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CLIFTON PARK, NY -- Anyone who meets Scott Earl would take him for a seasoned vending operator with decades of industry experience under his belt. But the waste management mogul turned vending operator burst onto the vending scene only two years ago, purchasing upstate New York's Prestige Services and gobbling up more than three dozen more operations across four states since then. He has a passion for the industry, the drive to become a leader in the rapidly expanding territory he serves and the deep pockets to make it happen. Joined by his son Chris in the fast-growing venture, Earl appears to be on his way to achieving that goal, with 47 vending routes and four OCS routes serving 7,000 machines in the field.
With headquarters in Clifton Park, just outside New York's capital, Prestige's team of 400 employees serves accounts in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Jersey.
Earl's hands-on, roll-up-your-sleeves management style is what drove the company he founded in 1990, County Waste and Recycling Service, to become the largest independent trash collector in the Albany region.
He sold the New York waste management giant in March 2011 for $299 million, and ventured into vending; he still owns trash companies in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Maryland, as well as a landfill near the Florida-Georgia border.
As the operator tells the story, he sold his trash business on a Friday. By force of habit, he headed out for his morning cup of coffee on Monday -- and was confronted by the reality that he had nowhere else to go. So he drove to a friend's office, where the two brainstormed about the possibilities for his next business venture.
"I had always said I wanted to get into vending some day, and my friend said he heard from the town supervisor that Eddie Hicks was thinking of slowing down, and I should see him about buying his business," Earl recalled. "He was right; and as it turned out, I sold my trash business in March and closed with Eddie on Prestige Services in July."
Earl had dabbled in vending the last few years that he ran his waste business. Out-of-order and sold-out machines were the norm at his facilities, which prompted him on a whim one day to purchase his own machines and try his hand at operating them.
"We had a vending company come in with a fresh food machine and our employees cleaned it out every day; they were starved for it, but the company wouldn't keep it filled, and we couldn't find anyone who would," Earl recalled. "I was in Sam's Club, and saw a vending machine. On the spot, I decided to buy it and try it myself at our main branch and at one of our recycling plants. We had 85 employees just tearing up the vending machines when I sold the company."
When Earl purchased Prestige Services, the full-line vending and foodservice company established by longtime operator J.E. "Eddie" Hicks in 1996, it was bringing in $18 million in annual revenue. That figure has doubled to nearly $40 million in two years, which Earl attributes to an aggressive campaign of acquisitions and heavy investment in technology that has boosted "same-store" sales.
Vending generates $24 million of the company's revenue; foodservice accounts for $12 million, and OCS represents about $4 million.
"At the end of the day, when we finish all of the acquisitions we have in the works, we will be a $90 million company in vending," Earl told VT. At the time of this interview, he was finalizing four multimillion-dollar deals, including purchasing an $11 million operation in New Jersey.
The operator's first priority when he took the helm at Prestige was to upgrade its equipment with state-of-the-art machines, all with cashless capability. "It's important to get the old machines out in order to get a new generation of customers excited about vending," Earl said. "If you invest in upgrading your equipment, the office 'talker' will talk up the vending for you."
Earl also set out to level the playing field with his retail competitors by removing the price displays from the shelves underneath the products in his machines. "If you're hungry and you want it, whether you're paying with a credit card or cash, you can punch the selection and see what the price is -- it shouldn't be the focus when you're making a selection," Earl observed. "Another change is that everything here moves in quarters, not in dimes and nickels."
Prestige Services customers also are more inclined to pay with high-denomination bills by means of another technological upgrade. Instead of pockets full of quarters, they now receive $1 coins and $5 bills through banknote recyclers, which are manufactured by Crane Co.'s Payment Solutions division and MEI.
Prestige also now has card readers on almost all of its machines, and no new machine leaves its warehouse without one. "Operators who can't see how credit cards will improve prices and drive up sales are missing out," said Earl, who noted that cashless payment accounts for about 30% of the company's vending transactions.
As a case in point, Prestige had been selling Red Bull for $2, while nearby convenience stores were charging $3 or $4 for the same product. "When we installed card readers, we raised the price to $3 and no one said a word; we sell it all day long and no one is complaining," Earl reported.
Prestige recently received approval to install card readers on the machines at 13 maximum-security prisons in New York State, which Earl said will allow the operation to merchandise higher-value items like personal hygiene products. Cashless capability has also been a boon in high-traffic public locations like rest stops, where fewer and fewer consumers are carrying cash.
The company also has implemented remote machine monitoring.
Another immediate priority for Earl as he restructured Prestige Services was bringing product merchandising under management's control. "Drivers used to make 100% of our merchandising decisions, so if they had a bad day, the 22 machines on their routes had a bad day," Earl said. "With prekitting, we make 100% of the marketing and merchandising decisions based on line-item sales data. Prestige Services had a good name, and we've increased same-store sales by investing in new machines, technologies and procedures."
A year ago, the Upstate New York vending operation installed the LightSpeed warehouse automation system, which accelerated the accuracy and efficiency of picking route orders. The system guides Prestige's warehouse team directly to the products required for each "prekit" with illuminated signals displayed on the shelves.
Earl moved Prestige to its new 16,000-sq.ft. building in Clifton Park last November to accommodate its rapid growth, added 8,000 square feet for the prekitting operation and has begun streamlining the warehouse for more efficient truck loading. "Our trucks go to our 'cold' docks every night to drop product and cash, and to get loaded up for the next day," Earl told VT. "And we have four or five more on the drawing board." The company is also in the process of building a standalone prekitting facility in nearby Latham, NY. ]
The waste-management expert sells the mounds of cardboard waste that pass through his warehouse to a recycling firm.
Most of Hicks's employees remained on board after Earl acquired Prestige. "He was winding down, so they were winding down," he said. "We got them excited to participate in our growth with new equipment, technologies and procedures, and sales have gone way up. We have accounts where a Coke machine that was doing $8 a week is now doing more than $100."
Prestige has a well-established reputation in the region for the freshly-prepared foods made in its commissary. In addition to filling his vending machines with the meals, Eddie Hicks carved a niche supplying dining programs for senior citizens. Prestige is the largest Meals on Wheels provider in New York state, serving 14 counties and producing about 4,000 meals a day in its original Clifton Park commissary.
Earl regards fresh food as an essential component of vending, having experienced firsthand in his trash business the value of providing employees onsite access to meals. And it's an asset he continues to leverage and grow. He has ramped up Prestige's food-production capabilities by opening an additional commissary in Kingston, NY. It's the central kitchen for making meals that are shipped to Prestige's biggest foodservice client, General Electric in Rutland, VT, and served on steamtables to its 1,100 employees.
Not unlike most experienced operators, Earl is highly selective when it comes to placing fresh food vending machines. He has devised a new approach for marginal locations that fall shy of the volume necessary to support the company's traditional model.
"Every company wants a food machine and, with many of them, you go a week later and there's still food -- including wilted salads," he said. "Our new concept for smaller accounts is if you want a food machine, you pay $375 a month rent and we bill you for the expired product. Accounts need to participate with us for this service."
Micromarkets would seem a logical next step for Prestige to deliver its fresh foods to hungry workplace clients, but Earl has no immediate plans to move into the new retail model. "We have zero micromarkets; I've never been a pioneer," Earl said. "I see micromarkets and I acknowledge them, but I want to see their impact over the long-term. For now, I still think we can accomplish the same thing with vending machines."
Earl also made the decision to exit the $9 million K-12 school cafeteria subsidized-meals management business that Prestige's founder built, because it no longer made financial sense to continue serving the segment. "Margins were nonexistent or negative, and the state came out with new health initiatives that make it even worse," Earl told VT. "We weighed the risk of inadvertently not complying versus the rewards. It was clear that we needed to get rid of that business altogether."
Prestige still has a sizable school vending business. It also has been impacted by nutritional regulations that have forced Earl to make some changes to maintain his margins. "We serve many schools with vending, but it's only nine months of business with the summer off and snow days and holidays, and then there are the health regulations that limit us from selling many of the items kids really want," Earl said. "We've been cutting our service frequency at some schools, and pulling some machines to strike a balance that keeps schools happy -- and us profitable."
Prestige delivers nutritious options to meet its clients' demands, and identifies them in its machines through its Healthy Choices program. But the operator candidly admits that he's not overly smitten with the "healthy" vending movement, and does not go out of his way to push it.
"Everyone thinks they want a machine full of apple and banana chips. I look in the garbage can, and that's not what they're eating; and I show that to my clients," Earl observed. "We've had accounts complain that 15 spirals are empty, when meanwhile they're forcing the machines to be stocked with 'healthy' items that aren't moving and the No. 1 seller is doughnuts."
To satisfy some locations that require a large percentage of better-for-you products, Prestige has created a bill-back program to offset the loss of income from items that are not selling.
Earl was quick to add there is demand for an intelligent selection of low-fat and low-calorie alternatives in most machines; he reported that a few of the products he has found for this niche have become especially fast sellers. One of his customers' favorites is Medora Snacks's Pop Corners. "It is a great item because it's healthier than a fried chip and it tastes good -- and they were smart enough to make it look like a Dorito," he remarked.
The operator also is taking a fresh look at his company's approach to serving the evolving office coffee service segment. "There's a huge market shift with the downturn in the economy, and customers are very budget-conscious," said Earl. "There's a fine line in placing a machine, when you know that they may go online to buy the K-Cups and not purchase them from us the next time. In the old days, we kept the breakroom stocked with what they wanted and charged them for it. Now labor is so expensive and margins are so tight that we're revisiting our approach."
Currently, Prestige calls ahead to see what its clients need before servicing each account. Route drivers spot-check during their visits to gauge location needs, and to assess whether the location might be purchasing products from another source. The company is looking at changing its system to forecasting the products it needs and inventorying its trucks with the optimal mix.
Many of the locations Prestige serves are grappling with pilferage of costly brew-by-pack coffees, and many are now using Multimax's K-Cup vending machine to control access by requiring office employees to purchase the single-cup packs for as much as 75¢ to $1. "We present it as a solution to save the client the expense of pilferage, and it's been going very well," Earl reported. "We put in a brewer and sell allied products, and the company pays for the cups, sugar, creamer, etc. And many also have pour-over brewers and purchase their coffee in fraction packs."
Speaking like a hardened vendor, Earl told VT that he regards commissions as the biggest thorn in the industry's side. "If it's above 15% it handicaps you, but the industry is plagued with fear; everyone's worried about losing a stop," he said. "Any human being with a brain can understand about the actual cost of a product, if you explain it to them; but you're lucky to even get a decent margin. And depreciation is an actual expense; in 10 years you need a new machine. And still, operators inflate commissions; I can't get over how hard people work to lose money."
Earl said his next endeavor is to invent an easy-to-read vending meter on the inside of the machine that's visible to location managers, so they can validate the sales figures on which their commissions are based. This will help keep his unscrupulous competitors honest, he emphasized. Prestige already works diligently to do that by supplying reports to its customers with each commission check.
The operator is also doing his part to help the industry in its fight against the legislative threats it's facing at the state and federal levels. "I come from an extremely regulated industry, because regulators see a lot of money in the waste business," Earl said. "Vending has not been as much of a target, but that's changing. We have to push back to prevent any more barriers to our struggling industry becoming profitable. Our goal as a company, and for the industry, is to be profitable and comfortable enough to get the business reinvigorated."
photo | GRAND TOUR: Scott Earl (standing left), who purchased Prestige Services two years ago, has steered the well-regarded full-line vending, office refreshments and foodservice operation onto a new course of dynamic expansion and technology implementation. Here, he and his son Chris (seated) greet National Automatic Merchandising Association senior vice-president of government affairs Eric Dell and senior manager of government affairs Pam Gilbert during their visit to the company's renovated 24,000-sq.ft. facility in Clifton Park, NY. Earl has found vending to be a growth business for which there's strong demand. At right, the Earls review features of state-of-the-art glassfront cold drink machine with the NAMA officials.
photo | STATE OF THE ART: LightSpeed warehouse automation system guides Todd Farrell through prekitting process. At left, he displays a route order on the warehouse computer terminal; center, he follows illuminated signals on shelves to pick the specified quantities of the items required for the order. At right, Jim Fredenburg gathers totes prekitted for each machine on a route to be loaded into the appropriate delivery trucks. Earl, who is upgrading the truck loading docks at the company's headquarters, also has built an 8,000-sq.ft. addition to allow most efficient use of the the pick-to-light system, and also is adding a standalone prekitting facility in nearby Latham, NY.
photo | CHA-CHING: Technicians Ron Farr (r.) and Mike Male prep another vender in the company warehouse prior to installing it on location. Center, Danielle Needhammer uses high-speed banknote counter to process collections in Prestige moneyroom. At right, Chris Earl sizes up a professionally packaged bank deposit. Prestige uses note-recycling changers to enable patrons to use higher-value bills.
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Thu 28 Feb 2013
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Posted by Valerie Hess under General News
Comments Off on Why do bad things happen to good people?
The Third of Sunday of Lent this year will see a troubling Gospel that basically asks the age-old question: why do bad things happen to good people. Jesus infers that there are forces outside of a "cause and effect" relationship in the world that are bigger than the question itself.
We want to live in a cause and effect universe: if I am "good," nice things will happen to me. Yet other places in Scripture, namely the Psalms, point out that the wicked often seem to thrive while the righteous struggle.
Another problem we have to wrestle with is, what does it mean to be "good"? Most of us assume that we fall into that category if we haven't murdered anyone and we pay our taxes on time. Yet, all of us live with very gray areas in our lives, areas where we aren't really all that good, if we are honest with ourselves. Then if we add in Jesus' definition as hating someone being analogous to murdering them and looking at someone with lust in our hearts being similar to actually committing adultery with them, then we all start to squirm.
Also, definitions of "righteous" have been deemed too narrow or stuffy in modern times. It isn't something many of us aspire to, deep down. Sex before marriage isn't even on the radar screen of discussion in many Christian circles. "Following our hearts" is assumed to be the same as "listening to God." And while there is some truth to that, in Scripture we find Paul on a road to Damascus following his passion to keep his Jewish faith "pure." We all know how that story ends. His passion is thrown off a horse and his heart is given a complete turning inside out and upside down. That does not offer much comfort for our hearts being the final authority in our lives.
We so desperately want a "cause and effect" universe because in that kind of world, we are in control. If we act in "good" ways, we will be rewarded and if we do bad things, we will get our just desserts. Or more accurately, others who act badly in our definition of bad will get their true reward.
The Good News of Jesus Christ says that goodness is only found in surrendering our ideas of control to God. Through submission to God, peace and joy come to us. We do not like to hear that message. We want to be in charge and yet still reap great rewards.
That is where we continue to hit a wall, a wall named God. God stands against our sin and our idolatry. He loves us and invites us to participate in the goodness of his Kingdom but he will not budge or cave in to our mini temper tantrums about "having it our way." He will allow us to have it our way but the results will also be in our hands.
And this leads us back to the question of "why do bad things happen to good people." First of all, no one on the planet is completely good. All of us are an alloy of mixed motives, at best. Secondly, we are sometimes victims of other's outright badness or misguided attempts at goodness. We simply happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, a situation for which we will not find a comforting answer or tidy resolution. We are in this world and things happen because God has given everyone on the planet free will. We are all using that free will in different ways and for different reasons.
And then there is Jesus. He really was good because he was also God and look what happened to him! If this is what the world does to the only perfect person who ever walked it, why should we be immune from problems?
Good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. That is the way of life. Our job is to do all we can to not be a bad thing to another person, to be the best we can for others and for creation. There are mysteries in the universe that will never be solved. This is one of them. Let us live in joy, trusting that in God, all things can and will be redeemed. Everything.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Cowgill goes on DL with facial fracture, thumb injury
By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com
ARLINGTON -- The Angels have placed Collin Cowgill on the 15-day disabled list with a facial fracture and fractured right thumb, both of which will require surgery. The outfielder was injured on Saturday night at Globe Life Park when he was struck in the face by a pitch while attempting to bunt in the eighth inning of the Angels' 5-2 victory.
Recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to fill Cowgill's spot on the 25-man roster was versatile Grant Green, who, like Cowgill, has been a productive weapon in the Angels' lineup.
Cowgill suffered both injuries as he attempted to avoid a pitch from Rangers reliever Matt West that came up and in as he was squaring around, manipulating his bat. The ball glanced off his thumb into his face, causing severe bleeding from the nose that required immediate stitching.
The injury to Cowgill came as the surging Angels were in the process of claiming their third win in the four-game series that concludes Sunday. A valuable role player with a .277/.354/.407 slash line, Cowgill excelled during Kole Calhoun's absence early in the season and was sharing time with Calhoun in right field. He had singled, walked and been hit by a pitch in his first three at-bats before the incident Saturday night.
"Obviously, it was an unfortunate turn of events," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We'll have to wait and see how he is."
A shortstop when he was drafted off the University of Southern California campus by the A's in the first round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, Green has made 15 starts for the Angels in left field, three at second base and two at third.
Green has a .324/.333/.419 slash line with four doubles, a homer and eight RBIs in 74 at-bats for the Angels. In 41 games at Salt Lake he is carrying a .321/.372/.512 line, playing all four infield positions and left field.
Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Even if you are a complete organization and cleanliness freak, there is often someone close by, or even sharing space with you, who is a messy labmate. Your messy labmate may say, "If your lab space is clean, it looks like you're not working hard." Indeed, in scientific research, an old adage is that "messier" people are more productive. Of course, this statement raises many flags, as seems obvious that a neat and organized workspace will be more efficient and safer! Addressing your labmate's organization and cleanliness shortcomings must be handled with care. Your labmate is someone you have to work with daily, and it is important to remain collegial and treat your labmatewith courtesy.
There are a few ways of addressing this sort of situation depending on the circumstances. If your labmate is messy when using equipment, talk to them about the uses of the common equipment and how others rely on it. Some equipment is very sensitive to salt deposits and the like, so keeping an area clean can be critical to maintaining the proper function of the equipment. Safety issues can also become a problem if the mess involves leaving dangerous chemicals out without labeling or disregarding other safety precautions like secondary containment.Often times, there are people assigned to keeping common equipment running, perhaps a student or a lab manager. Talking to them about the normal and safe usage of the equipment can supply you with the information you need to address whether the mess is dangerous. They might also be responsible for training so keeping them informed about any issues with the equipment is important.
If the labmate is messy and you share a bench with her, try making similar arguments on a more personal basis. Does the mess prevent you from working? Does the mess make common bench equipment inaccessible? Does the mess create an unsafe environment? Are flammables being used near open flames? Clutter alone can make an environment unsafe! Keep in mind when addressing these types of sensitive situations to avoid inconsiderately making a scene. Instead, try to remind her about the right way to use the shared lab space. Calmly refer the labmate to your institution's safety procedures, which normally include sections on clean, clutter-free work habits. In keeping words simple and civilized, you can avoid creating a larger conflict. Pointing out all your labmate's faults at once with anger, or gossiping about the problem with others in the lab, could anger and offend your labmate, which won't solve anything. If the labmate does not change his habits, suggest splitting the bench down the middle. Whether or not you decide to try splitting the bench, it may help to label your own space or equipment more clearly to make the messy labmate take note before he moves your belongings.
In many cases, a messy labmate has not been properly trained on the protocols of the new lab. This is particularly true for a younger scientist who is tasked with coordinating research across different fields. Sometimes postdocs may think that they do not need to 'waste' time taking safety courses or mandatory instrument training courses. If this is the case, this is not only a messy labmate, but a potentially dangerous one. Avoid the possibility of broken instruments by talking to your labmate to make sure they understand how to use the equipment. As discussed earlier, many labs have students or lab managers in charge of keeping common equipment in working order, so putting your labmate in contact with that person can help avoid problems down the road.
Having a messy labmate can be annoying, but remember, if your labmate's mess does not impact you or others directly and does not create an unsafe situation, you should ignore it. Everyone has different standards, and while a labmate's messy bench may look unsightly to you, she does not see it in the same light.
December 2012 Table of Contents


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A total of 1,074 Washington High School students cast ballots in a mock election Friday, Oct. 5.
Students didn't follow party lines, as they chose Republicans Mitt Romney for president, Todd Akin for senator, Shane Scholler as secretary of state, and Peter Kinder for lieutenant governor; and Democrats Jay Nixon for governor, Chris Koster for attorney general and Clint Zweifel for treasurer.
Vote breakdowns are as follows:
President — Barack Obama, 377; Mitt Romney, 571; Gary Johnson, 57; and Virgil Goode, 31.
Senator — Claire McCaskill, 405; Todd Akin, 496; and Jonathan Dine, 109.
Governor — Jay Nixon, 458; Dave Spence, 366; and Jim Higgins 139.
Lieutenant Governor — Susan Montee, 206; Peter Kinder, 547; Matthew Copple, 104; and Cynthia L. Davis, 91.
Secretary of State — Shane Scholler, 386; Jason Kander, 255; Cisse W. Spragins, 123; and Justin Harter, 151.
Attorney General — Chris Koster, 433; Ed Martin, 377; and Dave Browning, 135.
State Treasurer — Clint Zweifel, 431; Cole McNary, 372; and Sean O'Toole, 140.
Dr. Frank Wood, Washington High School principal, said he thought the election went well.
"I was very pleased that the kids seemed to understand the issues and what they were voting for," Wood said, adding that he's proud of teachers Becky Herbst and Clinton Schneider for organizing the election, along with Debbie Door, Franklin County clerk and chief election official.
Door complimented the school on how well organized the event was.
"All of the students I worked with were very respectful and interested in what they were doing," she said. "It was a very good experience for me."
Door said this was the first time actual election equipment was used.
"I couldn't have been more pleased with the whole process all the way through from the very beginning to the very end," Door said. "I wish some of the other area schools would take the opportunity to allow their students to (participate in a mock election).
"It was good to see young people so engaged in the election process."
Cheers and Groaning
Wood said when the results were announced, Monday morning, he heard some groaning and some cheering.
"Overall, the kids have been great about everything," he said. "Whoever they support — there isn't any animosity toward the other group like there is nationally."
Wood also said he was proud of the number of students who voted. A total of 1,332 registered and 1,074 voted.
"I wish the country would follow the same suit," Wood said.
Becky Herbst said students learned a lot from the whole process and agreed that she was pleased with the election results.
Before voting, students had to register, check in on iPads, show identification and sign the voter log.
Students showed enthusiasm for the voting process.
Alex Ready, a junior, said she felt grown-up. Jacob Mulkey, who also is a junior, said he felt like he had an impact on society and felt "powerful" after voting.
During the voting process, students also learned about electioneering, as some accidentally electioneered in the voting line, Herbst said.
"Our goal was to have them study the political process and understand that every vote does count," Wood said. "We want them to understand in our society that you look at the results and you throw your support behind whichever person holds the office once the dust settles. Someone wins and you get behind that decision and perform your civic duties."
Wood said he's interested to see how the school compares to the rest of the country in the general election this November.
WHS students have selected the winning presidential candidate in the past three elections.


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I am a computer science major student. I have just finished my data structures class but feel I did not learn anything from the book my professor made us use. It was Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in C, 2nd ed. by Mark Allen Weiss.
Can anyone recommend any good Data Structures books or outlines for C or C++? Specifically, I am interested in a book(s) that have introductory material on hashing, trees, priority queues, sorting, and huffman encoding besides lists, stacks, and queues. Also, if the book has exercises to test your knowledge on these concepts, that would be great.
I appreciate your responses. Thank you.


text: One of you long time skating fans might benefit from putting together a Gordeeva/Grinkov compilation video. I would bet that there are a lot of interested buyers for such an item--here and at the various G&G fan page forums. I was recently lucky enough to stumble across a bunch of low quality videos on the internet which reaffirmed my long time belief that they are the best pairs skaters ever, and I sure would pay out the nose for a compilation video.


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Women bishops move a step closer
The General Synod has backed legislation which could see the first female bishop in the Church of England selected before the end of this year.
In a move hailed by one member as a step towards the "Promised Land", legislation fast-tracking the long-awaited introduction of women bishops cleared the revision stage of the Church's national assembly meeting in London.
The scheme slashes the time that the Church of England consults with its 44 dioceses over the legislation from six months to three, paving the way for final approval of the legislation in July and the possibility of a woman being selected at the earliest as a bishop before the end of the year.
The move to halve the consultation period was backed by 358 members, with 39 voting against and nine abstaining.
Lois Haslam, a General Synod member from Chester diocese, speaking in the debate over the legislation, said: "I feel something like what Moses must have felt as he approached the promised land.
"We have wandered round women bishops legislation for many, many years, we are now approaching the promised land and it is exciting."
Backing fast tracking of the legislation, Christina Rees, from the St Albans Diocese, and a prominent campaigner for women bishops, said: "Taking a full six months will not help those who remain opposed in principle to having women bishops. What it will do is continue to allow the Church and this Synod to be held up to ridicule. Our credibility will be further undermined."
But David Banting, from Chelmsford Diocese, criticised the fast tracking as "unprecedented, irresponsible as well as being unhelpful."
The approval for the legislation, in a series of votes, included backing repealing the 1993 Act of Synod which provided for so-called "flying bishops" to minister to parishes which rejected women as priests.
The Act was heavily criticised by pro-women campaigners as enshrining discrimination against women but was welcomed by others as "keeping the peace" in some areas of the Church.
Arrangements for traditionalists who oppose female ministry will instead be outlined in a "declaration" by the Church of England bishops.
The new set of proposals will include an ombudsman, or independent reviewer, to rule in disputes.
Clergy who failed to co-operate with the ombudsman's inquiries could be subject to disciplinary proceedings.
The speed of progress was welcomed by another General Synod member, Tim Allen, of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich diocese.
"Women bishops are long overdue, the lamentable, stumbling slowness of General Synod in coming to a final decision on whether there will be women bishops in the Church of England has done and continues to do great damage to the mission and reputation of the Church," he told the General Synod.
"There is a pressing need for speed and I want to congratulate the Archbishop of Canterbury for so remarkably spurring on the previously sedate synodical procedures into a hell-for-leather gallop in this final furlong."
The fresh proposals follow bitter recriminations within the Church of England after the legislation failed by just six votes to get approval at the General Synod in November 2012.
Bishop James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester, sounded a note of caution after the vote, saying that the legislation needed a two-thirds majority in each of the Houses of the General Synod in July to gain final approval.
"I am not in the business of counting chickens before I have got them, as it were, because we do not know how people will vote at the final approval vote necessarily," he said.
"One house failing to get the two-thirds majority can lead to the whole thing failing.
"We are hopeful that the different shape of the process we are running will lead to final approval, otherwise we would not be taking it through to that stage.
"But until the votes are actually counted, it would be premature to assume it is going to go through."


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Industry Insider: Professional Photographers of America (PPA): December 2010 Archives
Professional Photographers of America (PPA): December 2010 Archives
We've added an all-new event at Imaging USA this year to honor the hottest of the hot images of the International Photographic Competition. Here's how it works.
In order to qualify for a Grand Imaging Award, images not only have to earn a merit in one of the world's toughest photographic competitions, they also have to be judged the best of the best--awarded entry to the Loan Collection. (What a strange name, huh? Not so much when you consider that years ago, these were the images that formed a traveling exhibit for museums and prestigious public gatherings.)
But let's go back to the future. On Monday, January 17 (6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30 p.m.) we'll award prizes in each of the International Photographic Competition categories. We'll also honor the 2010 Photographers of the Year--all the photographers who merited all four images in the competition. So many outstanding photographers. So many beautiful images--that's one happy hour.
The Grand Imaging Awards celebration is open to everyone attending Imaging USA. To make it an even happier hour, there's a cash bar, light refreshments and the opportunity to visit with friends, so come on over and help us cheer on the best of the best.
Do you date your customers? (Date, as in cultivating a relationship, I mean.) Farrah Braniff, CPP of Farrah Braniff Photographs in Houston, Texas, does. She knows the power of connecting and making a good impression, and she put that into her marketing.
"As photographers, we are our brand," says Braniff. "Our customers have to like and relate to us."
Creating the First Impression
Braniff sees websites and blogs as her best chance to make a good first impression to her customers. "I want my website to be like a really good first date," she laughs.
Think about it: A first date is your chance to make your date want a second one. It's the first chance to get the other person invested in you. And because it's the first impression, even the smallest items matter on a website. Many potential customers will make decisions about you based on what they see on your site, and you don't want to give the impression that you're outdated or unprofessional. The font, the grammar, the layout...it all means a lot, especially for the more sophisticated consumers.
To make a great first impression, Braniff focused on her sites' design, technical improvements and "voice." While she loved her previous website, she couldn't update it by herself (and fresh online content is so important). So Braniff redesigned both her blog and her website in Adobe® Photoshop®, and then partnered with Into the Darkroom to bring the technical pieces of the puzzle together (like search engine optimization).
Into the Darkroom put the main skeleton up, allowing Braniff to then populate it with images and text. This allowed her to blend in the same eclectic feel that she has in all her printed pieces--a mixture of contemporary, colorful images, softer black-and-white images and handmade quality (with textures that mimic fabric, ribbons and handwritten fonts). It's important to have that connection between all your marketing pieces.
Having an authentic voice is also very important to Braniff, for she knows that she is her brand. She wants the website and blog (and all marketing) to really look and sound like her. For example, she pays a lot of attention to the "About Me" section on a site because she wants to establish common ground. She'll say she has children, as mothers are a huge target market for her. "Be yourself," she advises. "You want to sound human and approachable, not dry and business-like."
And that's what she loves about blogging. "Your blog doesn't have to be just about your product--it's about you. It helps your customers get to know you in a different light, and writing from the heart will develop readers."
In her blog, Braniff has developed themes, or reoccurring posts, which help her stay accountable. Her goal is to blog four times a week...or at least twice, depending on her schedule. She knows that you can't just write a single post and expect to have a readership. "It's like working out," Braniff explains. "Commit to it for at least six months before you look to see where you're at and if it's worth keeping up."
Keeping up with her blog and website is definitely worthwhile for Braniff, and she says that her customers comment about them often. To her, it's a great way to connect with people throughout the year.
Leaving the Last Impression
But Braniff doesn't stop with the online connections. What makes her marketing so effective is how she ties everything together into creating a remarkable experience.
"The best marketing is to have a client tell friends about you," Braniff states. "The more remarkable their experience with you is, the more 'stuff' you are giving them to talk about! That's why we do anything we can to stand out...because they'll talk about it."
Every year, we share many of the statistics we gather from the Professional Photographer Magazine Reader Survey with business partners in our media kit. But until now, we've never told all--all the advertising and product input we gather, that is. So this year, we're dishing more data than ever, starting with some advertising info that's sure to help you reel in more business than ever from your advertising investments.
Let's start by sharing that 7 in 10 of our readers say they regularly look at advertisements. Believe it or not, 4 in 10 of them report that they "always" take a peek at what you're promoting. New math or not, that's tens of thousands of prospects every month who are paying a lot of attention to Professional Photographer advertisers. But when the rubber meets the road, what do they do?
Taking Action
After reading an ad, the majority of our readers report that they visit your website. Get this, though--almost 20% say they purchase your product. That translates to roughly 10,000 potential buyers--not just prospects--every month. We also asked readers to tell us what actions they take after reading a product review and a whopping 8 in 10 are enticed into more research.
So what can you do? Make sure there's a clear call to action on your website and that it's easy for prospects to find information about products you're advertising. You might even want to think about creating specific landing pages or pointing users directly to product pages within your site.
All for One and One for All
All of this adds up to a pretty persuasive argument for being in the magazine, but what about other properties in the Professional Photographer media network? Well, almost 9 in 10 of our magazine readers also visit ppmag.com, which means it does make sense to be in two places at one time.
Where else do our magazine readers get trusted information to make product buying decisions? Many say they look to PPA events like Imaging USA, the PPA Tour, online courses and other events. Not surprisingly, 60% say colleagues or word of mouth. And that leads us to our next story and what we hope will become a regular feature in Industry Insider--how PPA members and our business partners work together to drive new business and merry marketing opportunities for all.


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The Mont Blanc created a dramatic background to the third stop of the Freeride World Tour at La Flégère ski area on the Aiguille Pourrie face. Riders were treated to perfect weather with a cloudless sky. As this stop marked the halfway point of the 2013 Freeride World Tour season, the pressure was on for riders to perform their best in pursuit of the first ever true world champion title. Current FWT leader after 2 stops and SCOTT athlete Jérémie Heitz wasn't able to completely convince the judges with his high-speed run and ended in 7th place in the middle of the field. With this result he's still second in the overall ranking and has a great position to fight for the world champion title.
SCOTT team rider Lori Huber received a wildcard to participate in Chamonix. The Austrian showed off a solid and fluid run and ended up in 4th place. She chose a similar line to that of the winner Christine Hargin, but didn't go as big and as fast as the current leader.


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Key Bank, 95 Second St S, Friday Harbor, Washington, 98250-0310
Store Hours of Operation, Location & Phone Number for Key Bank Near You
Key Bank
95 Second St S Friday Harbor WA 98250-0310
Hours(Opening & Closing Times):
9:30am - 5:00pm Mon - Fri
Phone Number: (360) 378-2111
Customer Service Email or Contact:Correct this information
Utilize the maps and business information below to find the closest Key Bank branches and ATM machines near you. Need to know what time Key Bank in Friday Harbor opens or closes on weekdays or the weekend? Read below for weekly hours of operation, street address information, and other related details.
KeyBank first began operations in 1825. With over 1,000 bank locations and 1,400 ATMs, KeyBank extends across 14 states. A member of the FDIC, Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to small businesses and individuals. The banking firm also offers a wide range of corporate and investment banking products. A leader in the banking industry, KeyBank employs more than 17,000 workers companywide. Headquarters for KeyBank reside in Cleveland, OH. Each year, Key earns approximately $4.4 billion in revenues. The financial company trades on the NYSE under the symbol, KEY.
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text: debfoster is similar, and from its changelog, it sounds like aptitude now does this as well. -- Omniflux Dave Smith wrote: > Try this: > > apt-get install deborphan > > --Dave > > Daniel C. wrote: >> Okay, I've done my Google homework on this but haven't been able to >> find anything. Maybe I'm overlooking something, I don't know. >> Anyway, is there a way to get a list of installed packages that are >> redundant or have nothing depending on them? >> >> I've been fiddling with my server, trying to get a few things working. >> They're working now (yay!) but I'm certain that I've left a bunch of >> stuff sitting around that doesn't need to be there. I tried to remove >> packages properly as I backtracked but I'm sure that I missed a few >> here and there. So I'd like to go through and clean out anything I >> missed. dpkg -l lists all the installed packages but doesn't seem to >> make a distinction between packages that are being "used" and those >> that aren't. >> >> Thanks, >> Dan


text: The 1976 AMT model kit catalog is a mini joy, as it--on the 10th anniversary of TOS--illustrates how popular TOS was as a TV series and merchandising property. Obviously, the catalog features more than ST kits, so i'm only posting the ST-centric pages. Cover: Contents page: Close up of the Contents image: The good stuff: Note the use of "war bird" for the BOP--I wonder if this is 1st time the name was used in ST.... Preview of 1977: With the anniversary medallion, the Gold Key comic series still going strong and the last wave of Mego ST figures released, it was great time to be a TOS collector!


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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' recent decision to double the number of Best Picture nominees to 10 ultimately could make for a lot more disappointed folks on Oscar Night – and not just filmmakers.
The apparent ploy to boost ratings and counter film industry snobbery could backfire, raising and dashing the hopes of the crowd the gambit is aimed at: average moviegoers.
With a larger field, there's a danger that votes will be split and viewers will be left scratching their heads over some odd and undeserving winner – rather than applauding a popular, quality favorite – as the show's closing credits roll. The "real" Best Picture
competition will come in the Best Directory category where the will of the Oscar voters will be exercised.
Credit the Academy, though, with at least taking some action after "The Dark Knight," which grossed $1 billion worldwide, didn't even make the Top-5 nominee list for 2008.
Box office success doesn't necessarily translate into Oscar-worthiness – the Academy could expand the Best Picture nominee field to 20 and you probably wouldn't see any tuxedo-clad Transformers at the Kodak Theatre on March 7.
But "The Dark Knight," brimming with complex characters, moral ambiguity – and butt-kicking action sequences and special effects –
clearly deserved to be in the running. The snub reflected the Academy's snobbery when it comes to hero-driven adventure pictures that effectively use digital technology to tell a story. (It took Oscar voters three tries, after all, to properly acknowledge "The Lord
of the Rings" trilogy.)
There's perhaps an even greater prejudice against comedies. The classic "Some Like it Hot" didn't get nominated. "Annie Hall" was the
last real comedy to win the top award (sorry, we're not counting 1998's "Shakespeare in Love" as a comedy).
The Oscar chiefs note that the new system harkens back to the Academy Awards' early years, when as many as 12 movies battled it out. The five-nominee cap wasn't instituted until 1944.
But the good old days weren't always so good: "Citizen Kane" was among the nine losers in 1941. The winner, "How Green Was My Valley," is a fine film – but it's no "Citizen Kane."
Another pitfall of more contenders is that the public will get burned out on hype. If you thought the presidential race was interminable,
just wait until producers of every movie given a decent ride by the critics switch on the Oscar buzz machine.
The Academy Awards show should be for the moviegoers – not the moviemakers. So we'll put it you, film fans: What do you think about
the new 10-nominee scheme? What are some of your favorite flicks that got snubbed by the Oscars?
Use the comments section below to play critic.
Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NYCity News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992.


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G5 Kids! Soulja (Soulja)
All the pretty girls stand up
(Pretty boys in the building)
This, right here, is my, swag
All, the girls, are on me, damn
Every, body, pay, attention
This, right here, is my pretty boy swag
Girls on my dick when I pretty boy swag
Girls scream my name when I pretty boy swag
Watch me, pretty boy swag, pretty boy swag
[Verse 1]
Get out the way! Pretty boy comin thru
Me and my crew, we swaggin in the room
Girls on me heavy cause I look so sexy
Yellow diamond shawty, in the club straight flexin
I'm lookin for a yellow bone long-haired star
Thick, in the hips come, get in my car
You party with a star, we take off and go to Mars
Pretty boy take off in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
[Verse 2]
I'm pretty, boy swaggin, in the club I feel sexy (No homo)
No homo shawty, but my chest is straight flexin
Tatted on my neck, shawty said she choose me
She got nice titties and a fat ass booty
Took her to my condo, let the girl strip
Then she got naked then she pretty girl dipped
Damn I like the way, lil' mama shake that ass
She pretty girl, dancin while I pretty boy swag, goddamn
Soulja Boy's sisters used to put bows in his hair when he was little – hence the "pretty boy" complex (one of the Rap Genius editors has the same condition..)


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It's easy to find earlier R1200GS Service or Maintenance Checklists on line. However, my local dealer says that 2012 GS uses a "dynamic" approach based on mileage and conditions, and therefore there is no published checklist for the 6000 mile service.
Have others run into this?
At around 6500 miles, my 2012 GS service indicator just came on and not sure what I should do other than: 1) Change the oil and filter; or, 2) Take it to the dealer and have him connect to diagnostics.
Any help appreciated.


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Bobby V wants technology for balls and strikes
By Ian Browne / MLB.com
Valentine was talking about virtually every level of baseball, because he simply doesn't think pitchers or hitters should be victimized by arbitrary calls or human errors.
The strike zone is what it is, in Valentine's mind, and should be called as such.
"When I did the Little League World Series, I thought it was the most criminal thing I ever saw," said Valentine. "I wanted to cry when a kid in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and his team down by one run was called out on a strike three on a pitch that was six inches outside. He couldn't reach it with his bat. I cried for him.
"And that kid is scarred for life playing our game by an injustice. And then someone says the most ridiculous words that I ever hear: 'But we like the human factor.' It was criminal that we allow our game to scar a young person like that, and then it continues on. I think in 2012 it should not be part of the process. I don't think it should be."
Valentine is just mystified that technology can't be put into place to leave the guessing out of it.
"I want a ball called a ball and a strike called a strike, and figure out how to do it," Valentine said. "Let the humans do it, somehow. That's what the game is. I don't care what anyone says. I could get fined for it every day of my life. It's my belief. Our game is not somebody else's strike zone. Our game is what the book says. That's how it should be played from Little League to Cooperstown, to make it fair, to make it right."
Valentine wanted to make it clear that he wasn't minimizing how hard it is to be an umpire.
"I think they're very well trained, and I think they're very good at what they do. I think it's almost impossible to do what they do, so why do we ask them to do the impossible?" Valentine said. "If in fact you can't see the ball the last five feet, and now pitchers are throwing pitches that are moving in that zone, cutting and splitting and moving in the zone, your eye can't see what's happening. Your lens doesn't snap that photograph and register in the time the ball is moving the last five feet. So if you can't see it, why are we asking them to call it? They can't see it. They're humans. We're asking humans to do a feat a human can't do."
How should the system be incorporated?
"I don't know how to do it. I know you can do it," Valentine said. "It's 2012. Maybe it should start in Little League. Start it so the kid doesn't go home crying and not want to play our game again because of this thing that happened, and it's happening thousands of times a day. I think it's a flaw. I'm not talking about what happened this weekend, or what's going to happen tonight. I know it's part of the game, but I say it shouldn't be.
Big Papi starts at first in NL road trip opener
MIAMI -- When the Red Sox have played in National League cities in recent years, designated hitter David Ortiz has often been squeezed out of the lineup. But don't expect that to happen a whole lot this week, when Boston plays six straight under NL rules.
Ortiz, who has been the most productive hitter for the Red Sox all season, started at first base on Monday night. He will start at least one more game in this three-game series, and don't be surprised if he also plays two out of three at Wrigley Field over the weekend.
The left-handed slugger was batting .308 with 14 homers and 38 RBIs entering Monday.
"He's been an offensive force in this lineup in case we haven't noticed that," said Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine. "I'd rather not play many games without him."
Adrian Gonzalez started in right field while Kevin Youkilis got the nod at third. Will Middlebrooks was the odd man out.
"I think we've put to rest the ballpark concept with Adrian [in right]," Valentine said. "It's more about David and how much he will feel comfortable playing first base. Talking to David, he's good for two of these three to start with. We'll take it from there. And Adrian said he's fine with right field."
Hill diagnosed with strained flexor muscle
MIAMI -- After visiting with Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla., on Monday, Red Sox lefty reliever Rich Hill was diagnosed with a strained flexor muscle in his left elbow.
Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine expects Hill, who was placed on the disabled list on Sunday, to miss about "a month or more."
"Rich Hill has a strained flexor muscle, and he'll have some time to rest that and get it back," Valentine said. "He threw 94 mph his last game and threw his breaking ball and felt a little stiffness. That stiffness was not in the ligament, luckily. They feel it was in the flexor muscle."
Before Hill's injury, the Red Sox had the luxury of going with three lefties in the bullpen.
Now they have Franklin Morales and Andrew Miller. Morales, in particular, may be used in some different spots to help fill the void left by Hill.
"I'm trying to figure that one out," said Valentine. "I think he knows that I explained a little plan to him. One of the things that was mentioned is that he's very durable and flexible. I want his mind to remain open."
Bard's second Minors outing an improvement
MIAMI -- Daniel Bard's second outing since being demoted to Triple-A Pawtucket was hardly perfect, but it was better than his first.
Bard pitched an inning out of the bullpen on Monday. After giving up a single and a walk to the first two batters, the righty responded with a groundout and two strikeouts.
After starting in his first game for Pawtucket -- that one was also a one-inning stint -- Bard suggested he pitch his innings out of the bullpen for the foreseeable future.
The goal of the organization is still to get Bard back to the point where he can be an option in the starting rotation. By bunching short innings together, the hope is that Bard can regain his groove quicker.
"It took me two batters to get locked into an arm slot," Bard told reporters in Pawtucket. "I was a little bit lower than I would like to the first couple of hitters, and you saw some balls running away from me. I was able to make the adjustment and pitch pretty well to those last three guys. The nice thing is that I can focus on that and say, 'It wasn't perfect, but it doesn't matter.' I was locked in. I got something good to walk away with on those last three hitters."
Ahead of schedule, Ross could return soon
MIAMI -- When Cody Ross was diagnosed with a fracture in his left navicular bone, the Red Sox revealed that the general timetable for that type of injury is six to eight weeks. However, Ross has appeared ahead of schedule at every turn and feels he might be back in Boston's lineup on June 19, which would be just one day past the one-month mark of when the injury occurred.
The right-handed-hitting outfielder plans on starting a Minor League rehab assignment on Friday for Triple-A Pawtucket. Ross feels he can play three games for Pawtucket and then return to the Red Sox when they open their next homestand against the Marlins.
"The original plan was to drag it out a little longer to make sure it went smoothly and start my rehab on the 18th, but I feel too good," Ross said. "I feel great. The trainers are doing a great job getting me ready, and we're all on the same page. I'm feeling good."
Ross feels that his foot has passed every test with flying colors.
"I don't foresee anything being an issue," Ross said. "I've been hitting out on the field. It feels great. I've been running. I ran about 80 percent yesterday. I feel great -- no soreness today. Nothing. Agility won't be a problem, baserunning won't be an issue."
Manager Bobby Valentine had been optimistic all along that Ross could beat the projected timetable.
"Cody looked great. Cody today took BP out there and thought he should just skip the rehab, he was swinging so good," Valentine said. "That's not going to happen, but he looked great."
Worth noting
Right-hander Aaron Cook, who has been on the disabled list since April 21 with a left knee laceration, will start a Minor League rehab assignment on Wednesday when he pitches for Class A (short-season) Lowell. Cook estimates he will throw about 45 pitches and said he will make at least two more Minor League starts after that.
Left fielder Carl Crawford had a solid day of batting practice, according to Valentine, and continues to increase the reps in his throwing program.
Left fielder Daniel Nava (sore left hand) missed a second straight game but could return in a day or two.
Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury is taking soft-toss batting practice in the cage. There's no word yet on when he will hit on the field.
Ian Browne is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Brownie Points, and follow him on Twitter @IanMBrowne. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Though no action was taken to approve the goals, President Breanne Davis said she anticipates the board to come to a conclusion about the goals in the near future.
"We strongly believe in continuing to get better, advancing our strengths and addressing our weaknesses," Davis said.
'"In order to do that, we had to get real about where we were."
The school board derived a five-year plan in October 2013 to present to employees, students, parents and the community, which included:
• Goal 1: Be the school of choice in our region for parents, students and employees.
• Goal 2: Increase partnerships that create a unified community that values and supports education.
• Goal 3: All students achieve a level of preparedness and readiness to reach their individual potential; businesses and universities seek out RSD students.
Davis said comments about the goals from staff, students and community meetings are available on the district's website.
"We didn't filter anything," Davis said.
The school board's strategic plan included a nine-month timeline, which started in January with conversations with all employees in the district.
In March and April, the school board extended conversations with students, parents and the community. Emerging ideas were shared in May through the RSD website, a public review meeting and online surveys, and in July the school board completed a draft of the community five-year plan for the district.
The final plan will be revealed to the employees, students, parents and community after the board takes action.
Superintendent Randall Williams, Business Manager and Assistant to the Superintendent Nathan Barber, members Morgan Barrett, Wesley White and Allan George were in attendance, and members Randy Campbell, Chris Cloud and Margie Smith were absent.


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By Doug Eadie
I was fortunate recently to sit in on a daylong retreat involving the Teton County School District 1 "strategic governing team" -- the board, superintendent, and senior administrators -- in Jackson, Wyo. Over the course of the day together, board and administrator participants explored a number of practical ways to fine-tune and strengthen the board's governing role and work, using several breakout groups that employed a free-flowing, brainstorming methodology.
One of the groups worked on board involvement in external relations. They first mapped out a preliminary "image statement" describing how the district wants and needs to be viewed by the community in order to fully accomplish its mission (for example, as "improving student success in all areas," "safe and caring," "fiscally responsible," "open, honest, and transparent").
Then the group worked up a long list of stakeholders and analyzed the relationships with what appeared to be the five highest priority groups. A "stakeholder" was defined as any formal organization or group outside of the district family with which it makes sense to build and maintain a working relationship because something is at stake. They are groups that the district needed for financial and political support, collaboration on projects, and technical advice and assistance.
The breakout group's list was long and included state legislators, the town of Jackson, the Rotary Club, Teton County, and the Chamber of Commerce. Two things really impressed the Teton County board and executive team members in the room that day as they listened to the breakout group's report. First, the sheer number of stakeholders on the list -- 29 after only a few minutes of brainstorming -- was awesome. Too many groups for the superintendent and her top lieutenants even to stay in touch with, much less to systematically manage working relationships with.
Second, the stakes involved in managing relationships with stakeholders were in many cases quite high, and failing to build and maintain close and productive working relationships would very likely exact a high price for the district.
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One of the common misconceptions in the wedding video world, especially among relative newcomers, is that Mark and Trisha Von Lanken of Tulsa, Okla.-based Von Wedding Films invented moving-camera wedding videography. This is not true. Mark himself admits that in his first couple years in the business, it never occurred to him to detach the camera from his shoulder until he attended a WEVA seminar by Toronto videographer David Lai (www.visionsbydavid.com), in which Lai demonstrated off-shoulder techniques like panning and tracking shots and reveals that created dramatic visual effects seen often in films and television, but rarely in wedding video up to that point.
Ever the innovators, Mark and Trisha immediately set about not only learning these techniques but making them their own, and developing them as part of their own ever-evolving style. A little more than half a decade later, there are two main reasons why their names have become synonymous with moving-camera wedding productions today: because Mark and Trisha do those techniques so well, and because they teach them so well. One could even argue that the moving-camera approach has become so prevalent in wedding video today for those exact same reasons.
Having looked at The Art of Moving Techniques, Volume 1 back in 2006, and found it pretty definitive, the first question in my mind when I popped in MCT II was whether there was any point in doing a sequel. And MCT II does start out on familiar ground. You get Trisha's very accessible, straightforward narration, which makes potentially daunting topics and techniques seem like something anyone could do. And as she introduces the topic, making moving camera techniques also seem like something everyone should do if they want their videos to look as polished, romantic, and dramatic as Von Wedding Films', she also makes an absolutely crucial point: Too much motion can be too much of a good thing; however proficient you become with these techniques, be sure to use them in moderation.
Early on, the disc also reviews some techniques covered in MCT I—always using manual settings, how to hold the camera and position it against your body to keep your motion smooth and steady. But it quickly moves on to a great demonstration from Mark on the difference between panning and tracking, which makes it crystal clear how the tracking approach yields a more professional look. The Von Lankens also walk you through a behind-the-scenes look at how they cover bride and groom prep, always breaking down the motion techniques they're using for maximum accessibility, and showing you the completed edit so you can see how the technique played out in the final video.
There is also a fascinating first dance making-of segment showing shooting assignments and positions for two cameras, and of course the final edit to show you how the effects they were going for were achieved. Essential stuff.
The focus this time is on handheld cameras, which is another key difference from MCT I; it's important to see how these techniques can be achieved with the handheld cameras most videographers are using these days. What this installment of the MCT series doesn't show, of course, is how these techniques work in shoot-to-delivery HD productions. But they had to leave something for MCT III, right? Which, incidentally, Mark says will be all in HD, will be available in a Blu-ray version, and will come out sometime in 2009.
Stephen Nathans-Kelly (stephen.nathans at infotoday.com) is editor-in-chief of EventDV.


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Tourism comeback: Guide to Srinagar
Srinagar, the summer capital of the India-administered state Jammu and Kashmir, is known for its natural beauty, charming people and occasional violent political unrest.
It's a heady combination that has intrepid travelers salivating.
Kashmir has faced separatist violence for 20 years. More than 40,000 people have been killed, according to the official count, but several human rights groups and other non-governmental organizations believe the number of dead is at least twice that amount.
India, Pakistan and China all control parts of the 222,770-square-kilometer region in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent.
More on CNN: Kashmir: India and Pakistan's bitter dispute
Although Britain and the United States both warn tourists against traveling to Kashmir, the region has been relatively peaceful in the past few years.
Tourists are returning to what was once a must-visit destination during the 1970s and 1980s. Kashmir attracted more than 1.3 million tourists last year and officials estimate the number will double in 2012.
Although it's crucial to double check the security situation in Kashmir before traveling there, locals will you tell you that foreign tourists should not be afraid. Srinagar is particularly welcoming with its elegant houseboats on Dal Lake, medieval-looking backstreets and surrounding Himalayan villages.
Thousands of first-time domestic tourists are lured by the region that is still known as "Paradise on Earth" and where many Bollywood films have been set.
But foreign tourists are comparatively rare. Your author only spotted about 40 foreigners on his recent two-week tour of Srinagar and Sonamarg. But those places were packed with Indian tourists.
The good news for tourists is they immediately attract offers of hospitality, bargains and friendship -- but some of that may be hard-selling by Kashmir's notoriously extroverted entrepreneurs.
The best time to visit is now because it snows in winter and gets uncomfortably cold. Though tourists do come for winter sports.
More on CNN: A 'Free Tibet' tour of India's Little Lhasa
What to do in Srinagar
Shikara Rides
If you stay on a houseboat or even if you choose not to, take a ride on a gondola-style shikara (pronounced "shih-CAR-ruh").
The ones used for public transport often include soft cushions and a small roof to shade passengers. A boatman with a heart-shaped wooden oar paddles the vessel.
For several hundred rupees, depending on your bargaining skills, a boatman will row you for hours across Dal Lake and nearby Nagin Lake, plus the meandering waterways among brick-and-wood homes built on tiny islands where food is grown among trees and tall grass.
A handful of passengers can fit on a public shikara and the boatman will stop if you want to eat or shop.
The center of Dal Lake also offers water-skiing in warm weather.
More on CNN: Kashmir cribs: The houseboats on Dal Lake
Mosques and Shrines
Most mosques and shrines are open to non-Muslims and allow photography, though females are blocked from the best interior chambers.
The most visual of Srinagar's mosques can be experienced during an all-day tour by taxi. Mosques are also known as "masjid" and the spelling of their names varies on maps and in books.
Dastgir Sahib Shrine is a small treasure near Dal Lake, with a surprisingly colorful interior adorned with papier-mâché covering its columns and wall panels. This 250-year-old shrine shelters the relics of Pir Dastgir, a mystic Sufi saint.
Sufis are considered to be the most liberal among Muslims because they embrace music, poetry and other pleasures.
Unfortunately, the shrine was gutted in a fire that broke out on June 25, 2012. The relics of the saint are safe though as they were kept in a fire-proof vault.
Nearby, some people insist Jesus is buried at Rozabal Shrine after he survived crucifixion, wandered east and arrived in Kashmir, perhaps searching for some of the so-called "Lost Tribes" of Jews.
Many Muslim and other scholars have written books enthusiastically claiming this could very well be true. The shrine is permanently locked up, but you can peer through a window at its sarcophagus.
This is the only shrine where a big sign warns that photography is forbidden. A man perched in a next-door building will angrily shout if pull out a camera.
Also nearby is the Makhdoom Sahib Shrine, set on a hill with a good view of Srinagar. Some Muslims prostrate themselves in prayer while climbing the steps leading to the large building. Stalls lining the path sell inexpensive toys, clothes, Islamic books and other items.
The shrine's interior is alive with religious devotion, with people praying aloud while others sit cozily in niches and contemplate.
Shah Hamid Shrine, also known as Shah Hamadan Mosque, was Srinagar's first mosque, built in 1395 by a saint from Persia, Mir Sayed Ali Hamadni. It displays exquisite, intricate architecture.
Non-Muslims are allowed to enter just inside the front door from where the entire interior can be viewed. The inner walls and ceiling are adorned with painted papier-mâché.
More on CNN:The Sufi music tour: Where to hear qawwali in India
How to get there:
Dastgir Sahib Shrine is in Srinagar's northern Khanyar neighborhood, on Ganderbal Road northwest of its junction with Hazratbal Road.
Rozabal Shrine is nearby, to the north on Hazratbal Road, north of its junction with Ganderbal Road, and south of Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital.
Makhdoom Sahib Shrine is northwest of those two shrines. Follow Ganderbal Road northwest toward the Islamic College in the Nowhatta neighborhood and the shrine appears to the right.
Shah Hamid Shrine is south of the Nowhatta neighborhood, on the Jhelum River across the water from the Pather Mosque where the river curves west. Near Khoja Bazaar and south of the New Zaina Kadal Bridge.
Mogul Gardens
It's flower power against a backdrop of Mogul architecture at Srinagar's various gardens built during the 17th century by Mogul emperors.
The Nishat and nearby Shalimar gardens on the banks of Dal Lake may be the best for a picnic on their spacious lawns and can easily be reached by local bus.
Repairs are currently underway to the fountains and man-made cascading streams which grace the terraces. Shalimar Garden -- "Abode of Love" -- is the most picturesque, built during the 1600s by Emperor Jahangir for his Queen Nur Jahan.
The interior of the big ornate chamber where they smooched is now covered with graffiti and needs fixing.
More on CNN: Insider guides: Where to go, what to do
Nishat Garden is on Nishat Harwan Road where it joins Fore Shore Road on the edge of Dal Lake. A very inexpensive, local bus frequently goes to and from town and stops at both gardens.
Shalimar Garden is farther away, northeast of Dal Lake on Nishat Harwan Road.
Entrance fee for each garden is Rs 10.
Lal Chowk
Lal Chowk is Srinagar's city square with shops and restaurants all around. Bazaars are on all sides of Lal Chowk, including the streets which border the square.
The name of each bazaar changes according to the narrow lanes which cut through their markets. There are smaller bazaars elsewhere in Srinagar, but Lal Chowk's are the best.
Around Residency Road in Lal Chowk is a bazaar where you can buy the bizarre, such as live tiny chickens dyed with day-glow colors.
From there, follow the Amira Kadal Bridge across the Jhelum River.
Off to your left, explore Goni Khan market and the Maharaja Bazaar where shops sell traditional clothes, jewelry, cheap toys, household items, and display cool graphic labels for food, rat poison and other products.
Lal Chowk is considered the heart of Srinagar and is the capital's town square and surrounding bazaar, set near a curve in the Jhelum River where Residency Road leads toward the Amira Kadal Bridge.
Only a few hours away by car, this 2,740-meter-high village is ideal for riding a hired pony slowly through the forest to the nearby Thajiwas glacier. Summer is a good time to go when the weather is cold but not freezing.
Horsemen will find you when you arrive, and they will also rent you rubbery boots to protect against the mushy glacier and an extra coat just in case clouds chill the sunlight.
At the behemoth glacier, vendors have set up tents and food. They will offer you rides on makeshift sleds hand-made of wood and a piece of carpet.
Men offering you a sled will scrunch you onto the tiny vehicle and use a rope to pull you up the glacier, while another man simultaneously pushes your back if need be.
It looks very absurd and strangely degrading because the glacier's angle is not steep. But most people lazily succumb and enjoy being dragged uphill.
A burly sled man will usually ride down the glacier with the passenger -- both crammed together during the 30 seconds or so of sledding. Skis are also available.
Sonamarg makes a fine day-trip but also offers several hotels, restaurants and an intriguing tiny village surrounded by forests.
The easiest way to get to and from Sonamarg is to hire a car and driver. The cars are easy to find, and if you ask your houseboat owner or hotel manager, they will arrange it for you. The journey takes about two or three hours and prices vary depending on your bargaining skills but should be around Rs 2,000 per person, one-way. Local buses are usually avoided because they take several hours.
What to buy in Srinagar
Pashmina Shawls
Kashmir's exalted Pashmina shawls are becoming rare, prompting local scientists to clone the Himalayan goats which produce the soft, delicate wool.
Dealers insist that only a real pashmina shawl can be twisted and pulled through a thumb-wide ring and they will perform this feat in their shops by yanking a shawl through a ring's hole.
Prices zoom from hundreds of dollars into the thousands when the shawls include hand-stitched embroidery.
For Pashmina shawls, visit Trueman, a quiet showroom in an upmarket lane downtown, around the corner from Ahdoo's Hotel & Restaurant (see below), 24 Polo View Road, between Residency Road and M. A. Road, +91 194 247 5006; firstname.lastname@example.com.
Much more affordable are Kashmir's endless papier-mâché boxes, vases, statues, tables and other shapes, available in a slew of sizes. They are painted with flowers, abstract designs, faces, animals and hunting scenes, and are durable if you don't crush them.
Papier mache is everywhere, so probably any piece you like will be relatively comparable to elsewhere. M. Sidiq & Sons has some nice examples, if you are in the neighborhood. 18 Polo View Road, between Residency Road and M. A. Road, +91 194 245 5116.
Silk carpets are among Kashmir's most fabulous creations and cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Kashmir's wool carpets are less expensive and more practical. You may want to avoid rugs which include cotton threads as these are not long-lasting. Look for a telltale white fringe on either end of the carpet to know that it has been made with cotton.
Where to stay in Srinagar
Luxury: LaLiT Grand Palace Srinagar
Previously the maharajas' palatial residence, this opulent hotel overlooks Dal Lake with five-star quality rooms, restaurants and other amenities.
Includes a spa, heated indoor swimming pool, lawn tennis and is adjoined by an 18-hole golf course.
Built in 1910, it hosted Britain's colonial Viceroy Lord Mountbatten in 1947 before being converted to a hotel in 1956. Provides a "baby sitting facility" and Internet-linked, 24-hour business center. Rooms offer TV, Wi-Fi, minibar, telephone and other features.
More on CNN: 11 Indian hotels to visit in 2012
Gupkar Road, Srinagar; +91 11 4444 7474, +91 11 4444 7089; firstname.lastname@example.com; from Rs 11,500 single, Rs 12,000 double per night; www.thelalit.com
Mid-range: Ahdoo's Hotel & Restaurant
Located in the heart of Srinagar along the Jhelum river, Ahdoo's is on Residency Road which is the main thoroughfare for government offices, banks, restaurants and shops.
Ahdoo's is clean, friendly and professionally run with decades of experience hosting international tourists who enjoy no-nonsense service and quiet efficiency. The staid mood can be a welcome break from the garrulous activity out on the streets. Rooms include telephone and TV.
Residency Road, Srinagar; +91 194 247 2593; email@example.com; from Rs 2,500 per night; www.ahdooshotel.com
Budget: Peak View Hotel & Restaurant
Their simple but clean rooms include a TV and telephone and will enable you to feel like an insider, because not many foreigners stay here.
Modest frills and no air conditioning, but your stay should provide plenty of opportunities for conversations amid the friendly hospitality.
The location is perfect because its windows overlook Lal Chowk which is the main bazaar area and Srinagar's older neighborhood.
Lal Chowk, off Residency Road, Srinagar; +91 194 247 7038; from Rs 800 for a double; email@example.com
Where to eat in Srinagar
Ahdoo's Hotel & Restaurant
Even if you don't stay here, this central hotel's restaurant is a traditional meeting place for fine, robust meals. Its wood-and-tile interior, old-world charm and well-dressed wait staff produce a hushed, intimate mood.
The mutton rogan josh is a classic and mixes elaborately seasoned lamb chunks with red chilies and other spices. Tender and surprisingly filling, especially with a side plate of freshly baked naan bread.
Other Kashmiri lamb dishes, such as gushtaba, include onions, cloves, cardamom, fennel, ginger, garlic and mint, plus yogurt to make a smooth, savory, nectar gravy.
Decadence can be found in their delicious phirini dessert made of milk, sugar, almonds and cardamom.
More on CNN: 40 Mumbai foods we can't live without
Residency Road, Srinagar; +91 194 247 2593; firstname.lastname@example.com; www.ahdooshotel.com; mid-range
Peak View Hotel & Restaurant
Climb upstairs and enjoy tables with a great window view of Lal Chowk amid a basic ambiance without glitz.
The interior's look and feel is of an old building, airy and well-lit, with a TV turned on atop a shelf and perhaps some echoing chatter from nearby tables.
The menu is simple but keeps it real with paneer paired with potatoes, or spinach or other offerings.
Dal and other typical Indian dishes are well made here. Ask the staff to prepare your meal with "no oil" to avoid the grease used by many Kashmiris as a way of being generous in their frequently cold climate.
Lal Chowk, off Residency Road, Srinagar; +91 194247 7038; mid-range
Mummy Please Restaurant
Its modern, fast-food interior doesn't distract from the Kashmiri dishes on the menu. The place appears to attract a young-at-heart crowd who like the colorful decor. It also hopes to interest parents with children yearning for a fun place that isn't stodgy, chaotic or old-fashioned.
Basmati rice-based favorites include pulao and biryani, which includes lamb or chicken -- or vegetarian. Wazwan biryani is their specialty, and it is also Kashmir's most meaty meal. Traditionally, it is eaten with fingers, not silverware, and serves four people with multiple courses, including various spiced lamb dishes, vegetables and dessert.
The restaurant's "Chinese" choices loosely describe non-Indian recipes using chicken, garlic, chili and other sharp flavors, so don't expect familiar Chinese food but rather an amusing version where ingredients are casually substituted but an attempt is made to keep the theme.
Lal Chowk and a branch on Residency Road, Srinagar; +91 194 247 0879; mid-range
Bazaar Food
Naan in Kashmir is a thicker and more rectangular slab of baked bread compared with elsewhere in India and can be grabbed as a snack from a street stall. Great for chewing while walking, it staves off any distracting hunger while exploring the bazaars.
Eventually locate the burning, circular, vertical clay ovens where naan is cooked in hole-in-the-floor hovel bakeries. Not only will your naan be hot and fresh, but you will also see men and women kneading the dough and attaching it to the inside of a fiery tandoori-style oven using long metal thongs to fetch each piece when crisp.
Kashmiri tea, also known as kawa, is a soothing, hot green tea delicately tinged with cardamom and cinnamon.
Salesmen and others will frequently offer you a free cup while you check out their wares. Don't be shy to imbibe even if you ultimately don't buy anything in their shop.
Nightlife in Srinagar
Sleep well. Kashmir does not boast a nightclub or bar-hopping scene.
Conversation in a quiet, indoor setting such as your houseboat, hotel or restaurant is usually the best way to spend most evenings because Islamic tradition against public naughtiness -- especially intoxication or intimacy amongst strangers -- means Srinagar shuts down as darkness descends.
Liquor is sold in squalid shops stacked with Indian brands which attract men who crowd each other to grasp whatever is available before hurriedly departing.
If you hear music blaring at night, accompanied by colored lights strung on a building, that probably indicates a wedding party. You could try to politely crash it, because joyous hosts may be pleased that a rare foreign tourist is bringing cheer to the union.
Elsewhere at night, if you hear men loudly chanting, that is probably Muslims praying or Islamic teachers offering lessons. You would also be welcome to observe, but with much more formality and somberness, even if you don't participate.
More on CNN iReport: Ladakh gallery: Gompas, goats and killer treks
Security in Srinagar
Srinagar occasionally suffers a street protest in downtown Lal Chowk but violence on Dal Lake is virtually non-existent.
Many houseboat owners speak excellent English, so ask if anything untoward is happening.
While strolling the bazaars, eyeball the local newspaper headlines for reports about possible violence and upcoming protests.
Tourists who go on day-trips -- or longer visits -- higher in the Himalayas, usually pick the main towns of Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg and other zones not targeted by the separatists.
You will be advised by tour guides, signs and roadblocks before you get too close to the off-limit villages near Pakistan and China.
Wherever you go in Kashmir, you will see plenty of soldiers and police armed with assault rifles. The good news is they are usually relaxed, not on high alert, because hostilities have cooled.
In Srinagar, "more than 40 security bunkers have been removed from the city so far," since 2010, thanks to the improved situation, the Press Trust of India news agency reported in April.
The stupidest thing a tourist could do in Kashmir would be to photograph, paparazzi-style, the security forces or strategic locations. Or offend Kashmir's Muslim residents who can be exuberantly friendly but strictly Islamic about "forbidden" behavior.
Sensitivity to what people around you are doing should guide you. Heed anyone yelling at you --except for touts trying to sell you stuff.


text:
ByJanie Ginocchio Reporter
The Russellville City Council voted 5-3, with one member absent, at Thursday's meeting to reduce the sick leave firefighters earn from 20 shifts to 10 shifts per year, based on a 24-hour shift.
The ordinance also changed the way police sick hours accrue, basing shifts on a twelve-hour period instead of eight. Police receive 20 shifts of sick leave per year. Non-uniform city employees receive 12 shifts of sick leave per year, based on an eight-hour shift.
The original wording in the city handbook called the time accrued "working days;" the council last night changed it to "shifts."
"This will level the playing field" between the police and fire departments, said Russellville Mayor Raye Turner in an interview. "The number of sick leave hours earned will be the same."
Under the new policy, police and firefighters will earn a total of 240 sick hours a year.
Alderman Randal Crouch, who voted against the measure, said the policy hurts the firefighters.
"Every time we turn around, we're slapping the fire department in the face," he said. He said the council, in looking at total number of sick hours earned for both departments, is comparing apples to oranges because firefighters work 24-hours shifts and police officers work either 8- or 12-hour shifts.
"When you're sick, you're sick all night," Crouch said. "With this, a firefighter can only be sick 10 times a year, while a police officer can be sick 20 times, and even non-uniform employees can be sick 12 times."
According to a document on the matter presented to the council Thursday night, firefighters are scheduled to work 2,912 hours per year, while police officers work about 2,236 hours, a difference of 676 hours.
"That was the whole reasoning behind more sick time for firefighters, since they were on the job more hours having a higher risk of being injured," according to the document.
Turner said the difference in hours worked between the two departments didn't have an impact on her decision to vote for the change.
"The reduction will not adversely affect the firefighters," she said. "If you look at the numbers, they just don't use that many sick days, and there's a catastrophic leave bank available for them to use if they need it."
In 2005, firefighters used an average of 5.82 sick days, which, under the new policy, would be more than half of the days earned for the year.
Crouch said the matter came to the board's attention several months ago when police officers complained.
"A couple of years ago, the council wasn't able to give raises to the police officers, and we needed to hire four new officers," he said. "[Former Police] Chief Bacon came up with a plan where some officers would go from 8-hour to 12-hour shifts to cover the workload, and we could take the money saved by not hiring the new employees and give raises."
When the police officers went to 12-hour shifts, sick leave was still based on an eight-hour shift, so an officer out sick would have to use one-and-a-half days of leave, effectively reducing their sick days from 20 to 13.
"We should have just give the police officers more and left the firefighters alone," Crouch said. "Instead, [by basing the police sick leave on 12-hour days] we've given the police 20 days and taken away 10 from the firefighters."
Crouch added police officers have received more pay raises than firefighters in the last few years. "Somewhere along the line we missed the boat."
During the meeting, Crouch warned council members reducing firefighters' sick leave benefits could lower morale in the department. Interim Fire Chief John David Farrell agreed.
"It will have a slight impact on morale," he said in an interview. "You hate cutbacks, but you have to learn to live with them." He declined to comment further, stating the mayor requested comments on the issue go through her office.
"I have not had any firefighters come and ask that we not do this," Turner said. At the council meeting, however, Farrell addressed the council - including Turner - and said, "I urge the council not to do this."
Still, Turner insists, no other firefighter has come forward. "None of them have discussed this with me," she said.


text:
Apple's "Project Azalea" might be a TSMC-run chip foundry to replace Samsung as supplier
11 Comments
1. Peter98 (Posts: 119; Member since: 01 Aug 2012)
Great one. Get it a quad-core!
8. PhenomFaz (Posts: 1236; Member since: 26 Sep 2012)
yup but by that time there will be octa-core devices on other platforms! Ditchin sammy has been a bad move by Apple...they made a lot of bad decisions this year...and that shows in their sales figures and the bad qaultiy of 2012 product line
2. buggerrer (Posts: 306; Member since: 21 Sep 2011)
Apple can't live without Samsung, it's all rumors !
3. sithvenger (banned) (Posts: 371; Member since: 25 Aug 2012)
Hush up, sure they can.
4. Thephonegeek (Posts: 118; Member since: 22 Nov 2012)
Beware TSMC. If you give up Qualcomm and Nvidia for apple, you are gonna be in a huge trouble. And two days later apple will say that they will produce their chips themselves.
5. redmd (Posts: 1589; Member since: 26 Oct 2011)
this could happen. and they will then sue tsmc lol
6. sprockkets (Posts: 1612; Member since: 16 Jan 2012)
So is apple going to like use the factory then for 2 weeks in February then close it the rest of the year? :)
10. rusticguy (Posts: 2828; Member since: 11 Aug 2012)
Well they are planning to be supplying chips to samsung from 2020 onwards ... essentially copying samsung business model as that's the one that will succeed :D
7. reyenrique (Posts: 99; Member since: 07 Oct 2012)
9. iDroidWin (Posts: 117; Member since: 07 Dec 2012)
Good news for Americans all in all. With samsung or without samsung, the one who wins will be americans. I am not american or Apple fan, but lately, I am seeing few good moves by Tim Cook. Something, that a humble man can take, which steve jobs wasn't. Am glad Apple is finally making few right moves.
11. roscuthiii (Posts: 2346; Member since: 18 Jul 2010)
Tim Cook just may bring Apple back to being an admirable company. Well done.


text:
ACParadise Network: American Cosplay Paradise American Cosplay Experience American Cosplay Snapshots
My wife and I first started cosplaying together before we had even gone on our first date... so to say that Cosplay is pretty important to us would be a bit of an understatement. When my she asked if I wanted to do my first Cosplay, Fox Mulder, I was really hesitant because I don't really look like him... boy am glad that I said yes! It's become such a fantastic hobby!
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text:
Hi there,
Not sure if I am in the right forums, but ever since I installed Zone Alarm Internet Security, my iTunes Libary seems to get wiped (perhaps during a a scan), and an empty file is recreated by iTunes upon launch, this has ment that I have had to make a copy of iTunes on a partition on my drive and recopy after every scan, and replace it every few days, there also seems to be alot of .temp files created in the iTunes folder, is this an known problem? and is there a work around?
Operating System:
Windows Vista Home Premium
Software Version:
Product Name:
ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite
Message Edited by johnmryan on 05-30-2009 04:27 AM


text:
Q&A with Nick Swisher
Outfielder plays key role in punching World Series ticket
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
Throughout the 2009 postseason, Swisher will take part in a Q&A with MLB.com, sharing his thoughts after every game. Swisher spoke after the Yankees defeated the Angels, 5-2, in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday, earning the right to advance to the World Series against the Phillies.
MLB.com: You're standing here, soaked in champagne, wearing a T-shirt that says you're going to the World Series -- your first World Series. What does this all feel like?
Swisher: To tell you the God's honest truth, I'm looking at it now and it feels pretty dang good. I don't know, man. Right now, it feels amazing. This beer is tremendous, the champagne is amazing, and I really just could not be more happy right now.
MLB.com: You had a big hit to help start the rally in the fourth inning, and an important bunt later -- on the night the Swish-Hawk makes its return. Coincidence?
Swisher: The Swish-Hawk is back, man! I'm telling you. I don't know. Maybe it was time for a little adjustment. I got a haircut today and my dad always told me that getting a haircut was worth at least one hit for the day. I got a hit today, that felt good, and I got a big bunt late in the game. It's a tremendous win for us.
MLB.com: Personally, did you need a night like tonight -- a strong throw, a hit, a standing ovation -- for your confidence going into the World Series?
Swisher: Well, yeah. It just kind of feels like you get back on track a little bit. We've got a couple of days of workouts, and we'll be ready to go. It's an amazing feeling today. To be part of this win is tremendous. I've had some struggles this series, no doubt about that. It just wasn't my time. Hopefully I'll keep working hard, get back on track and get ready for the World Series.
MLB.com: How do you look ahead to this matchup with the Phillies?
Swisher: I haven't really thought about it, man! I'm focused more on the Bud Light and champagne. We'll get after it tomorrow.
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.