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Brett King and the Death of the Branch: Part 1
In Part One of this three-part series, King examines how Amazon, Apple and Kindle helped light the consumer fire for electronic commerce.
There's a strong statistical argument to be made for disruptive technologies that change consumer behavior. I've argued the impact of this on branch banking extensively, starting with Branch Today, Gone Tomorrow and more recently in Chapter 3 of Bank 3.0, but I'm still faced with significant resistance in the retail banking industry at large. So I thought I'd share a statistical view of the triggers that result in the deconstruction of traditional distribution systems, and look at the evidence in the retail banking space.
Core Behavioral Shift
The argument at the core of anticipating widespread disruption to the physical distribution channel within retail banking is to examine changing behavior around the branch, and if there are any patterns we can learn from in other industries. In industries like music, books and video rental we see historically the same triggers and shifts, along with the same reluctance to accept the inevitable changes that this brings.
In each industry we've seen majors like Tower Records, Borders and Blockbuster (see Wikipedia's List of Defunct Retailers of the United States to see the full effect of disruption in distribution) faced with the same core shift, and an inability or unwillingness to change their distribution model to match changing consumer behaviors. In the retail banking market, we're seeing the same reluctance to believe that anything will be fundamentally different with passionate arguments that the "branch will survive." So what is typically at the core of this imperative for change?
The Death of the Branch
- Day One: Amazon, Apple, Kindle light the fire under e-commerce.
- Day Two: Changing consumer behavior drives down branch use, profitability.
- Day Three: The inevitable end of bricks-and-mortar branching.
In each disrupted business or industry we see a paradigm shift in distribution initiated by a technological breakthrough that changes buying habits. These paradigm shifts are sometime convergent as in the case of the iPod and iTunes, but correlate with a core product model such as the shift from buying entire a, to just buying (or downloading) singles. In the case of books the core buying behavior is characterized as eBook versus hardcover or paperback, but the eBook wasn't really a serious competitor in the buying behavior stakes until Amazon launched the Kindle eBook reader.
At the core is an emerging behavior that demonstrates a trade-off between buying convenience and the need to "touch and feel" the brand or product in-store. Often the new product also provides a substantial price benefit because of lower distribution costs, but not always. Great new product mechanisms show that convenience and ease of use will often even trump pricing disadvantages (such as in the case of a booking fee for cinema tickets).
In each instance of buying behavior shift we see early adopters first out of the gate on the new technologies that allow different buying or consumption. We then see both traditional consumers and retailers voice extreme skepticism around the import of this new emerging behavior, and finally we see rapid adoption of the technology over three to five years resulting in an irreversible upheaval of traditional distribution systems.
This cycle of adoption and industry realization might be likened to the Kübler-Ross model, commonly known as the "Five Stages of Grief", the only difference being that by the time the industry at large accepts the core consumer behavior shift, a few major brand names have already gone the way of the dodo bird.
Those That Have Gone Before Us
The cycle of disruption can be articulated in the following simple manner. We start with physical products in a physical store supporting the traditional distribution structure. A new distribution platform (such as the Internet) comes along and changes early adopter buying behavior – we still buy a physical product but it comes through a digital store. Finally, the product (where possible), is abstracted to a digital form (digital product) which is digitally distributed without the need for the traditional stores.
To support this process we need both changing consumer behavior and the paradigm shift of an emergent digital product. While Amazon has disrupted book sales massively through the Kindle, it can't affect the same rapid level of disruption on clothes, shoes and electronic goods because those products can't be fully digitized. When you digitize the product, it eliminates the majority of physical stores required for distribution over time because consumer behavior shifts away from visiting the physical store as the primary buying behavior. Whereas, when a physical product is retained, there is more of a split along buying preferences (e.g., in-store versus digital store) and the same shift takes longer or levels out.
Part 1 Continues ...
The other interesting side effect of the disruption cycle is that in industries where the physical distribution layer is destroyed, incumbents rarely survive as the dominant distribution players. Look at books where the likes of Borders and Angus & Robertson failed in the past two years, Barnes & Noble still struggles to survive and Amazon absolutely dominates hardcover, paperback and eBook sales across the United States (and to some extent globally). Amazon is now the largest distribution player in book sales bar none – because it owned the new emerging distribution platform; i.e., the digital book and reader combined with the digital bookstore.
In the graph below we see the Kindle emerged to support the eBook platform in the late 2007 period and that by 2010 the effect on buying behavior is acute, with physical sales of MMPB (Mass Market Paperback Books) quickly undermined by eBook sales.
Between 2010-2012 the effect starts to have a multiplier impact on the speed of decline as the majority of customers change their buying behavior. This behavior does plateau at a certain point, but the primary distribution channel for book sales has already shifted and will never return. Amazon still gets some appreciation in physical book sales for a time, primarily due to the fact that other physical stores are failing at the same time. Even if physical sales of books continues to appreciate based purely in line with population growth or total market size, the damage to the long-term viability of physical distribution channels has already been done.
Physical books versus eBooks sold on Amazon.com (source: Amazon)
The same occurred in music. If I told you in 1990 that the largest seller of music in the United States in 2010 would be Apple Computers (or Apple Inc.) you'd likely have thought I needed help from a mental health professional. However, due to the paradigm shift in music sales Apple dominates while Tower Records, Virgin Megastores and others have dwindled into virtual obsolescence due to changing music buying habits.
Retail stores accounted for 36% of total album sales [in 2012]. This figure was 66% just seven years ago…" TheStar.com, Jan. 17, 2013 (citing Nielsen SoundScan)
Timeline of Digital Music Sales Growth in the US (2004-12); Source: Nielsen
Sometimes this is not only evidenced by changes in buying behavior in stores, but also by a change in the modality of the product. One of the big changes around the iTunes/iPod platform was a shift from buying albums to buying singles, something that was counterintuitive for the music industry under the old, store-based distribution model.
The "99-cent single" model that Apple pioneered with iTunes helped incent customers to the new buying platform away from physical products in physical stores. The paradigm shift in music was still iTunes and the iPod, but the new format allowed much less friction in buying and raised unit sales significantly. Sometimes this was just about the pricing and convenience, but it was assisted by the fact that I no longer had to buy a whole album just to get one single.
The cost of distribution of physical CD albums was impractical to apply to singles because margins on the product were much thinner and wouldn't work. So even with better stores or more intense marketing, the physical distribution layer could no longer efficiently compete against the new distribution platform. The destruction of physical music stores as the primary sales channel was complete (queue menacing laugh "Bwah ha ha ha.") If you doubt this assertion, just go back and review the quote from TheStar.com above.
The same happened in the video rental space and with the shift from 35mm to digital cameras. By no longer requiring a physical store to buy film or process photographs, the traditional distribution layer was destroyed. The modality of photography also changed as smartphone cameras became more capable, with higher resolutions and then combined with apps like Instagram, Foursquare check-in and such which changed our behavior around photography and videography.


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- Details
- Published on Wednesday, 16 April 2014 19:42
Sunday, April 27th is the deadline to submit your videos demonstrating why you should be a Shootout Judge during the Mickey Mart Rewards Cavalcade of Stars presented by Budweiser!
Dust off your video camera, find all your props and get creative. We are looking for the best two videos that demonstrate why you believe you would be the perfect judge to critique the best wheel stands performed by the Super Stock and Stock Eliminator classes during the Croghan Colonial Bank Showtime, on Friday May 16th during the 8th Annual Mickey Mart Rewards 'Cavalcade of Stars" presented by Budweiser.
All submissions must be entered by Sunday April 27th, so videos can be posted to our Facebook page, Facebook/summitmotorsportspark on Monday April 28th. From April 28th through midnight May 5th, tell all of your friends to go to our Facebook page and like and share your video. The top 2 videos, with the most "likes", wins! (Facebook analytic stats will be the determining factor for most "likes")
The winners will be one of the five judges to critique the best wheel stands performed by the Super Stock and Stock Eliminator Classes during the Friday evening Croghan Colonial Bank Showtime. Each winner will receive a pair of reserved Summit Club Section seats for the entire weekend. Yes those are the seats right next to the starting line, in front of the Media Center! Wait…there's more! Each winner will also be outfitted with an official event t-shirt and a Summit Motorsports Park Hat. Winners will be notified by Monday, May 12th.
Need help with uploading your YouTube Video.
Sign into YouTube.
- Click the Upload button at the top of the page.
- Select the video you'd like to upload from your computer. You can also record a video from your webcam, or create a video slideshow.
- Before you start uploading the video you can chose the video privacy settings. As the video is uploading, you can add information (e.g. title, description, tags), change your privacy settings, add the video on a playlist, choose a custom thumbnail or decide if you'd like to post it to Google+, Facebook, or Twitter.
- You can edit both the basic information and the advanced settings of the video, and decide if you want to notify subscribers (if you untick this option no communication will be shared with your subscribers). Partners will also be able to adjust their Monetization settings.
- Make any changes you want to the video settings and information, then click Publish to finish uploading it on YouTube. You can always publish your video at a later time in your Video Manager. If you set the video privacy setting to Private or Unlisted, just click Done to finish the upload or click Share to privately share your video.
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More info can be found at https://support.google.com/youtube/topic/2888648?hl=en

subset: commoncrawl


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Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Gil T.Azell, Dec 23, 2012.
I had this shared on Face Book.
they are indeed family.
This baby guinea pig reminds me of tribbles.
Found this tomb stone. Yes, I know, it doesn't seem to quite fit into this thread but it made me go "aww! I want such a stone, too, when I die"
It's in St Mary's , GA, and belongs to someone who worked at a Walmart.
I find it a rather good idea. A tombstone that makes people smile and cheers them up. Just the thing for me
But I bet such stones are forbidden in Germany
Some might say it's tacky, inappropriate (whatever) but gets a thumbs up from me. Anything that makes death less solemn/pious...
I want a "Yes! We're Open!" neon sign for my headstone.
^If I were to have a grave (not planning on it) I'd probably go with something Trek-related, like a (smaller) copy of The Guardian of Forever or something...
Back to awwww:
a whole page of aww moments!
Thanks to my buddy Monkey for giving me the link.
And of course Monkey himself is the my special awww moment of every day and the chef of my dreams:
When you're bored, have a look at his website: http://himonkey.org
Loving this thread!
awww (lol sorry, couldn't resist)
My boy Gimli and a stray kitten we took in while living in Romania.
A little blonde. Did you name him Legolas?
Separate names with a comma.


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Luther alumni events are open to all alumni and friends of the college, including parents and other family members of graduates and students. If you need more information or if you're interested in planning an event in your area, please call the Alumni Office at (800) 225-8664.
Sponsored by Alumni
Thursday, September 13, 2012
6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Reception — beer, wine, soda and light snacks
No charge
The Lietz Law Firm
888 16th Street NW
Suite 800
Washington, D.C. 20006
[email protected]
Hosted by David Lietz '88 and Sarah Vail '08
Questions? Contact Sherry Alcock, Alumni, 563-387-1505
Learn more at https://www.luther.edu/alumni/events/washdc/


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Those were the questions in the air when CIOs representing about 40 institutions gathered to discuss massive open online courses, or MOOCs, at the The Higher Education Technology Forum in San Diego, an invitation-only event organized by Consero.
The panel on MOOCs included three CIOs: David Baird of Wesleyan University, Gayle Barton of Amherst College, and Patricia Schoknecht of Rollins College. Each school has a different approach to MOOCs. Wesleyan is active in Coursera, the for-profit MOOC that has so far accumulated the longest list of university partners. Amherst was recently in the news after faculty shot down a proposed partnership with edX. Rollins will offer a MOOC-style course, but do it independently.
[ Source of friction: Distance Learning Regulation Needs Simplification, Officials Say.]
"When I started last July, online education was the last thing on my mind," Barton said. Amherst is a small liberal arts college in Amherst, Mass., known for small class sizes and faculty-student research collaboration. Yet after Amherst was approached first by 2U (formerly 2tor) and then Coursera, she felt responsible to investigate other options. She approached edX, the non-profit started by MIT and Harvard, that so far supports a relatively exclusive club of a dozen universities, as well as Udacity, which like Coursera is a for-profit company. 2U offers a cloud-based online education platform that allows schools to charge tuition.
"Those of us working on it felt that edX was the best fit because of their focus on very high quality courses and helping people do that," Barton said. She figured Amherst needed the help coming up to speed on online education. In addition, she thought it would be valuable to get access to the assessment and analytics tools built into the edX platform.
As negotiations continued, Amherst president Carolyn Martin publicly supported a partnership with edX but left the final decision of whether to participate to a faculty committee, which in April rejected the plan. Barton said she was disappointed but takes heart from the fact that about 40% of the faculty voted "yes" and many of the others agreed the college should do more to experiment with online education -- just not with edX. Although some press accounts made it sound like they feared online education would be a threat to their jobs, faculty concerns had more to do with surrendering control to a consortium with an undefined business model, she said. The discussion about what Amherst should do instead is continuing, she said.
Other CIOs at the forum wondered aloud whether those pursuing MOOC partnerships had really thought things through, particularly the potential damage to the brand of a "high touch" school that charges $50,000 a year or more based on the value of the on-campus experience. As one man put it, how can a small liberal arts school like Amherst make the case that it is worth the money while at the same time saying, "Oh, by the way, you can also get this Amherst lite experience for free?"
On the other hand, those who refuse to become involved "may come to regret it" as larger players shape the MOOC movement, another participant said. "If these courses wind up having the same weight as brick-and-mortar classes, then we have problem to contend with."
Yet Wesleyan, a private university in Middletown, Conn., is willing to take the risk, Baird said. "We decided we'd be better able to position ourselves if we're involved than if we're standing on the sidelines."
Wesleyan president Michael S. Roth was in the process of closing a deal with Coursera when Baird joined the university in August. Although Wesleyan also consulted with faculty as part of the decision-making process, the deal was cut over the summer when many professors were away, Baird said. A six-week course on The Language of Hollywood recently wrapped up, and the film studies professor who offered it is so enthusiastic he plans to do it again in the fall.
Wesleyan president Roth personally taught a philosophy and great books course on The Modern and the Postmodern. Wesleyan's Coursera offerings have been averaging an enrollment of about 30,000, although a Social Psychology course to be offered this summer has attracted more than 100,000 signups and counting.
The professors who have tried the MOOC course format tend to be "flattered by the idea that students in (pick your country) would meet in a coffee shop to talk about Nietzsche," Baird said. Others are inspired by the vision articulated in Coursera co-founder Daphne Koller's TED talk about making high-quality education available in places around the world and to people who would never be able to access it face-to-face.
In addition, distribution through Coursera gives Wesleyan alumni an opportunity to take classes they weren't able to get into during their time on campus, Baird said. There is also the recruiting value of reaching "students around the world who we want to give an inkling of what a Wesleyan education is like," he said.


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My (much younger) colleagues make fun of me when I talk about ye olden times. If I start a sentence with "back in my day" — which I do sparingly and with irony — I know full well that it will be met with eye rolls and snickers. (And not the good kind of Snickers — not the chocolate-coated, packed-with-peanuts, filled-with-nougat-and-caramelly-goodness kind that cost a dime back in my day.)
They mock me, for instance, for the fact that I learned to type in junior high school on a manual typewriter. ("Was it hard to punch the keys?") They can't hide their shock when they discover that Accutane was, indeed, on the market when I was a freshman in college. ("It was available back then?") And they laugh and laugh when I reveal that my wardrobe circa 1992 consisted of lots color block shirts like the one Garth Brooks sports on the cover of The Chase. ("Did you wear the denim shirt/blue jeans combo, too?") Well, if you must know, as a matter of fact I did. Dark blue jeans with a light blue denim shirt, or light blue jeans with a dark blue denim shirt. And Doc Martens. Moving on…
So it is with great trepidation — and full realization that more mockery is imminent — that I admit the following: I long for the back-in-my-days of the CD, the record store, and "new release Tuesday."
You see, back in my day, buying brand new CDs on new release Tuesday at the local record store (in my case, HMV and/or Tower Records on the upper west side of Manhattan) was a music lovers ritual. A weekly pilgrimage. A thing of beauty. The cool stores would have a white board near the cash registers that listed CD releases for the upcoming weeks. Imagine my delight when I saw the following tracks listed on the new release board for April 14, 1992: Charlatans UK Between 10th and 11th, L7 Bricks are Heavy, Peter Murphy Holy Smoke AND Jesus and Mary Chain Honey's Dead. What an embarrassment of riches! And that was just one random Tuesday. Kiddies, if none of these bands is ringing a bell, YouTube them immediately.
Now that music is all digital, the joy is gone. I no longer impatiently wait for my favorite bands' new stuff. In fact, sometimes new releases hit iTunes and I don't find out about them until after the fact. Strangeland by Keane came out this week. I love Keane, but I totally missed that memo. Two of my favorite singer songwriters — Nanci Griffith and Bonnie Raitt — released new music a month ago. Who knew? The Dandy Warhols and Peter Gabriel and Rufus Wainwright and Carrie Underwood and Norah Jones have all released their latest fare, and I have yet to buy any of it. What's happened to me?
There was a time when I actually made plans to meet up with a friend to go to Tower Records to purchase the CD single of R.E.M.'s "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" It was September 5, 1994. We made a day of it. I guess that will never happen again, partly because all the record stores in my neighborhood are gone, partly because R.E.M. broke up.
My biggest new release Tuesday was actually on a Monday. For very hotly anticipated CDs, certain record stores would stay open past midnight the night before the official Tuesday release. It was kind of like how The Hunger Games screened in a bunch of movie theaters at midnight on the night before the official Friday opening and it counted as part of their opening weekend box office receipts. (How was that for trying make a parallel you young'uns would understand?)
The big releases for August 27, 1996, were Pearl Jam's No Code and the Original Broadway Soundtrack for RENT. Being a big fan of Pearl Jam's Ten and Vs. and Vitalogy, I couldn't wait to get my fingerless gloved hands on No Code. And I wanted to get the RENT soundtrack for my 15 year old niece. Okay, I wanted it, too. In fact, I really really wanted it.
One could tell with a simple glance that the crowd wrapping around the block at HMV just before midnight that night was made up of 50% Pearl Jam fans and 50% RENTheads. I'm pretty sure I was the only one in line who was there for both. The only thing the two groups had in common was the occasional matching plaid of a RENT fan's pants (a clear homage to Roger's skinny jeggings-esque costume in the musical) with a Pearl Jam fan's sleeveless flannel shirt (a clear homage to Eddie Vedder and Seattle grunge.) I did my best to blend in.
A local news crew came to film the festivities. The reporter screamed to the crowd, "Who's here to pick up the new Pearl Jam CD?" Hundreds of tattooed arms shot into the air accompanied by a chorus of guttural "YEAH, MAN!"s. When this same reporter followed up with, "Who's here to get the RENT soundtrack?," hundreds of bedazzled jazz hands reached for the sky, amid high pitched screams of "No day but today!" Not wanting to be stereotyped into either group, I kept my hands to my sides, pulled my hoodie over my head and hid from the news camera. Okay, maybe I don't miss new release Tuesday that much.
What's your favorite genre of music?
Hip Hop
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Car Forums / Acura / Acura TL
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Acura TSX vs Acura TL
superdavid Posts: 24I would say get a TL if you have a family with kids, and TSX if you are single or just married couple. TL is pretty large as a family car and TSX is more agile. TL starts at 33K and TSX starts at 28K, it all depends your need.
rhody_88 Posts: 21Since when do consumers make purchases based on need?
The TSX is nice and agile, but the little engine is a deal breaker. I had one as a loaner a few weeks ago and the little 4 banger plus an auto trans was awful. I don't like having to run an engine past 4500 rpm in my daily driving. The TL-S is almost perfect, it has enough torque to blast ahead of traffic and still keep the engine under 4500 rpm. The mileage I got was about 1 mpg better with the TSX despite a large difference in weight and engine size. If they had put a turbo in the TSX I might have bought one, it really handles and rides like a dream. Plus it feels small and agile, kinda like a go kart when going around turns. If it had some power it would be amazing.
I have to agree with you the tl-s has more power than the tsx- it also costs approx $10,000 more. I do not know how you drive but when I had a 08 TL as a loaner car a month ago I averaged 25-27MPG on the 500+ miles I put on the car. I average 32-35 MPG on my 06 TSX. (6spd). I personally think my tsx has enough power for me. I do mostly highway driving and have owned numerous vehicles with turbo. Looking forward to see what the 09's look like.
Just wondering what speed you were driving at in the tsx to run it past 4500rpm. I just came back from a 70 mile drive-60MPH-2500 rpm. You must like to drive FAST
When I say 4500 rpm, I am talking about routine acceleration. Do get the acceleration I need, the TSX needs to almost be floored to redline on a regular basis whereas the TL-S can be shifted at about 4000-4500 rpm. Yes, I accelerate hard and drive fast overall. I can't see why anyone one would by a TL-S and drive slow! :P
My daily commute is about 4 miles of city streets at each end of a 13 mile freeway leg. The freeway part is usually at 80 mph depending on how many retards there are clogging the passing lane :mad: The TL-S runs very relaxed at 2750 RPM at 80 mph. I am ADHD (not one of those people who uses it as an excuse), so my brain will literally check out if I drive 60 mph for any length of time. By staying faster and moving past traffic my brain has to stay focused on many things, and thus it keeps me alert. It's kind of like who a kid can't pay attention to a boring class lecture but can sit in front of the computer and play Halo for 4 hours (or more) without a break.
Under hard acceleration the poor TSX's mileage suffers, hence the small difference in overall mileage when I drive the two cars. The TSX really just needs more lower end torque. :shades:
Oh BTW, I paid $33,900 for my 08 TL-S (+TTL).
excellent price- I paid 25,500 for my 06 tsx w/nav. My speeding days are over-stopped on numerous occasions when I owned vehicles with turbo engines- Luckily only warnings. I now drive only 5 miles over the speed limit- too many cops on the roads near me. The speed limit on one of the highways I sometimes use is 70. I hope your tl-s has MT. What color I love the morrocan red one
mf15 Posts: 158Well I am getting to be an old geezer but just got a TL in August, love it.
Kids are grown so my days of the minivan are over. Did not need a big car,really wanted the TSX.
I did quite a few test drives in the TSX and decided it did not have enough power for
me. That being said it is a great car.
Oh by the way, I have the Morrocan Red.
Old Mike
I had to work pretty hard to get a TL-S with 6MT. I refused to even test drive an auto. While driving the automatic TSX loaner I kept trying to push the clutch in while stopping....and hit the brake LOL. I ended up with a CBP and taupe interior. With window tint and the dark Tl-S rims the car looks amazing. I would have also considered the Moroccan Red or Blue, but those are near impossible to find with a MT.
Where I live in Texas the average speed on the interstate is about 75-78 unless there is a retard with a driver's license around. The cops do patrol the area but they use Lidar and are so easy to spot I could slow to 40 mph before they clock me. They sometimes try to sneak up on people from behind but I am one of the 5 drivers in Texas that has figured out what a rear view mirror is for. So far I have had no tickets in my county in the 7years I have lived here. That's not too bad considering the nearly 100,000 miles I have driven on these roads.
The secret is to drive consistently and safely........pretend the road is the Autobahn and you are a German with a Mercedes. Interestingly, the Autobahn has a lower accident rate than the US interstates. But you can chalk it up to driver mentality and superior training. That and they don't allow beaters on the road! For such a "repressive socialist state" they sure have some nice freedoms that we don't.....such as unlimited sections of the Autobahn (when weather and traffic permits), and freedom from drunk drivers (or at least compared to us!). Driving is one area where I think a rigid and involved system like theirs is superior. Lets face it, Americans think driving is a right and we will give a license to anyone with a pulse and better than 20/100 vision. (Autobahn rant mode off)
alot of the cops here patrol the highways in un-marked mustangs, chargers, camaro's and are in regular clothes. They also pretend they are road workers,and are working on the side of the roads. They have some kind of radar with them,and if they catch you speeding you are stopped further up the road.
I am kinda glad the tl-s was not out when I bought my tsx- especially if it were the red with 6 MT. I probably would be owning that. I do love my tsx (paid for) I love red as you probably can tell.
I can not believe the bad drivers here-they pull in front of you on the highway and go real slow-get up to speed a-whole. Driving 55+ when they suddenly slow down-no signals-to make a turn that takes forever. Oops I doing the autobahn thing)
will be driving from NC to California in May-going thru Texas-where are U.
Oh yeah I probably have some form of attention disorder-don't feel bad. It's normal (Lol)
great color choice-even better with ebony interior.
after going thru the hogging the back seat phase-a mini van with captain chairs is the way to go with kids-not the tl or tsx.
I am very happy with my tsx and glad you are with your tl. acuras are great cars.
my 40th high school reunion will be next year sometime-if they have it. my age is revealed (LOL)
I am in the process of replacing my Audi A3 before the warranty expires. I thought I was sold on a used TL. Drove several of them, pushed them hard. Thought it was a pretty darn nice car, and then I drove a TSX. No comparison. The TSX is such a much nicer driver's car. The TL is probably an awesome straight line highway cruiser, but the TSX is a much nicer day-to-day, situation-to-situation car. Anyone who thinks 205 hp isn't enough and NEEDS 270 hp probably also prefers an all-you-can-eat buffet over a single gourmet entree. More is not always better - not by a long shot. The TSX makes driving fun, while the TL makes being in your car, stuck in traffic very, very nice, I'm sure.
"The TSX makes driving fun, while the TL makes being in your car, stuck in traffic very, very nice, I'm sure."
While maybe not quite as nice inside as the TL, the TSX is hardly a penalty box. I think the Acura interiors are on par with VW, which is to say, outstanding.
I have to agree about the TSX. Acura is really a classy line. So is Honda. All Honda products are quite classy now.
Though, I will say that the new TL is very nice, but they really need to tame down that grill. Even lowering it down a bit and make it a bit smaller, it would make a world of difference. Its not that it looks bad, but perhaps a bit odd or over the top. Its like we get the point. I happened to look on Ebay and there are several better looking grills to replace the OEM. They could be a great option for it. I would not say the TL's interior is any nicer than the TSX, but larger in scale. That is the nice thing about Honda, you can drive a base model and still feel classy and the engineering.
With the TSX being smaller than the TL, it probably drives better, but differently than the older TSX. I so need to test drive them both!!
Coming out of an Audi, it's kind of hard to get super excited about another car brand's interiors. While I think Acura does a very nice job in general, as does Honda, they still aren't quite up to the best of the German cars.
The TL has a very pleasing layout, feels very nice in there, but you do get the sense of overkill and that some of the gadgetry won't get used much after the first couple months. The TSX looks a bit stylistically forced, although all the materials are nice and refined. I do very much like the TSX approach to features content, though. There is all the essential high-end stuff and nothing more - and you don't have to buy overblown options packages to get it. Try optioning out an Audi sometime. Yikes!!!
I must say that I am very pleasantly surprised by the quality, precision and excellent driving dynamics of all of the Acuras I have driven recently. It makes me wonder why I wasn't considering them before? Maybe I just thought of them as uber-Hondas? The TSX feels like my Audi, with none of the rough edges. The TL reminds me of a high-end turbocharged Volvo sedan I had many years ago - big, plush and a little floaty, but able to get up ON IT when you mashed the accelerator. I bet I will not get to know my Acura mechanic near as well as my Volvo mechanic, though. Overall, really nice cars! I can see where everyone's enthusiasm comes from.
lmacmil Posts: 1,758TL sales were off over 30% and TSX up about 11%. I think this is the first time ever.
People are realizing a few things the TSX has going for it. The TSX is really close to the TL. I think people are thinking more realistic, with the economy.
* 4cyl engine
* Good gas mileage
* convenient size
* More bang the buck- cost effective
Some are trying to justify why spending more to get the TL, when the TSX really offers a great package, and at a great price. People are thinking more about their wallets. I think the TL is almost like the old RL, and well the new RL, well its the mack daddy of all Honda's!
Did the TL overdo it? or did the TSX? Not sure.
thegraduate Posts: 9,7312010 TSX will be available with a 3.5L 280hp V6.
More details on VTEC.net.
no manual transmission-bummer
I would get the V6 in the TSX. Perhaps it might be like the Accord, the V6 or the Navi will be the same bump in price. I might opt for the V6. I have my Iphone for navi.
carollee3 Posts: 10Call anyone tell me the horsepower rating for the 05 TSX please?
Not many people know this, but there's a little website you can visit to instantly find the answers to all of your automotive questions. It's called, "www.google.com."
http://www.google.com/search?q=2005+tsx+horsepower&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=or- - g.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Or, since you went to the effort to join Edmunds.com (by the way, welcome aboard!), you can also find your answer here...
svanpala Posts: 1Wow, 6 years old this thread! Most people don't understand the difference from not all, but the many pages I read. This is Acuras intention to make them look like different cars competing with say the BMW 3 and 5 respectively.
But its simple if you dont work top-down like all the comments i've read here have.
Bottom-up goes like this:
Honda makes 2 accords. The Japanese Honda Accord is one. And the second is the same car that they stretched out to fit larger engines and larger people and they call it the American Accord. Then they lux them both up with acura emblems and such and sell basically very similar cars next to each other in Acura showrooms.
But their biggest difference is the important one for consumers. Price. So its easy to choose. How much honda do you want? its like buying wallpaper. If you want 9ft 1in of Honda - buy the Acura TL. Interestingly the accord is larger (as per typical epa classification of wheelbase) than the TSX.
Which is exactly how BMW are marketed these days. They're kinda all the same, just more of it including $. Except not really since the only real Acura that is Not a honda is the RL. Just like the only Real Lexus is the LS. So if you want honest value, the accord is the best. If you want more ego get the Acura and you'll pay the price with your wallet.
So simple.
robertw477 Posts: 188The more I think about, the more I think you make some valid points. Personally I will only get the TSX if they really give me a super sharp price on a leftover 09. It may be closer to the EXL Accord wplus the (tech package). I am working on a lease and do like dealing with Honda all things being equal. Right now I want the best deal on a decent car so laoyalty may not hold for me.
This discussion has been closed.


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Will the show be revived on a new platform?
TV Line is reporting that MSN is looking into reviving the NBC series Heroes exclusively for the Xbox platform. Though they're said to be in early talks with NBC about this possibility, they do want it to be a new creation that will feature "new stories and heroes, while mixing in cameos from the original series' cast."
Created by Tim Kring, Heroes lasted for four seasons on NBC and starred Hayden Panettiere, Milo Ventimiglia, Adrian Pasdar, Leonard Roberts, Ali Larter, Cristine Rose and Zachary Quinto. The series came to an end in 2010 after 77 episodes.
Would you be interested in seeing a reboot of Heroes? Can the world handle another round of "Save the cheerleader, save the world?"


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Jungle Perfume
By Kenzo for Women
Jungle Perfume by Kenzo, This is a woody oriental fragrance for women that is very different from the lighter scents kenzo is known for and was named for the daring kenzo boutique in paris that opened during the 1990s. Top notes are mandarin, cardamom, cumin and clove, with a wild heart of tropical florals and resins - ylang-ylang, licorice, mango and heliotrope. The base is sensual with notes of patchouli, vanilla, amber and cashmere. All products are original, authentic name brands. We do not sell knockoffs or imitations. ... Read More
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History and background of Kenzo. Kenzo has always worked towards a multicultural world, a world of colors and beauty, with nature as a vibrant, inexhaustible source of inspiration. Read more about Kenzo
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Jacks armstrong is fun to listen to. And Matt devlin is better than most play by play guys in the nba. Have you heard the clippers dude? he doesn't even get excited for his own team unless its a blake griffin dunk, or maybe all those years of shitty basketball killed his enthusiasm.
Good. It was a stupid thread.
I have been going through other fan forums and our announcers are generally liked. I guess people just get tired of hearing the same voice nightin night out.
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 140
It's not always what it seems
The following item is true, isn't fact better than fiction?
Red Sox Opener Postponed For Passover
Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein, announced that the Boston Red Sox home opener will be postponed to April 14, to avoid the eight days of Passover. He noted that because three of his starters were also Jewish, as were many of his box seat holders, he was forced to make this change in scheduling.
The non Jews in Boston are enraged at Epstein's decision. The protests are being tendered to the Commissioner of Baseball's office in protest; however, Bud Selig, Commissioner of Baseball, will not be able to address these protests, mainly due to a scheduling problem caused by the family Seders he and Mrs. Selig will be attending.
Also unable to attend the opener, were former Vice-President, and Mrs. Al Gore, who will be unavailable to be at the opener, as they will be attending the Seder at Al Gore's son-in-law's home.
Bill and Hillary Clinton, also at Seder at the home of their daughter's "steady."
Further, former Mayor of New York City. Rudy Guiliani, whose wife will be busy preparing their Seder will also not be in attendance at the "opener.".
Yes, this is an amazing country.
As Yakov Smirnoff said, Whaddaconntry!
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ORLANDO, Fla. - With flavors like chocolate, cherry and grape, flavored cigars are extremely popular among kids, but they can be just as dangerous as regular cigarettes.
Even though you have to be 18 years old to purchase them, more than 40 percent of middle school and high school students who smoke report using either flavored little cigars or flavored cigarettes, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study also shows that among youth cigar smokers, almost 60 percent of those who smoke flavored little cigars are not thinking about quitting tobacco use, compared with just over 49 percent among all other cigar smokers.
"Little cigars contain the same toxic and cancer-causing ingredients found in cigarettes and are not a safe alternative to cigarettes," said Tim McAfee, director of the CDR's Office on Smoking and Health. "Many flavored little cigars appear virtually indistinguishable from cigarettes with similar sizes, shapes, filters and packaging."
In addition to offering a wide variety of flavors that appeal to young people, little cigars are taxed at a lower rate than cigarettes at the state level. Little cigars have become more popular in recent years; sales increased 240 percent from 1997 to 2007, with flavored brands making up almost 80 percent of the market share.
"Well, it's frustrating because you do as much as you can to protect your kids, and when you know that they're being targeted, it definitely is frustrating," said parent Kelly Payton.
People Local 6 spoke with could understand why the little cigars are appealing to kids.
"It looks like candy," said Melissa Cofiele. "I mean, it definitely looks like it's marketing to younger kids."
"You look at the packages, they look colorful, they look like they're candy, so I mean, it's just terrible," said parent Nathan Shelinbarger.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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A Denver girl facing some serious health issues gets the thrill of a lifetime -- a date with Broncos Quarterback Tim Tebow!
10-year-old Presli Collins was born with a rare tumor disorder and has already had numerous surgeries, including some on her back and her brain. Tebow's "Wish 15" program heard about her illness and decided to fly her out to L.A. to meet the quarterback.
Check out part of her interview with HLN's Ryan Smith and hear about her favorite part of the night!


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These crisp, crunchy hors d'oeuvres are sure to turn heads at your next party.
- Yield
- Makes 24 hors d'oeuvres
- 24 medium asparagus (1 lb)
- 12 (7-inch) flour tortillas (not low-fat)
- 1 large egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
- About 2 cups vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 scallion, finely chopped
- Special Equipment
- wooden picks; a deep-fat thermometer
- Trim asparagus to 6-inch lengths.
- Halve tortillas. Brush 1 half with some of egg mixture and place 1 piece asparagus along cut side. Tightly roll up tortilla. Insert 1 pick crosswise to secure. Brush outside of roll with more of egg and sprinkle with some sesame seeds. Make 23 more rolls in same manner.
- Heat 1/2 inch oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet to 350°F.
- Fry rolls in batches of 3, turning over once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch, returning oil to 350°F between batches. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Stir together remaining ingredients until sugar is dissolved. Serve with rolls.
Cooks' note:
To take the temperature of a shallow amount of oil with a metal flat-framed deep-fat thermometer, put bulb of thermometer in skillet. Turn thermometer facedown, resting other end (not plastic handle) against rim of skillet. Check temperature frequently.
Related Video
Nutritional Info
- Calories248
- Carbohydrates13 g(4%)
- Fat21 g(32%)
- Protein3 g(6%)
- Saturated Fat2 g(8%)
- Sodium259 mg(11%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat4 g
- Fiber1 g(4%)
- Monounsaturated Fat14 g
- Cholesterol8 mg(3%)


text: 3cr. P: INFO-I 101. Introduction to key social research perspectives and literatures on the use of information and communication technologies. Discusses current topics such as information ethics, relevant legal frameworks, popular and controversial uses of technology (for example, peer-to-peer file sharing), digital divides, and so on. Outlines research methodologies for social informatics.


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Because of the show Extreme Couponing some people have a negative image of couponers. They think they only buy things that they won't use, or that they have to spend hours and hours planning a shopping trip, clipping coupons, and that they couponing is their entire life. Please do not let this discourage you from couponing. You do not have to spend hours and hours clipping, filing, and planning your shopping trip.
The trip I'm about to share with you was not planned hours in advance, it was done from the parking lot of the Largo Publix. That's right I was sitting in my Trail Blazer clipping a few coupons that matched the sale. The whole process may have taken twenty minutes or less, and that included entertaining a 14 month old.
I had already printed most of the printable coupons that I used days before I wasn't sure when or where I would use them when I printed them, but I knew they were things I needed to buy and I wanted to print them just in case they reached their print limit. The only exception was the cat treats, I printed those coupons right before I headed to Publix.
Here is the breakdown of how a savvy shopper scored $70.60 worth of groceries for 37 cents.
The Largo Publix now takes Target as a competitor so I was able to use some Target coupons on this trip. You may use one $$ off total purchase competitor coupon, and one $$ off total purchase Publix coupon per transaction as long as the purchase requirements of each coupon have been met. For example if I had had a $5 off $30 Target coupon and a $5 off $30 Publix coupon I would have had to purchase $60 in groceries to use both. The Publix coupon did not have a minimal grocery purchase coupon, I just had to purchase $50 in Old Navy gift cards to get $10 off of my grocery order. I was able to stack a $5 off $30 Target coupon and a $10 off Publix on the same order.
You may combine a competitor coupon with a manufacturers coupon, and you may combine a store coupon with a manufacturers coupon on the same item.
- Example I had a Publix coupon for $2 off Cover Girl eye shadow and a $1 manufacturers coupon for Cover Girl eye shadow. The eye shadow was $2.99 - $2 competitor - $1 manufacturer = one cent money maker.
The Publix stores in Georgia double coupons up to 50 cents everyday, and there is no limit to the number they will double.
- Example I had a 50 cent off Temptations cat treat coupon, this double to $1. It shows up on your receipt as 50 cent "Multiplied Coupon" and 50 cents "Vendor Coupon". The "Vendor Coupon" is the doubled amount.
- Example: The cat treats were 80 cents each. I had a Publix coupon for $1 and a 50 cent manufacturers coupon for the cat treats (which doubled to $1). Cat treats 80 cents - $1 Publix coupon and $1 manufacturers coupon (after the doubled amount) = profit of $1.20
Two $25 Old Navy Gift cards
Six Betty Crocker cookie mixes at $1.25 each
Four Juicy Juice at $1.49 each
One Heinz pickles at $4.49
Four Carnation evaporated milk at $1 each
Eleven Whiskas Temptations Cat Treats at 80 cents each
Two Gold Medal flour at $1.49 each
One Crisco oil at $2.35
One Cover Girl eye shadow $2.99
One Rold Gold pretzel $3.29
Total before coupons = $95.07
Coupons used:
Printable coupons from Target http://coupons.target.com/
$5 off $30 Target Coupon (found in grocery cattegory)
$1 off Crisco oil Target Coupon
Printable coupons from Publix http://www.coupons.com/couponweb/Offers.aspx?pid=16141&zid=dt75&nid=10&bid=alk0802140820056fb63d62014
(Four) $1 off Whiskers Temptations cat Treats Publix coupons (I used two computers and printed four coupons; you can print two per computer)
Publix coupons from Yellow Advantage flyer (you can get this at customer service)
$10 off a grocery purchase when you buy $50 in Old Navy or Gap gift cards
Publix Stocking Spree Booklet (I got this booklet in the mail, if you haven't already signed up you can sign up for it here http://www.stockingspree.com/)
$2 off one Cover Girl item (Publix coupon)
$1 off Rold Gold Pretzels (Publix coupon)
Printable Manufacturers coupons: www.savannahnow.com/coupons
(You can print two per computer, I used several computers to get this many coupons).
(Six) 50 cents off Betty Crocker cookie mix (doubled to $1)
Facebook coupons: https://www.facebook.com/GoldMedalFlour/app_462297537156063
(Two) 25 cents off Gold Medal flour (doubled to 50 cents)
Manufacturers coupons from the Savannah Morning News:
(Eleven) 50 cents off Temptations cat Treats (Red Plum, Dec. 2)
(One) $1 off any Cover Girl Eye Shadow (P&G, Nov. 25)
Total after coupons $50.37
I left with $50 in Old Navy gift cards. $50.37 - $50 in gift cards = 37 cents!
I then went to Old Navy and used the gift cards. They have a special where you get $20 in Old Navy cash when you spend $25. So I spent the $50 in gift cards and they gave me $40 back. (The Old Navy cash is $20 off a $50 purchase and is good Jan. 31 - Feb 6)
Old Navy also have a $10 off $50 purchase coupon on their website https://www.facebook.com/oldnavy/app_271575822897752 (Thanks Jessica Williams, I missed this deal the first time but will be going back). You would still have to purchase $50 after the coupon is applied to get $40 in Old Navy cash, but I would have picked up an extra $10 item for free.
I hope this helps you score some great deals now and in the future.
Merry Christmas


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ACHICA / Christmas Clearance
Christmas Clearance
Christmas Clearance
There are so many different styles of Christmas décor it's hard to choose which one to have each year. Will you go traditional with a strict green, red and gold colour scheme, modern in stylish monochrome with an accent colour of red or purple, or exotic with a rainbow of colours for a Bollywood inspired Noël? If you fancy something different next year, now's the time to take advantage of handpicked Christmas décor at up to 80% off the usual RRP. Choose your new theme and delight in the savings.
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British woodlice herbivores (plant-eaters) and generally eat dead or decaying vegetation. We have one species that lives on the seashore and feeds on seaweed!
Thank you for your prompt reply and answer.
My granddaughter is aged 9 and seems quite keen on bugs and wildlife at the moment.
You mention about one species that lives on the seashore and feeds on seaweed. As a child I lived in a small North Cornwall fishing village and on the seashore at low tide there were sand hoppers that lived under seaweed. Are these sand hoppers the species mentioned or are they a different species?
It's great to hear your granddaughter is keen on bugs and wildlife. Do you think you'd be interested in doing a pond survey with her? We've got a really nice pack that's been developed through our OPAL project (http://www.opalexplorenature.org/?q=watersurvey).If you would be interested, I'll send one to you if you let me have your contact details (my email is firstname.lastname@example.com).
I too grew up on the coast and have brilliant memories of chasing sand hoppers over the sand. They are very closely related to woodlice, both belonging to the Malacostraca, a class that also includes crabs and lobsters. For more info on sand hoppers you could have a look at http://www.arkive.org/sand-hopper/talitrus-saltator/
With best wishes.
I fed my pet woodlice Larry a spinach leaf, a very thin slice of banana, the skin of an apple and half a cherry tomatoe. Larry is very greedy though, so it didn't last long!
i think they just eat scraps of stuff dropped from bins and even lettice


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Kroger, 9140 Forest Ln, Dallas, Texas, 75243
Store Hours of Operation, Location & Phone Number for Kroger Near You
9140 Forest Ln Dallas TX 75243
Hours(Opening & Closing Times):
Mon: 06:00 - 01:00, Tue: 06:00 - 01:00, Wed: 06:00 - 01:00, Thur: 06:00 - 01:00, Fri: 06:00 - 01:00, Sat: 06:00 - 01:00, Sun: 06:00 - 01:00,
Phone Number: (214) 221-0939
Customer Service Email or Contact:Correct this information
The maps and contact information below will help you pinpoint the nearest Kroger grocery stores. Need to learn what time a local Kroger in Dallas opens or closes? Read below for more grocery store and supermarket locations, daytime and evening hours, street address information.
The Kroger Company operates as the largest grocery store chain in the United States as well as the fourth-largest retailer in the world. Based out of Cincinnati, OH, Kroger manages many Kroger-brand supermarkets and hypermarkets across the country. In addition, the company also acts as parent company to dozens of subsidiaries, mostly fellow grocery stores and retailers. Overall, The Kroger Company produces more than $90 billion in annual revenue. Kroger provides jobs to over 330,000 workers. Kroger operates as a public company, trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker, KR.
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She was born Dec. 7, 1953, in Oklahoma, the daughter of Kinneth and Mildred White Hulstine.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Bruce Byrum; and a sister, Phyliss Hulstine.
She is survived by two sons, Doug Reid and Matt Reid; Tom Merriman; sister and brother-in-law, Sue and Carl Norris; and stepdaughter, Brandy DeGrasse and family.
Graveside services and burial will begin at 10 a.m. today at Hoskins Cemetery with the Rev. Steve Pyle officiating.
Family wishes to send out special thanks to all the wonderful staff at Arkansas Hospice House.
Memorials made to Arkansas Hospice River Valley Home; 220 John Babish Lane, Russellville, AR 72801.
Online obituary and condolences are available at www.lemleyfuneral.com.


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Truchas Peaks Panorama
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The view that awaits you on top of North Truchas Peak. Left to right you can see Trailriders Wall, the Pecos Baldy Peaks, South Truchas, Medio Truchas, Middle Truchas. November 4, 2006.
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Right, so I guess the question is: what is the meaning of this statement? Is the deathless element something out there or is it simply the stilling of all fabrications and the abandoning of the five aggregates of grasping fuel? If one realizes anatta, that none of the aggregates are oneself, that none of the six sense spheres are oneself, that self can't be found anywhere, then how could one die? I'm open to changing my mind, it just seems that nibbana is more likely this:kirk5a wrote:Yep. But then, seeing said phenomena as "as inconstant, stressful, a disease, a cancer, an arrow, painful, an affliction, alien, a disintegration, an emptiness, not-self" one turns the mind away from said phenomena and towards the deathless element.polarbuddha101 wrote:Anyway, the dhamma isn't about abstracting in our minds the 'out there' but about seeing what's right here, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, mental phenomena.
than this:Given the definition given in SN 38.1, SN 43.1-44, and Abhidhamma Vibhaṅga 184, I would say that it's a designation (paññatti, prajñapti) referring to the elimination of passion, aggression, and delusion. Or with regard to the four paths (stream-entry, etc.), a designation referring to the elimination of fetters terminated by each path. This is similar to the Sautrāntika interpretation.
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... 74&start=0For the Theravāda, nibbāna is an ultimately real dhamma (paramatthadhamma) and the only dhamma that is not conditioned (asaṅkhata). It is an object of supramundane cognition (lokuttaracitta) and is included in the mental phenomena sensory sphere (dhammāyatana) and the mental phenomena component (dhammadhātu). The four paths, four fruits, and nibbāna are classified as the unincluded level (apariyāpanna bhūmi), that is, not included in the sensual realm, the form realm, or the formless realm. According to the Visuddhimagga, nibbāna "has peace as its characteristic. Its function is not to die; or its function is to comfort. It is manifested as the signless; or it is manifested as non-diversification (nippapañca)."


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James White is looking good
James White is looking good
i'd rather see Copeland getting Novak's minutes if the Novakaine 3 ain't goin down.
i swear he's white trash when the 3's are brickin. no dee, nothing to contribute offensively,
just setting up on the perimeter waiting to shoot... lame.
the TrueMelo on fire tonite. although the 1 on 4 was kinda ridiculous when the rest of the team is watching.
but he is just unstoppable when he's in the groove. nice game.
Junior Swish and Chandler look back to form.
as long as Knicks are conscious on D, they can beat any team.
props to Wood Son for substitutions leading to a$$-whipping.
dig the Honeybees...
I thought I would never see a Flight White dunk. Judging by that slam, he can still fly. Shooting looked great too.
He'll come in handy if we ever have Brew or JR out with injuries *knocks on wood*
Signature created by AmareforPresident
Novak has been off ever since Metro traded for him
Can Melo win MVP now or...?
The MVP award is a vote though, it's more perception and popularty than based on any particular stat (although team record is always a factor).
What the f*ck? For some reason the Nets game is blacked out on Yes and NBATV. F*CK THIS SH*t
No worries, really fun game to watch
I'd be worried about the Lakers in the West right now.


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© 2010 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Burnett's struggles squander early lead
Yankees righty takes fifth straight loss against Dodgers
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
LOS ANGELES -- A.J. Burnett might have been applauding when the Yankees put three quick runs into his back pocket, but once he set foot on the mound, the struggling right-hander didn't give anyone in his dugout much to cheer about.
- 134 wins
- 118 wins
Burnett gave back Mark Teixeira's homer and more in his fifth consecutive losing effort, chased without retiring a batter in the fourth inning as the Yankees dropped a 9-4 decision to the Dodgers on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.Winless since May 30, Burnett is officially searching for answers. He said that the outing marked the best he has felt in a while and went as far as to say he had "unbelievable stuff" -- although it all finished with the same disappointing result. "I wish there was a way I could get out there tomorrow and throw," Burnett said. "I can't wait to pitch my next start. I'm not going to say, 'Oh, God, I have to go back out in five days.' No, I can't wait to go out in five days." Yankees manager Joe Girardi is in Burnett's corner. As he met with reporters in the first-base dugout immediately after the loss, Girardi said that he is not currently considering skipping Burnett's turn in the rotation. "I don't think he's necessarily going to benefit from it right now, I don't," Girardi said. "We need A.J., and A.J. has the ability to pitch well. I believe he's going to pitch well." After Burnett was lifted, Andy Pettitte and Francisco Cervelli were among the teammates to take him aside, encouraging the erratic hurler to keep his head up and continue streaming positive thoughts into his mind. "What they've meant to me during this stretch has been amazing," Burnett said. "It's all support. They don't give up on me, so I don't either." "Everybody knows what kind of pitcher he is," Cervelli said. "He's just having a tough time, but I'm with him. If he loses, I lose, too. He's going to be better, I think, next time. He's a great guy and everybody loves him. We're going to support him the best that we can." Still, this was not the Burnett the Yankees were signing up for when they offered him a five-year, $82.5 million deal before last season. Burnett is 0-5 with an 11.35 ERA in five June starts, by far the worst month of his career. His previous highest ERA was in August 2001, when Burnett was 1-4 with a 7.39 ERA for the Marlins. Perhaps not coincidentally, Burnett's swoon has coincided with the absence of pitching coach Dave Eiland, who was excused indefinitely for personal reasons on June 4. "You look at everything and you say it could be [related], but A.J. knows what he has to do," Girardi said. "He understands what he has to do. It's hard to pinpoint exactly why it happened, but we know that he's going through it, and we've got to work through it." Taking a three-run lead to the mound after Hiroki Kuroda served up Teixeira's 13th blast of the year, Burnett coughed two of those runs back on Manny Ramirez's ground-rule double and James Loney's sacrifice fly, kicking off a four-RBI afternoon for the Dodgers first baseman. Burnett navigated the second inning around a walk, but the wheels came off in the third when he was hit hard for three runs. Loney knocked in two with a bases-loaded single and Russell Martin chased the fifth run home with a double-play grounder. "Strike one is the key," Cervelli said. "We couldn't do that, and we got in trouble. Walks are the biggest enemy." Girardi had the bullpen cranking, but elected to permit Burnett to drop a bunt with one out and runners at the corners instead of pinch-hitting, putting it on birthday boy Derek Jeter to knock the run in. Kuroda escaped with a strikeout, the first of three whiffs Jeter would log against three Dodgers pitchers. "It was my present to him," said Dodgers manager Joe Torre. "He had two tough guys to face, [Hong-Chih] Kuo when it was tough to see, and [Jonathan] Broxton at the end. I have too much respect for him, that was the best I could do." The decision to let Burnett hit also fizzled because the Yankees weren't able to squeeze another out from him. After a hit and a walk, Loney got to Boone Logan for an RBI single that closed the book on Burnett, who was 6-2 with a 3.28 ERA before Eiland left. "I think it's more frustrating because of the start I had," Burnett said. "That's the way I should be pitching and that's the way I will pitch." A Casey Blake RBI single off Logan and two tack-on runs against Chan Ho Park in the seventh were window dressing, because the Yankees were largely quieted by Kuroda, who completed 5 1/3 innings of four-run, seven-hit ball. Four relievers held the Yankees to one hit and two walks over 3 2/3 scoreless innings, as just to make sure there were no miracle comebacks, Torre called on his closer, Broxton, to get the last four outs with a five-run lead. "That game can get cozy in a hurry with the top of the batting order coming up there," Torre said. "It's something I felt I had to do." If that was Torre's gut move, then Girardi's is that Burnett must have the ball on Friday back at Yankee Stadium, needing more innings to work out the kinks that have plagued him. "The command is not [there], the stuff is there," Girardi said. "My feeling is to run him out there on the sixth day. ... My heart tells me we need to get him back out there."
Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Re: Birds in the same cage sorry MIchael L.
Posted by barb on 8/12/05
On 8/12/05, Michael L wrote:
> On 8/12/05, Sarah wrote:
>> On 8/12/05, barb wrote:
>>> On 8/12/05, Sarah wrote:
>>>> I have been thinking about getting an Umbrella Cockatoo. I
>>>> also have 2 budgies, would the cockatoo and the parakeets
>>>> be able to be in the same cage? ~Sarah
>> Well, couldnt i just get a large aviary, and put them all in
> it? Well, if the
>> temperment is good
>> ~Sarah
> Sarah,
> I saw this post earlier and didn't answer for obvious reasons.
> But since Barb mentiond my name I will give you a simple and
> brief question. Are you serious?
> Michael L
Michael sorry for pulling you into this topic its just when it
comes to birds, "YOUR THE BEST" !!!!


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Attorney Jeff Rosenzweig filed paperwork Monday in Pulaski County also asking the court to declare that all available information about the origin, history and quality of lethal injection drugs must be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act.
"Not only the condemned people, but the people in the state of Arkansas have a right to know what's being done in their name," Rosenzweig told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Rosenzweig said a fellow attorney, Josh Lee, asked correction spokeswoman Shea Wilson for records related to lethal injection drugs earlier this month. But according to Rosenzweig's lawsuit, Wilson said the department didn't have any new information to release under the state's new lethal injection law.
Lee wrote back to Wilson, saying he took her response to mean that she had records responsive to his request and that she was refusing to disclose them because of an FOIA exemption in the lethal injection law.
"If this understanding is incorrect, please let me know," Lee wrote to Wilson, according to Rosenzweig's lawsuit. Wilson never responded, according to the lawsuit.
Wilson said the agency was reviewing the lawsuit, but she wouldn't go into details about the suit.
"The Attorney General's Office will represent us in this case and due to the pending litigation, I cannot comment further," Wilson said in an email.
A spokesman for Attorney General Dustin McDaniel also declined to comment.
"The prisoners have long had grave concerns about ADC's ability and willingness to carry out a humane and constitutional execution," Rosenzweig wrote on behalf of the six inmates. "Those concerns were heightened when, in 2011, the prisoners discovered that the ADC intended to execute them using unregulated, non-FDA-approved chemicals that it obtained from a business operating out of the back of an overseas driving school."
The six death row inmates involved in the FOIA lawsuit — Stacey Johnson, Jack Jones, Jason McGehee, Bruce Ward, Kenneth Williams and Marcel Williams — were part of a group of condemned prisoners who challenged the constitutionality of a 2009 lethal injection law.
The Arkansas Supreme Court sided with the inmates in June deemed the 2009 law unconstitutional, saying the Legislature had given the Department of Correction "unfettered discretion" to figure out the protocol and procedures for executions, including the chemicals to be used.
The Legislature this year enacted a new lethal injection law that spells out in greater detail the procedures that must be followed. The new law says the state must use a lethal dose of a barbiturate, but leaves it up to the Department of Correction to determine which drug. Correction officials say they haven't figured out which drug to use yet.
Arkansas doesn't have any pending executions, but McDaniel's office has asked the Supreme Court to lift stays of execution for six death row inmates: Don Davis, Johnson, Jones, McGehee, Ward and Marcel Williams. In a separate court filing on Monday, those inmates said the high court should reject the attorney general's request.
Five of those six inmates also asked the state's highest court to hear oral arguments in the case, arguing that the Supreme Court must determine whether Arkansas' new lethal injection law addresses the justices' concerns that led them to strike down the 2009 law.


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I am a rookie when it comes to threads (POSIX pthreads - win32), and I am having trouble either creating a thread or declaring the functions nessesary to create that thread. I have run some thread examples that have worked, but they have always been executed in a "main()" function. My problem arises when I try to used threads in a class that has a header file. The error I get is the following:
error C2664: 'pthread_create' : cannot convert parameter 3 from 'void *(void *)' to 'void *(__cdecl *)(void *)'
I am unfamiliar with "void *" and I think that is where my problem is. Here is an example of the functions that are of importance:
Could someone please also briefly explain "void *". For example, if I wanted to pass my thread a pointer to a data object could I just replace "(void *)id" with "(DataType *)dataName" ?Code:--- example header file --- .... public: void start(void); void *function1(void*); }; --- example of source file --- ... void ClassName::start(){ pthread_t thread; int id = 0; pthread_create(&thread, NULL, function1,(void *)id); ... } void* ClassName::function1(void* id){ printf("Hey there world"); pthread_exit(NULL); }
I tried to make this question general, but if you need more detail just let me know. Thanks!


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Grace defeated Jerrod Sparks of Little Rock 3 and 2 in Tuesday's first round. He beat Austin Harmon of Benton 1 up in Wednesday's second round, then Sam Hudson of Fayetteville 3 and 1 to reach the quarterfinals.
Todd Allan McDonald of Little Rock had a conflict for the quarterfinal match and was forced to forfeit, which put Grace in the semifinal. But Grace came up short and lost to Austin Eoff of Benton (19 holes) in Thursday's semifinal.
RHS Cyclone golfer Tripp Croom won his first-round match Tuesday, 3 and 2 over Edward Thompson of Benton, but fell to Parker Rice of Conway, 5 and 4, in the second round.
Jay Trusty of Danville lost in Tuesday's first round to Nicholas Hancock of Springdale 1-up.
Eoff will play Peyton Wilhoit of Searcy for the ASGA Junior Boys Match Play Championship this morning.


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Worst Dressed at the 2013 Emmys
The 65th annual Emmys (which aired on Sept. 22) boasted plenty of stunning outfits on the bodies of celebs as they pranced the red carpet. There were also plenty of fashion clunkers, which bummed us out, since some of our favorite stars (and their stylists) were out of character and didn't choose wisely.
Here's the StarCrush recap of the worst dressed stars at the 2013 Emmys.
Amy Poehler:
We love the actress and funny gal, but this black dress went wrong with the high collar and the dragon pockets and/or appendages on the hips. It'd be cute on Lady Gaga or Katy Perry. Poehler isn't the type for kitschy details.
Juliana Margulies:
The 'Good Wife' star wore a white, custom, strapless column gown with black flowers by Reed Krakoff that would have landed her on the "other" list tonight if it didn't have the extra swath of fabric on one side. We're trying to figure out what purpose it served other than adding some girth to a silhouette that is meant to be slim.
Brooke Burke-Charvet:
The stunning actress erred in this clingy, body con white dress with black piping and bandage fabric, both of which ran in different directions. Too much going on, girl! Wearing white after Labor Day is no longer a no-no, but this dress wasn't flattering.
Kate Mara:
The stylish actress also went with white. Her J. Mendel dress boasted an overly busy, netted top and a major slit. The top and bottom don't match from an aesthetic perspective.
Leslie Mann:
The hilarious actress and wife of Judd Apatow poured her lithe frame into a striped, zigzag J. Mendel dress that made us dizzy looking at it. The sheer panel of the skirt wasn't pretty, either. It felt like club gear.
Lena Dunham:
Yes, the 'Girls' star and writer is brilliant, but this billowy, triangle-shaped Prada dress with floral print wasn't chic. It was like wearing a beach-appropriate maxi dress with a hoop skirt underneath to give it the illusion of gown-ness.
Julianne Hough:
The actress and singer is usually a sure bet to wear something sexy and chic on the red carpet, but not tonight. Her Jenny Packham gown, in a heather grey shade with sparkle, was see-through on the bottom and too loose-fitting on top. And we can see her granny panties!
January Jones:
The 'Mad Men' star wore a blush, strapless Givenchy dress that washed her out and made her look like a milkmaid. Plus, the bodice looks like it's crushing her boobs flat. Had this gown been a black or midnight blue shade, we might have loved it. But it's not, so we don't.
Julie Bowen:
She may star on 'Modern Family,' but Bowen's Zac Posen dress felt very '80s. We don't know how she walked in that overly designed, pale pink frock. There's no movement to the fabric, and it looked stiff.


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" Brand: Hasbro / Type: Costume "
Allowing the kids to choose how to spend some of their own birthday/Christmas money can be a great way of promoting independence and learning the value of money. It can also be a recipe for disaster and result in the purchase of toys that ordinarily wouldn't get through the front door. Such was the case with these giant 'Hulk Hands' - the choice of my oldest son - a toy that isn't the wisest of choices in a household with three warring siblings!
The Hulk Hands are super-sized green padded fists with this original format boasting 'smash and bash' sound effects. These sounds are motion activated so any bashing of younger siblings, parents or other easy targets results in the giant gloves emitting some rather unnerving phrases. All of the sound effects are clear and true to the original TV series, including the memorable key phrase 'You're making me angry! You won't like me when I'm angry!' (There are several other sound effects that don't come supplied but generally accompany this toy too - tears, 'get off' and 'Mummy! He's hurting me!')
My son originally loved these sound effects and phrases, especially as they are so easy to activate and don't require a massive punch or an impact with any solid surface to activate the noises. There is no volume control but it is possible to switch the sound effects of altogether (but far more effective is confiscating the toy entirely!) After a few months of rough play, my son started to complain that the battery compartment that created the sound effects was irritating him when he was punching and he actually insisted on cutting the box out completely (again using the very annoying logic that this was his toy, paid for with his own money.)
This really is a toy that brings out the worst in young boys and encourages fighting and (very) rough play. The saving grace is that the gloves are very heavily padded so the 'damage' is limited somewhat and the fists themselves won't cause too much pain. My oldest son does tend to overestimate the amount that his five year brother will tolerate so I do try and keep these fists out of sight as much as possible or at least ensure that each sibling has just one of the fists each, to make the contest slightly more 'fair'.
In terms of sizing, these will accommodate quite a large age range as the interior of the gloves includes a little fabric strap. The wearer can grip on to this strap which ensures that they don't lose hold of the giant fist and means that the fit itself is less crucial. My five and ten year old boys are both able to wear and fight with these fists and younger children would probably be able to hold and play with them too, although it's probably not the wisest choice for younger children given the rough play involved. Adults would certainly be able to squeeze inside these generously proportioned fists - ideal for men that haven't quite grown up!
When looking online for current prices, it appears that these hands have been updated and no longer include the sound effects. This would actually be better for my son, especially as he removed the noise box anyway for comfort. I would imagine that the lack of noises would be a disappointment to most youngsters wanting to act out the Hulk but there is no shortage of the original format, complete with sound effects, available on eBay.
I wouldn't particularly recommend this toy, given its nature, and certainly wouldn't buy it out of choice but I can't fault the quality of the gloves. They have certainly proved to be robust enough to withstand everything that my kids have put them through with no signs of any wear and tear or visible damage. If you're looking for an outlet for some excess energy or the accompaniment for a green Hulk mask, these would probably do the trick!
As I came to, I gazed up at the circle of faces surrounding me, trying to make out their voices- four unfamiliar and only one I recognised, that of my friend, that of the person who had put me here. The cool, conditioned air of the Toys 'R' Us Store Managers' office, and the hard floor beneath me, was relieving to me. I took a deep breath and tried to sit up. "Are you okay, Sir?" came a voice that I could only later attribute to the Store Manager. "Yes, yes I think so". My voice trembled as only it can after a traumatic event. "What Happened? The last thing I remember is being hit with a large green fist."
This is not, in actual fact, an extract from the new Stephen King novel, rather, this is an excerpt from a true life anecdote that actually occurred in my life. And what this illustrates is not that I am a massive wuss, with a glass jaw, but the main problem with this (so called) toy.
Now, I am not for one second implying that these Hulk Fists are not awesome, because they are, in every single way- from their detailed decoration, with cool looking veins, which gives the wearer an all-to-real hulk experience, to the growling and smashing sound effects that are bash sensitive. They are even about 35X20cm, plenty big enough for an adult hand, and extremely well made, able to put up with lots of punishment. Plus, RRPing at around £30, well worth the money.
Rather, it is the very fact that these Hulk Hands are so awesome that the problem with them arises. Slipping into these Hulk Hands make punching things so good that you just don't want to stop... and you don't. Putting these on in Toys 'R' Us almost sent me into a full on frenzy, I was punching everything, toys, puzzles, even the giant Easter-Egg wall. However, this is still not the problem, the Hulk Hands are lined with plenty of foam, a good 4 inches, so mothers needn't worry about walls, or furniture being damaged. But, it is not inanimate objects anyone around a Hulk glove wearer should worry about.
The fact is, in these Hands, you will punch anything: walls, cars... people. Yes, People! And this is the crux of our grave problem, someone wearing the Hulk hands is not themselves, your little Timmy is not little Timmy anymore, he is the bloody Hulk, in his mind anyway- and that is the only thing that matters when Hulk Hands are involved. Don't believe me? Then let us revisit my anecdote from earlier, there I was in Toys 'R' Us with my friend John looking at the Hulk Hands we'd seen advertised. So we put them on, we both felt great. We were having a wonderful time just punching Barbies, when things changed. I could hear my friend getting more and more worked up beside me, and as I turned to look at him, my smile of delight was quickly replaced by a look of terror. Facing me, I could see it in his eyes. Their normal blueish colour just wasn't there anymore, replaced by a strange green. He was advancing on me. "John?" I offered. "John, don't!" But he wasn't John anymore. He was the Hulk.
Hit in the face, I fell down, my head striking the hard floor. I woke up later in the Managers Office, carried there by security, apparently. And this is the problem. Now you might feel that this is a little exaggerated, or a result of my own personal weakness, but you'd be wrong, partly anyway. These Hands really do promote anger and even violence, and the layer of foam- although thick enough for a wall- is just not thick enough for a skull. And being aimed at little boys, like they are, this is a very worrying problem. So, if you are a mother considering buying these for your son, I urge you whole heartedly not to- unless you want to see him being coaxed down off the roof of a skyscraper by police, with a trail of punched destruction behind him, that is. They are awesome though...
Super sized hulk fists - slip them on and feel just like the hulk! Includes motion activated smash and bash sound effects!


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District Judge Don Bourne set bond Friday at $10,000 for James Baty, 23, at the Pope County Detention Center for theft of property and fraudulent use of debit cards. Baty is required to appear in Pope County Circuit Court on July 1.
A Russellville police detective testified the victim reported her purse with personal belongings and bank debit card inside was stolen May 16 from her home while she slept. She told police she and Baty, her daughter's boyfriend, were watching television when she dozed off.
Investigators discovered two withdrawals were made the next day at local banking ATMs totaling $125. The transactions were recorded on each bank's surveillance camera.
Baty allegedly also took debits cards from his girlfriend, as well as from her grandmother. He made approximately 16 withdrawals during the first week of May from local ATM locations operated by First State Bank, Liberty Bank of Arkansas and Bank of the Ozarks.
Video surveillance recorded Baty making withdrawals at each of those ATM locations. He allegedly took more than $1,000 from his girlfriend's account, according to the investigator's testimony.
Baty allegedly made off with approximately $1,200 from the grandmother's account.
Baty told Bourne he had a prior felony conviction for theft of property and was on parole after being released from prison in 2012.
Bourne ordered Baty to have no contact with any of the females he took debit cards from.


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CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena provided his thoughts following LA's 1-0 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Check it out below.
(On Stefan Ishizaki's performance…)
A great play by Stefan on the goal. Taking the ball down and getting by [Jay] DeMerit, whipping in a great cross to Robbie Keane. It was a great play. Stefan performed the best of the year. We got close to 80 minutes out of him. He looked a lot better. We think he can certainly continue to get better."
(On Jaime Penedo's performance…)
ARENA: "Good solid performance. I think in the first half he made a terrific save on [Kekuta] Manneh. A play where [Dan] Gargan misjudged the ball, and that was a big save. He wasn't tested a whole lot tonight, but that save in the first half was key."
(On the team's performance…)
ARENA: "We got a goal. That helped. I think going into half time they were going to hit a wall in the second half. They worked really hard the first 45 minutes. They had to chase the ball a lot. They were going to lose some of that energy in the second half. Certainly, getting that goal early change the game. They can't sit back and be content. And, the game opened up a little more. We created more chances. Unfortunately, we didn't get another goal or two."
(On Vancouver's speed…)
ARENA: "Their number 11 [Darren Mattocks] and 23 [Manneh] are certainly dangerous. We were well aware of their speed. They tried at times to get behind our backline, I think our backline played very well tonight, in particular Leonardo and [Omar] Gonzalez. They did a good job to neutralize those dangerous forwards."


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Dayton orders day care union vote; GOP to sue
ST. PAUL -- Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday ordered an election to allow child care providers to vote whether they want a union representing them.
Republicans immediately said they will go to court to prevent next month's vote.
Dayton said child care providers who receive state subsidies asked him to unilaterally order union representation to improve their wages and working conditions. However, he said, the American way is to conduct an election.
The vote will happen next month, with results to be announced Dec. 21.
Dayton's executive order provides for the election, but even if more than half of the day care providers vote to allow unionization, no provider is required to join or pay dues.
"The fairest way, and the American way, to settle this dispute is to have an election, where all people directly affected will have an opportunity to vote," Dayton said.
Republicans said the executive order amounts to giving the right to decide child care provider pay to unions, tkaing it away from the Legislature.
"It is just another merry Christmas gift," Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca, said.
Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, said he expects to quickly go to court to stop the election.
"What do you do with a governor who won't follow the law?" Hann said, adding that Senate lawyers say Dayton's executive order is not allowed under state law.
Hann, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee chairman, could not say whether the Senate, Republican Party or someone else would pay for the court action.
Dayton said his lawyer saw no legal problems with the order, but Attorney General Lori Swanson has not issued a definitive opinion.
Don Davis reports for Forum Communications Co.


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Ruiz brings confidence to pitchers
Catcher has grown into his role, becoming a top receiver
When Cole Hamels takes the mound for World Series Game 5 on Monday night, he'll do so with a high level of confidence in his catcher, Carlos Ruiz.
"He's been tremendous," Hamels told MLB.com. "I think this year has definitely been the year for him. Last year was more of a break-in year for him to really get to know the big leagues and to know all of us as pitchers.
"And I think this year, he's definitely stepped up. I think the last half of the season is really when we've been able to connect. We've been able to anticipate pitches. I think it's really hard for a catcher and pitcher to really be together, and that's what we've been able to do through the last half of the season and through the playoffs."
Hamels, of course, has been outstanding himself in the postseason with a 4-0 record and a 1.55 ERA over 29 innings with 28 strikeouts and just seven walks.
Tampa Bay pitchers take their cuts in BP: The Rays pitchers got in some extra batting practice as the series shifted to Philadelphia and NL rules.
The Rays had three right-handed hitting pitchers -- James Shields, Edwin Jackson and Matt Garza -- go against lefties David Price, Andy Sonnanstine and Scott Kazmir in a contest in which points were rewarded for successful bunts and opposite-field hits.
The team of Price, Sonnanstine and Kazmir trailed 11-3 before rallying with three straight home runs before falling 11-10.
"That's the funnest [batting practice] I've ever been a part of," Sonnanstine told the St. Petersburg Times.
Blanton's blast a rare Series occurrence: Not only did Joe Blanton work well from the mound in Sunday night's 10-2 win over the Rays, but he also hit a home run. He became the first pitcher to hit a home run in the World Series since 1974, when Oakland's Ken Holtzman hit one.
"I just close my eyes and swing hard in case I make contact," Blanton told the Philadelphia Daily News.
And when did he finally open his eyes?
"When I went out and had to throw the first warmup at the start of the next inning," he said.
Upton not afraid to make something happen: With Tampa Bay trailing by one run in the eighth inning of Game 3 of the World Series on Saturday, B.J. Upton took matters into his own hands to tie the game at 4-4.
Upton reached first on an infield single. He then stole second base and followed that with a steal of third. Upton was hit by the ball on the throw to third, and the ball bounced into the stands, allowing Upton to score the tying run.
"He does that a lot, man," Rays pitcher J.P. Howell told the Tampa Tribune of Upton's baserunning ability. "He's a spark. He makes things happen. He can give you momentum just by watching him. He did that all by himself there in the eighth, and we fell short, but we're going to need that tomorrow and in days to come."
Upton ended the night with three stolen bases, tying the record held by Honus Wagner of Pittsburgh (Oct. 11, 1909), Willie Davis of the Dodgers (Oct. 11, 1965) and Lou Brock of St. Louis (Oct. 12, 1967). The two steals in the eighth inning was the first time a player had swiped two bags in one inning since Omar Vizquel of Cleveland did so in 1997.
Howard's blasts the stuff of dreams: Ryan Howard, MLB's regular season home run champion, crushed a pair of home runs in the Phillies' emphatic Game 4 win.
"To be able to have two home runs in the World Series, that's the kind of stuff you dream of when you're a teenager," Howard told MLB.com. "Getting to the game, obviously you want to win also, but being able to do something like that, and just to help my team win, it's a great feeling."
Sonnanstine one of the few still playing: Andy Sonnanstine has become one of the Rays' top pitchers because of his ability to change speeds on his pitches and his arm angle.
A former 13th-round draft pick, his manager, Joe Maddon, has called Sonnanstine a "winner."
"There are guys who are bigger, better and faster," his father, Don Sonnanstine, told the St. Petersburg Times. "Yet he's persevered. He's not a flamethrower, and there are people out there with a better changeup. But there are a lot of pitchers out there drafted much higher than him who are sitting at home watching the World Series on TV. And he's here."
Hamels set to bring confidence to the mound: Cole Hamels doesn't mind being called "cocky" by manager Charlie Manuel.
"I guess that's great that my manager thinks I'm cocky. I don't try to go out there and assume that I'm cocky. I don't want people to, I guess, really think that I'm overstepping my boundaries, because truly, in order to show people that you're good, you have to play well. And that's how I guess you gain your cockiness," Hamels told MLB.com.
"But I think for me it's confidence. Really, I just have the confidence to go out there. I know I can do well. I have a team behind me that believes in me, and I will be able to do the job the right way if I focus, and I guess really hit my locations."
Longoria duped by wind-aided out: Rays manager Joe Maddon believes the wind kept a sixth-inning drive by Evan Longoria in the park in Game 4 on Saturday night. It would have broken a 2-2 tie.
"Longo hit the [heck] out of that ball. If the wind's not blowing in like it was, that ball is way gone," Rays manager Joe Maddon told the Tampa Tribune.
Longoria said he was surprised to see the ball not clear the fence.
"I've never seen anything like that before," Longoria said. "I really was just jogging out of the box to see if the ball stayed fair. In my mind, I thought for sure it was going out. I started rounding first and saw [left fielder Pat Burrell] camped under ball -- I was stunned."
Moyer credits tempo for Game 3 success: Jamie Moyer was on his game in Saturday night's 5-4 victory over the Rays in Game 3 of the World Series. After working 6 1/3 innings and giving up just three runs, Moyer said he felt more in sync before the game, and that carried onto the field.
"The difference for me tonight was probably just creating a tempo," Moyer told the Philadelphia Daily News.
He also said that the fans in Philadelphia didn't hurt. "It was very uplifting to walk across the field, even through the puddles, and hear the excitement of the fans," he said. "I really don't pay attention, but you can hear things."
Hinske makes grand entry onto Series stage: Eric Hinske was not on the Tampa Bay roster for the ALCS and was initially left off the World Series roster as well. But with Cliff Floyd slowed by a slightly torn labrum in his right shoulder, the Rays activated Hinske in place of Floyd, who will be out the rest of the World Series. Hinske immediately paid dividends for the Rays when he hit a pinch home run in the fifth inning of Game 4. It was his first at-bat since Sept. 28. During the regular season, Hinske hit .247 with 20 home runs and 60 RBIs.
"It's kind of bittersweet because you never want to see anybody get hurt, but, yeah, I'm excited to be active and have a chance to help any way I can," Hinske told the St. Petersburg Times.
Vero Beach complex special to Price: David Price spent time this season at Vero Beach, Fla., longtime home of the Dodgers Spring Training complex. Price liked the facilities so much that instead of renting a nearby apartment, he lived on the Dodgertown campus.
"I loved it," Price told the Los Angeles Times. "Probably the best place I stayed all year."
The Dodgers ended their affiliation with Vero Beach, and the Orioles did not exercise their option to move in, leaving the site without a tenant. Officials have discussed using the site for other purposes.
"Hopefully, they don't ever shut that field down," Price said. "That's a historic site."
Pujols honored with Roberto Clemente Award: Albert Pujols was honored with the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given in honor of former Pittsburgh Pirates star Roberto Clemente. Clemente was killed Dec. 31, 1972, in a plane crash while trying to assist earthquake victims in Nicaragua. The Pujols Family Foundation has been heavily involved in Down syndrome research and supporting the underprivileged in the Dominican Republic.
"I'm truly honored to receive this award," Pujols told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He went on to praise Clemente for "giving back to the community. And I feel that's my responsibility, too, whether it's in St. Louis or the United States or back in the Dominican Republic. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what you did on the field, it's what you did off the field and lives you touched off the field.
"This is pretty special to me -- not just because Roberto Clemente was Latin, but the lives that he touched and the legacy he left behind for us to follow. Glorify God first and don't forget where we come from."
Thome on hand to cheer on former teammates: Before Sunday night's 10-2 Phillies victory over the Rays, Jim Thome was hanging around -- smiling and enjoying watching his old teammates as they prepared to play in Game 5 of the World Series.
"It's very special," Thome told MLB.com. "I told my wife today coming here, my time here will always be memorable for me. It helped me grow into a person, it helped me grow into a player and ultimately be where I'm at."
And even though Thome would love to be playing with his current White Sox teammates, he's still thrilled for the Phillies.
"I'm so happy for all these guys," he said. "They've worked extremely hard to get to where they're at, and they're like brothers. I wouldn't have missed it for the world."
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Could it be a sign of better things to come here in Australia?
This week, New Zealand dairy company Tatua closed the kiwi dairy season paying $7.40 per kilo milk solids.
A currency conversion show that's about $A6.50 per kilo milk solids.
To put that into context, Australia's largest dairy company Murray Goulburn is forecasting an end of season milk price of $6 per kilo milk solids.
Tatua, which celebrates it's 100th birthday next year, says it's retaining $1.17 per kilo milk solids to 'grow the business'.
One of the company's 100 suppliers, David Fish, says it's a great return for farmers.