calls and says they want me in the big leagues, obviously I'm going to go. If that doesn't happen, I'll do what I have to do, whether that's in Triple-A or wherever to get back."
Capps, 29, was limited to 29 1/3 innings last season with the Twins due to a right shoulder issue. He still managed a 3.68 ERA and 14 saves in 30 appearances for Minnesota. Capps' best season was in 2010, when he fashioned a 2.47 ERA and finished with 42 saves in 74 games between tours with Washington and Minnesota.
In four Cactus League appearances this spring, the right-hander has allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and one strikeout for Cleveland.
Capps said he has felt fine health-wise and his velocity has improved throughout the spring -- similar to previous seasons. He indicated that he was clocked around 90-91 mph in an outing on Sunday after sitting around 86-87 mph earlier this spring.
"I feel good. I feel really good," said Capps, who has 138 saves in parts of eight seasons in the Majors between stints with the Pirates, Nationals and Twins. "I feel like I'm close. Obviously, it's disappointing, but I feel like I can help this ballclub. I feel like I could help any ballclub right now.
"It's not the news and not the situation you want to be in, but we'll deal with it."
If Capps decides to stay with Cleveland by accepting a Minor League assignment, he would be eligible for a $100,000 retention bonus. He would also be eligible for an opt-out clause that would allow him to become a free agent on June 1 if he is not in the big leagues by that date.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Capps said when asked if he would be willing to go to the Minors. "In an ideal world, I change their mind and I'm in Cleveland in two weeks. We'll see."
Indians awaiting Santana's return from Classic
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Carlos Santana is scheduled to rejoin the Indians within the next couple of days, but manager Terry Francona did not have an exact return date as of Wednesday morning. Asked if the catcher was still celebrating the Dominican Republic's World Baseball Classic championship, Francona smiled.
"He might be," Francona said.
Santana and the Dominican Republic captured the Classic crown with a 3-0 victory over Puerto Rico, which featured Tribe infielder Mike Aviles, on Tuesday night in San Francisco. For the tournament, the D.R. ran the table, winning all eight games it played through stops in Puerto Rico, Miami and San Francisco.
In his eight games, Santana hit .273 (6-for-22) with two home runs, three RBIs, five runs scored and nine walks for his homeland. Aviles, who was acquired from Toronto in an offseason trade, hit .323 (10-for-31) with a homer, double, four runs and nine RBIs for Puerto Rico.
Francona was happy that his players had the chance to take part, but he is looking forward to getting them back in camp with the regular season rapidly approaching.
"I'm glad for them," Francona said, "but it seems like every time we're trying to do something, especially around our infield, whether it's bunt plays, first-to-third plays, our catcher isn't here. That's frustrating. So we'll be glad to have them back."
Francona noted that Aviles was scheduled to arrive in Arizona on Wednesday night and would be given the day off on Thursday. The infielder will rejoin the team on Friday. The manager was not as clear on Santana's itinerary, but expected to have the catcher back in the fold soon.
Santana will have some catching up to do when he does return to Cleveland's workouts and games.
"He's probaby caught more than he would've caught here, and high intensity innings," Francona said. "That part's not a problem. We just want to make sure everybody is on the same page when we start the games here, on where we're throwing the ball and why, and how we're giving signs, and things like that."
Quote to note
"When you're up there thinking about doing something, it just makes it too difficult to succeed. You end up not seeing the ball and you end up not having good mechanics, because you're thinking about something else. It's like you're chasing your tail."
--Indians manager Terry Francona, on hitters tinkering with their swing.
Smoke signals
• Indians rotation candidate Corey Kluber logged 4 2/3 innings in a camp game against Double-A Akron during Tuesday's off-day. The right-hander allowed two runs on nine hits, finishing with one walk and five strikeouts in the 86-pitch effort.
"He got hit a little bit," Francona said. "They put the barrel on it a few times. He was trying to establish his fastball early, which we wanted him to, and he got hit a little bit. Then he started throwing his breaking ball and he started getting them out. We want him to be more aggressive with that fastball."
• Indians right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is not in the team's Opening Day plans, has agreed to accept a Minor League assignment, but the ballclub is still sorting through the details of his contract with agent Scott Boras. General manager Chris Antonetti said the situation should have some kind of resolution within the next few days.
• Francona indicated that Indians catcher Yan Gomes, who tweaked his right hamstring during Friday's contest against the Brewers, might be ready to return to game action by this weekend. Gomes is competing for a bench job as a third catcher and utility player.
• Indians right-hander Brett Myers, who is lined up to be the team's third starter this season, turned in six shutout innings in a Triple-A game on Wednesday. Myers scattered three hits, struck out eight and finished with zero walks in the 75-pitch effort.
Jordan Bastian is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Major League Bastian, and follow him on Twitter @MLBastian. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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NASHVILLE -- Overlook the positional label -- that pesky titular relic of him playing "catcher" -- and replace it with "righthanded power hitter," and the Red Sox' signing of Mike Napoli on Monday starts looking so glaringly obvious that one is left wondering what took so long.
Napoli is a catcher by trade and is joining a roster already stocked with three major league catchers (Jarrod Saltalamacchia, David Ross and Ryan Lavarnway), but that doesn't matter. Boston's latest acquisition -- according to multiple reports, the 31-year-old former Ranger is signing for three years and $39 million -- is a great fit even if he leaves his chest protector at home. He'll primarily play first base, where he's logged 133 games over the last three seasons, and catch some.
The 2012 Red Sox sorely longed for a righthanded bat with patience and pop, two virtues Napoli packs in abundance, even if they often come at the detriment of his contact rate.
For all the perception of the Boston lineup being a walk-heavy, on-base machine, last year's team drew the second-fewest walks in the American League, doing so at a pace of one walk every 14.41 plate appearances, which was the franchise's worst walk rate since 1931. That was eight years before Ted Williams debuted as a rookie.
Napoli only batted .227 last year and .238 in 2010, sandwiched around a .320 average that's looking like an aberration for a hitter with a .259 career number. And while his career high in home runs is only 30 and in walks it's only 58, those counting numbers belie his prodigious ability to accrue them because he was considered a liability as an everyday catcher. In his seven seasons, Napoli has never played more than 140 games, and he only topped 115 games once.
Yet since 2008 the list of hitters with the greatest home run rates (measured as at bats-per-home run) are as follows: Jose Bautista (13.95), Albert Pujols (14.84) and Napoli (14.86). Over the same time, the only two righthanded Red Sox hitters with single-season home run rates better than 21 PA/HR, nevermind cumulative totals during those five years, are Jason Bay and Kevin Youkilis, both of whom are no longer with the team. Overall, Boston ranked ninth in the AL in homers last season.
In that same time span of 2008-12 Napoli ranked 44th in the majors (out of 233 qualified hitters) in plate appearances-per-walk, which doesn't sound all that guady, but consider the paucity of Red Sox ahead of him on that list. Of the 43 players who walked more often than Napoli, the list of hitters who played in Boston is J.D. Drew, David Ortiz, Bay, Youkilis and Adrian Gonzalez. It's like a multiple choice question where you're asked to identify which one is not like the other -- that's Ortiz, the only one still a Red Sox.
Though Napoli struggled for much of last season, his second with Texas and seventh in the big leagues, he finished with a flourish, returning from a 33-game disabled list stint to crush seven homers in his final 16 games. In another small yet tantalizing sample, he has a preposterous 1.107 OPS with seven homers in 17 career games at Fenway Park.
There are adjustments to be made -- becoming a primary first baseman, playing every day and dealing with the high-intensity Boston market -- but Napoli is a middle-of-the-order power hitter from the righthanded batter's box, filling a giant Red Sox hole.-- By Joe Lemire


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I was at the far right edge of the road. The car didn't stop. I overtook it, and was attempting to open the passenger door at approximately 15 mph when a very distraught woman rolled down the window and tearfully explained that she was just coming from visiting her husband in the hospital, and that she "didn't even see me."Read more. For Yehuda Moon, click on the comic to see large.
I thought to myself: I'm rocking electric blue Lycra shorts and an orange jersey, not because I'm color blind, but because I want cars to see me! How could she miss me?
Nearly every cyclist in America has similar stories. We beseech you: Start seeing bicycles.
I live in a part of the country where traffic is expected to increase 250 percent in the next 20 years. We live on a planet whose addiction to fossil fuels has created problems that might be alleviated if people rode their bikes more often.
Bicycles are part of the solution. Start seeing bicycles.
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EBay hit by cyber attack, urges users to change passwords
Online marketplace eBay says it will urge users to change their passwords following a cyber attack impacting a database with encrypted passwords and non-financial data.
The database includes information such as customers' names, encrypted passwords, email and physical addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth. As of the end of its first quarter, the company has 145 million active buyers.
In a statement released on Wednesday, eBay says it has not found evidence of unauthorised activity or access to financial information, based on ''extensive'' tests. The company says financial data was not affected, pointing out credit card information is encrypted and stored separately from this database.
''We know our customers trust us with their information, and we take seriously our commitment to maintaining a safe, secure and trusted global marketplace,'' reads a company statement.
EBay is encouraging people who used the same password on other sites to change those credentials as well.
The company says it has seen no proof of unauthorised access to PayPal, its online payment service. ''PayPal data is stored separately on a secure network, and all PayPal financial information is encrypted,'' says the company.
While eBay has downplayed the breach because it didn't include financial information, the loss of an unknown number of passwords has the potential to compromise all websites, not just eBay, security experts say. That is because many consumers use the same password on multiple sites.
''The attackers will quickly take over accounts across the web wherever a user reused their username and password on another site,'' said Michael Coates, director of product security at Shape Security in Mountain View, California.
EBay also was using a more easily cracked method for protecting the passwords it kept on file. There are two commonly used ways to secure passwords, encryption and hashing. EBay was using encryption, which is the more easily broken, said Mr Coates.
''Encryption allows eBay, or anyone who access the decryption key, to decrypt and see your actual password. Password hashing allows eBay to check if the password you enter is correct or not, but doesn't allow eBay [or hackers] to get the plaintext of your actual password,'' he said.
The compromise, which happened between late February and early March, resulted from a cyber attack targeting a small group of employee log-in credentials. Emails will go out to users to request changes to their passwords. The company says it will also employ additional security measures.
Forrester analyst Tyler Shields says it is concerning that it took eBay until earlier this month to uncover the breach. ''From late February and March to just about two weeks ago is a lot of time for an attacker to be roaming around your network and systems.''
Trey Ford, security strategist with Rapid7, says attackers could use information taken from the database to pose as legitimate company representatives. ''Users should be wary of anyone contacting them claiming to be eBay or any other company for that matter,'' says Ford. ''Expect an uptick in phishing, do not click links in email, or discuss anything over the phone.''
The eBay breach is the latest in a series of attacks targeting customer data. Earlier this month, Target chief executive Gregg Steinhafel stepped down months after hackers swiped the financial information of 40 million customers. In April, AOL confirmed its email service had been hacked, with users complaining their accounts were sending spam to contacts.
Eric Chiu, president and co-founder of security firm HyTrust, says this cyber attack is more proof high-profile breaches like eBay and Target are occurring more frequently. ''This is another wake-up call that organisations need to take an 'inside-out' approach to security and assume the bad guy is already on their network.''
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ALTA's Print Shop allows members to easily customize more than 60 homebuyer marketing and education resources, download modified digital files for free or order discounted print products for use in their local market.
The new 2016 ALTA Commitment both streamlines the existing features of the title insurance commitment and, for the first time, expressly sets out many of the fundamental title insurance industry assumptions underlying such commitments.
Industries as diverse as banking, agriculture, fashion and gemology have all looked to blockchain technology as a disruptor with the capability to create new efficiencies. While perceived as the Holy Grail of digital land records, is there any substance behind the blockchain hype?
While companies may have spam filters and antivirus software, spam and phishing emails can still slip through employee inboxes. Email recipients are the most critical element in preventing an attack. Read on for some tips on how to identify the authenticity of a questionable email.
While the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized amendments to the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures (TRID) rule, it didn't squash the debate on what documents can be shared. It is important to note that the regulation did not implement any changes on data privacy. TRID requires creditors to provide certain mortgage disclosures to the consumer, but the rule does not go so far as to mandate sharing.


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Chronus Steampunk Shirt
Mens black shirt with a steampunk twist. The cuffs are extra long and detailed with brass-colored buttons which can be undone to reveal a hidden pleat making the sleeves wider. The shirt fastens with matching buttons all the way down the front. Feature pocket on the arm with single brass button and a loose, standing collar.
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Reviewer: 🔥💀LIGHTNINGTHUNDERFIRE💀🔥
🔥💀This shirt has brass buttons that stand out the neck is a little big but this shirt is nothing less than the best on this site. Alson the pocket on the arm is a brilliant decoration.💀🔥
1 person found this usefull. Was this review helpful to you?
Reviewer: plissken
The shirt fit well, but there is one problem, the neck size is way too big.. I do not have
a big neck, my neck size is 15 1/2...so in the long run, try do some adjustment on the neck sizing...
a big neck, my neck size is 15 1/2...so in the long run, try do some adjustment on the neck sizing...
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Runs small, decent shirt, thin material
Reviewer: ...Emc²
Nice looking shirt, very thin material however. Just a little flimsier than I expected, but still a very sharp looking tight fitting shirt. If you are at all muscular, order at least one size bigger, and 2 sizes larger than normal if you are more muscular or somewhat heavier or chunkier. This shirt could still look good on you. I normally wear a size large, and am semi muscular in my back and shoulders and this shirt in large was still way too tight. I had to eat the shipping costs to return it and exchange for the extra large size, and am waiting for that to arrive. Am just hoping I don'... [More]
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I count five times the Weekly has repeated its misconception that library ebook collections require physical space.
This error first appeared in a Nov. 19 editorial wondering whether the public would like to remove books in the library to make space for ebooks.
Then the Weekly repeated this misconception in a thread on Town Square. When a reader replied online that this was absurd, you'd think the Weekly would not repeat the mistake. Of course, there is no need to remove anything from a library to make space for ebooks because ebooks don't take up physical space.
Then you posed the meaningless question in your online poll, and you asked it again in your "Streetwise" feature. You repeated this pseudo dilemma last week on Jan. 14 in "Around Town" wondering whether "to reduce shelf space at the new libraries and to make more room for ebooks, possibly at the expense of traditional books."
Ebooks are downloaded by the user from a remote location, not even from the library. Nothing in our library needs to be removed for them to continue to offer even more ebooks. They already offer thousands.
Your misunderstanding of the nature of ebooks confounds the ongoing discussion about the big reduction in the collection at Main.
Elaine Meyer
Kingsley Avenue
Palo Alto
Get it right, PAPAC
Usually when a community is invited to vote as to what they would like, the majority rules. I guess this is not the case now.
The Palo Alto Public Art Commission rules. Not in my day. When we asked the citizens to vote we honored the vote. Perhaps some of us did not agree but the end result is what counts.
What's wrong with giving the community what it wants? The commission looked at many works and chose three for the community to pick from.
They did.
Give the Palo Alto citizens what they want. It's their tax dollars.
Get it right, commissioners.
Paula Z. Kirkeby
Ely Place
Palo Alto
Fountain-vote flaws
The Palo Alto Public Art Commissioners have spoken. Those anointed ones claiming aesthetic perceptions far superior to those of us, the unwashed, have declared the winning new fountain for California Avenue.
Of course, their choice came in second in the balloting to the first choice by the public, which they disregarded with arrogant, Olympian disdain.
Clearly their letter of Dec. 21, 2010 ("We want to hear from you ... Choose your favorite proposal"), was an empty charade because they had a preconceived choice for the Szabo proposal over the traditional Reed-Madden choice.
The commission was appointed by the City Council members who, like Pontius Pilate, would like to wash their hands of the outrageous breach of public confidence. But they owe us voters a reexamination of the scandalous hoax.
Surely this council wants to avoid being linked in history to an unpopular, reviled art exhibit.
California Avenue has suffered the tragic loss of stately trees. It does not deserve another embarrassment by the city.
Vic Befera
High Street
Palo Alto
Sham vote?
Is anyone else still feeling insulted that after being asked to vote on three fountain designs for California Avenue our votes were ignored?
Is anyone else wondering why city resources were wasted on setting up a website for a sham vote? And why were votes from nonresidents counted?
I'd say the whole exercise was a farce and a waste of everyone's time and resources.
This fiasco is also a reminder of the inept and tragic loss of our California Avenue trees and the more recent shocking decision to narrow California Avenue in spite of a strong preference from both merchants and neighbors to keep it a four-lane street!
Has city leadership noticed we have a problem?
Shannon McEntee
Sheridan Avenue
Palo Alto
Cal Ave streetscape plan
The city is considering a project to improve the California Avenue streetscape. It needs repaving, after which the city could repaint the stripes to their current 60-year-old pattern or update the striping to increase car parking, bike parking, seating for pedestrians and restaurants, and pedestrian and bike safety.
I have heard objections. Lane reductions might snarl traffic. Construction might block store access. The project wastes money
But on-street parking can only be added through a lane reduction. Increasing the diagonal parking angle fits more cars side by side but each extends further into the street, leaving insufficient room for four traffic lanes.
November traffic counts found 5,280 cars per day on California Avenue (compare to 19,000 on University or Arastradero). Its busiest hour has 244 cars in one direction. At one-fourth those busier streets' traffic volumes, the data and independent analysis prove negligible traffic impacts: Four cars a minute will not snarl traffic waiting for a car to park.
The road must be repaved anyway, and the city will work with businesses to minimize construction impacts. Painting a different striping pattern won't block shoppers' store access.
This smart $550,000 investment has strong returns. It leverages a $1.2 million grant (which can't be used for other project types), adds parking valued at $600,000, reduces repaving cost and increases sales-tax revenue.
Tell City Council before Feb. 14 if you support the plan, available at www.CityOfPaloAlto.org/CalAve.
Cedric de La Beaujardiere
Josina Ave
Palo Alto
Palo Alto 'look'
I have lived in several cities in the U.S. and abroad, and traveled extensively, including to places off the grid where bird populations are fascinating and different.
Since recently moving back to my home town, I cannot help but notice the peoples' penchant for wearing what appear to be high-end bird-watching outfits with muted-toned all-weather walking clothes: the boots, hats, sticks and a lot of gear I have never seen before.
I am uncertain if this has to do with all the trees abound, the proximity to mountains where they might observe, or maybe the several outdoor outlet shops in and around the downtown area. Or is it in fact the "Palo Alto look" (a.k.a. "Vermont bird-watcher extraordinaire)?
And what about those visor hats I have also yet to see anywhere but here? They appear to be made of several 1970s plastic gambling visors molded together.
In addition to this being an observation, this also poses a question to Weekly readers. What is the Palo Alto "look?"
S.T. Sanchez
Channing Avenue
Palo Alto
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There's something to be said about a game that grips you and keeps you coming back due to its blatant challenge. It's these games that, no matter how tough and imposing they may be, have you returning to the same levels to see if you can conquer them. Dustforce is one of these games. It systematically challenges you with its clever stage designs, but you can't help but return to it over and over again. While there are certainly spots that feel a bit too punishing and unfair, it's hard not to notice the excellence of this 2D platformer.
You play as a group of four custodians. These folks don't have some deep back story, but their intention is clear: to rid the land of dust and debris using only their cleaning tools and their snazzy acrobatic moves. Though it may not be apparent at first, each of the characters control differently and have certain perks. Some are faster than others, some jump higher, and one even has a triple jump. The best way to see which character is right for you is by experimenting with all of them.
The levels in Dustforce themselves are all pretty spectacular. There are a number of varying overworlds such as a park, a mansion, and a lab. Each of the levels within the game's many areas is joyfully engrossing. As you run through them, it is your job to clean up any leaves, dust, goo, or other debris using your broom (or dusters, or vacuum). All you need to do to perform clean-up duty is run over the filth. Enemies pop up from time to time, and you can give them a light whack or a heavy smack to release more garbage for you to sweep up.
Dust isn't just scattered along the floor, though. There's a lot to sweep up on walls and roofs, which means you'll be grateful that these janitorial heroes can run up walls and even do a bit of upside-down roof running. It's these abilities that really make it possible for you to clean up all the dust in every level, and if you want to get an S-rank for completion, you're going to want to do exactly that. The way the sweeping of dust accentuates and enhances the running and jumping gameplay is surprising, and it's impressive to see how you can speed through levels and link combos by going for flawless runs.
As enjoyable as it is to run freely through levels, there's a lot of emphasis on cleaning up dust. And if you intend on playing through every level in the game, you're going to have to do exactly that. While that's certainly fine, completion isn't the only thing you need to worry about in each level. A second determining factor, finesse, requires you to run through levels as fast as possible in a perfect manner. That means you can't break your cleaning combo or get hit by enemies. This is surprisingly demanding, and it's a bit of a shame that you need to do perfect runs of the initial levels to see everything Dustforce has to offer, especially because this means not everyone will be able to, or want to, put the time into mastering the game to unlock everything.
That said, it's still a lot of fun going back to those levels that kicked your butt and attempting to conquer them completely. It's tough as heck, but it's incredibly rewarding finally seeing those two S-ranks for both completion and finesse after playing through stages repeatedly. When you do unlock new stages, you better be prepared to bring your best, because these are significantly more challenging than the game's open levels.
A lot of people have compared Dustforce to Super Meat Boy in terms of gameplay and challenge. While Dustforce is certainly host to a plethora of awesome levels, has some crazy wall jumping gameplay, and will definitely brutalize you with its difficulty, I really can't make the same comparison. That's because Dustforce is its own game worthy of its own merit, and though Super Meat Boy got a lot of praise, Dustforce is a really great game in its own right that deserves its respective spotlight.
As impressive as the gameplay in Dustforce may be, the visual and audio presentation may be even more magnificently crafted. Simply put, the game looks beautiful. It has a very minimalistic style rife with wonderful color usage. Levels looks great and backgrounds pop nicely, offering an aesthetic treat throughout. If your rig isn't all that powerful, you may notice some slowdown. Thankfully, you can turn off some or all of the background and other environmental aspects through the options menu. Even if you have to do this, Dustforce is pure visual candy.
Even more lovely is the game's soundtrack, which is full of great music. Everything has a distinct indie sound to it, and you're bound to find yourself humming a lot of the themes from Dustforce long after you've stopped playing. The music in Dustforce is, for all intents and purposes, some of the best music to come from a video game in the last few months, and I'm certain that as 2012 comes to a close, there will be plenty of gamers who argue that this soundtrack was one of the coolest of the year.
There's really a lot of game here for those who wish to perfect their approach and unlock new stages. And even for gamers who aren't completionists, Dustforce is a ride worth taking. There are local multiplayer modes such as King of the Hill and Survival, but these serve mainly as distractions. What I'm most excited about is the upcoming level editor, which should serve to add to the game's appeal. The fact that the hub world itself is so interactive speaks volumes of the ambitious nature of Dustforce. This is a shining example of stylish creativity in games. Dustforce looks great, sounds awesome, and plays smoothly, and it is definitely worthy of your attention. Play this indie gem, and enjoy its powerful sense of style.


text: Label Suisse recently hosted Lausanne, a music free music festival in Switzerland that included artsy printed matters (poster, program, t-shirts) as well as the elaborate cardboard speaker installations. I was drawn to the effort because most concert halls are dark, dismal looking places that lack artistry except for whatever is happening on the stage. Of course, the standard for speakers is plain black with little embellishments, so while these cardboard creations undoubtedly sunk sound quality a bit, they sure do beat your average sound box.


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Chinese acrobats to perform at the Mahaiwe tonight
Chinese contortionist Miao Miao Chen looks like she is about to raise herself into a standard handstand, with both arms firmly planted on the stage beneath her, supporting her weight as one leg slowly rises up over her head. A partially lit candelabra sits in front of her and soon, she places one lighted candle between the toes of her left leg. While her arms remain resolutely straight, her right leg curves in the air as she moves her left leg over her head, placing her foot in front of her face as she lights the candelabra's sole unlit candle. The audience responds with rapturous applause.
This moment comes from a segment featured on the short-lived ABC TV talent show "Master of Champions" posted on YouTube. The video displays Chen's unique talent -- the ability to appear graceful while folding her body in strange contortions that look like they should be physically impossible. It's only a small sampling of the kinds of feats of strength and precision that will be on full display for Berkshire audiences today when Cirque Shanghai, the circus that Chen choreographs and directs, comes to the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center with its latest touring show, "Bai Xi."
The theater will hold two performances of the show, one at 10 a.m. for area schools, followed by a public performance at 7 p.m.
In English, the show's title translates to "100 wonders." Chen said the name directly references China's rich acrobatic tradition.
"It goes back to our history from over 1,000 years ago," Chen said by telephone from Dolly Parton's Smokey Mountains theme park, Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. "Only the best troupes and performers would perform for the emperor. They'd prove themselves to him. Our show brings that back -- we are giving you the best."
It's a performance tradition that has been rooted deeply in Chen's life. Chen was raised by performer parents -- her mother is a singer and her father is what Chen called a "stage host and entertainer."
Finding that Chen was extremely flexible as a little girl, her parents made the decision to send her to school to train as a contortionist. She was only 6 years old when she started performing.
"I started performing in these troupes that had mostly boys, and we would get to perform on talent shows on TV in China," Chen said. "I loved it and it was a lot more fun than studying and going to school."
Chen stopped performing three years ago and now is theatrical director for Cirque Shanghai's productions, serving as a mentor to the young performers who, like her, have dedicated themselves to perfecting an ancient art.
"You can't last very long doing the contortion act that I did, there are so many injuries, it's very punishing on your body," Chen said.
As a director and a mentor, Chen said she can help guide the young performers, many of whom started as young as 5 years old. Chen said young acrobats in China practice eight to 10 hours a day. This practice regimen consists of regular morning training, with another hour after breakfast, followed later at night with more practice.
It's a grueling schedule. Chen said Chinese acrobats will stay with performance schools for at least five to eight years, perfecting their craft before auditioning for large circus troupes that recruit throughout the country.
The troupe selection process happens each year. Chen and her team will observe each group perform their own traveling acts in different cities, before deciding which one is good enough to make the cut.
Performing in "Bai Xi" requires a level of perfection and discipline that makes for an impressive display, said Beryl Jolly, the Mahaiwe's executive director.
Containing acts titled "the giant Wheel of Destiny," "the group Swinging pole act," and the "motorbike Globe of Death," Cirque Shanghai promises to dazzle audience members of all ages, Jolly said.
"With a show like this, you have kids and adults holding their breath, and this sense of awe that ripples around the house," Jolly said by telephone from her office.
Part of the family-friendly appeal of the show, might stem from the performers' familial connection behind the scenes. Chen and her performers spend virtually all of their time together as they travel throughout the United States.
The group has just finished a stint at Dollywood and will spend the entire summer in Chicago.
"What really stands out about this group is (Chen's) choreography," Jolly said. "There is an element of choreography and artistry from an adult woman's perspective that I'm looking forward to seeing myself."
With so many groups clearly inspired by the popular French-Canadian group, Cirque du Soleil, which combines operatic theatrics with traditional circus performance, it is difficult for a troupe like Cirque Shanghai to stand out.
What makes her group different, Chen said, is that "we have our own energy that is uniquely Asian. We have modern [showmanship] combined with Chinese tradition."
On Stage
Who: Cirque Shanghai
What: "Bai Xi"
When: Tonight at 7
Where: Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 14 Castle St., Great Barrington
Tickets: $35 (adults; $25 (children 12 and under)
How: (413) 528-0100; www.mahaiwe.org ; at the box office
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


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Shiny Blue ILS Doggles with Blue Lens & Straps
Product Description
these bright blue goggles will look fantastic on your pup. Offer your puppy 100% UV protection in style with this newly formulated style. You are even able to change the color of the lenses so you can add more of a stylish touch to your pup's goggles. The choice is yours.
The design of the eye-wear has also improved immensely. Now, the lens cups are deeper, the nose bridge is wider, and the frame is more flexible. This lighter and more comfortable design is perfect for dogs. Give them all the protection the need with the comfort and style they desire.Please choose size.
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We could not find Nascar Sprint Cup Series Irwin Tools Night Race
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Anyone ever use one of these things? I only have 2 SATA III ports on my workstation board (X58) and I'd like to add a couple more. I was wondering....in general are these things worth it or are they more trouble than they're worth? I won't be using it as a boot drive only as a Disk Cache and/or Write To drive for AfterFX and C4D, probably with an m4 from Crucial or a Sammy 840 if I can wait a week.
Here's a couple from newegg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816104015 -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816129087 -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16816115072 -
What's up with the $115 StarTech? I see it has 4 internal ports instead of the usual 2 but $115? Great, it supports NCQ but wouldn't they all if you're running in AHCI-mode on Win7?
Anyone have an advice or recommendations?
Thanks you guys!


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City to Celebrate Arbor Day on Saturday, April 27...
Mountain Shadows Park
Please join the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado State Forest Service, Colorado Springs Utilities, Colorado Springs Together and our community partners for the Arbor Day Ceremony on Saturday, April 27 at Mountain Shadows Park from 9 to 10:00 a.m.
After the ceremony, volunteers from several community organizations will plant trees in the Mountain Shadows Neighborhood and Open Space to help revitalize the area following the Waldo Canyon Fire. Followed by the reading of the Arbor Day Proclamation by Keith King, City Council President, Keith Wood from Colorado State Forest Service will present the "Tree Line USA" and "Tree City USA "awards. Mayor Steve Bach will then participate in the ceremonial Tree Planting which will take place in Mountain Shadows Park.
This Spruce up the Springs project is part of the Mayor's Spirit of the Springs Initiatives. Colorado Springs celebrates its 36th year as a "Tree City USA," and for the 18th consecutive year Colorado Springs Utilities has been named a "Tree Line USA" utility.
These awards recognize our City's commitment to maintain our beautiful urban forest and assure quality tree care in our community.